World Cup 88- Roleplay Thread

by **Cassadaigua** » Thu Apr 29, 2021 8:22 pm

Roleplay Thread

Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to begin! May the great stories of the World Cup start to be told, here in the official World Cup 88 roleplay thread!

If you would like guidance on roleplaying for the World Cup, check out the World Cup 87 RP Thread for reference!

Group A:
Chromatika (14)
Squornshelan Remnant States (53)
Commonwealth of Baker Park (13)
Independent Athletes from Quebec (31)

Group B:
Newmanistan (17)
Yuezhou (62)
Turori (9)
Farfadillis (4)

Group C:
Nephara (1)
South Newlandia (28)
Brenecia (11)
Hampton Island (39)

Group D:
Tikariot (22)
HUElavia (41)
Pasarga (12)
Banija (5)

Group E:
Cassadaigua (6)
Omerica (37)
Savigliane (29)
Kelssek (10)

Group F:
Starblaydia (8)
Ko-oren (7)
Tequilo (46)
Audioslavia (18)

Group G:
Twicetagria (48)
Eura (16)
Poafmersia (20)
Valanora (2)

Group H:
Vilita (15)
Mercedini (35)
The Holy Empire (3)
Jeruselem (50)

Schedule:
June 9- MD1- 1 v 4, 2 v 3
June 11- MD2- 4 v 3, 1 v 2
June 13- MD3- 2 v 4, 3 v 1
June 15- Round of 16- A1vB2, C1vD2, B1vA2, D1vC2, E1vF2, G1vH2, F1vE2, H1vG2
June 17- Quarterfinals- SR1vSR2, SR3vSR4, SR5vSR6, SR7vSR8
June 21- Semifinals- QF1vQF2, QF3vQF4
June 22- 3rd Place Game
June 23- Final (Played in Chromatika, scored by Cassadaigua)
*June 18-20 is an extended off day period due to RL concerns

Cutoff times:
Groups A-D: Cassadaigua (Cutoff: 6-7PM Pacific/9-10PM Eastern/1-2AM UTC)
Groups E-H: Chromatika (Cutoff: 7-8PM Pacific/10-11 PM Eastern/2-3AM UTC)

by **Chromatika** » Thu Apr 29, 2021 8:22 pm

Welcome to Chromatika

Overview: Chromatika is a nation composing of a group of islands located in the far northeastern corner of Anaia. There is the main island of Chromatik Island itself, Urrhed Island to the southwest, Myana Island to the northwest, and the Wilderness Preserve of Dorri Island to the northeast.

History: The tale of Chromatik history is one filled with mystery, wonder, tragedy, and determination to make something that is better.

Chromatika one day popped into existence by mysterious forces that have since been identified as a group of extraplanar angels known as The Enlightened Ones. It's still unclear where the populace came from. The Chromatik Party held sway over the land, implementing its seven-color caste system, until the Rainbow Revolution happened, led by the Chromatik National Team in World Cup 75. This resulted in the first Manager of Chromatika - Franscesca Larriet-Cortes - being martyred.

A group of revolutionaries called the Shadow Writers were able to gather elements of the Chromatik Army, Air Force, and Navy to overthrow the Chromatik Party. Alina Krasnikova, one of the leaders of this movement, was the first Premier. Chromatika then ran into another hiccup when the time of the first democratic election came, with the Checkers Party, formed by a lot of the remnants of the Chromatik Party, tried to take control of the election. Aided by one of the Enlightened Ones, the Rainbow Party was able to, with help with their Atlantian Oceanian neighbors, stop the forces behind the Checkers Party and ensure a safe election.

Cultural Notes: While visiting Chromatika, please observe the following:

Transportation: Chromatik highways aren't very wide - two lanes per side at most. There is a very expansive railroad system that was originally used for troop movement, but is has been refitted to serve the everyday citizen. A subway system and a bus system in the bigger cities have also been established. Franscesca Larriet-Cortes International Airport is also not very big, only serving regional flights. For the tournament, the nation will be accepting team planes to land, but it'd be best if you flew to Quebec City, Cathair, Jhanna, or Villeneuve first. Ferries run from the Islands of Myana and Urrhed to and from the main island on the hour.

Ticketing and Visas: All visitors with a valid ticket will get a two-week visa that includes the match that they will be attending. For those attending multiple matches, they will be allowed to stay up to three days after the latest match or two weeks, whichever is longer. Tickets will be distributed as follows: 35% to each nation partaking in the match, 10% to Chromatiks, 15% to people from other nations, and the remaining 5% to be included with any of the tickets that aren’t sold by a predetermined point in time (usually 3 days before the match).

For matches featuring the Chromatik National Team, the distribution is a bit different: 45% for Chromatika, 30% for the visiting team, 20% to people from other nations, and the remaining 5% to be included with any of the tickets that aren’t sold by the predetermined point in time. Any press and dignitaries’ tickets will be counted among the residual 5%.

Also of note: ticket scalping (buying and selling tickets in front of the stadium to would-be buyers) is illegal in Chromatika. If you want to get a ticket in that fashion, make sure you are at least a mile away from the stadium, or don’t get caught. Otherwise, you will be fined and your ticket will be confiscated.

Laws: Chromatik legal code is a bit on the stricter side. The Chromatik Police, known as the CPD, are a well-trained, swift response group with a sizable presence. Chromatka does tend to side more on prevention than reaction. For an enjoyable stay, please note the following laws that visitors should be aware of:

The legal age of purchasing and possession of liquor and tobacco is 18. Stores are required to card anyone that appears to be less than 25 years of age.
The legal age of purchasing cannabis and other marijuana related products is also 18, and the limit of purchasing cannabis without a medical prescription is two grams per visit.
The importing of any alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, or other drugs is illegal without declaration. With declaration, up to a liter of alcohol, two cartons of cigarettes, and three grams of cannabis can be brought in.
Having multiple cars on a lane meant for one car is a finable offense, and the offending drivers’ licenses can be revoked.
Jaywalking is a serious offense in Chromatika. If cited three times, the offender can face serious fines and jail time should they continue to offend. Don’t do it!
As previously stated, ticket scalping is a finable offense that can lead to the ticket being confiscated.
Foreign visitors cannot bring firearms or any kind of weapons into the country without a specific license and accompanying paperwork. Even then, the weapon must be disassembled and ammunition shipped separatedly.
Foreign visitors are not allowed to bring more than 10,000 NSD or 25,000 NMS in cash into the country without proper declaration and accompanying paperwork.
For any other questions about legal matters, please call 99 1133-4455, the Chromatik Legal Hotline, or visit chromatiklaws.en.cr.

Currency: The currency of Chromatika is the National Mark. the exchange rate is at a respectful 2.5 Chromatik National Mark per 1 NS Dollar. Cost of living is rather low in Chromatika, as the government provides most things through taxes. A bottle of water costs 1 NMS, a good meal about 7, and a new car around 24,000. Please come to Chromatika with all your currency changed to NSD, as we don't provide exchange services from other currencies.

Climate: Chromatika is a rather cold nation, with the average temperature being 65 F in the summer and down to 11 F in the winter. The northern parts tend to be colder, while Myana and Urrhed tend to be a bit warmer. There is a temperate jungle in Eyrods where the temperature can spike up a bit more. It doesn't rain much, but snows a fair bit; winds don't gust that much, either. Climate-wise, it's a rather cold, boring, land. The World Cup Proper will take place during the summer months, so expect temperatures to be in the mid to high sixties with mostly cloudy weather, except in the Myana/Urrhed Islands, where it can get to the lower seventies.

Language: The official languages of Chromatika are English, Korean, French, Mandarin, and Russian. The most commonly used one in English. Depending on where you visit, you can hear one of the other being spoken interchangeably. Most Chromatik peoples know at least three of the five languages, with one of them being English. Pockets of other language speakers do exist, but are more rare.

Cuisine: Chromatik food is usually spicy, filling, and served warm. There are a few cold dishes, but as the country itself is very cool/cold, Chromatiks prefer hot dishes. Korean, French, Chinese, and Eastern European cuisines are all available for consumption.

General Populace: The Chromatik people are respectful, polite, and usually keep to themselves. If you don't bug them, they won't bug you. That isn't to say that they aren't nice, as Chromatiks get by with most everyone. Just don't make fun of the past, don't make light the actions of the Chromatik Party, and enjoy your visit!

Host Cities and Venues

Note: You'll often recognize that the Capacity of a venue and the Seats are different. That's because traditionally, Chromatik stadiums were also the place that people would go to in case of evacuation due to natural disasters. The Capacity is the number of people that can fit in the stadium comfortably; the number of seats is the number of actual seats that are available to view the football games. For the ones where seats aren't listed, Capacity indicates number of seats.

Group A: Deprí District (Blue)

Deprí Lanar
Located at the Western side of the Deprí district, Lanar was founded first, and is the older brother. Deprí Lanar is known for producing most of the nation's vehicles. Viper Motors (previously Imhar Automotive) is located there, being the only automotive maker of Chromatika. Being by the coast means a lot of foreign cars come through here as well. They're rabid about their Hawks, who are used to underachieving as a team, but passionate nonetheless.

Venue: Hawks' Nest, Depri Lanar (Cap. 112,000, 38,000 Seats)
The home of the Red Hawks, the Hawks' Nest was made to resemble a bird's nest with the field being where the eggs would lie in a bird's nest. The sloping roof does bounce back sound onto the field making it one of the loudest venues in Chromatika.

Schedule
Matchday 1: Chromatika (14) vs. Independent Athletes from Quebec (31)
Matchday 2: Independent Athletes from Quebec (31) vs. Commonwealth of Baker Park (13)
Matchday 3: Squornshelan Remnant States (53) vs. Independent Athletes from Quebec (31)

Deprí Sanar
The youngest brother of the three Deprís, Deprí Sanar is known for two things: First, it's where Z'ai'ai and Umbar’s lumber ends up to be turned into furniture. Second, it's where the headquarters of the Death Templars Law Firm is located. DTLF was the sponsor of the Chromatik League for many years and is one of the biggest companies in Chromatika, helping now only settle law cases but also fund a lot of philanthropic efforts to aid the poor.

Venue: The Hive, Depri Sanar (Cap. 122,000, 42,000 Seats)
Don't go to The Hive unless you don't mind being a bit squished. It's the densest stadium, and was specifically designed that way to emulate a hive and how full it is of bees. The field is the most open part of the entire stadium, but the absence of a roof means you're at the mercy of the elements.

Schedule
Matchday 1: Squornshelan Remnant States (53) vs. Commonwealth of Baker Park (13)
Matchday 2: Chromatika (14) vs. Squornshelan Remnant States (53)
Matchday 3: Commonwealth of Baker Park (13) vs. Chromatika (14)

Group B: Heartland District (Brown)

Pùr
Pùr is the biggest city in the Heartlands, and the capital of the district. This is where most of Chromatika's farmland is located. It is from this district that the nation generates most of its domestic grains and livestock. Without Pùr, Chromatika would either starve or go even further into foreign debt. It has grown into a sizable city of about 200,000 people, almost nearing the most populous city in Anfanhar. Pùr is very homey, very tight-knit, and rather appeasing to look at.

Venue: Riders' Arena (Cap. 35,210)
A small arena for a tight-knit bunch of fans. It's not a flashy stadium, but one that gets its job done, and a place that all Pùrites know about. The field is made of standard-grade grass, leading to some muddy matches when it pours, but it’s a very near, well-kept field. The Arena is a major landmark in the city, being located in the direct center - on the same block as the City Hall.

Schedule
Matchday 1: Newmanistan (17) vs. Farfadillis (4)
Matchday 2: Farfadillis (4) vs. Turori (9)
Matchday 3: Yuezhou (62) vs. Farfadillis (4)

Anfanhar
Anfanhar is known mostly for one thing: the country's only amusement park to date. AnfanWorld is an entity of much contention among the Chromatik populace as Anfanhar has passed quite a few laws to lower taxes being paid by the company just to keep it around. It's turned this town into a tourist town and given it much life. Anfanhar is the most populous city in the Heartland, and generates much of the District’s income due to AnfanWorld. Visiting fans will get a 30% discount to AnfanWorld with proof of purchase of tickets to games held at the Dragon’s Nest.

