World Lacrosse Championships 36 - Everything Thread

[Smosh games]

Smosh Games
Coaches
Head coach:Supa Galho
Assistant coach: Ass Man
Trainer: Michael Ramalho

Style Mod: -2

Roster

Goalies

#1 Ceni Roger
#30 Rudy Round
Defense
#2 Mitchell Power
#3 Michele Kiwi
#4 Huey
#5 Juanfrango
#6 Chicken Pops
#17 Stuffy Meats
#18 Junfrie Kempes
Midfield
#8 Mario Pyong
#9 Mateus Kiko
#10 Laércio Neves
#12 Wendel Fogo
#19 Wesley Lira
#20
Attack
#11 Norman Gente
#7 Liza Jota
#12 Yuri Ronaldo
#13 Penny Simpson

RP Permissions
Choose my goal scorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: N
RP injuries to my players: Y
Godmod Injuries to my players: N
Suspend my players: Y
Godmod suspension events: Y
Godmod other events: N

Wow, we really took a beating in the first match, thankfully, we have 5 more to at least try something, and keep improving

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Defense leads the way for BP Lax
by Sandra Gerrard
The Sunday Post Staff Correspondent

The Baker Park National Lacrosse Team entered the current World Lacrosse Championship period with its most experienced side ever, evidenced by the group matches at the AO Lacrosse Classic in Sarzonia.

Here in Sylestone, the squad has shown their continued commitment to the evolution of style that began back in WLC 35--a more defense dominated philosophy that's been advocated by former NT player and current Osheana A&T Head Coach Shannon Fries.
Fries has become the de facto #1 NT assistant to Brittany Franklin, whom she played for at University of Endborough; the shift to a more defensive posture coupled with a fast transition game to take advantage of the high powered forward line that BP fields is definitely a change from Franklin's own tactical ideas, but seems to be better overall for the situations that international play brings into play.

Baker Park allowed the 2nd fewest goals (38) in the AOLC group round, behind only the finalists Banija & Sarzonia, who each allowed 36 (perhaps defense does win championships, as those three squads took the top three spots).

The conclusion of this tournament will probably mark a transition towards the third generation of talented players coming into the national team pool, and likely the end of Franklin's second stint in charge; after her original tenure, she said that she considered herself as "the leader of the pioneers", and has recently described her second term at the helm "the renewal of the original lessons for the next generation".

After a bye on the opening day, the Commonwealth has recorded consecutive victories against newcomer Smosh Games and Natanians & Nosts, with matches against the big names of Group 4--Vangaziland, Kriegierien and Quebec--still to come. Franklin believes that the squad are just about reaching their peak.

"We performed about as well we could've expected in Sarzonia (for the AOLC), losing only to the Stars and Banija. I'm perfectly content with being one of the top three sides in Atlantian Oceania, let's face the fact, if you're in the top 3 in AO, you're probably one of the 10-15 best at whatever in the multiverse. We've come so far from when we started (in WLC 29), we're much better technically, competitively, talent-wise. And I think we're getting close to being at the right place, to get to the semis again...after that anything is possible."

Asked if she had given any thoughts to retiring completely, Franklin showed surprise followed by her usual good humor.
"I'm not that old!" (laughter) "My mom was head coach of the #1 team in the nation at 28...she gave me grief when I got my (head coach) job at Endborough when I was 30. 'What took you so long, honey?' (laughter) I won't tell you what crossed my mind as a response." (more laughter)

On another question about the increasing number of male players in the squad, Franklin was candid about her opinion of the future of the sport in the Commonwealth.
"Lacrosse has always been looked at as a 'girls sport' in Baker Park, although there has been a small niche of participation for men since...I can't remember. I played in high school and college against men in the equivalent of rec league, largely made up of ex-pats from places where male participation in the sport was common. Where we are at right now...I'd bet good money that we will have coed UAC lacrosse in the next five years. The strength of men's collegiate club play right now, we'd be foolish to ignore the benefits that bringing a potential pool of talent into the sport would mean."

[Mapletish]

The Sour Kind
"I only know one thing, that is I know nothing"

Commentaries| Timothy Jozua

Mapletish 6-10 HUElavia: Dragons welcome first defeat of WLC against No 8 HUElavia

Expectations were not running as high for the Maplish side as they stood on the side of David in this David vs Goliath match up against HUElavia. HUElavia were number 8 in the multiverse while the Dragons stood on unranked in the multiverse lacrosse scene. The Dragons were regarded as an "easy" opponent by the HUElavia media, a nice buffer for HUElavia as they lost to Banija before facing the Dragons. The Avondale International Sports Stadium played host to the match up as a sizeable HUElavian crowd showed up together with a small section of Maplish supporters. That though, had not stopped the Maplish crowd from preforming the Buio'Dzz with the Maplish players. Also present in the crowd was Allen Budaye, head coach of Banija, who was on a scouting task to watch the match.

The 1st quarter was dominated by HUElavia, while the Maplish side tried their best to chase the tempo of the game as set by HUElavia. Without a doubt, it was HUElavia who opened the scoring. Ching-Lacanilao was at the end of the link up play between Elena Rodriguez and Xerman Agron outside of the defensive zone and a neat shot from Ching-lAcanilao ensured. HUElavia took the lead. The Dragons were caught having to chase the game through Chambers. Chambers, Chavez and Garrett formed a quick attacking trio as their accurate passes broke through the HUElavian midfield players quickly. Chambers then took the chance to equalise.

It was HUElavia's turn once again as Ching-Lacanilao gave HUElavia the lead for the 2nd time in the first quarter. After a misplaced pass from Reid intended for Garrett landed in the area between the pair, Ching-Lacanilao was quick to react, got to the ball first, beating Lyle Chambers to it. The former would do a quick one two with Meireles de Lima before putting the ball past the net. The Dragons were thus in the position to chase the match again as they came down behind once again. Stanley leashed a long pass out of the defence zone towards the on-coming Mason who slipped the past towards Chambers who tapped the ball into the net. Despite being even in score, the Dragons were miles behind, as they were not as adapted to the fast game of HUElavia.

The 2nd quarter got a turn for the worst as Yamada was quick to open the scoring after an assist from Ching-Lacanilao. The HUElavian side would add one more to their tally as they went 4-2 up following another goal from Yamada. Head coach Jonathan Ford who had been quiet all match gestured for the players to slow the game down when they were in possession in an attempt to bring back the tempo of the match towards the Maplish side. The Maplish side were evidently led on through the match as they failed to establish themselves in the match. The Dragons turned towards Chavez for some respite as he brought the Dragons back into the game 4-4, with two goals in quick succession. Putting in skillful turns against his marker following a risky pass from Reid, Lady Margaret was smiling on Chavez when he secured the Dragons' third goal of the match. The fourth goal came from the right corner of the pitch as Maxwell was first to get to the stray ball before he unleashed a quick pass towards Chavez who was right in front of goal to bang in the equaliser.

The 3rd quarter continued to be a chase for the equaliser as HUElavia were first to react to the start of the quarter. Maintaining their high tempo and momentum from having initiated the attacks first, they turned towards controlling possession as the Dragons ended up chasing shadows and got trapped by their passing game, a reenactment of the Cascadia game previously when it was the Maplish side who were quick to establish their dominance through the passing plays. Pinchi Sulca was the hero for the 3rd quarter for the HUElavian side as the attacker's speed on the turnover was unbeaten. As for the Dragons, Banks came off the bench to retrieve 2 more goals for the Dragons as they equalise the game for the third time in the match, putting it at 6-6. This was the last time the Dragons were anywhere close to their opponents.

The 4th quarter saw Agron flew away with a hat trick before ALeksandrovna got one last goal for HUElavia to bring the score to 10-6 in HUElavia's favour. The Dragons tried their best to match up after the three successive goals from Agron. Garrett attempted a response after taking a long lob from Kirk Webb but was unable to convert his chances as Rocha-Figo kept him out. Banks who had earlier secured two goals, tried his best to at least get another goal in the 4th quarter to match the hat trick against Agron but he was denied by the goalpost in his pinpoint shot against Rocha-Figo after being picked up by Maxwell from the left flank.

The Dragons would fail to take any points in match day 3 as they lost expectedly to HUElavia. Mapletish takes on number 4 in the world Banija in their next game in an attempt to minimise the scoreline as much as possible for Jonathan Ford's side.

