World Cup 87 - RP Thread

by **Omerica** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 12:40 am

OOC note: The events in the alternate timeline follow from Squid’s MD1 post.

United Republican Soccer Federation breakroom
Pre-IAC 11 (actual timeline)

“Catriona Immaculata faces her first major test as the [United Republican Soccer] Federation’s top administrator, presiding over a brewing civil war in Omerican football.”

The Executive Director couldn’t even get a break in the bloody breakroom, what with Football Aujourd’hui blaring in the background. How appropriate that they were talking about the Championship farce the moment she took lunch. Catriona had hardly seen the man sitting at the table before, but she nevertheless to a seat next to him, facing toward the door and away from the godforsaken television set.

“The [Omerican Professional Soccer] League has called on the Federation to defect to a ‘confederation of convenience’,” the host stated, explaining the omnishambles the Federation was mired in, “but such a move has not been taken up by the Federation, who have reaffirmed that ‘Omerican football must remain united under a single roof’ and that they intend for Omerica to continue as an ‘independent’ football nation. Nevertheless, as the influence of the so-called ‘FFI’ over the Independent Associations Championship continues to grow, the tension between the Federation’s idealistic perception and the League’s vision of gruesome reality has only become harder to ignore.”

Catriona pinched the bridge of her nose in disgust. This was hell and there was seemingly no escape.

“It’s a cold day in hell when an Omerican football administrator is the good guy in a fight,” the man said in response to the programme.

“Understatement if I’ve ever heard one,” she replied with a small, awkward chuckle.

The unmistakeable voice of James-Alexandre Christopherson began to play: “It’s a fucking disgrace what these clubs and what the players have been able to do, they’ve put the Federation over a bloody barrel and the Federation need to show some guts by shutting them down before they can do it again.”

Catriona nodded along. That’s what I’ve been saying this whole time, JA.

“He’s right,” the man said before taking a slurp of noodles. “We wouldn’t be in this mess if it weren’t for the League in the first place. I get that the indies are utterly hopeless, but this was beyond the pale.”

“I get why the players didn’t want to go, though,” Catriona admitted, knowing that they were the straw that broke the camel’s back. “If they’re not safe, that’s not good, but I just wish they had told us sooner.”

“It’s not even the most godforsaken place to hold a tournament. Pretty sure someone got tangled up with a kraken or two at that World Cup in Farfadillis.”

“Not as if bad host choices are new, right. Just have to hope no one lights a match in Ethane.”

“Well look on the bright side,” the man stated, “the damage is done and it’s not like things can get any worse.”

Big jinx energy hung over the room, but he had to be right. Things couldn’t get any worse. Could they? …

United Republican Soccer Federation boardroom
Pre-WC87 qualifying (alternate timeline)

“I cannot believe those delusional twats got their hands on this.”

The Treasurer was the first to speak up: “So the WCC meeting went well, we assume?”

“About as well as a trip to Greggyland,” an exasperated Catriona stated with her head held in her hands.

“You made our position clear, right?” Catriona’s deputy Jacques asked in accented Anglian.

“I made it clear that the qualifiers must be administered under the auspices of the IAC Organising Committee,” the Executive Director affirmed. “I stated point blank that we will not legitimise a farce under the umbrella of that cabal.”

“And you explained that our stance,” Jacques queried in his native Gallic, “on their unjustifiable favouritism towards the Lusophones.”

“Correct.”

“What are we going to do?” the Avonian representative Guy asked. “It is too late to back out of the qualifiers now and we have already burned bridges at the Championship.”

“The amateurs are out,” Alexandre, the Federation’s personnel director, stated. “I don’t want to do that again, they don’t want to do that again and no one else wants us to do that again.”

“I do not know what we’re going to do,” Jacques stated, “but I do know that our fellow Gallophones would riot if we do not find a way out of this.”

Silence hung over the room, as if Death was at the door to take one of them away.

“Well,” someone said in a doomed attempt to break the tension. “they’re certainly not going to hear us in Wharfland Ferry.”

Not a laugh. The room remained just as silent as before. And silent in contemplation until…

“Hold up…” said a lone woman with her hand raised at the other end of the table. “I have an idea, but it’s rather mad.”

“It’s worth a shot,” Catriona said with her head still buried in her hands. “You have the floor.”

“We have copycat nations enter the qualifiers all the time. A ‘Quebec’ here, another ‘Squornshelous’ there, with some ‘overseas territories’ for good measure. So what if we find another nation called ‘Omerica’ to take our place?”

Catriona rose up in her seat upon hearing the suggestion, with a spark in her eyes. “You know what, that might actually just work.”

United Republican Soccer Federation
6 Jacques la Rouge Road
Port Alexandre, MS 18-A40
UNITED REPUBLICS OF OMERICA
Grearish Union v Omerica
World Cup 87 qualification — Matchday Two
Old Sample, Sampleville, Grearish Union
— and —
Omerica v Starblaydia
World Cup 87 qualification — Matchday Three
Stade des Marins, Romainbourg, RG
Omerica lineup (4–3–3): Valentine Augustin; Alphonse Notley – Charity Kayode – Justin Thyme – Sacha Sepulveda; Red Bolton (captain) – Soraya Archambault – Thom Magalhaes; Jessie Beckett – Alexis Chrysanthos – Jamal Ahmad
Substitutes: Antoine Vicario – Alexandra McGuire; Anna Charles – Darcy Francis – Raphaël Martin – Lauren Kerry; Maxime Fournier – Paige Boyce – Nadiya al-Hashim; Maïa Bustos – Jean-François Fernand – Wesley Sawyer

by **Nephara** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 12:51 am

Baggieland 2 - 3 Nephara
(4-4-2) 12 - Garamond; 18 - Soeringer, 5 - Thorn (c), 22 - Clevinger, 3 - Muscadin (19 - Strasbourg 62'); 7 - Koerner, 15 - Timekeeper, 8 - Cromwell (14 - Fletcher 77'), 13 - Belgrade; 10 - Lovelace (9 - Bastable 77'), 21 - Basilisk
Goals: Koerner 19', Basilisk 36', Fletcher 87'

THE HERALD
ONE YEAR IN, HOW HAS THE LINDT GOVERNMENT KEPT ITS PROMISES?
Luna Giesler

"An end to upheaval." Such was Ulrica Lindt's bold promise before her election as Margravine, re-iterated in her victory pledge, and a bold one given her mandate came only through a minority government propped up by the Liberal Alliance.

The Alliance had proven unruly kingmakers in the past, destabilising pretty much every government they'd been apart of while being unable ever to form government in their own right. Ominous signs given that the new norm is they hold the balance of power. Nevertheless, we've heard surprisingly little from the Alliance over the course of the past year, certainly no dissent, as their base has eroded slightly to open up Nationals hopes of majority rule in the future.

Naturally, both sides have done their best to frame this as a seamless partnership. The comfortable combined majority of the two parties is more than enough to sustain a few instances of performative dissent, such as the terminal rebel Nara Martell who has essentially made her brand out of denying whatever government she's forced to work with. The establishment of the party is with Lindt, and has stuck by her.

The government currently hold a combined 245 seats in the National Assembly.

With this pro-business majority, Lindt has set about aggressively pushing an economic agenda that puts Nepharan policy more in line with the CRC. With a couple of reversals of tariffs, truly free trade is now the norm within the CRC, which Lindt has rightfully couched as a diplomatic victory as much as an economic one. Finally, Nephara's position within the CRC really is seamless.

Lindt has had a tougher time in her other stated aim. While she has consistently denied an 'anti-immigration' stance, she is the first Margrave to win office on a platform partly built on controlling the flood into the country. With initiatives such as the indigo visa program and thevvv repeated humanitarian crises raging around Rushmore, the very city that Nephara calls her capital is in many ways not Nepharan at all.

Money has been thrown at refurbishing Alliance stronghold Corvistone - gentrification, has been the counter-argument - and while the famously permissive indigo visa program, which housed refugees for free in Corvistone to double as both humanitarian messiah and cynical stimulus package for an emerging, constructed city, has been mothballed going forward, those who already have those visas have been able to travel further to other small cities across the nation. These lesser lights such as Creed and Rochford have flourished in these times, as Lindt's goal of making the nation less dependent on its capitals appears to be quietly bearing fruit.

Regarding defence, Nephara stands ready. The beefy, taciturn Minister for Defence, Clara Stern, has been boasting to all and sundry that Nepharan forces have finally eclipsed the height of their power, as they were at the outset of the Great Endemian War. There is no significant tension with Brenecia at present, for what feels like the first time in twenty years, and ties with international powerhouse Eura remain strong as ever.

In personal terms, Lindt carries the peoples' respect more than their love. While personal approval has never been high, polls consistently rank her high in metrics such as 'good in a crisis' (64%), 'dependable' (68%) and 'competent' (75%). With the Progressive Democratic opposition seen as capable but unspectacular, this bodes well for the Nationals' election hopes.

And the polls are all it ever comes back to. Whether or not one agrees with the economic platform they've set, or buys Treasurer Pearce's line that it is all just a 'correction' of Prograssive Democrat policy to meet the CRC's norms, Lindt has shown that at the very least the government probably will not implode anytime soon. In Rushmore's chaotic landscape, the polls prove that there are worse things out there than boring stability.

NEPHARAN NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION - FORTNIGHT 2
Goalkeepers: 1 - Aranea Provost (Holdenberg, EUR), 12 - Raluca Garamond (Sabrefell Athletic), 20 - Fasolt Senninger (Aries Chariots)
Defenders: 2 - Rovena Stride (AFC Treason), 3 - Vivica Muscadin (Sabrefell Moths), 5 - Roxelana Thorn (Revolutionaries, EUR, c), 6 - Cedella Verlander (AFC Corvistone), 18 - Pristina Soeringer (Stein-los Turkish, PAS), 19 - Monika Strasbourg (Myana, CMT), 22 - Reniira Clevinger (Sabrefell Athletic)
Midfielders: 4 - Tawny Shone (Sabrefell Moths), 7 - Anselm Koerner (1830 Cathair, AUD), 8 - Lothaire Cromwell (AC Izotz Zubia, AUD), 11 - Chantal Kalevi (Tihon, CMT), 13 - Ysabet Belgrade (Sabrefell Moths), 14 - Exene Fletcher (Hellinic Rouge, PAS), 15 - Rook Timekeeper (Sabrefell Moths), 23 - Janna Sauthier (CASK Thorsborg, SVJ)
Forwards: 9 - Kurtis Bastable (Ulsa, EUR), 10 - Konrad Lovelace (Revolutionaries, EUR), 17 - Voska Avetisyan (Istria City, BNJ), 21 - Latona Basilisk (Coret Hawks)

SCHEDULE
Baggieland 2 - 3 Nephara
Nephara vs. Quemorr Isles @ The Iron Hill (Vermillion)
Græntfjall vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Pluvia @ Ludd's Hammer (Stahlburg)
Garbelia vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Kandorith @ Farham Arena (Sabrefell)
South Covello vs. Nephara
Sett Forest vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Indusse @ Farham Arena (Sabrefell)
Nephara vs. Baggieland @ The Gauntlet (Treason)
Quemorr Isles vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Græntfjall @ Phoenix Rise (Corvistone)
Pluvia vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Garbelia @ Eagle's Club (Brinemouth)
Kandorith vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. South Covello @ Eagle's Club (Brinemouth)
Nephara vs. Sett Forest @ The Gauntlet (Treason)
Indusse vs. Nephara

by **Blouman Empire** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 1:03 am

THE EMPIRE TIMES

Eagles Can't Buy A Goal At Stadium Bloumany

The Eagles did everything but score in a thoroughly entertaining goalless stalemate with Ko-oren as the hosts failed to win their opening World Cup qualifying match at home. In a pulsating game, the Eagles had 15 shots in the first half alone and twice hit the woodwork.

Tij Breukelaar denied the hosts by clearing Lincoln Zilva's shot off the line before Larut Theshendan tipped Brad Hunter’s attempt on to the bar. Ty Freltron headed against the post while Ko-oren's best chance fell to Mata Vaugrenard whose header was clawed away by Henry Polinoir. Despite failing to win, The Eagles managed to pick up a point against the group favourites, which could prove important by the end of the campaign. Blouman manager Lewis Parry said he wasn’t to concerned about the team’s inability to score."We had enough chances to win two games, maybe even three," he said. "My concern is when you're not creating chances. We also looked like a team unlikely to concede goals as well and if you can do that you'll accumulate points."

The Eagles will wonder how on earth they did not manage to hit the net after peppering the Ko-oren goal with 27 attempts. On a frustrating night for the home team, Zilva marked his first International start with eight attempts alone. What could’ve been an easy win and a large goal difference to start the campaign but the hosts were not clinical enough. Theshendan made six saves in total with his fingertip stop to deny Hunter the best of the lot. Even at the end Issac Cupstran and John Miller went close but the Eagles, who averaged just over two goals per game in the last World Cup qualifiers failed to score.

Ko-oren whom finished top of their group last qualifiers and are expected to do the same have dropped some early points against a side that only just missed out on qualifying for the World Cup last time. Despite the draw the team played their part in the Stadium Bloumany thriller with Theshendan made to work hard for his latest clean sheet. Aenemere Erisia had already gone close with a first-time shot when Vaugrenard got on the end of Harold Batchelor’s cross to force the Blouman keeper into a diving save. Kherles Ensaunden also forced saves while Erisia’s driving runs caused the Eagles problems all game, but the few shots well in comparison to the Eagles should be concerning to the visiting side.

