World Cup 87 - RP Thread

by **Audioslavia** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 12:53 pm

(a few weeks too late... or perhaps really very many weeks too early)

Original Script
Hi, and welcome back to The Idiot Project. Jeremy originally booked me to narrate Episode 3 Chapter 3 - the one about Alan Belmore - but then he decided he wanted to do that one himself. I forgive him. After all, it is Christmas.

We all love NS Sport because it lets us take a break from the real world. So let’s do that in the form of a story about police brutality, a number of frivolous law-suits, and a guy who wanted to eat a bat. Welcome, everyone, to Christmas 2003.

The characters in this story include the beloved Runaway Moose and Snub Nose 38, whose relationship we’ve touched on before. Much-missed nations like Rejistania and New Montreal States are here, as are a number of names best left in the past. Kingsford. Oglethorpia. Audioslavia. With regards to the latter, the nation of Gilmeecia, once a puppet of Lemmitania, now somewhere within Audioslavia, is going to play a minor part in proceedings.

But this weird story begins, as many weird stories do, with Alan Belmore.

Belmorian journalists were noted for their flexible attitude to spelling and grammar. They weren’t any more or less literate than those of any other nation, but the nation’s modest success over the years was a source of jealousy for some. Here during the qualifiers for World Cup 10, the nation of Kingsford took exception to a misspelling of the word ‘lose’.

Kingsford - backed by the International Grammar Police - decided to arrest every person named ‘Alan Belmore’ and take them, by ship, to Gilmeecia. Gilmeecia was a puppet-nation of Lemmitania that famously contained a hellmouth that ate people. Both Gilmeecia and Lemmitania are now situated somewhere in Audioslavia.

The Belmore Family laughed off the Kingsforder threat. The international community had different ideas.

Oglethorpia decided to show Solidarity with the Kingsforder cause, though confusingly they also said they’d show ‘Solidary’ and ‘Solidarty’. Good job the Grammar Police didn’t pick them up on that.

Soon enough, everyone was getting involved.

---

Now, if you’re the head of the International Grammar Police, here’s Rule Number One: You really have to make sure that every memo you write is written perfectly. If you don’t, it won’t be long until your rules are being used against you.

Also, if you’re pulling up the International Grammar Police for making spelling mistakes, you have to make sure you don’t make any silly mistakes yourself. Some idiot is going to send you a sarcastic memo.

What you end up with is a vicious cycle of accusations and excuses.

---

If you’re wondering… yes. All this did happen on the same day. December 10th 2003. You know how really old footage of football matches always has the players running slightly too fast in a weird comedic fashion? They tell you it’s because cameras were hand-operated, but that’s a lie. This speed is accurate. It’s just how fast they did shit back then.

Kingsford officially end the War on Errorism on December 11th, but if the early 2000s taught us anything it’s that wars aren’t over just because you stand on a big ship and say so.

Nevertheless, things quieten down, and most teams return their attention to the qualifying tournament for World Cup 10. The qualifiers were still in progress. Which makes Aquilla’s claim to have qualified for ‘every cup since World Cup 9’ a little perplexing.

By December 15th, the qualifiers are almost at an end. Relations between The Belmore Family and Kingsford are still tense, but it does appear that the War on Errorism is finally over. The Alans have apparently been taken care of. Aquilla helpfully informs us that they hadn’t also murdered all of the ians. Thanks Aquilla.

Tanah Burung are certainly of the opinion that the War on Errorism is over. Here, they’re referring to the events in the past tense. Optimistic.

Little do they know, one nation is about to involve Tanah Burung in a flagrant re-escalation of the War on Errorism. It’s an RP that deserves a dramatic reading.

--

The Belmorians take this development... surprisingly well. Aquila, however, are in no mood to play nice. The Belmore Family’s request is answered the next day. The answer is just two words long.

“Too bat.”

The Belmore Family deal with this pretty well, but things… re-escalate.

Here, Zack Williams wonders how a bat might taste.

Don’t try it, Zack. Trust us.

In any case. Zack Williams has just hoisted himself by his own petard.

As Christmas approaches, the belligerents of the War on Errorism begin to wonder what on earth it is they’re doing. Christmas Day 2003 heralds an armistice, with pardons for all who have fallen foul of the International Grammar Police. It is the first ever Christmas enjoyed by the NS Sports community, and it’s celebrated in a fittingly wholesome manner. By everyone.

Well. Almost everyone.

Even on Christmas Day, Aquilla isn’t done.

Aquilla’s re-escalation of the war will last right until the end of World Cup 10. Even in 2003, NS Sport were experts at running a joke well and truly into the ground.

The story of World Cup 10 can’t be told without referencing the International Grammar Police’s waging of the War on Errorism. Like all good wars, this one has a number of belligerents - with belligerent being the operative word - and like all good wars, Christmas Day is armistice day.

From here in 2020, and from everyone involved with the Idiot Project - Merry Christmas, everyone.

Notes/Trivia

Scriptwriting started in early November and finished in late November. Tae turned the vocals around in record time. The watch-along for this video happened on December 20th.
The first bit is true. I originally got Tae to do Episode 3, Chapter 3, but even after receiving his vocal track I decided to do it myself. I wanted the right tone and I’d just figured out a way to improve the audio quality of my vocals (pun unintended) - something that had been a problem with previous attempts.
It’s a very text-heavy video that doesn’t have many other kinds of visuals. As such, I thought it best to keep the vocals to a minimum. Of all the TIP videos, this is one that probably works better in text form. The RP version of a meeting that should have been an email.
’Early RPing was shit’ is definitely a TIP trope at this point.
With regards to the dramatic reading part, I was going for a mixture of late 90s low-budget Japanese zombie game voiceover, 90s ‘in a worrrrrld’ movie trailers and David Hayter’s Solid Snake. The vocal filename is ‘Solid Jaffacake’.
The original version of the ‘Solid Jaffacake’ section had Audio doing a falsetto voice for Alan Belmore. The original version, before Mriin stepped in and with a couple of different takes here and there, is here
The idea of getting the actual David Hayter to do a section was mooted by Mriin. I could probably afford a minute of dialogue but… yeah that’s definitely too much effort.
The very first shot, with the zoom in to the earth, is taken directly from the very first shot of Episode 5, Chapter 3, Logic I

by **Havynwilde** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 1:07 pm

Havynwilde v. Acronius - destiny awaits

Havynwilde 3-2 Flavovespia
31' - Sears, 64' - George, 78' - Sears @Uvenstadion Superparc
Nicholson; Hopkins, Stewart, Jones, DEJesus; Vaughen, Pennington, Cox, George; Sears, Tarantinó

by **Quemorr Isles** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 1:26 pm

ESPORTIVAN REGIONAL QUALIFERS - MATCHDAYS 5&6

Group A

Matchday 5
Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom 0–3 Damukuni
Filindostan 0–0 Sylestone
Riena 1–2 Newmanistan
Vangaziland 1–0 Bongo Johnson
South Covello 4–0 Hampton Island

Matchday 6
Damukuni 0–1 Hampton Island
Bongo Johnson 0–1 South Covello
Newmanistan 2–0 Vangaziland
Sylestone 1–1 Riena
Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom 1–2 Filindostan

Group A                       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Newmanistan                     6    4   1   1    13    8   +5    13
 2 Damukuni                        6    3   2   1    12    7   +5    11
 3 South Covello                   6    3   2   1     9    5   +4    11
 4 Hampton Island                  6    3   1   2     4    6   −2    10
 5 Sylestone                       6    2   2   2    13   10   +3     8
 6 Filindostan                     6    2   2   2     7    7    0     8
 7 Riena                           6    2   2   2     4    4    0     8
 8 Vangaziland                     6    2   2   2     3    4   −1     8
 9 Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom       6    2   0   4     8    9   −1     6
10 Bongo Johnson                   6    0   0   6     1   14  −13     0

Group B

Matchday 5
Vdara 4–0 Tumbra
The Grearish Union 1–2 Ancherion
Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison 0–1 Natanians and Nosts
South Newlandia 3–2 Xanneria
Lisander 2–4 Brenecia

Matchday 6
Tumbra 3–8 Brenecia
Xanneria 0–2 Lisander
Natanians and Nosts 1–1 South Newlandia
Ancherion 3–1 Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison
Vdara 3–2 The Grearish Union

Group B                            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Ancherion                            6    6   0   0    10    3   +7    18
 2 Brenecia                             6    5   0   1    20   10  +10    15
 3 Lisander                             6    4   1   1    10    6   +4    13
 4 Vdara                                6    4   0   2    14    8   +6    12
 5 South Newlandia                      6    3   1   2     7    7    0    10
 6 Xanneria                             6    3   0   3    17   15   +2     9
 7 Natanians and Nosts                  6    2   2   2     9    9    0     8
 8 The Grearish Union                   6    0   2   4    12   18   −6     2
 9 Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison       6    0   0   6     6   15   −9     0
10 Tumbra                               6    0   0   6     5   19  −14     0

Game of the Week
There were some good games this week, but it really is hard to go past Brenecia's 8-3 win away from home in Tumbra. It simply rained goals - there's no other way to describe it. Imagine how it must feel to score three goals, but let through eight others into your net! This one is in contention for the game of the cycle, surely.

Upset of the Week
A few minor upsets in here, including Lisander's 2-0 win in Xanneria, but the winner this week is Pot 8 side Damukuni's 3-0 win away from home in Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom. The result means that they are in second spot on the Group A table, with only Pot 1 side Newmanistan ahead of them.

Surprise Tabletoppers
This one deserves a mention. At the top of Group B, you can find a side known as Ancherion from Pot 5. Yes, from Pot 5. But what's even more shocking is that they have a perfect 6-0-0 win rate thus far. I know, impressive...

by **Frestovenia** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 1:48 pm

Frestovenia 1 - 2 Kelssek
@Asvard Stadium, Asvard

Goals: Artvikker 11' Lapierre 35' Custworth 78' (pen.)
Cards: X Lapierre 15' X Bogdanor 76' X Norvatse 90+3'

The first match on this match day was a match against Kelssek at home in the Asvard Stadium. The match started with a balanced image in the very first minutes of the match. You could count all chances of both teams on one hand. After 10 minutes and a bit, the Frestovenian side finally showed themselves in the penalty area of Kelssek. A beautiful long distance shot by captain Olaf Artvikker flew in the top left corner of the goal. Goalkeeper Kai Poirier had no chance. He did touches the ball with his finger tops, but it was not enough to prevent the goal. After the early Frestovenian lead, the team of Kelssek showed themselves more and more. A number of balls just flew past the Frestovenian goal and one shot almost found the net. Kelssek made the equalizer in the 35th minute with a goal by Lapierre. 1-1 was the half time score. The second half started with more pressure from the side of Kelssek. The Frestovenian team had to settle down on their own half of the field. Kelssek kept possession for most of the time and had many chances to come 2-1 up. A penalty in the 78th minute assured the victory for the visitors. Brayden Custworth took the penalty and did not miss. For a very long time the match seemed to turn out into a tie between the two teams, but in the end it was the team of Kelssek that won and because of this win they fullfiled the expectations. 1-2 was the final result as the referee blows his whistle.

Squidroidia 3 - 1 Frestovenia
@Inkopolis City Stadium, Inkopolis

Goals: Shihei 55' Toshikuni 58' Hideo 81' (pen.) Gajetser 82'
Cards: None

After a 2-1 loss at home ground against Kelssek, it was time for recovery. Opponent is Squidroidia at the Inkopolis City Stadium in Inkopolis. A very bad first half for both teams was the result after 45 minutes. The Squidroidian team got close twice in the first twenty minutes of this match. One shot hit the crossbar and one brilliant effort got stopped by Frestovenian goalkeeper Ormut. Frestovenia on the other hand did show up in the box of the opponent, but it never came close to a chance. Statistically: five against zero shots. The big opening of this match still had to come. 55 minutes had been played and Shihei from Squidroidia finally opened the score. He lofted the ball over the goalkeeper, the keeper was surprised by his effort and had no chance to stop the ball. Only three minutes later, Squidroidia scored another goal. This time the goalscorer was midfielder Yoneda Toshikuni. Score: 2-0 in favor of the home team. Frestovenian striker Olaf Artvikker top scorer on their side was close to score a goal, but his effort went centimeters over the goal. Squidroidia took the match and the three points as they were given a penalty in the latest stages of this match. Striker Hideo utilized his penalty and made it 3-0. Frestovenia came back 35 seconds later after the penalty of Squidroidia (3-1). The difference in strength was clear on the field. Squidroidia was the better team, although it didn't seem like it in the first half. The team of Frestovenia must bow his head and have to flight back home without taking any points.

Frestovenia is now in 7th position and has 6 points after five matches. Valanora holds the first place in group 11 and is unbeaten in its last five qualifying matches. Kelssek and Darmen follows them with 12 points. Icecliff (lost 8-2 to Frestovenia) is in last place with zero points and has a negative goal difference of 14 goals. The next matches will be against Wreckeria (home) and Darmen (away). Follow all the action live on Fresto Sports 1 and 2.

X Frestovenia 2 - 0 Tornado Queendom
X Frestovenia 8 - 2 Icecliff
X Barunia 6 - 3 Frestovenia
X Frestovenia 1 - 2 Kelssek
X Squidroidia 3 - 1 Frestovenia
X Frestovenia v Wreckeria
X Darmen v Frestovenia
X Frestovenia v Jabal Akhdar
X Valanora v Frestovenia
X Tornado Queendom v Frestovenia
X Icecliff v Frestovenia
X Frestovenia v Barunia
X Kelssek v Frestovenia
X Frestovenia v Squidroidia
X Wreckeria v Frestovenia
X Frestovenia v Darmen
X Jabal Akhdar v Frestovenia
X Frestovenia v Valanora
UPCOMING MATCHES

Frestovenia v Wreckeria
@Asvard Stadium, Asvard

Darmen v Frestovenia
@Warren Park, Chuckio

by **Thibaea** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 2:18 pm

Thibaean Sports Channel
Providing you the nation's best coverage of the 87th World Cup qualification campaign

Warlocks Stumble, lose winning streak after Saltstead match

Written By: Vincent Merin, Senior Football Correspondent (TSC)
The Republic's Best Broadcaster, Click Here to Learn More

VANGAZILAND - Here we are my friends, now just one match away from when our Warlocks get to take on the reigning world champions in Banija, whom also led the group with an undefeated record so far; we were matching them in that regard, until last night when the Warlocks faltered and fell to Salstead 1 nil, their first loss in this World Cup campaign - a game wrought with fatigue and ill form, but we were going to lose at some point, and they certainly pitched one heck of a come back

The Saltstead match certainly had a tremendous amount of hype around it; our fifth match, coming off four straight victories that began with the upset of NLA 4-2 on our first match, and also included solid victories against Stevidia, Melbergia and The Belacian States. Through those four matches, the Warlocks had played positively brilliantly, managing to maintain a group second-best offense with 12 goals scored, 3 against, and a remarkable small amount of just 4 yellow cards in as many matches. Leading the contribution on the team, without a doubt, would have to be winger Henry Chevalier whom is currently leading the team in goals scored (6), and is just behind fellow winger Zuriñe Iturburua in assists with 5. That last category, assists, is truly a hallmark of Maurice Bonhomme's vision for this team, he has mentioned repeatedly that the team needs to work together as a cohesive unit that each part can rely upon, and it shows - all but 3 of the Warlock's goals so far have come with assists awarded; however, Bonhomme has also been unusually stingy with rotating players in the first five matches, with the match against Saltstead being the first one in which more than half of the regular starters were not selected, and it may have contributed to the defeat as many of the non-regulars looked very out of form, particularly Arthur Sidonie and keeper Dorian Fay. Both of them, as well as Gérald Favreau and Jamet Demaret were selected to start last night; Favreau looked out of synch in the backfield with Leclair and Martin, and Demaret lost possession of the ball more times then he kept it. They did manage to rally in the second half and mustered a number of good offensive pushes, but they poorly executed on a couple of set pieces, notably a badly missed header around '65 by Sidonie and then a free kick by Delafosse that went way wide of the net.

Moving forward, tonight the Warlocks will face off against Vangaziland, and Maurice Bonhomme will have another crucial decision to make; after dropping 3 points to Saltstead, does he use all of his main weapons this evening in the hopes to gaining some points back before the even more uphill match in a few days against Banija, or does he rest more of the starters such as captain Noel Blanc, and then bring them back in for the game against Banija? It's mutually agreed by both critics, fans and analysts across the Republic that is very easy to take the pessimistic view that the reigning world champion will mop the floor with the Warlocks, but they've performed exceptionally well in their group so far, and I don't think it's completely out of the realms of possibility that the Warlocks bring home points in not just one of these matches, but both. In fact, I dare say it would be crucial as there are just four matches left before the midway break, and if the team is serious about sending a message and setting the right tone, taking points home in all remaining matches before the break, particularly against Banija, would send one heck of a message.