Venue: Dragon's Nest (Cap. 48,210)
Having the appearance of a literal nest, Dragon's Nest is a feat of engineering. It overlooks the tallest roller-coaster of AnfanWorld, and the parkgoers' happy screams can be heard even from within the stadium.

Schedule:
Matchday 1: Yuezhou (62) vs. Turori (9)
Matchday 2: Newmanistan (17) vs. Yuezhou (62)
Matchday 3: Turori (9) vs. Newmanistan (17)

Group C: Mountain District (Purple)

Felswyr
A town known for its ski resorts, a winter paradise. Felswyr is located about dead center of the Mountain District, right by Mt. Niai. It is known for tourism and for being the winter Capital of Chromatika. During the summer, snow still exists on the highest peaks of the nearby mountain, but the streets aren’t iced over as much. Felswyrites are kind, well-spirited people who are fiercely loyal to their small-town feel. The only host city with a population less than 100,000, there’s a reason that Felswyr is on the list - it is one of the finest, model towns in Chromatika.

Venue: Frozen Stadium (Cap. 32,100)
This stadium is mostly known for being 6,112 ft above sea level. The air is thin and cold, and wind chill can also be a factor. Thankfully, the tournament is being held in the summer, so temperatures should be a bit more mild. The Frost call this place their home venue, and each match is sold out due to the limited number of seats and the brand of football they play.

Schedule
Matchday 1: Nephara (1) vs. Hampton Island (39)
Matchday 2: Hampton Island (39) vs. Brenecia (11)
Matchday 3: South Newlandia (28) vs. Hampton Island (39)

Z'ai'ai
Located at the Southeast corner of Chromatika, Z'ai'ai is seated by Mt. Kùrn, the highest point in Chromatika, with elevation of 17,254 ft. It is a rare place where you can experience the mountain and the ocean at the same time within an hour's drive. Pronounced 'Zee-aye-aye", it's also the cuisine capital of Chromatika due to the variety of ingredients that are available from both the mountains and the ocean. A lot of mining is done at Mt. Kùrn, and logging is also done on a sustainable level and sent to Deprí Sanar to be turned into furniture.

Venue: Z'ai'ai Field (Cap. 113,000, 40,000 Seats)
The home of the Mountaineers, and an iconic stadium that boasts the view of the ocean and of the mountain on a clear day. Z’ai’ai Field is a quarter mile away from Z’ai’ai Institute of Technology and only two miles from the port side of Z’ai’ai. The pride of Z'ai'ai, and a beautiful sight that is one of the main attractions of the city.

Schedule
Matchday 1: South Newlandia (28) vs. Brenecia (11)
Matchday 2: Nephara (1) vs. South Newlandia (28)
Matchday 3: Brenecia (11) vs. Nephara (1)

Group D: Lhor and Wirr Tsi (Green, Pink)

Lhor
Located in the northeast corner of Chromatika, right by the ocean, Lhor was historically a whaling town, and now a place that is famous for its whalewatching tours. Otherwise, Lhor is famous for being the fashion Capital of Chromatika - although most of the modeling still happens in Chromia. A lot of young people live in Lhor because it's a small yet fashionable town.

Venue: The Cove (Cap. 51,265; 28,000 Seats)
What's not to like about this stadium? Located right by the ocean, with an aquarium across the street. Beautiful view of the ocean and the sunset. The focus of the town, the jewel of the city... It's a pretty place to be. On a calm day, you can see the ocean, a good view of the sun setting over the horizon, and feel the gentle breeze.

Schedule
Matchday 1: Tikariot (22) vs. Banija (5)
Matchday 2: Banija (5) vs. Pasarga (12)
Matchday 3: HUElavia (41) vs. Banija (5)

Wirr Tsi
Wirr Tsi, a city in the Capital District that is more towards the Mountain District, and is where the Chromatik Air Force is located, with over sixty percent of the population being military. Besides being an air force town, it’s where the armaments are being manufactured as well. It's not a very exciting town, but an important one.

Venue: The Shock (Cap. 51,350, 18,000 Seats)
The Shock, home to the Wirr Tsi Shock, was built to house the Air Force's football team. It's not a very flashy stadium, but it was built somewhat recently, so it's state-of-the-art. The stadium has glass floors and ceilings that make light reflect rather interestingly, making it quite fun to look at from certain angles. There are airplane fly-bys before every match, usually made of pilots getting their licenses, which add a different layer of a viewing spectacle.

Schedule:
Matchday 1: HUElavia (41) vs. Pasarga (12)
Matchday 2: Tikariot (22) vs. HUElavia (41)
Matchday 3: Pasarga (12) vs. Tikariot (22)

Round of Sixteen: Urrhed Island (Yellow) and Myana Island (Red)

Urrheddiao
Located at the southernmost point of Urrhed Island, Urrheddiao is the seafood capital of Chromatika. It is here that most of the fishing fleets call home, and most of the nation's fish is caught here. The football culture is great here as well, as United started in the second tier and worked its way up to be one of the greatest teams within the nation before the league was first disbanded. Urrheddiao now remain one of the mainstay teams of the Red League. The fans are quite loyal here, and the rivalry with fellow Islanders Myana and Tihon is something to watch.

Venue: United Center (Cap. 120,000; 28,000 Seats)
Initially, United owners wanted the stadium to be right by the water. However, safety concerns over the huge tidal waves in the winter forced the stadium to be about fifteen miles off the coast. The stadium can be transformed into a place where a lot of the city can take shelter in in the event of a tsunami or a typhoon, as it sits at the highest point on the island. It isn’t the most appealing stadia, but it’s one that stands out in the town.

Schedule
S1: Group A Winner vs. Group B 2nd Place

Tihon
Located on the northern half of Urrhed Island, Tihon is another fishing town, like Urrheddiao and Myana. It is also a tourist attraction due to the huge open beaches in the area. Tihon is a surfer’s paradise and a maritime paradise of sorts. Tihon has been a footballing powerhouse since the advent of the Chromatik League (the second iteration), having won five seasons in that era. In the Rainbow League System, they remain perennial title contenders in the Red League.

Venue: The Tidal Wave (Cap. 95,210; 25,000 Seats)
The focal point of the town, the Tidal Wave is built on the high end of the island as to provide shelter against storms. There is a huge statue of a wave about to crash down outside the stadium that casts a shadow toward the entrance. The Wave provides a secondary center to the town away from the port and fish market.

Schedule
S2: Group C Winner vs. Group D 2nd Place

Eyrods
One of the unexplained phenomenon of Chromatika is the climate of Eyrods, located on Myana Island. The eastern half of Myana Island is a temperate jungle, teeming with wildlife and milder weather. Nobody is quite sure of why this is, but that is why Eyrods is the zoological capital of Chromatika. Eyrodi are appreciative of wildlife and have learned to coexist with it. The city itself is at the Coast, while the Jungle lies at the southern end.

Venue: The Jungle, Eyrods (Cap. 74,590; 26,000 Seats)
The greenest stadium in Chromatika, and we're not just talking about the color scheme. The stadium is made of recyclable matter - seats made of reused plastic, etc. It's a marvel of engineering and architecture, and it's not unusual to have birds fly over the stadium often. Don't worry - there's a clear roof that usually goes over it to protect you from anything that might fall from them.

Schedule
S3: Group B Winner vs. Group A 2nd Place

Myana
Biggest port city in Chromatika. Second biggest city in Chromatika. Naval headquarters of Chromatika. Second biggest fishing town of Chromatika. Tourist attraction. What more is there to say? Myana is a sprawling city made of rolling hills next to the ocean. There are stretching suburbs, beaches as far as the eyes can see, and always a view of the ocean. Myaners are busy, hardworking people who know how to do the work to talk the talk.

Venue: Island Dome, Myana (Cap. 133,000; 35,000 Seats)
The Island Dome is located five miles from downtown Myana, towards the interior of the Island. It is in the shape of a boat to commemorate the naval forces, and there is a cannon that goes off every time the Islanders score a goal at home. For the World Cup, any goals will be celebrated by a cannon being fired.

Schedule
S4: Group D Winner vs. Group C 2nd Place

Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Final: Capital District (Pink)

Alnio
Alnio is the technological capital of Chromatika. Located just thirty-one miles East of Chromatik City, almost dead center of the Capital District, it is in Alnio that Black Raven Technologies is located. Alnio has lots of blue collar workers and used to be completely populated by Greens on the Chromatik Scale. Now, the city is busy with a lot of Red, Orange, and Yellow people being educated, along with some of the Blue, Indigo, and Violets who wanted to be scientists there to learn as well. Alnioans look to get past the city’s checkered past and toward a more progressive future.

Venue: RCK Field (Cap. 100,400, 32,000 Seats)
RCK Field is a stereotypical football field in a nice stadium. The stadium surrounding the field has shopping malls built in it, and there is a huge food court as well. RCK stand for Richard Charles Klevion, a local statesperson who was instrumental in the founding of the city and it being recognized as a separate entity from Chromia.

Schedule:
Q1: S1 Winner vs. S2 Winner

Chromia
Chromia (previously Chromatik City) is the Capital of Chromatika and the seat of its government. The city is located ten miles east of the border with the Heartland and Deprí Districts, and some of the suburbs of the city spill into the other two districts. It is in Chromia that the Rainbow Party now holds its power, and where Keri Wyse Aart serves as the Premier. It is also the site where most of the atrocities of the previous regime were committed, so it is a very historical and very conflicting site for most Chromatiks. If the country is to move forward, though, this is where the most change will have to stem from.

Venue: Chromatik City Field (Cap. 100,000, 32,200 Seats)
A stadium used by both Crossroads and Chromia Central College University, Chromatik City Field is one of the newest stadiums in the country, sporting state-of the art seating, accommodations, and screens. As the "third stadium" in Chromatika, it is usually reserved for musical events when not fielding one of those two squads; due to its simplistic beauty and clean appearance, it is a must-see for any visitors, especially those interested in architecture.

Schedule:
Q2: S3 Winner vs. S4 Winner

Venue: Anomaly Tower (Cap. 110,320, 42,350 Seats)
Anomaly Tower is a really weird stadium, because it's on the tenth floor of a huge complex that is used as a famous restaurant. Yes, the restaurants close during matches so that the noise doesn't get too unbearable. But you can get a good meal at a five star restaurant and then go up to watch a match! Anomalies Football Club calls this place home.

Schedule
Semi-Final: Q1 vs. Q2

Venue: Capitalizt Dome, Chromia (Cap. 144,000)
The crowning jewel of Chromatika, and the national stadium where international matches are usually held. It's your typical big-team stadium, home of the Chromatik Capitalizt. It is one of the few stadiums that are only used for football matches. The national collegiate finals and high school finals are held here, too.

Schedule
World Cup 88 Final

by **Cassadaigua** » Thu Apr 29, 2021 8:22 pm

WORLD CUP 88
TRAVEL GUIDE

The Cassadaigua Board of Tourism would like to welcome you to our great nation for the 88th Edition of the World Cup. We, on behalf of the Cassadagan Association for Soccer Excellence (CASE) are proud to be hosting this World Cup alongside the great nation of Chromatika.

Many of you are here to support your nation that will be playing their games here in Cassadaigua, but there will additionally be many that come here as a neutral fan, simply to enjoy the greatest sporting competition in the World. You are here to enjoy the great sport of football, or soccer, whichever it is called in your homeland. However, there is so much more that you can do in Cassadaigua. This guide will provide information that will help you get the most of your visit, so that you can leave happy no matter what the ending result of your nation’s fate becomes in the World Cup.

Part I: About Cassadaigua

1)Firstly, where is Cassadaigua and what is the best way to get here?

Cassadaigua is located in the region of Rushmore, and more specifically south-central Rushmore.

The best recommendation to get here is to fly in, unless you are from nearby in Rushmore, you may just want to drive or take a train. All Cassadagan cities have a major airport, and the nation has an advanced rail system as well. If you insisted on traveling by sea, there are some easily attainable port cities to make it very convenient, but we suggest flying in.

2) Will I be safe? What is crime like?

Cassadaigua is no more or no less safe then any other nation. During the World Cup, you can confidently expect and enjoy world class security to ensure your utmost enjoyment at the games and the communities in which they are taking part. The security presence will be noticeable throughout, but also have been highly trained in these situations, so they will not bear an overwhelming or intimidating presence. If one is intimidated by it, then they were probably planning on doing something wrong in the first place.

3) Tell me more about your female-dominated society. Are male tourists safe?