We will see you then!

[Saint-Domingues]

RTD News' Robin Farage is live and speaking to the captain of the Saint-Domingue representation, Colin Anderson

RF: That is the first ever win for a Saint-Dominguan team at these World Championships, how does it feel to be the man who lead his team to that maiden victory?
CA: It feels great! We hadn't had the best start, what with two losses in our first two games but it wasn't like we were totally down in the dumps about that. For one both of the last two games were super close, it was not like we were totally outclassed. We have held our own, and scored lots. That gives you a lot of motivation to know you can cut it. And two, it was just really cool to even be here in Sylestone playing lacrosse with the world watching. When I enrolled at DU [Dessalines University] I wasn't expecting to do something like this, it was just for fun. But then I managed to be so lucky to get this great team and an amazing coach and we won the [Tremblay] Cup and now we are playing at a World Championships and winning. It's really cool!

RF: Does it make it any sweeter that your win came against the hosts, Sylestone?
CA: I suppose so, yeah! The last two teams we played were newbies and unranked like us. This time we were playing a team with an actual rank - I think they were like the 15th-best team in the whole world or something? That's massive to us. Because not only did we match these guys, who are some of the best - we beat them, and were better than them! That shows we can compete. Some people might have thought we could only do stuff against the unranked sides, well this shows we are better than a lot of people think.

RF: That win looks even more impressive in light of, I do have to bring it up, the controversy that has come out since the last game amid the comments by Maxime Longchambon which has caused a lot of debate. How much did that overshadow your preparation?
CA: Well, look. I know Maxime off the field too. We got to college together. I know that when we're not playing, he's an amazing guy. He isn't like that, mean-spirited or anything. The tensions in that moment got to him. But at the same time what he said and did is absolutely not OK. We have apologised to Silvedania and made it clear we have great respect for those guys. I wasn't feeling any pressure because of it. It's a matter we dealt with and then looked at winning this game. If it was such a big distraction then would we have won today? No.

[Abanhfleft]

DISCLAIMER: Gaelic Gamers is an independent sports blogging website created by four cousins with a common liking and passion for sports of all kinds and is in no way or form affiliated with or organized by any official news organization in the Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft. All statements and opinions posted here are our own and not anyone else's.

---

Gaelic Gamers
Presents...

The Lacrosse Lamentations
with Aisling Keane

Uh-oh. I think I may have just committed a big boo-boo. Yes, I know it's not very becoming of a grown woman to be saying things like making a boo-boo, but I just can't help it! I looked at the schedule and really thought that we were going to play Cascadia after our bye day in the WLC, and I sure got at least some of you believing that we were up against Cascadia as well. So imagine my fucking surprise when instead of Cascadia, it turns out we were actually up against fucking Northwest Kalactin! No offense to all Kalactinians out there reading Gaelic Gamers, of course. I was just not expecting the Amazons to play you guys today!

And, judging by how the Amazons played today, it almost seems like they were prepared for Cascadia too and not NWK. I can't remember the last time I ever saw our team reduced to scoring in single digits. Oh wait. That was exactly what happened in the final of WLC 35 against Vangaziland. This is always a thing that happens when we're up against defensively solid teams like the aforementioned Vangs and now the Kalactinians. Yes, the outcome of both games was the same (Abanhfleft won), but Abanhfleft were well prepared against Vangaziland. The Amazons looked anything but prepared against Northwest Kalactin. I'm telling you, it's got something to do with how the Sylestoneans (is that the right word for them?) published the tournament schedule. It looks simple and intuitive enough; all the teams playing against each other are listed on the day that they play each other, while the guy on the bye day is listed right at the end. Like I said, simple. But it does have the unintended consequence of someone who doesn't read well (i.e. me) potentially reading a game as happening on a different day than the one it really is set to happen. See, I made the mistake of looking at the schedule and reading that Abanhfleft versus Cascadia is supposed to be MD3 when in reality MD3 is Abanhfleft versus Northwest Kalactin, and it's very likely someone on the national team made the same mistake I did and gave the whole team the completely wrong game plan for the wrong team on the wrong matchday. Luckily and thankfully we won, or else I would have stormed off in a cloud of curses.

Once again, we have Jenelle Eure to thank for us being able to escape this mess. We truly are fucked as a team should something happen to her, such as an injury or an illness or whatever. Someone should probably go tell her to take a rest because she has got to be tired of carrying the national team on her shoulders. And someone also needs to come in and take up some of the slack here. I'm not asking for a Fearsome Threesome 3.0 here, just someone who can do the job of leading and carrying the team when Jenelle inevitably fucks up her knee or ankle or whatever. I remain firmly convinced that our run to the title in WLC 35 was because Jenelle Eure did not get injured despite all those times she came really, really close. But who's gonna be that second person? Leeanna Matley? She's good, but sadly not that good. Malcolm Richards? He's a bit too selfish to think of anything other than himself at the moment. So who? Until we can find someone who's both willing and able to take up the slack should Jenelle get sidelined for any reason, if she is ever forced out of a game for any reason at all, we're fucked. And royally at that.

[Cassadaigua]

Fillies Win but drama continues,
By Kenzie Sherman, Concord Heights Times

In their second game of the World Lacrosse Championships, the Fillies played to a solid 12-6 win over Hayvnwilde to move into third place on the group title. I’m not sure why the group table is displayed the way it is from the hosts, but the Fillies are the third place team, but the close nature of this group will mean that the team must continue to play well and be on their game in order to advance to the round of sixteen. In order to do that, you would like to see the team having good chemistry between the coaches and the players. That is something that still isn’t happening.

On the field, Cassadaigua jumped out to a 3-0 on the Havyish side, with Jessica Crockett picking up two quick goals and assisted on the other, which came from Kelsey Barker. Havynwilde cut the lead to 3-2, and that is when we saw our first example that everything is not alright with this team. Manager Sarah Cortez appeared to be trying to say something to defender Hannah Tromblay following the second Havyish goal, and that was interrupted by Jessica Crockett, who sided with her teammate and turned her away from the coach. This, of course, did not sit well with Cortez, who then had some words with Crockett before Jessica walked away and took the next faceoff. 26 seconds later, Crockett assisted on a goal by Sierra Morganstern, and the Fillies continued to pull away from their opponent, opening up a 9-3 advantage at halftime.

That is when we would see our second bout of arguing between Cortez and Crockett, with other veterans like Lexi Looper and Stacey Proctor getting involved and backing up their teammate. Fans in the stands had to be shaking their heads at the way this looked to the rest of the world, and wondering if they should side with Cortez or Crockett. Sarah Cortez is the coach, after all, managing just her second game. Crockett is the most prolific goal scorer in Cassadagan lacrosse history and an older veteran on this team who is widely respected. Cortez made a humiliating mistake, hasn’t apologized for it even now (she continues to want to casually toss it under the rug as if nothing ever happened). Online polls throughout Cassadaigua widely support Jessica Crockett, and there are some cries for former coach Michelle Carter to return to the team, or to allow Heather McMahon, the former Carter assistant that most felt would get the job. Cortez does not have much support right now from Cassadagan fans.

However, when you are the coach, you have the authority over who plays and who doesn’t, and when the second half began, it was notable that Jessica Crockett, Lexi Looper, Stacey Proctor, Kelsey Barker, Brittany Wilson, and Hannah Tromblay were not on the field, with bench players taking their places. The reserves held their own, and played Hayvnwilde even, 3-3, during the second half, to get us to our final score, but it will open up the door to even more scrutiny. Crockett spent some of her time on the sideline signing autographs for fans, though still wanted to show her support for the players that were on the field. After the game, both Cortez and Crockett addressed the matter. First, the coach, Sarah Cortez, “People need to get over what happened. This is a long tournament. Unfortunately, I had to punish some talented players due to the way they were acting.” Jessica Crockett’s take on the matter was a little different, “We were playing a good game, got off to a good start, but Havynwilde is a good team, and we’re not going to beat them 28-0. They got a couple goals, but we still felt in control of the match as a unit, and I had to support my teammate when she was criticized unfairly. We continued to play well in the first half, but when she told me to get over it before we walked back to the locker room, I was quite upset. That was unprofessional.” About being benched as punishment, Crockett stated, “I think we all know that was a personal grudge on her part. I am glad my teammates played well during the second half.”

