World Cup 88- Roleplay Thread

by **Adab** » Sat May 22, 2021 10:17 am

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May 21, 2033 / 22 Safar 1455
Adab 3-3 Eastfield Lodge
Yargab (74’), Yissakar (77’), al-Kufa (86') | Patton (21’), Girard-Vaillancourt (39’), Smith (60’)

NEWS | WORLD CUP
By: Binyamin Eliyahu

Adab in incredible comeback to salvage draw against Eastfield Lodge

Adab came back from a 0-3 deficit in the 60th minute of their World Cup 88 qualifiers match to draw against Eastfield Lodge before the home crowd at Adab City Stadium, and manager Saad Kaykali denied that a Celine Dion song had been played to distract the opposing side.

Playing before a full house at the Adab City Stadium, the Adabian team came onto the pitch hoping to avenge their 3-1 defeat away at Eastfield on the opening day of the qualifiers.

While in the end they would not achieve a victory, they did give the crowd cause to cheer by managing to claw their way back from almost-certain scoreboard oblivion to achieve a draw which, until almost the end of the match, had seemed impossible.

Though the Adabians went on the offense from the very start, Eastfield’s 3-3-3-1 formation quickly proved to be a stubbornly difficult obstacle to overcome, with the attacking trio of Jushur al-Kufa, Enlilbani Yargab, and Rebekah Yissakar constantly under pressure from the likes of Torunna Soriano and Mahdhoodha Gower as they encroached on the Eastfielder defense and finding little space to make the final push for the penalty area.

Barely twenty minutes into the match, the trio was visibly slowing down and appeared lost as Eastfield midfielder Mckenzie Black stole the ball away from Yargab. Black then made a dash for the opposite end of the pitch, passing the ball to striker Izzat Patton who daringly fired the ball between Adab keeper Mohammed Marramzi’s legs and into the back right of the net.

Marramzi’s sweeper-keeper tactics and tendency to advance too far away from the goal had increasingly come under scrutiny as allowing the opponent to drive the ball past him and into the goal, and following Patton’s success Adab manager Saad Kaykali could be seen gesticulating from the dugout, instructing Marramzi to stay close to the net.

But the match would get even worse for the hosts, as Black and her fellow midfielders constantly outmaneuvered their Adabian counterparts in close-quarters play, driving the ball away from them and facilitating counterattacks under which Adab’s defense buckled.

All this culminated in Craig Girard-Vaillancourt’s masterful goal in the 39th minute. Taking the ball from Alulim Sinmuballit at the center circle and breaking through a wide gap in Adab’s midfield, the Eastfield vice-captain sent the ball forward solely with his right foot through the entire length of Adab’s side of the pitch, as Sinmuballit, Shania Enmerkar, and Yousif Issou all scrambled to catch him but failed.

Entering the penalty area, daring Marramzi to come forward, Girard-Vaillancourt suddenly switched to his left foot and sent the ball flying right past Marramzi, who was evidently caught off-guard and into the net.

The Eastfielders maintained their healthy lead right to the end of the first half. At the half-time break, Adab manager Kaykali urged his players to intensify their attack on Eastfield and salvage something out of the match, at the very least the dignity of losing while having scored a goal themselves.

But for a while, at least, it seemed that the nightmare would only get even worse for Adab in the second half. In the 60th minute, as yet another Eastfield attack penetrated through Adab’s midfield, Eastfield’s Arthur Smith found the path open from his position well outside the penalty area and the goal.

Black, avoiding Enmerkar and Issou, had passed the ball back to him, and Smith struck gold with an incredible long-range strike. Marramzi leapt to catch the ball, but he leapt too far and tried to grab the ball too late. Falling to the ground, he could only watch as the ball slid along the inner roof of the net and down along the back of the net, where it came to rest.

Adab was now down 0-3, and recovery seemed all but impossible.

But it did happen.

Adab manager Kaykali has emphasized time and again in training that “the match isn’t over until the final whistle”, and today the players certainly took his advice to heart. In establishing their three-goal lead, the Eastfielders had overextended themselves, and with their players appearing to lose a step as the match dragged on, the Adabians saw an opportunity to narrow the gap.

In the 74th minute, Devyn Nadder, carrying the ball, found herself isolated from her teammates by Taymour Frangieh and Tansu Altun. Altun slid from behind Nadder, sending the ball from her feet and onto Frangieh’s, who then rushed towards the center circle, passing the ball there to Sinmuballit, who – along with Emma Arthur – proceeded to run roughshod over the Eastfielder defense with fast, dynamic play that seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

Sinmuballit dribbled onto just outside the penalty area, kicking the ball to Yargab who had been waiting for him. Gower and Renato Hargreaves converged on him, but the veteran striker just barely escaped them to fire off a left-footed strike onto the net. Eastfield goalkeeper Eddiq Sadiq slid to receive the ball, but he was too slow and the ball rolled safely past the goal line.

Adab’s second goal would come four minutes later under bizarre circumstances.

Emboldened by this seeming “Indian summer”, the Adabians had become more daring in their attacks on Eastfield, with the younger players such as Sinmuballit and Emma Arthur increasingly unafraid to physically handle their opponents. In the 77th minute, Emma Arthur battled Arthur Smith for the ball on the Adabian side of the pitch. As Ephraim Orlev came to her aid, the stadium loudspeakers out of nowhere began playing Celine Dion’s 1988 hit song “Ne partez pas sans moi” – most famous for winning that year’s Eurovision Song Contest – at a quite high volume.

Arthur Smith, apparently distracted by the song, stopped on his tracks and looked upwards towards the loudspeakers, allowing Orlev to take control of the ball and dribble it back to the Eastfielder half, moving the ball to Yissakar, who then passed it to Yargab, who in turn passed back to Yissakar, allowing her to smash the ball past Sadiq for the goal to the dulcet tone of Dion pleading “Ne partez pas sans moi, laissez moi vous suivre / Vous qui volez vers d'autres villes, laissez-moi vivre.” (Don’t go without me, let me follow you / You who fly to other cities, let me live.)

In the meantime, as the song continued to blare from the stadium’s speakers, spectators could be seen covering their ears, with some loudly demanding that the song be turned off or the volume turned down. The song was eventually turned off later in the 78th minute, well after Yissakar had scored to narrow the gap to 2-3 in the space of four minutes.

A 2-3 loss would perhaps have been good enough for the unranked Adabians after what they had gone through in this match, but there was still enough time to level the score, and level the score they did.

In the 86th minute, Jushur al-Kufa fired off a cross to Yargab. As Yargab entered the penalty area and Sadiq jumped on him, Yargab shot back to al-Kufa ahead and to his left, who then proceeded to run behind Sadiq and shoot into the goal. The home crowd erupted in cheers as their team equalized with just a few minutes left on the clock.

Having gone down 0-3, salvaging a draw was already a triumph for the hosts, and the crowd seemed to agree.

Kaykali denies playing Celine Dion to distract opponents

At the post-match press conference, Adab manager Kaykali praised his team for their effort and commended the visitors for an “amazing performance”.

“We are very much a capable team,” Kaykali said. “To be down 0-3 in 60 minutes and erase that deficit in the last thirty minutes or so, against a great side such as Eastfield, that is no mean feat at all.

“This has been amazing match and I will say again to Eastfield that you played amazingly and deserve to be one of the best teams in the world.

“My sympathies are with you. Ultimately we both did what we had to do.”

Kaykali also denied social media rumors that he and his staff had played Celine Dion to distract their opponents.

“These rumors are dumb. I was literally on the sidelines the entire time, directing my team,” the Adab manager said.

“I’ve talked to the stadium staff, the guys who are in charge of the sound system and all. Apparently one of them connected his phone to the speakers and accidentally pressed play.

“I agree that it was a strange incident, though I must say that I also found it quite funny.

“I can’t call myself a big Celine fan, but my favorite song of hers is probably ‘That’s the Way It Is’.”

by **Eshialand** » Sat May 22, 2021 10:51 am

Shut them down!
Eshialand 0 - 0 Lisander

So, here you were. Another day, another match.

There have always been questions about whether you or Christian Meers was the better keeper. Sure, you were the more experienced of the two, but Christian's performance in the Baptism of Fire was far better than yours was. You were just barely hanging on in your matches while he was performing extremely well, even in the iffy matches like Sonindia. However, Qualifying, and even the friendlies beforehand, were a completely different story.

Your performance in the friendlies, especially IAQ, was more than commendable. You also managed clean sheets against The 14 Stars twice, and even when you lost, because face it, Eshialand did that a lot, you did a great job. Well, except Sendhang, but Christian was just as bad once he was called in, so it evened out.

Playing a match at home was always a melancholy feeling before today. On the one hand, you could play in front of your friends and family, which gave you a feeling which an away match just couldn't replicate. On the other hand, however, you could never shake the feeling that Eshialand was cursed at home.

But today was another story. Not only was Coach Morgan finally starting you consistently, but you were actually able to pick up a home win against The 14 Stars. Granted, their starting XI was... unorthodox, but a win was a win. Now, you just had to follow it up. Anything other than a truly embarrassing loss would be nice, really.

Coach was calling for a locked-down defense this time, nothing crazy, just don't let one in. It was a solid strategy, but it could easily backfire if you weren't playing to the absolute best of your abilities... you'd just have to try your hardest then.

Luckily, it worked for a good long time, with nothing really coming your way. There was this one scary shot in the 27th minute, with a Lisandeno forward almost getting one into the side of the goal, but you were right on that ball, because there was no way you were going to let this slip away so easily.

Then, in the 71st minute, Coach did the exact thing you didn't want: call for the Golden Goose. The Golden Goose was the antithesis of everything that you stood for: it was a risky play that might convert a draw into a win, but it also lets down the defenses and allows the opposing team a chance to score and maybe win themselves. In other words, it was flipping you off with extra steps.

As you watched half of your defenders slip away and into the midfield, there was a certain dread that you just couldn't take. What if Lisander broke through? What if, instead of LaPlante being there to take the ball, it just gets all the way to you. What if they scored?

Luckily, nothing happened. Neither team managed to score for the rest of the match, and the score ended exactly how it started: 0-0. Sure, it wasn't a win, but from a goalkeeper's perspective, that 0 was the best part.

"Hello and welcome back to ENN Tournament Report, I'm your host Josh Seametzle. Matchday 11 had a few surprises, so let's check them out!"

Eshialand 0 - 0 Lisander
"Is Eshialand bound for a comeback? Could something happen here?"

The 14 Stars 3 - 1 Vilita
"This match just threw logic out the window, it really doesn't make any sense... how... did... ?????"

Squornshelan Remnant States 3 - 2 Devonta
"Thankfully, there was nothing too out of the ordinary with this match. I can only take too much weird every matchday."

Hebitaka 3 - 0 Sendhang
"Wait, how did they lose that badly after beating Savojarna... Sendhang continues to confuse me."

Savojarna 1 - 0 Pluvia and the Saxean Isles
"Ah yes, this one makes sense for once."

Adab 0 - 0 Atheara
"They drew! They drew! Hallelujah, Atheara picked up a point!!!"

"Now, before this edition of Tournament Report draws to a close, let's take a look at the group table for Group 2."

*  Group 2                                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Vilita                                     11    7   2   2    23   14   +9    23
 2 Squornshelan Remnant States                11    6   4   1    27   19   +8    22
 3 Savojarna                                  11    6   3   2    20   16   +4    21
 4 Pluvia and the Saxean Isles                11    5   1   5    19   20   −1    16
 5 Hebitaka                                   11    4   1   6    15   15    0    13
 6 Sendhang                                   11    4   1   6    18   19   −1    13
 7 Eshialand                                  11    4   1   6    13   19   −6    13
 8 Devonta                                    11    3   3   5    23   27   −4    12
 9 Lisander                                   11    3   2   6    16   21   −5    11
10 The 14 Stars                               11    2   4   5     7   11   −4    10

"As you can see, with only three points separating 10th and 5th, it's a bit of a log jam. Whether Eshialand comes out of this log jam in a good position remains to be seen, but whatever happens, it'll sure be interesting! Until next time, I've been Josh Seametzle."

OOC: Starting XI time!

by **Sannyamathland** » Sat May 22, 2021 12:10 pm

The Red Terror

Episode 2

Alexei Donsekty's stopped short in front of the huge office in front of him. He looked up to see a board, containing the words: 'ISB Regional HQ, Government of United Soviet Republics'. He sighed, hurriedly checked his bag to make sure he had all the documents. He did. "Alright, now is the time to go in and face the consequences." he muttered to himself, as he hurried towards the entrance. Two guards opened the door for him, as he entered the office.

The Assistant Coach of the Soviet National Team, was dumbstruck to see the interior of the office. He had never earlier entered this office, and thus the posh design of the interior bewildered him. Afterall, who could have guessed that the interiors of the Regional HQ of the Leningrad branch of ISB(secret police) could be so beautifully designed? There were people working all around him, in different capacities. He looked around helplessly, until he saw a counter, with a lady working inside it. He cleared his throat, and went forward to that counter, and asked: "Good evening madam. I want to know where can I find Comrade Serov?"(It is customary for ordinary people in Sannyamathland to use the word 'Comrade' whenever they are referring to high ranking government officials.)
"May I ask, why do you want to meet him?" the lady replied while still typing in her laptop, and not even looking up for once to see him.
"I have been summoned." came the reply.
"What is your na-" the lady stopped short as she looked up and saw the visitor. "Ah ha! Mr.Donsekty!" the lady gave a wide smile. Donsekty could understand the sarcasm in the lady's tone, yet he decided to remain quiet.
"Mr. Donsekty, the assistant coach of the national team. How can anyone not recognise you? No no, you don't need to show me the card, I know everything about you. Yes, Comrade Serov is in the 5th floor. He is waiting for you. If you don't mind you can take the lift there." the lady showed him the way to the lift.
Donsekty gave a half-nod and thanked the lady before hurrying towards the lift. The lady was still smiling.

Honestly, Donsekty should not be here in Leningrad and especially inside the regional HQ of the dreaded ISB. Nobody want's to be inside such buildings. He should have been there in the field, sitting beside the Head Coach Sergey Kramnik, and shouting instructions to the players whenever they are making a mistake. Today was their 11th matchday, and he had been able to attend just 5 matches of the national team. The rest of the time was wasted in going from one city to another, from inquiring in one police station to another. He was worried about the boys, what happened to them?, what were they doing?, how were they doing?, these questions flooded his head, as he was too distracted to even follow the match online. But moreover, he was worried about himself and his family. Whether he and his brother will be able to even come out alive.

The lift stopped in the 5th floor, and Donsekty hopped out. He was lost once again, and looked around helplessly. Suddenly, he saw a group of people sitting in front of a small TV. He rushed forward towards them, to realise that these people were watching the match in the TV.
"Excuse me" Donsekty said, and everybody turned towards him. They all gave a pretended smile and looked at each other.
"Where can I find Comrade Serov?" he asked
"That room on the left" one of them said.
As he hurried past the group of people, he could hear them saying to themselves: "Such a shame! He is the Assistant-Coach, and look what he is doing. He is a national humiliation." Donsekty ignored their comments.