Critical performers that need to step it up, undoubtedly, the first is Roselyne Delafosse - maybe it's weariness carried over from leading Peyrelade for so long in the domestic season, but she's been a shade of her past self recently on the field, only racking up 2 goals, and both of those were in the first two matches this campaign. Bonhomme has tried in recent times to switch things up by moving Chevalier over to her striker position and then swapping her out for Poirier, but if it hasn't always worked out the best (Poirier has yet to contribute outside of a single assist, and 2 of the team's 4 yellow cards), so I would say if Delafosse's rut continues, Bonhomme may be forced to bring out Yvon Judicaël - she has been much hyped throughout the nation for the last four years thanks to her unusually large size and obvious natural talent on the field, particularly her speed and agility, but she transferred abroad to Tikariot last season and spent much of it injured, only playing very sparingly and scoring a meager brace throughout the whole year. She's performed well in the two substitutions she's been brought in on, but I would say she's the team's best breakout candidate, almost assuredly looking to prove a point and retain some of that old hype.

by **Valanora** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 2:43 pm

No one wants to talk about it, but this was a Marauders team that was likely playing its last tournament for the majority of its best players, with six of the starting eleven (seven if you include Hawk) over the age of thirty by the end of the tournament, with another five on the bench. The team was an old team by footballing standards and the scary part that outside of Söderström and Ludwig, very few of the young players who were in the national pool were getting the game time to develop their skills to be adequately prepared to take over for the veterans in two years time. The biggest question mark comes at the striker position, where outside of the superstar wonderkid that Lothas Ludwig has become, there are very few obvious options as to who will be in the team in two years times. Elias Hammer came out of nowhere to have a good season for Club Valanora in the Premiership, but one has to wonder if it was a single good season form or signs that the striker was something of a late bloomer and can now help lead the Warriors to Premiership safety and securing his own place in the nation team.

Another mounting concern is that the defenders that are currently part of the national team pool all more or less had mediocre to poor seasons domestically last season, something that has been seen to having an influence with the Marauders, not being able to keep clean sheets at quite the same tick that one would expect from a side that has been as dominant as the Marauders have been from this opening five matches. While the Marauders have never been known for having an amazing defense, they have definitely had their fair share of excellent defenders through the ages, none more so than Dwier Titenberg Jr from the early years of the Marauders. It is quite distressing to see that the players who are supposed to be the elite of the Marauders pool of defenders or even the good ones are collectively seemingly having rather poor periods in their careers. It is not as if the next generation is like to change that fact either, with only a handful of Vanorians abroad even play somewhere in defense and fewer still are playing at the caliber of play one would desire for selection to the national team. While there is some promise from the domestic clubs, the defense looks to be in quite a sour spot for the upcoming years barring some unexpected development.

If there is a bright spot for the Marauders and the natural churn of players for the national team, it is indeed in the midfield, where there seems to be a huge plethora of options for Didrik Gjedrem to have to consider not only for the next World Cup, but on who gets to be on the plane should the Marauders qualify for the Finals, as they are expected to. This includes a player off the current bench, Miriam Troegner, as she presents quite the conundrum for both manager and opposition, able to play on either wing and talented with both feet, she is a very good utility player through and through. She is also part of a group of fringe players for the national team that saw themselves switch their clubs, as she was poached by what might be the biggest club in Brenecia, depending upon who you ask, as Kingsgrove came knocking. New club comes new opportunities and responsibilities, with Kingsgrove expected to be in the IFCF every season, if Miriam is to make the step up in the next cycle or two to being a starter, she will need to show that she can handle the pressure at the club level first. Brenecia is no easy place to play, much like Eura, Nephara, and Audioslavia, and any player who can make it out of the A-league unscathed has the fortitude about them to be a starter for their national team.

Included in that group of players that have seen their clubs and fortunes change over the summer are Claudia Makatsch, Heike Schoß, and Gideon Riemann, making the midfield hopefuls look quite promising. For Gideon, it was a move that seemed inevitable, as the Valladares clubs kept trying to grab his signature and he finally relented, moving to AS Bezieres. It is a move that looks to be paying initial dividends, as of the publishing of this blog, the Valladares club has managed to defy expectations and make it into the group stage of the IFCF Champions' League. It is moves like that that give both players and fans hope, with the young players being tested week in and week out at the highest levels of competition. It brings out the best of the best and shows you if players really are not as good as advertised or had been hoped to be, which it looks like Riemann is what has been expected. Also making it into the Champions' League is Gudrun Bißmeier, playing just northwest of the Empire in Equestria's United League, with Crystal Fair HC having made it into the group stages as well.

With that in mind, it is clear that this Marauders squad is built for the need to win now. While you try to win every single tournament that you enter, you know that the odds of everything going completely your way is not high, especially if you are coming in with players who may not be at the most elite levels or in the wrong parts of their careers. One need merely look at the WCC rankings to see the stratification of the players; of those who hold dominance, who then have a chance of making a deep run, and those who are on the outside of the groups, and then everyone else trying to fight for the qualification and will be happy to make it to the Finals. Fortunately for the Marauders, they are among the second of the group, with a talented group of players in their roster who are mostly in their prime and playing at the elite level, yet for as good as the Marauders might be, there is no denying that the current dominant teams of the sport are Nephara and Banija. The former is stacked with a laundry list of players playing both home and abroad that they could field a second or even third team and it be in contention to qualify, while the latter has a whole host of players who are physically gifted and have good enough technical prowess to have that cut above their peers, as evidenced by their World Cup win last edition. It is a mountain to climb, starting here at the base with the rough wall of qualifiers, yet this team has been assembled to do it now and now is when they must make the ascent if they wish to add a sixth star to the crown.

by **Squornshelous** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 2:59 pm

Coincidence, Part 4
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Andreas Jalkanen ducked under a low concrete beam as he followed his guide down an alleyway that was more and more like a tunnel as they progressed. Straightening on the other side, he brushed errant locks of brown hair back out of his face before continuing on after the woman leading him. There was little about her to suggest she was involved in plotting a revolution against the Imperial government. The pastel pink color of her hair might draw stares in some neighborhoods, but was hardly unusual for Santraginus street fashion, particularly in the port district. She wore it long, but pulled back into a tight bun, much tamer than some styles he'd seen. Her studded leather jacket and pants were also about par for the course around the port and industrial districts. All in all, there was little to make her stand out from any crowd, which he supposed was ideal.

He'd first been introduced to her as Alexandra Kozlov, but she'd quickly insisted he simply call her Shura. After long months of trying to make contact, she was the first genuine NewCon member he'd met. That had been several weeks ago. He didn't know what kind of digging they'd done on him, but apparently he'd passed their tests. Tonight, he was finally going to meet the rest of Shura's cell, and join it himself. It had taken nearly two years of effort to get this far, and his every nerve was jangling with anticipation.

"What, are you still thinking about the match? It's over, chalk up a loss for the glorious Imperium. Now quit daydreaming and keep up."

Shura's brisk walk had opened up more distance than he'd realized, and he quickened his own pace to catch back up.

"Sorry."

"Don't sweat it, we just don't want to waste time through here. Not really any way out if something goes wrong."

"Do you think anything will?" Not for the first time that night, the staggering illegality of what he was about to do impressed itself on his mind.

"Nah, but still, it's a good habit to plan for the worst. You'll see," Shura tossed him a friendly grin and quickened her pace again, long legs eating up the distance. "Let me know if you need a rest," she teased.

Andreas's face was halfway between grin and grimace as he lengthened his own stride to match hers. Following the tunnel along, they finally reached a T-junction with another claustrophobic alley joining from the right, and a much dented steel door opposite it. Shura pulled a keycard from her back pocket and slid it through a card reader that was clearly much newer than the door itself. A loud clack sounded, and she quickly pushed the door inward with a groan of neglected hinges. Fluorescent lighting flickered once, twice, then stayed lit, buzzing weakly overheard. Shura swung the door shut behind him, and the bolt clacked again.

"Hope you don't mind stairs, lots of up and down from here."

"I've had some joint work done. I think I'll be fine."

"Ooh, bio or cyber?"

"Simple cybernetics. No money for biotech."

"Ha, same here. That's life I guess. C'mon."

From there, he followed her through a bewildering series of hallways and stairwells, first down then up, left then right, until he'd completely lost track of whether they were above or below ground, or even what direction they were facing. Finally, she stopped in front of a door indistinguishable from any other they'd passed, tapped a brief rhythm on it, then swiped a second keycard. The door slid aside smoothly, and they stepped through into a large room.

The two people waiting in the room could hardly have been more different from one another. Andreas's eyes went first to the woman. She must have been close to seven feet tall, if not taller, and was muscled like a gridiron player. Her physique was made all the more apparent by the sleeveless undershirt and skintight pants she wore. Her reddish-blond hair was cut short and swept to the side, and blocky features gave her a face to match the rest of her. A broad smile split it though, and her eyes lit up as they entered.

"Shura! So this is your Andreas then."

"This is him, Kij. Andreas, Kijsa Naess, the muscle of this operation."

"Pleased to meet you Kijsa."

"Kij is fine," her hand envoloped his shoulder in greeting, "have you chosen a name for him yet Shura?"

"I was thinking about 'Slowpoke' from the time it took us to get here, but I'll give him a chance to earn something better."

Kij's laughter filled the room.

"Shura, I want you to get some rest. I'm sending you out to cover the others on their way back in a few hours." The man, overlooked in Andreas's distraction with the giant woman, had now stepped forward. He was small, with a shaved head and dark goatee and piercing brown eyes. He turned to Andreas, "Good to have you with us, Andreas. I'm Viktor Almstedt, in charge of this cell. You can call me Vik if you like, most of the rest do, it makes no difference to me."

"Good to meet you Viktor. I'm glad to finally be here."

"This is our main safehouse. Half the cell is out at the moment, but they'll be back by morning. I'll have Fixer give you a more thorough briefing once he's back and has had a chance to rest. For now, though, this is the main floor, planning and common room. Mine and Fingers' rooms are down that hallway, everyone else is on the lower level. There aren't enough rooms for everyone to have their own, so you'll be in with Zlad, first on the left. Shura and Kij are across the hall, and Fixer will be next door to you. The other rooms downstairs are storage, leave them alone for now please."

"Whatever you say. Anything I should be doing for right now?"

"Sucking up already new guy?" Shura punched him lightly in the shoulder. "You won't get you own room that way. Trust me, I tried."

Vik coolly glanced at Shura before replying, "For now get some rest as well. I have a few ideas for how you'll fit into our operations, but I need to talk with Fixer and Fingers first. Get to know the rest of the team and I'll let you know when I have something for you."

"C'mon Fingers has it rigged so we can stream foreign broadcasts. Siovanija and Teusland are defending the Lineal Belt at home tonight."

"The lineal what?"

. . . . .

New Log Entry

Entered primary safehouse for NewCon cell. Made contact with two additional operatives, including cell leader. Images and details attached for cross-reference. Remainder of cell to arrive shortly. Objectives remain: collect intelligence on NewCon plans and objectives, report all findings to Ministry of Security at earliest opportunity.

Andreas filed away a literal mental note. He wasn't yet certain what type of security and surveillance equipment this cell possessed, so he didn't dare activate his cerebral implant's data link to the Ministry yet. This operation had taken an incredible amount of time and resources to set up. Only a handful of MinSec operatives had ever gotten as far as he now had, and he was determined to make the most of the opportunity. No, the right thing now was to bide his time, play along, and learn everything he could.

This revolt will be stopped, and I will be the one to stop it.

by **Oberour Ar Moro** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:11 pm

Oberour Ar Moro, and Oberours in general, was not unique in the fear of the number of thirteen. Nations throughout the multiverse have buildings without thirteenth floors, and beliefs in the bad luck of Friday the 13th. But few nations took the fear of 13 from folk belief to government policy.

For example, Oberour Ar Moro was ultimately a nation run by committees. The committees varied in size, from a handful of members to scores of Oberours. There was no official policy, but in reviewing rosters of committees, you could not find a committee with exactly 13 members. This is not surprising, but what may be surprising is that there are no committees with 14 members, or 15 members, and rarely with 16. It appeared that the fear of having a committee meeting with 13 members was enough to grow the memberships so the likelihood of a committee meeting with 13 members was almost impossible.

One place where triskaidekaphobia was made official regime policy was in Oberour football. When the Football Management Committee (FMC) synchronized numbers across all Oberour football, the number 13 was officially forbidden to use. Team rosters would go from number 12, the second goalkeeper, to 14, the second left back. This policy has effects long after the fall of Oberour Ar Moro. Even after the fall of the regime the number 13 is only used by the most free spirited players.

Another place this was noticed was after Oberour Ar Moro was placed in Group 13 for qualifying in World Cup 86 and 87. During World Cup 85, Oberour media referred to qualifying groups the way the World Cup committee did: Group 1, Group 2, Group 3, and so on. However, During World Cups 86 and 87, the groups were referred to internally as Group A, Group B, Group C, and so on. So during World Cup 87, when Oberour Ar Moro drew with Vangaziland at the Parade Grounds, then defeated winless Stevidia on the road, Antenne Sports stories were about how the Dragoons were sitting in sixth place in Group M.

This triskaidekaphobia was reflected amongst Oberour management and players as well. Matthieu Augier, national team manager during World Cup 86 qualification, would later blame the bad luck of being in Group 13 for the team's poor results. Ancus Javert, a right winger in the Dragoon player pool, publicly complained about being assigned the number 31, being a reversed 13. He in fact blamed a missed header on a nearly-open goal Vangaziland on his number.

Exerpt from "Triskaidekaphobia and the Oberour Ar Moro Regime" by Alanette de iij Moulins, from The Journal of Oberour Studies

by **Graintfjall** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:30 pm

The front page of græpædia, the online encyclopedia about all things Græntfjall, before MD6.

From today’s featured article
The Florus Stadion is a football arena in Altendalur, Græntfjall. The home ground of Altendalur football club, it has also hosted international matches during the 36th Copa Rushmori. Although it is not routinely used as a home ground for the Græntfjaller national team, it has been proposed as an alternate venue in the case of intensification of recent protests, beginning in Laafjörður, which have begun to spread to Háttmark. The stadium is named for insurance giant Florus, the main sponsors of Altendalur. It is noted for its distinctive black-and-white chequered seating pattern, reflecting the “Chessmen” nickname of the Altendalur team, and for the immense whale spine over the main entrance gate, reflecting the traditional whaling industry of the port city.
Recently featured: Gunzlach’s record in international club competitions · GK Nykk · Græntfjaller raven

In the news
The Græntfjaller Food Programme launches a famine relief effort in North West Bikere.
The GANAX probe Dawn’s Child detects water vapor molecules consistent with extraterrestrial kraken activity on the trans-Neptunian object Freÿrsberg.
Centrist candidate Skeggi Jörvason succeeds Anika Sigurbergursdóttir as leader of the Catholic Democrats.
Violent protests erupt over alleged irregularities in the presidential elections in United Squastan.
In golf, Hjörtfríður Hymisdóttir defeats Krumma Vormsdóttir in a playoff to win the Græntfjall Mistresses tournament.
Ongoing: 15th Winter Olympics · Laafjörður protests
Recent deaths: Uxi Embreksson

DID U NO…
… that Days of Thunder is a concept album by symphonic metal band Ssiisstteerrss, inspired by nomadic Kamdyr unicorn herders?
… that Operation Is That A SAM Launcher In Your Pocket Or Are You Just Pleased To See Me? was a covert Græntfjaller Intelligence Bureau mission to supply rebels in Jabal Akhdar with strategic arms?
… that Abdul Mus’ab, chief imam of the Háttmark Central Mosque, has a fleet of antique cars?
… that the Ashford Sparkling Cranberries briefly played in the minor leagues of the Hannasean Baseball League but folded before anyone could ask what their name meant?
… that Princess Jessika of Græntfjall has attended several climate change action protests?
… that the epic Græntfjaller poem Jónbjörnissaga has inspired numerous films, from the award-winning historical romance A Place and Time to the straight-to-video ‘B’ schlock classic Psycho Nuns VII?
… that Justice Minister Hlíf Karrisdóttir is an accomplished shred guitarist?
… that Theresa Arnórsdóttir and Heiða Hjörleifsdóttir were sister-wives who performed together as leading sopranos on the Græntfjaller operatic circuit in the 1920s?

On this day
Defense of the Faith Day (Græntfjaller Catholicsm)
1757 – The first issue of The Háttmark Harbinger, Græntfjall’s oldest continually operated newspaper, was published.
1912 – 37 striking workers were shot dead by Dragoons as the Græntfjaller Royal Family’s role in public life grew ever more unpopular.
1965 – Hundreds were killed when torrential rains led to a landslide in Montaña Verde’s Aloricho province.
1966 – A stampede during a pilgrimage n North West Bikere left an estimated 417 dead.
1967 – A massive earthquake and tsunami struck Græntfjaller Multinesia with the loss of an estimated 17,000 lives.
1968 – My granny’s 50th birthday. Not especially historically notable but it’s nice to write about something, anything, that isn’t all death and destruction.