While Cortez extended her authority over Crockett on the field during the game, the Cassadagan Association for Lacrosse has extended their authority over Cortez, telling the coach that, “Jessica Crockett and the key players are not to be benched for petty reasons. If they are healthy, they are to start and to play as many minutes as possible unless there is a reasonable strategic reason to do otherwise.” Cortez acknowledged the statement, and said that Crockett and the others would start the next game, which is against 1-2 Saint-Domingues.

[Nyowani Kitara]

Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V

Maharaja= Emperor
Lukiiko= Parliament

Part 6

Setting- Three years after Part V, in 1846, with Chief Musa Obi landing in northern Rushmore

"Well, this is it. Our new home." Chief Musa Obi said as he got off the boat. Since his conversation with the Pretender Rokani three years ago, it had been a brutal 3 years for the Kitara. The Kitara had busted out into protest, saying that they should be considered a separate country, and therefore a separate colony, from Banija. The Pretender moved his own forces into Kitara and brutally crushed the uprising, crushing it faster than the Kitara could mobilize. With the known support from the Quebecois, as well, Chief Obi had no choice but to surrender and negotiate.

They had reached an agreement. Sebowaland would be established in that land in Northern Rushmore. What to do about the natives? How to farm and till a land that was so cold, the essential opposite of Banija's climate? Figure it out. The Kitara would essentially all be deported there- and the Kasanke would move into the abandoned land and homes in the Kitara region in Banija. Sebowa was the namesake of the land, to remind the Kitara of their crime of committing his regicide.

It would remain a part of Banija, even though it was so far away. Chief Obi, however, and the other tribal governance structures, would be given autonomy within the region. Like he wanted back home. "Well brother, those fuckers have sent us here to live." His youngest brother said. His middle brother had died in the crackdown on the protests, being on the frontlines when bullets were shot. "This godforsaken land. But we will survive it."

"Are you sure about this? Do you believe that?" Chief Obi looked at his brother.

"Yes, of course." The brother said. "We have you leading us. We are resilient. We are resourceful. If we can get along with the natives in this land... Then we can figure it out."

"Fair enough." Chief Obi said. "Well, let me tell you one thing. We aren't going to be a part of Banija all the way out here in north Rushmore. Once all of our people get here, it'll take a few years, but once they do, I'm declaring independence. And we're not going to be called freaking Sebowaland, of all places. No- we're going to call ourselves Nyowani Kitara. We are still the Kitara, even if we have left our homeland, the land of our ancestors. We were forced out. We will likely never return. But they will live on here, forever."

And Chief Musa Obi kept to his word. 2 years after this, once all the Kitara had arrived and the land had been mapped, he promptly declared the Republic of Nyowani Kitara, and said that they would severe immediately all ties with Banija and the Quebecois Empire. He sent out letters to both- neither contested the designation. It was not easy, to establish themselves in this strange, foreign land. But after a few harsh winters, they were able to work with natives and establish themselves as fixtures in North Rushmore. They were they to stay, and the country, although it had a turbulent first few decades with the very different sorts of people living in it, would survive and endure.

[Sarzonia]

Unlike the soap opera in pink that's threatening to tear Cassadagan lacrosse apart, the Sarzonian national lacrosse team earned an easy 18-6 victory over Soldera to further assert control over Group B ahead of an important match against Kohnhead.

In fact, the only drama that occurred after Sarzonia wrapped up the easy victory was between Stars manager Jordan Helms and the media trying to get him on record about the row between the warring factions in Cassadaigua lacrosse.

"That's something you're going to have to ask them," Helms said. "I've got enough to think about with my team."

None of the Sarzonian players or coaches would go on record to comment publicly about the controversy surrounding the ultimately overturned suspensions of Fillies stars. A spokesman for WLC President Jonathan Price said that the WLC Council would monitor the situation.

"That's an internal matter," the spokesman said. "We have no say so about any suspensions that aren't a result of violations against WLC rules. Unless such a violation occurs, Mr. Price will have no comment on the situation."

Publicly, anyway. A source familiar with Price's deliberations among WLC board members said Price was furious about what he described as "overstepping authority" by the Cassadagan lacrosse federation.

"A manager should have the authority to suspend players who violate rules or are insubordinate," the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss internal deliberations in Woodstock. "If the federation believes that the suspensions are unwarranted, that should be determined by a process of fact-finding and investigation."

A fan watching the match said she heard a Sarzonian coach assail the Cassadagan lacrosse federation for overturning the suspensions, saying the decision "compromises Cortez's authority."

"Jessica Crockett is a cancer," the fan reported the coach saying. "I wouldn't want a prima donna like that on our team." Helms decline to comment on the remarks, saying he wasn't aware of any such comments during the post-match meeting.

When asked if the move to overturn a suspension was something he addressed with the Incorporated Sarzonian Lacrosse Federation, Helms said "we have an arbitration process that we can implement via in person or virtual channels."

Sarzonia has its bye after playing Kohnhead.

[Sylestone]

Group A
Saint-Domingues 4-12 Cassadaigua
Squidroidia 4-6 Sylestone
Juvencus 4-10 Silvedania
Havynwilde bye

Group A                 Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Silvedania              4    3   1    37   29   +8     6
2 Cassadaigua             3    2   1    26   16  +10     4
3 Havynwilde              3    2   1    27   29   −2     4
4 Sylestone               4    2   2    22   24   −2     4
5 Squidroidia             3    1   2    16   18   −2     2
6 Juvencus                3    1   2    20   26   −6     2
7 Saint-Domingues         4    1   3    30   36   −6     2

Group B
St Saratoga 12-6 Space
Soldera 2-8 Qasden
Kohnhead 4-12 Sarzonia
Qzvarkian Qaz bye

Group B                 Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Sarzonia                4    4   0    62   27  +35     8
2 Qzvarkian Qaz           3    2   1    29   38   −9     4
3 Qasden                  4    2   2    25   24   +1     4
4 Soldera                 3    1   2    16   32  −16     2
5 Kohnhead                3    1   2    18   24   −6     2
6 St Saratoga             4    1   3    31   35   −4     2
7 Space                   3    1   2    26   27   −1     2

Group C
Cascadia 2-8 Abanhfleft
HUElavia 10-6 Nyowani Kitara
Banija 12-0 Mapletish
Northwest Kalactin bye

Group C                 Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Banija                  3    3   0    46   12  +34     6
2 Abanhfleft              3    3   0    40    6  +34     6
3 Mapletish               4    2   2    38   28  +10     4
4 HUElavia                3    2   1    28   22   +6     4
5 Nyowani Kitara          4    2   2    30   44  −14     4
6 Northwest Kalactin      3    0   3    16   36  −20     0
7 Cascadia                4    0   4     8   58  −50     0

Group D
Vangaziland 22-6 Flexanewmega
Baker Park 18-4 Kriegiersien
Smosh Games 10-6 Natanians and Nosts (Game went to Overtime)
Royal Kingdom of Quebec bye

Group D                    Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Vangaziland                4    4   0    88   18  +70     8
2 Baker Park                 3    3   0    38   10  +28     6
3 Kriegiersien               4    2   2    46   56  −10     4
4 Natanians and Nosts        4    1   3    20   34  −14     2
5 Flexanewmega               3    1   2    20   42  −22     2
6 Smosh Games                3    1   2    16   44  −28     2
7 Royal Kingdom of Quebec    3    0   3    10   34  −24     0

[Cassadaigua]

Will winning heal the wounds?
By Kenzie Sherman, Concord Heights Times

During the 12-4 win over Saint-Domingues, there were not any explosive confrontations between the players and manager Sarah Cortez. The Fillies played a great game, jumping out to a quick 4-0 lead, and never having less than a three goal advantage at any point during the game. Jessica Crockett and the other starters who were benched during the Havynwilde match were out there at the start and played the majority of the game. However, this does not mean that all is well, necessarily. At many times during the game, the team huddled around Jessica Crockett, often right after a stoppage of play. Such an action is not unusual, but the frequency of it occurring led reporters after the game to ask Crockett if she was going above her reach as the team captain and actually acting as a coach of the field, having the team do as she thought best, rather than what the coach had wanted. Crockett was frustrated by the question, and did not provide a full answer. Coach Cortez, when asked, said that she still had to talk to Jessica about everything.