Cassadaigua’s society is different then what is seen throughout most of the world. In our nation, the female is the dominant gender and is superior to the male. This should not be surprising if you have followed our own national sport teams in even the slightest of ways. There are some groups who feel that men are greatly oppressed in our nation, but that is not really the case. If you are a man, and you are visiting Cassadaigua, as long as you are aware of our somewhat different culture, you should not have a tough time fitting in. After all, Cassadagan men that play by the rules here and respect their role can be very successful themselves. As long as you respect our culture, you should be fine while you are here. If you act disrespectful, then don’t be surprised if you are soon put in your place. You are expected to follow all Cassadagan laws, even if it is not a law in your own country.

4) I’ve been to nations that have talking ponies, or banned cars, or taxes on every little thing. Should I expect anything like this?

Cassadagans love horses, but there are no talking ponies here. At least not that we know of. If we have any sentient immigrants from nations like Equestrian States, they keep a very low profile. Cars are very much a way of life, and our taxes aren’t anything out of the ordinary, and if anything are a little lower then average. Cassadaigua is modern, economic powerhouse. There are no unusual factors associated with the country, other then the gender differences.

Socially, Cassadaigua is open to members of all faiths, and we respect your right to worship your respective deity in the way you see fit; or to not worship one at all. Homosexuality is accepted in the country, though we can’t promise that some random drunk in the stands or on the streets won’t make offensive comments.

As far as drinking is concerned, the legal age is 18, though many get away with underage drinking as it is not as aggressively policed as it may be in other lands. However, do not drink and drive. If you are caught, you will have a greater jail sentence then you might be expecting, and if you kill anyone by drunk driving, you will receive the death penalty.

Smoking anywhere in public is banned, but legal in your own home. This applies to both cigarettes and marijuana. All other recreational drugs are banned.

Part II: Host Cities

CONCORD HEIGHTS: Dagan Airways Stadium (Capacity: 83,000)

Concord Heights is the capital of Cassadaigua and hosted many international championships in the past. This includes the World Cup, as well as several editions of the World Baseball Classic. The city, which is also the most populous in the country, has a lot that one can do, whether sports themed, or not. Chances are, you are coming here for sports, so feel free to visit the Cassadaigua National Sports Hall of Fame. Here you will learn the stories of the legends of Cassadagan sport, including those who have their numbers retired from the soccer team on monument wall in the north end zone of the stadium (the concept here is like Monument Park at Yankee Stadium). While at the Hall of Fame, you can also learn about other Cassadagan legends and earn new or greater appreciation for those who helped us become the first nation to win a title in the five greatest sports in the World.

Those wishing to do something non-sports themed can find additional museums across the city, including the national museum which pays homage to the past leaders of the nation. You can also take a guided tour of the grounds of the Palace itself where the Queen resides, though access to the Palace itself is not open to public. The city is also home to prestigious learning institutions, such as the University of Concord Heights, but perhaps stop by the Concord Heights Beauty School which will provide a complimentary makeover for anyone holding a ticket to the third place game. Other tourists can receive makeovers at a reduced rate, or simply receive information on looking one’s best in order to impress people when one returns home.

Games:
Matchday 1: (Group E)- Cassadaigua vs Kelssek
Matchday 2: (Group H)- Vilita vs Mercedini
Matchday 3: (Group F)- Ko-oren vs Audioslavia
R16 Match TBD
Quarterfinal Match TBD
3rd Place Match

BRATTLEBORO: Five Star Mobile Stadium (Capacity: 85,000)

The stadium is sponsored by Five Star Mobile, who have become Cassadaigua’s most well known company in terms of sponsoring sporting events. That has been seen most in NSSCRA where not only did they host the Five Star Mobile 500, but they hosted the Five Star Clash, a competition that was willing to award money to people from anywhere. The company has been great with gearing contests towards fans, and that should be expected during the World Cup as well. Brattleboro was not always a large city, became that way with the rise of the technological age. The prestigious Brattleboro Technical Insitute played a big part of that, and graduates remained committed to the area. People from Brattleboro are affectionately referred to as, “Brats”. While here, feel free to visit the Brattleboro Regional Transit Arena in the city and utilize the public transit system that was modernized by the entity from Banija.

The city these days has something for everyone, but it does not try to hide the fact that it caters more to the younger demographics then it does older citizens.

Games:
Matchday 1: (Group F): Starblaydia vs Audioslavia
Matchday 2: (Group E): Cassadaigua vs Omerica
Matchday 3: (Group G): Eura vs Valanora
R16 Match TBD
Semifinal

GRANDE MOUNTAIN - Peak’n’Break Stadium (Capacity: 66,000)

When Cassadaigua opened the doors to international bids on stadiums, Zwangzug-based Peak’n’Break, known of course for their delicious line of muffins and other baked goods may have been taking a bit of gamble. Grande Mountain is a big city and a deserving one, but it also does not have a great reputation throughout the matriarchy due to some disturbing gender rights issues that took place here in the past. In fairness to the city, a lot of that is so long ago that it should not even be mentioned anymore, but it may have made bigger Cassadagan entities hesitant on sponsoring the facility. That did not stop Peak’n’Break, and now the company will see their name on the bigger stage.

The city gets its name due to the fact that it is in the north-central mountainous portion of the nation. It might not be the season right now, but feel free to come back during the wintertime to enjoy the fantastic skiing opportunities here! This is the city where Male Equality Now keeps its headquarters, so you could always pay them a visit if you want to learn more about their recent accomplishments and future initiatives.

Games:
Matchday 1: (Group H): The Holy Empire vs Mercedini
Matchday 2: (Group E): Kelssek vs Savigliane
Matchday 3: (Group G): Twicetagria vs Poafmersia

STARKSVILLE- Cocoa-bo Stadium (Capacity: 70,000)

“Everything’s better with Cocoa-bo!” proved to be the case with Starksville and the well-known company based in Turori. At first, it seemed like the company was looking to expand with a regional facility in Concord Heights, but it would be that it would be best in Starksville. This city had been in a growing state well before Cocoa-bo’s involvement in the city. It had been the case that Rutland was seen as the our best port city, but the city officials there did not keep up with the times and saw many businesses leave Rutland for Starksville. As the economy shifted, so did the population, and now the renovated Cocoa-bo Stadium is ready to welcome fans of the World Cup. It has had group stage matches before, and while the schedule is still to be determined, it is probable that it will see playoff matches as well.

As a port city, there are plenty of beaches that one can enjoy, and nightlife opportunities abound. Historically, it does not have as deep of a history, as it sees itself as being about the future, instead of looking back at the past.

Games:
Matchday 1: (Group H): Vilita vs Jeruselem
Matchday 2: (Group G)- Twicetagria vs Eura
Matchday 3: (Group F)- Starblaydia vs Tequilo
R16 Match TBD

NEW LAKELAND- Qusmair Stadium (Capacity: 77,000)

The city of New Lakeland was annexed by Cassadaigua a while ago, so it did not initially hold Cassadagan values. Because of that, there was always gender equality in the city. However, as it has become assimilated into our culture, that has changed slightly. Regardless, if you wanted to go somewhere in Cassadaigua that did not really feel like Cassadaigua, this was the place for you. It can be difficult city to describe, because those that live here and the overall northwestern part of the country take pride in their heritage, but at the same time will bleed pink just like anyone else here does in terms of the supporting the national team. Recently, teams from the city have been very successful.

This stadium, sponsored by the Qusmo-based Qusmair allows that nation to still get some attention during the World Cup. It’s a stadium that recently got a facelift but more work is planned in the future to remove some of the luxury boxes that there are too many of, and replace them with standard seating.

Games:
Matchday 1: (Group E)- Omerica vs Savigliane
Matchday 2: (Group H)- The Holy Empire vs Jeruselem
Matchday 3: (Group E)- Cassadaigua vs Savigliane
R16 Match TBD

WINCHESTER- Winchester City Lottery Stadium (Capacity: 59,000)

This is the smallest stadium to be hosting any of the games on the Cassadagan side. Winchester is the anti-Brattleboro, meaning that while Brattleboro has a younger demographic, this city in the mountains has an older demographic. Ironically, it was once a small city that many older retired people migrated too in order to get away from big city life. However, since so many did this, they created a big city themselves. The locals don’t want you here, but they want your money. That is why they are willing to put up with you all coming here and spending your money in the community, so that it can re-circulate in the community and be gambled away by playing bingo or buying an insane amount of scratch off tickets.

This is not a place with much of a nightlife, unless playing bingo is something that you are looking to do, in which case, have at it!

Games:
Matchday 1: (Group G)- Eura vs Poafmersia
Matchday 2: (Group F)- Audioslavia vs Tequilo
Matchday 3: (Group H)- Vilita vs The Holy Empire

RUTLAND- Ferguson Stadium (Capacity: 64,000)

Even though we stated earlier that Starksville has taken over from Rutland in being the more well known port city, it is not as if Rutland has become a ghost town. There was question as to whether or not it would be used as a host city, but it’s place in Cassadagan soccer history is too significant to pass up. The stadium is named after Courtney Ferguson, the first ever captain of the national team. Her time preceded that of our successful World Cup teams, but this is where she grew up, so the city still holds a unique place.

If you’re coming here, you can still find things to do on the port and some halfway decent beaches. The city itself seemed to focus all its efforts on the port, so while that area is very nice and attractive, it is the rest of the city that needs a makeover.

Games:
Matchday 1: (Group F)- Ko-oren vs Tequilo
Matchday 2: (Group G)- Poafmersia vs Valanora
Matchday 3: (Group E)- Omerica vs Kelssek

VICTORIAVILLE- Cassgo Stadium (Capacity: 74,000)

This is a very nice stadium sponsored by the largest oil and gas company in the nation, which is Cassgo, located in the southwestern part of the country. The city is often awarded games in tournaments like the World Cup so that those living in that portion of the country have close games that they can travel too. Those that live here do take a lot of pride in their hometown, and it arguably could be considered a little like Brattleboro without the technological influence.

Games:
Matchday 1: (Group G)- Twicetagria vs Valanora
Matchday 2: (Group F)- Starblaydia vs Ko-oren
Matchday 3: (Group H)- Mercedini vs Jeruselem
Quarterfinal Match TBD

by **Legalese** » Thu Apr 29, 2021 8:27 pm

“Yes, I redecorated. Had to put my own touch on it.” Given the guest, that would serve as a sufficient greeting.

“I wouldn’t have expected anything less,” Lisa smiled, “Knowing your predecessor.”

Abigail gestured to a nearby chair, which her guest took. “Heh, your dad and I agree on, at minimum, having lots of natural light. I just like to have the room illuminate it where I can. How is he?”

“Doing well in his retirement. Morgan’s Hamlet suits him well -- short walk to the square in one direction, the shore in the other, and plenty of time for peace.”

“And I’m sure it doesn’t hurt that it’s not far from Spetz-Tessah?”

Lisa nodded. “Well, I am his only daughter, so I can’t hardly blame him for that.”

“I see. And that’s why you’ve been basing the Association out of there?”

The tone was conversational, if flat, but Lisa couldn’t help but notice an edge to it.

“Madame Director-General, you know that I deliberately took this effort on knowing that your office couldn’t get involved, but if you must know, it’s the other way around: he came to the Island because I wanted to be there. It’s a real opportunity.”

“How so?”

“It’s a new town, a new Legalese, but one that with a nice big stadium there to host at least some of our National Team matches, and to give us another home. I mean, Legalese City is nice, and it’s not like the team hasn’t done the occasional tour, but if we’re being honest, the Island has built up a reputation of success in club play, and a home there is both logical, but also a chance to showcase our country.”

Abigail shifted. “Showcase is an interesting term, because if I may be blunt, there really hasn’t been a lot to show for our efforts so far. Why?”

Lisa paused, as if to consider her words carefully. “Motivation, I think. I mean, the players are motivated to a point -- at least, they’re not out there just going through the motions, no way Myles would stand for that. I think it’s just figuring out what’s missing to get things to the next level.”

“I’ve never told anyone in the program this, since we’re still out there -- maybe even too far for me to see it happen, unless we get moving -- but to me, the brass ring, the motivation, is pretty obvious. It can’t be Money, since we know that we all have enough there; Ideology could work, but doesn’t really fit -- there’s no great Legal Society Philosophy we’re trying to push, just the reality of living in a post-scarcity world.”