The Eagles will travel to the Kingdom of Quebec for the next game and will be hoping to be able to convert chances into goals as they look to bring home the three points. Quebec will be without Marco Hertel for the match which may cause them problems, however, after coming off a 2-1 win against The Sarian the team will be on a high and in front of a home crowd, which is sure to give them an advantage over the Eagles.

by **Beepee** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 3:11 am

Beepee 1–1 The Grearish Union

Well, who would have guessed it? Not me thats for sure! Against a fine Grearish team we managed to eke out a home draw. That gives us a whole point more than we expected to get against the stronger side.

Soccer fans from across 'the little nation that could' had kind of forgotten about the excitement that comes with a world cup qualifier match and the joy and exuberance that comes with goals. Tonight rekindled some of that excitement and exuberance.

Naturally the Beepeean supporters launched into rapturous applause whenever they could and Beepeeans the world over, saw brief glimpses of their past glory during this match. Memories of that fateful night against Baker Park.

The Beepee team scored first, only a few minutes after the start of play. Perhaps the opposition caught unawares by the amateur level of their competitors. But after scoring the goal Veera was mobbed by his team mates.

Colleen Yu's then instructed the players to sit back and try and defend that lead. Several of the players tried their best to park the bus, but after an hour or so the Grearish team got there rewards.

The Beepeean team were so pleased with the point they decided to invite the Grearish team out for a nice red wine on the town to celebrate.

by **Brenecia** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 3:23 am

Hindu Ram Rajya 1 - 4 Brenecia
(4-2-3-1) 12 - Cove; 17 - Shepherd, 18 - Giltanan, 6 - Ford, 19 - Watermark; 23 - Schofield, 8 - Caitiff (13 - Deal 65'); 22 - Waters, 10 - Parrish (21 - Archer 80'), 11 - Pace (16 - Fletcher 76'); 14 - Hazeldean
Goals: Caitiff 20', Giltanan 27', Waters 44', Hazeldean 85'

TASKFORCE OPHIUCHUS
Part 2

In the bad old days of Clarisse Ward, the Directorate had been her secret police. Dissent was tracked down and snuffed out, in all its forms; be it the actual insurgents in rural Rathia the Directorate was actually formed to keep down, or a Rozelle teenager making angry anti-authoritarian twiis. Armed insurrection, defiance of the rule of law, not fitting in... all crimes, in the Directorate's eyes.
Well, those days were over, in theory. Ward was out, the LDR were win, with Catherine Bardsley at the helm. The genuine rule of law was meant to return, Brenecia to snap back to functional democracy. Okay, so the international community politely turned a blind eye as Ward's Director was executed by NSIA agents, and as her Minister for Defence was hanged for sedition, and that was the end of things, right?
And yet the Directorate remained.
Of course there had been a purge. There was no room left for the genuine ideologues save the cells. But throwing out the lot would've meant canning Brenecia's primary domestic intelligence network and all its specialists. There were many babies in that bathwater, particularly as many still craved Ward's return, or someone like her, and were willing to do anything to get her back.
They probably could've stood to rename the thing, but the Directorate limped on.

For these reasons and more, nobody particularly wanted to bother Agent Wray as she weaved her way through the typically delapidated and underfunded police station. She had a badge that still inspired terror, and certainly did not inspire questions. Near-unopposed, she made her way to her subordinate's office, weaving through a few cells already full of anti-democratic dissidents.
Some of them had questions or desires. One called her a traitor - that one, unopposed by the dormant police, Wray grabbed through the bars by the throat and slammed into the railing. Some things could not be borne.
She slid in through the door. Keller smiled tersely at her; the two detectives took the point, and left.
Keller opened her mouth, but Wray cut her off. "Ah-ah-ah." She reached over and turned off the recording device, before a pointed stare at the camera towards the ceiling.
A uniform sighed and switched it off. He had orders, after all.

"Reckon that'll be enough time to get the hint," said Wray after a solid eight-second pause. Her voice was oddly soft, smooth, frictionless. Like acid in a glass cup.
"I'd hope so." Sara Watson's harsh northern voice had changed to Sapphire Keller's more languid Westpike tone, something with an unashamed teutonic undertone. Seditionist murderers didn't tend to come from Westpike; the ones that did tended to be angry shut-ins, an aesthetic Keller was never going to fit. "You get in okay?"
"Sure."
"Good."
"So part of my job here, as you might expect, is to commend you. You said one of the constables tried to tip you off..."
"Yes, well, if he'd trusted anyone more this might've all gone up in smoke." Keller allowed herself a chuckle. "Fortunately, that fell into my lap and the message died in my hand, oops."
"Does anyone know the message was delivered?"
"I shouldn't think so. I'd imagine they'll see Sara Watson was rolled up with all the others and has left the board. I ... imagine that's a good thing, too. There have to be others, right?"
"Ah, you know I can't tell you, Saph. Left hand can't know what the right hand's doing, after all; what if one of the fingers gets talkative?"
Keller frowned, unimpressed. "That metaphor sucked, but. I take your point."
"Everyone's a critic. Anyway, that isn't the point. The point is Sara Watson's not done her job yet."
Keller raised an eyebrow. "Has she not."
"No. We believe we can get Watson out on a technicality - I mean, you know we aren't going to get all of them, right? - and feed her back into the organisation. Someone will want to know what happened in the cell, and--"
"Okay. Hold up, hold up." Keller cocked her head. "I know we talk big about breaking organisations, but you really reckon there's a full structure here? Half these goons couldn't count to twenty with their shoes on."
"I know. But that's just the surface level. Get deeper in - get where this whole Taskforce is meant to go - and we reckon we can get right to the heart of it. There's tendrils going in deep, Saph." Wray leaned back in her seat. "Don't you, just a little, want to be the one to see how far?"

BRENECIAN NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION - FORTNIGHT 2
Goalkeepers: 1 - Scathach Wright (Raynor City United, VAL), 12 - Tiarnan Cove (Rozelle), 20 - Cairbre Dundalk (Chenoworth Rovers, NPH)
Defenders: 2 - Clovette Bravender (Ulsa, EUR), 3 - Triss Roscommon (Revolutionaries, EUR), 5 - Finn Leadbetter (Holdenberg, EUR), 6 - Leona Ford (Workers Union, EUR), 17 - Caithe Shepherd (Rozelle), 18 - Casey Giltanan (Workers Union, EUR), 19 - Deimne Watermark (Northern Stallions)
Midfielders: 4 - Finn Townsend (CdF Celtade, AUD, c), 8 - Esther Caitiff (Ulsa, EUR), 10 - Dreigiau Parrish (KT Itzalovalle, AUD), 11 - Tricia Pace (Northern Union), 13 - Cheney Deal (Northern Stallions), 15 - Mathgamain Fife (Rozelle), 16 - Ceridwen Fletcher (Holdenberg, EUR), 21 - Gaheris Archer (North Hall), 22 - Linoan Waters (Istria City, BNJ), 23 - Ronan Schofield (Raynor City United, VAL)
Forwards: 7 - Lauren Cheney (Spartangrad, EUR), 9 - Mhacha White (Farrenton Athletic, EUR), 14 - Kitty Hazeldean (Marque)

SCHEDULE
Hindu Ram Rajya 1 - 4 Brenecia
Plane of Possibility vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Filindostan
West Angola vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Terre Septentrionale
Ranoria vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Trigel
CRC vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Riena
Brenecia vs. Hindu Ram Rajya
Brenecia vs. Plane of Possibility
Filindostan vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. West Angola
Terre Septentrionale vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Ranoria
Trigel vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. CRC
Riena vs. Brenecia

by **Sharktail** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 5:18 am

SHARKTAIL POST EP39
IT A SHAME FOR ALL OF US

Zwangzug 6-1 Sharktail
Goal:Virman(asst:Azaim)
Line up
Zeehad
Harold
Yusri
Rosly
Thet
Chandra
Azaim
Nik Akif
Amirin
Gaby(c)
Virman 

sub:Homer, Jaclin, Shahrul

Victory and defeat are commonplace in competitions, but sometimes, it ends worse than we can imagine. That was the obvious situation for the Sharktail team after the end of the first World Cup Qualifying 87. A start that every team wanted to avoid. There is no term for home or opponent, losing is still considered losing.

Simply put, it is said that tonight's match, many have expected from the beginning that Zwangzug is not a Sharktail match, but no one, neither players, officials nor supporters expect 6 goals to hit Sharktail's goal. Many are talking about this, plus the lineup of players who are brought down is the main players. This is the biggest defeat ever recorded by Sharktail. The person most affected by this defeat is definitely Sahami. At this point, Sahami has just enjoyed great success in his career as a national team manager. After trying for so long to prove his credibility as a manager, now a handful of fans are doubting him again. When reporters tried to find him after the game was over, Sahami was seen to be in a bad mood and only answered a few questions without much comment.

As for the Sharktail players, they admit they are bound by this decision. Left defender Harold when asked by reporters about the match, "For myself, in this match, I admit I lost focus throughout the match. I do not want to comment on the performance of other teammates, because for now we are all the same, Our performance was not encouraging. Maybe we were too overvonfident we were able to do something unexpected in this match. And as a result, the results of this match were completely beyond our expectations. Only an apology from all of us, that's all I can say.

In the match that took place at Pacific Field, Zwangzug, Sharktail was embarrassed by the host team 6-1. Sharktail's single net was scored by Virman as a result of a pass from Azaim. Now that the second match will be the focus, can The Blue Predator rise or continue to be swept away by the waves? Come on Blue Predator, time to start hunt your prey.

by **Garbelia** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 5:39 am

Previews for our next 2 matches!
By Norvis FC legend, Edward Ottero

"So, with a crushing loss in the first game, manager Otter McOttery's job already looks severely under threat, he might end up jiggering formations about a bit, or going for defence. He most certainly doesn't want to be the first international manager we have had to be sacked..."

Team lineup away to Sett Forest:
(Image)
It appears the manager is sticking with his team away at Sett Forest, backing them to score their way to a victory. Pundits predict a draw or win, which could put the manager's job on the line, as one of the only games that we have a chance of winning, this could be the difference for a Garbelia side centred around two players eligible at youth level. This game will be all about outscoring, but we know absolutely nothing about this team, so we are just going to stick to the Garbelery way. ATTACK!

Team lineup home to Kandorinth:
(Image)
Looks like the team are parking the bus for this one, the wingers being replaced by wing-backs and switching from a +4 to a -5. We want to avoid another humiliation, and maybe, in dreamland, snatch a draw.

View from Venjolath Road will be broadcast on both radio and television daily until the end of the WC Qualifiers, and will be available as a podcast afterwards. Tomorrow, we bring you highlights and reaction for our next two games. PGBS 1 will hos our Sett Forest game, while PGBS 2 will host Kandorinth. Current top scorers for this tournament: Arthur Goodotter: 2

by **Tikariot** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 7:18 am

The picture fades in to the Tikariot Sports TV WC studio, with the usual trio ready to go as soon as the title sequence fades away.

Alistair McIntosh: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome back to Tikariot Sports TV's coverage of the World Cup 87 qualifiers. I'm Alistair McIntosh and with me tonight, as usual, Duncan Haldane and Martin Seagrave!

Duncan Haldane: Thank you, Alistair, as usual happy to be here, especially with the good news from match day 1.

Martin Seagrave: Oh yes, it is always good to see a positive start to a long and grueling campaign.

Alistair McIntosh: Very much so! My colleagues here are talking about our game in Zeta Reka, yes, yes, I know, and Hugeltaldom, before you throw that in again there, Martin, which was generally seen as a big benchmark test to see where we would stand within the group and I must say - I like this benchmark!

Duncan Haldane: Seriously, what is not to like?

Alistair McIntosh: Well, maybe the fact that we almost handed the game to them?

Martin Seagrave: Yes, but I will counter that with the team showing the mental strength to take it back.

Alistair McIntosh: Good point. Before we lose our viewers out there with cryptic messages, let's have a look at how things went to begin with, shall we?

As they discuss the different scenes, footage from the game plays on the giant screens behind them.

Martin Seagrave: Yes, I have heard that starting at the beginning also is a good point. So we went off splendidly after just three minutes, when we got an early freekick not too far from the Rekan box. Rory McNair lined up and you can see there in the faces of some of the guys in the wall that they would probably rather be anywhere but there.

Duncan Haldane: Haha, yes, Rory's right foot has quite the reputation of 'hurt', but here he uses that effect to do the unexpected and just loft it over the wall. Of course, Eren Knox's header goes the wrong direction and falls right back to Rory and then there is no mercy, right under the crossbar, absolutely no chance for Zlatko Wukowić, with the brute force behind the shot he could have broken a finger or three.

Alistair McIntosh: Agreed. So a great start, especially abroad, and it took Zeta Reka a while before recovering from this shock, because for the next good 20 minutes it was pretty much Tikariot playing one-way football. Do you see it as a big surprise that they managed to push back the Rekans this much?

Duncan Haldane: It is difficult, if you get thumped like that early on, because it gives the opponent confidence and that was clearly the case here. We did not push that much, though, actually, it was more holding the ball and probing to see, if they could come out, but I really like how the team then suddenly with one quick pass could speed up the game and create chances.

Alistair McIntosh: Like in the 30th minute, when Dairon Noles sent Zion Grimes down the left side and under severe pressure by Jad he manages to whip the cross in and here we see why Jardel Connolly has been co-winner of the Golden Cannon, he just rises up above everybody else and powerful header there, again not much to do for Wukowić, even though he does get his hand on it, but it's just too precise and we're up 2-0 just like that.