Today’s featured list
There have been sixteen managers of the Molding football team. Despite being one of the oldest football teams in Græntfjall, Molding have had fewer managers than any of the ‘Big Four’ Háttmark sides, thanks in large part to the 48-year tenure of Viktor Valentinsson, who led the team to multiple league and cup titles in a reign that spanned almost half the 20th century. The professionalization of football and absorption of the club leagues into the Græntfjaller Premier League have led to much increased turnover in managers, with six of the sixteen managers having led the team in the last twenty years. Molding became the first Græntfjaller team to hire a foreign manager when they made Chromatik Xander Augustine the most recent person to hold the head coach role. Augustine has led Molding to renewed success in his two seasons in charge, earning berths in the IFCF’s Challengers Cup in each season.
Recently featured: Butterflies of Græntfjall · Glaciers in the Græntfjaller Antarctic Dependency · Members of the Thing for Hofvinger Sub-North

Today’s featured picture
The Unwary Bathers is an oil-on-canvas painting by Græntfjaller artist Bernhardus Manuelsson, produced in the 1880s. Originally painted in the neoclassical style then dominant in Græntfjaller art, Manuelsson reworked the painting several times to introduce impressionistic elements, most notably in the water texture. Manuelsson was the first major Græntfjaller artist to embrace impressionism. The painting depicts a scene from Græntfjaller folk mythology in which several of the Maids of Mýr fail to notice the tentacles of a river kraken encircling them as they bath and engage in idle chatter. First debuted to mixed reception in 1891, The Unwary Bathers was reevaluated by noted critic Hersveinn Ketilbjörnsson in his seminal work The Depiction of Krakens In The Age of Mechanical Reproduction, and has come to be seen as an important step in the then-backwards Græntfjaller artistic community’s adoption of more modern artistic tendencies.
Recently featured: Geirbjörg Kristþórsdóttir (Sveinarsson portrait) · Octarine-tongued petrel · Sigursteina Jónbjörnsdóttir (saxophonist)

Unrelated meme:

by **Chromatika** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:37 pm

Matchay 4: Mavinet 2-4 Chromatika
MVN: Thanh Hai '13, '50; CMT: Gainsbourg '24, Hauser '41, Fillar, B. '72, Toussaint '81
Starting XI: Fillar, J.; De Saint-Pierre - Rondeau - Baugh - Austic; Marc - Dias (C) - Reynolds; Hauser; Gainsbourg - Thibodeaux.
Substitutes: Odling -> Baugh ('47), Fillar, B. -> Hauser ('68), Toussaint -> Thibodeaux ('74)
Matchday 5: Chromatika 3-0 Arklanda @ Z'ai'ai Field, Z'ai'ai, Mountain District
CMT: Reynolds '27, Thibodeaux '63, Hauser '80; ARK: None.
Starting XI: Fillar, J.; De Saint-Pierre - Rondeau - Baugh - Austic; Marc - Dias (C) - Reynolds; Hauser; Gainsbourg - Thibodeaux.
Substitutes: Kelly -> Marc ('56), Nocturne -> Austic ('68), Larriet-Cortes -> Dias ('83)

Now, that was more like it, mused Keira Andisori in the final minutes of a matter-of-fact blanking of Arklanda at Z'ai'ai Field.

It had been a rough start for the Anomalies in qualifying - the narrow loss to Drawkland was frustrating, and the one-goal loss to Devonta on the road was diabolical. They'd knocked on the door so many times and been denied each and every time. However, there had been enough people who had been there and done that, and any voices of dissent in the locker room had been squished before they could take root.

The result was an offensive showing against Eastfield Lodge where the Chromatiks scored an impressive seven goals. They'd come to play.

Despite Mavinet proving to be that pesky third seed that everybody thought they were - Thanh Hai will be a name to keep an eye on for a long time to come, one goal coming off a long through ball of a counter and the other off the rebound of a free kick - the Chromatiks had a balanced attack that saw two goals from attacking midfielders, one by Haley Hauser and the other by the youngster Baillaire Fillar. Then, Paskal Toussaint took over in the end for a nice 4-2 victory on the road against the third seeded teams.

After that, Juxon Fillar had just finished pitching the first shutout of the campaign by an Anomalies keeper. The Chromatik midfield made short work of the outmatched minnows, and the game was over before it began. With goals by Thibodeaux and Reynolds in the second half, Chromatika didn't let up, and pitched a complete game.

When she saw the starting lineups for the next two games, she nodded in acceptance. When she'd been asked to be a part of The Fifty for this qualifying cycle, she'd agreed under one condition: that she would never start. Landers and Valens were honoring that request by leaving her off the starting XI, giving the honor to Alicia Gainsbourg instead. Alicia, young and full of promise, deserved it. Keira was here to provide minutes off the bench and leadership from the sidelines as a living legend of Chromatik football, and she was okay with that.

Drawkland does have a six point lead on the Chromatiks, but the gap with Mavinet has been closed to just a point, and Mavinet has yet to play Drawkland. For now, it would be important to take care of all the games against the lower ranked squads while watching for the return legs of the games against Drawkland and Devonta. The trip to Drawkland would be rough, but there was always potential. The World Cup Qualifiers weren't a sprint, it was a marathon.

And she knew that better than most.

World Cup 87 Qualifiers, Part 4: The Search
For information regarding some characters referenced here, please refer to the RP series that happened in WC 84, referenced here.

To: The Hope
From: Keira Andisori
Subject: Celebrity Hauser

My dear friend and confident,

I hope things are well amongst The Enlightened - that people amongst your kind are becoming better at individualization and free thinking. We understand it's a hard process, and are here to help in any way, shape or form. All you need to do is visit.

The purpose of this letter is because of a missing person. She happens to be the younger sister of a teammate, and there is a possibility that she's been... associating with a member of your kind. She was last seen leaving her house, and her computer records show that she was communicating with someone called TheLight. This naming convention is a bit too much of a coincidence for me to pass up, leading to me writing this letter.

Now, she's been gone for four days here on our plane. I know time can flow differently depending on how things are aligned. Would you please do a check-in and see if she is indeed among The Enlightened? If she is, would you please send her home? I will do the rest after that.

If she isn't among you, I apologize for the inconvenience.

We in Chromatika are heading into another election cycle soon. It's hard to believe that not quite five years ago, huge truths were dropped both in Chromatika and among your kind. We cannot thank you enough for the work that you did during that time.

Send the rest my best, especially The Skilled. I hope life is treating him better.

Always yours,
Keira Andisori

Chromatik Team for WC Qualifying - Matchday 6 vs. ZSeparatists @ Z'ai'ai Field, Z'ai'ai, Mountain District and Matchday 7 @ Freechi
Projected Starting XI: Descombes; Watt - Odling - Ingram - Nocturne; Kelly (C) - Kim, M.S. - Reynolds; Hauser; Gainsbourg - Toussaint.
Reserves: Alexander; De Saint-Pierre, Ken, Baugh, Rowles; Humphreys, Larriet-Cortes, Croix-Pierre; Kim, M.J., Fillar, B.; Andisori, K., Sierra.

by **Sargossa** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:44 pm

It just took a casual look at the fixture list to generate a small shudder. Mytanija, again. The Copa Rushmori reversal was still fresh in the mind. As was the strength of this new generation of Mytanar footballer. They were two down in Soluca but they were far from out. Lev Repin, as skilled a tactician as you will find in the beautiful game at the moment, worked his magic. His side, ragged at times in the first half, roared back, scoring three and probably unlucky to be denied all the points. Soria’s strike did ensure the spoils were shared, a point Sargossa coach Brian McAllister admitted to being somewhat relieved by.

No marks Ibixa and Emastalia were then duly brushed aside ahead of the double header that cemented the nation’s tricky start to the campaign. Atlantian opponents were coming, and they were coming at the double. Not just any Atlantians either, these ones were a whole load of Bull. Twice World Champions (although probably more famous for their thirty seven defeats in World Cup finals), twice champions of their hallowed region and a record in international football that dates back to literal antiquity, Audioslavia are Group 8’s sporting celebrities. Counter attacking and no f***ing mistakes was the name of their game. Admittedly they made two f***ing mistakes (three or perhaps four if you count the coach’s footwear), both of which were happily gobbled up by Mateo Manzanares. But at the other end Koenraad Rijsbergan was causing chaos. The target man may be a little small for a trebuchet, he's perhaps more of an onagar kinda guy, but the 5’ 10 targetman can achieve some serious hang time. He knocked in a goal himself before teeing up one apiece for wingers Knudsen and Spijkers to ensure the Bulls duly went home to Atlantian Oceania with all three points.

And it was that direction in which Sargossa followed, for a showdown in Gold Coast with Northwest Kalactin. Two offense orientated teams representing two of the sportiverse’s three great sporting regions, the script was set for a couple of hours of thrills and indeed spills. The script was perhaps posted to the wrong venue. Maybe it was the heat. Maybe it was just one of those days. Whatever it was, a six figure crowd were treated to ninety something minutes of utter dreck. It was dire. So much so that substitute Joe Russell’s second half strike was less and decider and more a mercy kill.

by **Kandorith** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 4:26 pm

Shinonome Kyoai - International
News From The Empire

Disappointing result leads to leadership change debate?

Two hopeful evenings which should have led to two victories for the Kandorese team led to complete disappointment when the team drew against Sett Forest and a defeat against South Covello. The defeat against Covello has strengthened their grip on the group as they and Nephara are undefeated in the campaign so far. For the Kandorese it means they have a lot of catching up to do and the coming games are crucial. The coming games however are not very fortunate for the Lotus Warriors as they face Nephara and Indusse right after another, which requires the Kandorese team to be at full strength and at their best to win both games.

Emergency meeting at the KFA

The results of the last two matches and the overall disappointment of the team's performance has led to an emergency meeting of the Kandorese Football Association's board and the topic was at hand, Hayabusa's ability to turn the team around. From inside sources we have heard that Hayabusa's position is definitely at stake as the team is nowhere near the performance they should have been and to the performance compared in to the last World Cup qualifiers. Hayabusa of course is a hero in the eyes of Kandorese football fans, but his status as the legendary manager have not been present during the current qualification campaign. So far the Kandorese team has struggled to get a hold on every match and has drawn two matches already against smaller opponents and lost one of the most crucial matches where a draw should have been possible.

The two drawn matches could have been easily avoided too, but the team hasn't been the same ever since the opening match. From a footballing giant they are performing way below their average and ability. The question for Hayabusa was simple; does the Kandorese team deserve a spot in the World Cup?

"No" Hayabusa answered instantly. "We are letting our opponents getting passed us way to easily. We seem to be distracted, under performing and from time to time it seems we're playing a completely different sport. The team needs to turn around right now, else we will not even come close to qualifying. In all honesty, I think we do not even deserve the fourth spot we are in right now. We were over four points ahead of the teams right behind us and now we are actually fighting them for crucial points. Every point we should have gotten, we have dropped and simply wasted.

"We have to do better in the upcoming matches, which are against very difficult opponents and honestly if we fail to perform yet again I will be forced to indeed step down from my position. If the team does not manage to win games in a convincing way during the qualification, especially against some teams in the group, I have failed my job as a manager for the national team."

Hayabusa was visibly struck during and after the press conference and was not open to any further commentary or questions, his words were very clear though. Looking at the upcoming games, they could very well be the last games with Hayabusa as manager for the Kandorese national team.

Group 9                                 Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 South Covello                          5    5   0   0    15    3  +12    15
 2 Nephara                                5    5   0   0    14    5   +9    15
 3 Indusse                                5    4   0   1    14    9   +5    12
 4 Kandorith                              5    2   2   1     6    6    0     8
 5 Græntfjall                             5    2   1   2     6    4   +2     7
 6 Baggieland                             5    2   0   3     9    9    0     6
 7 Pluvia and the Saxean Isles            5    1   0   4    11   15   −4     3
 8 Garbelia                               5    1   0   4     7   16   −9     3
 9 Sett Forest                            5    0   2   3     6   13   −7     2
10 Quemorr Isles                          5    0   1   4     7   15   −8     1

by **Pasarga** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 4:28 pm

Five from five was a wonderous start to the campaign, it was exactly what the Wanderers needed to position themselves to be the dominant force from the get go, to avoid the struggle of having to play catch up to the rest of the group in the middle and latter part of the qualifying cycle. The Wanderers have made a habit of making it difficult on themselves, their close victories to the lower ranked sides in the first four matches of this very campaign is a testament to that fact. For whatever reason, even when the team is filled to the brim with players who on their own are individual maestros and elite level players who dominate their position or dominate the domestic scene, they can not seem to put together a thorough performance when in the national team shirt. At least until the match against U-Koro in the Stade de Torgos, where for the first time in quite some times that the Wanderers actually looked up to the quality of being a first seed, like they were in the pot thanks to the WCC rankings, maybe trying to shake off the title of being among the worst of the first seeds that the third and fourth seeds salivate at the prospect of getting the team as their first pot team at the draws like Krytenia's media suggested in the lead up to the draw.

It all seemed to work for the Wanderers in the last match, in the comforts of a packed Stade de Torgos, a fact of which should not go unnoticed by either the team or the media. Regardless of form or ranking, the fans and supporters of the national team never fail to come out in full force for the support of the national team in the nation's capital. A sea of green, red, and gold can always be seen packing out the seats of the Stade de Torgos when the Wanderers are playing, as ninety thousand plus put aside their difference for two hours and come together as one people with one heart and one purpose, to see on their nation's pride towards a result. There might be other stadiums that are more fancy or modern, fans that might have more unique cultures and customs, but there are few out there who are as loyal and as dedicated towards their team come fortune or famine than the fans that come out to back the Wanderers. It is no surprise at all then that the Stade de Torgos has become almost a fortress for the national team, being near unbeatable in their home stadium over the past cycle and a half, as those voices and support bring the Wanderers up and keep the opponents on edge.

Júlia Müller was quick out the gate, rounding her defender and putting one past the keeper just four minutes into the match, as she continues to be in a good run of form as she had a brace that included the game winning goal against Regmotto at the start of the international weekend, with Szalyk Földessy having grabbed the other goal in that rather tight affair away from the comfort of the Stade de Torgos. Oriel Villagómez Acuna got his first goal of the qualifying campaign when in the twenty-second minute he got onto the end of a clever cross from Erik Földessy and powered his header low and into the far corner where the keeper had no chance to make the save. Half an hour in and the Wanderers were comfortably up with the home support singing, it was exactly the sort of performance that Meriadoc Griffiths had been waiting for and made the half time team talk very easy. He urged the team to continue to press on and enjoy themselves and there was definitely some smiles on the faces of the team as they continued to dominate the play in the second half. Lazar Meier would finish off the scoring when he headed in a corner in the seventy-second minute, putting an exclamation mark on the Wanderers' victory and tidying up the scoreline to more accurately reflect the dominance the side had enjoyed.

The good form will be something that the Wanderers will be hoping to build upon as they have their most difficult game ahead of them, the first game in the upcoming international weekend as they travel to second seed and twenty-fifth ranked Hampton Island. This is something of a trap game though, as Hampton Island has had a massive struggle to the start of their campaign, only collecting seven of the fifteen possible points that have been on the table. Hampton Island seems to be trying to employ the Taeshan or Ko-oren methodoly to football, or for the historians of the game, the Rejistania System Karela with a very negative style that is meant to prevent their opponents from having any real chance or opportunity at scoring goals, though they sacrifice their own ability to get on the scoresheet as well with this type of negative football. This has been on full display in the group so far, having only conceded twice from the first five matches, but they have also only scored thrice themselves. Compare that to the Wanderers who have conceded five times but have scored twelve times, it is clear that our more balanced approach is paying the better dividends. For the match itself, the Wanderers are actually well equipped to trying to break down such a system, having bested Taeshan several times by multiple goals despite playing such a style. If the Wanderers can channel that, ride the high momentum from their dominant win, they should be able to escape Hampton Island with a result and hopefully a stranglehold on the group heading towards the halfway point of the campaign.

by **Wrecker** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 4:31 pm

The President’s House, Halsted
Some time after the trip to the city block
Arnold Martin couldn’t shake the visions out of his head. Try as he might, he couldn’t stop thinking about the city block on the outskirts of Halsted. The burnt-out, charred remains of restaurants, apartments, stores, you name it. He couldn’t stop thinking of that bartender, who not long ago was serving beer to the same people every night until they got shelled. He couldn’t stop thinking of how that bartender was probably the last one left there, clutching a long rifle to protect against looters, rather than a mug to fill with beer for one of his friends.

Arnold was in a very bad mood, sitting at his office with very little to do. He had a meeting in a few minutes with a handful of members of the Wreckerian parliament, as well as some advisors, so there was no sense in doing anything but get ready for it. In the meeting were True Wreckerians Danny Doyle and Cassandra Newstead, along with Party of Pride members Andrew Peterson and Don Grant. Doyle and Newstead had been warned that Arnold might come at them after having seen what he had seen, so they were a little pensive coming to the meeting.

And sure enough, when they arrived, they were met with glaring eyes from the Wreckerian President.

“There’s something I want to talk to you two about,” Arnold said. “Especially concerning something I saw yesterday. And whatever I say, bring that back to your party members.”

The meeting was relatively lengthy, and concerned possible economic stimulus options to help boost Wreckeria’s failing economy, as well as the “Peace Through Sport” program. Wreckeria was doing reasonably well in World Cup qualifiers, and probably better than a lot of people had predicted. But still, that was the only high point for Wreckeria on the international stage. People were still grumbling about Wreckeria’s efforts in the Summer Olympics, which was, to be kind, a disaster, and Hawking-Byrd Motorsports was, at this point, a running joke amongst NSSCRA fans.