As he entered the room, he saw a man, sitting in a chair, with a desk in front of him. The man had his back turned towards him, while he was engrossed in the TV, which hang in the wall, just behind his table. The match was being played in the TV. Donsekty coughed politely to get the man's attention, who turned around to see Donsekty. That man was Comrade Vladimir Serov, the Regional Chief of ISB. The man was a well dressed man, with a formal suit, clean shaved face, and a straight hair, brushed backwards.
"Mr Donsekty, I've been waiting for you. Please sit down." he pointed to a chair.
They both sat down and Serov gave a pretended smile, "You wan't some coffee?"
"No sir, thank you." replied Donsekty.
"Alright, now, Mr Donsekty let me get to the point. It's regarding the tweet you made last Sunday."
"I understand sir, I..." Donsekty was stopped by Serov raising his hand.
Serov contined: "You realise Mr Donskety that your tweet was blatantly against the government. I clearly mentioned that you have lost faith on the government agencies, and it's functioning. It's rather unfourtunate that you are tweeting such things. I understand that you are angry on your brother being captured, but it was due to his fault, I assure you. He incited violence."
" I am sorry sir." came the reply, which was a little better than a whisper. Donsekty stared at his feet.
"Listen, Mr. Donsekty" ,Comrade Serov continued, "You must understand two things. First, you can not post such things in the social media, especially in these difficult times. One post can further destabilize the entire situation. As it is, the country is facing unprecedented levels of challenge. The Chairman has himself declared that the enemies of the state have become omnipresent. Under these circumstances, your action is very much unwlecomed." Serov paused for breath, before continuing " Secondly, you are no average Joe, are you? You are a celebrity, a famed footballer and the Assistant Manager of the national football team. Your words can have far reaching consequences. You should learn to be responsible, especially with the social media. Moreover, this post of yours have further damaged your brother, Mr Nikolai Donsekty's ,prospects of being freed anytime soon."
"What!" Alexei was stunned.
"Indeed, Mr Donsekty. We thought we can release your brother even before his term ends, because he is our brother, and deserves a better treatment. But now, we might have to rethink our options." calmly replied Serov.
"No sir!" Alexei was alarmed. He stood up with fear laden eyes. "No Sir! Please don't bring about any harm to Nikolai. He is innocent, believe me. He is a young man, sir, please for god's sake!"
"Well, we run the government, so it's up to us how we may or may not treat him. You may leave now. Thank You for your time." Serov indicated that he wanted to talk no further.
"But sir..." Alexei was not ready to leave. He wanted to prove his brother's innocence. He took out the papers from his bag.
But Serov was in no mood to see those papers. "Please leave this room, your time's up. I have got other important things to do, your presence is unwanted." Serov replied impatiently.
"Sir, I..." stammered Donsekty.
"GET OUT!" shouted Serov. Donsekty was shaken to the core. He barely stood up, while legs were terribly shaking. He gave a quick salute, then hurried out of the room.
Tears rolled down his cheek, as entered the lift, with the papers.

by **Sarzonia** » Sat May 22, 2021 12:29 pm

The dressing room was normally a place for the Sarzonian national football team to get away from everyday life. After victories or draws against higher-regarded sides, it was usually a place that featured a lot of off-key singing (or on-key if you were team captain Clayton Wilson), laughing, joking, and great examples of camaraderie. After losses or draws against teams they were expected to win, it was sometimes a sombre place for the players to go over their mistakes both physical and mental.

Thus, the tension in the away dressing room after Sarzonia defeated Togonistan 2-1 and moved up the Group 12 table to sixth place would have felt out of place to the untrained eye. Defender Charlie King was snapping "no comment" repeatedly as reporters kept asking him about the controversy surrounding the rogue Anaian nations attempting to secede from Atlantian Oceania. Most of the other players also did the same.

The only one willing to go on record at all was Wilson, who addressed the controversy in comments made to Portland Press-Herald reporter Jonice Wallace.

"It's an unfortunate situation," he said. "Many of the people in those countries are familiar faces to us. The locations like Jhanna, Emberton, and other cities are like second homes to some of us. I hope players like [Wilson's step-cousin Emmett Lang, a centre midfielder playing in Starblaydia's third division] don't get left in the lurch.

"As far as the Anaian nations are concerned, I think President Haffner's being too hasty calling it treason," he said. "We need to tamp down the rhetoric, not inflame tensions."

Midfielder Brady Reynolds refused to speak on record, but saw The Woodstock Daily Mail's Travis West and motioned for him to follow him to assistant manager Nathan Hanifer's office after Reynolds saw him depart for the team bus.

"I'll tell you what I think, but I don't want my name getting out there," Reynolds said. "Agreed," West said, deciding to either use the comments as background information or quote them without attribution.

"I think the Foxchester countries are a bunch of traitors. Frankly, the President isn't doing enough," Reynolds told West. "We let 15 [Starblaydi] visas expire and only, what, five of the diplomats even applied to renew them? That's just symbolism. It's performative bullshit."

Manager Nicola Mentes, a native of Megistos, which is not in either Atlantian Oceania or Anaia, declined to comment.

"That's completely beyond my qualifications to comment," he said. Hanifer also declined, saying, "I'm not paid to deal with these questions."

The Gray House and the government complex nearby isn't that far away from Dave Wilson Stadium, but in another sense, it felt like a world away. Senior Vice President Conway reviewed the communicade from his Krytenian counterpart Gavin Mycroft, minister of Regional and Foreign Affairs, Emberton's equivalent to Woodstock's External Affairs Department. He noted with satisfaction that Emberton has already worked to comply with Sarzonian directives to remove Krytie military personnel from Sarzonian territory. The Royal Krytenian Military Police's continued presence at the embassy compound was a small compromise to make to ensure that tensions didn't escalate further.

Conway sent his own communicade to Mycroft agreeing with the request to allow the Royal Krytenian Military Police a temporary reprieve whilst a permanent solution was found. The mention of Raynor City's far more draconian response than those of either Saltstead or Woodstock made Conway grimace. He'd certainly tried his best to keep his emotions in check and ensure that Sarzonia's response was in fact a measured and proportionate response to the actions of the Foxchester declarants. That's why Haffner's use of "treason" to describe the Foxchester Declaration was so damning. It turned up the dial of tensions just as Sarzonia was hoping to help them deescalate.

Relations between Sarzonia and Valanora weren't particularly close, but if there were a good reason for détente between the nations, being on the same side of this dispute would provide it. Conway wasn't sure if he would be able to smooth things over between his Vanorian counterpart and Mycroft. He wasn't even sure if President Haffner would necessarily approve the idea. With that said, he was certain to have an uncomfortable conversation, which he hoped to propose take place in Raynor City rather than Saltstead or Woodstock. Bilateral relations between Valanora and Sarzonia certainly would be on the docket; but Conway also felt the need to remind his Vanor counterparts of how disproportionate he felt their response was.

As for nations that weren't previously Atlantian Oceania nations that joined Anaia, that was a subject that really hadn't been discussed, but the prevailing sentiment in the Situation Room and among most of the bipartisan discussions in Parliament was to treat any countries that weren't originally in Atlantian Oceania the same way they'd treat any other country that wasn't part of the region and wasn't necessarily hostile. In a worst case scenario, they could perhaps have an embassy devoted in part to being a Sarzonian interests section. Conversely, they could also serve as an interests section for Anaian nations if the split were in fact finalised.

These remained strange times no matter what for Sarzonia and for many of her regional partners, both on the pitch and well away from it.

by **Tumbra** » Sat May 22, 2021 1:17 pm

Tumbra 0-0 Saltstead

Tumbra (4-3-3): 1 - Lennon; 2 - Hughes (25 - Campbell, 63'), 4 - Henderson, 5 - Brown, 19 - Carter; 6 - Hicks, 16 - Morgan (8 - McGrath, 71'), 29 - Cole; 7 - Fraser (17 - van Heirolf, 79'), 9 - Vaughn, 22 - Sheldon

Saltstead (4-5-1): 1 - van Daal; 5 - Rothöüf (17 - De Vriħt, 71'), 4 - Maxime, 15 - Josefssen, 2 - Aurelius; 18 - Pascal, 19 - Tiberius, 10 - Van den Slåp (22 - De Jong, 54'), 20 - Sħåul (8 - van Bleck, 81'), 9 - Aħterop; 11 - Haråudssen

TMB scorers: None
SAL scorers: None

Player of the Match: John Lennon (TMB)

Kelssek 3-0 Tumbra

Kelssek (4-4-2): 1 - Gallagher; 2 - Liadon (14 - Dumont, 71'), 4 - Lozic, 5 - Fourtin, 3 - Douglass; 7 - Ó Tuathail, 6 - Lapierre, 8 - Lafrenière (16 - dí Völará, 71'), 9 - Yusupov; 10 - Taleb, 11 - Wylten (23 - Maçon-Petrault, 64')

Tumbra (4-3-3): 1 - Lennon; 2 - Hughes, 4 - Henderson, 5 - Brown, 19 - Carter (3 - Harris, 60'); 6 - Hicks (15 - Aitken, 74'), 16 - Morgan (28 - Stansfield, 74'), 29 - Cole; 7 - Fraser, 9 - Vaughn, 22 - Sheldon

TMB scorers: None
KSK scorers: Taleb (16'), Ó Tuathail (51', 74')

Player of the Match: Colm Ó Tuathail (KSK)

SPORT: TUMBRA 0-0 SALTSTEAD; KELSSEK 3-0 TUMBRA
Winless in Five, Previously Promising Qualification Campaign Lurches Into Full-Blown Crisis Ahead Of Crucial Run of Four Matches Against Lower-Ranked Sides

STRATON - Peter Gabriel's tenure at the helm of Tumbra's national team got off to a rocky start, with the temporary manager being unable to turn around the loss in form suffered by the Black Eagles near the end of the first half of the qualification campaign — meaning Tumbra have gained just two points from their last five matches. Having fallen to fourth before the mid-section of the qualification campaign, Tumbra remain there — three points ahead of fourth seeds Saltstead, but very much wary that the remaining seven matchdays will be crucial as to whether the team will remain in contention for a World Cup berth — or have to be content with a Cup of Harmony one.

Tumbra 0-0 Saltstead; Defensive Stability Arrives With A Clean Sheet; But Attacking Product Sadly Lacking

The return match against Saltstead — which marked the beginning of the Tumbran qualification campaign earlier in the season — proved once again to be an affair which saw the Tumbran offense attempt to break down the steady Saltsteadish defences. Peter Gabriel's first match would prove to be a baptism of fire, his experience perhaps making up for the one that Tumbra missed out on; the match against the fourth seeds in the group providing as stiff a test that could be for his style of football.

It turned out to be a relatively entertaining match, slightly marred by the fact that Marcus Sheldon scuffed perhaps the best chance to put the Tumbrans ahead; a rebound off a Vaughn free kick that went just inches wide of the post, earning the Stallions a goal kick; apart from that, opportunities for the Tumbran offence would be far and few between, with the Saltsteadish midfield and defence overwhelming the Tumbran offence. Vaughn, in particular, was effectively marked out of the game, afterwards admitting he himself hadn't put in a good shift.

Relatively more promising for the Tumbrans, however, was the newly-found defensive solidity; with Johnny Brown continuing his stint back in defence, the veteran defender looked more at ease, playing deeper than the higher line used by Hemmings; his solidity in keeping the Saltsteadish offence out was part of the reason why Tumbra did not lose matches late on — as they have done several times in the first half.

A 0-0 draw netted a sole point for Tumbra, then; but after multiple matches of the defensive game being on the lacking side, Gabriel's defensive nous resulting in only the side's second clean sheet of the campaign so far was a welcome improvement from the first half of the season.

Kelssek 3-0 Tumbra; Outplayed and Outclassed

The Kelssek match was a heavily charged one — the Kelssekians were looking for revenge, ostensibly, after Tumbra showed them up 3-2 at home. Going with a 4-4-2 lineup, the Kelssekian midfield would once again look to show their quality against the Tumbrans. Eyebrows were raised at the choice of the midfield to face Kelssek; while Hicks-Morgan-Cole, which had kept the clean sheet against Saltstead, would play, some commentators mentioned that a more defensive lineup of Hicks-Morgan-Aitken or Stansfield-McGrath-Aitken would have worked. Either way, Gabriel seemed loath to deviate from the Tumbran style of the three midfield roles; a common strain of reluctance, then, that has invaded Tumbran national team managers even before their entrance into WCC-sanctioned competitions.

Kelssek, however, on a hot run of form, seemed to barrel through the Tumbran defences; the first-choice defensive lineup couldn't stop Kelssek veteran Shaheen Taleb — who used his positional abilities to completely stymie the Tumbran defences, banging the first goal in off a Colm Ó Tuathail cross. Ó Tuathail would later score the other two goals conceded by Tumbra, the first being a free kick on the edge on the box; the second being a wonderfully taken goal in which he picked up the ball in the middle of the field, and went on a wonderful run past three defenders — culminating in a simple shot past Lennon, who failed to get his fingertips to the ball in time.

The Tumbran offence certainly tried their hardest; yet, with a deeper line, most of the midfield were unable to send balls up to the wingers as usual — with Kelssek wingbacks Liadon and Douglass tracking further forward to intercept the stray balls sent to the wingers, a strategy call that worked perfectly for Kelssek, as they soared to a 3-0 win in Kirkennes to confirm their place at the top of the table.

Looking Forward

With Tumbra's run of hardest matches over, they can look forward now to a run against Marigred, Revlona, the Juniper Union and Garbelia — the third of which have already failed to qualify. As the eighth, ninth, tenth and seventh seeds respectively, Gabriel said that "absolute concentration" was needed to bounce back from the disappointing run of two points from five matches; as the last three matches against Kandorith, Drawkland and Gyatso-kai could prove extremely difficult to draw points from.

When asked what the expectations were for the four matches, Gabriel seemingly threw down a gauntlet for the team, demanding four wins from four; the twelve points being "crucial" to Tumbra's remote hopes of qualifying for the World Cup, even as the top three sides in Drawkland, Kandorith and Kelssek continue their slow march onto their berths.

TUMBRAN SQUAD FOR MATCHES vs MARIGRED @ TUMBRAN NATIONAL STADIUM, STRATON and vs REVLONA @ REVLONAN HOME GROUND
Starters: 1 - Lennon; 25 - Campbell, 4 - Henderson, 14 - Ashburn, 3 - White; 6 - Hicks, 8 - McGrath, 10 - Herlinger; 31 - Hilton, 9 - Vaughn, 33 - Riordan
Bench: 12 - Addison; 2 - Hughes, 5 - Brown, 20 - Paterson, 19 - Carter; 28 - Stansfield, 15 - Aitken, 16 - Morgan, 29 - Cole; 7 - Fraser, 17 - van Heirolf, 22 - Sheldon

Link to Arc Home
defender meets midfielder: season 2, part 4

For Stephen Kerr, life had just been going about swimmingly for the defender. He'd won the Under-18 World Cup, which catapulted him into minor stardom and had led coaches to want to appraise him. He'd gained his start by having a high enough potential, of course — MiCF Fantasía 87, that ever-famous football management game from Tequilo, had given him a potential of -9.5, meaning they thought he'd go on to be a world-beater. Of course, he'd been trying to prove it with the junior teams, too — and had been succeeding, very quickly.

He'd been moved through the ranks, then, quickly ascending the ranks of the teams and breaking into the senior team at just 19. After all, the team needed all the defensive options they could get — Straton Football Club had been leaking goals at a remarkable rate, and they wanted to at least plug the gap for the season, before diving into the market for an expensive foreign defender — as had been all the rage recently, and worked extremely well, looking at how Devon Daniels had been doing with Nantwich.

But even for now, Stephen Kerr would be promoted into the senior team. A stopgap? Perhaps. But what nobody really expected from him was the sheer impact he'd make on Straton's defences from the moment he came on in a 7-1 victory against Fraser Valley as a sixtieth minute substitute. While the match had been won, Nepharim striker Reinhard Geist was proving a dangerous opponent in his game — but Kerr had nullified Geist for the rest of the match, leading to more eyes falling onto him. More substitute appearances followed — it appeared as if Ted Bayh, the reclusive manager of Straton, was yet preparing him for life in the Prem.

A cup round appearance followed, then, and as an extra-time substitute Kerr had managed to make a crucial interception against Caldecott to keep Straton ahead in the dying embers of the match. His first start would then came against league leaders and defending champions Lakewood City, as they tried desperately to keep their flailing title challenge alive. Some criticised the club for heaping all their hopes on a nineteen year-old; yet, rising above the expectations, he only let one goal through as Straton scored three goals to peg the league leaders back and to finally, finally get their title challenge on track.

And then his popularity exploded. Frustrated with the number of goals Tumbra were conceding on the international stage so far, football twii.tur had begun calling for Kerr to be included in the squad almost immediately. It was overnight stardom for the young defender, who'd immediately been innundated with requests for commercial deals, agents, et al. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, he'd gone to Dan Galbraith, who he now was on talking terms with — a childhood dream for the born-in-Straton youngster. Dan had advised him to go at things slowly, and go to the club if need be — they'd always have his interests at heart.

Kerr had never really aimed high. Born in Straton to a middle-class family, he'd been brought up to just be a good person by his family. By most accounts, Sylvia and Bertram Kerr had succeeded in that aspect — as he'd grown older, Kerr certainly had been a well-behaved youngster, who was extremely handy with a ball at his feet. When Straton had gone to his school for trials, then, he'd gotten a glowing report from the scouts present, who immediately wanted to sign him. A long, deep discussion followed between his parents followed — but ultimately Stephen's desire to play for his boyhood club won out.

He was 8 then. That conversation took place eleven years ago.