Martin Seagrave: Very focused first half hour by our team, which lasted exactly 42 seconds longer. And that's where you see that Zeta Reka is a force to be reckoned with in this group, because it's almost as if they needed that wake-up call. Right from the centre circle you can see them push forward, trying to overwhelm our midfield and they get the ball right out to Jad, beautiful sharp cross to the near post and Bogdan Rawić gets the ball delivered right onto the foot and volley between the post and Chatelet, that was a beautiful response from the Rekans and just enough to take all the wind out of our sails for a while.

Alistair McIntosh: The game definitely was a lot more balanced, leaning towards Zeta Reka, with both teams playing with a lot of speed and it showed that this was the first game of the campaign, where everybody still had strength and all. Despite several scoring chances, however, the teams went into the half time break with a 2-1 lead and also in the second half beither side was able to get any shots past Wukowić or Chatelet. George Hancock and Stephen Mhor came on for Nicholas van Haar and Anil Al Hak, but in the 73rd minute it was Zeta Reka that would go for broke.

Duncan Haldane: Yes, beautiful switch from defense to offense here, McNair loses the ball and with just a few quick passes from Wladmirowić over Gröss to Arnald Gal they were right there in the Tikariotian box and that shot low and precise right next to the past was absolute class to equalize for the Rekans.

Unbeknownst to the gentlemen in the studio, a sudden flicker of static interrupts the analysis and the same odd graphic appears through the static, before returning to the regular TV coverage.

Duncan Haldane: --time, though, it was Tikariot that recovered quickly. McNair with a free kick from almost the centre circle, high to the left side and then look at Morris Nighthorse. That first touch how he takes the ball down is just sublime, lays it right over onto his right foot and then tries to loop it over the keeper, takes a slight deflection on top of it and we're back in the lead.

Martin Seagrave: That little bit right there shows why he's been Player of the year for the second time running and why there was an 11 million bid by Istria City on the table to get him to move to Banija, but both player and Baraldhur have immediately waved off any rumours about a potential transfer.

Duncan Haldane: It is an immense show of respect, though, to get an offer like this to begin with.

Martin Seagrave: Definitely.

Alistair McIntosh: So after that Ellis Wagstaff came on for Jardel Connolly and Tikariot was not done yet, even though Zeta Reka aggressively pushed forwards to try to equalize again.

Duncan Haldane: Well, at this point that's all they could do. Sure, in a group that promises to be this tight, any goal might count, but what's a goal compared to a point?

Martin Seagrave: Potentially everything, likely nothing. The one nice side effect of this, though, is that it opens up a lot of spaces for counter attacks, and in the 83rd they did just that. Zeta Reka can't get the ball into the goal and Chatelet with a long, long kick forward to Wagstaff, who has two defenders against him, but manages to hold up the ball just enough to allow McNair to come forwards, then a quick flick and McNair can just curve it right past the keeper for the fourth goal and the case was closed.

Alistair McIntosh: A strong showing from both teams, though, and while the win probably is deserved, I think it's one goal too high.

Duncan Haldane: Absolutely, the difference between them definitely was not two goals, but that's the thing with counter attacks at the end of the game, they happen and they can skew the result a little bit, all in all we're still off to a great start and if we can built on that in the next two games, we have a nice foundation to build on for the big two against Vilita and Tequilo.

Alistair McIntosh: Yes, the next two games against Widaya and State of Trinity are pretty much must-wins, aren't they?

Duncan Haldane: Yes and that is also why it makes them so much more difficult and dangerous. If we lose against Vilita and in Tequilo, in a way those would have to be expected, but with those two there is no margin for error. And like we've said yesterday, we did lose against Union Europae last time around, so we've experienced firsthand how easy it is to slip up, so let's hope we can avoid that this time.

Alistair McIntosh: Now State of Trinity did manage to draw 1-1 against Balqia at home, which is a fair achievement, while Widaya lost 0-1 in Hebitaka. Any takeaways from these results?

Duncan Haldane: Not really, Balqia is definitely higher ranked, but did not take part in the WCQ86, so they are a big unknown as to their current shape and losing abroad is not a great benchmark either.

Martin Seagrave: All we can do is to try to focus on our game and not let them dictate anything. As long as we stick to our gameplan, we should be fine, but we can't let our concentration down at any time, because any lost points in these two games could prove to be fatal later when it all gets tallied up.

Alistair McIntosh: So looking at--

The static suddenly breaks through the picture and the dark graphic reappears, seemingly pulsating on the screen.

Whispered voice: The shadows are ready for you. Are you?

Slowly the screen fades to black.

by **Southwest Eastnorth** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 7:21 am

Southwest Eastnorth - 1
Chris Houton 65'

Squornshelous RS- 2
Lyzolda Petrov 20' 59'

The Explorers: Pt2

This is a map of Southwest Eastnorth, Sort of. This is the official map put out by official cartographers in the region of Rushmore. In theory the borders are non existent and with Queer Poco el Mono Ara and Antoletia, those nations are our only known borders. As the photo below is the official borders so far. A full on fade, a an unown blur into the future. The nation known as SWEN is a mere 5 decades old. Nothing of th e other Virginian nation is known. What is known is that ht nation will move on. Move on into the unknown wilds of Southwest Eastnorth.

Sergei Oren: former Qzvarkian Qaz military man now working for Directional Resources
Perry Pershing: Directional Resources Exploration Division
Alex DiPablo Jr: Directional Resources Exploration Division

"So Perry, any clue on what that metal was? The one with the Nepharan flag?" - Alex

"No clue, it looked amateurish, would have thought it to be plane wreckage otherwise" - Perry

The three men had put up their camping gear in the truck when they decided to check on the score of last nights game. They went down to set and Sergei turned on his tablet.

"So 2-1 Squorn, actually looks a good game went on" - Sergei

"So what happened? we let go a late bloomer to Squorn for a victory?" - Perry

"Nah Houton scored late, but their GK kept it tight and did well" - Sergei

The three of the explorers watched the highlights over the game, they watched highlights together and made comments along the way. Sergei was particularly impressed with the play of Lyzolda Petrov, noting "there's a reason she's in Nephara". he also pointed out that as soon as Kaalia Gerstlauer was put in that the home team had a better shot. Of course the trio wished they had been at the game. But while First Coast is an amazing stadium, it's reputation for being increasingly out of they way is sort of a microcosm of Auberlin. A populous city, the place is notoriously out of the way for many SWENs. It was stripped of being the capital only twenty five years after the nations founding, when it was becoming obvious the population preferred the western part of the nation.

Alas the trio got out and going, it would be another arduous journey for the trio, they knew the team had a journey too, aside from Squonshelous, the next game would be the Potato Farmers of Poafmersia. While driving they came across a light in the distance. What was this? How is it the light shining out here? Was it connected to the piece of metal they found a couple days ago? The False reading on the Geiger counter?

Who knew?

"Hey why does does it feel like we're driving on pavement now?" - Perry

by **Frestovenia** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 8:24 am

Frestovenia up against Icecliff and Barunia

After a memorable victory over the Tornado Queendom last Monday, it is time for more action in group 11 of the 87th World Cup qualifiers. The Frestovenians will play Icecliff (359) and Barunia (92) today. Chances are there for the debutants. Can they surprise again?

Let's start with the first opponent of today, Icecliff. The 359th ranked side in the KPB rankings lost it's first qualifier against top team Valanora. A small winning margin (2-0) secured the victory for the fifth ranked team. The team is equivalent to Frestovenia and it can turn out to be a very interesting match tonight. We can expect a great thriller, that's a thing for sure. Frestovenia hopes to compete for the three points with the home advantage in mind. Unfortunatly we don't know anything about the team of Icecliff. "Even with the lack of information about this team, we can tell our fans that we can deal with this situation. Everything has to come from our team and we will give another 100%" says the Frestovenian captain and forward Olaf Artvikker. As it stands now, the line-up will not change. All players that started the match against the Tornado Queendom will play against Icecliff and Barunia. There are no cases of injuries in the team and everyone seems to be very fit to play.

MATCH INFO:

Frestovenia v Icecliff
@Asvard Stadium, Asvard
This match will be live on:

Barunia lost surprisingly to Jabal Akhdar at home (1-2). Not a good start for them. Frestovenia is hoping to manage the same difficult job. "We know that Barunia will regain themselves. It will be the first big clash for us and we will be really happy with a result against them" says the head coach of the Frestovenians. Talking about challenges, this surely is one. Barunia has a lot of experience on the international stage of football and they know how to qualify for the biggest event in NS sports. With many World Cup appearances, it is a team to look out for. "I think they will walk over us in the first minutes and go for a fast goal, if they achieve that, then it will be a difficult task for us to come back in the match. We have to keep it closed in the back and take every opportunity we get to make a counter goal" says captain Artvikker. Playing home or away against such a great opponent makes no difference. Hopefully it won't be a walk over as many of us expect. Frestovenia will play with their strongest line-up. No changes as of now. Other than the match against Icecliff the match against Barunia will be broadcasted on channel 1 of Fresto Sports.

MATCH INFO:

Barunia v Frestovenia
@Bayview Stadium, Tildos

This match will be live on:

You can watch the highlights of the other matches in this group on the Fresto Sports website: http://www.frestosports.fr/highlights/

by **Ibixa** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 9:03 am

Xavi Maia stripped off his tracksuit and made his way to the sidelines. This was to be his third appearance for Ibixa, all as a substitute, but this felt different. Firstly, his other two appearances had both been late on, well into garbage time in games that had long been decided. Secondly...

Xavi looked around the stadium. It was a little larger than Campbell Park, the ground in Krytenia where his nation had played their "home" AOCAF games, but the atmosphere felt different. This was their stadium. Their city. Their nation.

Their home.

True, it was a home still under construction, but that didn't matter. It may have been new, but it was decidedly Ivixe. This was not a crumbling edifice of Krytenian or Ibexi follies past, but a gleaming beacon of hope for the future. A reminder that Ibixa may be bankrolled by the argental, but they were going to do things decidedly their way. Xavi's parents had moved here when he was twelve, among the early subscribers to the new wave of emigrants from Avidia to Altoro, and immediately he felt he belonged. People who spoke the same language he was ridiculed for in Krytenia, with hopes and dreams they felt they couldn't reach, and with people in charge who actually cared. Shiny new textbooks in a shiny new school. Streets kept almost obsessively clean. Neighbours who always had time for each other. A real sense of community and togetherness.

A small part of his brain felt it was almost unfair that someone had to make way for him to come on, but he understood. Antoni Guell had made sure of that. The Ibixan strikers, and Sergi Soler especially, had been swimming in treacle since Emastalia had equalised in reply to a fine Cesc Perna free-kick. Xavi was to inject some fresh legs into the side, hopefully to unlock the Emastali defence and grab the three points. The board went up, Sergi made his way off the pitch, and Xavi looked to a point in the main stand as he made his way to his position.

There was an empty seat that caught his eye. Though he didn't expect anyone to be sat there, it still filled Xavi with sadness, as he knew who should have been occupying that particular seat. His mother, Martina, was absent. She had been the one who encouraged Xavi to concentrate on his football; sure, it didn't pay the bills, with no professional clubs in Ibixa, but that didn't matter to her. She saw the passion in her son's eyes when he took to the field, and she just knew. She'd been there to congratulate her boy when he picked up his first cap, but just a month before this game, she was taken from him, succumbing to a stroke in her sleep.

Now, though, was not the time to grieve. Now was the time to make her proud.

With ten minutes to go, Xavi would get his chance. Mateu Nadal's cross wasn't the best, but the ball was only half-cleared and landed at the striker's feet. Instinct took over as he wound his leg back and lashed the ball, time almost going in slow motion as his shot made its way through the crowd of players before rippling the net.

Xavi barely heard the roar of the crowd, dropping to his knees and pointing skyward, smiling despite the tears streaming down his face. As he was mobbed by his team-mates, he looked at the wooden rosary around his wrist, a gift from his mother.

"Per a tu, mare. Gràcies, Déu." he said to himself, enjoying the moment.

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 9:30 am

From the diary of Britt Hanokssen

Just found Erin passed out and in a pool of blood. She smashed her head into her glass table after she got high. I helped her clean herself up before she went to practice, but Dad was still suspicious. Well, it would be pretty hard not to be suspicious when one of your players has cuts in her neck that open up during drills. Erin almost always arrived late for practice, but with Dad making more cuts from the roster for next season, Erin's on a much tighter leash than before. I already talked Dad into giving her one more chance. Pretty sure for Dad, this means Erin's last chance.

Dad says Erin's making it really hard for him to keep her on the team. I know he promised that she would survive the first wave of cuts but I could tell on his face that he's really pissed off about her. Erin can't even make it through preseason without ODing, he says. But really, if I hadn't gone to her house to check on her and pick her up, things could have been much worse. And things will get worse for Erin if Dad cuts her. She just needs time, and I've been buying her lots of it at the moment.

(A pencil sketch of the logo of Hunsen Loggers FC is drawn to the right of the following entry.)

They're fighting in training again. It always always happens. Nobody knows why we keep fighting, but we keep fighting anyway. This time it's because Shae [Victoria] literally took out Hanna Nylis. Reka [Bacsik] put the beatdown on Shae, but that's hardly our biggest problem right now. Hanna's our starting striker, more like our only striker on the team, and now she's injured. Everyone's hoping it's not so serious, but the look on Hanna's face... You just know it's worst case scenario you're looking at. Without a striker our season is screwed before it's even begun.