But at least Wreckeria had one bright spot. The team was in the middle of the road of Group 5, and about to take on challenges from Frestovenia and Icecliff in its next two matches. The team had secured enough funding to last it through the rest of qualifiers, with the assistance of, surprisingly, a rich investor from Hapilopper who had ties to the nation. David Simmons, the head of the Wreckerian Association of Soccer, was building the sport almost from nothing into something that communities could rally around.

And that spot was celebrated among all in the meeting. True Wreckerians, Prideites, everyone could rejoice in seeing their home nation succeed in the world of soccer. Maybe come World Cup 88 or 89, the team could truly qualify and become a force to be reckoned with.

But then, the mood turned dark as Arnold concluded the meeting.

“Tell me, Danny, Cass, has the True Wreckerians made any strides to atone for any shell attacks on residential areas?” Arnold asked. “I talked to someone yesterday who blames the party for destroying his neighborhood.”

“As far as I know, I’d have to talk to party leaders about it,” Danny, a more moderate member of the group, said. “I don’t know what our position is on past incidents from the War. I mean, I don’t feel qualified to answer that question.”

“Bullshit, I want an answer,” Arnold said. “Cass?”

“I think bringing this up right now is inappropriate,” Cassandra replied. “We’re trying to rebuild this nation, and we need to find some way to unite around what we have right now. We have a historic opportunity to unify Wreckeria behind this team, but instead you’re talking about the past.”

Arnold wasn’t buying that claim. People hated talking about the Wreckerian Civil War, sure. They hated talking about the 54 years of violence that ripped the country apart. But there were still very solid reminders of what had happened. Like the neighborhood. Like the national stadium that had been burnt down and still loomed menacingly in downtown Halsted.

“We can’t keep dwelling on the past, Mr. President,” Cassandra continued. “If we focus on things that we’ve been accused of doing – and let me remind you that any shelling that the True Wreckerians conducted were on military strongholds. We didn’t shell a single residential area. Period.”

“Then why the fuck did I see shrapnel that read ‘TRUE WRECKERIA’ in a burnt out neighborhood, Newstead?” Arnold snapped. “You’re telling me that the True Wreckerians are innocent?”

“It’s very easy to just slap ‘True Wreckeria’ on anything, Mr. President, and I would ask you to treat me with a little more respect,” Cassandra replied, with a biting tone of voice. “I am an elected official, just like you. And I do not appreciate you singling us out as perpetrators of violence. We have never, under any circumstance, attacked any sort of soft target.”

“You mean like the Hapilopper National Exhibition?” shot Don Grant, a 50-year member of the Wreckerian parliament. “Or maybe those were lunatics paid off to say ‘Oh, we’re the True Wreckerians’?”

Cassandra turned to look at Don, and had a deadly look on her face. The HapEx incident of 1980 was perhaps Wreckeria’s biggest black eye, and people still shied away from the nation for that very reason.

“I don’t appreciate you bringing that up, Mr. Grant,” Cassandra said quietly, but very angrily. “The True Wreckerians of 1980 are not the True Wreckerians of today.”

“Yeah, they just call for a violent coup d’état in parliamentary speeches rather than go out and do it themselves,” Don snapped back, not missing a beat. “Don’t skirt around it. You motherfuckers have caused more blood shed than anyone else in this damn region and don’t you forget it.”

“Oh, well, tell me about the Grand Slam that hit near Halsted Raceway?” Cassandra snapped back. “Wasn’t that – oh, right, that was the Party of Pride! Don’t act like you guys are innocent.”

“THAT WAS A MILITARY INSTALLATION AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN!” Don shouted. “We went after installations. We didn’t go after women and children and schools and churches. We went after hangars, barracks and places where weapons were stored. And I mean actual weapons, not 5-year olds playing around with dart guns!”

The arguing went on for another 45 minutes, and word got out almost instantly that the meeting had descended into chaos. When True Wreckerians found out that Arnold Martin had instigated the arguing by mentioning the burnt-out neighborhood and the True Wreckerian shrapnel, they were livid, accusing the Wreckerian president – seen previously as an impartial figure, the kind of guy that could negotiate anything between both parties – of favoritism. They had seen Arnold Martin as someone looking to nail them to the cross for things they said they didn’t do. It would only be the start of what turned out to be some very scary times in the Reformed Republic of Wreckeria.

by **South Covello** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 4:41 pm

Top Five Candidates All Qualify For First Debate

The top five presidential candidates in South Covello have all qualified for the first presidential debate per the following polling averages, in which candidates were required to achieve 1% at a minimum:

Luisa Benitez: 34%
Tru-D: 10%
Harold Underpod: 10%
Sally McGint: 6%
Jordan Wood: 5%
Others: 5% total, none >1%
Undecided: 30%

If no candidate gets 50% in the first round, the top two will go to a runoff. However, there will be plenty of opportunity for candidates to make their case and change things before then, plus a significant number of undecided voters.

Meanwhile, Jordan Wood made headlines in a controversial speech where he called Tru-D by several racial slurs and stated Luisa Benitez and Sally McGint should "Get back in the kitchen and make me a fucking sandwich," then proceeded to hand a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, and a jar of grape jelly to actors dressed as Benitez and McGint, who proceeded to make him sandwiches. Wood then ate the sandwiches on stage and said "Finally, women who know their place. If only the real Loserisa Benitez and Crazy McGint could do that. Kitchens for women, Presidencies for men!"

Tru-D also made headlines when he gave a crazy, incoherent speech at a rally where he promised to "Raise taxes, lower them, all that good stuff, pies and chickens and chicken pies for all South Covellans, go jump in a lake, a bay, whatever, Toucan Taco Tuesday" among other numerous incoherent things. He also appeared to call for abortion to be punished by death while at the same time calling for the death penalty for anyone who takes part in an execution, saying "You have an abortion, to execution block with you. But then execute the executioner because killing is bad no matter who you kill, yo y'all ya know what I mean?" Later in the debate, Tru-D appeared on the stage with three badgers which he had rented from an animal control company and threw them over a fence behind the stage, where they ran away. A spokesperson for Badgers R Us said that they are attempting to recapture the badgers, and will charge Tru-D for the expenses incurred to do so. In addition, if the badgers are not recovered, Tru-D will be charged 5,000 liberos per missing badger. Tru-D concluded the speech by throwing toilet paper into the crowd and encouraged those assembled to "Wipe off the shitstain that is our President and the others, you know who I mean."

Harold Underpod was also in the headlines after he, for the first time, called for a "total and complete shutdown on socialists entering South Covello" as well as "the immediate deportation of all socialists within our borders, whether the enemies are from within or without." Underpod added that "If the socialists refuse to leave, there's always Reeducation Camps."

Sally McGint also gave a very bizarre campaign speech which she had promoted as announcing the first three countries she would invade and liberate if elected President. The speech, however, turned out to be McGint picking three nations out of a hat, which turned out to be Taeshan, Xanneria, and Vdara, and then making up a reason she would invade each if elected. Of Taeshan, she said "Because they're secretly Eshan in disguise and everyone knows Revan Bernat is evil. I would remove Revan from power in Taeshan or Eshan or Ethane or whatever he's calling his nation nowadays." Of Xanneria, she said "Their name rhymes with diarrhea so we must cover them all with the diarrhea of our soldiers." Of Vdara, she said "Their name is stupid and nobody knows how to pronounce it so we will invade and make them tell us." Thankfully, the President cannot declare war without the permission of the Legislature, and it is highly unlikely (basically impossible) that the Legislature would declare war for the reasons given. Additionally, those countries appear to have been picked randomly out of a hat and McGint appears to have made up the reasons on the spot, seeming to be more of an improv comedy show than a speech on foreign policy.

However, it is highly unlikely any of these people will be elected, as Luisa Benitez is heavily favored to win. With her 89% approval rating and significant accomplishments, the only question is whether she will avoid a runoff or if one of the other four will fight through against her to force a second round. Right now she is polling well below the 50% needed, but there are a lot of undecided voters who could break for her, and if they do at the same rate they're currently going for her, it will be very close.

The first debate will be held in a week's time, and it will be the public's first chance to see the candidates together.

by **North Japan** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 5:00 pm

HOKUTOU-KO DAILY
The Voice of The People

Eternal General Hoshihiro

On a snowy morning deep in the Hokutou mountain range, a light descended to the mountains as if the sun came down to Earth. The Sun Goddess herself had returned to the Japanese lands to bring the only true heir of Emperor Jimmu to our lands. The Southern parts still follow a false religion and led by the impostor goddess Amaterasu, it was here on 21 February the heavenly leader of our Republic would be born. As two bright-white Kirin walked towards a cave entrance in the most northern volcano, an entrance to the Hokutou mountain range was revealed.

There in the mountain: a young child carried by a heavenly unicorn was brought forth from the cave to be the new leader of the Japanese people: the true Emperor, the Emperor of the people. The Kirin decided the child would be named Hoshihiro and was destined to become the most beloved, benevolent and caring leader of our times and would lead Japan into a new golden age.

The stars aligned and the Kirin would pronounce the child to the world, the leader of our divine people. During the holy day of 21 February we remember that the Great General will always be looking and caring for us, for the body of the Great General has passed to become one with the universe, to ensure the revolution will never stop until all the people in the world are united and rejoice in his name.

Match against Vdara in honour of The Republic

At the site of the Hoshihiro National Stadium grounds the fans gathered for an important match to secure their further grip on the qualifications group. Japan would face Vdara, where the world believed our team would be intimidated: the Japanese would be victorious in a display worthy of our glorious nation.

Vdara had attacking prowess, but could not get passed the Japanese midfield who defended it as if their lives depended on it. The Japanese team struck back, completely taking the Vdara side by surprise and before half-time the score would already be at 5 - 0. As the team went back onto the field the Japanese onslaught resumed; scoring two goals in quick succession as the Vdara side was starting to fall apart, bickering and arguing.

Just like our Great Chairwoman, the Japanese football team is not without mercy. The Vdara side was allowed to score a goal as a gift to them to not close the game with empty hands. The last whistle sounded and the position of the Democratic People's Republic reinforced their already number one position in the group.

Final Results:

Japan 14 - 1 Vdara

Cascadia 0 – 7 Japan

by **Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 5:08 pm

Maria slumped over her desk, she had taken a shower, but still felt the feelings of the pitch. A win was a win, and her legs felt like winners. Other games were on the young lady’s mind, this was the first cutoff for the YNW qualifiers. Unlike before, things were on schedule. Of course she could smell her dad’s goulash, and knew to post thing quickly. Maria tapped away at the key, logging in. So far nobody had sent Maria any balderdash about the tournament’s timelines. Her personal pride for punctuality was burned from a late star. Up came the scores with many twists and turns, and there was still a long way to go. A few high ranking teams hadn’t RPd, one of them, Montagnard Pas, got a post in shortly before Maria posted the scores. The classic move surprised no one, Montagnard’s poster was apparently a high ranking lawyer somewhere in another region.

Le rapport de Bourgogne
YNW Football Championships Qualifier Previews

The former hosts were drawn against fellow competition organizers the Arnaq Queendom, former world champs. “The boys should be excited to play against high caliber target practice.” former starting left back Henri Barré told Chanel Trois’ sports reporters. Sullokos were the only nation to beat the Montagnard team in the last qualifying tournament, a 1-0 away loss for the side came at the start of qualifying. The last meeting between the teams was a 3-2 revenge game for Montagnard Pas’ burgundy wearing faithful. The other opponents will be North Newlandia and Leanersfall, relative unknowns. Though we do know that Leanersfall did well in a self organized event.

Reports are that youth player Jean Alain will be given a lot of attention in these matches. The prospective bright spot on Montagnard front two was a solid sub as a teenager. “We more than excited for a new era,” FMPDF President Jean-Luc Milleit said in a press release, “We intend to qualify for the Championships and play in our eighth straight tournament.” The boys in burgundy have only failed once to qualify for the proper rounds, and few expect a change now. The defense remains solid and study, while the attack is showing signs of growth. “I estimate qualification” sportswriter Jean-Henri Valoi said on his brand new TV program.

(OOC: Continuation of the storyline from regionals)

“The budget windfall we were expecting from the Ice Hockey World Cup and Winter Gala was around half of what we’d hoped for. At least that according to the Ballouhey-Guillain-Leven report” Mr. Dufort has paraphrased the paper. However, fifty one is close enough to fifty. Frtiz chimed in quickly, “But the federation blocked the import monetization schemes. I wasn’t even in ministry at the time, sir.” “In any event,” Dufort said, “we’re in an election year, and our deficits haven’t gone down at all. Spending is down as planned. We need to address the concerns assisting the anti-austerity candidates.” Frtiz looked up at the ceiling, “Well, we spend all this money,” Fritz said, looking back at Mr. Dufort, “which has been spent off the national budget that was earmarked are debt notes suggesting that the government indeed owes the money to the Pension Fund.” Dufort looked at his contemporary with a flush face. “Oh, so we should tell them, ‘the deficit is fine, we just shortchanged you on pensions?’ We’re dealing with communists hard enough already, Minister. The deficit hawks can’t be called prejudiced forever either.”

Fritz and Dufort looked at each other for a moment, before Fritz spoke leaning forward on his chair, head down, but giving glares at Dufort. “You need social democrats to support this government,” he said “and you need cross ethnic support. Arrangements were made seven years ago, these have not changed.” Dufort put hands together, “We only need one minister from your party,” he said. Fritz chuckled “If it’s not me, then who? I doubt you want Ritzenheim. As deputy leader, Ritzenheim will have the leader’s backing. Baumbach won’t put up a fight for the job either, because he knows I’m not going to play favorites.” A phone rang. “It’s probably him.” The Prime Minister appeared to save Fritz yet again. Dufort picked up the phone and Fritz moved his lips, “think about it,” the lips said. Fritz got up, the tweed jacket in his arms. “Sorry, yes… yes” Dufort said to Prime Minister Perrin.

Frtiz walked out of Dufort’s office, past the communication’s offices. Tube televisions buzzed, the three major news channels of Montagnard Pas showing all around the room. Fritz saw footage of himself on the main private option, “Chanel Trois reports that Finance minister Fritz Waltersen of Parti Germaniques Rivière, or PGR, may resign from his post within two months.” Fritz continued to glare at the news reports, the lady speaking continued, footage of government approval ratings with money textures flew across the screen. The female reporter, indented as “Anna Gleyze” came back on the screen, “If Waltersen were to resign, he would be the third resignation since last fall in Jacques Perrin’s government.” “You see this,” Fritz asked a random assistant, he believed the ebony man was named Francois. The young man looked at Fritz and shrugged as Fritz walked away. The angry finance minister was silent for a time, before humming out the door, speaking lyrics to himself “Je suis… Deutsch! Je suis… Autoooor…ité!”

Maria looked over the length of the RP, declining to read it until closer to cutoff. “Maria!” a girl squealed, it was Maria’s sister. Maria got up, “coming” she shouted, eyeballing a message on Fuwa.

Janijaisntonline [Today/18:07:03]: I read you girls won 2-1, good job.