“It comes down to Ego, and to its cousin, Legacy. The joy, the reputation, the social currency that comes behind being able to get Legalese two things it doesn’t have: obviously, a World Cup, but even without that, the Hall of Fame.”

Abigail smiled. “That’s what I was hoping to hear. You’re right that we’re in a place as a country where we need something to be proud of -- a legacy that we can leave behind, one that’s not destructive, but one that at least helps us show that we’re doing well.”

“That’s really why I wanted to get a sense of your plans. How familiar are you with our Arts and Culture Department?”

“Oh, because sport is culture?”

“It can be, yes -- and art, if the right people are playing it -- but really it’s because that’s where I have someone you want to meet. Though if I’m being direct, their project is really more about urban planning.”

“Urban Planning?”

Abigail smiled. “Well, it seemed like a good time to redecorate.”

by **Ranoria** » Thu Apr 29, 2021 9:44 pm

World on Their Shoulders: Does This Krauts Squad Influence the World's Opinion of Ranoria?

We know, we know. Soccer just isn't one of the big sports in Ranoria, like gridiron, hockey, mixed martial arts, or more recently baseball. But guess what - most of the world doesn't care.

Now, some countries certainly know that we're a force in other tournaments. Ranoria has won 33 of 60 group stage games in the last two World Baseball Classics, along with a knockout series. In the World Bowl and the NSCF, our representatives are a consistent threat to win the title and able to consistently run through even strong teams - not that we don't have our rivals. With that representation, nations like Banija, Quebec, Drawkland, Valanora, Chromatika, Kohnhead, etc are well aware that in our respective niche, we're never an easy out. Correction - Vanorians and Drawkians went a combined 4-0 against Ranoria in gridiron (including 3 playoff games) between the World Bowl and NSCF seasons, so they might be chomping at the bit for another shot at us even in those tournaments.

But we're getting sidetracked. Our moderate success in other sports isn't going to help us in the biggest tournament in the world, and it isn't going to help us become anything besides a laughingstock on the international stage - because guess what: most nations would probably rather forget gridiron exists in favor of "real" football. As such, despite the small market at home, we're relying on this ragtag group to put on a solid showing. If we come out like last year again, we're not going to make any headway in terms of garnering some respect from abroad.

Ranoria's soccer team - as you either knew or could guess from what you read above - failed to qualify for the World Cup a cycle ago.

After a disappointing Baptism of Fire run - which saw the team go 2-2-1 and lose in the first round of the playoff, the team was predictably poor once they were thrown into the lion's den that was the World Cup. Ranoria would finish 6th in their group, with six wins, a draw, and a whopping eleven losses. In other words, we were a laughingstock. And every country in the world that doesn't participate in gridiron now has that perception of our sports at the forefront of their minds.

"We all know it was a disaster," head coach Mark Tillman said after the qualifying stages ended. "I think all these guys wanted to show the world that we could compete, and that Ranorian soccer deserved some respect. But when it came down to it, I just don't think we quite had enough in the tank."

Our roster had been lined with with both established veterans - such as Rayko Grossman and Felix Graf - and long shots like Barry Chlorid. Grossman is one of the better players in Ranoria's soccer historically, and Chlorid was a phenom in high school and college before making the business decision to stick with being a gridiron kicker. Fortunately Chlorid was able to take a World Bowl off in order to re-train himself in the real football, and after knocking off the rust last go-round, our hope is that he can show out in this World Cup to give this team the push they need to stay competitive.

The failed qualifying run a year ago, after a disaster of an attempt at making it into the WCoH knockouts, was just one more disappointment for Ranorian sports internationally. So this year, with the world watching and waiting for one of Ranoria's worst sports...let's hope we can give them something to appreciate, rather than mock.

by **Atheara** » Fri Apr 30, 2021 6:58 am

Here, The World Class Debut

After a solid run in the 75th Baptism of Fire, where Atheara got third place after beating Sahuarita in a nailbiting game with a score of 4 - 2, people were wondering on how we would cope with the world stage. The World Cup was native to some of the best teams in the world competing in association football, which is why they wonder if Atheara can go toe to toe with the best. With a team record of 6 - 1 - 1, it seems that we could be equal to the best. However it may seem so.....

That isn't the case most of the time. Becoming the world's best takes training, patience, and most of all, a little bit of luck and effort. There was no easy way to become a World Champion. But the teams Atheara send were always determined to always try their best on the International Stage, no matter what sport Atheara was playing. Whether that it would be chess, ice hockey, or football. They were the pride of our country, what ever that should have meant. Now it was the perfect time to shine.

The World Cup 88 hosted in Chromatika and Cassadaigua... a wonderful time to play football, support your team, and maybe go on a little vacation at the same time. The National Team was ready at whatever is thrown at them, by trying the best they can. It was here they could try to prove themselves that they can do better. Everyone knows we can do better. There was nothing stopping us from doing better, right?

Everyone awaits the Group Draw, which could decide everything from the beginning.....

by **Sarzonia** » Fri Apr 30, 2021 7:10 am

As much as Nicola Mentes tried to project calm at his first press conference as the Sarzonian national team manager following the first day of training camp, his furtive glances down at his sport drink at the press table betrayed his nerves.

Sure, he'd guided the Stars to two appearances in the Atlantian Oceania Cup of Association Football, including a semifinals appearance. And sure, he was Zack Wilson's choice to lead the Stars in a post-Kevin Connelly era that included more fluid attack-minded football than his predecessor supported.

But this was Sarzonia's first foray into international football with the full national team since the World Cup 86 cycle, one that saw the Stars just miss out on qualifying due to tiebreakers. The Incorporated Football Federation withdrew the Stars in protest when Taeshan and Ethane were announced as World Cup hosts, again owing to "irregularities" with Taeshani administration of the Quidditch World Cup. Said "irregularities" were specified in documents that were ordered sealed by a federal court in Wilmington. The appeal is awaiting an en banc trial the First Circuit Court of Appeals after a three-judge panel upheld both magistrate judge's and district judge's orders to keep them sealed.

Public statements surrounding the withdrawal, as well as the decision to not send a team to the 10th Volleyball World Expo hosted by Taeshan only mentioned "irregularities." For his part, Mentes is not interested in getting into the reasons behind the withdrawal.

"We just want to play football again," he said. "We've been on the sidelines too long."

The Stars briefly considered petitioning to ask the women's national team to step aside for the Wonder Cup, but opted not to. The Brenda Allison-managed team shocked observers by winning the championship in penalties. Marce' George, the goalkeeper who took over the starting role during qualifying, has joined the main national team as third team goalkeeper behind Paolo Gomes and Carlton Sandt.

"We wanted her for depth," Mentes said. "She's good enough to push for a place in the starting 11 for this team and she has a championship under her belt. That's why I wanted her."

The Stars know their chances to qualify for the proper after a one-cycle absence are unlikely, but they've been there before. After all, Connelly led the Stars to a World Cup finals berth in the World Cup 85 cycle, just two qualifying campaigns after a 27-Cup absence. The Stars then defeated Banija and drew Pasarga before losing to eventual world champions Free Republics.

Meanwhile, Brady Reynolds announced he was retiring after the World Cup 88 cycle regardless of outcome.

"I'm interested in pursuing other opportunities," he said. "I can only play football for so long."

by **Valentine Z** » Fri Apr 30, 2021 8:28 am

Post 1 – The Valentians Say Hi.

Valentians prepared their relevant paperwork and all the other documentation and applications that they needed to file, scurrying along on the large table like a handful of timid insects and mice, as Valentijn sifted through the paperwork of her own. Roster details, their national information, all the nine yards for needing to participate in the World Cup. Valentijn signed her name whilst struggling to use a smaller pen, lazy to get into her smaller body for the task. "All right, that seems just about done," she said, as she addressed the other Valentians who were all standing or sitting on her table, "I think we got everything, right? The full names, the permits, the team..." she trailed off, realising that something was missing only after when she hit the "Send" button to the international WC committee. "Oh, no."

"Oh dear, what was it?" Jamie asked, being attentive as ever as she rifled through page after page of documents. She might not be the one to be too keen about football, but she was certainly determined to make sure that the Valentians got all the administrative and secretarial work that they needed to be done.

"We missed a detail. Damn, we missed the actual stadium to play in," Valentijn typed a couple of sentences on her oversized keyboard, showing the screen to the Valentians, "Every nation more or less have their own stadium, and obviously we would need one as well. We are going to be playing Home at one point, aren't we?"

"Well, ahh... there's no need to build another one, I'm sure. I mean, we do have large stadiums of our own for domestic sports, right?" Jolyn added, looking at her own personal device for the list of stadiums and venues that the Valentians currently have.

"Yeah, but not exactly for football," Jamie added again, walking over to Jolyn and pointing at her device, "Ahh, this one. I think it was used for our own Olympics at one point, and it still is in use. I mean, the dimensions already exist, but it was not exactly for football."

"I will cover that, don't worry," Valentijn said, putting her hand down on the table and reassuring everyone along the way, "What is the capacity of it?"

"It could fit 400,000 people easily. And I will emphasise, it's 400,000 Valentians! Given the size of the people all over the other universes..."

"Yeah, we can make it work, then. I will see to it the following day. As for you guys, just prepare the dropships like we did back in NSSCRA 10. We should be airborne and ready to go by the time the matches are out for our team."

------

Visual Credit: Mechyrdia.

Valentine Z to Host its World Cup 88 Debut on Fate Stadium

1st of May, 2092 (Conventional Earth Time)
Year 29, Day 137; 5:36:00 (Decimal Time)

Author: Head Diplomat Charlene Jeannie Natalia Adeline Marceline “Wanbyeoghan Hyeobsang-Ga” Celestie Christine Irelle Dva. Arianna Rees Edith Novena Annie Ciara W. I. Bethany Myong Suh-Hyung

The Valentians always have had stadiums all over their world as decades go by, with the first few stadiums being established in the 2030s as a result of economic and societal stability after the nuclear war has ended the Pre-Valentian Era. Even then, none would have been as large as the aptly named Fate Stadium that was build back in the 2060s, home to many of the domestic sports that were played in Valentine Z - from the commonly known Olympics, to even Mesoamerican Ball Game known as Pitz, dating back to at least -1650 AD. Since then, the Fate Stadium has been subjected to many changes along the way, most in the form of improvements as follows in its first few years since its debut:

2035: The Stadium was first established and revealed to the public.
2037: Completion of the Fate Stadium.
2040: First Valentian Olympics held.
2041: First Pitz game organized and played. Also the very first time the stadium is changed for renovation and for a change of sports.
2050: More seats added.
2055: Addition of the far-viewers for the audience. (More details on this below.)

Fate Stadium is located in Naypyithaw, Burma, territory of Valentine Z.

And now for the World Cup 88 that is happening in 2092 for us, we saw Valentijn proudly walking into the stadium as she basically took out the sports equipment and pieces like a building block, followed by ripping out the fake grass patch and rolling it over in exchange for the fresh new fake lawn, to both conform to the international football standards, as well as to ensure that there are no random portholes from the spikes and other bits that were from the Olympics. Within the next few hours, the stadium was ready and done, with the rest of the Valentians testing out the systems, the chairs, and everything in-between.

Fate Stadium boasts good acoustics, as well as large seats that were meant for Valentians. Fun fact: Discounting the cybernetic enhancements, oversized exoskeletons, Hollywood-style radiation mutations, and the like, the average height of a Valentian is 493.19 cm / 16' 2". In other words, international guests and folks will find it extremely comfortable and no longer will be doing balancing acts on their seats as they try their best to hold onto their props and snacks whilst still cheering for their favorite team.

Each seat is also provided with a 6K screen tablet that we have built to IP69K for some odd reason; I don't know, perhaps we don't like our stuff broken. Anyway, each of these screens were then connected to the array of overhead cameras all over the football field that would, in essence, present a 360-degree view of the field and the players alike. The arrays of camera are also powerful enough to see every single action in impeccable detail, and those who missed the action can rewind up to 30 minutes of playback from their respective screens.

Word of advice is: Please do not steal or smuggle our devices out of the field. If you would like these gadgets, alongside other merchandise, the Fate Stadium also has room for such a thing. We Valentians sell our very own merchandise, and the storeroom has enough space for 40 more booths. There is plenty of purchasing options for everyone, with discounts to boot, with all proceeds going to charities or on improving the public infrastructure of Valentine Z.