It all makes sense now, now that I think about it. The fact that we've always come so close to winning the Valerian First Tier but never did in the end. How the fuck did we survive all those seasons with only one striker in the team? No wonder we kept losing out on the title. It's a damn miracle we were even able to challenge for the title in that state! When you rely on just one striker for a whole season to win you the league, you know you done fucked up.

It's good news for the kids though, sick as that may sound. Dad and Casper don't want to blow our entire transfer budget on a striker so some of the youth will definitely get a chance to play this season. Now I wish I worked on my goalscoring more. I could have filled in for striker and showed everyone that I deserve a spot in this team. Oh well. Back to training for me.

- Entry dated 12 May 2019

       ABANHFLEFT 2 - 0 CHARTISTAN
    TABAREZ (36')
MacALISTAIR (66')

MATCH STATS
Possession
Abanhfleft: 55%
Chartistan: 45%
Shots
Abanhfleft: 13 (7 on target)
Chartistan: 6 (2 on target)
Corners
Abanhfleft: 11
Chartistan: 5
Fouls
Abanhfleft: 18
Chartistan: 16

by **Juvencus** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 9:38 am

WORRYSOME RESULT AGAINST SAN ORTELIO PUTS GLI ATTACANTI'S ATTACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Juvencus 1-1 San Ortelio

Gli attaccanti barely managed to cling a point after a strong fight from the swordfishes

After yet another draw against the unranked San Ortelio side, De Casio seriously needs to get back to the drawing board. A very good willed, yet not well-positioned experiment took place, as he placed some promising young talent in the starting XI against The Swordfishes of Ortelio. However, Di Tane's men possessed a great amount of sheer strength, known in simple terms as parking the bus.

Gli attaccanti clearly haven't set their priorities straight when it comes to being effective in front of the goal. Di Casio's troops are still struggling to find net, and it was apparent in the majority of the friendlies the team played, rarely managing to net over 2 goals. The first half can only be described in one word, ineffective, for us, a form of serendipity, for them. However at first it seemed to be as la Squadra was going to implement a perfect Pomenienze, despite the abundance of youthful players in the team. Pereyra swiftly managed to get through both Curiale and Mazziero before crossing it to Campana with the latter's volley being saved by a lightning-quick leap from Lanzafame. On the ensuing corner, yet another Pereyra cross managed to find Coste this time with Lanzafame being his team's savior once again. Following the counter-attack, a few short, yet quick passes that seemed quite lucky, yet perfectly calculated culminated in Salvatori slipping it through to Garofalo with the latter banging it in the top right corner. And while the 0-1 advantadge for The Swordfishes seemed unlikely, the fact that the scoreline almost increased to a 2-goal lead was even more surprising, however some strong leadership from Bassi and Puig's undsiputably accurate tackling abilities were enough to the same day before it became more of a disaster. As such, fear probably consumed our dear allies over at San Ortelio, as they formed a tight formation with the majority of the team, 9 whole players when including the goalkeeper, on the backline. This caused frustration to the young players of the gli attaccanti, as finding space for blitzkrieg attacks wouldn't be enough to break an inpenetrable wall as such. A finessed shot from Pereyra hit the top post, with an impressingly leaping Lanzafame so close to touching the ball. As such, a frustrating first half ended in a San Ortelio lead.

However a pep talk in the locker rooms was probably enough for the gli attaccanti to light up its engines, albeit only slightly compared to most occasions. Juvencus' main man was indeed Pereyra in organising yet another attack, with a cross finding Campana but his header was saved yet again by Lanzafame. Shortly later a harsh tackle by Mazziero onto Campana was met by an argument between the 2 sides, with Juven players gathering up around the refferee demaning for a red card, which was not given in the end and they'd have to settle with a yellow card. Quaranta and Coste seemed to be so vocal about it that they were awarded with yellow cards themselves, something which De Casio might not see with a good eye. A change from Christian to fresher Cavallo might have lifted the team's spirits from the left with crosses coming left and right culminating in a barrage of opportunities, all of which seemed to be magically blocked by the brick wall that is Lanzafame, or by bad luck seemed to be heading wide, with Pereyra hitting the post yet again! However, yet another challenge by Gagliano to Pereyra in the latter minutes of the match was met with more infuriated reactions from the Juven side, despite the favorability of the spot on the far left side of the San Ortelio side. Pereyra did manage to find some sort of retribution as his cross met Campana's head with the latter's strike finding net at last. However, this was not enough as the premiere of the qualifiers of the biggest show of them all ended in a tie.

Next up are the matches against the current Baptism of Fire champions, Treekidistan and then we are hosting Cosumar on 2 matches that are considered crucial in establishing a fine lead that will lead to the top of the leaderboard.

by **Savojarna** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 10:00 am

SAVOJARNAS DAGBLADET -- INTERNATIONAL
Savojarna’s prime news source for international readers

Housing shall pave the way to the EC for Labour Party
Hallsberga/Vestrholm - The Labour Party (AP) Delegate Congress has come to a close in Hallsberga last night, crowning Karolina Sundby as the leading candidate of the party in a contested election over challenger Johan Anders Rundsted. Along with their choice of candidate, the Delegates also have confirmed the campaign strategy and slogans for the AP, which appears to be focused on the housing crises ongoing in the country’s major cities.

It has been a difficult meeting for the AP, who traditionally is always more fragile in their cohesion than the Communist Party. Four hours had passed at the end of the election process, and the exhaustion was visible on some people’s faces, most notably Karolina Sundby herself as she steps onto the stage for her acceptance speech. The 54 year old, working as an engineer at the national railways Savojarsk Jarnsvägen before being elected Member of the National Assembly nine years ago, has been active primarily in the NA’s Foreign Policy Commission, as well as its Commission for Transportation Policy, and was pitched as candidate by the AP party leadership. She had, however, faced a difficult challenge by the older university professor and writer Johan Anders Rundsted, who has little experience with national office but was active in many different roles of the parliaments of Sjoedrhavn and the Vestrholm region.

Rundsted had made a spirited policy challenge, demanding a more radical economic policy as well as a clearer commitment to Rushmori policy, putting Sundby under pressure for her policies particularly in regards to energy, climate change, and welfare. Rundsted’s demands of a more radical stance have been widely accepted by the delegates, and were also supported by Sundby; however, the challenger’s more radical stance was also criticised on the grounds that it would likely be difficult to bring them into a government unless the AP would win a near-absolute majority. Sundby’s stance on the issue of governance is more compromise oriented, making it likely that the AP could potentially secure cooperation with the KPS-I as well as the Syndicalist Union. She has also refused to negate coalition with the KPS, something her challenger Rundsted was heavily implying, although not committing to it when asked by the delegates.

Karolina Sundby’s victory speech, however, left little doubt that she too would be an unabashed AP candidate and approaching the election from a distinctively left flank. “The KPS has moved to the right, and nobody can deny that they are looking for more central planning, for more nationalisation, and less worker power. We are not in favour of this! This state is not for the state, it is for the workers! We must work with the forces in this state that are putting the workers of Savojarna front and centre again, and uphold the ideals of Kruger and Bjurman”, she said in her speech. While some people have interpreted these lines as an indirect promise to not govern together with the KPS, there is a lot of rhetoric involved; nevertheless, the manifesto passed by the delegates clearly establishes some different policies from existing precedent.

The manifesto focuses heavily on three points. Rundsted’s demands of more intense Rushmori cooperation has been heard by the delegates and they voted to include provisions to establish deeper cooperation with friendly nations, both through the Common Rushmori Community or through bilateral cooperation. It also particularly emphasised stronger cooperation within the fields of sharing technological developments and economic cooperation with fellow socialist nations, although Sundby has pointed towards an increased interest into joint ventures with capitalist actors too - as long as they are willing to follow Savojarsk law. This has been heavily debated, and ultimately not been entered into the manifesto; particularly if the AP is leading a coalition government, it would however be the most likely interpretation of their new international policy. Finally, its core is the provision of new housing in the cramped centres of Savojar cities.

Savojarna has seen a housing crisis particularly among young people due to the long lines and waiting times that are easily acquired in the nation’s cities. The main reasons are interior migration towards cities, primarily Sjoedrhavn, Storevik, Pawlograd, and Jaromirgrad; however, in some places such as Savojagrad, broader Rushmori migration is also a concern. Savojagrad has recently branded itself as a Rushmori City, attracting many expats in technology and IT particularly, who are attracted by the city’s status as the beating heart of Savojarsk tech thanks to its local university, as well as a melting pot of Rushmori cultures. As a result, while rents remain low thanks to governmental control, the provision of housing has slowed down in relation to an ever-growing demand. Savojagrad and Jaromirgrad have seen mass repurposing of old harbour buildings, whereas Sjoedrhavn has been pushing its natural borders for a while - and the AP claims to have answers, with massive investments into housing as well as attempting to bring new industries away from established centres and into smaller towns with similarly open locations, such as Birja or Valdhavn.

Polls have reacted positively to the announcements, seeing the AP’s share climb by two to five percentage points; however, the results need to be taken with multiple grains of salt. Not only is the election still far out and polling inherently difficult (especially in a system as fragile as Savojarna’s, where small shifts can have major impacts), but there is also an effect of the increased publicity the AP got with their congress, while other players such as the KPS-I and the Liberal Block are still awaiting their official candidates and manifestos.

Daily Headlines

Rough week for Petrova over Pjatov scandal
Sjoedrhavn/Vestrholm - Savojarna’s government is struggling with the implications of a scandal in the Thorsborg local government, which has now incriminated Executive Commissioner for Transportation Lauris Pjatov. The offending member has been suspended by the KPS, but EC Chairwoman Petrova refuses to sack him for now - a decision with little understanding from the Assembly

Kolarov does 180 on issue of education
St. Andrei/Russica - In a rally at a school in St. Andrei-Virov, former ice hockey star and PSR candidate Evgeni Kolarov has changed his stance on education in Russica. The separatist candidate previously wanted to mandate Russian as the primary language of education in public schools in Russica, but now suddenly rejects this, calling for Russian-language education to be “an option”.

”Knee of the Nation” keeps Savojarna on edge
Högvald/Vestrholm - On the eve of Savojarna’s second match in the World Cup qualifiers, the status of left back Matts Pedersen remains unknown. Following a light injury he has sustained in practice at the beginning of the week, coach Rangren is suggesting not bringing him along to the plane to Sharktail. The left back has not trained with the team since his injury became known.

Lineups for the second week of qualifying

vs. Sharktail: Pakanen - Kiivälä, Zirkova, Forsberg, Nurkanen - Klaebo, Maersk - Voynov, Poulsen, Jashkin - Nweke
Bench: Virulainen, Pedersen, Nymark, Nurkanen, Ilkkanen, V. Loeseth, Lundell, Midtjaer, Jacobsen
vs. Ancherion: Pakanen - Kiivälä, Zirkova, Forsberg, Skov - Ilkkanen, Maersk - Voynov, Lundell, Jashkin - Jacobsen
Bench: Virulainen, Pedersen, Nymark, Skov, Klaebo, V. Loeseth, Poulsen, Midtjaer, Nweke

by **Barunia** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 11:17 am

Cortez.According to at least one official media source, that was the player wearing number 11 for the Suns. Except that number was being worn by one Emmanuel George Montez Carter, and he was far from pleased. Perhaps it was a meld of his two last names, Montez and Carter. Perhaps they just misread it. To Emmanuel, it didn’t matter why. What mattered was that they didn’t know his name. Emmanuel knew he had to change that.

He was just 19, but already he was dreaming big. Having proved he was the real deal last year by winning the Sun trophy, Emmanuel was ready to make waves on the world stage. All he needed was a platform to shine on, and there was no bigger stage than the World Cup. Barunia just had to qualify, and he would be there, to lead the, to glory.

That was his dream. The dream of Emmanuel George Montez Carter. That the whole world would know his name.

by **Squornshelan Remnant States** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 11:20 am

Three Things
Salwan Mynhier

A decent enough start
The match in Auberlin wasn't always pretty, but when the final whistle went, the Black-and-Reds had done just enough to take full points. The Black-and-Reds did enjoy a majority of possession in the first half, highlighted by strong play from Takala and Petrov in particular. It was a mere matter of minutes for them to start finding their way through the defensive lines, and Mikohoffer was put to the test early and often. The SWEN backstop came up big to bail his team out early and keep them from digging themselves a hole too big to climb out of. Eventually, though, both the quantity and quality of chances were too much to hold back, and Petrov fired a left-footed finish into the bottom corner while fending off a desperate challenge from Bloemfurst. Vociferous arguments from the home team that the Confederate forward's ball-shielding had actually amounted to a should check fell on deaf ears. Petrov doubled the lead early in the second half, running onto a long through ball from Vladcik and again finishing coolly into a bottom corner, this time with no defender close enough to her to argue they had been fouled. Curiously, just a couple minutes after Petrov's second goal, Groothuis chose to bring her participation in the match to a close. Gerstlauer came on in her place, and less than five minutes later, Houton neatly split Dalso and Harkhan to break in on goal. His shot was a laser beam that rebounded down off the crossbar and bounced on the line behind Krieven before settling into the back of the net.