And from then on, football had become the biggest part of Stephen's life. While he continued attending school, and was guaranteed an A-level certificate (due to the club guaranteeing all students an education in case they didn't make it professionally), football and making it through the ranks had become more than a past-time. It'd become his life, now, and he was determined to go pro. Slowly, but surely, he found his niche — and hitting his growth spurt helped him decide to play at centreback when the time actually came to decide on a position.

But regardless of what happened in his career, at least his family had always been here for him. Sylvia, Bertram, his elder sister Stephanie (though she'd gone off to Serrapince to attend art school)...they'd all remained grounded in their little family home in Straton. In some ways, it was comforting. In others, it was restricting. Stephen had never been in a relationship — too busy focused on football, when asked on the subject. Girls...never really part of his life so far. And from what he'd been told, they'd be falling over themselves to get with him if he made it.

But he didn't buy it. Where his squadmates got far by leveraging on his footballer status, he'd never used it. He simply wasn't really interested. Plus, his mom (who was half Xinhuanese) would probably have killed him if he dared to bring home a girl without him knowing first. Secretly, though, Sylvia Kerr was probably more worried that Stephen was gay than him bringing a girl home.

So Trudy had been an eye-opening experience for him. A girl. (Period.) In the wholly male-dominated world of football, rarely had he deigned to think about the other gender and their relationship with football, let alone play it. Making friends with Trudy — friends, as he was keen to impress upon others — was unexpected, but a wholly fun experience so far. The whole playing-football-with-each-other thing, and the whole long-distance-friendship thing.

He certainly hoped it would last.

by **Krytenia** » Sat May 22, 2021 5:04 pm

"Give Them Nul Points", Says Baker
Mark Newton reports from Tuvera

Conservative leader Penelope Baker has fired the first shots of the election campaign at the launch of her party's manifesto in Tuvera yesterday. With the Foxchester Declaration dominating the political agenda, Ms. Baker touched on the loss of trust in the Government this has caused.

"Mr. Linton and his Reform Party decided that this decision did not warrant a conversation with the Witting, much less the public," she said, "so what right do they have to a fresh term in government? These charlatans turned their back on their own party before the last election, put through unpopular reforms, and then took the most important decision in our nation's recent history without even discussing it with the elected representatives of our great country. They have proved that they cannot be trusted with a pet rock, much less the task of governing Krytenia. They deserve not one single vote from the honest people not just here in Tuvera, but around the nation! If we are to succeed as Anaians, we must have a government willing to talk to their compatriots both here and internationally. So, when you go to the polls in five weeks time, to paraphrase the WorldVision Song Contest, I implore you to give the Reform Party nul points. Whoever you vote for, make sure it isn't the candidate with the light green rosette. This is the only way to ensure Charles Linton and his band of swindlers are given the full Domasca treatment."

The Conservatives still lead the polls at this early stage, with the Socialist Party in second; the Democrats, meanwhile, are now neck and neck with Reform among those polled.

by **Squornshelous** » Sat May 22, 2021 5:15 pm

When the Devil Drives, Chapter 5
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4
OOC: trying something a little different here. Can't stick with my normal 3rd-person limited because no one character knows everything that has to be in this chapter

A person with all the resources of Director of Information Management Vitaly Khodemchuk, a person also blessed with a truly capacious and reliable memory to make good use of such quantities of data would already know what was shortly to happen in Vogsphere. What was to happen all across the Imperium. Sadly, or perhaps happily, a person of such nigh-omniscience did not exist. Director Khodemchuk himself, capable and well-informed though he was, did not have all the pieces. If he did, he surely would have acted with greater urgency. This hypothetical person, more than anything, must resemble a historian, blessed as we are with the twin luxuries of time and hindsight, uniquely equipped to see the whole of events. As it happened, the people involved must have resembled pieces on a general's plotting table, slowly moving into their ultimate, inevitable configuration.

Inevitable? Perhaps it was.

After all, hasn't this happened before? A century ago, the provinces across the Far Sea rose in rebellion, as did considerable numbers here in Squornshelous proper. The revolt here, close to home was put down. Brutally, but not quite efficiently. The western provinces were lost, and the embers of the rebellion remained, buried deep but still smoldering, still warm.

Sparks born of that ancient fire are moving in the dark tonight. Too many to count, they wax and wane and swirl about like fireflies on a summer evening. For two years, since the new revolt began, they have moved to and fro, gathering first in one place, then another. Spreading across the Imperium, kindling new fires here, being snuffed out there. Tonight, their movement is frenetic. New constellations form across the country. Around Striterax they drift like will o' the wisps from the Fallian marshes. From the mountains of Gagrakacka they descend like snow in clear moonlight. The great docklands and naval base of Santraginus are positively ablaze. But most of all, the sparks converge on Vogsphere. From every point of the compass, settling from the gleaming spires of the financial district to the stained and crumbling concrete of the undercity, they come.

Here, crawling along a neglected bit of asphalt somewhere between Santraginus and Vogsphere, we find one spark in particular. Its transport is a museum piece of a bus that might once have been painted white. Bald tires scrabble for purchase on the cracked and pitted roadway, and the antiquated motor belches diesel exhaust into the sky. If we get a bit closer, we can see that this is not one spark, but ten, and that these sparks have names, faces, stories of their own. This one behind the wheel, every bit of concentration needed to keep the bus on the road, is Mariya. Beside her in the passenger seat, using his implants and tech skills to ensure an uninterrupted journey is Arkady. Sitting just behind them, unwisely spurning the seatbelt to casually sit sideways, feet in the aisle, is the spark named Zhanna. Zhanna, of course, does not realize that spending so much time around all these sparks has kindled the flame in herself as well.

The bus's destination is a disused warehouse just a few miles from General Tkachov Memorial Air Defense Base. The base hosts, in addition to various support aircraft and personnel, a squadron of precision ground attack drones. The seven sparks in the rear of the bus: Viktor, Fixer, Fingers, Keysa, Zlad, Shura, and Andreas¹ have business there tomorrow night, along with many of their friends. Unbeknownst to the commanders of General Tkachov Memorial Air Defense Base, their barracks is also alight with sparks. The fire has already breached their walls, topped with razor wire though they may be.

All across Vogsphere we can see the same. Thousands of sparks gathering, converging with those that were already there waiting for them. Here, at Squornshelan State Broacasting downtown. Here, at the Imperial Senate, a building long bereft of any representative government body, which houses the Council of Ministers on the rare occasions when they determine to meet in person. Here, at a precinct station of the Vogsphere Police Department, tactical response division. Even here, at the Ministry of Sport.

How many of these sparks will still burn in a day's time? Will they wither and go dark, like fireflies trapped in a jar? Or, in joining together, can they light a flame bright enough for the world to see?

¹ For clarity, Marija, Zhanna, and Arkady appeared in chapter 3, and were originally introduced during my Cycle 85 story: Recollection. Andreas also made a brief appearance in chapter 3, but he and the other six with him originally appeared in last cycle's story: Coincidence

by **Audioslavia** » Sat May 22, 2021 6:11 pm

THE HISTORY OF

ANAIA

Chapter 4 - Autumn 2014 - Autumn 2016
COCANEFA
It takes a village to raise Anaia

The first two COCANEFA logos used the blue and orange of Atlantian Oceania, with season eight seeing the debut of the Novastrella
Over time, the colours would switch first to green and orange and then to green and gold

The Novastrella is a nine-pointed star with two lines drawn down the middle to create an arrow shape pointing northeast. The nine points were inspired partially by the nine stars on Mertagne's flag and partially by the fact that, at that point, there were nine members of COCANEFA. The Novastrella became COCANEFA’s logo after season seven.

For a couple of years, the LigAnaia streamlined somewhat. Gone were the likes of Ibex (temporarily) and Perlasilangan, ‘B’ members of the multi-associational league with clubs in the middle reaches of the second division. Instead, COCANEFA would sim down to five constituent members.

The Inevitable Syndicate had become The Calanian Union after the Corvidae ~~fiasco~~ incident

Having partitioned itself from some smaller nations, the LigAnaia enjoyed a period of relative stability, with Audioslavia and Mertagne - now called The Calanian Union after having lost a war against itself - riding high in the UICA coefficients and Starblaydia, Osarius and Legalese gaining ground. Five associations in one league was.. somewhat difficult to manage at times.

Five AOCL qualifiers, Burgess into the Champions Cup due to UICA regulations
Not pictured: First and fifth-placed side promoted from second division to maintain number of clubs per nation in top flight

Mertagne would eventually top the standings, thanks to a Champions Cup final appearance by Fligsive and a Globe Cup win for Magnaeus City, while both 1830 Cathair and AC Izotz Zubia would luck their way to a UICA Champions Cup each. Everything seemed to be going well with the new, more simple format.

In addition to the big five from Mertagne and Audioslavia, Comunas Cougars, Hastmead Diamante and Iskara Daii would round out a fierce ‘big eight’ of the LigAnaia

This is Anaia, though. ‘Simple’ is a relative term, and nothing ever stays simple for long. Out across Lake Beck, or Bekk depending where you’re from - an old veteran of domestic football was returning from a hiatus, while far to the north a deal was being struck with the wildcardiest of wildcards

COCANEFA wrote:
(Image)
The LigAnaia is back, and this time, there's two of them

The decision to split the top flight of the league in two came soon after it was made official that not only The Royal Kingdom of Quebec, but Krytenia too, would join the now eight-strong meta-confederation. The previously 22-team LigAnaia was duly split into two leagues of twenty teams each. On one side, the LigAnaia Calania, comprised of teams from Krytenia, The Royal Kingdom of Quebec, Ibex and The Calanian Union compete for one Championship in the LigAnaia: Calania. On the other side, teams from Audioslavia, Starblaydia, Osarius and Legalese contest the LigAnaia: North-East.

Krytenia and Quebec arrived on the scene, with Ibex coming back. Five became eight, and the LigAnaia would split it's top flight to create two competing top divisions, with the winner of each going to the grand final to decide that season's one LigAnaia Champion

Blue and orange became green and orange as the LigAnaia split into two

The very first final, played at the Stadii di Bradini in Jhanna, saw Osarian heavyweights Hastmeast Diamante defeat Krytenians Ousevale Borough in the final in the first of a long line of wins for eastern and island teams against their Calanian counterparts. The new format would last all of one season before the arrival of deadline-day king Semarland encouraged Krytenian and Starblaydian to revive the Liga Calania, this time under the COCANEFA umbrella, with Semarland, Quebec and Mertagne contesting the re-named LigAnaia Nord and Audioslavia, Legalese and Osarius the LigAnaia East

The Green and Gold era saw COCANEFA run three different league competitions of equal standing,
while Cosumar's Harlighet Ligan would be held under the COCANEFA umbrella shortly after.
Pictures created by Audio, Krytenia and Cosumar

By the end of season fourteen, the LigAnaia's final run, COCANEFA's member nations included Audioslavia, Cosumar, Krytenia, Legalese, Mertagne, Osarius, Quebec, Schiavonia, Semarland and Starblaydia. Eight of these members are active now, of which all joined Anaia at the first opportunity.

So the LigAnaia was popular. Why did it end? What happened, exactly? Well it's all the fault of... Audioslavia.

For reasons best kept to themselves, the FFA bowed to pressure from a tiny, right-wing splinter group to open up the question of 'Should Audioslavia leave the LigAnaia and strike out on its own, despite being ill equipped to do so in the current economic climate'? Very little campaigning was done by the 'Remain' side, who expected an easy victory, what with there being utterly no reason whatsoever for Audioslavia to leave this mutually beneficial union of nations. The 'Leave' campaign, however, had other ideas, and made a cascade of ludicrous promises - such as spending Laborious Hawk's weekly Zozi wages on the nation's youth system. In the early hours of the morning last Thursday, the country did exactly that, condemning themselves to life as a backwater footballing 'power' for the foreseeable future. Within an hour, the leading 'Leave' group admitted that, indeed, there was no way in hell they could spend Hawk's wages on anything other than Hawk himself, and that the decision would not stop foreign footballers from coming over to Audioslavia to ply their trade, especially as, hey, the reason the clubs are doing so well is because of foreign workers. I mean, players.

If this were to happen to, say, an economic union, you could imagine that such a decision would help to galvanize the loyalist sections of said union against further nations leaving its completely mutually beneficial union. This, however, is football, and one by one most other associations followed suit, wary of not having a full fixture list to play in the coming season. One by one, the nations of Osarius, Quebec, Semarland and the rest resolved to redeploy their national leagues. It remains to be seen whether the likes of Legalese and Mertagne can even do this in time for next season, such was their reliance on the LigAnaia structure to survive.

COCANEFA, the umbrella organization overseeing the region-within-a-region's member associations, remains strong. For now.

Create your own jokes for that one.

The LigAnaia disbanded, but not before pulling one more trick from its sleeve.

THE HISTORY OF

ANAIA

Chapter 5 - Summer 2016
The Anaian World Cup
The Party at the End of the Era

Key: Gold Area = main hosts. Green Area = Anaia. Grey Area = Grey Area

The Anaian World Cup saw each of the ten major Anaian nations host matches during the first two rounds, as displayed on a graphic that can best be described as ‘busier than it should be’. It wasn’t, however, as confusing as the official World Cup 75 match ball (one, we stress, wasn’t actually used in its football matches)

The ball show the flags of the Anaian nations of the time. At the top left, now-disappeared Semarland would qualify but be eliminated in the group stage behind Valanora and Krytenia (centre, right), who would fall to Farfadillis in the second round. Mertagne, on its way towards the fringes of the football world, didn’t participate despite hosting three games, while Starblaydia failed to qualify via a bitter defeat to Valladares in the playoffs. While a shock, Valladares would go on to knock Audioslavia out in the semi-finals to reach the final of the tournament, only to lose to Unified Sunrise Islands in the first of the Hinodejin’s two World Cup triumphs.

Recent two-time champions Osarius would finish third in their qualifying group, as would beloved knob jockeys Schiavonia to miss out on the tournament they were hosting, with Legalese fifth in the Firebirds’ group, both losing out to West Angola.

Cosumar and Royal Kingdom of Quebec would gain a measure of revenge on behalf of the Anaians, overcoming West Angola and San Llera in Group H, with the former losing to Electrum and the latter defeating a Bonesea side well on their way to becoming the story of the late 70s era, only to lose in extra-time in a tense game to the eventual champions Unified Sunrise Islands.

At the bottom of the ball comes the saltire flag of the then-reigning champions Nephara, the only non-Anaian to have their flag on the football. It’s perhaps for this reason that some with a long memory might assume a connection between the Rushmori powerhouses and the upstart region, but aside from a predilection for later-wankersing, no such connection exists.

Nevertheless, it was another World Cup that cemented the Anaians’ identity in the wider footballing world.

Anaia nations were very much their own animal by World Cup 75
Picture created by Hinode

Nephara beat Audioslavia in the third-placed playoff and Unified Sunrise Islands won the final, both massive scalps for an Esportiva region that were very much in their heyday.

For a brief overview, check the World Cup Wallchart that adorned millions of bedroom walls all around the world.

This one fell behind the back of the desk just before the third-placed playoff.

The LigAnaia era was over, and the likes of Osarius, Legalese, Schiavonia, Semarland and Mertagne would either step back or vanish from international football over the coming years. The first Anaian era was over, and it would be the turn of other regions to step into the spotlight. Esportiva had their day via Sunrisian dominance and a surprise Brenecian victory, while the Indies would finally organize into a de-facto footballing region - or specific lack thereof - with Bonesea and Schottia marching to the fore: Two classic teams deserving of their close-ups on The Idiot Project.

In more recent times, Vilitan dominance, Valanoran resurgence, Equestrian flair and the rise of Banija and Baker Park would bring the rest of Atlantian Oceania to the fore, and its in an era of Atlantian Oceanian dominance that we currently reside, with seven of the teams in the world's top 20 coming from the region. If you add up all the active teams from Anaia, Esportiva and Rushmore combined, you get to only eight.

Not to even attempt to excuse the behaviour of the treasonous declaration-enablers, but if the Anaians were ever going to covertly synchro-bounce, the least destructive time to do so would be in 2021, when with the exception of a vibrant Ko-oren hitting their purple patch, so few of the Anaian nations could be considered world-beaters.

I mean, imagine if they'd tried this while outnumbering their Atlantian Oceanian peers six to four in the world's top 20. Imagine if they'd have tried this in early 2016.

by **Zwangzug** » Sat May 22, 2021 6:52 pm

The Spenson Star

From the creative mind of Murphy Quinn and Enchanted Hex Studios comes Varsity Blues, a film loosely based on the true story of a tournament that never was, the Starways Congress Congressional Championship.