Group 1
Battleship K2 0–1 Gile y Glil
Cash and Gold 3–1 Mongeese

  Group 1                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Cash and Gold                  1    1   0   0     3    1   +2     3
2 Gile y Glil                    1    1   0   0     1    0   +1     3
3 Battleship K2                  1    0   0   1     0    1   −1     0
4 Mongeese                       1    0   0   1     1    3   −2     0

Group 2
Kozumistan 4–3 Jrawkburg
Conservative Fantasyland 1–4 Yannick

  Group 2                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Yannick                        1    1   0   0     4    1   +3     3
2 Kozumistan                     1    1   0   0     4    3   +1     3
3 Jrawkburg                      1    0   0   1     3    4   −1     0
4 Conservative Fantasyland       1    0   0   1     1    4   −3     0

Group 3
NwK 400 0–1 Cornerian Fleet
Tear Island 2–0 Brightwitchstan

  Group 3                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Tear Island                    1    1   0   0     2    0   +2     3
2 Cornerian Fleet                1    1   0   0     1    0   +1     3
3 NwK 400                        1    0   0   1     0    1   −1     0
4 Brightwitchstan                1    0   0   1     0    2   −2     0

Group 4
Fourth Land of Air 1–0 PLDS Sun Colony
Dikilti 1–1 Janijan Sportlich

  Group 4                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Fourth Land of Air             1    1   0   0     1    0   +1     3
2 Dikilti                        1    0   1   0     1    1    0     1
  Janijan Sportlich              1    0   1   0     1    1    0     1
4 PLDS Sun Colony                1    0   0   1     0    1   −1     0

Group 5
Oprana and Toypia 0–1 Deeeeeeeew
NattiQex 3–2 Suprastania

  Group 5                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 NattiQex                       1    1   0   0     3    2   +1     3
2 Deeeeeeeew                     1    1   0   0     1    0   +1     3
3 Suprastania                    1    0   0   1     2    3   −1     0
4 Oprana and Toypia              1    0   0   1     0    1   −1     0

Group 6
Superterranean Morgex 0–3 Northestania
Digital Apocalypse 2–0 Synthol Users

  Group 6                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Northestania                   1    1   0   0     3    0   +3     3
2 Digital Apocalypse             1    1   0   0     2    0   +2     3
3 Synthol Users                  1    0   0   1     0    2   −2     0
4 Superterranean Morgex          1    0   0   1     0    3   −3     0

Group 7
Isle Melphanion 1–0 Dasofylakas
Troh Strijanoh 1–2 Old Vinh Quang

  Group 7                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Old Vinh Quang                 1    1   0   0     2    1   +1     3
2 Isle Melphanion                1    1   0   0     1    0   +1     3
3 Troh Strijanoh                 1    0   0   1     1    2   −1     0
4 Dasofylakas                    1    0   0   1     0    1   −1     0

Group 8
Quizzinovac 1–0 Basketballer Kings
Veil of Kwazton 0–3 Tapioca Springs

  Group 8                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Tapioca Springs                1    1   0   0     3    0   +3     3
2 Quizzinovac                    1    1   0   0     1    0   +1     3
3 Basketballer Kings             1    0   0   1     0    1   −1     0
4 Veil of Kwazton                1    0   0   1     0    3   −3     0

Group 9
Le Chronic 1–1 Los Quebeccos
Gulyaz 0–1 Imperium Terrafaux

  Group 9                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Imperium Terrafaux             1    1   0   0     1    0   +1     3
2 Le Chronic                     1    0   1   0     1    1    0     1
  Los Quebeccos                  1    0   1   0     1    1    0     1
4 Gulyaz                         1    0   0   1     0    1   −1     0

Group 10
North Newlandia 1–1 Leanersfall
Sullokos 2–1 Anraq Queendom

  Group 10                     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Sullokos                       1    1   0   0     2    1   +1     3
2 Leanersfall                    1    0   1   0     1    1    0     1
  North Newlandia                1    0   1   0     1    1    0     1
4 Anraq Queendom                 1    0   0   1     1    2   −1     0

Group 11
Veti 1–1 Dhink
Mutated Rushmore 3–2 Loxotxquetox

  Group 11                     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Mutated Rushmore               1    1   0   0     3    2   +1     3
2 Dhink                          1    0   1   0     1    1    0     1
  Veti                           1    0   1   0     1    1    0     1
4 Loxotxquetox                   1    0   0   1     2    3   −1     0

Group 12
Burnhaven2 2–0 Wulvinnia
Bluina 0–4 Glem Clana

  Group 12                     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Glem Clana                     1    1   0   0     4    0   +4     3
2 Burnhaven2                     1    1   0   0     2    0   +2     3
3 Wulvinnia                      1    0   0   1     0    2   −2     0
4 Bluina                         1    0   0   1     0    4   −4     0

Group 13
Da Freaking Moon 1–0 6. Fed Islands
Frosts of PIS 3–3 Bah-Shu-Bah

  Group 13                     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Da Freaking Moon               1    1   0   0     1    0   +1     3
2 Bah-Shu-Bah                    1    0   1   0     3    3    0     1
  Frosts of PIS                  1    0   1   0     3    3    0     1
4 6. Fed Islands                 1    0   0   1     0    1   −1     0

Group 14
New Englesy 2–0 Abblehafardia
Nomadic Pilots 0–2 Kevinsworld

  Group 14                     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Kevinsworld                    1    1   0   0     2    0   +2     3
  New Englesy                    1    1   0   0     2    0   +2     3
3 Abblehafardia                  1    0   0   1     0    2   −2     0
  Nomadic Pilots                 1    0   0   1     0    2   −2     0

Group 15
Sentai Squad Pi 0–1 Crystal Mermaid Islands
The Secret 1–1 Nowi-Grade

  Group 15                     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Crystal Mermaid Islands        1    1   0   0     1    0   +1     3
2 Nowi-Grade                     1    0   1   0     1    1    0     1
  The Secret                     1    0   1   0     1    1    0     1
4 Sentai Squad Pi                1    0   0   1     0    1   −1     0

Group 16
Mantis Shrimp-2 3–2 Iridium Kingdom
Terra Salamantica 3–0 Reseracher Safe Haven

  Group 16                     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Terra Salamantica              1    1   0   0     3    0   +3     3
2 Mantis Shrimp-2                1    1   0   0     3    2   +1     3
3 Iridium Kingdom                1    0   0   1     2    3   −1     0
4 Reseracher Safe Haven          1    0   0   1     0    3   −3     0

by **Vdara** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 5:20 pm

One-Four, Goals Galore

After a two-game absence, the Vdaran youth lineup would be getting their second run-out of the tournament, against group minnows Democratic People's Republic of Japan, or North Japan for short. Vdara’s last two games before this one had both been draws, and manager Markos Moustakakos was hoping that his side’s youthfulness would be able to spark some creativity into the national team’s steadily stagnating form. Upon arrival in Hokutou-Ko, the players began to notice some oddities. For one, there was propaganda about “filthy capitalist Western countries” and “Chairwoman Aki Asami” littered absolutely everywhere, on newspapers, posters, billboards - you name it, it was there. The vast amount of propaganda and the weird looks they were receiving from the North Japanese locals made everyone there feel creeped out, and on the day of the match they wasted no time in getting to the Hoshihiro National Stadium.

Away Team Dressing Room,
Hoshihiro National Stadium

With everyone feeling on edge, the atmosphere in the dressing room was... uneasy, to say the least. Moustakakos would have to change that if he wanted to ensure that his side were in the perfect mood for this match.

Moustakakos: ”Did any of you lot understand what they were saying on the news about us? No? Neither did I, but I saw our flag on the TV, so they must have been talking about us. Whether it was with praise or contempt, I’m not sure, but I definitely saw our flag pop up. Anyhow, that doesn’t matter. We’re here to play football, not to try and understand what these weirdos are saying about us... or any other country, for that matter. You might have heard that Væñøœrëñbérghüïś is trying to drill the concept of ambition into your heads, but I’m not a fan of that, to be completely honest with you. See, while ambition is a fantastic thing to have, it means fuck all if you don’t actually have the determination to go with it. I mean, anybody can have ambition, but if you’re not determined to do everything humanly possible to beat someone then you may as well pack your bags and head home. That’s the truth. It’s a harsh truth, sure, but it’s one you need to know. It’s one you need to embrace, to ensure that victory is achieved at all costs, and to ensure that your ambitions can be backed up with performances to match them. I’m sure you lot knew that already though, since we won a youth World Cup together, heh. Enough about ambition and determination, though - it’s time to think tactically. We’ll be going with our typical formation, the hyper-attacking 3-2-5. As always, I expect you three at the back to stay at the back, and keep our defence as rock-solid as possible. Don’t even let them have a sniff at our goal. Oh, and keep an eye out for Hwan Kwang-Ho, he’s a feisty little bugger and he likes to confuse defenders. Lambros and Akakios - feel free to roam, but don’t drift too far forward or too far back or you’ll leave one end of the pitch with zero cover. Last but not least, all of you at the front - stick to your spots. If you’re a winger, stay out wide. If you’re a forward, stay inbetween the winger and striker. If you’re Andrianos, stay central, be prepared to receive a pass from one the other four players out front with you, and make sure to hassle their defenders as much as possible. Understand? Capisce? Katalavaíneis? Good - let’s show these communists how to play football!”

The match report is as follows:

1: The referee has blown his whistle here at Hoshihiro National Stadium, and this match is finally underway. The home fans are performing abnormally choreographed chants, and the few away fans that have travelled here are proudly waving the Vdaran flag. Let’s see how they get on!
6: Tantalopoulos is looking to play out wide, but he’s spotted Petras making a run forward in the central area and he’s lobbed the ball over the top of the defenders towards him. The linesman’s flag stays down, there’s nobody around him but the keeper! All he has to do is put it past A Chanwook... which he does! The North Japanese are claiming offside, but the referee isn’t having it! The goal stands, it’s an early lead for Vdara.
7: North Japan will want to try and nullify that goal as quickly as possible from kickoff, and Hwan Kwang-Ho has already got the ball and appears to be making a run towards goal. He skips past one defender, he roulettes past a second... but Stamatios Christakos has tackled the ball from his feet and it’s trundled into the safe hands of Zaharias Frangoglou.
9: It’s a corner to Vdara, and Manousos Scafididis looks like he can’t wait to try and whip this one in. He crosses it in towards Tolakis... who heads it past A Chanwook to double Vdara’s lead! It’s two goals in three minutes for the away side, and they’re certainly the ones in control.
16: Muleas has received a pass from Demotis, and it looks like he’s going to try and hit this shot from range... straight over the crossbar. There was little chance of that going in, and it’s a goal kick to North Japan.
19: Free kick to North Japan, and it’s going to be taken by Somun Sang-Kyu. Sang-Kyu strikes the ball with power... and it’s hit the post and gone in! The home fans are delighted, Sang-Kyu is delighted, and North Japan seem to have earned themselves a route back into this match!
21: That’s a bad tackle from Akakios Demotis, and he’ll be receiving a yellow card as a result of that.
32: Ah Shi-Won has dispossessed Tantalopoulos with a decent standing tackle, and he’s now got to try and get past the three defenders. He tries to get past Tolakis, but he loses out, and the ball is back with Vdara.
43: Tantalopoulos is further forward than usual, and it looks like he’s going to try and shoot from range, he’s at the edge of the box and he’s blasted the ball... but it’s saved wonderfully by A Chanwook!
45: The whistle blows for halftime, and the Vdarans retain the lead. It’s 2-1, and North Japan have a lot of work to do if they want to try and turn this game around in the second half.

With the team’s performance being pretty good so far, Moustakakos was decently pleased. However, he still had a few things to say to his young squad, in order to make sure that victory would be secured.

Moustakakos: ”Lads, you’re doing a fantastic job so far. We’ve hardly offered them a shot on goal, and the only shot they’ve had on target was from a free kick. Very well done, I must say. However, we can still do a lot better - we’ve not been clinical enough with the amount of shots we’ve taken, and we definitely need to be scoring more goals if we want to put ourselves in a good position within the group. Make sure you remember what I said about determination, yeah? Good, good. Right, halftime’s nearly over, so let’s get back out there and give these guys a thumping!”

Halftime Substitutions for North Japan:
Off - Mo Kyubok, Gyeong Hyun-Ki, Ah Shi-Won
On - Pang Jung-Nam, Chae Dae-Jung, Pom Hae-Il

Halftime Substitutions for Vdara:
Off - Akakios Demotis
On - Kimon Karalas

46: Halftime is over, and the teams are back on the pitch for the second half of this match!
57: Pang Jung-Nam is running down the left side with the ball, and they’ve passed it to Pom Hae-Il... who’s offside by quite a bit. Free kick to Vdara.
62: Manolakis has the the ball in the final third of the pitch after an impressive surge forward from the winger, he’s passed it over to Muleas, who flicks it upwards and hits it on the volley... straight into the top left corner! What. A. Goal! A contender for goal of the qualifiers, surely! Themistoklis Muleas looks extremely pleased with himself, and why wouldn’t he be?
78: It’s a penalty to Vdara! Namgung Moon receives a yellow card, as he tried to tackle the ball from Karalas’ feet, but he accidentally clipped his feet and gave away a penalty.
79: Lambros Tantalopoulos will step up to shoot this. Can the captain score this to finally put the game to bed, as he tries to chip the keeper... but A Chanwook isn’t easily fooled, and he saves the penalty! Tantalopoulos won’t want to think about that too much, any other type of shot and he would have scored!
86: Karalas has received a pass from Manolakis, and now he’s looking for options. Karalas spots Scafididis making a run on the right hand side, and he lobs the ball over towards him. Scafididis has nobody to beat but the keeper now, and he blasts it at A Chanwook... but it rebounds off of A Chanwook and into the feet of Muleas, who bags his second goal of the match to finally put this game to bed!
90: The referee has blown the whistle, there will be no added stoppage time, and the game is finally over. The Vdaran youngsters have managed to overcome Gyeon Yongsun’s side, who will not want to remember this game for much longer.

NORTH JAPAN - 1
Somun Sang-Kyu 19’

VDARA - 4
Andrianos Petras 6’
Trifonas Tolakis 9’
Themistoklis Muleas 62’, 86’

Following the game, the squad was in good spirits. After all, they just won a game by a 3-goal margin, why wouldn’t they be? There was an atmosphere of pride in the dressing room, which was in stark contrast to the uneasiness they had felt before.

Moustakakos: ”Well, what can I say. You boys sure put on a show, eh? That must be one of our best performances as a team, to be honest! Now, our next match won’t be until Matchday 6, where we’re up against Cascadia, since the seniors will be up against Hapilopper. If they win that, there’s a chance that we’ll end up top of the group, and it will be up to you lot to maintain that status when we play against Cascadia, as well as Bonbokh u Piche. I think you guys can definitely overcome both of these teams if you play as well as you did tonight, to be honest. Everything that was done was perfect... well, except for the defending on that free kick, but that’s just me being pedantic. Now, let’s get the fuck out of this hellhole before these commies put us into a labour camp for beating their national team, eh?”

Following this match, the senior squad beat Hapilopper 3-2 at the VdarArena, sending Vdara straight to the top of the group. However, Alexis Fotellis reignited an old feud with Nate Ellis, which resulted in his injury. Due to this, Andrianos Petras will now play for both Lineups 1 and 2 until Fotellis returns from his injury, which will see him out of the squad for 3 or 4 matches. With Vdara’s next two matches against lesser ranked opponents, Vdara could not afford to drop any points - and if they did, they could fall out of the top 2 very easily.

by **South Newlandia** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 5:28 pm

After a poor start, the South Newlandian campaign finally heated up with two nice and important wins. After narrowly coming away with a win over Valladares, they managed to barely win in Bluecliff as well, and while both games involved a bit of luck, the signs of improvement were there. The squad changes had helped, the team scored four goals in two after starting with just one in three, and the defense seemed unfazed. Jecken Arena had historically always been a very good spot for the team, with them winning at home here more often than not (3-1-0 until then in WCQ games). The team from Valladares actually came quicker out of the gate, going ahead with a score by Thibault Benezet early, but the Elephants responded very well. The new and changed offense shined, with Marcus Young, the player currently playing in Farfadillis, proving that he can absolutely replace Patrick McMora, the Walstreim Lion usually starting at his position. He gave the assists to two goals for Brandon Irving, who also only just had his first start, and Finnley Wallis, who was allowed to return despite a bad start. The team took a 2-1 into the half, and they scored again from the penalty marker after a decision that really could’ve gone both ways, Irving putting it past Paulo Gaviria. The team that finished second at World Cup 75 was at least even throughout most of the match, but a late score by Cristian Benítez was too little, too late to turn the game around again. It was the first win of the tournament for the Elephants, and against the 4th-seeded team, it couldn’t have come at a more important time. Now, with the 4 higher seeds out of the way, the Elephants would be playing a five-game stretch of teams seeded lower, but they could also prove to be dangerous. South Newlandia knows very well not to underestimate teams down there, hopefully. The first of these opponents would be Bluecliff, a side that clearly is cheered on by everyone except for themselves. They have lost only two games ahead of hosting the Elephants, and look to be a high-upside team for the future, having started very well into their campaign. They were narrowly inched out in a tough fight against the Elephants in Bluecliff, but proved to be able to fight. Trischuk did not concede throughout the game, and Marcus Young decided the match in the 3rd minute already. He managed to get a good dribbling in on the right side, and instead of playing a pass into the box, just went for it himself, leaving Fridèk Hòjak stunned. The Elephant’s defense, which looked mediocre at best against Valladares, managed to claw the three points and took them home, bumping the Elephants up to eight points, just a single one behind second place. Next up are two games against The Gothanita Isles and Regmotto. While The Isles are a tough out, Regmotto has not gotten a single point yet, meaning that the Elephants will naturally lose to them at home.

An incomplete list of national team players of the SNSL and what they’re doing

We’re not covering South Newlandians here of course, that’d be boring.
Kabuto Tadataka has been called up for Squidroidia. He currently plays for the Kinetik Islanders, and while he is only a substitute for Squidroidia, his team is currently doing okay, sitting in 6th place of Group 11.
Of course, the biggest name with a player of the SNSL in their national team lineup is Audioslavia. Rinus Wever, goalkeeper of the Walstreim Lions, has been called up to be the third goalkeeper for Audioslavia. He hasn’t seen any minutes, of course, but his team is currently 3rd in group 5. They’ll surely climb a bit more.
Yu Wei is tagged along as a sub for Yuezhou. The veteran currently playing for Rüsselsheim hasn’t seen too many minutes either, but his team is currently 6th in group 12. Maybe he should get some more playing time.
Lambros Tantalopoulos, another Walstreim Lion, is actually seeing some minutes and has even already scored for the national team of Vdara. This team is actually doing well, too, with Vdara currently topping group 4.