Perhaps sobered by their lead being cut to one, the Black-and-Reds dominated possession for much of the rest of the match, and Mikohoffer again had to be sharp, particularly on a wickedly curling shot from Starosta which he punched just over the bar. As time began to dwindle, Groothuis brought on Hagaz and Kazarov to help defend, and the rest of the match saw the quality of SWEN scoring chances severely limited. So, while the final score may not imply a very strong performance, the majority of the match did favor the way of the Confederates, at least before the final stages when they were concerned more with defending. It was vitally important that the Red-and-Black avoid any early-qualifying stumbles because . . .
The next two matches are the most important of qualifying
No, it's not hyperbole. Even this early in the qualifying campaign, every point is precious, and while a slipup against an unranked team is always significantly more embarrassing, the matches between teams in realistic contention always count, effectively, double. Win and you've not only earned yourself full points, but denied them to a rival for qualification. The next two opponents for the Black-and-Reds are none other than the two higher-ranked sides that they would need to overcome in order to have a shot at qualifying behind Farfadillis. Let's be honest, no one in this group has a chance to finish first but them, but second is definitely in play. Poafmersia started off their qualifying by beating Bongo Johnson in convincing fashion, while Krytenia were unable to muster a single goal away to Socialist New Britain, settling for a single point. A dream scenario of a pair of victories would almost certainly put the Black-and-Reds into at least second in the group, while two losses would leave them near the bottom, needing a near perfect run through the remainder of qualifying, and a lot of help. Every player in the lineup will need to be at their best then, in particular when we consider the uncertainty surrounding our third point . . .
Is Lyzolda Petrov Hurt?
The Black-and-Reds' star striker was subbed out unusually early, just a few minutes after scoring her second goal. She had been the object of a number of highly physcial tackles over the course of the afternoon, and while her play didn't seem to be adversely affected, speculation has run rampant. After all, taking a player who's on hat trick pace off the field with nearly half an hour still to play; there had to be a reason why, right? The other two substitutions made: Hagaz for Takala and Kazarov for Vladcik, were both the sort of defensive reinforcement one would expect in the final minutes of protecting a lead. Not so Petrov's exit. Why take a striker clearly on superb form off the field just to play the next striker down the depth chart? For her part, Groothuis has denied both the suggestion that Petrov might be unavailable against Krytenia, as well as the one that she was giving other players a chance to get a little playing time in a match she carelessly felt was already won. "I have every expectation that Lyzolda will play against Krytenia," she explained post-match, "and the idea that we would write off an opponent with 30 minutes still to play is, frankly, insulting." She refused to comment further on the subject, so I suppose it'll have to remain a mystery precisely why Petrov was brought off, and find out when the first teams are announced prior to matchday two in Brantisvogan whether she'll be on the field against the Dragons.

It will certainly be a big boost to the Confederacy's hopes of an upset if she is.

SRS Qualifying Schedule and Results:

MD1  SWE 1-2 SRS @ First Coast Stadium (cap. 33,000), Auberlin, SWE
MD2  SRS  v  KRY @ Megabrantid Financial Field (cap. 69,245), Brantisvogan, Megabrantis, SRS
MD3  PFA  v  SRS @ Libira National Stadium (cap. 68,000), Fiskadaha City, PFA
MD4  SRS  v  CRY @ New Rudlit Arena (cap. 31,200), Rudlit, West Flania, SRS
MD5  WZA  v  SRS @ Edge Hill, Bradley, WZA
MD6  SRS  v  FFD @ Bridger Lane (cap. 72,406), Damogran, Algolia, SRS
MD7  GKI  v  SRS @ Stadia Capital (cap. 78,050), Beijing, Jing, GKI
MD8  SRS  v  BGJ @ Synesoft Arena (cap. 38,600), Syneca, Sivoliva, SRS
MD9  SNB  v  SRS @ TBA
MD10 SRS  v  SWE @ Reinallt Arena (cap. 41,230), Golgafrincham, Megabrantis, SRS
MD11 KRY  v  SRS @ TBA
MD12 SRS  v  PFA @ Slavnarzeczpospolitastadion (cap. 61,230), Lublova, Molvania, SRS
MD13 CRY  v  SRS @ TBA
MD14 SRS  v  WZA @ Olympiastad (cap. 47,550), Arkintoofle, Megabrantis, SRS
MD15 FFD  v  SRS @ TBA
MD16 SRS  v  GKI @ Castle Street (cap. 57,300), Jaglan, Algolia, SRS
MD17 BGJ  v  SRS @ TBA
MD18 SRS  v  SNB @ Ralph Wilson Memorial Stadium (cap. 48,700), Han Dold City, Han Dold, SRS

by **Squidroidia** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 11:38 am

"DON’T YOU EVER COUNT US OUT! WE ARE WRECKERIA AND WE’RE GONNA WHIP YOUR ASS!"

The words of Claude Tindall were a battle cry for the Bulldogs when they took the lead of the game in Inkopolis. When he scored what turned out to be the only goal in the 66th minute, the Inkopolis City Stadium, once alive with the optimism that only comes when the World Cup campaign finally starts up again, fell silent. Apart from Laude's words, the only real noise that could be heard throughout Squidroidian televisions was that of national team supporters realizing that they were outplayed. For national team boss Ryūzaki Mito this was looking like an embarrassment - Truth be told the team didn't really have the spirit it once had. That happens when Itoh goes to the bench instead of on the pitch, his eyes bleak like that time Kulefati, the worst team in last cycle's qualifiers, drew the Inklings. For as much as they tried to buckle back against the Wreckeria attack, the team didn't really respond to that goal and left the pitch with a loss, a heartbreaking loss against a team they should have beaten handedly.

Was it the worst game since that Kulefati draw? Not by a long shot. But as a avid football blog writer left the stadium, he ended up noticing something. Last cycle, Squidroidia opened up their World Cup campaign, fresh off of a 5-0 battering of the Gothanita Isles in Chromatika for the Baptism of Fire, at the Championship Grounds against a little known team named Wymondham. Like against Wreckeria, Wymondham were considered "inferior opposition" to that of the Inklings side. And just like what happened that day, Squidroidia would lose 1-0 to kick off the qualification campaign. Writing in his blog back at his house, he would have this to say:

"The Squidroidian team that was trotted out against Wreckeria were almost like the team who got sent to play Wymondham to open up their World Cup 86 qualification campaign - They were not really ready. The upside to this, as was when Wymondham went to town, is that the Inklings have this opportunity to learn in time for their next match - Unlike last time, this is against Darmen away from home. Can they learn in time to put a result in against a decent team? It's an experience Mito and company have to cope with, especially with Hideo on top instead of Itoh.

In the locker room, even Mito knew that this was more of the same. Instead of talking about how bad the team played against Wreckeria, he seemed to point in a more positive direction. A loss is a loss, he said, and like last time he was sure that the Inklings would eventually rebound. They went to 5th in their qualification group last cycle, so maybe the same magic can be performed again. But Darmen aren't really the Devonta side that got smacked 5-2 in Inkopolis.

Yes, they are in a bit of a slump and just hired a Darmeni university coach for the national team job, but Darmen isn't a slouch. Neither was Wreckeria to be fair. A match in Darmen City in the Darmeni home opener is probably the something that the team needs to get back to their glory days, while Squidroidia need all the momentum they can get to try to qualify. For Ryūzaki, of course, it was all about winning.

In an interview with the Squidroidian Broadcasting Network at the Tyger Stadium, manager Mito stressed the importance of playing well against good opposition. "We have Valanora away in 2 matchdays time, so for this game I do want them to care about Darmen the same way they will probably play against Valanora - Try your hardest and make sure you make something out of what seems to be nothing." Mito then went ahead and added some talk about Inkling goalkeeper Léonide Armistead, who ended up winning the Tropicorp Cup with Kikanla Toau. "Armistead seems to be a decent goalkeeper, not just where he's at in the Vilitan system, but as a national team prospect. Give the Inkling time and he might crop up in the national side."

The national team side may not be changed after the Wreckeria game, but with Kabuto Tadataka's performances for the Kinetik Islanders in South Newlandia clearly showing, he might be replacing Jo Jun as starter for the game against Jabal Akhdar at home. With the game sandwiched between both Darmen and Valanora, this may be the game where key players may be rested for preparation, and Mito is more than aware of that. "Jabal Akhdar is a rest break, but we should not really let our guard down against them. A win is still needed against them, and if I lose you may promptly see me drink a cold one at the bar. Thank you very much."

by **Central Shaneville** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 12:08 pm

RED BULL ARENA IS LYING IN WAIT - ALSO IS JAY BUCKS LOSING IT?
Today at Shaneville City's International Airport massive "Welcome to Central Shaneville" signs were put up in the traditional Central Shaneville welcome which has been custom for the locals of the island nation to welcome the opposing team and whilst this has sometimes lead to strange happenings this time it went without a hitch as Central Shaneville's citizens welcomed their opponents Muralos in what would be the first major international football match on Central Shaneville soil and the first in the new "state of the art" Red Bull Arena.

Whilst the players and citizens are ready for this big occasion, behind the scenes a different story rages on after manager Jay Bucks is being considered unfit to manage the team after almost 3 years in charge and with the island nation hardly getting out of any group stage at all in its short history the Shaneville Sports Association are considering their options according to an inside source.

Jay Bucks denies these rumours calling it nothing more than fake news and announced on social media his intent to get Central Shaneville as close to the World Cup finals as possible.

On the streets, fans opinion of Jay Bucks is now very mixed - so much so you wouldn't believe that he was once considered Central Shaneville's best manager/coach but those days seem behind him as one fan said "I think he's losing the plot after all these years."

Despite this, Central Shaneville will face Muralos in the next matchday of the World Cup Qualifying stage, don't forget to tune in to CSSN (Central Shaneville Sports Network) to see what qualifying has in store for Central Shaneviile.

by **Pasarga** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 12:11 pm

A few cycles ago, an away win at Tumbra would have been seen as a very significant victory for the Wanderers and a good start to their qualifying campaign. A few cycles ago, such a result would have meant that the Wanderers would have cleared their most difficult match on the schedule on the first matchday and could afford to breathe a little heading into the slog of the schedule. However we are not in those times and this is not the same Tumbra team that would be so respected that they would be deemed the most difficult game on the schedule. Be that as it.may, an away victory, even if it was quite close and not convincing is still a decent start to the qualifying run.

What is clear from the Wanderers opening fixture os that this is quite clearly a that is in transition. There are stars on the team and good players a plenty, yet most are on th downswing of their careers and may be starting to lose that competitive edge needed to keep going at the very elite levels. It unfortunately was another match for the Wanderers that they had to struggle through and grot into a full compliment of points to bring back to the dual islands. If this is a sign of things to come.for the side in this qualifying campaign, it would raise some serious questions about the person at the helm, with Griffiths having been appointed as a free flowing, dominant manager and not one known for having to grind out results.

It does not get any easier out for the Wanderers either, as Tumbra was an unranked side just making their way back into international competition. Müller had a brace and Erik Földessy added a winner in the 86th, but it was a major struggle for what should have been a very straightforward match. With Valladares, South Newlandia, and other stronger teams, such a lackluster performance to open up the campaign is not very encouraging. The positive that can be taken from the match was that the side did not ever give up on the game and settle for just a point as they might have done a few years before. They did continue to work till the last whistle and were able to find the goal to separate the two sides, with the Wanderers emerging as the victors and an opening three points.

Unfortunately due to the schedule, there will be no trip back to Torgos to start the next international weekend for the squad, with a quirk in the schedule meaning the Wanderers open with back to back away fixtures before coming home to the dual islands. The Wanderers have to gear up for that trip to South Newlandia, a side that will not just be looking to get their qualifying campaign off to a good start but also a bit of vengeance for the Wanderers sweeping them in the qualifiers four years ago. Then the side will finally be allowed a home match but against Valladares, a side that we know quite well are capable of magic. It will be a difficult weekend but fournl o six points from it will go a long way in stability and putting the clamps around the top of the group and the qualifying place it brings.

by **Mavinet** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 12:15 pm

Football’s Heartbeat – Special series: Đại Hòa 1500
MBC1 channel
Wednesday, 6pm

*Program starts with a flycam view of the Republic Square in the central district of Gia Thủy. The Square situates in front of the Đại Hòa City Museum and is surrounded by art galleries, other museums and cafés. At the other end of the square is the open view into the Mã River flowing through the city.*

Republic Square, Đại Hòa

Good evening, viewers, and we are very happy that you join us today in this special series dedicated to the 1500th anniversary of our beloved capital city – Đại Hòa. I am your host, Tô Hoàng Linh, and as you can see, today we are bringing you to one of the most iconic places in the capital: the Republic Square.

If you have ever been to the capital, you probably have visited this grand square in the center of the city. Aside from being a major green space and recreational area in the capital, this 72,000 square meter area has witnessed some of the most important events in Mavinet’s history, like the 1698 Peasant Rebellion, the Great Fire of 1732, or the 1882 protest against the imperial family’s rule and subsequently the proclamation of the founding of the republic in 1888. Needless to say, the lives of the people in Đại Hòa are inextricably linked to this Square.

For those that haven’t been to capital, the evening is the liveliest time of the Square, as you can see now, and for that reason it is my favorite time to visit it. The Square doesn’t allow any traffic in it, so the air quality is superb. After a long day of work, this is the best place to wind down. You can find all kind of recreational activities here: Over there are a few students doing some choreography; over there you can see some elders doing Tai Chi; many people are doing laps around the Square; oh look at that kid roller skating, whoa whoa!... Whew, that was close!... If you are like me right now and just want to sit down for a bit, there are plenty of benches around the place to quietly enjoy the green scenery and lively atmosphere. Around the square are art galleries for the connoisseurs and museums for the curious. It would take much more than our program’s time to go through what you can do in this awesome public space, so we will leave the exploration to you in your next visit to the capital.