The film is set at the AIU during the era that the outside world would call "circa World Cup 58." Zwangzug had no organized football infrastructure beyond intramural university sports, but an increasingly vibrant grassroots movement was ready to push for more. University students at the AIU and elsewhere competed in leagues that were intended to feed into a larger bracket, along the lines of our current @@MONTH@@ @@SYNONYMFORINSANITY@@. But the tournament lacked official recognition, because the irregularly-maintained pitches were below international standard.

Against this backdrop, students and faculty took different responses. Some students wanted to join an organized association such as the Academy Football League run by the Academy Sporting Association in Paripana, featuring schools from that area as well as Ad'ihan and Civil Citizenry, an opportunity that would have elevated Zwangzug football to a level of organization not seen for years. Others protested that this would institute homogeneity and erode the quirks that made Zwangzug's system so unique. Still others set their hopes on organizing a Winter Olympic delegation instead. Meanwhile, the professors were struggling to keep their focus on research and teaching, rather than being distracted by Forbridge's place in sports history.

The film follows several (mostly fictional) AIU characters caught up in these disputes. Jared McHough plays Vaughn Pardow, a junior who hopes to affiliate with the AFL. Eleanor Tinval-Wain plays Olivia Delaney, a sophomore protesting the organized conferences. Alex Vacarino plays Pat Donchair, an aspiring downhill skiier. (An early draft of the film focused more on the pitfalls of sex-segregated sports in the context of the Atlanta Johnson incident, but this was cut either to focus on the football for the film festival, or more likely, because this could veer towards the tackless.) Melvin Stroop portrays Glen Wu, a harried academic who attempts to use machine learning to predict international sports, to no avail. And Parvati Mukerji has a comedic role as Sai Kapoor, an postdoc attempting to use long-abandoned sports fields to conduct wildly unethical experimentation.

Delaney, despite her distaste for other countries' methods of "standardization," is somewhat ironically a fierce intramural competitor herself, and her team (the Bit Parodies) faces off against Pardow's (the Netsplits) on several occasions. Although football is clearly an important theme, these games themselves are somewhat of an anticlimax. The Netsplits defeat the Bit Parodies in a playoff game, but the victory is hollow with them no closer to an organized competition, and they're eliminated in a semifinal offscreen.

In the culmination of the other arcs, Donchar loses out to rivals from Jeatt district but is pleasantly surprised by their caliber of competition; Kapoor ironically moves to Paripana where governmental restrictions are no concern; Wu's algorithms fail to capture the unpredictability of sports and their randomness, but he gains tenure anyway.

There are a few cameos from fictional versions of real Zwangzugians who would become noteworthy after their roles in these events. Jessica McKlein appears as Violet McGuffin, a talented athlete and friend of Pardow's; the real McGuffin would go on to play for Rovers United in the Fair Play Trophy, alongside future national teamer Khamisi McCluey. And in one scene, Pardow is talking on the phone with an unseen friend from another college; this is none other than Abhinav Darzi, who would eventually become a national team television announcer. Short audio clips of him talking were judiciously edited to sound coherent in context.

In many countries, the director or actors would be the main advertisement, but Zwangzug is a more "eh we'll just read the captions" culture without a lot of nuanced body language or cinematography. Quinn, as the screenwriter, is the person you can praise or blame for this. However, director Theodore Swift added his own style. In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it example of Zwangzugian humor, the Netsplits--despite their skill--field a different goalkeeper in every match we see them play (actually crew members), the implication being that nobody has the tolerance for physical or emotional pain to do it more than once and the regulars take turns cajoling their roommates.

(Blum 40, Haugen 68; Morelikis 29, Dephoas 57)
(Noile-Murne 26)

by **Squidroidia** » Sat May 22, 2021 7:41 pm

The Ballad of Football - World Cup 88
Groups to watch in World Cup Qualification
By Shotclocking Supersquid

With 7 matches to go in a World Cup cycle dominated by accusations of Ripperonin and the separation of an entire region, it is hard to fathom that in the sea of stories from a complicated tournament that there is still football to be played. And a good chunk of it, too - With 7 games to go all but a handful of teams have been really eliminated from qualification contention, and that's not mathematically too. And while some of the best teams in the world are comfortably in a position to qualify again, with 11 matchdays gone by of storytelling and drama and chaos, there are a couple of tables leaving people scratching their heads. But to footballing hipsters up and down the multiverse, and the drama unfolding on RLStates getting more and more hectic by the day in mind, it's about high time to relax and take these groups all in. Considering how much the tables from Matchday 11 can and most likely will differ from Matchday 18, use this as a guide to show how wrong I am come playoff time.

Groups 1 and 2 look normal at this time of the cycle, baring Drawkland trailing to Kelssek by 2 points and the 3 horse race between Vilita, SRS and Savojarna, but our first stop on this tour of the ballad of football is Group 3. You see that gold and silver flag? That's the flag of Silvedania, who are currently 2nd in their group, and with their shock victory over the Independent Athletes from Quebec, sit in 2nd ahead of the Grim Reapers. With The Holy Empire firmly in 1st and 7 points ahead of Quebec and the Silvedanians. Known uniquely for their use of 3 digit numbers for some of their players, head coach Caroline Barbier has put in a masterclass for the 177th-ranked team in gold and silver, and even though with the schedule they have in store is more than tough and will most likely throw them out of contention (Unless some madness happens with Keith Beaumanoir), this will likely be a moment that they will all remember, being in the position that, if somehow the heat death of the multiverse happens right now and the groups have to stop, they would, at the very least, be in contention for a World Cup spot.

Another 3 horse race can be found in Group 5. Traditionally Audioslavia have flip-flopped into a "Will they, won't they" team in the World Cup proper, but this trend is beginning to seep into their qualification cycle. They are top of the group at the moment, but 2 teams are both looking to topple the giant bull in their way and make Cathair turn into chaos - The Red Panijas of Poafmersia, World Cup 87 shock quarter-finalists, and Græntfjall. Not Graintfjall like the table says, it's Græntfjall. The margin between Poafmersia and Audioslavia? 1 point. The margin between Græntfjall and Poafmersia?... Also 1 point. Audioslavia, god damn Audioslavia, are one colossal fuckup away from slipping out of the World Cup proper for the first time in a while. But isn't that typical Audioslavia, right? Jeremy Jaffacake would have something to say, but I don't really have them now with all the Anaia drama in the way. Oh yeah, and somehow Murphtannia are 4th in the group.

Group 6, however, has been a tight, tight group through the first 11/18ths (Or 5.5/9ths depending on how you want to count it) of qualification. First and second, Zwangzug and the IAC champion turned Anaian pitxi republic of Tequilo, are separated by 1 point, but the real action seemingly comes down to 3rd to 10th. The gap between Bollonich and Sannyamathland, tied on points in 3rd and 4th respectively, and last place (Unless you actually went there) North Japan is only 8 points. All those teams between them, from Trolleborg to Rangers FC to god damn Talkasa, are still technically in the hunt for qualification if either Zwangzug or Tequilo screw up. But in all honesty, North Japan, Talkasa and Al Qurija are outsiders hoping for a miracle to leap into the World Cup, so really 3rd to 7th (No, I am not forgetting about the appliances of Sylestone, 6 points behind 2nd place Tequilo) can have a couple of shocking upsets here and there and some rubber-chicken infested luck to get to the top 2 and potentially end up in the big show. Imagine the scenes from Broxi if his Rangers make the World Cup...

Group 7 can only be described as "Group 5 but between 2nd to 4th instead of 1st to 3rd". While Commonwealth of Baker Park have been running away with their group and are 4 points ahead of 2nd, Savigliane have been in a dogfight with Legalese and Taeshan (Remember when they lost to freaking Chartistan?), as the shock qualifiers to World Cup 87 are one point ahead of those 2 teams, one hailing from the newly formed Anaia region no less. Now before I start speaking legal terms like "quid pro quo" and "all rise" and all that, let me preface this by saying that oh crap, I said a legal term again, oh how am I going to get on with a telling of the 18 groups of qualification for the 88th World Cup. Now that's out of my system, should Savigliane and their story of a nation being transported to another dimension qualify for the World Cup for the 2nd straight year, I will buy their flag and wave it outside my house for the duration of the World Cup. I am not sorry.

But let's face it, Group 8 has a god damn story to tell. Vdara, another weird qualifier for World Cup 87 and home to an eccentric wanker, are in 3rd behind... Frestovenia. Yeah, remember when we lost to them in the qualifiers last cycle? Good times, good good times. This is the only real part of Group 8 to talk about - Ko-oren, a team who made the Final of World Cup 87 and another Anaia member, are torching their group, and the gap between 4th and 5th (HUElavia and Txakhaxi/ZSeperatists) is 9 points, so nobody from below 4th will potentially scrap for 2nd, nevermind automatic qualification. From there it's a little bit of boringness - Group 9 is nothing to write home about other than the Rockets and that team who plays at SuperNerd Wants To Fight Video Game And Computer Store Stadium breathing on Omerica's necks and Jeruselem somehow leads Group 10, but Group 11 is where our eyes shift towards next.

Just look at this group.

Group 11                                     Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Starblaydia                                11    8   1   2    31   15  +16    25 - Qualification to World Cup 88
 2 Kohnhead                                   11    7   2   2    18   14   +4    23 - Possible Qualification or Playoffs
 3 Tikariot                                   11    7   1   3    29   23   +6    22
 4 Wight                                      11    5   4   2    17   12   +5    19
 5 Pratapgadh                                 11    5   3   3    28   22   +6    18
 6 Darmen                                     11    4   3   4    28   24   +4    15
 7 Gouvanarch                                 11    2   3   6    21   28   −7     9
 8 Qzvarkian Qaz                              11    2   3   6    25   35  −10     9
 9 Garifunya                                  11    2   2   7    17   26   −9     8
10 Lorrana                                    11    0   4   7     5   20  −15     4

Starblaydia, another legendary powerhouse of the World Cup, are 3 points ahead of Tikariot in 3rd. Kohnhead are somehow in 2nd. Wight rose back from the dead and are fighting with Pratapgadh for 4th place and an outside shot at qualification should any of these 3 falter. Darmen, who were in Squidroidia's group last cycle, sit in 6th. SIXTH. If there's a group that shows how mental World Cup qualification can be at times, look at Group 11 during Matchday 11. Marvel at the fact that KOHNHEAD ARE FIGHTING FOR WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION and Tikariot are on the backfoot while Starblaydia are fighting for their lives. Such glorious chaos.

And don't get me started on Group 12. Yes, Togonistan have lost all 5 of their previous 5 games (After having a 6 game win streak to start the qualifiers and also having a brief stint as Unofficial World Champions), but with them (And also Squidroidia which started this losing streak) 5 points behind Hampton Island and Nephara dueling in the top 2, either of those teams can potentially break in and nab a top 2 spot from what would most likely be Hampton Island. I just don't see Nephara forgetting their Godhead again especially after that loss to Brookstation. But other than that, a shocking part of Group 12, nay, THE shocking part is that Huayamarca, which remind you almost qualified for the World Cup last cycle, are in 9th freaking place, 12 points behind the top 2 and with seemingly no hope of getting up there. Margaret can be a bitch sometimes.

But Group 14 is perhaps more interesting for the sole reason that Ranoria are currently in 2nd. No, this is not the World Bowl or even the IBC. Ranoria are 2nd in their World Cup qualification group. 1 point ahead of, are you kidding me, MURALOS, and South Newlandia are knocking on the door as well. Eura is, unlike 87, cruising to top of their group, so we know that they are making the World Cup unless something messed up happens. But still, the Krauts are in control of their own destiny and can, unless Muralos and South Newlandia rebound, most likely find themselves on Matchday 17 with a chance to make the playoff round.

And I'm still not done.

The gap between Busoga Islands, leaders of Group 15, and 5th place, I cannot stress this enough, PASARGA... Is only 5 points. The teams between them? Blouman Empire. St Trinians. Ethane. St Trinians are in contention to qualify for the World Cup on their very first attempt, something that is perhaps unprecedented in modern times. Ethane have just come off of hosting the World Cup along with Taeshan, and Blouman Empire are back up to their old trick again. But 1st and 5th have baffled most people. Busoga Islands leading the group? Pasarga, a team that would most likely lead any other group in any other qualification cycle, in 5th? If you told a Busogan that they would lead a group including Pasarga 11 games into qualification, they would have not believed you. But here we freaking are, and with 7 games to go, it's anyone's game here.

Twicetagria are competing with Brenecia for the automatic spot in Group 17. That's all I have to say unless I want to suddenly break out singing More & More, which I may have to do if this team somehow qualifies for World Cup 88 (Which you probably won't like at all).

...And Yuezhou. Yes, Yuezhou. Wasn't it 2 cycles ago they were competing for a playoff spot on their very first attempt? Now they're in Group 18 in 2nd, ahead of New Lusitania and Equestria. Farfadillis for all we know have been dominating this group, heck they only just got their first loss, against Equestria, on Matchday 11 itself. History is repeating itself.

That's all I have to say about this qualification cycle at this time. And yes, wake me up when Squidroidia are 4 points behind Nephara and not 5.

by **Eraman** » Sat May 22, 2021 8:09 pm

CHAPTER 8
ARRESTED

If you always watch spy movies, of course you will think when I said I was recruited to be an informant to the Eraman Anti Corruption Commission, they came to see me nicely and offered me an offer for me to tell Tun's activities which can be categorized as corruption while eating delicious food in 5 star hotel.

That image is caused by too many spy movies that describe the world of spies are full of fun with almost super human ability while wearing beautiful clothes and sophisticated gadgets.

I was arrested while I was driving my red luxury car that I only used on weekends. I'm on my way to the hotel. When I was asked to stop at the side of the road by a police patrol car, I assumed it was a normal routine I had to face when I took out my luxury car. Indeed, the police think they have to stop a car that looks fast even if it is not driven fast.

I sat quietly in my car while waiting for the police who stopped me to get out of his car. The cop stood by my driver's door for quiet awhile before he knocked on the window and asked me to come out.

When I came out, the cop twisted my hand behind my back. I was pulled by the police into a patrol car and put in the back.

"Why was I detained sir?", "Where am I being taken?", "Who will look after my car?"

My questions were all unanswered by the two patrol policemen who did not even look back at me. Ever since my head was pushed in to sit behind them they haven't looked at me directly.

I kept quiet after I understood that I was not being arrested for something related to my car. These two cops who arrested me were only assigned to arrest me but they were just robots doing the task given to them by those who were able to give instructions without question.

I've played a game with high stakes like this before. I once made some political enemies curl up in jail for a few days until they agreed to heed any of Tun’s request.

We arrived at a shop house building in outskirt of Arupura. I began to understand that this meeting had nothing to do with the police who took me. They were only given the task of detaining and taking me there.

After I was taken up to the second floor of the building, we entered an office that had no signage. The office only has one black plastic chair in the middle.

I was seated by them on the chair and left for 2 hours.

“How? Do you want to cooperate with us? ” that's what the two EACC officers told me on the fifth day after I gave up.

At first I tried to defend my dignity and my oath as a lawyer kept my client’s secrets.

The two officers began the torture by means of textbook torture. Knock the soft part between the skin of my nails with a small hammer and put my head in a bucket full of ice. I hate drowning.

“Enough! I will cooperate with you. "

The more senior-looking EACC officer signaled his younger colleague to untie my legs and arms.

They asked me to read and sign a confession saying I gave the statement willingly without coercion, promise or pressure.

From that day on, I was Tun's lawyer who is now also a double agent to bring down Tun.

by **Recuecn** » Sat May 22, 2021 8:37 pm

Relié had called a team meeting.

Well, it wasn't really a team meeting, after all. He had specifically contacted just a few players and asked them to have a rendezvous in his office with him. Weirdly, he had also asked them not to tell anyone else about it. So as they gathered, pulling up chairs in a semi-circle in front of his desk, a stranged atmosphere filled the room. What exactly was going on?

The strangest part of all, for most of the players, was still being in the office without Coach Tremblay around. He had retired before the IAC, but it was still eerie to be here in his space without him.

But the vaguely unusual vibes in the room were nothing compared to the bombshell that Relié dropped on his players.