If you were looking for friendly conversation or any signs that the team has improved their relationships with Cortez, then you would have been disappointed. The result during the Saint-Domingues match was one where the team was well focused on the game and picking up a win, but you could still feel the tension. A little bit after the game, it was brought to the attention of the team comments made by a Sarzonian coach, through a third party account. A fan stated that they overheard a coach, believed to be their assistant Bill Harbour after watching some clips from the match to determine when and where it may have occurred, saying "Jessica Crockett is a cancer, I wouldn't want a prima donna like that on our team.” This did catch the attention of Crockett, who posted on Spacebook that, “If they are an assistant coach, I wonder how they would feel if their head coach (Jordan Helms) retired, and they thought they were in line to get the position, and then their governing body makes a hire without much experience that most of the players are not familiar with. And then that coach makes the blunder that was made before the first game.” Speaking of that former Cassadagan assistant, Heather McMahon posted that, “Jessica Crockett was always a joy to coach, she’s a wonderful player and person.”

[Kriegiersien]

Smooth Sports

your source for interesting sports you have never heard of



Today: Lacrosse.

Can it has Olympics?
Not yet.


What is happening there?

In the moment the World Championships number 36 are played in Sylestone. And Kriegiersien is playing in it.


What is it?

You may have seen people playing with nets throwing a ball at each other, trying to score goals. Like ice hockey. Just with nets on sticks.
That is Lacrosse. Easy.

Really big is this sport here in the North in the Stolen Lands. And who loves to play it, who has the best players in the Nation?
Xvarts!
Yes, the little blue gnomes are great in this sport and most of the National team players are from one of their teams. The absolute best team in the country: Just some Dudes. That was the name of the team. They won the national championships. But some Orcs and humans are in the team, too. They are even playing sometimes. And one of the coaches is human, too. Yay, human supremacy in leadership.

At the last World Cup they made it into the play-offs, this time they want to win.


And how is the Rest of the World?

Atlantian Oceania has its own tournament, many of the best nations are from there. And two of the semifinalists are in our group. Baker Park and Oceanic Vangaziland, who reached the last World Cup Final. Our team already lost to both clearly.
The winner of the AO Tournament was Sarzonia against Banija in the final.

Other big nations are in the moment Abanhfleft who won the World Cup XXXV. Or Terre Septentrionale who beat us in the Play-offs last time.


How is our team doing?

They won two games and they lost two games. The round of 16 is still the goal. They have to beat Smosh Games before, who we will also meet at the Olympics in Ice hockey, but are else totally unknown until now in the world of Lacrosse. Or sports.
And in the last group game Natanians and Nosts who are a ranked team. But we don’t know any of their players.


Prediction?

If the blue whirlwinds really get their dung together the can get to the Top 4, maybe a medal? The title should be hanging a bit too high for the little guys.


Where can I play it?

Not that easy. You will find a team probably in every bigger city. But only in Schoenwetter and in the North are really many teams. Maybe open one with your friends. A link with the rules and our Association is in the link below. Maybe you make it to the next national Finals?

[Sarzonia]

The match against Kohnhead was an afterthought.

That's an interesting place for a battle between the world's No. 2 ranked Sarzonian national lacrosse team and 13th ranked Kohnhead, but the off pitch drama involving the Cassadagan team and the discord surrounding it rendered the Stars 12-4 victory a secondary storyline.

Rumours circulated when assistant manager Bill Harbour emerged from a two-hour meeting with manager Jordan Helms with a look on his face described by team staffers as "like he'd seen a ghost." Harbour was not on the sidelines during the match against Kohnhead. Harbour said Helms suspended him for the Kohnhead match.

"We had a conversation," Helms said after the match. "It's an internal matter and I want to make clear that it's being addressed in house." Helms didn't answer whether Harbour was suspended for the Kohnhead match, but he did say, "no," when a reporter asked if Harbour was fired.

Helms didn't answer directly whether the meeting was a result of Harbour's comments overheard by a fan that were reported to local media, but confirmed that it "was addressed." A source close to the team reported that Helms was "livid" about the leak and about Harbour discussing personnel matters involving another team in a venue where his comments could potentially be made public.

"Jordan considers that a shocking lack of judgment," on Harbour's part, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on Helms's behalf. "He felt that it was inappropriate for him to speak about a team he doesn't coach.

Harbour declined further comment after confirming that he was suspended. A spokesperson for the Incorporated Sarzonian Lacrosse Federation said they supported Helms's decision to suspend Harbour, and that his initial appeal was rejected. ISLC Chairwoman Kathi Lundquist said she was willing to hear a final appeal of the suspension, but not before the Stars bye.

Lundquist said she was still gathering the facts about the situation and would not address it until she issued a ruling. However, the fact that she did not take up the case until after the Kohnhead match is seen by many in the Incorporated Sarzonian Department of Health and Athletics as a defeat for Houlder.

"She could have agreed to take up Harbour's appeal before the Kohnhead match, which would have allowed him to coach the match," a source in the department said. "The fact that she didn't renders even a successful appeal meaningless."

Sarzonia will face regional rivals Qasden for third time this cycle after the bye. Sarzonia won both meetings during the Atlantian Oceania Lacrosse Championships group stage.

[Mapletish]

The Sour Kind
"I only know one thing, that is I know nothing"

Commentaries| Timothy Jozua

Too far fetched?

Following a close defeat against HUElavia in the previous matchup, confidence in the Dragons camp was not high. It was paired with the fact that expectations were not lofty for them either. Banija had never underestimated the Maplish team but it was the Maplish which seemed to have give up on themselves even before the match had started. The continuous pressure from performing at the highest levels must have forced the younger players to carry on immense pressure, pressure in which they had never faced before. It is part and parcel of the game I guess? But, that doesn't go to say that the older players in the team were spared either.

Captain Lyle Chambers was first to be placed under the spotlight. Dubbed as the oldest and most experienced player on the pitch, his on the field mistakes against Banija were spotlighted by the media as tabloids ran away with reporting the game loosely. Readers took their turns to submit hateful comments and that had certainly got into Chambers' head. Having never been in such a spotlight before with his days as an amateur player, the thrust into the merciless pens of writers and editors who are aiming to run a spectacular seemed harsh without a doubt.

What then was too far fetched? Was it expecting the Dragons to be winning every game they play far fetched? Certainly, if you asked me. The shift in perspectives were indeed harsh considering how the public was still pretty much supportive of the semi-pro and amateur players who were brave enough to accept the challenge of playing ahead of the pro-players who boycotted the national team call up. I will probably say, expecting them to turn into professionals who deal with such pressures day in and day out and are still expected to play their top game, now that is far fetched.

Running a feature that they are training that much more than their opponents and attributing that to their results. That seemed to be a morale booster for all of us and especially for the Dragons who are playing in Slyvestone, any amount of positive press is good press for them and even getting the attention of the fans back at home and to the travelling supporters who attended every Maplish away game, that was to be commended. This group of semi-pro players were not obligated to, but they took the task on anyways. Probably that is not as far fetched as we might have made it out to be.

It had all ended up on, who has the heart after all.

[Abanhfleft]

DISCLAIMER: Gaelic Gamers is an independent sports blogging website created by four cousins with a common liking and passion for sports of all kinds and is in no way or form affiliated with or organized by any official news organization in the Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft. All statements and opinions posted here are our own and not anyone else's.

---

Gaelic Gamers
Presents...

The Lacrosse Lamentations
with Aisling Keane

All right now. No more bamboozling. No more fooling around. Abanhfleft are indeed playing against Cascadia on this particular matchday. Nobody misread the schedule now. Everything is as it's supposed to be. And we won too, but strangely enough, we won that game by the same scoreline by which we beat the team that we were surprised to play in Northwest Kalactin.

Now I don't know what to say. There's nothing much noteworthy that happened in that game. Jenelle Eure banged in three goals, Leeanna Matley scored two, and Pearline Cordes and new girl Reagan Lucero chipped in a goal each. Hmm. Reagan Lucero. Maybe we should talk about her at the very least. Fills up some space on my column, so to speak. See, Ma? I told you that journalism degree was going to come good one day!

Anyway, meet the newest and youngest addition to the Amazons for this WLC: Reagan Lucero. Fresh out of college, still in her first year of playing for the big leagues that is the Lacrosse League of Abanhfleft. She got signed by the Riuwiee Nighthawks right out of college. The freaking Nighthawks! She must be a hell of a player for a team like the Nighthawks to sign her right out of college right off the bat like that. And, looking at her college playing days, she definitely is a superstar in the making.