As I said before, the Square isn’t just a place of recreational value. It is also a witness of history, and thus, has an immense historical value. The name Republic Square was endearingly given to the space for its role as the official birth place of the Republic in 1888. It was on this Square (then known as the Kim Hoa Square) that the first Chancellor of the State Hoàng Quốc Trung read the Proclamation on January 25, 1888 in front of a 17,000 crowd. None of us now was present in that crowd then, but to some extent, we can all feel the spirit of that day until now in the energetic atmosphere of the present. More recent events that we can remember was the anti-corruption protest in 2004 or the massive celebration of the winning of the 72nd Baptism of Fire a few years ago. Personally, I will never forget that day when almost everyone in the district poured out on to the streets and the Square with their Mavinet flags, trying to make the loudest noise with their trumpets and woks. It was a proud feeling to see the maroon sea of people all sung the national anthem together on this Square.

Throwback: Mavineses on the street celebrating the 72nd Baptism of Fire win

Before I am too engrossed in the vibrant atmosphere of the space, let’s go find today’s guest. I have here in my hand an envelope that will give me the whereabout of the guest. Yes, I also don’t know who the guest is. Only the editors and production team do. Let’s see: “Go to the riverside arch. The guest will be wearing a national team jersey.” Interesting! It wouldn’t be a current national team player, would it?

*Tô Hoàng Linh and the camera quickly move toward the river-end of the Square, where the January 25 Arch rises imposingly in the middle the river viewing area. They pass through a crowd watching a band of buskers performing the latest hits of Bamboo Dragons – the most popular boyband in Mavinet. Arriving at the arch, the camera zooms on a group of people doing freestyle football. One of them is wearing a national team jersey with the number 11 on the back.*

Hoàng Linh: “Oh my, what an honor! I think even from behind we can recognize who our guest for today is. It’s the former captain of the national team Nguyễn Quang Khải, everyone. Mr. Quang Khải!” Tô Hoàng Linh calls out to the former skipper, who just passed the ball to a fellow performer after skillfully pulled a combo of around the world and shoulder stall tricks.

“Ah hey there! Nice to meet you. You must be Hoàng Linh, the host of Football’s Heartbeat, right?” Nguyễn Quang Khải runs toward the host after waving the performers goodbye.

Hoàng Linh: “I am. Ladies and gentlemen, the former national team captain, Mr. Nguyễn Quang Khải! It’s a pleasure seeing you here today. And may I say, that was some amazing freestyle tricks you just demonstrated. We all know you are very skilled with the ball, but I understand that freestyle football is not quite the same as standard football, right?” Tô Mạnh Linh does little to hide his admiration for the guest footballer.

Quang Khải: “Thank you. They are quite different, yes. Personally, I think freestyling is more difficult, but some may disagree. Freestylers can often play regular football quite well, but not all footballers can be good at freestyling. I only picked up freestyling about 2 years ago, and I can say that trying to control the ball while being creative is harder than it appears. Regardless of their differences, they both are expressions of skills and creativity, so I love both. What can I say, the love for the ball is already in my blood.”

Hoàng Linh: “That’s certainly true. Well, it’s awesome that you are already sharing a little bit about your hobby with us, because we are going to talk about exactly those things, as well as your experience growing up in the capital. I guess we can start with you doing a little bit of introduction. I know most Mavineses already know who you are and what you do, but please have a go.”

Quang Khải: “Sure. Good evening to the viewers of Football’s Heartbeat. My name is Nguyễn Quang Khải. I am 34 and I was a former national team’s midfielder. At club level, I’m currently playing for LoKa Trung Sơn. I was born and grew up in Đại Hòa, so the capital is home for me. After a period of playing away from home, it’s a nice feeling to move back and settling down here.” Quang Khải looks at the camera for his introduction.

Hoàng Linh: “Thank you!” Hoàng Linh says to Quang Khải. “Dear viewers, we will be right back after a short break. Don’t leave, because we will continue to listen to football’s heartbeat, right here at the Republic Square."

*Commercial break*

*Tô Hoàng Linh and Nguyễn Quang Khải are sitting on a bench overlooking the Mã River. Every now and then, a cargo freighter or a small boat pass by, heading toward Phú Hội Port.*

Hoàng Linh: “Welcome back viewers. I and Mr. Quang Khải have settled down at very nice location with a good view of the Mã River in on the Square. I think this will be a superb complement to our conversation, Mr. Quang Khải. Do you often come here [to the Square], when you were young or now?” Hoàng Linh turns to Quang Khải, who has been looking calmly at the river and its traffic.

Quang Khải: “Of course. This was my favorite place as a child, and even now in my 30s, I still find the Square to be a place where I can visit and release all of my daily burdens and worries. I guess being born near the Square gives me some sort of special connection to the place. There is something very calming about being under the trees looking out to the river. A lot of my friends and colleagues from other provinces said to me that they find the Square to be too noisy and chaotic. I think that’s definitely true, but for me that liveliness always bring me peace, knowing that life energy is always here. Now that I’m back in the capital, I come here very early every morning at about 4:30 or 5 to run and watch sunrise. Even at that early time, there are already people here so I think that’s what amazing about this place.”

Hoàng Linh: “What is the most memorable thing for you at the Square?” Hoàng Linh asks.

Quang Khải: “There are a lot.” Quang Khải laughs. “But the most memorable… let me see. I guess it was the time I was lost trying to chase a balloon back when I was 6. My parents brought me here on New Year’s Day, and I remembered seeing a bright red balloon floating up from the crowd. My mother was distracted trying to buy a bouquet from a florist’s stall, so I chased the balloon while looking at it. I wandered pretty far from my parents, but I tried to find my way back on my own, which only made things worse. I was lost for almost a day and when a police officer finally brought me to their local station, I remember my mother was crying so much. I got scolded really badly by my dad. I am sure there are more memorable events here for me but for some reasons this popped out first. I guess it was the first sign of my lifelong love for round things that move among a crowd.”

Hoàng Linh: “I’m sure as a child we all would’ve been so excited with the activities here that we forget about other things. Since we are celebrating the birthday of the capital, can you share a little about your experience growing up here?”

Quang Khải: “For me it was mostly positive. My dad was a university professor and my mom a successful businesswoman. They worked hard for the family and were really frugal, so my family has never really been in difficult situations. Thanks for that, I had an easy childhood. I know a lot of other kids, especially those from poorer backgrounds, have a much more difficult time living in the capital with the high costs and everything. My parents knew that so they worked extra hard to make sure our family never has to go through hardships. Growing up in a big city like Đại Hòa exposed me to a lot of new things very early: I got to meet many people from different walks of life because everyone flocked to the capital for opportunities; I got to see new technologies as they were introduced; I got to experience protests very early – I know it’s a weird thing to list in my experience growing up, but hey, it’s part of the capital’s culture, and it shows how lucky we are to be living in a country that allows such freedom of expression. Oh, and of course football is a big part of my childhood too. My dad is a long-time supporter of Vĩnh An Đại Hòa, so he instilled that love in me from a very young age. He almost never missed a match, and every weekend he would bring me to Phú Hòa Stadium to watch their game. Đại Hòa’s fans are probably one of the most enthusiastic groups I see in the country. So yeah, the capital is like a magnet of people and events – there is always something new going on.”

Hoàng Linh: “No doubt about that. It’s great that you mentioned your early exposure to football and Vĩnh An Đại Hòa in specific, because we are heading there with the next question. At the age of 10, you were selected to be a youth candidate and then stayed to train at the academy of Vĩnh An Đại Hòa. At that time, how did you feel when you know you will be training at the top club of the country?”

Quang Khải: “I can say with certainty that it was the happiest day of my life. I have closely watched Vĩnh An Đại Hòa since I was very young so to know that I got picked as a youth candidate for their academy was such an honor that I couldn’t sleep 3 days after. It was the dream of every young boys across the country, let alone those in the capital. I was lucky enough to graduate from the youth teams and played for the first team for 3 years. Out of about 100 kids selected every year, only a few reach the U18 team, let alone the U21 and the first team. It was that selective, and I’m super grateful for the opportunities I was given.”

Hoàng Linh: “You transferred from Vĩnh An Đại Hòa to MCB Đại Nam when you were 24. Did you feel sad that you couldn’t get more time at Đại Hòa?”

Quang Khải: “Hmm, yes and no. Of course I was disappointed because I really tried my best to prove myself. But as a professional footballer, there will come a point where you have to make a decision to secure more playing time, even if that means leaving the club you love. I did that, and I have never regretted it. MCB Đại Nam helped me achieved my goals, so I was happy with the decision.”

Hoàng Linh: “When you moved to Phúc Châu Port, a lot of Vĩnh An Đại Hòa’s fans called you a traitor. What did you think about that?”

Quang Khải: “I was bothered for a while, but nothing too serious. In the end, I said to myself that they were entitled to their opinion, but I could prove them wrong. I understood why they called me that, given the fierce rivalry between the two clubs, but it’s not like I switched from one to another right away. I had also never said or done anything against my former club, so I didn’t think I deserved to be called a traitor at all. Even at Phúc Châu Port, I still showed great respect to Vĩnh An Đại Hòa every time we face each other. I think that helped quiet the anti-fans a bit. Anyways, I always try not to let professional criticisms affect my personal life too much.”

Hoàng Linh: “That’s good to hear. Let’s move to the international level. As the former national team’s captain, you obviously had a big responsibility there. What was it like carrying such heavy expectations at that level?”

Quang Khải: “I won’t denied it was heavy. As captain of the national team, I know the head coach placed great trust on me and expected me to lead the team not just on the pitch but also in the dressing room and even outside of the stadium. In the beginning, I was not very confidence in my ability to do so. But from my time playing with the national team, I can say Mavinet have a wonderful group of players that not only strive to do their best on the pitch but also behave with consideration and manner wherever they go. I rarely had to go out of my way to exert my authority because everyone treated one another with respect and trust. Of course, occasionally there would be a few troublemakers or mistakes, but usually not out of malice, so it wasn’t too hard to deal with. I think my approach was always to do what I wanted others to do to me, and be a good role model for other players.”

Hoàng Linh: “And with that model, you had helped the team achieve some great international results, which include the Baptism of Fire. I along with a lot of Mavinese people are grateful for what you have contributed. Where do you think the national team will go from here?”

Quang Khải: “I think the team will continue to do well with other talented and younger players in the squad. Last World Cup qualifying campaign was such a positive journey that I think the players are feeling much more confident in their ability to perform well against big teams now. I trust that Mavinet will soon be a name among the final participants of the World Cup if we continue to develop and perform like we have. The next generation has very exciting prospects that are so I’m absolutely thrilled to see what they can achieve for the country.”

Hoàng Linh: “We are approaching the end the of the program. It’s been a great talk with you today, Mr. Quang Khải. Once again, thank you for your contributions to the national team, and we hope you will continue to find happiness in all your endeavors. Before we go, do you want to say anything in the spirit of Đại Hòa 1500 to the viewers of Football’s Heartbeat?”

Quang Khải: “Thank you for having me today.” Quang Khải turns to look directly at the camera. “Thank you to all the viewers of Football’s Heartbeat, who have patiently followed my conversation today. In the spirit of Đại Hòa 1500, I want to wish everyone a happy and successful year, and please continue to support our national team wherever they go. Thank you!”

“Thank you, Mr. Quang Khải.” Hoàng Linh waves to the former national team’s captain. “And that’s all for today. Don’t forget to tune in next week on Wednesday, 6pm on MBC1 for our next episode of the special series "Đại Hòa 1500". I am Tô Hoàng Linh at the Republic Square, and this is Football’s Heartbeat.”

MAVINET - 2
7' Trinh Hoai Linh
50' Vu Tien Linh

UNITED STATES OF DEVONTA - 1
83' ???

MD2’s lineup:
Hoang Trung (GK) / Phuoc Long (LB), Duy Hung (CB), Van Thao (CB), Phu Cuong (RB) / The Hien (DM), Hoai Linh (CM), Trung Hai (AM) / Chi Tho (LW), Thanh Hoang (RW) / Duc Vinh (ST).

MD3’s lineup:
Manh Cuong (GK) / Khang Anh (LB), Hung Dung (CB), Hong Dang (CB), Phu Cuong (RB) / Tri Thong (DM), Trung Hai (CM), Hoang Minh (AM) / Tien Linh (LW), Thieu Van (RW) / Thai Gia (ST).

by **Valladares** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 12:24 pm

Previously...

Chapter II: Welcome Home

The District of Metropolis Football Association (ADF) had its headquarters in a beautiful bohemian house located in a quiet neighborhood of northern Metropolis, surrounded by cypress and pine trees on all its four sides. The location of its headquarters in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods of the Valladar capital fit perfectly with the prestige of the ADF, one of the twelve state football associations of Valladares, which was one of the leading bodies in the creation of the Valladar Football Association and had been, of course, affiliated to it ever since. The ADF had 23 members, including clubs such as Metropolis Alligators, Marinos Metropolis, and Nacional, but had always presented some stringent conditions for new clubs to join and at the time was not receiving any new members, thus depriving itself from more fresh resources coming from potential admission fees of hundreds of amateur clubs making life in the capital district and who would definitely appreciate a chance to grow.