"Look," he said. "We've been struggling. It's no secret. We've tried everything. Tremblay couldn't stop it; I couldn't stop it. So no more Mister Nice Guy." The players looked at each other. "We've been playing by the rules for too long. If we want to get a chance to get ahead, we need to start thinking outside the box. I've come up with a plan, but it won't be an easy one. Furthermore, we won't be able to tell anyone else about this, not even the rest of your teammates. Not even your girlfriends. So, that said, if you don't think you can keep a secret, that's fine, no problem. But please feel free to leave now."

Nobody moved.

"Okay. Well, as you know, we've spent lots of time watching the tapes of our competitors in their matches. But that just doesn't go far enough. We need more info. We need to know their plans, what they're planning to do against us, the details in their playbooks. We need to get the information that's only accessible from inside their locker-rooms." Relié looked around. Everyone was listening intently. "We need a listening ear."

He paused again before continuing with the details. "We need people on the inside. We need a way to infiltrate the other teams and keep an eye on how they're developing. To put it bluntly, we need spies. But there's no one I trust with this other than the team. So you boys will be getting assignments: teams that we need you to cover and instructions for how to do it. We'll be watching every nation in our qualifying group, but obviously, there's a couple we're going to need to focus on. You know who they are. Turori and Krytenia have long and well-documented sporting histories, but we need current info, and we need it now. Those of you assigned to Turori or Krytenia will be working in pairs to be able to accomplish more, plus in case of an emergency you'll have someone else with you there already."

"You're going to need to think on your feet. You're going to have to be sly, charismatic, and amiable to be able to work your way into where you might need to be. But I have high expectations. I expect the most from each of you, and I know you won't let me down."

It was official. No one new it, but Reçueçn's Equipe Nationale was slipping over into the dark side.

by **Talamia** » Sun May 23, 2021 3:14 am

Ebdemar Au'tokra Stadium, Clinepalas - May 22, 2021 - 19:30 CEST

Sanisla Pedalisismi during the press conference

During the press conference after yesterday's 2021 DSAFF Comrades Cup match against Itini, Talamia's coach Sanisla Pedalisismi spoke. The 75-year-old symbol of Talamian football, declared as follows:

"I would like to reassure everyone on the stability of my job: the federation has no intention of kicking me out. They gave me goals, I'm trying to reach them. One of the two was the qualification for the knockout stage in the Comrades Cup. My boys did it, carried away by the timeless captain Ansem Egemon. Seeing him play like this at 38 is truly a feast for the eyes."

"Yes, I'm sorry for Itini's elimination. They have very strong players, first of all Kimptin Castin. I think both of our teams suffered the Chan Island surprise. Who would have expected to see non-professional pirates play so well? I hope to cross Itini again in the future, perhaps at the next edition of the Comrades Cup. The mind now goes to the World Cup qualifiers. We have collected one defeat and one victory in the last two games. We are no longer in second place. Accessing the play-offs will be difficult, especially given the competition from Mercedini and San Ortelio. We will do our best."

"Where do I see Egemon's future? He'll keep on playing for now. He is a leader, a driver, and so he will when he'll stop playing football. I see him well as my assistant here in the national team. But I know what his heart will suggest to him: Ptoco is his home and will always be. I wish him all the best."

by **Nephara** » Sun May 23, 2021 3:21 am

Sarzonia 3 - 3 Nephara
(4-4-2) 1 - Provost; 2 - Stride, 5 - Clevinger, 6 - Brabanzon, 3 - Muscadin; 7 - Koerner (13 - Reed 57'), 4 - Timekeeper, 8 - Cromwell (14 - E Fletcher 76'), 11 - Considine; 21 - Basilisk (9 - North 68'), 10 - Lovelace
Goals: Considine 22', Clevinger 54', North 79'

Nephara 3 - 0 Huayramarca
(4-4-2) 1 - Provost; 2 - Stride, 5 - Clevinger, 6 - Brabanzon, 3 - Muscadin (22 - Lind 62'); 7 - Koerner, 15 - Horvath, 8 - Cromwell, 11 - Considine (18 - Kalevi 71'); 21 - Basilisk, 10 - Lovelace (16 - Marinkovic 66')
Goals: Lovelace 27', Basilisk 39', Cromwell 60'

THE HERALD
HISTORY OF THE NEPHARA NATIONAL TEAM - PART 1
Geneva Schwarzer Football Historian

Nephara had the resources to enter the WCC far earlier than it did. What it lacked was the unity. What was then a Confederacy still had far too much of a love for bickering with each other, ancestral rivalries going back to the days of the Grand Liberation. The Laith didn't play nice with Chenoworth. Stahlburg didn't play nice with Treason. Sabrefell didn't play nice with Treason. Brinemouth didn't play nice with Treason. Vermilliion didn't play nice with itself.

The catalyst for a national team was twofold. It was the advent of the Premiership, and the subsequent secession of Brenecia. A new wave of professional players wanted an avenue to prove they were the best in the country, and the country suddenly had a reason to rally around, specifically to beat up Brenecia. Captained by Joan Farham, union pioneer, Esther Falconer was chosen to manage the side. A shrewd political operator, Falconer always made sure to balance selections between the states.

Long story short, after a sequence of successful friendlies, Nephara forged a new 'Serenes Challenge Trophy' and essentially dared anyone in the region to come and take it from them. Inevitably, it came down to Nephara and Brenecia in the final, and the first match between the sides was a brutal and bad-tempered. Nevertheless, Nephara outlasted Brenecia to a 3-1 win, Farham scoring a penalty, Brenecian defender Pippery sent off, and with riots in the stands it was green shirts who lifted the trophy.

Unfortunately, this proved perhaps too successful. Nepharim love winning, and there wasn't much winning on the local front. It took a swaggering ego - Gethin Ramsey - to unite the nation, someone talking bravely about the opportunities of the WCC, how Nephara could really make an impact there. Tentatively, the NFA forked out the cash to join the WCC, and even join a small - with the benefit of hindsight, no-name - invitational tournament as preparation, to see the competition.

So it was that a 4-0 defeat to New Ecopia will forever be Nephara's first official WCC result. The national pride took a bruising. The Cormorants' leftback was a chain-smoker, the centre-halves were 33 and 36 - Lukas Strongnesse coming out of retirement after his club teammate, Renown, ruptured an ACL against New Ecopia - and after every game they'd go down to the local to sink pints for 'team-building'. Were such archaic methods to be found out? There was no time for second thoughts, though; Nephara sidled into the Baptism of Fire, and were pegged back to a disappointing 2-2 draw with Yakostan.

Well, that story ended in the silver star placed around the national team's crest, a 1-0 win over Nenets Autonomous Okrug secured by midfielder Grant Beardsley's only goal of the tournament. Along the way were the two matches everyone remembers from that tournament, two brutish slugfests against Saintland caused, improbably, by the arguable sport of korfball. Nephara vs. Saintland would be the Cormorants' most bitter and evenly-contested rivalry for decades.

The Cormorants acquitted themselves well in qualifying, seeded seventh and finishing fifth, improbably going without a draw for the first seventeen of the eighteen matches before stealing a point from Jeruselem that denied them the chance of first place in the group. That honour went to Yesopalitha, who were far too strong for Nephara, though it was Sicoutimont who handed Nephara its enduring worst-ever defeat, a 7-0 demolition.

The press had talked boldly of qualification at the first attempt, but it was clear after a year that that was still well out of sight. Nevertheless, they had a trophy, a strong qualification cycle and a decent showing at the Cup of Harmony under their belts. Sides with better starts had imploded before, or worse, vanished. Nephara's story takes a different path.

NEPHARAN NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION - FORTNIGHT 8
Goalkeepers: 1 - Katerina Olexander (Myana, CMT), 12 - Raluca Garamond (Sabrefell Athletic), 20 - Fasolt Senninger (AFC Treason)
Defenders: 2 - Linde Rostock (Stahlburg City), 3 - Jess Seselja (Lhor, CMT), 5 - Reniira Clevinger (Sabrefell Athletic), 6 - Shosanna Bruhn (Belgrave), 17 - Pristina Soeringer (Stein-los Turkish, PAS), 19 - Besart Sale (AFC Treason), 22 - Radeka Lind (Vermillion Rage)
Midfielders: 4 - Annika Miller (Rozelle, BRE), 7 - Janna Sauthier (CASK Thorsborg, SVJ), 8 - Thalassa Fletcher (La Nueva Avenida, FFD), 11 - Sonya Latimore (Soldarian FC, VAL), 13 - Severine Reed (Raynor City United, VAL), 14 - Exene Fletcher (Hellinic Rouge, PAS), 15 - Rashica Horvath (La Nueva Avenida, FFD), 18 - Chantal Kalevi (Stein-los Turkish, PAS)
Forwards: 9 - Bastet North (Jungle Strike, VIL), 10 - Roanna Murin (Southfell United), 16 - Danica Marinkovic (Royal Rumiatzi, ASG), 21 - Ruby Gjasula (Bastion, EUR), 23 - Gareth Pawnbroker (AFC Mayville, EUR)

SCHEDULE
Nephara 5 - 2 Sarzonia (97) @ Farham Arena (Sabrefell)
Huayramarca (48) 1 - 1 Nephara
Nephara 5 - 0 Sonindia (322) @ Phoenix Rise (Corvistone)
Brookstation (247) 5 - 3 Nephara
Nephara 4 - 1 Central Shaneville (154) @ Eagle's Club (Brinemouth)
Squidroidia (76) 0 - 1 Nephara
Nephara 2 - 0 Quakmybush (109) @ The Gauntlet (Treason)
Nephara 6 - 2 Togonistan (UR) @ Ludd's Hammer (Stahlburg)
Hampton Island (37) 1 - 0 Nephara
Sarzonia (97) 3 - 3 Nephara
Nephara 3 - 0 Huayramarca (48) @ Eagle's Club (Brinemouth)
Sonindia (322) vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Brookstation (247) @ The Iron Hill (Vermillion)
Central Shaneville (154) vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Squidroidia (76) @ The Gauntlet (Treason)
Quakmybush (109) vs. Nephara
Togonistan (UR) vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Hampton Island (37) @ Farham Arena (Sabrefell)

by **Brenecia** » Sun May 23, 2021 3:35 am

THE ROZELLE OBSERVER
Halfway report card: how is Sienna Fallon faring with a unique challenge?
Annette Brisbane

Match Overview

Brenecia 1 - 0 Pemecutan
(4-2-3-1) 1 - Wright; 2 - Bravender, 5 - Leadbetter, 6 - Giltanan, 3 - Roscommon; 23 - Schofield, 8 - Caitiff (13 - Messenger 81'); 15 - Fife, 7 - Cheney, 16 - Russell; 9 - White (21 - Lyrick 76')
Goal: Cheney 86' pen

Sienna Fallon's match in charge showed loud and clear her priority was keeping things tight. The Patriots lacked cutting edge, arguably playing too conservatively, breaking the resistance of a brave Pemecutan only late on.

Twicetagria 2 - 0 Brenecia
(4-2-3-1) 1 - Wright; 17 - Shepherd (2 - Bravender 67'), 5 - Leadbetter, 6 - Giltanan, 3 - Roscommon (c); 4 - Townsend (c, 23 - Schofield 62'), 8 - Caitiff; 15 - Fife (22 - Waters 53'), 7 - Cheney, 16 - Russell; 9 - White

An ugly performance. The Patriots looked toothless throughout, and suddenly sluggish and cumbersome in the opposing half. Things just didn't quite click, though Triss Roscommon drilled a strike into the crossbar just after the hour.

Brenecia 5 - 0 The Sahstan
(4-2-3-1) 12 - Cove; 2 - Bravender, 18 - Henderson, 6 - Giltanan, 19 - Watermark; 23 - Schofield, 8 - Caitiff (13 - Messenger 52'); 15 - Fife, 10 - Parrish, 16 - Russell (11 - Stroud 68'); 21 - Lyrick (14 - Tristram 60')
Goals: Lyrick 18', Giltanan 23', Parrish 44', Stroud 75', Tristram 79'

A straightforward and conclusive win, notable mostly for Danand Tristram's first goal.

Kannap 0 - 2 Brenecia
(4-2-3-1) 1 - Wright; 2 - Bravender, 5 - Leadbetter, 18 - Henderson, 3 - Roscommon (19 - Watermark 64'); 23 - Schofield, 8 - Caitiff (13 - Messenger 64'); 15 - Fife, 7 - Cheney, 11 - Stroud; 9 - White (21 - Lyrick 71')
Goals: Fife 21', Cheney 27'

A clinical away performance, early strikes from midfield getting the job done. Fallon took a strong squad, but the fact she made any changes at all symbolises a departure from the Brelk-Xeral Erv way of doing things. 90 minutes for Cheney to be the best player on the pitch, rest be damned.

Brenecia 1 - 0 Squornshelous
(4-2-3-1) 1 - Wright; 17 - Shepherd, 5 - Leadbetter, 6 - Giltanan, 3 - Roscommon; 23 - Schofield (4 - Townsend 72'), 8 - Caitiff; 15 - Fife (22 - Waters 63'), 7 - Cheney, 16 - Russell; 9 - White
Goal: Caitiff 35'

An anxious and tight match. Brenecia's defence held up brilliantly, none of them putting a foot wrong, with Finn Townsend geting the job done and absolutely killing the final twenty minutes. Esther Caitiff came up with the only goal, a low half-volley skimming low into the bottom corner.

The Sarian 0 - 3 Brenecia
(4-2-3-1) 1 - Wright; 17 - Shepherd, 5 - Leadbetter, 6 - Giltanan, 3 - Roscommon; 4 - Townsend (c, 23 - Schofield 65'), 8 - Caitiff; 15 - Fife, 7 - Cheney (10 - Parrish 77'), 16 - Russell; 9 - White (21 - Lyrick 65')
Goals: Roscommon 47', Cheney 56', Fife 63'

An exceptional result, garnered against one of the group's most miserly defences and more notable histories. Triss Roscommon found a way to dominate the game from leftback, and Lauren Cheney scored, again.

Brenecia 3 - 1 Libonesia
(4-2-3-1) 12 - Cove; 2 - Bravender, 5 - Leadbetter, 18 - Henderson, 19 - Watermark; 23 - Schofield (4 - Townsend 70'), 13 - Messenger; 15 - Fife (22 - Waters 70'), 10 - Parrish, 11 - Byrne; 14 - Tristram
Goals: Parrish 9', Byrne 36', Tristram 71'

The Katua Byrne match. Tristram's first start, too, and a second goal in as many caps. An impressive outing on the whole. Nothing more to see here.

Brenecia 1 - 2 Sajnur
(4-2-3-1) 1 - Wright; 17 - Shepherd (2 - Bravender 75'), 5 - Leadbetter, 6 - Giltanan, 3 - Roscommon; 23 - Schofield, 8 - Caitiff (13 - Messenger 67'); 15 - Fife, 7 - Cheney, 16 - Russell (11 - Stroud 67'); 9 - White
Goal: White 29'

Less good. Cheney was largely ineffective, for the first time, while Brenecia were unable to exert control over the midfield as they would have liked. Counters worked slowly, though the one goal was well-worked, Mhacha White deftly finishing a move sparked by Roscommon.

Cascadia 2 - 3 Brenecia
(4-2-3-1) 1 - Wright; 17 - Shepherd, 5 - Leadbetter, 6 - Giltanan, 19 - Watermark (3 - Roscommon 57'); 23 - Schofield (4 - Townsend 80'), 8 - Caitiff; 22 - Waters, 7 - Cheney (10 - Parrish 86'), 11 - Stroud; 9 - White
Goals: Waters 29', White 45+2', Cheney 83'

Another shaky showing; Mhacha White's goal didn't wholly cover up a day where she toiled at the front, while Lauren Cheney finding the postage stamp from 25 yards was a cinematic but largely luck-based way to secure the three points. Hardly a win for systems.

Report Card
Blooding Youth B
Handing Katua Byrne a first start against Libonesia was a very bold call that makes up for a largely static selection elsewhere. Fallon has, however, finally used Schofield and Fife as first-choice, blooded Messenger as well as handing a debut to striker Danand Tristram.

Reducing Reliance on Lauren Cheney D
The Patriots' top scorer with four, including two late winners. The central attacking midfield position suits her well, at this stage of her career, but there's few other players offering that level of incision. If anything, the side seem reliant not only on Cheney, but on Triss Roscommon at leftback as well.

Morale A
Despite the overwhelming neglect now surrounding the team's finances, it seems that Fallon has successfully conjured a siege mentality.