But is she meant to be a superstar? History and family would suggest yes; Reagan is the younger sister of Effelenendro Eagles (F in the comments for the Eagles) Megan Lucero. Yes, that Megan Lucero. Best player to never ever win the LLA. Not her fault though, really. Effelenendro was always that "nearly there" team, the team that always needed just one more piece to complete the puzzle. They have, had, the unenviable record of making the LLA Finals five consecutive times and losing all of them. Truly "always the bridesmaid, never the bride" material right here. Although, last time I heard, Megan is herself the bride to some ice hockey bloke. All the best to the happy couple, I always say.

But what about Reagan? She's got the talent, that much is clear. And she's also in a team that's not only better but also has a much better pedigree, with all due respect to the Eagles. But on the other hand Reagan's a young prospect at the present. And these days Riuwiee are a rank outsider compared to the likes of Markovsky and Suwkpel. You want Reagan to come good like her sister did, but then again you don't want to rush her into the spotlight. It's a tough pick. Maybe getting some playing time in the national team is the thing for her right now. Learning experience and whatnot. But I'm not so sure about throwing her into the deep end so soon. After all, we've got a fellow World Lacrosse Champion in HUElavia up next. All I'm trying to say is that let's not push our luck all the way just yet.

[Banija]

Arsa Bobbicevic III, Banija's team captain, and Mariama Jallow, a star attacker, during post-match media availability

All-Banija Sports Magazine: "Arsa, we'll start with you. Allen Budaye has always spoken about the talents and dangers of this Mapletish side- the fact that they were former champions, how dangerous they were on the turf, despite the fact that it had been a while since they had been here. The team was dominant today in the 12-0 shutout victory over Mapletish. Were Coach Budaye's concerns overblown?"

Arsa Bobbicevic III: "Absolutely not. It helped, of course, that we had a bye before this game. But we knew, going into this tournament, that we were going to be in a group of death. It is helpful to us, of course- the more top tier opponents that we play during the group stages, the better chance we have if we get out of the group stage. And Mapletish is one of those opponents. I'm not sure if the talent gap between Banija and Mapletish is quite 12 goals, but I'm proud and happy of our performance."

"Coach Budaye is going to leave no stone unturned in his relentless pursuit of success for this national team. Last cycle was a rough one- an early quarterfinal elimination from the WLCs, as well as not doing as well as we would have liked at the AOLCs. But we've come into this cycle with a much better mentality, and it has paid off. A big win against Baker Park at the last AOLCs. Our team was able to stay mentally together in a hostile environment in Woodstock, and win a championship against Sarzonia on their home field. We've taken those lessons and that confidence here, and it's seen on the field. Look at our games so far- against HUElavia, we had to battle through overtime. Against these guys- well, they are a very skilled opponent.

Banija Lacrosse Monthly: "Mariama, the next question is to you. This is your third tournament in a row as a starter. How does this team compare to past teams?"

Mariama Jallow: "I think it's both difficult, and unwise, to compare this team to our teams of the past. We've had different results in past tournaments, and different players are in and out. People stay healthy, get hurt, it's a different format and environment, etc... It's not a very useful comparison, in my opinion. I'm not worried about what we did or how we did in WLC 34 or 35, or who was there. Don't get me wrong- I'm not saying experience doesn't matter. There are nerves playing in your first WLCs, and squad unity is built over time- you don't just magically have it when we arrive in Sylestone.

But I'm not interested in looking in the past. What matters is the present, the future. You can see this team gelling, right now. I think we're doing a great job of coming together. One of the challenges of the WLCs are staying focused. It may seem interesting- but being in a foreign country is exciting. We're not soccer stars or gridiron stars- we don't spend all of our time hopping borders and playing in a bunch of other countries in this sport. Sylestone is a fun country, but we've got to remember why we're here. We're leaving Avondale at the end of this one, as the last half of our group games are in Halpenley. As we move cross-country, we've just gotta remember not to get distracted, and do the little things to stay on track. Be on time to practice. Get enough sleep. Be attentive during the film. Remember- titles are won in the film room and on the training ground. We know our goal, but we've got to continue to do those little things to get there.

All-Banija Sports Magazine: "This next question is for either of you. You all have a pair of big games coming up. What do you think about Nyowani Kitara? And with Abanhfleft looming past them, how can you stay focused enough against Nyowani Kitara with a rivalry match right behind that?"

Arsa Bobbicevic III: "Abanhfleft is our first rival in this sport. The rivalry has, unfortunately, throughout its history, been a bit one sided. There is a long line of big Abanhfleft victories against us, and not a huge history of us doing the same to them.

"The Abanhfleft game was circled on our calendar as soon as we got here. We're not shy about it- in sports, some games matter more than others. And this is no disrespect to our opponents- we've put our full attention on each of our opponents. You saw how prepared we came with a Mapletish specific game plan today. WE were prepared for HUElavia, and we battled with them. But Abanhfleft is one of our chief rivals. Each nation has it, and we're not embarrassed to it. We're not happy about our past record- but we always want to beat Abanhfleft.

We have high ambitious goals- win a title in this sport. Abanhfleft are the current kings of this sport- they are usually in our way when we go trophy hunting in this tournament. And while it is only a group stage game, it will be a great measuring stick. More than likely, the winner of that game will win the group, and the loser will be the runner-up. Being the runner-up woudl be most unfortunate- that means a greater chance of meeting one of the tournament's other elite teams, like Baker Park, Cassadaigua, Vangaziland, or Sarzonia, in the earlier rounds of the knockout stages. And, of course, it'd be sweet revenge. The last time we played Abanhfleft, we lost 18-2. There is not that big of a gap between us and Abanhfleft. But we played like there was at WLC 35- for a lot of us, that game will have a lot of personal meaning. Let's show the last WLCs were an abberation. Let's show what we know- that we truly do belong on the same field as them.

Mariama Jallow: "Look, we have great respect for Abanhfleft. They are the defending champions. They have five trophies in this sport for a reason. They are far and away the world #1 in this sport for a reason.

But we know that a win against Abanhfleft won't mean much unless it's paired with other victories. Nyowani Kitara is going to come hard after us- as anyone knows who knows the history of that nation and our nation. It's a big game, naturally. But, let's be frank. It's going to be physical. It's going to be rage filled. The fans in the stands will be excited. But we will be prepared, and we will show Nyowani Kitara exactly what happens when a team of their smaller stature faces off against a team like us- we will quickly take care of them, and then move onto the game of the group stages- Banija v. Abanhfleft.

Bunyoro Monthly: "Last question, for Arsa. Do you have any comments regarding the situation with the Cassadaigua team, with the disputes between coach and players there, particularly between Coach Cortez and Jessica Crockett?"

Arsa Bobbicevic III: "Look, I'm not Dagan. It's quite a situation- but I'm gonna stay far away from that situation, for now. I've got great respect for Jessica Crockett, and her abilities and leadership skills. She's somebody that I try to emulate, as I try to carry the unique responsibility of being captain for both club and country. I always try to model my game after the game's world class players, and she certainly is one of them."

[Nyowani Kitara]

The Kitara People's Free Press
The voice for the working people of Nyowani Kitara

Nyowani Kitara takes on 'arrogant Banijans' at massive World Lacrosse Championships tilt


Head Coach Laurin Schaufelberger claps during the team's 10-6 loss to HUElavia

HALPENLEY, SYLESTONE- The Nyowani Kitara national lacrosse team is preparing for the biggest game it has ever played- against the Nyowani Kitara enemy nation, the Kingdom of Banija. The nation of origin of the Kitara people of this land, as we were exiled from our original homeland in Banija, and found a home here.

The two nations do not hold diplomatic relations. 100 years after Nyowani Kitara's declaration of independence, the Kingdom of Banija finally recognized Nyowani Kitara's independence, but the two nations have not established diplomatic relations with each other since. The Kingdom of Banija, in true Sebowa fashion, has proven itself to be an unreliable member of the international community, with nuclear weapons being stolen from Banija to drop nukes on Farfadillis, as well as starting a war that it could not win with the Equestrian States and the Commonwealth of Baker Park.