For more information on Valentine Z as a form of tourism guide, please visit Clarissa's article right here. A few folks might find the "What to see, and what to do" and the "Rules and Etiquette, and other tips" to be handy.

We hope that you will enjoy your stay here!

by **Adab** » Fri Apr 30, 2021 9:01 am

A Dance with Football
Snapshots of the lives of the people involved in Adabian football and those associated with them

Chapter 16: Bloodline, Part 1

Adab Airlines Flight 21, flying from Adab City to Faraby City

Assistant manager of the Adab national football team. Most people would regard it as the peak of their footballing career.

For Rashid Abbas, it was a cause for confusion.

Normally, one would not question the appointment of perhaps the greatest football star to come out of the island of Faraby to that post. It seemed only fitting that such a great player would be destined for a future in management. People like Brian Clough, Johan Cruyff, Pep Guardiola, even Adab’s own Saad Kaykali, they were all great players turned managers. Rashid had shown a talent for leading and inspiring his teammates. Surely he could help Saad do the same to the players they were now to lead.

Instead, he spent much of the flight brooding over whether he had truly earned that post or if his appointment – if the rumors were to be believed – had merely been a favor from the Adab Football Association to its Farabian counterpart to ensure the associated state’s willingness to declare its players for the parent country’s national team.

The World Cup was fast approaching, and the squad was currently competing in The National tournament in Xanneria. Saad had persuaded AFA President Naram-Sin Araqasdah the team into the tournament at almost the last minute, wanting to give the squad more opportunities to warm up as well as see if they were working together well. In a sign of just how much he trusted his assistants, Saad had not bothered to consult either of his assistant managers, Rashid and Inimabakesh Thulus.

Inimabakesh accompanied Saad and the squad to Xanneria. Not Rashid, though. He had asked – and received Saad and the AFA’s permission – to skip this tournament. He had family matters to attend to.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the captain’s rugged voice boomed across the cabin, “we will be landing shortly at Prince Suleyman Faraby International Airport. The local time is 9:37 a.m. and the weather is clear and sunny. Please return to your seats, set your seats to the upright position, fasten your seatbelts, and return your tray tables to the closed position. We would like to thank you for flying with Adab Airlines, the best airline in the country. Welcome to Faraby.”

The landing was quick and smooth, and soon Rashid found himself strolling across the terminal, luggage in hand, cutting a somewhat lonely figure rushing through the crowd and the hoopla. Some turned their heads, appearing to have an inkling on who this figure was and where they had seen him before, but amid all the rush nobody bothered him. It helped that he kept his gaze halfway down for much of the time.

He waved at the first taxi he saw, barging in with his luggage as soon as the previous passengers were out. In his hurry he didn’t even bother to put his luggage in the trunk. The driver glanced upwards at the rear-view mirror, seemingly bent on asking where his new passenger would like to go, but the visage of the passenger stopped him. “Mr- Mr… Abbas? Are you really Rashid Abbas?”

The passenger nodded in affirmation and smiled. “I am.”

“Oh my God, I-“

“Hey, it’s fine. I’m just an ordinary guy, really. Nothing to get all excited about. Take me to the condo at 25 Prince Mustafa Boulevard, please.” He paused and sighed, then added, “It’s been a while since I was last there.”

The passenger remained mostly silent as the car made its way out of the airport, through the highway, and into the crowded center of Faraby City, though the chatty driver did manage to get some comments out from him about what he was doing now and what he wanted to do. His pensive gaze was directed outwards, as the wide open fields that lined the highways faded into a maze of cramped apartments, condominiums, skyscrapers, and offices and the three-lane highway became a narrow stretch of asphalt, choked from end to end in both directions by barely moving cars, the sidewalks filled with pedestrians and street vendors, their loud calls for buyers penetrating the window and into the taxi. At some points along the street the morning grew dark as the buildings blocked the sun.

“Traffic is still bad, eh?” Rashid observed.

“It still is, Mr. Abbas. This place is too crowded. Too many cars.”

It was only towards the end of the journey that the roads seemed to widen once again, as the car took several turns away from the arterials and into a calmer, quieter neighborhood. The way onto the condo building itself was blocked by a tall black fence. Two guards stood watch, and one of them rushed over to the driver’s side of the car as it rolled onto the condo.

“Name and purpose of visit, please,” demanded the guard as the driver rolled his window down. Before the driver was able to say anything, a voice came from the back.

“Rashid Abbas,” he announced calmly. “I’m here to see my sister and my father.”

The guard’s eyes widened as he leaned in and turned his neck to the back seat. “My God, M-Mr. Abbas? Oh, of course, sir.” He signaled to the other guard to open the fence, which he promptly did, and they saluted the taxi as it made its way in.

The car stopped just outside the lobby. Rashid thanked the driver and gave him a generous amount of money, quite above the fare. He ascended the marble steps leading to the lobby, hesitating at the door, before going on in anyway. The lobby was relatively empty – it was a Sunday morning, after all – and Rashid headed for the nearest elevator, exchanging only a respectful nod along the way with a janitor who he was not sure had recognized him.

The descent to Basement 4 felt as if it took a lifetime. Alone in the box, he leaned back against the wall, holding on to his luggage, gazing upwards and wondering how his father was doing, or if he would even know him. He realized that he didn’t know if he had anything to say, but he knew he wanted to say something. As the elevator doors parted, his steps grew heavy, weighed down by thoughts if there was any benefit in doing this.

But he walked on nevertheless, making his way through narrow corridors, and now he stood outside the door of his father’s condo. His fingers touched the door, but too softly to make any sound. He bowed his head, then brought his fingers against the door with more force to produce a knock.

The door creaked open to reveal a woman in white – one of his father’s nurses. “Oh, Mr. Abbas, come in,” she said, ushering the visitor inside. “Your sister is outside but she’ll come back soon.”

“Thank you,” Rashid said. “How is my father doing?”

“He’s doing well,” the nurse replied, trying to assure him, but Rashid could detect some hesitancy in her soft voice.

He put aside his luggage against the wall and she pointed at the man Rashid had come to see. At one corner of the condo he sat, stiffly straight and not leaning back on the sofa. He was gazing at the wall, but the sound of footsteps seemed to have caught his attention and he turned to the source of the sound. Rashid could see his eyes through strands of his white hair, empty as they were.

They stared at each other. Rashid did not know if he recognized him. The old man’s face was as empty as his wide-open eyes, and not a word came from his mouth. But, as Rashid nodded in quiet understanding, his dry lips slowly began to grow longer, forming a smile. A faint smile, but a smile nevertheless.

And Rashid smiled back.

by **Eshialand** » Fri Apr 30, 2021 11:53 am

Prologue
Fame isn't all it's cracked up to be...

When Melissa Carey scored the match-winning goal in the 88th minute of the Baptism of Fire championship match, she wasn't thinking about what would happen next. All she could think about in that moment was making sure the ball didn't sail off in another direction far away from the net... but little did the team know that, when that ball got past the Le Choix keeper, they'd win more than just the championship.

Not every award is something positive though. Of course, there were consolation prizes, but that's not what I'm talking about. What I'm talking about is something overtly negative, something that you wish you'd never had: fame.

Of course, some people like fame. I could name at least a dozen different reality TV stars who couldn't live without it... but for the Owls, fame was just about to ruin their entire lives.

Ever been to the grocery store? Come on, I know you have. It's just one of those things that you always have to do, but you never remember too much about it because almost every trip is the exact same. Sure, sometimes you might buy a different breakfast cereal one week, but, at the end of the day, do you wind up remembering how much it cost? Does exactly why you bought it stick in your mind forever? Will the hordes of tabloid journalists asking about whether your change of breakfast cereal indicates that something's amiss in your personal life become one of those stories you tell your grandchildren once you're all old and grey?

Wait, what do you mean you've never been followed around by nosy paparazzi who don't understand the concept of personal space? If you ever want to be famous someday, you're just going to have to learn to deal with stuff like that.

Now you should understand that fame isn't all it's cracked up to be. It may seem like such an amazing idea at first, everybody caring about you and knowing your name, but at the end of the day, it means giving up any hopes you may have of living a normal life.

When the Owls won their championship, their prize was fame, and that prize proved itself a curse from day 1. Jacob Harran couldn't see his family without some reporter asking him about his recovery timeline. George Habisbrauer couldn't go out drinking with friends because the media couldn't stop worrying about whether he'd have another alcohol-infused breakdown like the one he had in Prescott, Electrum. Avery MacDougall couldn't kick a ball around with a few friends without the press watching her to see if she'd do something amazing. It was all just too much...

The team members had just one date on their calendars: the date of their first World Cup Qualifying match. It was a chance to get away from their problems with the media and just have some fun, even if it was only for 90 minutes...

by **Muralos** » Fri Apr 30, 2021 12:49 pm

Tidbits
A newsletter sponsored by the Muralosian Ministry of Sports

Firsts for Muralos at the 12th Independent Associations Championship
Compiled by Vasily Shen

Muralos, along with Almuzahara, hosted the 12th Independent Associations Championship in April 2021. It has brought along a number of important highlights in Muralosian history, not to mention sporting history at large:

Muralos' first time hosting a major regional tournament - The IAC-12 marked the first time Muralos hosted a major soccer tournament, and the second time the nation hosted a regional tournament of any kind. (The previous tournament was the Asian Archipelago Embassy Cup in 2016, with nations from Asian Archipelago and its various embassy nations.) It is all the more incredible, then, that Muralos was able to so readily host a tournament as large as the IAC. Alongside the Copa Rushmori, the Campionato Esportiva, and the AOCAF, the Independent Associations Championship is perhaps one of the largest non-WCC tournaments in existence. Technically, the IAC is not a "regional" tournament as it encompasses nations that belong to multiple regions, so long as those regions are not the "Big 3" regions of Rushmore; Esportiva; or Atlantian Oceania. Yet, due to its size and significance for nations outside the "Big 3," the Muralosian Ministry of Sports would like to consider it a regional tournament.

First Olympic goal scored in an Independent Associations Championship - Vilhelm "wagon" Wallin of Ginadjkrum made this incredible feat in Ginadjkrum's group stage match against Muralos at Komcatt Arena, in which the Hawks lost 1-2. It was a windy night in Urbego, creating the perfect conditions for an Olympic goal: a goal scored directly from a corner kick. Ginadjkrum's victory against the Hawks was key to their advancing to the IAC-12's Round of 16, after which they lost to Sannyamathland.

First time since IAC-9 that neither Poafmersia, HUElavia, nor New Lusitania and the Algarves were in the final four - Poafmersia, after a stunning domination of IAC-12 group A (going 4-0-1), handily beat Reçueçn 3-0 in the Round of 16. Then, however, they had to face Squidroidia, which had just beaten another high-scoring side in New Lusitania and the Algarves 1-0. Squidroidia eliminated Poafmersia with another 1-0 game and eventually made its way to the finals. HUElavia defeated Drawkland 2-1 in the Round of 16 (a matchup that the IAC usually saw in the semifinals or finals!), before being defeated 0-3 by eventual champions Tequilo.

First time since IAC-9 that a host nation advanced to the knockout stage - That would be the nation of Muralos! The Muralosian national advanced to the knockout stage thanks to wins against Kohnhead, Adab, and Grey County, as well as a draw with Indusse. The Hawks' second place finish in Group E took them to a Round of 16 matchup against Tequilo. While an early goal from Rui kept the score 1-0 in the Hawks' favor, the Tequiloan team turned the tables with two goals, one from Jaïr Iscla and another from Centurion.

First Muralosian athlete to play for a team outside of Asian Archipelago - Shortly after the IAC-12's conclusion, Muralosian midfielder Galina Shchedrina joined the Veriasod Lakers of the Tikariot Premier League. Prior to Shchedrina's arrival in the Rushmori nation of Tikariot, members of the Hawks had only played in the Muralosian league system and in the Premier Leagues of former Asian Archipelago nations Fengjie and Li Qing.

What is in store for Muralos in the 88th World Cup qualifiers?
Interview conducted by Daniela Shen

The Muralosian national team has climbed from 259th in the world rankings to 131st in the span of 2 months, before falling to 135th after the most recent ranking calculations. Teams at the Hawks' level face a difficult route to the World Cup. A realistic target for the Hawks would be somewhere in the middle of their qualifying group – 4th or 5th out of 10 teams – though they do have much higher chances at qualifying than they did last edition.