Organisation B
Would be an A over the first six games; however, Brenecia have conceded in each of their last three games. Against Cascadia, Fallon made a complaint that the BFA neglected to book a training field for her side before the game, which may be a contributing factor.

Thrills C
Brenecia have honestly been pretty dour most of the time, but there's been some signs of life. Mhacha White's got to grips with her role in the team, Cheney as attacking midfielder has shown some promise, and the attacking fullbacks provide a level of unpredictability. Mostly, though, they're a fundamentally defensive, structure-based side.

Results B
Well, you know. They're first.

Overall B

by **Pratapgadh** » Sun May 23, 2021 4:39 am

OOC Notes

The starting eleven for the next two matches against Tikariot and Gouvanarch are at the bottom

The First Season Of The Super Cup: Part 3
Written By Rohan Hughes
Football
Namaskar and welcome to the final part of our three-part series review of the first season of the Pratapgadh Super Cup. This article will going through all the matches of the knockout stage. The knockout stage of the first season turned out to have the most exciting, competitive and entertaining knockout stages I have ever witnessed. Out of the three matches in the knockouts stage, two were concluded with penalties. It shows how much this cup means to these teams which also makes this competition so prestigious, even when it's only one season old. Enough, let's dig right in.

Eliminator 1
The knockout stage was kicked off with the first eliminator between Nashik FC and Suryapur FC. Nashik FC won the toss and decided to start with the ball. It was a balanced game for most of the first half with both teams scoring a goal each. Atashban Aaryamehr scored the first goal of the match for Suryapur FC and Mohan Devalekar opened Nashik FC's account with a goal in the 41st minute. With the score being 1-1 at half-time, this match could go either way. However, no one expected what was about to come. Nashik FC brought the score to 1-2 when Rajeev Mohite scored a goal just five minutes after the second half was underway. With Nashik FC leading the game, the Suryapurians changed their tactics and adopted a more aggressive style of play. In the 70th minute, Lankesh Tanti scored the second goal for Suryapur FC. Just four minutes later, it was Lankesh Tanti again who scored the goal and brought the score to 3-2. Nashik FC was in desperation mode after this but failed at their many attempts to equalize the score. To put the salt on the wounds, Lankesh Tanti scored his first hat-trick in the 87th minute and brought the final score to 4-2 at full time.
Suryapur FC 4–2 Nashik FC
Eliminator 2
With Suryapur FC thumping Nashik FC 4-2, they head to the Jaipur Sports Complex in Jaipur to face Indraprastha FC. In a fan poll before the match with 11,105 votes in total, 71% chose Indraprastha FC over Suryapur FC. So we knew who the clear favourites were. In the first half of the season, Indraprastha FC visited Suryapur to face Suryapur FC and drew the game with no team scoring any goals. In the second half of the season, Indraprastha FC faced Suryapur FC at home and won with a score of 1-0. Looking at the previous two encounters, many expected this game to be a close on even though the majority chose Indraprastha FC over Suryapur FC. Those who expected this to be a close game were right. Suryapur FC were the ones to kick off the match and the first half was hectic. Both teams scored two goals each by the end of the first half. The goal scorers for Suryapur FC was Lankesh Tanti and Jaisil Goswami, while Manas Kumavat scored both goals for Indraprastha FC. The second half was a crucial part of this match as the team to score the first goal in the second half were in a good position. Indraprastha FC was able to get the lead with Vikas Upadhyay scored a goal in the fifty-fourth minute. However, it took just ten minutes for the Suryapurians to equalize the score with Lankesh Tanti scoring his second goal of the match. Both teams had many opportunities later, but neither team was able to capitalize on them. At full-time, the score was 3-3, which meant that the match would go further.

The extra time started with Indraprastha FC on the attack and had a perfect opportunity in the ninety-ninth minute, but Manas Kumavati missed an opportunity to bring the game back to Indraprastha. Both teams were unable to one-up each other, so the game had to be decided with the extremely crucial penalty shootouts. Suryapur FC won the toss and started the penalties. Atashban Aaryamehr was the first pick and was unsuccessful against the mighty Purshottam Mahanta. Manas Kumavati went up against Vishal Bhansali and was successful. The Suryapurians failed in their next two penalties as well with Lankesh Tanti and Jaisil Goswami, while Indraprastha was successful in their second attempt at well with Vikas Upadhyay. Indraprastha FC just needed to score another successful penalty to win the game and it was Dandapani who had done it. Suryapur FC fans grabbed their heads in disbelief as Indraprastha FC celebrate and prepare to leave for Chittorgarh.
Indraprastha FC 3–3 Suryapur FC (3–3 AET) (3–0 pen.)
Final
This might be the greatest final I have ever seen that actually played with your emotions. Two breakout teams made it to the finals to decide who would walk out of the stadium as champions. Both Lavpur FC and Indraprastha FC played well throughout the league stage and were nothing short of impressive against elite teams such as Chittorgarh FC and Mumbai FC. Both teams have many talented players, such as right-winger Shafe Ansari from Lavpur FC and goalkeeper Purshottam Mahanta from Indraprastha FC. This final created history and moments that we will never forget. Indraprastha FC kicked off the historic match and was on the attack. The whole first half was a gruelling contest with no team scoring any goals. No team made any mistakes and were on the target cause they can't afford any mistakes. It's the final of the first-ever Super Cup, both teams have the opportunity to be forever remembered, they can't afford any mistakes. By the end of the first half, the score was still 0-0. The main contest was between Shafe Ansari and Purshottam Mahanta with Mahanta refusing to give Shafe Ansari any chances. They both were clearly enjoying this contest.

The second half started with Lavpur FC on the attack. At the 58th minute mark, Shafe Ansari finally made the breakthrough and Lavpur FC was now leading the contest. Purshottam Mahanta made his frustrations clear with the defensive side of his team for giving Shafe Ansari an easy breakthrough. Manas Kumavat along with Vikas Upadhyay rapidly fired at the Lavpur FC goal and finally made the breakthrough in the 79th minute with Manas Kumavati scoring a crucial goal. The game was now balanced again with both teams desperately trying to get a goal in but with no success. The score was 1-1 at full time which meant that the match would need to go on further. The extra 30 minutes was absolute chaos with many close calls. Both teams managed to get a goal in, Shafe Ansari for Lavpur FC and Vikas Upadhyay for Indraprastha FC. Lavpur FC's Sader Khan had the opportunity to end the game with a huge victory for his team, but Purshottam Mahanta broke his dreams with his amazing catch. With both teams being tied at 2-2, this meant that a penalty shootout would decide the winner.

Lavpur FC won the toss to start the penalty shootout. Agha Hussaini was up first and was successful, making the score 1-0. Dalpreet Lakra of Indraprastha FC took a shot and was successful, making it 1-1. Lavpur FC's next four shots were taken by Qahar Yazdani, Kamran Sultana, Sader Khan and Shafe Ansari, all of them were successful. It was the same story with Indraprastha FC, their penalty shooters being Narjeet Kherwa, Dandpani, Vikas Upadhyay and Manas Kumavat in order. Even the five-shot penalty shootout ended in a draw which led to the sudden death round. Mughees Jaifari was able to get another goal in, the Indraprastha FC fans were shocked at Purshottam Mahanta's performance. Manoharjeet Theti took the sixth shot for Indraprastha FC and was successful. Purshottam Mahanta finally woke up and an amazing dive was enough to stop Haq Umrani in Lavpur FC's seventh penalty. The Lavpur FC expressed their anger towards Haq Umrani. It was Amitoj Khullar who took the seventh shot for Indraprastha FC. A blinding shot from Khullar won the hearts of Indraprastha FC fans and the Super Cup. After the match, the ending ceremony was held with Indraprastha FC lifting the cup proudly.
Lavpur FC 1–1 Indraprastha FC (2–2 AET) (6–7 pen.)
I hope you enjoyed this three-part series of reviewing the first-ever season of the Super Cup. The Pratapgadh Super Cup was quite important for football to grow again and gave some of the best moments of our sporting history. It also had a huge viewership in many cities and towns which makes it quite a popular competition in Pratapgadh now. The Pratapgadh Football Association had done something the now-defunct Pratapgadh Football Federation couldn't and that is making a functional league that was also profitable and gave these talented players some exposure. Kudos to the PFA. For now, goodbye and see you later.
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vs Tikariot
STARTING XI
1. Chetan Dandekar ST
2. Shafe Ansari RW
3. Gautam Sakarkar LW (C)
4. Atashban Aaryamehr CM
5. Kaval Visariya DM
6. Ravi Upadhyay CM
7. Dev Kamble RB
8. Jagdip Rajawat CB (VC)
9. Suman Gupte CB
10. Abhisekh Patodia LB
11. Purshottama Mahanta GK

SUBSTITUTES
12. Manas Kumavat ST
13. Washid Noorani LW
14. Lohit Dholakia CM
15. Jaywant Kulkarni DM
16. Pratik Surana GK
17. Rahet Zardari RB
18. Dharamveer Wairar CB

vs Gouvanarch
STARTING XI
1. Chetan Dandekar ST
2. Shafe Ansari RW
3. Gautam Sakarkar LW (C)
4. Atashban Aaryamehr CM
5. Kaval Visariya DM
6. Ravi Upadhyay CM
7. Dev Kamble RB
8. Jagdip Rajawat CB (VC)
9. Suman Gupte CB
10. Abhisekh Patodia LB
11. Purshottama Mahanta GK

SUBSTITUTES
12. Manas Kumavat ST
13. Washid Noorani LW
14. Lohit Dholakia CM
15. Jaywant Kulkarni DM
16. Pratik Surana GK
17. Rahet Zardari RB
18. Dharamveer Wairar CB

by **Starblaydia** » Sun May 23, 2021 4:54 am

"How much are the recent geo-political events affecting your team?"

The question had asked, in one form or another, since Matchday 6 with different phrasing, intonation and desired response from the various journalists assigned to cover the Starblaydi national football team. Whether it was the manager Ázëwyn Fëanáro, her coaches Aaron Cole and Amari Ollarion, the captain Jewel Maddison, career-displaced defender Andvar Galdarhim, or whoever was on duty to face the massed ranks of the presses with their camera lenses and microphones that day. In truth, it was the only new question that any of them had been asked in years, but by now it was weighing heavily on the squad.

Events far beyond their control or influence seemed to be the most important thing in the multiverse. No one seemed to notice, or to care about the situation, however, beyond writing a good headline about the team. It was assumed Starblaydia would qualify from Group 11 come what may, as it had been forty years since they last failed to. Fëanáro had never seen her team fail to make it to the Finals since she took charge, so why would anything be different this time? Losing at home to former World Champions in Wight wasn't even taken as a shock, despite the fact the team returning from the Uncertain Dimensions have a decidedly determined ranking of zero. Two matches later and being on the wrong end of a seven-goal thriller to Tikariot, again at the Stadii Di Bradini, was an understandable speedbump. After another two points dropped - at least on the road this time - to Darmen, one of the sides presumed to be Starblaydia's closest challengers for the top spot in Group 11, is just another minor imperfection in the otherwise silky smooth cloth of another presumed purple-tinted march to the home of the 32 elite teams in the multiverse.

Kohnhead, snapping at their heels two points back, with Tikariot just a single point behind them, were the immediate threat, but they'd have to come to the Stadii Di Braidni at the very end of the Qualifiers if they wanted to do something about those three points. Worse still, though, trips to both Wight and Tikariot were coming up and Starblaydia needed to overturn losses in two of the most difficult places they still had to visit. Even visiting Darmen hadn't held much fruit for them in terms of points, so what would it be like facing the massed Thunder Clap of the Snowy Owls in front of 84,000 people and be a small group of white shirts among that pressure? For all the talk of regions, it was Rushmore sides who would truly decide the fate of this group.

"It's not something we let ourselves be concerned with," Ázëwyn said into the microphone on the desk in front of her as the camera bulbs flashed and the shutters clicked successively, all trying to capture the expression on her face that their particular editor wanted. Whether stoicism, concern or relaxation, the sports news sites and blogs would have another image of her to decorate their articles with. These days it was less and less about the back pages of physical print and much more about what pops up on one's feed, "as, in my view, there's no amount of doomscrolling that's healthy for anybody, so that's something we try and keep at zero and just focus on the task in front of us."

"I had to search to find out what 'doomscrolling' meant," Simeone said to her afterwards, holding up his ultra-sleek black device and waggling it in the air, "turns out they never let me do that, and after a couple of depressing articles I get presented with a kitten playing a piano or a man athletically playing the saxophone forever. Or something just as silly. I don't know when the Purple Inkwell decided I like music so much, but they sure do keep it consistent."

"What do you think it means?" Ázëwyn didn't look up from her papers with tactical notes on them as she absentmindedly doodled something in the margin.

"Probably that they have a better idea about what social media should be in the Dreamed Realm that most of us here in the mundieverse," he replied.

"Huh?" She furrowed her brow and looked up at him. "About the breakaway. About what the Lord-Protector said. She even invoked your name at one point."

"I think I've been alive long enough," Simeone said, "to know when to stop listening to politicians. That time is all the time. When was the last time sports people changed the direction of a government hell-bent on one course of action."

"Literally all the time," Ázëwyn dropped her pen on the desk and put up her hands, as if holding the weight of presiding over countless billions was in her hands, "you and I went to war and corrected the path of history for this nation once. What we do here on these fields matters to people, ordinary people, and they have more power than the ones in charge realise."

"I think the ones in charge know exactly how much power the people have," Simeone sat back in his chair, "and that's why they're so afraid of the people."

"So why are they playing this game? Why are they playing it now, and putting what we do at risk at the same time with this distraction? I just want to get on with football."

Simeone leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees with hands clasped together, supporting his chin. He sat and looked thoughtful for a moment. He was often thinking of things to say, because he'd learned that when he said whatever was in his brain it usually came out wrong and caused all sorts of trouble. Ázëwyn had at least got used to his moments of deep thought, patiently awaiting the words that would come. She wouldn't have asked him, even rhetorically, if she didn't want to hear his opinion on it. The great split, the betrayal and the bold new future all rolled into one.

"I think you should just get on with the football," he said after a long moment, "because that's the most important thing. You can see how the government clings to national team hopes and dreams and successes like a... big clingy thing, I don't know. They need you more than you need them., which makes you more important. Just do your thing, play the games, win the matches. Go to the World Cup and go try and win it, win number six, for... for whoever you want. The fans, the players, yourself, whoever. Football is all that matters," he reached up to tap his temples with an index finger, "because everything else is just up here, and when that whistle blows, it's the only thing that's real."

by **Garbelia** » Sun May 23, 2021 5:22 am

Garbelia (Kawauso 10, Ottoerson 47, O. Vydra 87) 3–1 Drawkland (Hunter 55)

0 Kickoff taken by Hunter
10 GOAL! Otterata exchanged swift passes with O. Vydra on the touchline, then used her skills to round Bakker. The curling cross is cleared, but only as far as Kawauso, who nutmegged Xander from a possible offside position.
22 RED CARD! Blisset slides in on Rodney with his studs up. Unnecessary challenge.
22 INJURY! Rodney appears injured by Blisset's tackle, and is being helped off the pitch. Looks like he will only be out for a single game.
22 SUBSTITUTION: An unknown squad player replaces Rodney.
35 WHAT A SAVE! Garnet attempts to lob Snaijer, but the keeper gets back just in time to push the ball onto the bar.
36 WHAT A MISS! Drawkland swing the corner in, and Madison flicks the ball on to Hunter at the back post, who blasted the ball miles wide.
Half Time 1-0
SUBSTITUTION: Barnes on for Otter
SUBSTITUTION: Avianuin on for Goodotter
49 GOAL! Avianuin outpaces Bakker, exchanging a swift one-two with Otterra, before cutting the ball back to Ottoerson, who chipped the ball into the far corner.
55 GOAL! Drawkland exchange swift passes, all of their team joining a counter attack. Garbelia were outnumbered 9 to 2, and the finish was merely a formality.
87 GOAL! O. Vydra runs on to a chipped through ball from Ottoerson, and volleys the ball over Xander into the top corner.
Full Time 3-1

Revlona (Unknown 73) 1–1 Garbelia (Katō 41)

Vydri: A great week for all Otters, as Group 1s seventh seeds pick up a shock at favourites Drawkland, and a boring draw at Revlona.

Lutra: This time, Otterdottir gave some backup players time on the field too, and they made a case for a first-team slot! Mari Katō made her first start as a replacement for the suspended Blisset, and rewarded the boss with a goal.