"Banija is a rogue nation." said Karikoga Manyika, who was the General Secretary of the Working People's Party, the nation's ruling party, as well as the President of the People's Republic. "This was proven when they exiled an entire nation of people nearly 200 years ago, and they have been proving it ever since. Although we'll play them on the field in the interest of sporting competition- Banija cannot hold us back- we will never have diplomatic relations with their nation, not at least until they recognize the faults of the actions of their ancestors."

Banijan players have already began dismissing the prowess of Nyowani Kitara's lacrosse team, saying in press conferences that they were already focused on Abanhfleft and that they didn't think Nyowani Kitara could beat them. Patriot and team captain Ijeawele Azubuike said that the Banijans simply did not know what was coming. "Look- you are going to see a more motivated Nyowani Kitara than anyone has thought possible." Azubuike said. "When the groups were announced, we had all circled this game on our calendar. We're unranked- getting a trophy is unlikely. But we've been training this whole tournament to try and beat these bastards."

While the Kitara ethnic group is motivated, Kitara is a truly multi-racial socialist paradise- so even many minority groups see this anger as well. "I'm not Kitara, I don't have any roots in Banija." Head coach Laurin Schaufelberger told the press. "But this is such a massive game for New Kitarans of all stripes- black or white, Kitara or Osterlander, Christian or athiest. How their nation treats people... It's disgusting. It's horrific. And how their players disrespect us, even at this tournament? It makes any red blooded New Kitaran angry. I promise, we're going to go out there, and give them one hell of a match."

Nyowani Kitara lacrosse fans are buying tickets in droves for the Nyowani Kitara v. Banija matchup. There is expected to be a big Nyowani Kitara presence, and the people's lacrosse team will surely bring it, in all sorts of ways, to the bastards from the Glorious Southwest. Derailing their WLC campaign would be a dream come true- can we get the job done?

[Saint-Domingues]

RTD News' Robin Farage is live and speaking to the one of the leading lights - and scorers - for Saint-Domingue, it's forward Jacques Dembélé

RF: So Jacques, you managed to nab a goal for yourself again today to add another to your list at the World Championships - but it wasn't the result you were hoping for to go with the personal achievements, was it?
JD: Yeah, I mean it is never great to lose a game especially when you get beat by eight. I think we did better than the scoreline suggests and it is always nice to score. I'm always looking to get shots as you can obviously see in how I play my game. As I have been scoring already I feel pretty confident I can like you say nab one no matter the occasion.

RF: And would you describe this as one of the bigger occasions?
JD: Um... I don't know. I've just been playing the games, y'know. Last game against Sylvester-"

RF: Sylestone.
JD: -against Sylvestone was pretty big. I mean they were the hosts, that's where we are now. And we beat those guys. Otherwise I don't really pay attention to the other team, just thinking about scoring goals. Cassa-whatever, I think they were meant to be one of the better sides, probably like rank twelve or something, I dunno. I scored anyway.

RF: Cassadaigua, and they're fifth in the world.
JD: Sounds pretty good.

RF: Was there anything about them which made you think you were playing against one of the world's best-ranked lacrosse teams?
JD: Not sure. The main thing I noticed was that the team was mostly women, that's pretty rare. What's going on there? Guess it is how they do things in their country. A few of them caught my attention, they looked good.

RF: You seemed to be getting into some hot water with your coach over some exchanges with one of the Cassadagan defenders, what exactly were you saying to her?
JD: I may have been trying to exchange a few words, give her my number.

RF: Were you successful?
JD: We'll see!

---

And now we are able to speak with the head coach of the university team at Dessalines, Pere Sánchez

PS: You can't have an upset every week. We did really well to beat Sylestone and shock a few people, but today we had another tough game and I think for the first time this tournament we were outplayed. I have no shame in admitting that, the Dagans are a top side, got a lot of experience in playing lacrosse and plenty of pedigree. We've been given an important lesson out on the field today in how you play like one of the best teams. That's not just me saying the players have either, I learnt a lot in seeing how Sarah Cortez coached her team and made sure they were alert to really see that game out. We got held at arm's length, it's impressive game-management.

PS: So we'll pick ourselves back up, dust ourselves off and look to the next game against Havynwilde where we hope to put up more of a fight. In all the losses except this one we had done really well to keep the score down, score ourselves, and keep it all close. Plenty of reasons to be proud of how we have done. Hopefully we can do the same in these last two games.

[Vangaziland]

The Vangaziland Royals took a major hit late in Game 4 against Flexanewmega. Vangaziland had a comfortable lead after another hard fought performance. Taye James finally had a major role, with 4 assists and three goals.

The best parts of his play were split between the first three quarters. The last quarter was a bit slower for the veteran midfielder. It may be one that could end his career.

James made a name for himself as a midfielder of intangibles. He was not a major scorer and did not add huge assist totals. He often helped defenders clear the ball and facilitated movement down the field on fast breaks. He made passes to those who tallied assists and ran to set screens for the benefit of others. James fought hard for ground balls and sprinted after balls that went out of bounds to give his team possession. This was not the effort of a game, a stretch of games or even a season or two. This was who Taye James was from his first game under the Vannish flag until today.

In was in the midst of such selfless play where injury struck. Taye was bringing the ball up the field, having just caught a pass near centerfield from Dahl on a clear from Stenbeck.

As Taye spun and tried to cut and sprint, his leg gave way. “All I heard was a tear and a pop”, James told reporters. Early examinations point to a high possibility of a torn achilles.

“It looks like a severe tear”, said team trainer Julie Ann Venderssen. “Surgery has helped a lot of athletes recover. For such a contact sport like pro level lacrosse, I think this might be a career ender. It’s really a shame.”

Taye James called out once in pain before realizing what happened. “It was just the surprise of it”, he said from an interview aboard the team plane. He was being rushed to Vangaziland for surgery. “I beat my stick onto the field and just swore. It was then that I knew it was over”, he said.

When asked about his career, James spoke in reflection. “I had a great time. I won a title with this squad and fought in the classic battles with Wrexwic after that.” He laughed. “They called that ‘The Vannish Era’. Well.. I was a part of it.”

He had mentioned a time of multiple victories for international Vannish teams in basketball, lacrosse, auto racing and fight sports. It was spread over a period of several years and seasons in the various sports.

“I tried to stick around for a new era, but well.” James looked down, almost sad in his thoughts. “Well.. That day is for a new squad.”

“We’ll miss him”, said team captain Stella Dahl. “He was great on and off the field. He will be missed.” She soon added a playful chuckle. “He’ll be okay though. He can retire and enjoy just watching the games from now on.”

Olev Tamm or Siim Laar may move from reserve attack roles into the starting midfield spot. Laar had a strong game 4 with 5 goals, while Tamm scored 4 goals and added 5 assists in Game 3.

“It’s a loss like that which reminds us we’re all a team”, Laar said. “Mainlander, Esportivan. Oseari Atlantian. We’re all one team.”

[Sylestone]

Group A
Sylestone 6-2 Juvencus
Cassadaigua 16-2 Squidroidia
Havynwilde 8-28 Saint-Domingues
Silvedania bye

Group A                 Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Sylestone               5    3   2    28   26   +2     6
2 Cassadaigua             4    3   1    42   18  +24     6
3 Silvedania              4    3   1    37   29   +8     6
4 Saint-Domingues         5    2   3    58   44  +14     4
5 Havynwilde              4    2   2    35   57  −22     4
6 Squidroidia             4    1   3    18   34  −16     2
7 Juvencus                4    1   3    22   32  −10     2

Group B
Qasden 2-24 Kohnhead
Space 4-2 Soldera
Qzvarkian Qaz 6-14 St Saratoga
Sarzonia bye

Group B                 Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Sarzonia                4    4   0    62   27  +35     8
2 Kohnhead                4    2   2    42   26  +16     4
3 St Saratoga             5    2   3    45   41   +4     4
4 Qzvarkian Qaz           4    2   2    35   52  −17     4
5 Space                   4    2   2    30   29   +1     4
6 Qasden                  5    2   3    27   48  −21     4
7 Soldera                 4    1   3    18   36  −18     2

Group C
Nyowani Kitara 4-16 Banija
Abanhfleft 12-8 HUElavia
Northwest Kalactin 8-6 Cascadia
Mapletish bye

Group C                 Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Banija                  4    4   0    62   16  +46     8
2 Abanhfleft              4    4   0    52   14  +38     8
3 Mapletish               4    2   2    38   28  +10     4
4 HUElavia                4    2   2    36   34   +2     4
5 Nyowani Kitara          5    2   3    34   60  −26     4
6 Northwest Kalactin      4    1   3    24   42  −18     2
7 Cascadia                5    0   5    14   66  −52     0

Group D
Kriegiersien 4-2 Smosh Games
Flexanewmega 4-18 Baker Park
Royal Kingdom of Quebec 6-18 Vangaziland
Natanians and Nosts bye

Group D                    Pld    W   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Vangaziland                5    5   0   106   24  +82    10
2 Baker Park                 4    4   0    56   14  +42     8
3 Kriegiersien               5    3   2    50   58   −8     6
4 Natanians and Nosts        4    1   3    20   34  −14     2
5 Smosh Games                4    1   3    18   48  −30     2
6 Flexanewmega               4    1   3    24   60  −36     2
7 Royal Kingdom of Quebec    4    0   4    16   52  −36     0

[HUElavia]

Another Set of Mixed Games for HUElavia!