TJUN-ia, has no fewer than five players in the SNSL in their national team. Umkala and Johnson, playing for Ratzupalfu and Jecken respectively, have been an important part in the starting lineup, while Pearson and Gibson, playing for the Lions and Guards, as well as Robertson, who just joined the Rhinos as well, on the bench. The Jags are currently in 4th of group 3, still very much in contention to go to the world cup.
Kohnhead is another nation that should be mentioned here. They are currently coached by the former South Newlandian assistant coach and only actual South Newlandian on this list Michael White, and Rodriguez Sporet is playing for Rüsselsheim. He’s sitting on the bench, but his team is in 6th of group 19, so he might be joining soon.
Kevin Bryse is the last player listed here, a Xannerian currently playing for Newport United, and a midfielder for the Maroons right now. His team is currently sitting in 5th of group four, being groupmates of Vdara. A duel between these two ended 2-2 on matchday 2.

by **Mytanija** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 5:32 pm

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

“Éléonore pssst,” Tomica whispered, gently nudging her as she lay asleep in the bed. He got up off the bed and looked down at her, she seemed peaceful. They had been cleaning her flat and making it a little bit more hospitable over the past week. He was glad that her bedding was now clean. Everything in the flat had taken up this stench, a mixture of smells so foul it made Tomica shudder to even think about it, but he had managed to persuade her to sort it out. The first thing had been getting her off the gear. She had been using hard drugs for a long time, since before he knew her, so that was quite a difficult task. She had come around eventually though and she had been clean for a few weeks. The first week had been the hardest. Her withdrawal symptoms persisted for longer than that week though – she was still experiencing them from time-to-time – so each night could be tough, it just depended how her body was coping that day.

The rising sense of panic he had felt when the Gazeta had published the letters and everything seemed to be falling apart had gradually dissipated. He was feeling more himself now. He had planned all this to make a point about Mytanija and the thousands of people like him that had been left behind during the reconstruction of the country. People like him could do things too, things which weren’t wholly palatable to those who tried to pretend to be the sophisticated ones in the society they were building. Mytanija’s dark underbelly had long been an issue for politicians in the country, but what Tomica had done was a real two fingers up to an establishment that was trying to present a new face to the wider world whilst simultaneously leaving behind all those it should be helping. He hoped it would be different for future generations, this Mecava-Catic seemed to have a good head on her shoulders, but it was a little bit too late for people like him. People like Vedran and Éléonore. What had Mytanija ever done for them?

Éléonore groaned in her sleep, slowly shifting from her side onto her back before she let out a gentle cough. Tomica had met her around eight years ago, she had only just turned 18 and he was in his early thirties. There hadn’t been anything romantic between them at first, there hadn’t been anything romantic between them at all until about a year ago. She used drugs and Tomica sold them, she worked as a prostitute every so often when she was short of cash and he tried to stop her from getting involved in it. She reminded him of some of the girls he used to hang around with, at the squat, it was a lifetime ago but the trajectory she was on was eerily similar and most of them were addicts, barely surviving, or they were dead. He hadn’t wanted things to go the same way for her and whenever he was in Esca he kept an eye on her.

She was born in Prahecq to a Mytanar father and a Prahecqois mother. Her father had fought for the Otpor during the Conflict and was only a few years older than Tomica. He had been pretty badly affected by the war from the stories Éléonore had told him. He turned to drink and drugs and came in and out of her and her mother’s lives. Her mother died when she was 14 and her father returned to Mytanija with Éléonore in tow. She finished her education in Esca, her dad drinking himself to death as she did so. She was left an orphan at the age of 17 and as she tried to cope with the grief of both her parents dying she turned to the life Tomica found her in. She paid her rent however she could, living in the same flat Tomica now found himself in, at the same time she fuelled her habit with any extra money she had.

At first Tomica saw her as a regular customer, a steady source of income, but as he met her more and shared conversations with her his view changed. He stopped selling to her, then stopped selling drugs altogether. He decided he’d go back to the thing he knew best, breaking and entering and thieving. He felt responsible for the way Éléonore’s life had panned out, she was 26 now and he hadn’t been involved in her life all the time since her father had died, but if he hadn’t sold her drugs in the first place she might have dealt with her demons a bit differently. He knew he couldn’t control the things that happened to her which led to her initially using gear as a coping mechanism, but he was the one who sold it to her. He had made a vow to himself to try and help her, even if they didn’t work out as an item. He still felt a bit weird about the strange relationship they had been conducting. He was nearly old enough to be her father and he didn’t know if she felt compelled because of the financial help he had given her. He didn’t know if it was just a guilty conscience for being a drug dealer, poisoning so many lives, or if he actually felt anything for her. It wasn’t like they had been intimate very often.

He had offered to help her get out of Esca, to set her up with a new start wherever she wanted. She seemed averse to taking that. He had suggested staying together once they were out of Mytanija, once the paintings were sold and she had agreed to that. Maybe she just wanted to be with someone, it could be anyone, but with the way her family life had been whilst she was growing up maybe she just wanted to have a prolonged attachment with somebody for once. Tomica just didn’t know for sure if he could offer her that, whether platonically or romantically. He definitely wouldn’t be able to do it if he ended up in prison and whilst he had more or less dismissed that as a possibility there was always the slight chance things could go wrong. He was sure he had covered all bases, that the Policija would be so busy chasing their own tail that he would be able to sneak out of the country with the paintings already sold and far away. But it was the waiting that was making it difficult.

Tomica looked back down at Éléonore and then looked at the clock sat on her bedside table. He would let her sleep, it wasn’t like he had anything to be in a hurry for.

“The guy is a fucking idiot,” Vedran complained, he was on the phone, half-heartedly leafing through a magazine as he spoke. “I’ve known him for so long but I have no idea why he has done this. It’s an impossible task, I don’t know who he thinks I can sell the bloody paintings to. Everybody fucking knows what they are, there’s stories about them all over the place.” He got up off the sofa, throwing the magazine down onto the coffee table in front of him as he did so before walking towards a window. It looked down onto a busy street, the wide pavements were bustling with people and the cars edged forward a metre or two per minute. Vedran opened a door and walked out onto a small balcony, the balustrade was made of reinforced concrete like most of the buildings constructed in the new era of Yvelines’ architecture. He preferred being on the phone outside, where the noise of the vehicles and people would distort both what he was saying and whatever the person at the other end of the line was saying if there were any unwanted listeners.

“Yeah, four of the most well-known artworks by Mytanar artists,” Vedran continued as he pulled a cigarette packet out of his back pocket. “Like I’ve known him near enough all my life and I didn’t think he would do something like this. I’ve been trying to play it cool, in case I could come up with something to get them sold but there’s just nothing that can be done about this is there? He’s put himself in an impossible situation.” He was on the phone to someone he had worked with regularly, another Mytanar who was involved in the trade of illicit goods within Prahecq. When Tomica had got in touch with him he had spoken to this guy as soon as he possibly could, more in hope than expectation, in case he could come up with something that Vedran had not thought of. That hadn’t happened though, there wasn’t really anything that could be done, but Vedran could hardly go back to his friend with that information.

Tomica had often come to him to get rid of stolen goods, just never anything quite this famous. Vedran had always admired his ability to get in and out of places without being seen, heard, or even perceived. He also admired his sense of showmanship, it was quite funny to hear his stories, the way he thought out a crime before doing it. Tomica had often chosen victims not just because their homes were easy to break into, but sometimes because of who they were, or something they had done. He stole from rich people mostly, taking items they could only afford because of exploitative practices, paying workers poverty wages or because they bullied their rivals out of business. Tomica was also like a magpie though, he wasn’t entirely motivated by just causes, he liked looking at and touching expensive things and he especially liked having them in his possession. That was why he had done this, the heist was brilliant, Tomica had been able to get in and out without being seen and had made-off with perhaps the four most famous Mytanar artworks. He had done it in such a way that it embarrassed the provisional government just as they were going out. It made sure they left on a sour note. But the letters, the performance, it had all gone too far. The four paintings were a bridge too far in themselves.

“I think I’ll just have to tell him, won’t I?” Vedran asked. His friend had been suggesting that for a week or so. There just didn’t seem to be any other option. “I’m not sure what he will do when I tell him. No, no I know it’s not my responsibility, but I’m still friends with him.” Vedran said. His friend needed to go. The life of a fence was one that was constantly busy. “Yeah, alright. Speak to you soon.”

Vedran wondered if he could help him. Maybe he could convince him to somehow give the paintings back before helping him to get out of Mytanija. Knowing Tomica as well as he did, he somehow doubted that that would be at all possible. He wouldn’t give them up easily, not unless he had something to show for them. When he thought they were his ticket out of Mytanija and of escaping prison he was only too ready to give them away, the sense of panic Vedran had sensed the last time he was on the phone to him was uncharacteristic, usually Tomica was the most calm when the Policija were on his back. Maybe he had grasped the enormity of the problem he had created for himself, it would be the very first time he had managed that. Vedran took a drag on his cigarette and sighed. He didn’t want to be in this life forever either. He had gradually put money away to a point where he could comfortably stop now if he wanted to. There was just something about his line of work that kept dragging him back in when he thought he was getting out. He could have been living life however he wanted for the past five years, but every time he’d look like jetting off to some far-flung paradise island something would come up: a stolen cache of Mytanar Conflict weapons; blood diamonds mined in secret by child-slaves in Ketiou; or fucking this, his mate stealing four of the most famous pieces of art in Mytanija from the fucking Central Art Museum.

If he could find someone to sell them to he’d be able to never lift a finger again in his life. But there just wasn’t anybody to sell those paintings to, the story behind their disappearance was absolutely everywhere and if someone who could afford them was found with them it would cause an international incident dependent on whoever was in the new government after the election. Radovan Stefanovic would love the opportunity to look like a strongman if the MNK got in. Vedran could imagine him demanding the Common Rushmori Community stepping in if some high-profile Sargossan diplomat was found to have the Marija Esa in their mansion. He had contacted people he knew in Eura to find out if there was any dodgy celebrities who would like to purchase Dynamismo or the Harbour at Trunca and he was met with the same answer every single time:

‘Are you out of your fucking mind?!’

Vedran knew that he wasn’t, but Tomica was.

Eva hadn’t been on this taskforce for long but she was enjoying it. She usually worked in drugs cases, so this was a bit different for her, but it was the most high-profile case in recent history and she relished the opportunity to be a part of the team that solved it. When she had told her parents that she had joined this case they were amazed, they wanted to know every detail and her mum especially wanted to know what Mirko Radosavljevic was like in person. He was quite good looking, but he wasn’t quite Eva’s type, as much as he was her mother’s.

Her partner at work was Tomas – he was a similar age to Eva and they had joined the Policija at a similar time – they didn’t always get on and he often seemed to have a relatively old-fashioned view of women fighting crime. It wasn’t viciously sexist, at least not in the sense that he thought women couldn’t fight crime, but it was more that he felt like they shouldn’t. He seemed to be an old man trapped in the body of someone in their mid-to-late twenties, holding a view that women would be better off not getting their hands too dirty, maybe in another job like hairdressing or something. She often found him deriding her views when they spoke up in meetings and debriefs and it got very frustrating, but she felt like if she protested against it too much then she would be just another woman who can’t handle criticism. Equal rights in Mytanija were enshrined in law, but it didn’t stop some people holding anachronistic views and she didn’t want to draw too much attention to it. There probably wasn’t enough women in the Policija and she didn’t want to make it harder for those that would follow her.

Tomas was mostly a good person though, he was helpful and when he was on his own he would often be quite encouraging of her. Eva just couldn’t understand why he was different in meetings and debriefs, as if he couldn’t allow a woman’s input to go without some comment for… some reason. She had gotten used to it though and in fairness other men had her back more and more often. She liked Elvir and Mirko for that reason, they were both hard-working and they cracked the whip to ensure younger members of the team did the same, but they gave her a fair shake every time she had something to say. Others hadn’t always done that.

Mirko had asked them to try to find any potential contacts of Tomica Vjeranovic who they hadn’t already got in touch with or been to visit. They had to try and flush him out and somebody would know where he had been or where he was going to. At times during the investigation it had felt like they had been chasing the invisible man, but once they could put a face to a suspect and a name to a face it felt like it was going to be game over for him in the not too distant future. Some of the squatters and drug users they had questioned knew it was him that had asked them to collect their mail. They were shown a photo and they confirmed that that was the guy. They had had to ply them with a bottle of vodka or a few 20 corun notes so that they could pay for a fix before getting the information out of them, it might not have been 100% foolproof, but enough of them had confirmed that the photo of Tomica Vjeranovic was the same guy who had asked them to collect the mail to make it plausible they weren’t just saying anything for the reward. The Policija didn’t care about fighting dirty at the best of times, but especially not when they were trying to find four priceless artworks, but if they were fighting dirty for false information and it got out… Well, Mirko Radosavljevic wouldn’t be the dashing hero of middle-aged women up and down the country for too much longer.

They had been flicking through the files all day and when there was people they hadn’t encountered before they followed them up, trying to ring numbers associated with those people. It turned out that some of them were dead, others claimed they hadn’t spoken to Tomica Vjeranovic in years. Eva and Tomas made a note of their names so that they could send someone to pay them a visit as soon as possible. Others weren’t in Esca anymore and they were only looking for people in Esca. The consensus was that Tomica Vjeranovic hadn’t left the capital yet. Eva had wondered if that was just an empty hunch, there was absolutely no reason why he couldn’t have high-tailed it out of Esca to somewhere else in a stolen vehicle or something. The train stations and airports definitely wouldn’t have been an option for him, but he could have driven somewhere else.

The timeline did kind of rule that out though. The letters posted to the Gazeta Mytanija had been from Esca post boxes and it had all just happened in such a condensed period of time. Would he even have been able to escape yet? Once they had the CCTV footage they were onto him. Stolen vehicles were being chased up with more vigour than usual because they knew that was a possibility. It just seemed like he was lying low somewhere, waiting it out. But what if they were wrong?

“Eva, what about her?” Tomas asked as he leaned back on his chair. He was waving a file vaguely in Eva’s direction. She swiped it out of his hand and sat it on the desk facing her. There was a youngish woman staring back up at her, she couldn’t have been more than five years younger than Eva herself. Eva looked at the notes and recoiled slightly as she read: ‘charged for possession of an illicit substance’; ‘charged for street prostitution’, not particularly because she found either of those two things offensive or anything like that but more because of how young this girl was, she appeared to be a similar age to her and it might not have taken much for the two to be in the others’ position. She scanned the notes, she was born in Prahecq and had a Mytanar father, she moved to Ebor with him at the age of 14 before they moved to Esca where she finished her education. It said her father had died when she was 17 and since then she had been a drug user and a prostitute. It made for difficult reading.

“How… How does she know Vjeranovic?” Eva asked, almost dazed by the file, it wasn’t always easy.

“We’re not one-hundred percent sure. People have said different things. Some think they’ve been in a relationship but most have said that he just used to sell her drugs and that them being in a relationship is rubbish. I think the junkies have to be believed on this one, this guy seems to always be on the move, I’ve no idea how he’d hold down a relationship with anyone.”

“What’s her name? I don’t think we’ve been in contact with her.”

“Erm, is it not there on the file?” Tomas asked, picking the file up off the desk. “We’ll have to pay her a visit at some point if we’ve not managed to get in touch with her, it’s often easier getting people to talk when you visit them in person. Here… Éléonore Bobec.”

“Okay. Add her to the list, we’ll pay her a visit tomorrow.” Eva said, letting out a sigh. She hoped they would visit her and find her there. It would be good to know she was okay.

MYTANIJA NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION FOR GAMES AGAINST DAMUKUNI (H) AND CRITICAL OPERATIONS (A)
Goalkeepers: 1. Pedja Kasun (Ararat Severyan), 12. Lazar Obradovic (Liria Prizren), 23. Zafer Muminovic (Tekstil Ibon)
Defenders: 2. Srdan Vukovic (1896 Ebor), 3. Mojmir Anac (Olympic Thessia), 4. Kamil Jernejec (Olympic Thessia), 5. Petr Isaev (Crvena Zvezda); 25. Patrik Odonelec (Atletik Thessia), 14. Niksa Obadko (Liria Prizren), 15. Grigorij Savicevic (Atletik Thessia), 16. Branko Nikolov (Liria Prizren)
Midfielders: 6. Alen Hrdaljko (CDSA), 7. Tahir Fejzuli (Atletik Thessia), 8. Dalibor Vlahovic (Ararat Severyan), 10. Jasno Odonelec (Atletik Thessia), 11. Boris Kalinic (Workers Union [EUR]); 17. Branko Brkljacic (Atletik Thessia), 18. Vilim Kupresak (Olympic Thessia), 33. Sefir Ajanovic (Stade Yvelines [PRH]), 19. Brajko Gavrilovic (1896 Ebor), 20. Maks Shishkin (Energija-Nuklearna), 37. Sinisa Nikic (Marianne [PRH])
Forwards: 9. Jezdimir Ocokoljic (Atletik Thessia); 21. Zlatan Andrijasevic (Atletik Thessia); 39. Anton-Dusan Straka (Liria Prizren)

by **Saltstead** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 5:58 pm

Asħwells Tijden
Vor Saxlandes en Såutsteides Königlikstad

The World Cup of Flags: Qualifying Groups 1 and 2
Annelise Martijns from the Borough of Königsplaas

In celebration of the upcoming football World Cup in Ethane and Taeshan, Asħwells Tijden is running a special series: the World Cup of Flags. Our goal here is to sift through the cruft to find the most brilliant flags in the multiverse. Or at least among footballing nations. We are first winnowing the flags down to 32, with Ethane and Taeshan qualifying for our finals by right.