The Hawks are generally confident in their skills, and while this mentality has taken them a long way, they have tempered it for the World Cup qualifiers. (Note: The best-known stories about the Hawks' confidence are about the former men's team, which won a friendly match in the midst of a zombie outbreak and won a tournament after not competing together in 4 years. But these stories may become tired to people who have heard them often. Indeed, the Hawks are trying not to be defined by these accomplishments alone.)

"In the last World Cup qualifiers, we went in thinking we had the skills to take on any team if we tried hard enough," Muralosian team captain Adamo Brava told the Muralosian Ministry of Sports. "But we soon realized things were not so simple, and that is far from a bad thing. We saw how flawless Cassadaigua's attack is, for example. Their players never miss a beat, and when they pick up the pace, it is a real challenge to keep up with them. Since our rather jaw-dropping defeats [0-5 and 1-7] against them, I feel Coaches [Jozefo] Koltakov, [Pavel] Li, and [Hina] Kageyama have done a lot to restructure training and, in that way, take us toward performing as well as these powerhouse teams."

Muralosian assistant coach Hina Kageyama corroborated Brava's assessment. "Our coaching isn't framed as maintenance of what we have, though I'm afraid it was during the last edition of the World Cup. It is all about improvement now – about asking how we can execute cleaner passes, how we might refine our tactics, how we can make better use of our players' strengths."

Still, all three Muralosian coaches value the mental strength that the Hawks have gained over years. As head coach Jozefo Koltakov noted in a press conference after the IAC-12, "improving our game does not mean our players will start seeing themselves as deficient. They still hold the mantra dear that they can do anything they have prepared to do, and that every soccer match is a truly exciting occasion."

"On the pitch," concluded Koltakov, "you never worry about the million and one things that could go wrong. You aim for the target that you know is right."

by **HUElavia** » Fri Apr 30, 2021 1:49 pm

Restarting From Zero

HUElavia comes into the Qualifiers with many questions to be answered in the coming future.

After the promising, yet short-lived edition of IAC 12, the HUElavian Football Association was forced to make changes in terms of the coaching staff, as well as the Association itself. After the team arrived to Curumba, the HFA announced the sacking of Coach Rafael Salgado Lacerda, and made a historic announcement: Leonardo Conavacio from Quebec and Shingoryeo was announced as the new Coach for the HUElavian National Football team, making him the first ever foreign manager for the HUElavian National Football Team.

In his first major announcement, Coach Conavacio announced his selection of players for these upcoming qualifiers, picking 46 players to make up essentially the A-D teams for the National Team. For the most part, some of the main players that participated in IAC 12 were picked, as well as young players from previous U18 and U21 World Cup Squads who were now professionals from the HUElavian Football League. Thus, the rebuild has begun, with players mainly in their early to mid 20s.

In the first matches managed by Coach Conavacio, it included a historical first match against his birth country of Quebec and Shingoryeo, in a 2-1 victory featuring the A-Team with goals by Sol and Gagne-Leblanc. The second match was a close thrilling loss to Muralos, 3-2, with the D-Team. The 3rd match was a 0-1 away victory at Sylestone, with the C-Team in play. Finally, the 4th match was a 2-2 draw with Xanneria, fielding the B-Team. Thus, with a more attacking approach by the team, scoring goals are of no problem for Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos. The defense and goalkeeping still has its struggles, which will have to be improved throughout the qualifiers.

Based on official information released by the Co-Hosts of Cassadaigua and Chromatika, there will be 18 Groups of 10 Teams each. Thus, there will be playoffs for 6 of the 12 runners up, with the 6 best qualifying directly into the tournament itself. HUElavia, currently 45th in the rankings, will be a Pot 3 team that is expected to make a strong run. For the team, it is expected to finish 3rd Place or Better. With the talent in the roster, there is enough firepower to make a run for the World Cup Finals. Regardless, Coach Conavacio looks to take it a game at a time, and possibly incorporate players from different squads to keep the team fresh throughout the qualifiers.

For the stadiums, it is expected for Curumba to be given one match, although it is rumored for Estadio Capital (90,000) to be the designated stadium for this cycle in the Capital. Due to 9 stadiums hosting the qualifiers, 4 stadiums in Eastern and Western HUElavia will each host a match. Estadio Internacional (82,500) is expected to host one of the matches, as well as Estadio Costeiro (78,000) in HUEsilia being expected as well. Estadio Olimpico de Solea (60,000) in Solea and Estadio Maria Santos Leite (72,000) in Miras will be making their debuts, with the National Team Baptizing both stadiums at some point in the Qualifiers. The remaining 4 stadiums are still being decided, but it is expected to be officially announced soon. Should HUElavia have to play in the Playoffs, Estadio Nacional (100,000) in Curumba will be the selected stadium for the two-leg playoff.

Fans are starting to preorder tickets, looking to fill up the stadiums. As always, 85% will go to the HUElavian public, and 15% to the visiting supporters. The team is optimistic for this cycle as a way to start anew and to make a good performance in the coming months. Here's to hoping the draw comes out well.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **Atheara** » Fri Apr 30, 2021 6:36 pm

From The Beginning Of The Road

At the moment, just a recap of Atheara's journey from the Baptism of Fire.

I want to tell you the story we have so far. It may not seems as much, but you have to remember that this is just the beginning of the story, so don't expect it to be long. I hope you could understand and help us add onto it. The teams we sent were doing their best, remember? Sometimes the results of hard work pay off, and during the 75th Baptism of Fire, it paid off. Not paid as much as we had expected it to, but at least it was a decent start for the most of us to work with. It was a bit of an adventurous one.

Our group had never been better, with the only two other teams that also had some seriousness in trying to qualify were Galeanna, and Talkasa, the rest? They didn't perform so well, but it was at least to them, a shot at glory. For us? It was something more serious. When the first match between Galeanna and Atheara had ended with a scoreless draw, people expected for us to start performing better. And better we did, as the next day, Atheara had defeated Group Leaders Talkasa with a score of 0 - 1. The first win sometimes gives momentum, and we had used it to our advantage. Kannap got absolutely destroyed with a score of 4 - 0 that fateful day. At the final match, we thought to ourselves "We hope this time we can win something" and we won the qualifiers as Group Champions against Revlona on our last match day with 3 - 0, then we get a goodbye to the next round. We had qualified.

The Round of 16 started with a small breeze as Atheara was paired against Suimede, whom did not really have that good of an attack or a defense, and wiped them off the tournament with the score of 2 - 0. Did i also forgot to mention that Atheara currently has a unbroken clean sheet and winning streak? You probably realized it earlier. Another Groupmate, Galeanna was the next, as our head to head was nil to nil we also won against them with a score of 1 - 0. Eshialand was a different story, after winning against Marigred and St Trinians by one goal each, this match was a hyped one. "El Recentico" they name it... We proceded to get beaten by 1 - 0, the first goal conceded for quite a while. We still had a chance at winning something, Third Place Play-Offs against Sahuarita, whom also lost to their opponent, Le Choix, by one goal as well. The score of that match was 4 - 2, granted it was equal until the final minutes of the game.

During the entire tournament, many things had come and went, it was overall a good tournament. With Eshialand and Atheara starting a rivalry between, The Srednjaci staff roasting the Galeannan Defense, Sahuarita going with a full winstreak from their Group, we start to wonder what will happen in the World Cup if the Baptism of Fire was already so competitive.

We had gotten third place which was not bad by any means. With only three goals conceded during the entire Tournament, it's likely we have one of the lowest amount of goals conceded. When the Baptism of Fire was done, the World Cup was waiting. It was going to be a more difficult journey against the worlds best, and the question is "Can we keep up our pace with the best?"

by **Sharktail** » Fri Apr 30, 2021 11:39 pm

SHARKTAIL POST EP 48
THE ALARM HAS RINGED, IT'S BACK.

The 88 World Cup Qualification campaign is about to begin. Now, the biggest football tournament involving the entire multiverse is back. The throbbing is increasingly felt by all players, managers and supporters. The prize for a slot in the World Cup 88 will be won by hundreds of countries.

Not to forget also at the Sharktail camp, once again this team came out to try and challenge in order to grab a slot to the World Cup final. On paper, this mission is too impossible. With the current performance like roller coaster by the Sharktail team, not many dared to give too high a prediction for this team. The Sharktail team is more comfortable being labeled a underdog team. However, all this is not an obstacle or an excuse for this team to give up before competing.

For Sharktail’s new manager, Carrol, he doesn’t see all of these predictions as a threat or even a psychological war. For him, this is all just one way to boost the match up and the glory of a tournament. "I used to be a spectator, I used to be a supporter. I personally like and am interested in seeing things like this. For me back then, it was a way I could be attracted and tied to a tournament. So now that I'm a coach, I don't want to say I'm not happy, cause I've felt the effects of all this."

When asked to comment on the tournament this time, Carrol preferred to remain silent and take each match one by one. "We follow the development of every game. Every coach will not stay with the same pattern, even their tactics do not change. So I prefer this approach. We have a mission here, no matter home or away. We will do our best and win every game. "

When asked about the players, Carrol wanted them to be calm and disciplined. "This isn't my first time with them. There are also some new faces, but most of them I'm used to meeting. They're all great, and disciplined. So for a big tournament like this, even it's just the group stage, hope people keep the momentum and avoid the commotion. I want to. For me, they better show their all rather than giving up at the early game. Even you know you're already losing, keep playing your all. Result after 90 minutes, that's the final one. So before that, go on, forward , push, run, shot, do whatever you can."

All the prep has been done. Let cheer the best for them. All the Blue Army, Home or Away, we need you. Go Wi Go Sharktail. We are the Blue Predator.

by **Malandrin** » Sat May 01, 2021 12:15 am

The Royal Malandrinian Football Federation announce new logo and kits.
https://m.imgur.com/a/QLEmqZ7

by **Central Shaneville** » Sat May 01, 2021 3:20 am

CENTRAL SHANEVILLE - NEW BOSS, NEW HOPES?
Is it third time lucky for Central Shaneville? history tells us no however alot has changed since last time, including a new boss: Cam Meister, who was sworn in from assistant manager position following the sacking of toxic manager Jay Bucks (who was manager last World Cup.) who repeatedly refused to change the playing style and tactics which lead to some questionable performances.

Mr. Cam Meister made an immediate impact as manager with Central Shaneville almost returning to the knockout rounds of the Independents Cup 12 tournament (the last time they did that was Independents Cup 5) however despite relative success elsewhere and a now established domestic league, Central Shaneville has never made it to the World Cup finals with two below par performances.

As for the group draw, Central Shaneville has had a mixed time in terms of qualifying and, just like everyone, they want the easiest draw possible and with most Central Shaneville fans (who are a very passionate bunch) wanting to see their nation do well but will that happen? or will history repeat itself once again?

by **Squidroidia** » Sat May 01, 2021 10:46 am

Methods to the Madness
A Squidroidian... Whatever blog

World Cup 88 - How do you mix it up?

So as many of you have already known, the World Cup qualifiers are set to kick off in just a few months time. I know this is a bit too early to talk about the biggest competition in football, but with the Squidroidians apparently knowing how to play along with teams with World Cup experience (Hint hint, Poafmersia) and actually going to beat them in the IAC, it feels justified to talk about the World Cup before not even a draw has been made. We don't know where our beloved Inklings will play, who they will face, or the road to reaching the Finals in Cassadaigua (Where Mito got his sacking phone call) and Chromatika (Where the Squidroidians absolutely destroyed the Gothanita Isles for a bronze medal). If so many locals are excited about a competition even before they realize they have to play against Jeremy Jaffacake-Phillips and his Krytenia side, then so be it.

Usually the World Cup qualifiers, the thing one nation has to do before reaching the finals (Unless you are the hosts), are done in a group format. A set amount of groups each have a set amount of teams. Sometimes the top 2 per a group go to the World Cup, sometimes it's just the winners who go through, sometimes there's playoffs for the final spots. The last World Cup we had, World Cup 87, had its qualifiers take place in 19 groups of 10, with the winners and the top 3 runners-up qualifying automatically and the remaining runners-up going through playoffs for the final 8 spots. With this World Cup having 10 less teams than the 192 who submitted squads for the qualifiers and Finals last go around, we will (Likely or otherwise) have 18 groups of 10, with the group winners and top 2 runners-up qualifying automatically. 180 teams fighting over just 30 spots is murderous if you don't play your cards right - Eura didn't make the Finals last time and had to settle for a Cup of Harmony loss over Mriin, who aren't even in this tournament this time (Or likely ever will again). So many teams want to reach the World Cup, and sometimes something has to give.