Vydri: Although, Lutra, it does have to be said that the team don't need another AMC. Otter, Kawauso and Ottoerson all fill that role proficiently, and Katō made a solid case as a holding midfielder, perhaps to replace the underperforming Blisset. Otterra and Otterata were effective at full-back in the two matches: Otterata being the more attacking of the two. Defensive wingplay has been one position that Otterdottir's team have been poor in, and it is nice to see those two replace McCat and Findus.

Lutra: And, of course, we can enjoy the fact that we are 6th, just 2 points behind Saltstead, and 5 behind Tumbra. It is looking likely that Otterdottir will become the first Garbelery boss to last 18 games!

GAB's player of the match at Kandorith: Ottoerson (1 goal, 1 assist)
10: O. Vydra, Ottoerson
9: Kawauso, Snaijer, Avianuin
8: L. Vydra, Huron, Otter, Blisset, Ottoerson, Otterra, Otterata
7: Barnes, Otter, Goodotter
1: Blisset

Vydri: Good ratings there Lutra! I'd agree about defensive wingplay, as stats show that team's xG is dramatically improved when they get the ball out to the wing against Garbelia.
Shall we have a look at the prediction league and top scorers now?

Lutra: Stats or footballing experience?

Prediction Points:
Lutra: 4
Vydri: 4

Predicted Points Total:
Lutra: 21
Vydri: 17

Vydri: Looks like neither of us predicted these results! The Garbeli have been very unpredictable this WCQ...

Top Scorers:
Goodotter: 4
Kawauso: 3
O. Vydra: 3
Otter: 2
Huron: 2
Ottoman: 2
Ottoerson: 1
Katō: 1

Lutra: See you next time, for more Garbelistats!

Lineup for the next games (Formation 4-1-3-2):
GK: Snaijer (1), DL: Otterra (5), DC: L.Vydra (27), Huron (13), DR: Otterata (33), DMC: Katō (20), AML: Kawauso (23), AMC: Ottoerson (11), AMR: Otter (7), FC: Goodotter (10), O. Vydra (18)

by **Electrum** » Sun May 23, 2021 7:00 am

The Turnip: Ripperonin: The World's Most Sinister Drug, Other Than The Ones We Will List Later On In This Story But First We Talk About Creating A New Political Movement And Then We Circle Back To Calling For An Inquiry
by Billiam Maskey, chief-editor-in-chief

In some truly shocking statements that have caused the earth to swell and swallow me whole, the Holy Empire have basically confirmed that the drug ripperonin (RP) causes 'a compulsive desire to waste time in online forums, a catastrophic decline in social interactions, and an end to any chance of satisfying long-term sexual relationships'.

What else can explain why Electrum is managing to draw pretty much every team in Group 4, even teams like Valanora and Abanhfleft, two teams which, let's face it, were never in the running in the first place? It is truly ridiculous and not intuitive that the third seeded team currently come in fourth place.

Whereas other teams are juicing up their athletes so that their mandibles are the sizes of peas, occiputs the size of mandibles, and their calves the sizes of heifers, the Electrumite team is doing no such thing. We are proud in our puniness and inferiority, and we are proud of our very short and fat bodies. It's what makes us who we are. It's why we have never qualified for the World Cup. We wouldn't even know what to do if we were to even qualify in the first place. Nay, our station and our position in life is to serve those delicious and succulent six points to the top seeds, to be the sacrificial lamb for the slaughterhouse, to be the Euran Oceania Territories for the Eura. It's the inevitable consequence of the use and abuse that all nations, other than Electrum, have inflicted onto their players by forcing them to ingest ripperonin in disturbingly high quantities (although the RP was admittedly of very low quality).

We have, and always will, proudly fly the banner of Norpism. This new political movement that The Turnip is establishing will transcend all borders, both big and small, blobby and straight (these being the four different classifications for borders). Already the Norp World Cup has seen massive success with only some passive distress after teams had to use the massif access to get to the sole ice and snow arena hosting the tournament. After all, hosting a tournament in the middle of an Antarctic peninsula shows us the unique challenges that we never get to see in the "RP-allowed World Cup." Sure, players may go against elves or a sentient energy ball, but that is nothing compared to playing football in front of a crowd of penguins. Another reason why ripperonin must go.

Norpism is going to transform everything we know about politics. Trivial concerns about refugee rights, relationships with the region and other neighbours, and health and education are going to be swept away on the RP/Norp axis. People will elect politicians based on their stance of ripperonin, and it's simply inevitable that in a gentleman's sport like in football, performance enhancing drugs will be banned. And if ripperonin can be banned across the multiverse, the search is on for the next drug to be vilified. We suggest rancolorol (a Legalese discovered compound), margaretium and xkorachlornate be up next on the chopping block. Then, and only then, will the multiverse be truly free from 'a compulsive desire to waste time in online forums, a catastrophic decline in social interactions, and an end to any chance of satisfying long-term sexual relationships', as these drugs cause all of these problems.

We are going to get that political movement into the mainstream by calling for a multiversal multijurisdictional massively multiplayer online ripperonin grilling. This will comprise of a multiversal panel of experts drawn from a wide variety of areas including rich megachurch pastor Sir Barsanuphius as well as long time ripperonin abusers such as Jeremy Jaffacake. That's right Jaffacake. We're onto you. Anyways. We will stop at nothing until ripperonin is eradicated from this game we all love. Long live the Norp.

by **Mytanija** » Sun May 23, 2021 7:09 am

EXCLUSIVE: DAMIEN GANNOT INTERVIEW
NEVENKA PLANINC SPEAKS TO THE ATLETIK STARLET FOLLOWING HIS FIRST INTERNATIONAL HAT-TRICK

by Nevenka Planinc

When you look at the players which make up the current Atletik Thessia squad it’s easy to spot a few familiar names. Some of them, like Hjik and Gannot, transport you back to a different era when Mytanija was one of the top nations in international football and the Top League was briefly the greatest league in the multiverse. Others, like the pair of Odonelecs, are an indicator of where the club are at the moment with their dominant position reinforced by both their financial power and a newly developed intelligence in the transfer market which secures Atletik the best Mytanar youngsters before anybody else. All of those names, Hjik, Gannot and Odonelec, give Atletik the feel of a family affair as the sons of two of the clubs greats continue their family’s legacy at the club whilst the cousins Odonelec begin to create their own.

“I suppose when you put it like that it is odd!” Damien Gannot laughed when I asked him what he thought about the unusual proliferation of blood related players at the club. Damien is of course the son of the Atletik legend Alex Gannot. The former Sicoutimont striker is now a coach at the club and for some time has been quietly acknowledged as the natural successor to Robin Hjik when the club’s most famous son finally decides to call it quits on management. Hjik’s son Neven is also a footballer, a part of a very promising crop of players which came through at the same time headed up by Damien Gannot and Patrik Odonelec. Neven Hjik is an energetic playmaker who has drawn comparisons domestically to Vilim Kupresak, although for both Neven Hjik and Damien Gannot the comparisons will always likely come back to their fathers: “It’s difficult sometimes when people compare us to our dads, particularly given how both Neven and I play in very similar positions to them, but we’re both trying to make our own way in the game and write our own stories. The most annoying thing is when people try to say we’ve only made it to where we are because of our dads!”

It’s evidently not a charge which is levelled with the same vigour against the two Odonelecs at the club, Jasno and Patrik. Patrik Odonelec came through Atletik’s youth system and was a year ahead of Damien Gannot and Neven Hjik through the age group teams up until the jump from under-16s to under-18s and from then on the trio have been together. Jasno Odonelec was brought to Atletik from 1912 Stelburg after representing Clichy-sous-Bois in the land of his birth, Prahecq. The Prahecqois-born midfielder responded very angrily to a reporter asking him if ‘the nepotism at the club bothers [him] at all’ given the struggle he had to achieve recognition amid discrimination in Prahecq. Jasno Odonelec, now captain at the club which he and all his family support, felt defensive over his younger team mates. He spoke about how nepotism couldn’t exist at a club like Atletik, where success is non-negotiable, where hangers-on simply could not be tolerated. This was something Damien Gannot emphasised:

“When Jasno said that it was like a weight being lifted off my shoulders. I know it was the same for Neven [Hjik] too. We’ve come through as part of the same age group and we’ve worked our way up, Atletik wouldn’t keep us on if we weren’t of the standard needed, just the same as any other player. I know that I’m exceptionally privileged compared to so many people because of my dad’s football career, particularly financially and in terms of opportunities if I had pursued a career outside competitive sport too, but at a club like Atletik where they need the best players to win things because the club and its fans demand it? It wouldn’t be in the club’s interests to keep us on the books just because of our parents. Especially if we couldn’t deliver, supporters would be in uproar because they rightly expect results.” Damien explained.

Some may not accept the differentiation he makes between opportunities outside of competitive sport and within football, but it only really works if Damien Gannot (or Neven Hjik, or whoever else) is not a good player and he demonstrably is. The 21 year old has lit up two Di Bradini Cups with a barely believable goal scoring record of 18 goals in 12 games, with ten of those coming as he captained the under-21 national team to a bronze medal last time out. Gannot also scored 10 goals in 23 games for Atletik last season as they won the league title under Robin Hjik’s management. This was something which particularly enthused Damien: “I remember coming to watch dad when I was young and I’ve always been an Atletik supporter because of that, so to win the Top League with my team is such an honour and something I want to repeat as many times as possible during my career.”

“When you come through the youth system at a club like this it’s instilled into you from an early age that second isn’t good enough and then you’re reminded of it daily when you get to the senior team – particularly when you’ve got people around you like Josip [Radonic], Jasno [Odonelec] and the gaffer who are big voices and personalities that are used to winning. There’s pressure there, but I try to enjoy it because it’s an honour to play for this great club and have a chance of competing for trophies so regularly.” Gannot’s response to questions about the link between Atletik’s non-negotiable drive for success and heaping pressure on young players like himself is revealing, particularly given the comments of other sportspeople about the Mytanar media’s role in putting pressure on young athletes. He believes that the biggest pressure on him is that which he adds to himself. “I know that if I don’t add something to the game one week I could be out of the starting line-up the next, especially last season when we had Jezdimir [Ocokoljic], Zlatan [Andrijasevic] and Chiki [Larrimbe] to pick from. That means I want to do well before the game has even started and I kind of block out all the other noise because I want to do it for myself and my team more than anything else.”

It’s certainly interesting to hear Damien speak about the other strikers he has played with, particularly Jezdimir Ocokoljic given the similarities between the ways the pair play. Ocokoljic moved to Siovanija and Teusland to ply his trade for Energija Chernovets prior to this season meaning Gannot only had a year with him, but Damien believes he learned a lot from his colleague. “How can you not learn from someone like Jezdimir? I’ve always tried to model my game on his but when you get to spend time with him and see what he does up close you can take so much from his movement and technique when he’s striking the ball. He also works really hard, which is something I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him given much credit for because he makes everything look so easy.” Gannot is also effusive in his praise for his other team mates, with Zlatan Andrijasevic helping him with his heading and aerial ability and Chiki Larrimbe advising him on tactical aspects of the team’s pressing approach. For Gannot there’s something to learn from everybody in a team as strong as Atletik’s.

He’s playing an increased role for his boyhood club this season too, with Ocokoljic’s departure meaning he has been called upon more regularly when Atletik have needed a goal alongside the aforementioned Andrijasevic and Larrimbe. The introduction of another Astograthian, Nahia Legarra, as well as the returning loanee Efthimis Spiteroglou means competition for places remains high. “There’s always that fear of losing your place in the team, with that competition in the squad meaning we’re all always trying our best and it keeps standards high. Those that have been there longer than me are really strong about that in the changing room, Jasno [Odonelec] obviously, but also players like Jasmin Savic and Tihomir Feric. Josip [Radonic] hasn’t been playing as much but he’s still around too and everybody always respects him given how long he has been in the game, I can see him going on to be a coach actually.”

Atletik have gradually changed to a different approach when it comes to buying and selling players, with the club recognising their position as a low-level power in the game when compared to the lofty heights the club once occupied in multiversal club football. They tend to operate as the middle-man between high-powered foreign clubs and Mytanija’s domestic market. Atletik utilise their relative financial might to buy up top Mytanar players (like Ocokoljic and Grigorij Savicevic) to dominate the domestic game alongside those who come through the club’s youth system like Damien Gannot (and Patrik Odonelec, Bigger Mbala-Ekakia etc). The club then sell these players on to those financially powerful foreign clubs after a couple of years of service at a much higher mark-up, further strengthening Atletik’s position at the top of the Mytanar game. Some critics have claimed that Atletik learning to game this system could be bad for Mytanar football in the long run, making the domestic game stale as their financial dominance means others cannot compete. In Atletik’s eyes Gannot is just a talented player who will help them be successful before being sent on to greater things abroad, something the player does have some ambitions for:

“I think I’d like to try out playing abroad at some point in my career, for a lot of young Mytanar players it’s definitely a goal but I think a lot of us are also determined to try and lift the domestic game up a bit before we think about moving on. It’d be good for the Top League to end up back towards the top of club football like it used to be, particularly given the situation with money being like it is now. For now though I’m just focussed on Atletik and I want to win as much as possible here for the club that I love before moving on.” Gannot makes all the right noises, discussing his love for the club but also recognising the reality of Mytanar football, something he is well-placed to understand given that he is at a club like Atletik who are always ready to roll a player off the production line when they want to cash in on them. Having Alex Gannot as a father must also help given that he experienced playing in the Top League when it was a financially powerful league which could compete for the big money signings, a far cry from the position the league is in today. It’s a familiar story for the national team too.

During World Cup 88 qualifying Mytanija have had a pretty tough time of things, regressing to a mid-table position in the qualifying group and enduring some inconsistent results along the way. It has given Lev Repin the opportunity to blood some youngsters though, with Damien Gannot being one who has made an impression in his short time with them. Last time out he hit a fine treble past Deniria, taking his international tally up to 4 goals in 3 appearances, a record Jezdimir Ocokoljic would be proud of. Some have wondered if we will eventually see a return to Repin’s 4-6-0 and a partnership between Damien Gannot and Ocokoljic, but it’s something the younger man is reticent to comment on: “It’s not really my place to talk about that, I just do the best I can when the manager calls on me. Wearing that hooped shirt has probably been the proudest moment of my life, right up there with winning the league with Atletik and I hope I can repeat those things many more times over the course of my career.”

Few would back against him at this point, with both Robin Hjik at club level and Lev Repin at international level appearing to rate him very highly. Many wondered whether Damien would represent Mytanija at international level given his father being from Sicoutimont and competing admirably for them in international competitions, the links were there and the FSM were worried that they might not secure such a talent for Mytanija’s national team. In truth the decision was always an ‘easy one’ for Gannot: “I kind of always scoff at that when it’s put to me, I have no idea where it came from that there was a chance of me playing for anyone other than Mytanija, it was always an easy one for me. I was born here, obviously dad is from Sicoutimont and Sicoutimont holds a place in my heart because of that, but I was brought up in Mytanija and haven’t ever lived anywhere else. I’m Mytanar.” And what did dad, Alex Gannot, think about that? “He was happy for me! He just wanted me to try and better his career, whoever that may be for!”

MYTANIJA NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION FOR GAMES AGAINST ATHEARA (A) & GEEKTOPIA (A)
Goalkeepers: 1. Pedja Kasun (Ararat Severyan), 12. Semir Besak (Olympic Thessia), 24. Zafer Muminovic (Tekstil Ibon)
Defenders: 2. Srdan Vukovic (1896 Ebor), 3. Grigorij Savicevic (AC Izotz Zubia [AUD]), 4. Mojmir Anac (Olympic Thessia), 5. Patrik Odonelec (Atletik Thessia); 13. Damir Milcic (Tekstil Ibon), 14. Dino Racic (1923 Esca), 15. Kamil Jernejec (Chromatik [CMT]), 28. Gavril Toshev (FK Arsika)
Midfielders: 6. Alen Hrdaljko (CDSA), 18. Sefir Ajanovic (FK Arsika), 8. Brajko Gavrilovic (1896 Ebor), 10. Jasno Odonelec (Atletik Thessia), 11. Kemal Gajic (FK Arsika); 17. Branko Brkljacic (Atletik Thessia), 30. Mersudin Smajic (Liria Prizren), 19. Dalibor Vlahovic (1896 Ebor), 20. Maks Shishkin (Maethoru SC [KOR]), 32. Itzhar Yvjoev (Olympic Thessia)
Forwards: 9. Jezdimir Ocokoljic (Energija Chernovets [STL]), 33. Anton Derajevic (Nyva Zvornik), 38. Damien Gannot (Atletik Thessia)

by **San Ortelio** » Sun May 23, 2021 8:11 am

“So, you want to stay?”
“Ehm… I think so, I guess.”
“Good, I’ll take care of it.”