We are deciding the qualifying groups via five criterion: simplicity, symbolism, colour use, uniqueness and absence of text and seals. A score of zero represents complete failure on a particular criterion. Two represents success: either the criterion is fully met or the criterion is broken in a way that is nonetheless effective. One represents partial success, such as criterion being met in a way that nonetheless compromises the design of the flag. We reserve the right to award half points where we believe a flag to be on the line between two integer scores.

We will go through our qualifying groups in numerical order. If we have a tie at any point, we will break it by dropping each flag’s highest criteria score until we have a decision. This is based on our judgement that a flag with one severe flaw is likely to be worse than a flag that is more-or-less acceptable on all fronts, but you are welcome to challenge us on that decision.

Group 1
Some of our readers expressed concerns that the flags in the finals would be too homogenous in design, but the winner of Group 1 ought to assuage that concern. The flag that took our editors by storm was the flag of none other than Reçueçn, which we are happy to award a perfect 10 out of 10. This is because one of our guidelines is that if you break a rule in a way that still looks good and does not hurt the flag’s ability to be a flag, you still get full credit. Reçueçn’s flag uses an unconventional purple, but it nevertheless contrasts well with the red and gold. The lions are a bit fiddly to draw and the chevron is a bit complicated, but they also make the flag incredibly unique and scream “Reçueçn”. The design is crisp, unmistakeable and doubtlessly unique.

As for our runners-up, three flags were in contention. Fluvannia scored a respectable 8: you literally could not get much simpler than the flag of Fluvannia, but the problem is that it is so simple that you could easily confuse it with another white-cross-on-blue. The blue and white colours are sharply contrastive and they remind us of gushing rivers and pristine lakes, so Fluvannia’s flag is still great, just not the best.

Putting aside our editors’ views on communism, the flag of Tioguldós is effective and scores an 8.5 out of 10. The sun in the bottom circle is a bit complicated, but you can still easily sketch something resembling it. The sun also symbolises the people of Tioguldós and therefore reinforces its perfect symbolism score. Ultimately, though, the flag is just narrowly edged out by Geektopia, whose flag we have only one complaint about: the fact that the gold does not contrast with the green or purple as well as it should. But the purple and gold symbolise the theocratic monarchy well and the green square in the centre of the centre stripe is a highly effective way to break up what would otherwise be a monotonous triband flag, so Geektopia takes second place.

A dishonourable mention has to go to the flag of Silvedania, which is unique. But unfortunately, uniqueness does not equal quality. The colours do not contrast that well and appear to be in gradient form—the flag even admits it has failed by adding black lines to distinguish the silver and gold. Furthermore, the eagle in the centre more closely resembles a crest than a flag charge, so that will also drive up the cost of production. But at least the colour scheme is appropriate for a nation that we assume is rich in precious metals, so we will accept those as small victories. It does not keep the flag from scoring a 5 out of 10.

Group 2
Unfortunately, we had to disqualify the Plane of Possibility, who appear to have registered a twenty-sided die registered as their flag. It is a cheeky choice, but a flag it is not and this is a competition about flag design.

The flags of Ranoria and Terre Septentrionale were severely let down by the fact that they appear to have been dragged through mud before being hung on a wall, though we have to admit that neither design was perfect to begin with. Ranoria’s red and blue do not contrast well enough: as we said with Silvedania, if you need to add another colour to distinguish between your main colours, you have failed. The design is unique and symbolic, but the colours and ripple drop Ranoria to a 7. As for Terre Septentrionale, we have a fiddly eagle and fleur-de-lys, but you can still bodge those without the flag being totally unrecognisable and the flag adequately represents a union between two different ethnic groups. Just a shame it was dragged through dirt, bringing its score down to 7½.

Brenecia thus got lucky to take third place with their 8 out of 10. Their flag is not totally unique, as there is an “Amalfi” mod to RLstates, but the flag of Brenecia is overall inoffensive and effective. We are not aware of another actual nation using the same cross design as Brenecia and certainly not one that uses it with same colours, so third place Brenecia get.

Filindostan and Riena both take this group by a landslide. Our only complaint about the flag of Filindostan is that the red may not contrast against the black well enough in rough conditions. The sun and stars at the top left are rather fiddly, but they can be bodged slightly without impairing recognition, so it’s not enough to get Filindostan docked any points. As for Riena, while they break the rule about using a seal, we have to say that the Riennic seal works here. The branch designs in the purple ring can easily be left off without impairing the recognisability of the flag, so it does not take a hit there. Our only real complaint is that the gold spokes are not as visible on the white field as they should be.

Both flags took a 9½ out of 10, but we had to pick one to win the group. Ultimately, we have opted to award the win to Riena, but Filindostan will almost certainly appear in our World Cup of Flags final tournament.

Recap
Reçueçn has the best flag so far in our vexillological tournament, but Riena and Filindostan are not far behind. Riena has also joined Ethane, Taeshan and Reçueçn in our finals. Finally, Geektopia and Filindostan wait in the wings as possible playoff participants. Our commiserations go to Fluvannia and Tioguldós for just missing out.

Next time in our World Cup of Flags series, we will rank the flags of qualifying groups 3 and 4. ⁕

In other news:

Football: Head coach John Rosencrants expresses “grave disappointment” in Saltstead’s performances in World Cup qualifying
“It was much better than I expected”: organisers hail the thunderous success of the Cersehorst Tofu Exposition
Local child does not drown in river: a Ritheburger couple save a young Ashweller boy from death in the River Argent

★
The Royal Saltsteadish Football Association
Royal House of Sport, Ashwell
Jeruselem : Saltstead
World Cup 87 qualifying group stage — Matchday 6
Unknown Stadium, Unknown City, Jeruselem
Starting line-up (4–5–1): Robert-Jan van Daal (captain); Micħäl Aurelius, Jan-Pijr Åudenberg, Maxime Crabshaas, Victoria Rothöüf; Mina Ratmaker, Constantijn van Bleck, Aleksa Pascal, Zacharias van den Slåp, Natasħa Aħterop; Reinhard Åubreħtssen
Substitute bench: Christijn Sänt-Andreas, Marianne Åudershof; Richard Christopħe, Pijr Josefssen, Serena van Middelkamp, Catharine de Vriħt; Nicholas Tiberius, Benni Sħåul, Thomas Lions, Adelaide de Jong, Wim Amistad; Haråud Haråudssen

Saltstead : New Lustiania
World Cup 87 qualifying group stage — Matchday 7
King William VII National Park, Ashwell, Saltstead
Starting line-up (5–4–1): Kathrinita Äsħes (captain); Gunner Stepħenssen, Rokus Michahels, Dijter Ackerdiħ, Tobias Thomassen, Yorg Handel; Marina Jager, Violeta Igesleven, Margaretha Wilheumssen, Nico Joxepħssen; Stepħanie Withöüf
Substitute bench: Adam van Middelkamp, Julij Kåler; Frans Richard, Sebastien van Can, Anne Hodmaker, Johan van Tilborg, Constantijn Kåler; Johanne Geuberts, Nico Swart, Theodor Felicianus, Aleksa le Duc; Edvard Rothås

by **Mavinet** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 5:59 pm

Football’s Heartbeat – Special series: Đại Hòa 1500 – Episode 3
MBC1 channel
Wednesday, 6pm

*Program starts with a bottom-up view of the Kình Thiên Tower, one of the tallest skyscrapers in Đại Hòa in Bình Lợi District. The building is a part of the mixed-use complex owned by Long Khánh Corporation, built with the orientation toward eco-friendliness and high-end lifestyle.*

Kình Thiên Tower, Đại Hòa

Hello viewers! I’m glad to welcome you to another episode of Football’s Heartbeat – Đại Hòa 1500 Special series. I am your host Tô Hoàng Linh, bringing you today to another iconic landmark of the capital. the last episode, we went back in time with a visit to the Temple of Literature in Đại Hòa. Today, we will look at the modern and youthful side of the capital with a visit to one of the tallest structures in the city – the Kình Thiên Tower.

The skyscraper behind me boasts an impressive height of 473 meters and 91 floors above ground, with an extra 3 floors underground for parking. Long Khánh Corporation, one of the largest real estate corporations in Mavinet, announced the plan for this building in 2012, with construction began in 2013. The central part of the complex where the Kình Thiên Tower is located was completed in 2020, right on time to catch the surge of tourism to Mavinet due to the country participation in international football competitions. Although this is not the first skyscraper built in the city, in terms of design and scale, it definitely has its place among the most iconic, and thus it is chosen to be the focus of today’s episode.

One of the major features that sets this building in specific and this particular complex apart from a lot of its counterparts around the capital is the incorporation of green space into the structure itself. The base part of the high-rise area takes inspiration from the staircase rice fields in the northern regions of the country. There are trees, bushes, flowers, ponds present in almost all open visible space at the podium, which creates a spectacular landscape for residents, visitors and tourists. And it’s not just on the outside, but there is an abundance of plants on the interior as well. The designer didn’t stop there, and dedicated floor 60 to 64 of the tower to be a sky garden. It is an amazing feat of modern architectural design and construction, and a great showcase of Đại Hòa and Mavinet’s innovation toward eco-friendliness.

The base of the high-rise complex

Now who will we meet today and where will we meet them? Luckily, today I know exactly where to go. Follow me!

*Hoàng Linh and the camera move inside the tower and head to the elevator inside the spacious lobby. Their destination: the 62rd floor – the Sky Garden Bar. As the elevator opens up, Hoàng Linh is greeted with a scene that resemble a full-scale botanical garden, with hundreds of types of plants and flowers beautifully organized around the curve walkway. They walk outside to a view of the whole city. A young man approaches them, whose face gradually becomes more recognizable as he gets closer to the duo. The young man is Hồ Vũ Thanh Hoàng, the winger of La Nueva Avenida and the national team.*

Hoàng Linh: “Good evening Thanh Hoàng! How are you? Dear viewers, this is no stranger to all of us. I present to you Hồ Vũ Thanh Hoàng, talented winger of La Nueva Avenida and the Mavinese national football team. Thanh Hoàng, we are very happy that you can spare a moment today to come join us at Football’s Heartbeat.”

Thanh Hoàng: “Good evening to you and the viewers of Football’s Heartbeat! It’s my pleasure. To be honest, I immediately asked Head Coach Minh Quân [the national team’s head coach] for a temporary leave when I received the invitation from the program. Football’s Heartbeat is one of the programs I love, so of course I jumped right at the opportunity.”

Hoàng Linh: “Thank you, and that’s very heartwarming to hear. Before we start, congratulations on the win against the United States of Devonta! I’m sure the team as well as the fans had been waiting for the start of the World Cup qualifying campaign, and to start it with a win must be a great feeling?”

Thanh Hoàng: “Absolutely! We wanted to get off on the right foot and that’s what we did. The opening home game plays an important role too, and I don’t think we can underestimate the power of the home fan, especially here in Mavinet.”

Hoàng Linh: “And I’m sure there is no one more delighted at the good performance than the fans. Dear viewers, don’t go anywhere! We will be back after a short break, and together with Thanh Hoàng, we will listen to the Football’s Heartbeat.”

*Commercial break*

* Hoàng Linh and Thanh Hoàng are sitting in one of the “sky pods” – circular space built for customers of the bar to sit and enjoy their drinks in the middle of an artificial pond. In the distance, Đại Hòa’s downtown turns on it light, brighten up the whole horizon that is slowly fading away as the sun sets.*

The Sky Garden Bar

Hoàng Linh: “Welcome back to Football’s Heartbeat. We are now sitting with Hồ Vũ Thanh Hoàng at the Sky Pod Bar on the 62nd floor of the Kình Thiên Tower. The view from here is amazing, and although it will cost a bit, I think the experience you get from being in such a beautiful place with beautiful view is worth it. Have you ever been to this bar before, Thanh Hoàng?”

Thanh Hoàng: “I have been here maybe once or twice when I come back to Mavinet after a season at Farfadillis. It is one of the more recent buildings that quickly becomes one of the most popular attraction in the city, not just for the tourists but for Mavineses as well.”

Hoàng Linh: “What do you like the most in this place?”

Thanh Hoàng: “Everything. The environment design is superb, the view is fantastic, and seeing the innovation of the building makes me very proud of being a Mavinese. Well, it’s pricey but I think you’re right, what you get in return makes it worth it.”

Hoàng Linh: “In a sense, this building is a bit like you, isn’t it? It shows a youthful and innovative side of Mavinet in general and Đại Hòa in specific, and many people have said the same thing about you and what you have brought to Mavinese football. What do you think about that?”

Thanh Hoàng: “That’s too flattering.” The footballer laughs. “I think what you said describes what I strive for when I play football: youthfulness and creativity. I will leave the judgement in the hands of the fans. As for myself, I think so far I have made good progress toward being a good footballer, and I will continue to work hard to improve.”

Hoàng Linh: “That humility is also another thing that people really like about you. I can say from a fan’s perspective that you are one of the most exciting players of the national team. I still remember the first appearance for the national team for you was a substitution in the first match in the 72nd Baptism of Fire against Lake Esper. You made an impact right away with an important equalizer in the dying minutes of the match. That match surely had a special place in your heart?”

Thanh Hoàng: “Yes, I always remember that moment. It was the debut for our country in an international tournament, and the game was so tight. At the 79th minute, I remember, Head Coach Minh Quân told me ‘Hoàng, get ready. You are going in for Quân [Nguyễn Thái Trung Quân]. You will play like this and this and this.’ To be honest, I was so excited with the opportunity, I wasn’t really paying full attention to the instructions haha. I’m sorry Coach! But yeah, I came in and played as best I could. Luckily I got an good opportunity to score after that, and I felt like the happiest guy on the pitch. The first goal for the national team is always a dear memory for me.”

Hoàng Linh: “To dramatize the moment a bit, at that moment, it’s like you made a statement to the coaches and other players: ‘I am here to stay.’ And you actually did. You slowly became the first choice on the right flank for the national team and have featured in the roster every subsequent tournament. What do you think help you rise up the ranks when there are other more experienced players in your position?”

Thanh Hoàng: “That’s a tough question, maybe I have to consult the head coach about that too haha. If I say anything about myself it will sound so weird… Anyways, I think maybe because I offer an energetic and daring factor to the tactics? Like, with other more senior players, they may have a lot of experience dealing with defenders in a particular situation, but when you play against other national teams, the defenders will be experienced too, so it may be more predictable for them to defend. I think I tend to be on the ‘unpredictable’ side of the spectrum, and because I’m willing to take risk doing unpredictable things, it’s more difficult for the opponent to defend. That’s my approach to playing, and that’s what I think helped me, but you will have to ask the head coach for a more definite answer.”

Hoàng Linh: “I’m sure we eventually will get to that. You’re one of the few footballers whose domestic career gets better thanks to international displays. The good and consistent performance at that first international tournament helped you gain your regular position at Vĩnh An Đại Hòa, right?”

Thanh Hoàng: “That’s true. I was lucky. When I first broke into the first team of Vĩnh An Đại Hòa, I did not think I would get called to the national team. In that first season in the first team, I didn’t get a lot of chances, which was understandable since I was still inexperienced then. When I got called up, I was so surprised. A good kind of surprise. I guess the national team saw the potential in me and wanted to give me a chance to play backup for the senior players. Well, I made sure to perform well every time I get a chance to play and that paid off. My domestic career also got a boost from there. The moral of the story is: Just do the best you can and the chances will come. Make sure to take them when they do.”

Hoàng Linh: “That’s a truth right there. You are also one of the few players currently playing overseas right now. What make you decide to move abroad and how have your experience in Farfadillis been so far?”

Thanh Hoàng: “It was no hard decision really. I love Vĩnh An Đại Hòa, but I also can’t turn down an opportunity to play in one of the best nations in football. When I heard that La Nueva Avenida were interested in me, I felt very proud and excited with the chance of playing abroad. They are also one of the biggest clubs in Farfadillis who play a kind of football I really like. Most importantly, I wanted to expose myself to more football styles so I can continue to develop professionally. As for my experience so far, it’s been really eye-opening. Farfadillis is very different from Mavinet in terms of culture and lifestyle, but the people I have met and interacted with there are nice. They have helped me adapted to place quickly. I do miss Mavinese food and people after a while, so I hope more Mavineses, especially footballers, will go there.”

Hoàng Linh: “It’s my hope also. We are starting to see more and more Mavinese footballers moving abroad to advance their career: Trần Hoàng Minh and Hà Văn Thao are playing in Tikariot; you are in Farfadillis; we have seen Lâm Trí Thông and Võ Thanh Hải playing in Banija before on loan; the latest rumor is Mai Trung Hải is being eyed on by a club in Siovanija & Teusland. While it is great to see Mavinese players getting known more and valued by foreign leagues, do you think there will be a skill drain to other nations?”