But what if I was part of the Dagan/Chromatik host delegation and had free reign over qualifiers? What sort of crazy options would one crack up to change up the qualification format and maybe reshape the qualifying nations as much as World Cup 87 did? I do have the space on the Internet and the mind to think things up (As have other organizers in the past with their wacky formats for qualification), but this is Methods to the Madness. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is for certain. So if I were deciding the qualifiers, how would I be able to do it? Let's pull out the old book of tricks and find out.

Option 1 - Casaran Format

Some of you may be wondering what in the living embodiment of tables and numbers a Casaran format is. To put it simply, the Casaran format, used whenever Northwest Kalactin seemingly hosts any sporting competition, is where all the participants form one giant table and play a select number of games against certain opponents. Sometimes those opponents are near the top of the table, other times it can be completely random. The real downside about this is that you're getting not 10, not 20, but 180 teams in this Casaran table, with likely the top 15 when all is set and done qualifying automatically and 30 going through playoffs. If one opts for complete randomness when it comes to opponent selection as well, then a big team can play 18 straight unranked sides and qualify by scoring 70 to 80 goals, while a Valanora can miss out on the World Cup because their 18 opponents are the 18 best teams not named Valanora. The additional playoff room can help, but the safety net can only go so far. Not to mention all the scheduling that has to go into Casaran qualifying...

Option 2 - 30 Groups

Thirty groups. For World Cup qualifiers. Now you might say that I'm a maniac, but 30 groups of 6 actually works for an 180 team qualifiers. The usual group format applies here, each team plays the other teams in their group home and away, in the case of groups of 6 that would mean 10 games for qualifiers. More focus (Almost twice the focus in fact) is placed on individual games than the 18 game, 10 team groups, plus you can literally use every single letter in most alphabets around the world (A to Z) and maybe sneak in Groups Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta too. How one goes around qualifying the teams is another story. An easy option may be to just let the group winners advance automatically and have no playoffs, but the 2nd place teams, being 2nd place teams, need to have their chance too. My solution - Group winners and runners-up go through to the playoffs to decide the 30 spots. More chances for chaos, more room for upsets, and overall just a situation one can easily dive into on their own.

Option 3 - Straight Knockout

With 180 teams fighting for 30 spots at the World Cup, another option that presents itself is having a knockout format. It's simple in a way - Grab the 120 lowest ranked teams and have them go through a qualifying playoff to decide who moves on to the qualification semi-finals, also known as the Last 120 or "Seriously, there's only 3 rounds to this format?" To the latter, I would say yes - For a lower 120 team to qualify, they only have to play 6 matches. For one of the top 60? Only 4. 2 legged matches throughout, from the preliminary round to the qualification final. In other words, even more energy focused on individual games, less fixture congestion, and another way for TJUN-ia to miss the World Cup. Yes, ANOTHER way. As if they haven't already missed the World Cup before...

Option 4 - 10 groups of 18

I know, I know, this may be more convoluted and would lead to World Cup qualifiers becoming essentially like 10 different leagues with 34 (Yes, 34) matchdays and that we would have to essentially get rid of club football or make World Cups run on 4 year cycles instead of the usual 2 we have here in Squidroidia, but when there is a will, there is a way. Instead of the usual double round-robin format, why not have this be a single round robin format with 17 games? The top 3 teams per group would qualify for the World Cup, or if you feel extra nice to those 4th place teams, get the top 2 teams per group into the World Cup and the 3rd and 4th place teams can fight it out for the final 10 spots to Cassadaigua and Chromatika. Or you could have the top 6 teams per group go into a final group stage, single round robin, with the top half going to the World Cup, adding only 5 extra games to make it a (World Cup 85 qualification worthy) 22 game qualifying schedule. The only real problem with single round robin formats for qualification is where everybody's going to play their games. Eliminating half of the games a double round robin has leads to not every nation hosting games against each of their opponents. Unless you throw in some neutral site hosts (Which probably won't happen for the qualifiers again), that gets real tricky.

Well that's all the formats I can think of. If you're saying to yourself "Well there's also regional qualifiers, you forgot to talk about that!", the Kalactins and Quemorr Isles sea creatures already did that last cycle, so I won't repeat that. Bon voyage, well, until the qualifiers of course.

by **Queenisa** » Sat May 01, 2021 1:46 pm

The Enemies Stood Up in Evilness, The Hero’s Stand up In Horror, they all have one Goal, Winning the Ultimate Sports World Cuppppp. Not In the Unknown, They will embark on A Painful Journey of Grief and Simple Disbelief. Remember one word - Queenisa is All Together ..........

The Unfortunate Puppet Problem and Un-Lucky Scenes

Before the Group Drawings / The actual righting and ball taking happened, Queenisa is often designated as Un-Lucky and Hopeless. It’s Because the puppet problem and how it violated puppet rules. Sports Fans and Activists all around the nation protested, and lead to the ultimate terrible delay of player training, and roster creation. I guess we made it out okay merely, and this may be the end of us if it just seems like the clash with mods is going to happen next World Cup again and again. This Bad Start, whatever accounted in group drawing and match result creation, is widely infamous because simply no-thing like this happens these days - They happen with So called Noobs / Newbs and no one likes them.

Brutal Fighting and Skeleton in the Grave

As Widely Known, Queenisa Missed the BoF 75 and just decided to enter the World Cup, the most famous and hard competition with more then 100 players entering, and majority are expert RPers and Sports nations. We are ready to risk everything good about our sports team, the players, the fields, and simply everything to at least strike some pain in our opponents and not even talking about a win, just an intense match is nice enough. We may see deaths to our best players, who end up in the scary graves that no one visits to honor an figure that died because “ NAME “ Pushed him. “ This May be the enddddd “ - Sports Critic.

Sunshine and Sweet Paragraph

Tired of all of the sadness and negatives ? Here’s you place to get an safe recovery. In the Positive sides of World Cup enter, we may experience a miracle of victory and joy - One our of a trillion chances and once in the nation’s whole life. We would gladly hope for that, and if we fight hard enough and RP perfectly, we can win and shock the world about our miracles of hope. “ LETS DO IT “ - Another Optimistic Queenisan.

by **Eshialand** » Sat May 01, 2021 6:51 pm

Two Surprises

RING RING RING!

Coach Morgan awoke with a start. It was 6:13 AM, why was he getting a phone call at this time?

RING RING RING!

"H-hello?"

"Hello Coach Morgan!" Wait, was that the king?

"Your Highness?" He wanted to say "what are you doing calling me at this time in the morning?" but he decided against it, considering the fact that the king could have him fired at a moment's notice.

"I've got some very good news for you and the team!"

"What kind of good news?"

"Well, I've just decided to set up a new organization, called the "Eshialand Soccer Federation" to oversee the team and all of the fun stuff that comes along with it, and I've selected you to be the interim President of the Federation!"

"Why me? I know nothing about financials or administrative stuff..."

"Don't worry, it'll be fine! It's only for a few months anyway, while I try to figure out who'll lead it permanently."

"I don't think I can do this..."

"The best part is, as interim President, you're going to get an all-expenses paid trip to Concord Heights, Cassadaigua to attend the World Cup Qualifying group draw!"

"Uhhh... I think I can do this, yeah, now when do I get the tickets?"

"Do you want to know what other good news I have for the team?"

"What is it?"

"Well, you see..."

The next day, Coach called for a meeting with his team at the brand-new SuperDome. It must've been important if if was gathering so many team members from all across the country, and even some who were abroad at the time, together on such short notice...

"Look, I know you've been itching to get back out on the pitch... and I think I have just the solution. The king personally called me yesterday to tell me to tell you all about a friendly he had planned for next week against the Independent Athletes from Québec. You could all use some practice playing against a very strong team like those you'll be facing in World Cup Qualifying, and I think a fun match with no stakes whatsoever is exactly what you need right now. Thoughts?"

The team's cheering was almost deafening. The Owls really were yearning for any sort of soccer, what with everything they had to deal with since the Baptism of Fire.

"Okay, so it's settled. We're playing soccer again!"

by **Bollonich** » Sun May 02, 2021 1:16 pm

Vreton City Journal

New stadium announced
The Bollonischian Football Federation (BFF) recently announced the stadiums in which the World Cup Qualifiers home matches are to take place. These include the new made stadium John Lennon Football Stadium in Vreton City. The other two stadiums are the:-

by **Adab** » Sun May 02, 2021 4:44 pm

KickTheBall.com
Bringing you the latest news and rumors in football, in Adab and abroad

NEWS | WORLD CUP
By: Sinahhieriba Husayn

Kaykali declares war on Group 4

In an eventful press conference following the World Cup 88 group draw, Adab national team manager Saad Kaykali proclaimed that “there is nothing to fear” and that the team will play with “all guns blazing”.

Following the conclusion of the group draw, where Adab found itself in Group 4, the Adab Football Association immediately called a press conference for 2:30 a.m. local time at their Adab City headquarters, which was well-attended by journalists from major news organizations despite the 45-minute notice.

The proceedings began with wrestling legend Big Boss Ahmad’s entrance song “Real Adabian” being played over the sound system in the conference room as Kaykali entered, along with AFA President Naram-Sin Araqasdah and national team captain Mohammed Marramzi.

Flanked by Araqasdah and Marramzi, Kaykali declared that Adab has nothing to worry about and that he believes the team will do its best.

“Already I’m hearing this talk about Group 4 being the group of death or whatever. It doesn’t affect me one bit,” Kaykali said. “I just told my players, if you’re afraid of your opponent before you even step onto the pitch, then you’ve already lost.”

As if to emphasize the team’s general lack of fear, the Adab manager then proceeded to list all their opponents in the group.

“Valanora, Geektopia, Electrum, Abanhfleft, Mytanija, Eastfield Lodge, The Grearish Union, Atheara, Deniria, they are all great teams and some of them have a long history and pedigree,” Kaykali stated. “We respect them, we admire them, and we are absolutely not afraid of them.”

“As Michael Jordan said, never say never, because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion.”

Adab is the only unranked team in Group 4, having not participated in the World Cup since World Cup 81. Valanora, the highest-ranked team in the group, ranks second.

Nevertheless, this does not seem to worry Kaykali, who spent the better part of thirty minutes extolling the strengths and virtues of his squad, declaring that they have “trained and played well” and that they will make the country proud.

“There is nothing to fear,” the Adab manager proclaimed. “Valanora, Geektopia, Electrum, and all the others, we are not afraid of them. There is only Allah to fear.”

“We will do our best. We will fight to the end. We will come out with all guns blazing.”

“Besides, even if we go out in the group stage, if we play well enough we may get an invitation to the Cup of Harmony, which itself is a great and prestigious tournament," Kaykali added.

AFA President Araqasdah then took over, wishing the players well and urging the country to pray for them before reciting the famous final stanza of William Ernest Henley’s poem “Invictus”, dedicating it to the players.

“It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll,” recited Araqasdah, “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.”

Marramzi then spoke, declaring that he is ready to take on the challenge of the World Cup.

“I am prepared, all the other players are prepared,” the national team captain said. “We’ve been waiting, preparing for this moment for a long time.”

“We will show to the multiverse that we are not going down easily. We are here to win.”

In an appropriate conclusion to the eventful proceedings, Kaykali then led the journalists present in the room in a rousing, a cappella rendition of “Real Adabian” before paraphrasing David Bowie’s 1983 hit “Let’s Dance”.

“Let’s dance,” the Adab manager said. “Put on your whatever-color shoes and play football.”