Talleres de Ciudad Piar had fallen already victim to these conditions in the past, but this time the determination to join the ADF was stronger than ever before. Because of that, a group of 5 club members went to the headquarters of the ADF to make one last attempt to join the association and the state championship of the capital district. At the same time, a contingent of roughly 100 young fans of the Ciudad Piar club arrived at the doors of the ADF to make their plea in their own way: a pacific demonstration with flags, drums, and chanting. The meeting at the ADF headquarters lasted for nearly 3 hours, but in the end no agreement was reached...the state association would remain at 23 members and Talleres would remain out of it. The news were given to the fans gathered outside the building by chairman Frank Kweon:

"We've made our attempt to join the ADF, but they say they are not receiving more members. This attempt does not discourage us, but instead fuels our desire that our club will eventually have the opportunity to rub shoulders with the big guns of our nation and should invite us to unite and fight harder for our dream. To all of you, and to those who were unable to join us, thank you for your support!"

This failure, however, was not enough to shatter the hopes held by the members of Talleres and the Ciudad Piar residents to finally belong to the Valladar league pyramid, and shortly after, a possibility was presented to them to begin to materialize such a desire: buying the membership of another club. Fate made Deportivo Municipal, a humble club from the Triángulo neighborhood in southeastern Metropolis, enter bankruptcy and as a result they would soon be unable to continue participating in the District state championship. Despite its on-field performances were far from being poor, income per ticket sales was almost nil, and as if that were not enough, the District Mayor's Office withdrew its support for the team, which ended up undermining the weak coffers of the club. The Talleres leaders seized the chance and managed to reach an agreement with Deportivo Municipal, in which the former bought out Municipal's ADF membership, while the latter returned to the non-league world, but with less debt.

Deportivo Municipal and Talleres presented their agreement to the state football association, which surprisingly accepted it without much qualms. That night, a big party was held at the central plaza of that small suburb born out of the hands of Valladar and Quebecois rail workers: the first mission had been accomplished.

--- xxx ---

Four months later...

The most anticipated moment for the players, fans, members and board of Talleres de Ciudad Piar finally arrived, as the "little train" was about to play its very first match at the District of Metropolis state championship, one of the 12 leagues making up the sixth and last tier of the Valladar football pyramid, one in each Valladar federal state. Each state championship featured eight teams playing a quadruple round-robin tournament, with teams playing each other twice at home and twice away, for a total of 28 games per season. Metropolis' case was a singular one, since home-advantage was not really in place as nearly all of the matches of the tournament were played at a single stadium: Abbotsford Sports Park, owned by the ADF. And it was precisely there, in the namesake neighborhood to the west of the city of Metropolis, where the newcomers would play all of their league games starting with the first one: a "home" match against FC Verder Metropolis. Why not at their own stadium if Talleres had one? Because it was not cleared for use by the ADF. The reason? "Wooden stands."

The match was the fourth and last one scheduled for Abbotsford Sports Park on a rainy Saturday afternoon in April. This stadium, nested in a clearing in the small forest that gave this middle-high class neighborhood its name, was not much bigger than Talleres' own Estadio Michael Baek, only seating 4,200 spectators, but since it was owned by the ADF, it had its decent share of action every season. Earlier in the day, favourites Rapid Metropolis had beaten the team based in the neighborhood, Abbotsford SC, Metropolis City and the Federal Police team tied in a boring stalemate, and minnows Central Español were narrowly beating Estudiantes, and every one of these three games contributed to worsen the condition of the playing field.

With the match scheduled to kick off at 16:00, players and managers of both teams started arriving to the small stadium shortly after 14:00. The first members of the Talleres delegation to arrive were manager Gilberto Rúa along with his staff, who reached the stadium in a taxi, and a few minutes later it was the moment for the players to make their appearance one by one, led by veteran captain Fabio Baldovino and all of them making use of Metropolis' public transportation system to get to the place. The relative anonymity of the lower tiers of Valladar football meant that were no flashes, no TV cameras, and no journalists smothering the players and asking trite questions upon their arrival, which was good. What was not so good were Abbotsford's facilities, as both teams were forced to wait until Metropolis City and the Policemen vacated two out of the stadium's four dressing rooms that had been assigned to them: the smallest ones. In addition to that, since the playing field was busy with another match and the reduced space of the dressing rooms did not really allow for it, no team was able to do their warm-up exercises comfortably.

While the Talleres players changed their clothes and put on the red and white striped jerseys that identified the team from Ciudad Piar, manager Rúa offered the usual technical talk which in other conditions would be delivered in a hotel prior to departure to the stadium. Rúa also informed the starting 11 to his squad, while his assistant prepared one copy to deliver to the match delegate.

"In the goal, #1 Carlos Asís, defenders: #2 John Aldanoff, #3 Louis Masson..."

"...attackers: #10 Fabio Baldovino, who will also be the team captain, and #11 Jordan Barrios."

Some minutes later the third match of the day was over, with Central Español stunning an audience of nearly a thousand people in attendance with possibly their only win of the season against Estudiantes de Metrópolis. As the players and fans of both teams left the stadium in silence, a noisy contingent of 3,500 people from Ciudad Piar were making their entrance and crowding the stands of the tiny stadium to watch the first state championship appearance of a club from the suburb. The sight of footballers donning red and white on their way towards their respective dressing rooms was the signal indicating both Talleres and Verder that the time for their match had finally come. The Talleres players made a circle in the middle of the dressing room for the last prayer before going out onto the field and a final harangue by captain Baldovino:

"This is our first time in a competitive environment. This is nothing like those friendly tournaments we were used to play in, and none of the teams we are going to face are like those teams we used to play. This is a whole different challenge and we must prove that we're up to it. Let's go! Talleres!"

That war cry resounded all over the small dressing room of Abbotsford Sports Park as the team lined up next to their rivals and headed to the dampened pitch:

"¡TALLERES! ¡TALLERES! ¡TALLERES!"

VALLADAR NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM SELECTION - MATCHDAY 2 & 3: TUMBRA (H) / PASARGA (A)
Goalkeepers: 1 - Paulo Gaviria (Nacional), 12 - Lucien Chamoun (Crisisbless, NPH), 23 - Danilo Araúz (AD Cerro)
Defenders: 2 - Jonás Romero (AS Bezieres), 3 - Martín Delgado (Herzegovina City, BNJ), 4 - Jorge Vargas (Tannenberg FC), 13 - Daniel Brown (Bohemians Metropolis), 14 - Nicholas Hossiner (Rolalas FC, VAL), 15 - Jason Fletcher (AS Bezieres)
Midfielders: 5 - Bryan Castillo (Hondo FC, VAL), 6 - Christian O'Brien (Tanrısal, PAS), 7 - Daniel Lachlant (Club Stein-los, PAS), 8 - Alexis Durmisi (Urbizania Wanderers, ASG), 10 - Cristian Benítez (Cazadores Cathair, AUD), 16 - Leandro Martelli (Avenida Principal, FFD), 17 - Kevin Martins (Fontvielle Impact), 18 - Fabio Betancourt (Hondo FC, VAL), 19 - Ariel Balboa (Slateport Bulls), 21 - Adrien Trolli (Tanrısal, PAS)
Forwards: 9 - Wilfried Baume (AC Izotz Zubia, AUD), 11 - Thibault Benezet (Sabrefell Athletic, NPH), 20 - Pierre Vasseur (Burnaby FC, KSK), 22 - Valentin Germain (Crisisbless, NPH)

(OOC: Players 1-11 are starters; 12-23 bench/reserves)

by **Starblaydia** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 12:36 pm

On a Rosewing and a Prayer
Starblaydia outrun by Equestria in opening match loss

CANTERLOT, EQUESTRIA: It has been twelve long years since Starblaydia last faced Equestria on the international stage, with the last time the two teams met coming in the Second Round of World Cup 84. In that match, they got revenge on the defending World Champions, who had defeated them in the Final four years previously. That game marked one of the most disappointing nights in recent football history for the fans of the five-time World Champions, as they were competing in their first World Cup Final in 80 years and lost, playing the nation they had co-hosted the 80th World Cup with.

In truth, Starblaydia have played in Equestria much more than they've played against them, whether that be their most recent trophy-winning effort in the 61st AOCAF, or a myriad of other youth and regional tournaments hosted by the pony nation. The modern record is a fairly even one, with Starblaydia coming out on top in their first meeting in Saugeais during World Cup 65. The pendulum would swing back in the 55th AOCAF Cup with a 1-0 win by the ponies on home soil, and staying there thanks to the aforementioned World Cup 83 Final result. Starblaydia's revenge came via Calindra Apelles and Sutter McCloud four years later, although in the next round Ázëwyn Fëanáro's team were dumped out by their oldest rivals, Vilita.

Since then, however, we've been bereft of clashes between the two most famous purple-wearing football teams in the world. Given that this tournament will be hosted by two teams in purple, however, it would only be fitting that both Starblaydia and Equestria should attend. While Equestria's bid to make it to Taeshan and Ethane started off exactly the right way, Starblaydia's now has the proverbial (and rather hyperbolic, we should admit - Ed.) mountain to climb. This was always going to be the toughest test for Fëanáro's side, facing their strongest rivals away from home in the opening match denied both teams any sort of momentum going into this mouthwatering clash, one of the picks of the Matchday One games that didn't involve an imaginary leather strap for stat nerds.

Though as many Starblaydi as possible packed themselves into the away end, the atmosphere at the home of hoofball was one that could only favour the home side. Though Equestria have sauntered their way down into 24th in the official national team rankings, they are still by far the biggest threat to Starblaydia's hopes of finishing at the top of this Qualifying group and that all-important automatic place in Taeshan and Ethane. Helpfully - or unhelpfully - enough, the 61st-ranked Omerica are second on the list of Starblaydia's biggest challenges and Starblaydia will play them, again away, on Matchday Three, following on directly from hosting Beepee in the first of a long series of these double-header matches that have quickly become the accepted standard system for World Cup Qualifying. Dropping points is not expected from this Starblaydi side - they won 45 points out of 54 available in their previous qualifying campaign to qualify at a canter - but one result against the odds can quickly become a run of poor form, and the last thing Fëanáro would want is to get out of the gate slowly and play the rest of the Qualifiers catching up to teams like Equestria.

Catching up was exactly what Starblaydia's players had to do for ninety long minutes, as the likes of Kranendonk, Wolffe, Al Qubaisi looked like they were lumbering through treacle in the wake of the majority of the Equestrian players. Starblaydia, from the get-go, simply didn't have the answer to that level of pace, forcing the fluid, attacking 4-3-3 to peg themselves back and run a deeper defence than anticipated. While Jetvanna and Damocles should have been marauding their way past players like Krysia Bailey and Melodic Ward, they were instead trying to keep a lid on Luminesce and Lawerenz down their respective wings of the pitch. Starblaydia were under assault from the kick-off, and were it not for the industrious nature of their midfield trio, the willingness to track back and work hard from their strikers and the defensive unity at the back, this result could have been much worse for those in white and purple.

The true star of the show was Rosewing. Three goals for the Shamrock Cathair striker got Equestria's Qualifiers off to a lightning start, and indeed it was Rosewing's opening effort on goal, after less than ten minutes played, that produced the set piece from which Josef Lawerenz scored. Breaking late into the box at a sprint, he rose high to power the ball into the back of the net with a storming header. Starblaydia risked being overwhelmed in the early minutes of the match, and after a quarter of an hour had been played it could have been three- or four-nil already, with Ruby Narvaez having to pull off a string of stops to keep Starblaydia in the game at such an early stage.

Then Equestria's lead doubled, and shortly after the half-hour mark it tripled, both from the skills of Rosewing. Sunny Day ran the show and pulled the strings in midfield, as the extra body advantage gifted the unicorn with time and space to play her passes at will. All Rosewing, the fleet-footed pegasus, had to wait for was the right ball, and those were provided to her time and again. It didn't look like Rosewing was playing as a lone striker, given the speed of most of the Ponies team and the support that they were able to provide to her.

The first of Rosewing's goals was a simple one, timing her run in between the Starblaydi centre backs with split-second precision, receiving Sunny Day's inch-perfect pass, and taking just a single touch to knock it into the far corner, bobbling over the line with Narvaez stranded in that corridor of uncertainty. The second was pure pace, as Rosewing collected the ball in the final third and simply galloped past the usually spry Nick Conway, this time clipping the ball into the near post to seemingly put the game beyond the visitors with barely a third of play completed. Starblaydia - somehow - made it to half time without conceding any further goals, but the stats told the story of a team desperately defending, unable to put their foot on the ball and play their game. Ázëwyn Fëanáro cut a stern figure on the touchline, arms folded tightly in front of her and, though betraying no emotion on her face, it told its own story entirely: this was not the way to do it. Whether 'it' consisted of playing football properly, winning the game, qualifying, or winning the World Cup... who could say?

Half Time saw Starblaydi changes, as Wolffe was replaced by Stephenson for some mobility down the left, matched by twenty-one year old Sam Roshanak, a naturally left-sided striker, equally at home on the wing with his pace. Perhaps Fëanáro had spotted a weak point in her team, perhaps it was a vulnerability in the Ponies that her personnel could exploit, but whatever the thinking behind the substitutions, it seemed to have an effect. Seeming at times almost a like the 4-4-2 of old, a rejuvenated left flank and an extra body in midfield started to do the trick. Starblaydia's passing sequences steadily got longer and more precise, with a higher quality of possession than they'd managed through most of the first half.