HUElavia 10-6 Nyowani Kitara
Avondale International Sports Stadium, Avondale

Abanhfleft 12-8 HUElavia
(Sunlife Stadium, Halpenley)

HUElavia came into the second pair of matches looking to make a name for themselves through the two matches they had coming up: New Comers Nyowani Kitara and No. 1 Abanhfleft. The first match was at Avondale International Sports Stadium (99,000) in Avondale, while the second match was inSunlife Stadium (52,000), in Halpenley. The Main X was used as always, and a sizable crowd of HUElavians present in both games.

In the first game, HUElavia would not let Nyowani Kitara get anything good going. Argon, Meireles de Lima, and Sulca were scoring goals, each getting a hat-trick during the game. The 10th goal would come late in the 4th period, as Yamada would slot in her own goal to put her name on the scoresheet. Meanwhile, Ebele, Ose, and Ngozi slotted two goals each for the newcomers. The HUElavian crowd celebrated each goal with passion and joy as they saw Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos take another victory in this WLC.

In the second game, HUElavia would end up meeting their match, as they spent it trying to catch up to Abanhfleft. The first three period had Abanhfleft scoring two goals, only for HUElavia to respond with two of their own. In the 4th quarter though, even though the match was close, and was at 8-8 at one point, Abanhfleft got 4 goals late to the game to end it 12-8. Richards, Matley, Shoemaker and Dematteo each got 3 goals. Argon, Rodriguez, Yamada, and Sulca each got 2 goals.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

[Nyowani Kitara]

The Kitara People's Free Press
The voice for the working people of Nyowani Kitara

Violence mars hard fought Nyowani Kitara v. Banija match as we fall, 16-4, to the Kingdom of Banija


A Banijan player(in white) defends against a Nyowani Kitara player(in red) during their WLC group stage match

HALPENLEY, SYLESTONE- Everyone was always going to be on high alert for a match that had the potential to be a tinderbox. Banija v. Nyowani Kitara. We've never faced each other, in any sport, after nearly 200 years of separation. Hell, we've rarely interacted on the international stage. But now, on Matchday 5 of the World Lacrosse Championships, we were drawn to play against each other in one hell of a hard-hitting, international lacrosse match.

Of course, we all know how the Banijans are. They are hooligans, they are violent. So naturally, Sylestone had to have slightly higher police presence than normal- but that could not prevent patriotic fans of the Nyowani Kitara national team from supporting their country. While there are no numbers, arrests were apparently in the triple digits. Small scale fights happened at various bars in Halpenley, and fan segregation was strictly enforced.

With the drinks flowing, Nyowani Kitara fans were provoked by Banijans, and some had to defend themselves. All sorts of rumors were thrown about. However, we know that Nyowani Kitara fans celebrated loudly to cheer their own country, and had a surprisingly high proportion of fans at the stadium, especially when you consider that Nyowani Kitara is much smaller than the Kingdom.

A potentially ugly moment happened during the national anthems. When the Nyowani Kitara one was done being sung, and the Banijan one started playing, Nyowani Kitara fans began booing the Banijan national anthem. It's a criminal and rogue nation- a peaceful way to truly expose the Banijans for who they really are. This was seen to heighten the tensions going into the matchup, with Nyowani Kitara players barely shaking the hands of their opponents, and the captain, Ijeawele Azubuike, barely shaking the hand of his opposite, Arsa Bobbicevic III.

It was a hard hitting and violent game all the way around. It made for a low scoring first half- one that was close all the way throughout. Near fights broke out on multiple occasions, with our own players being particularly aggressive against one of the top 5 teams in the multiverse. We even exchanged leads throughout the half, although a goal by their captain, Bobbicevic III, who's grandpa apparently used to play for the team, gave them a 5-4 lead at halftime. It looked as if our dream was living- we were surely within range of pulling off what would be one of the greatest upsets in the history of this sport.

In the second half, however, their experience shone through. They were absolutely dominant in the 3rd quarter- scoring 9 goals in what happened to be the decisive period, while we simply could not put one into the opposing net. THey shut us out in the fourth quarter as well, scoring two more goals for good measure. But at that point, the game was long over and had lost some of its luster. It was a brilliant quarter of play for the opponents, as they showed, at least for a period, why many people consider them true contenders to take home their first ever WLC championship.

Still- Nyowani Kitara did their country proud. One of our midfielders, Joachim Ose, spoke about it. "This match was electric." He told the press. "There's nothing that will make our blood boil like Banijans... But we did a good job out there keeping our heads, and making it a game for a half. Unfortunately, their team has way more experience than ours, and it showed in the third quarter. Still- we've come here and shown that we will simply not just roll over for anybody. We'll take the fight to anybody."

A number of the Nyowani Kitara players had a few choice words for the Banijans, and none of them were fit for print. The Nyowani KItara government, being a government, of, by, and for, the working people of our great nation, told reporters that they will help out any fans financially and legally who were arrested for "defending the country's honor against the nation who has defiled it the most", in the words of the Press Secretary.

The team sits at 2-3 after 5 games. They have one more game- on Matchday 6 they'll face fellow unranked opponent Mapletish, in what is functionally an elimination game. If Nyowani Kitara loses, then they will be 2-4 and go home. If they win, they will be 3-3, and will have to pray for help on Matchday 7(which is our bye) from our other group mates to hopefully reach the knockout stages.

[Cassadaigua]

Fillies Rout Squidroidia,
By Kenzie Sherman, Concord Heights Times

The fourth game of the World Lacrosse Championships was a great one for the Fillies, as they easily turned aside Squidroidia by the score of 16-2. Nothing is ever truly easy, but the one-sided nature of this game was on display from start to finish. There were a couple of newsworthy developments before the match, especially what happened with the Sarzonian national team. Their assistant coach, Bill Harbour, was suspended by manager Jordan Helms for that team’s game against Kohnhead due to the comments that Harbour made about Jessica Crockett. We reported on this in our last article, and this action shows that what was seen as a third party account actually had a complete level of truth to it. Some remarks made by Harbour after the game seems to imply that he is frustrated and may not fully agree with the actions of his boss. Within Cassadaigua, several sources commended the swift action of the Stars’ manager, with Jessica Crockett calling it, “the right move.” Manager Sarah Cortez did not say much about that, but did notice comments by Pere Sánchez of Saint-Domingues, which had said, “I learnt a lot in seeing how Sarah Cortez coached her team and made sure they were alert to really see that game out.” Cortez responded to that by saying, “I appreciate that the compliments that were paid to me on a personal level. It was nice to see that someone out there is seeing me for more than what happened with the first game.”

Against Squidroidia, the game was so one-sided that there was not an opportunity for any tension to take place. In fact, the Fillies had shut out their opposition in the first half, jumping out to a 10-0 lead at the break. This was another example where we saw a lot of team huddles after stoppages of play, but it would be unfair to say that Crockett, who was leading these huddles, was doing something or saying something to go against what Cortez was saying during the play stoppages. Cortez has not made an effort to break up the huddles. The starters only played a few minutes of the second half, as mass substitutions were made after the shutout bid was broken up and the Fillies had an 11-1 lead. Obviously, in this situation, the move was made to get others playing time in a game that the team had put away. For now, there are not any new sound bites to go off between the team, but make no mistake, because some of the longer stares and the lack of smiles between the players and the coach do show that there is some tension in place. After a 16-2 win, though, everyone was at least in neutral spirits towards one another. At 3-1, the team is a half game ahead of Sylestone, and in first place of Group A.