See also:
Live reactions to World Cup group draw
Group 4 analysis: Can Adab really do well here?
Imperial Palace wishes World Cup players “all the glory in the world”

by **Jeruselem** » Sun May 02, 2021 4:59 pm

Princess Kate (Katherine) and Jeruselem manager Pekora Dancer after watching the official draw for the World Cup 88

San Ortelio (101)
Mercedini (39)
Seguidores de la grasas (UR)
Talamia (221)
Istoreya (341)
Valladares (56)
Siovanija and Teusland (17)
Bluecliff League (116)
Jeruselem (64)
Fujai (172)

Kate: So let's see who we got lumped in with
Peko: I guess so ...
Kate: San Ortelio, I swear we've played them before
Peko: Given they are ranked 101, does it really matter.
Kate: I guess not ...
Peko: Let's move on

Kate: Mercedini again!
Peko: Ranked 39, I guess they are doing better than we are
Kate: They'll be complaining about us being the group
Peko: Except they get the better of us most of the time
Kate: True
Peko: Let's move on

Kate: Seguidores de la grasas, unranked.
Peko: Eh, no idea.
Kate: Talamia, ranked 221. I guess we've never met them either.
Peko: Yeah
Kate: Istoreya , ranked 341. I guess another of those unknown teams.
Peko: I guess these three teams shouldn't be a issue.

Kate: Ah Valladares, ranked 56. I guess they've been around for a while.
Peko: Yes, better than we're doing
Kate: Siovanija and Teusland, ranked 17. The gorilla in the room.
Peko: They'll qualify.
Kate: And Bluecliff League ranked 116, Fujai ranked 172. Eh
Peko: I guess we should not be bothered by them either.

Kate: So what you think?
Peko: There's already three teams ahead of us, and one of these is top 32.
Kate: Not sounding very optimistic
Peko: Just being realistic, we'll need a few upsets of the other teams to help us and us not drawing to many games
Kate: Yeah, we're great at drawing games when we should win them
Peko: Something we should work on really, those draws were so costly.

Kate: The new project is nearly ready, we're going to be doing football reviews as virtual youtubers.
Peko: But they still wear clothes
Kate: I'll be a virtual nude tuber
Peko: I'm sure they'll be complaints
Kate: We're doing this on our network, no stupid youtube censorship for us!
Peko: Yes. That stuff is going overboard these days.

by **Atheara** » Sun May 02, 2021 7:56 pm

The World Cup Group Of Death

Type: Dialogue
Time: After the Group Draws, 3rd May

The Athearan Football Association, League 1 Director Jose (Havermann? Luitzendorf? Kurdenstich? This guy changes names often, after the meeting he changed it again to Oistrenath.) had gotten the National Coach Kristian Johansson, Captain Mugel Krygorf, and Zimmerman Brusteric to talk about the "Group of Death" that is to be known as Group 4 for the World Cup 88. This is what they talked about.

Jose: I have good news, and bad news.
Krygorf: Got Group 4, tough teams?
Jose: How did you know?
Zimmerman: He watches anything about the Tournaments we are in.
Kristian: Basically we have possibly one of the most difficult groups?
Jose: Yes.
Krygorf: Analysis is now, i believe?
Kristian: Pretty sure.
Zimmerman: Analysis of what?
Jose: The Group.
Kristian: Think logically.

Jose: Highest Ranked in the Group, Valanora, 2nd in the world.
Krygorf: Best result we could get is a draw i presume.
Zimmerman: Could clutch an upset if we play just all out defense.
Kristian: Not sure, they are the 2nd best, i agree with Krygorf.
Jose: Best result is a draw, noted. Predictions?
Krygorf: Qualified, i would say.
Zimmerman: Yeah, moneys on him.
Kristian: No betting, Zimmerman.
Zimmerman: Aww c'mon.

Jose: Next is Geektopia, Rank 22.
Krygorf: Never heard of them.
Zimmerman: I think they sent a candidate to Garvida?
Kristian: Yes. They did send one, but not in the same group.
Jose: Results and Predictions?
Krygorf: Maybe a win, a draw we can muster. They could qualify.
Zimmerman: Yeah, also the fact they are over centuries old means they have tons of experience.
Kristian: Agreed. Better start training then.
Jose: Alright, that's noted.
Krygorf: Oh a side note, we should definitely study them.

Jose: Electrum, Rank 47. You all played in Electrum during the Baptism of Fire.
Krygorf: Seems a difficult challenge to overcome.
Zimmerman: Especially if we play as Away.
Kristian: Dully noted to train your mentality.
Jose: What about it?
Zimmerman: A win is possible here, but we should stay solid.
Krygorf: The man is starting to make sense.
Kristian: Finally you understand it?
Zimmerman: Understand what?
Jose: Nevemind. Also everything is now noted.

Jose: Alright, now it's Abanhfleft, Rank 65.
Zimmerman: I thought they were only good in other sports?
Krygorf: Don't act like an idiot, Zimmerman.
Zimmerman: Fine then.
Kristian: We never see them play.
Jose: Yeah, i noticed it. Predictions?
Zimmerman: Just like last time.
Krygorf: We could get a sneaky win here, but that can only be proven once we play.
Kristian: I could see why you think that way.
Jose: Once again, all is noted.

Jose: Out of the Top 100 is Eastfield Lodge, Rank 111.
Kristian: That rank number is suspicious not going to lie.
Krygorf: Agreed. Usually something weird is something bad for us.
Zimmerman: Like a curse, they would say.
Jose: I have to agree. Pr-
Kristian: Maybe a draw, a win could be in the cards.
Krygorf: The man skipped the question, good lord.
Zimmerman: Don't press the pedal so soon.
Jose: Alright then.
Krygorf: Noted.

Jose: Skipping over 40 Ranks is The Grearish Union, 153.
Krygorf: Never heard of them.
Kristian: Agreed. I also don't know much about their country.
Zimmerman: I think a win is possible here.
Jose: Yeah, a good chance for a win here.
Krygorf: I think they won't make qualifiers.
Zimmerman: I think most of us know that.
Jose: He was just stating the facts we have.
Krisitian: Yeah, no need to break the chain.
Jose: All is fair in debate.
Zimmerman: That is noted.

Jose: Now for the last two on our list, Deniria and Adab, Rank 355 and Unrated respectively.
Krygorf: Deniria was in the Baptism of Fire, weren't they?
Kristian: Yes they were, i think.
Zimmerman: I have no idea about Adab.
Jose: None of us really have an idea, they participated in the WC 81.
Kristian: I think a win is the best margin we have.
Krygorf: Yeah, i can say the same right now.
Zimmerman: Deniria i think has a slight bigger percentage on the danger levels.
Jose: Agreed. That's all to it, thank you three for coming.
Kristian: No need to thank us.

After this, the Athearan National Team, or as the fans started to nickname us, The Blue Guard, will be doubling their training for their Match Day debut against Valanora, whom is at their peak form. Would we be able to pull off an upset, draw against one of the best, or start the Group with a loss? Only time can find out. We await the beginning of the World Cup.

by **Tikariot** » Sun May 02, 2021 8:57 pm

Walking with Shadows
--- Chapter I ---

All is dark. The scent of petrichor permeates the air, accompanied with the smell of humid earth, which feels soft under his weight. He feels an insect crawl over his hand, but he does not seem to care, his mind focused on taking in the scents and sounds around him. The faint drumming of rain can be heard from above, but it seems muffled, distant, almost unreal. He opens his eyes and the shadowy outlines of trees around him come into view, barely visible against dark backdrop of the canopies above, an eerie light illuminating the wisps of fog floating between the trunks. A lightning high above sends its ghastly light across the night sky, filtering through cracks in the canopy of leaves above, before striking something in the vicinity with a deafening crack. Almost as if awakened by the bolt, a gust of wind rushes through the forest, breaking apart the dark ceiling and allowing the rain to filter through, its heavy drops hitting the ground with dull thuds, hitting his unmoving body.

The crack of the thunderbolt and its blinding light also sends a searing pain into his head. He is not sure how long he had been lying on the soft, mossy ground in the forest, but the feeling of dried blood on the side of his head gives him the nagging suspicion that had something to do with both his location and the sudden sharp ache in his head. As he feels the water dripping and spraying around him, he is keenly aware of the complete absence of animal noises around him. Sure, the lightning bolt striking somewhere close by probably was enough to silence the nighttime fauna, but even before it was strangely quiet. Silent as a shadow he sits up, listening intently for any signs of life around him. The crack of a branch behind him makes him whirl around, but he cannot make out anything or anybody in the darkness of the forest.

Suddenly the gusts of wind turn into a sustained gale force wind, driving the rain through the leaves and drowns out any other sounds around him, making him realize that he had to find his way out of this forest. And figure out where the forest is to begin with. By the time he nears the edge of the forest, the rain and wind have risen to an all-out thunderstorm, with lightning painting its spidery brushstroke across the dark, broiling firmament, the rain lashing out, whipped on by the wind. If it were not for the theatre of electricity illuminating the surrounding landscape, it would have been absolutely pitch black, which does not help once the lightning has faded away, making the darkness almost darker than black in contrast.

As he carefully advances, trying to find his bearings while taking care not to walk off a cliff, he tries to remember what brought him here to begin with, but the cobwebs in his mind are still clinging too strongly to any wisps of memory he tries to grasp. Using the brief flashes of light to orientate himself, he slowly makes his way towards what looks like a narrow cleft in the rocky hills at the edge of his vision, using a branch for a walking stick as he feels both dizziness and nausea welling up, likely caused by the blow to his head.

Just as he reaches the entrance to the ravine, another lightning bolt strikes close by, briefly outlining a dark figure watching him, which is the last image he sees before collapsing.

The crackling of a fire is the first sound to reach his ears when he comes to, closely followed by the howling of wind and rain being driven against the roof of wherever he was. As he tries to lift his head and open his eyes, the dizziness he faintly remembers from earlier comes rushing back and he lets his head fall back with a groan. He hears soft footsteps coming closer, slow and deliberate, then something cold and wet touches his forehead, causing him to give a start, which helps neither the dizziness nor the dull pain resonating within his skull.

A whisper, barely audible over the onslaught of weather outside reaches his ear. “Calm, you need to rest. I am not sure what happened to your head, but it looks like you’re lucky to have been walking to begin with. You are safe here.”

He tries to sort through the fog in his brain and process the voice, but before he can form any cohesive thoughts he drifts away into a deep, exhausted sleep.

by **The Gothanita Isles** » Sun May 02, 2021 11:08 pm

Zahi Castillas was relieved that Margret was blessing him today.

For all that he has been complaining about the pots being unfair to the Isles, the team not being at their best, the qualificationd draw was very nice. Little to complain for, and much to celebrate about. Such is the general consensus about the draw among the officials from the Gothanitan Isles Football Confederation (GIFC), and the members of the coaching team that accompanied Castillas to the draw. His brief statement to the various press outlets after the draw was simple. "Really, given the pot we are in, and looking at the other groups across the board, you can't really ask much more."

On first glance, the group stage pots were particularly terrifying. Among the top 40 teams, apart from the 2 hosts who would not involve themselves in the qualifiers, there were only 2 names missing - firstly, Mriin, who have announced their retirement from international football and ran away with the original, lineal, Ultimate World Championship belt; as well as Terre Septentrionale, who failed to enter themselves into the upcoming edition, as their nation seemed to have descended into general chaos (Read: CTE). The 3rd pot doesn't look that forgiving either, with last qualifiers' surprise packages Savigliane leading an entire pack of big teams. Krytenia, New Lusitania, Electrum, Kandorith, HUElavia, you name it, you get it. Yet from all 3 pots, The Isles got teams that are around the bottom of the pots. Newmainstan, Omerica and Flavovespia. Of course, this does not say anything about the general difficulty of these teams, but if you were to compare to getting Nephara, Geektopia and Savigliane, you would certainly prefer what the Isles has obtained.

Zahi Castillas has said that he will finalise a 35-member team. Having looked at the performance of the individuals during their respective regionals, as well as the pre-arranged friendlies (he even complained that TGI isn't getting enough friendlies!), Zahi has said that he will name a 35-member team with quite a number of fresh faces in the national team.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the city, there was a gathering of managers and executives. The gathering was rather secretive. There was absolutely nothing hinting such a meeting exists, apart from the fact rumours of such things were around since 10 years ago.

A group of clubs, from each of the member nations, were joined by executives from outside football. Media outlets. Financial companies. Marketing companies. Interestingly, the title of the meeting was "The meeting to save Gothanitan football", something that probably would give a hint to many people who have any clue about the meeting. And looking at the guest list, it is easy to guess what was the aim, and what it was for. Just that this time, there was lots more backing to look for.

World Cup 88- Roleplay Thread

World Cup 88- Roleplay Thread

Pre-Game Role-Play - The Dark Battle of Sports

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