It took a little over ten minutes, but after testing Equestria's captain, Gentle Breeze, in the Ponies' goal for the first time in more than half an hour of play, Starblaydia finally found themselves on the scoresheet. Omar Al Qubaisi brought a long ball down on his chest, and held off Melon Frost to slide the ball out right to Lucien Damocles. The Iskara Daii striker looked like he was breaking into the box to shoot, but instead produced a neat cutback to find Al Qubaisi, who blasted the ball low and into the back of the net to bring it to 3-1. It proved to be a spark that brought Starblaydi spirits up, and try as the Ponies did to reassert their control on the game, it seemed to be gradually slipping away as Starblaydia's momentum grew. The longer they went without scoring again, though, the more tense nerves became. Damocles went close, Hayden Shepherd had a long-range shot tipped over the bar and ever Andvar Galdarhim was able to get in on the action with a low drive from the edge of the area that was, in the end, comfortably held by Gentle Breeze.

It took a while, with several swings in momentum and good passages of play from both sides, before a tense final fifteen minutes was set up - Sam Roshanak had been a revelation down the left hand side, working hard, harrying, defending high and tracking back as much as he was sprinting into pass, making the clever pass and getting into exactly the kind of areas that a coach would be proud of. And it paid off. Roshanak was quickest to react when the ball popped loose in the Equestrian penalty area, and he had the composure to take one touch around Rumble, before firing high into the top corner for his fourth senior international goal on his fifth appearance, already outstripping the 2 goals in 7 games to his name for Starblaydi youth teams in the Under-18 and Under-21 World Cups.

The score stood at 3-2 with fifteen minutes left on the clock and the Starblaydi fans were bouncing. Equestrian fans do not get nervous all that much when playing at home, such is their international record, but they were nervous now as the chants and songs from the traveling contingent of away fans started to echo around the arena. The five time world, seven time regional champions were back in the game against the one time world, and two time regional champions. All of a sudden this game had become electric and eyes around the world turned to it as the word got out online: this was becoming a cracker of a match. It was just in time, then, as the audience numbers spiked on channels across the world, that Rosewing stole the ball from the feet of Claire Stephenson, darted into the box and took and early left-hoof strike to curl the ball into the top far corner of the net, one that Narvaez in the Starblaydi goal just wasn't set for, expecting the near-post shot. The Pegagus' hat-trick was sealed and, at 4-2 with around ten minutes to go, so was the result of the match. The fourth goal took the wind out of Starblaydia's sails, and all Equestria had to do was close out the game and see it through to the final whistle.

Starblaydia's latest tilt at the World Cup's particular brand of windmill has begun with defeat to their closest rival in this group, but there is still every chance that, over the course of the next seventeen games, that they will be able to rise and get within a lance's distance of finally slaying that sixth dragon. It won't be on the back of performances like this, but as the team boards their flight home they know that two quick games in succession will be their opportunity to try and right this particular situation. With Beepee at home, then Omerica away, this section of three matches represents the toughest part of Starblaydia's whole qualifying campaign. It is the type of test they will need to pass if they're going to have a chance of breaking into Taeshan and Ethane to steal that incredible trophy one more time. With anything less than six points over the next two matches, weeks of furtive glances at the Group 12 table will be required, measuring every point won or lost by the other teams in the group as to how it affects Starblaydia's chances of qualifying. That is not a situation that the 7th-ranked team in the world should be putting themselves into, but they have the rest of qualifying to get out of it.

Final score from Royal Equestria Stadium, Canterlot
Equestria 4 - 2 Starblaydia
(Lawerenz 8, Rosewing 23, 31 & 78) - (Al Qubaisi 56, S Roshanak 74)

by **Freechi** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 1:37 pm

Freechi wins with 4 goals at WCQ!

The Freechi Football Confederation

Team Roster

The World Cup 87 qualifiers finally started, and the Nadoia Stadium hosted the beginning of the Freechian campaign! In the match between Freechi and Smosh Games, Freechian fans filled almost the entirety of the 40,000 seats with amusement, as the team achieved good results in an international tournament (the BoF) for the first time since its foundation, 21 years ago. The Emperor Sandrose II watched the match in the Head of State cabin, with a privileged view of the field and the bleachers. The Freechian people received the Emperor positively after a short speech, in which Sandrose II stated the importance of budgeting the Sports Sector after the "exceptional" season of the National Soccer Team.

Sofiya Kuznetsova, manager of the Freechi Team, gave her first interview since the last Freechian match against Yerapia (a 4-0 win), in the 3PPO of the BoF. First of all, she stated that the team has been working on improve its tactical strategies that didn’t proved efficient at some of the last games, where the team didn’t score any goals in the normal or even in the extra time. With all highlights to the attackers Kondo Achebe and Jengo Solarin, Kuznetsova decided to invest efforts in improving the midfield, appropriating the versatility of a young Vilbogi Franzson, remarked by his important assists and a superb linking of the midfield to the attack. To conclude, the manager also stated the increasing performance of the defense sector, and assured that all players had a substantial development in the last weeks.

It was time to put those efforts in the field. With the first whistle of the match, the Freechi team had a fast game start, maintaining the possession of the ball while still making ambitious long passes, the team was never seen so organized. As the ball moved from player to player, their positioning and speed were in tune. The midfielders didn’t think twice when the opportunity of line breaking passes appeared, creating sudden plays that would put the Smosh Games team in danger. With this opportunistic posture, it didn’t take too long to the first goals to pop up. In one of those ambitious plays, Jengo Solarin moved at full speed, just in time to receive a pass from Buri Bulchiru without being offside, scoring the first Freechian goal of the WCQ, at 13'! Keeping the good rhythm, Kondo Achebe scored right after, in a counter-attack play, where he got alone with the goalkeeper and scored at 18'.

At the second half, the duo repeated such feats, with an Achebe goal at 57' and a Solarin goal at 70'. The home team slowed the rhythm at the end of the match, that caused the opponent to score. Smosh Games scored at 83' with a player that didn’t had his name on his shirt (Freechian press tried to talk with the Smosh Games Team staff but they left the stadium quickly). The match ended with Freechi 4 – 1 Smosh Games.

With this match, Freechian journey is inaugurated at the WCQ! It was an important day to the Freechi Sports Community, with the Spaceship Stadium (Nadoia) breaking the record of sold tickets. Now, we are in second place at the Group 10, with a GD of +3, behind the +4 of Eastfield Lodge. We wish good luck to the National Team and we hope to cover more victories on the Freechi Football Confederation.

Match Report:
Goals: Solarin, 13', 70' :: Achebe, 18', 57' :: Unknown, 83'
MVP: Solarin, 9.3
Yellow Cards: N/A
Red Cards: N/A

Group 10
Eastfield Lodge 4–0 Arklanda
Mavinet 2–1 United States of Devonta
Chromatika 2–3 Drawkland
ZSeparatists 4–3 Logano Fraza
Freechi 4–1 Smosh Games

Group 10                                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Eastfield Lodge                        1    1   0   0     4    0   +4     3
 2 Freechi                                1    1   0   0     4    1   +3     3
 3 Drawkland                              1    1   0   0     3    2   +1     3
   Mavinet                                1    1   0   0     2    1   +1     3
   ZSeparatists                           1    1   0   0     4    3   +1     3
 6 Chromatika                             1    0   0   1     2    3   −1     0
   Logano Fraza                           1    0   0   1     3    4   −1     0
   United States of Devonta               1    0   0   1     1    2   −1     0
 9 Smosh Games                            1    0   0   1     1    4   −3     0
10 Arklanda                               1    0   0   1     0    4   −4     0

In other news: The Emperor Sandrose II is figuring out how to "reformulate" the domestic soccer league.

by **Jabal Akhdar** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 2:30 pm

Selection of articles from the AP (Akhdari Press) wire.

Green Falcons Soar!

Emirate Hosts Alternative Energy Summit!

Powering Tomorrow Together

Voyagers Face Longer Voyage!

Barunia – 1 (0)
Taylor; Bentley, Brayshaw (81’ McAndrew ), Moreno, Adlington; Thomas (70’ Whistler ), Obando (56’) (80’ McAndrew ), Cartwright; Swan; Carter (73’), Moorhouse

Jabal Akhdar – 2 (1)
Naser; Kassis, el-Imam, al-Zaki, Zaman (21’) (38’); Samara (59’ el-Mourad (75’) (90+1’); Hakimi (65’ al-Naim (88’)), Nazari (65’ el-Hashemi ); Kanaan, Haddad, el-Burki

by **Graintfjall** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 2:35 pm

The front page of græpædia, the online encyclopedia about all things Græntfjall, on MD2.

From today’s featured article
Altendalur FC are a football club competing in the Græntfjaller Premier League. They are based in the western port city of Altendalur. Unlike most of the multi-sports clubs active in Græntfjaller sports leagues, Altendalur have chosen an exclusive focus on football, which has contributed to their success, having finished in the top four in each of the last three GPL seasons including one title; they have also become known for their heavy focus on attracting foreign talent, and during the most recent season became the first GPL team to field a starting XI entirely comprising overseas players. Nicknamed the “Chessmen”, they play their home games at the Florus Stadion, which has alternating black and white seating, and wear a black and white chequered home kit. They are currently managed by Auno Laurinsson and captained by winger Andrin Franklínsson. Altendalur are the highest ranked Græntfjaller club in IFCF coëfficients (150th in the world), having reached the Round of 16 of the 4th Challengers Cup, where they lost 0 – 1 on aggregate to Nepharan team Crisisbless.
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In the news
557 people are killed as the Akhdari Emirate initiates a combined air and ground campaign against rebels in the western province of Ta’idah.
24 people are killed in a factory fire in Montaña Verde.
162 people are killed as a tropical cyclone hits Græntfjaller Multinesia.
141 people are killed as a heatwave strikes United Squastan.
36 people are killed in Yuezhou when an unmarked plane crashes; Græntfjaller oil giant Überolía denies reports private military contractors in their pay were among those on board.
0 people are killed as nothing happens in South Newlandia.
Ongoing: 15th Winter Olympics · Laafjörður protests · Sylestone floods
Recent deaths: Cardinal Hálfdán Bjartmannsson

DID U NO…
… that noted arthouse film producer Hjálmtýr Míasarson also voiced “the creature” in the infamous B-movie Curse of Mummified Zombified Vampiric Were-Kraken from Planet Hell?
… that the 2020 Gunzlach – Steinaux football derby was the first to feature a majority of non-Græntfjaller players?
… that the Mucklhoven National Park is one of the most biodiverse wilderness zones in all of Græntfjall?
… that all units of the Valkyrie-class of submarines are named after Valkyries from Græntfjaller mythology?
… that Indíana Flóriánsdóttir, the first Græntfjaller woman in space, had previously worked as a doctor in a Montaña Verdean refugee camp?
… that the name of Xannerian television station XTRA is not an intentional typo, but rather an acronym for Xannerian Television and Radio Association?
… that Shah Khosrow I of Squastan died one day before he was due to ascend the Pearl Stairs despite showing no signs of illness or infirmity beforehand?

On this day
Saint Bryngeir’s Day (Græntfjaller Catholicism); Independence Day (Montaña Verde)
755 – Ielfgar the Mercurial resigned from his chieftaincy for the third of eight times.
1187 – Þórólfur the Pretender was captured by Fríðbjørn Andersson during his assault on the White Sea Fortresses, and thrown to the krakens.
1351 – The Fidelity Act passed into Græntfjaller law, effectively linking political treason against the state with religious heresy against the church.
1954 – The Blade 18 suborbital sounding rocket was launched by the PSAG, setting a new altitude record for ionosphere measurement.
1957 – The GKS Hrund submarine disaster occurred with a loss of 75 lives.
1985 – Following heavy international condemnation of their invasion, the Græntfjaller People’s Peacekeeping Force was withdrawn from Squastan.
1988 – Græntfjaller dissidents assassinated former Left Hand chief Inge Davidsson after tracking him down in Jabal Akhdar.
1993 – Citizens of Græntfjall overwhelmingly backed a referendum dissolving the communist regime.

Today’s featured list
The list of ancient dikes in Græntfjall includes over 600 earthworks constructed between the first inhabitation of the country until the final settlement of the Viking conquerors. Dikes were dug for a variety of reasons including strategic defense, prevention of flooding, demarcation of field borders, or for unknown reasons. Ancient dikes in Græntfjall vary in size from very small drainage ditches to the immense 200 km Krakenveggur, one of the largest ancient earthworks in the world. Detection of earthworks can occur through professional surveying, academic archaeology including techniques such as LIDAR and GIS, and amateur excavations. The Græntfjall Earthworks Mapping Survey (GEMS) is a project of the University of Waltenberg, currently engaged in locating and mapping ancient dikes, which are otherwise at risk of inadvertent damage or destruction through the action or modern agriculture or construction. As a result, many ancient dikes are on the Protected Register of Historical Interest. However, it is likely that hundreds more have already been irrecoverably lost.
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Today’s featured picture
Greifynja Þrúða of Steinbach (1612 – 1662) was a Græntfjaller noblewoman. Her marriage to Greif Kuno Aagesson united the previously feuding houses of Norstorp and Steinbach and laid the foundations for the development of the royal court at Háttmark. Much reviled in her time for her alleged unfaithfulness to Kuno and indifference to the sufferings of peasants immortalized in the (probably apocryphal) phrase “let them eat blubber”, her reputation has undergone reassessment by subsequent generations of historians who have emphasized her matronship of the arts and promotion of religious tolerance at a time of fierce sectarian divisions. This painting, entitled “Absolute Dumptruck”, is an oil-on-canvas portrait painted in 1638 by Hallgarður Viggosson, court painter to the Steinbach dynasty for three generations. It depicts Þrúða wearing the Star of Jakob diamond, and reading from a volume of illustrated verse.
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World Cup 87 - RP Thread

View from Venjolath Road: Ep. 7 Hoping to improve....

Fresto Sports - 13 January 2021

WC87 MD1

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