[Banija]

Banija's training ground, the day before the Banija v. Abanhfleft match on Matchday 6

"C'mon guys, everybody gather around!" And the team jogged toward the center, where Allen Budaye was standing. "We know big tomorrow's game is. We've been looking forward to this moment ever since WLC 35. This is part of what it means to play for this national team- if we want to be the best, we've got to beat the best, and the best team in the multiverse, undoubtedly, is this Abanhfleft team. They are the world #1, they are the defending champions, and we are in their group."

Budaye looked around, and then kept speaking. "Some people might consider themselves unlucky to have to play the world #1s, our archrivals, during the group stages. But we do not believe in luck. Just tell us where and when to play, and we can beat anybody. I believe in this team. This team is a different team, a special team. You saw it in Sarzonia- we respond well to adversity. We responded to the unnecessary violence Nyowani Kitara brought us yesterday. They were barely playing the game- they were out there to start fights and piss us off. But we stayed focused, crushed them in the 3rd quarter, and we got a well deserved victory."

"This is our opportunity! We have been given a group of death- and instead of shying away from it, we have stepped up to the challenge. This has been a good thing for us. The quality of opposition in our group has forced us to lock in early, and ensure that we have a quality, title winning mentality from the get go. There were no cakewalks in this group- and yet, we battled and earn our way to a 4-0 record, and find ourselves with a chance to win this group against Abanhfleft tomorrow. This is an opportunity that we must grab."

Then, Budaye stopped and Arsa Bobbicevic III started speaking. "Look. Nobody wants to lose to Abanhfleft again. We've literally done it for generations. My grandfather was on the team, Arsa Bobbicevic himself, when we lost to Abanhfleft three times in WLC 22- twice in Banija, and once in the semifinals at a neutral ground. For Banija, this is generational. This is personal. But we do not have to live in the past. Forget about our past failures. A new chapter of the Banijan-Abanhfleft will start tomorrow, and it will be a brighter chapter- a glorious chapter."

Then he stopped, and veteran attacker Alanso Niang spoke. "This is our history- this is our destiny." Niang said. "This is a chapter that we must close against Abanhfleft, and we must write a new one. They have the world's premier lacrosse program- and this much is clear. If we ever want to capture that long elusive trophy, and bring it home to Banijan soil, then we will have to beat Abanhfleft. Tomorrow is OUR day. Tomorrow is OUR moment. Let's show this whole fucking sport what Banija is about- that the days of us simply lying down and taking our beats from Abanhfleft are over. Our worth on top will be proven!"

The team came in, yelled Banija on the count of 3, and then everyone went back to the hotel. The biggest game of the tournament so far would happen in 24 hours, with Banija taking on Abanhfleft. Could they pull off the upset victory against their bitter rivals?

[Abanhfleft]

DISCLAIMER: Gaelic Gamers is an independent sports blogging website created by four cousins with a common liking and passion for sports of all kinds and is in no way or form affiliated with or organized by any official news organization in the Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft. All statements and opinions posted here are our own and not anyone else's.

---

Gaelic Gamers
Presents...

The Lacrosse Lamentations
with Aisling Keane

Well, here it is. The big one. The epic match. The clash of the titans. Banija versus Abanhfleft. I don't remember any other match in the current WLC that has been hyped up and talked about so much as this one. I just don't. It's because of everything that's at stake in this match, and I'm not just talking about national pride here. This contest could very well decide who is the winner of Group C. Both teams have been on blistering hot form, with Banija only edging out the Amazons to the top of the group on goal difference. And because this tournament doesn't have any draws (matches go to overtime if they end in a tie in regulation) this match between us and Banija is truly winner take all. As far as the group is concerned, but you know what I mean.

Recent history would suggest that we've got this one in the bag. After all, for being one of the biggest rivalries in sport it's kinda been lopsided since the start of the rivalry. But something in my gut tells me that this won't be anything at all like that 18-2 drubbing we saw two years ago. Well, for one thing, we only have one-third of the New Fearsome Threesome left over from the last time the Amazons met Banija. And Pearline Cordes has been a shadow of her former self this WLC. Maybe it's because she's no longer got Cherish Espinal and Tomiko Legaspi alongside her. Maybe it's because she hasn't built up that kind of trust with her new teammates. All I know for sure is that Pearline failed to find the goal against HUElavia. Speaking of which, so did Jenelle Eure. Good thing for this game everyone else picked up the scoring slack. But to be honest, I'll have to admit that I am fairly alarmed right here.

What's also alarming is the fact that after that initial flurry of goals against Nyowani Kitara, our offense seems to have dried up. You might think I'm exaggerating but I'm serious. When was the last time you've ever seen Abanhfleft have a single-digit score in the group stage? Has to be a few years back, surely. But that's not my only concern. My concern is about the fact that our attack seems more disjointed, less connected than it used to be to even just the previous tournament. I don't know what exactly is the issue here (God knows I'm a pretty piss-poor armchair manager) but anyone with one functioning eye could see it clear as day. This team has been missing more and more chances, and it's getting easier for the other teams to mess with our passing lanes and generally disrupt the flow of our play. I don't know about you, but Banija look like a team on a mission, and they could very much succeed in that mission if our team are not careful.

You all might think that I've got nothing to worry about. Which is the exact reason why I'm worrying. Everything seems to have been going so well for us, everything's gone our way, that surely the other foot's got to drop soon. And I just have that unshakeable feeling that this is going to happen in our game against Banija. If we win this game, you all have the right to call me crazy afterwards. But if we lose, I have the right to tell you all I told you so.

[Kriegiersien]

Interview with Graston, striker in the Kriegiersien Lacrosse team, with a reporter from the Schoenwetter Herald.


Interviewer: And I am talking with Graston, a Xvart playing for the Kriegiersien Lacrosse team. With him his coach of the team, Harry Gummibear. Thank you that you found a short time to speak with me.

Graston: Hello.
Harry Gummibear: Thanks for having us.

I: How do you like it here in Sylestone?

G: Warm.
HG: We are happy to be able to play here. And all is very well organized.

I: Did you get out much?
G: No.
HG: I did a bit. The people are nice if you get to know them. And much to see, if you have time. But the players are here to play.

I: You scored 4 goals against Smosh games, a pretty tense, close game.

Graston (nods): Yes.
HG: It was very hard to score as Smosh games really gave the team no room and played very defensive. Luckily they weren’t able to score much either. But we won, that is important.

I: What is your plan against Natanians and Nosts?

G: Winning.
HG: We need to be able to bring more strength into the team and outmanoeuvre them on a broader scale. We want to bring the other nonxvart players into the team to have more power and options for that.

And your goal for the World Cup?

G: Winning?
HG: Of course coming as far as possible. We only think from match to match. But the semi-final and breaking the dominance of AO is the goal. Even though it is hard.

I: Are you ok to share the field with other players who are not Xvarts in future games, Graston?

G: Yes.
HG: The team is diverse, but homogenous. They are all getting along great.

I: How long are you playing Lacrosse now, Graston?

G (counts with his fingers): Long.
HG: The team is now 3 years old, but they are playing games like Lacrosse now for decades now, since it was shown to them by traders from the south.

I: I know that in Kriegiersien you play without protection, do you have extra one here in the tournament?

G (beats on his chest): Bra.
HG: Errm. Yeah, he uses a Bra to … protect his chest. That is his own thing, the most others don’t have any further protection. Some have helmets, but that is as far as it goes.

I: I heard you are living in a small village, do you prefer the life in the wild to the big cities?

G: Yes, big cities too big. Too loud and too many people.
HG: They prefer the calm, relaxed life in the nature.
G: And hunting dangerous beasts.
HG: And that.
G: And rebuilding village after earthquakes, flooding or when burnings.

I: If you would win the title, there would be a tremendous sum of money for every player. What would you do with your share?

G (thinks a bit): Buy second house.

I: Oh, a second one? For what?

G: To run around clothed in it. And maybe with warmmaker (he makes some signs to Harry).
HG: I think he means heating.

I: Then I wish you good luck in the next matches. Thanks for talking with me.
G (waving): Bye.
HG: Thank you.