Thanh Hoàng: “It is a risk, but it’s also an opportunity for the domestic league to improve to keep the talents here as well. Competition is good, especially that with other nations, because we have to develop to a level on par with other leagues around the multiverse. For the players, I think it is a good thing because like I said, it’s important to know how other players in other countries are playing football, what we can learn from them and what we can do better than them. It will be a skill drain when Mavinet stand still while the world advances. It will be a boost when we react to the market and improve.”

Hoàng Linh: “Thank you so much for your insight and participation in the program today. In the spirit of Đại Hòa 1500, I wish you all the best in your career abroad and may you continue to be the inspiration to all young footballers across the country. Do you want to say anything to the viewers before we wrap up?”

Thanh Hoàng: “It’s my pleasure to be here today in a great space with the program. Thank you to the viewers who have been following me in the conversation today. This year is the 1500th anniversary of the capital, so I hope everyone will join us in the celebration of this great city. Please keep supporting us in the national team as we continue to work hard to bring pride to the country. Thank you and happy Đại Hòa 1500!”

Hoàng Linh:“Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, our time for today’s episode is up. Thank you once again for going on this journey with us, and we hope to see you again next week on Wednesday, 6pm on MBC1 in our next episode of the special series Đại Hòa 1500. I am Tô Hoàng Linh at Kình Thiên Tower, and this is Football’s Heartbeat.”

MAVINET - 2
13’ Vo Thanh Hai
50’ Vo Thanh Hai

CHROMATIKA - 4
24’ Gainsbourg
41’ Hauser
72’ Fillar, B.
81’ Toussaint

MAVINET - 0

ZSEPARATISTS - 0

MD6’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).

MD7’s lineup:
Hoang Trung (GK) / Phuoc Long (LB), Hung Dung (CB), Van Thao (CB), Van Hau (RB) / Tri Thong (DM), Hoai Linh (CM), Hoang Minh (AM) / Tien Linh (LW), Thanh Hoang (RW) / Thanh Hai (ST).

by **Astograth** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 6:00 pm

KIEE Imports & Exports presents…

DAINERI STARTING GOALKEEPER
The no. 1 cult footballing podcast in Astograth, with your hosts Ibon and Mantzia
Originally dedicated to the Audioslavian National League, then it spiralled out of control
Transcribed and translated by Transkribia, sign up at Transkribia.asg/DSG for the full script and a 30-day free trial

Ibon: … I’m on the record saying it. On the record, on this very podcast. I don’t have the episode number for it – Yeimi, pull that up – but I’m on the record. Live broadcast of the 685- no, 684 Royal Cup final.

Mantzia: Ibon, he scored the fifth goal.

Ibon: And? It’s his third cap! He’s gifted, I told you. When everyone was shitting on him, at the very moment that everyone was shitting on him, I said everyone was wrong and this kid was special.

Mantzia: OK, that’s true. Yeah. But Royal Cup final, extra time, guy snaps and straight up clocks Goikoechea. How stupid do you have to be?

Ibon: That’s besides the point. Hot-headed, maybe, but there’s been plenty of great players like that. Urrustoy was a great player, correct?

Mantzia: Living god, as you say.

Ibon: OK, let’s not pretend like Wanderers gave a shit about him before he moved to Juvapanam. But he was a great player, and how many times did he get sent off while being good? A ton.

Mantzia: Because that’s what he did! Urrustoy was an anchor man, Nekol’s a winger. It’s not his job to take people out, and he did it poorly too since Goikoechea just laughed it off. Refs are stricter now anyway, you couldn’t get away with half of what Urrustoy did in today’s game.

Ibon: Fine, fine. My point is, the kid’s a shithouse and that doesn’t keep you from being a good player, even a great one.

Mantzia: No, Goikoechea was the shithouse and Nekol got baited. Big difference.

Ibon: Fine! It was a one-time thing. It was a really bad mistake in a high-level, high-pressure match, and then Sporting decided they’d lost because of it. Can you explain to me how a 20 year-old rookie getting sent off makes you lose on penalties?

Mantzia: They were forced to defend the last ten minutes instead of going for goal?

Ibon: Flimsy case.

Mantzia: Honestly, yeah. I can understand why they scapegoated him, though.

Ibon: It was Legeren’s last match! You’re not going to blame the manager when he’s retiring, not when he’s won you three leagues in a row, even though yeah. It was totally his fault, plus Gesterlake just being brilliant.

Mantzia: You like Eskape?

Ibon: Shit forward, never rated him. As manager though… solid manager. Gesterlake should’ve stuck with him. Their real problem is they’ve got shit players

Mantzia: I agree. I’ve seen a lot of people saying Eliz is better, but Eliz… he’s a BMR-type. He’s OK. But he’s not going to win you a Royal Cup, which Eskape [bleep]ing did.

Ibon: Right. So as I was saying, it wasn’t Nekol’s fault and Sporting overreacted. He’s 21 years old, one of the best prospects in the whole country – and you’re throwing him out?! Over one mistake?! Even if it was a final, come on. Too much. At least they had the sense to only offer him up on the international market, can you imagine Ituraitz snapping him up?

Mantzia: How does that even work? Letting a player go on a free but only internationally?

Ibon: Some weird clause surrounding mutual termination they put on contracts after those fiascos with Paguape and Lizarza. Man, Sporting’s full-backs really hate them. Anyway, on the topic of sending players abroad, that lets me segue seamlessly into this week’s sponsor; KIEE Imports & Exports! Do you need something imported? Do you need something exported? KIEE Imports & Exports are your go-to option, at kiee.asg! Import anything, export anything, so long as it’s not illegal! No questions asked! They’ll handle all import and export tariffs and fees, suitable for wholesale or retail! KIEE, at kiee.asg – no questions asked!

Mantzia: Sporting should’ve asked a few more questions, honestly.

Ibon: Like, “why does Izotz Zubia want my reject winger?”. Yes. Yes, they should have. Because that reject went to the [bleep] [bleep]ing National League, scored from his own half-

Mantzia: 45 yards, technically.

Ibon: From 45 yards, technically not his own half, and won the [bleep] [bleep]ing National League in his first season there. With Zozi, who – you know how it goes. My mother gave me life, Zozi gave me the will to live. Nekol’s 22. The world is his oyster. He just scored for the [bleep] [bleep]ing national team on his third cap, and I called it! When everyone was shitting on him, I said this kid is special. And he is.

by **Muralos** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 6:00 pm

La Gazeto de Sportatoj
Against Higher-Ranked Teams, Muralosian National Soccer Team Records One Loss and One Win
Things Look Up For the Hawks; #LaGrimpado (The Climb) Trends on Social Media
By Adamo Tanaka and Jonathan Liu
January 15, 2021

MARTHORPE, FLAVOVESPIA and NORD-URBO, MURALOS. On Friday, the Muralosian national soccer team continued its World Cup 87 qualification campaign, playing matches against the national teams of Flavovespia – ranked 41st in the world – and Acronia – ranked 100th in the world. The Hawks, by contrast, are ranked 259th in the world, tied with Barfleur, Yttribia, and fellow World Cup hopeful Stevidia.

Against Flavovespia at their City Stadium in Marthorpe, the Hawks put up an exceptionally solid defense, playing comfortably in their traditional 4-4-2 formation. Starting center back Aleksandro Kim and left back Koralo Petrov were instrumental to the Hawks' defensive game. Together, they cleared away a majority of Flavovespia's most deadly shots, and it became clear to Muralosian management that any more defenders on the pitch would be unnecessary. Petrov also provided the Muralosian attacking front with some of its finest chances. In the match's 10th minute, he fielded a pass to midfielder Lerta Donaldson, whose cross to Rui roused the small contingent of Muralosian fans in attendance. Unfortunately, Rui's shot came too early and with too much power; the ball soared over the goal and landed in the stands.

Flavovespia's squad would create a successful chance not long after the Hawks' initial splash. David Blythe, Flavovespia's right wing-back, made a run with the ball in the match's 20th minute, before passing it to right attacking midfielder Steven Hall. While the Hawks' Aleksandro Kim prevented him from scoring at that exact moment, Hall was able to move into the goal area and pass the ball to Flavovespian striker Ramon Martin. With that, Martin scored the Muralos-Flavovespia match's only goal, which evaded the maneuvering of both the Hawks' defender Rikardo Lei and starting goalkeeper Rodion Markov.

Flavovespia would continue to make efforts at expanding their lead. These made for some nail-biting moments: in the match's 33rd minute, the Hawks' Rodion Markov made a long-range pass that inadvertently came to Flavovespia's James King. King sent the ball back toward Markov's goal, and would have scored were it not for Aleksandro Kim heading the ball away. From the Hawks' fans, the move seemed to yield cheers as loud as those for Ramon Martin's goal.

Unfortunately, the Muralosian attacking front would face much greater challenges from Flavovespia's defense, even in the last 15 minutes as head coach Jozefo Koltakov put three strikers – Rui, Adamo Brava, and Valora Lin – in play. Valora Lin's one shot was on target, but was skillfully blocked by Flavovespia's goalkeeper David Meehan. For Lin, this has become a recurring theme. When the Hawks faced Sannyamathland in the group stage of the 74th Baptism of Fire, she recorded two shots on target that were both blocked, and she had a shot blocked as well in the World Cup qualifiers against Central Shaneville.

FINAL
Muralos 0 - 1 Flavovespia
Martin 22'

In a post-game interview with La Gazeto, Muralosian assistant coach Hina Kageyama stated that the Muralos-Flavovespia match has "actually given [the Hawks] a degree of hope about what we might be able to accomplish in the rest of the qualifying campaign." Kageyama praised the performances of Aleksandro Kim and Koralo Petrov, stating that "their current configuration helps form the crux of our defense, and it isn't something that head coach Koltakov, coach Li, or myself want to change."

The Muralosian national soccer team's match against Acronia was much harder fought, thought at first it seemed like a blow-out victory was in the bag. Just one minute after kickoff, the Hawks' midfielder Johano Abramovich assisted Adamo Brava in a low-flying goal that yielded a brief bit of celebration. Soon enough, starting striker Valora Lin would follow up with two goals in the 10th and 16th minutes, assisted by Lerta Donaldson with a cross and Galina Shchedrina with a clean diagonal pass.

The celebrations were put on hold as Acronia's squad regained their footing and launched counterattacks whenever the chance arose. By the match's 59th minute, the score was 3-3, and the Hawks had lost their 3-0 lead. If the Muralos-Flavovespia game was nail-biting, then the Muralos-Acronia game had Hawks fans wanting to bite off their hands entirely. Ridership on the Nord-Urbo monorail reached an all-time high on Friday as people missed their stops while watching the match on their phones. Patrons at the famous La Krokodilo restaurant in Urbego had to be escorted from the premises into a designated game-viewing arena; they had gotten their fill of the restaurant's signature steamed dumplings, but not of Muralosian soccer.

Eventually, the tide would turn for the Hawks as Nikolaj Granda took a corner kick just ten minutes before the match's end. Rui answered Granda's kick beautifully with a header that sealed a Muralosian victory and sent Muralosian fans celebrating once more. Perhaps to conserve energy, Rui ran for just a few seconds with both arms outstretched, before kneeling on the grass as the rest of the Hawks huddled around him.

The Hawks' win against Acronia is their second in World Cup 87 qualification. They are now seventh in World Cup qualifying group 3 with a 2-0-3 record; despite this less-than-ideal showing, a micro-site by Poafmersia's The Pinnacle; The Poafmer Times; and the Poafmersian Broadcasting Corporation (PFBC) has found the Hawks to have risen over 100 places in the world rankings. The micro-site shows that, should the world rankings be updated today, the Hawks would now rank 151st in the world, up from 259th (tie).

When asked about his reaction to the Poafmersian micro-site, team captain Adamo Brava told La Gazeto in a post-game interview that "our squad has a lot to learn regardless, as happy as I am to hear about our rise in rank." Beside him, the players Johano Abramovich and Georgo Zhong nodded in agreement.

FINAL
Muralos 4 - 3 Acronia
Brava 1', Lin 10', Lin 16', Rui 80' | Garner 31', Pascale 48', Saint-Saëns 59'

The Muralosian national soccer team plays their next matches on Sunday, January 17th, against Havynwilde at Urbego's Komcatt Arena and TJUN-ia at Tiankong Stadium in Tiankong, TJUN-ia. Both matches, along with all World Cup qualifying matches, will be broadcast live on RTM-1, Radio Muralana-Sportema, and rtmnet.mur.

Muralosian line-up against Havynwilde
(4-4-2)
GK - Lubimova
LB - Petrov
CB - Lei
CB - Kim
RB - A. Mori
LM - Donaldson
CM - Abramovich
CM - Granda
RM - Shchedrina
ST - Rui
ST - Brava

Muralosian line-up against TJUN-ia
(4-4-2)
GK - Markov
LB - Petrov
CB - Lei
CB - Kim
RB - A. Mori
LM - Donaldson
CM - Abramovich
CM - Granda
RM - Lumin
ST - Lin
ST - Brava

"Havynwilde and TJUN-ia are teams that we've seen before, but it's clear by now that we cannot underestimate either squad. They are in their element when it comes to playing World Cup qualifier matches, and both of them will be fighting hard to ensure a spot at the top. When we play teams this dedicated and 'ready to rumble,' as it were, we really need to match that sort of energy. Let's keep up our preparation and give our opponents a good fight." -Jozefo Koltakov, head coach of the Muralosian national soccer team

by **New Lusitania and the Algarves** » Sun Jan 17, 2021 6:04 pm

STL | Serviços de Transmissão Lusitana

GETTING BETTER
New Lusitania 4-1 Stevidia
@ Estádio do Mondego, Coimbra (Att: 46 902)

After what had been a decent recovery, Winter started to knock at everyone’s door as November rolled around for the final International Break of the year. Home of recent champions and academic city, the young people of Coimbra welcomed Stevidia to their giant stadium as crowds of fans gathered to get a glimpse of the Selecção playing. Patríce was promised a return to the net after this match as Lopes started in front of his now home crowd, Vinagrete, Ferradura and Cancela in defence as Fernando and Palhagueira stood in midfield with Guerra and Gama on the flanks, the Guimarães winger in-form. Unsurprisingly Veiga, Jota and Silveira were the other three starters.
Unlike previous matches, New Lusitania actually seemed to have plenty of footing in this one, despite the opponent’s efforts. The Selecção opened the tally on the twentieth minute of play, this time a nice distance ball from Fernando slid into the top drawer nicely to start official proceedings. A second goal came a while later (35’) with Jota getting another goal, another header originating from Guerra. Before halftime, a third goal was scored. A counter-attack from the Lusitanians got them well ahead, Veiga putting this one in off the post. As the teams went into the dressing rooms, the Lusitanians were quite pleased to see something rare – a game where New Lusitania were doing well by the end of the initial showing.
The second half provided some interest nonetheless, especially when Stevidia put one in at the very start pulling one back and shocking everyone present. After a second half which then provided a good midfield battle but not so many clear chances, the fourth and final goal would come on 74’ by the foot of Jota smashing it in. A good first win of the week for the Lusitanians as they would soon travel overseas. For now, though, it all seemed fine for just a while after a convincing win for once.

BRING ON THE YOUTH!
Belacian States 2-3 New Lusitania

So, for the second game it would be a flyaway event to the Belacian States. Plenty of changes for this one, starting with the promised return of Patríce, as well as that of Leiteiro. Paulo Gonçalves started the game for the usual skipper, passing that position over to goal. Horta came back and Paciente in the stead of Silveira.
The rotation gave a few troubles as some got accustomed to new roles at the National Team or just adapting to this elite level of football – the Qualifiers. New Lusitania would draw first blood with Paciente getting another good goal in for the Selecção and making it count when he can play for the team. Belac weren’t too far behind though and a goal for the home side would soon appear, in what would be for Patríce a series of unlucky events as them scuffled for the ball only for it to eventually appear on the other side of the line after about four tries to get it there. Halftime approached and nothing of a second goal for either side seemed to appear. In the second half, Ferradura appeared in for Veiga, pulling into the alternate tactic, the 4-4-2.
The second half would be, in exception to one or two (Gama, Patríce, Jota) what the future of the Selecção looked like and when the closing half came the eleven was now working in acceptable parameters. Scoring second would be new kid Paulo Gonçalves. A well linked play saw him stick out his leg to score his first qualifying goal with the assist coming from former teammate, João Palhagueira. 55 minutes played. Twenty minutes later, a security goal was found through the foot of the homonymous, as the Valnohar Rovers midfielder got well into the final third and saw an aerial ball from Cancela give him the chance to make it three, taking it with confidence. Shortly after, Belac’s second goal proved to be gut wrenching to some fans with a good ten minutes to go, again a goal that Patríce’s hand hit and palmed but just about went through with the sheer power of the strike. Fortunately for the Navegadores, it would be all over now and they would await the new year in Spring to return back into action having to play Melbergia but also the extremely tough cookie that is Saltstead. At the moment Banija is the only one with a flawless record after Thibaea’s loss to Saltstead put them three points behind meaning the Selecção joins them.Jeruselem’s draw meant they too are at a two point distance, meaning keeping that win was extremely important. With the last few games of the first round being equally important, the Selecção must win them all to be with a chance of progressing. Coragem Selecção!...

World Cup 87 - RP Thread

Fresto Sports - 17 January 2021

WC87 MD4 & MD5

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