It had not been the most glamorous of conversations but apparently that short hallway conversation had sufficed to stamp my future for RODEO. A few days later, station manager Salvatore came around with the paperwork – even if he looked a little surprised that Elisa was already aware of his visit. To be honest, it only enlarged the cloud of mystery that was hanging around Romeo. Who was he in fact that just a word of him could land Elisa a contract? So when he invited her for dinner, one evening when it was just the two of them left after the evening block, her curiosity was inclined to say yes.

Dennis was travelling with the team again anyway – and would have a frustrating evening in the stands as the national eleven just could not find a solution against the cleverly constructed block from Mercedini – and besides, things were a bit tense between them anyway… Well, maybe it was inevitable that at some point of the relation you fall of cloud nine, that the instant replies on every message die down, that when you’re out for a drink the conversation falls flat and there are evenings where you’re just going to do your own stuff. Right? And really, what’s the harm to have a bite with a workmate, who just happens to be a handsome, charming guy?

It had been a very enjoyable evening. Inside the studio, he had the tendency to be aloof, maybe even a bit snobbish, but Romeo quickly dismissed that as being part of his radio persona. RODEO is not glamorous at all but I just want it to feel a bit like showbiz sounded like a good enough excuse to Elisa. And here he was funny, interested in her remarks and at the same time, imposing. He tended to go into a bit of a monologue every once and a while but in a way, he never bored. And she did feel like he truly listened to her as well. Romeo enjoyed films, liked to discuss playlists for the show – he even played Simona Nino on his next broadcast after she insisted he should listen to it - … In short, was a cultured man. So when he invited her a second time, and a third time, it just would have felt rude to say no. Why would she not have a drink with a colleague? Halfway through one of those, whilst they were discussing whether the motive of the nineties cult classic movie Divina Tragedia was greed or envy, it hit her that she had missed these talks since being together with Dennis – a realization that hurt her more than Elisa liked to admit.

“… but in the last act, the main character very symbolically throws away the fancy cutlery of his parents – it is to protect others against the greed which…” his enthused movie voice fell flat. “Are you ok?”

Romeo had a peculiar way of asking questions to someone – he would look straight through your retinas, as if the answer was printed somewhere in the eye socket. But it felt genuine nonetheless.

“No, I’m just a little distracted,” Elisa tried to wave it away.
“You,” he quickly checked his watch, “you don’t need to be somewhere anymore tonight?”
“No… Dennis already is with the team.”

She wasn’t sure why she lied about this, a second time already – they only boarded for Clinepalas, Talamia the day after and Dennis had invited her over, but Elisa just didn’t feel like it. Just yesterday they had had lunch together and… They hadn’t fallen out but it had been tense. Elisa worried she had been blabbing on about her new contract and the radio too much, so she inquired about him and the team a few times, just to show interest. But he had been curt and the third time, had simply said something like that’s none of your business, clear. After a silent dessert, each had gone their way without making new plans.

“Aha,” Romeo exclaimed, making it impossible to derive the context from that, “must be hard with him on the road all the time.”
“It’s… It’s a very different world,” she admitted.
“Yeah – it’s very…” he tried to find the right words, “I’m not saying we don’t play a bit of a show to the audience but that is just to the crowd. Over there… I think it’s far more of a snake pit within the team. More lies, more envy. And if you’re not genuine against one another, what does it say about your personality?”

Elisa nodded, still trying to process if she fully agreed.

“I’m more like… I prefer honesty to one another. Like, if I give advice to Bernardo, or Valerio – than that’s in the best of their interests and not mine? Or when I promise you to take care of your role with us, I mean, you understand?”
“Yeah,” she said – still trying to figure out which way Romeo was going.
“I used to dream about being a big-time journalist,” Romeo smiled, “One of those that brought out the major stories, those that mattered. Someone who righted the wrongs, who uncovered the scandals. Just the truth, you know, because that matters. It’s not always the best but why lie? Why keep secrets?”

It charmed her that he, for the first time since they met, discussed his past if only briefly. And part of her had just wanted to ask what went wrong, where he had gotten off that course – because it was hard to imagine that with his charm and drive, he couldn’t accomplish what he aimed for.

“It’s frustrating that that is not everyone’s priority. It’s so important to…”

Elisa nearly brought up the talk she had had with Dennis about that. Let’s call it a discussion rather. At some point, she had received a text warning ‘not to use that thing about Gagliano forgetting his shoes on the radio’. She had complied at the time, but when she brought it up afterwards, Dennis just had said he shouldn’t have mentioned it to her in the first place. It all had spiraled a bit there, from she claiming he wanted to keep secrets from her up to him stating that for some things, he couldn’t rely. It had been their first big fight. Later that night, they made love, looked one another in the eye and told they loved eachother – but they never brought up the point again.

But here, with Romeo, she didn’t want to discuss Dennis.

“It’s so important to be able to bring the truth even if it is hard to swallow,” was what Elisa eventually settled on.
“I’ve told Salvatore that it would be good for the channel if we brought more of that, a bit of journalism instead of the happy-go-lucky. Maybe some pieces out of the studio, some interviews, something like that. But I would need someone who is capable to do the technical stuff and who shares the mindset, so I can bounce ideas of her…”

It was as open an invitation as one could give.

“But where to find those,” Elisa smiled and an exchange of glances made clear that she was on board. After all, queuing the commercials and jingles for the channel was all fun and games but after two months, she knew this stuff already. This sounded new, refreshing and a challenge.
“Good,” Romeo grinned, “Very good. Especially as I already told Salvatore you would.”
“And he immediately agreed to all that?” Elisa asked, shaking her head of his boyish approach from Romeo.
“He couldn’t say no,” Romeo replied, but before she could ask him some more about that, he concluded, “I’ll go settle the bill.”

He grabbed his wallet and stood up, but before going to the bar, he asked.

“If you’re free anyway tonight… I’ve got Divina Tragedia on blue-ray. If you want, I can immediately show you why you’re wrong on your envy theme?”

It was a casual remark, as if it had just crossed his mind as an option. A voice in her head refused – maybe this wasn’t the best thing to do, now things were a bit hazy with Dennis. When she talked with Romeo, he often deviated from joking to flirting and back – but it seemed to be his natural way of talking. Elisa wasn’t too sure whether Romeo was jealous in nature, but there were better ways to find out. Maybe she shouldn’t go back to his place.

Maybe. But maybe that voice wasn’t strong enough.

“Sure, but only because you clearly need a reminder on how that second act went.”

by **Newmanistan** » Sun May 23, 2021 8:18 am

The Putnam Lake Police Department felt that they needed just a little more to formally put Bryce Miller and jail to await a trial. They believed, with certainty, that Miller committed the assault, but were well aware that the linebacker would retain a high profile lawyer that would fight the charges tooth and nail. They warned Jessica Schaefer that there could eventually be a messy criminal trial, but she did not seem to mind that, and she was actually quite eager to get it done. There needed to be that one thing to put this over the top, you know, like what always happens in the movies. You hit a stalemate in a case and you know that the person is guilty, but nothing seems to be going in your favor until that big slip up or big piece of evidence would come forward. Unfortunately, this was not a scripted movie, but a real life situation, and it was becoming very clear for the PLPD that they may just have to proceed with what they had already.

Bryce Miller had not been worrying about the assault charges all that much, as he knew they were out there and that he would have to eventually answer them. His bigger concern in the moment was his suspension from the Empire of Newmanistan Football League due to the allegations of gambling. He knew the assault charges had something to do with that suspension, and that the ENFL was able to have a leg to stand on with the gambling charges. He never did bet on ENFL games, and requested that Vlady, his bookie, provide documentation to the ENFL about his wagers to prove this. On this, Miller actually was correct, he did never bet on gridiron, but was not getting any support from Vlady now. This was infuriating him, but the Dover Bloodhounds knew that they should step away from Miller now to protect their own interests. When Bryce didn’t like something, he would try to throw money at it. It worked in the hotel where he committed the assault, but for the first time in his professional life, he was worried about money. The Putnam Lake Eagles kept him under contract, but until his suspension was lifted, he was not going to be compensated for the upcoming season. He had a couple of endorsement deals that were cancelled, though a couple that were “postponed pending the current investigation”. Then, there was that annoying Hannah Ramsey $5 million lawsuit against him. He didn’t feel as though Ramsey had any hope of winning that, but was also advised by his agent that he should be prepared for losing that, just in case. Then, there was the potential of the Jessica Schaefer civil suit, something that he was advised would be a certainty after the criminal charges. With all of this on his mind, Bryce could not just throw money at Vlady to get him to release his gambling history to the ENFL.

On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, Miller was sitting on his front porch reading some social media posts about his situation. He liked that there were many people on his side, claiming that Schaefer was a disgruntled ex-girlfriend making up a story. Then, a police car pulled up into his driveway. Miller put down his phone and began to wonder what was about to happen. Then a second, third, fourth, and fifth patrol car. The officers did not get out of their vehicles until all five of the cars pulled up and all Bryce could do was stare at them. He knew what was coming, and texted his closest friend that, “they’re here, today is the day I guess”. One by one, the officers stepped out of their cars, and commanded for Miller not to move as they saw him on the front porch. Bryce would not play this stupidly, raising his arms above his head, allowing the first officer to approach him to apply the handcuffs but would not say a word to the officers.

Jessica Schaefer, naturally, was overjoyed to hear the news of Miller’s formal arrest. It had bothered her that this had been taking so long, but realized that it would take time for them to get all of the evidence together. It was a relief for her, as for this moment forward it would mean that Miller would not get away with what he did in the hotel room that night. She was confident that the trial, when it eventually happened, would go her way, even though the prosecutors were far less certain. This was going to be a tough case, they did not really have enough indisputable evidence to make a conviction stick, but the time was up to wait for what always happens in the movies. That “smoking gun” was not coming.

Back at the courthouse, Miller acknowledged the charges and went back to his cell. Within 24 hours, the $1.5 million bail was paid, and Miller was able to go back to his front porch. He was not seen as a flight risk in any way. Less and less players from the Putnam Lake Eagles and the ENFL in general were supporting him, but he felt that this would all be over soon. His high profile attorney convinced him that it would all go away, and then he could go on the offensive against the ENFL for their suspension.

by **The Gothanita Isles** » Sun May 23, 2021 8:22 am

When a region splits itself apart, naturally, members of that region would likely be involved in trying to take sides and announce their policies going forward. And North Handoria, like all of those states,

For the people unfamiliar with the structure and history of The Gothanitan Isles, we will take this time to try to piece out the entire story about our nation, before we go onto the current story. The Gothanitan isles is a story about a 150-year union between 4 island states. It is about 4 states, separated by thousands of miles, and yet bonded by their love for sports, their reverence for the sea, the common history of being islanders leaving big nations and empires, and trying to come together to find their own voice in the multiverse. The 4 states have their own rules, their own culture, their own governance system, their own personality, but what makes the Isles unique is that the fact that despite the differences, the nation is able to come together and resolve the common matters of interest as a nation. 4 nations, 1 Isles, as they commonly term it.

The football community in general has been extraordinarily distracted because of the first major reforms in over 20 years. The creation of the Gothanitan Super League has been hotly debated, considering that no previous reform plans has ever been approved by the Gothanitan Football Confederation. For the first time, a grand total of 26 football teams have indicated their approval for the bill. That is very well on the way to meeting the 34 members threshold required to pass such changes at an GIFC extraordinary meeting. There were some discussions on promotion and relegation format, a change in the Royal GI Cup format, as well as the final numbers for the 3 tiers of professional football, but in the end, those details were quickly agreed by the original 14 teams who submitted the proposal to the GIFC. Head coach Zahi Castillas has been particularly distracted, though he has argued that the players have "lost their scoring abilties" as the team raked up their 6th draw in 11 games. Winless and stuck with 6 points from 11 games, the Yellow Lions may very well be headed for an early exit. This was so different from the team which caused havoc during the last qualifiers, scaring lots of big teams like Pasarga, Valladares, Hampton Island, Tumbra and South Newlandia on their way to a decent 27 point haul. This time, the path to getting into the top half is absolutely unclear after those results.

Now, the issue of the Super League may be the topic of interest today if protests didn't flare up in North Handoria, calling on the government to make a decision with regards to North Handoria's position in Atlantian Oceania. While the nation has been considered to be a member of the region, North Handoria has yet to obtain the so-called "full membership" status, putting itself on the map of the region and being seen as a main member of the region. Of course, given the size of the nation, it is difficult to imagine North Handoria to be seen as equals to Vilita and Turori, or the Eternal Empire. But North Handoria has yet to obtain full relations with fellow regionmates, and given the immense roadblock the nation faces with regards to pursuing its own foreign relations, Handorians prefer that the leaders take this time to decide where North Handoria's position admist all the discussion surrounding the AO-Anaia split.

The difficulty in making a decision isn't exactly with the Handorian leadership, but with the remaining members of The Gothanitan Isles. The Sultan of Otksarin was the first who requested for diplomatic relations between Otksarin and the fellow members of Melayu Archipelango. This was agreed upon by the Council of 4 pretty quickly, considering that that was a particularly nice testbed for discussions. But when it came to relations from Hallikshire and South Jeolerina, the Council of 4 wasn't able to reach a consensus. And the council had other more important issues to discuss, such as plans to implement more environment-related policies across the board, and for smaller economies like North Handoria to pull a much larger weight in contributing to the overall Gothanitan economy. Since issues with regards to defence, foreign affairs, and internal security were issues that had to be agreed upon by the Council of 4, decisions about North Handoria's position in the Anaia-AO split was difficult to make when that wasn't seen as a priority by other member states.

It has to go back to the issue of the way the Council of 4 is structured. Each member nation sends a representative to the Council of 4, and any issues that needs to be ratified across the Isles must be approved by all 4 representatives. This includes resolutions on establishing embassies and relations, a key roadblock in trying to put North Handoria, South Jeolerina and Hallikshire on their respective regional maps. And also attempts trying to join the political and economic groups in the regions.

The Handorians have wrote a petition calling on the People's Council (the supreme decision-making body in North Handoria) to press for an emergency meeting of the Council of 4 to discuss the AO-Anaia split. But by the time such a meeting occurs, it may be too little, too late.

by **Turori** » Sun May 23, 2021 8:52 am

Amatopa returns as Turori Race to Hot Second Half Start

Eels Park, Eelandii, Turori :: After having not made a start for the Turori National Team since the third matchday at home to Acronius, Derizi Amatopa was called back to the starting lineup for a double start as the Eels began the second half of their World Cup Qualifying Campaign on the road against Baggieland. Many now see Amatopa as the natural successor to long time Turori National Team goalkeeper Wiyauw An'maude and those that bet on the youngsters talent were validated with their rise to prominence during the recently completed 45th EuraLeague Season.

Amatopa took over the starting goalkeeper role at Euran club Revolutionaries from Max McIntyre and handled the new responsibilities brilliantly, helping the club secure back-to-back Euraleague titles during Season 44 and Season 45. Unlike Season 44 when it was the Revolutionaries attacking forces that pushed the team over the edge to earn the title, Amatopa's improvement in goal saw the team with a league best 38 goals conceded - an improvement of 11 goals from the season prior. The improvement saw Amatopa named Goalkeeper of the Season and named to the Golden Eleven for the league.

With Amatopa topping the charts in the massively competitive EuraLeague and former Turori National Team backup goalkeeper Timaala Hualtia still stuttering at the line between the Vilitan Declasse and Stellar Division with Inland Peaks FC, it was expected that Amatopa would step in to fill that role immediately during World Cup 88 Qualifying. Instead, Hualtia would play nearly half of Turori's opening 9 matches of the Qualifying campaign as the Turori National Team coaching staff were afraid that Amatopa could get overworked following deep runs in the Copa de Campiones, 50th Di Bradini Cup and Eagles Cup X.

Amatopa was given plenty of rest after two starts early in the campaign before returning between the sticks against Baggieland. While it would not be a shutout performance for Amatopa - it was a comfortable victory after Turori would take a 3-0 lead within 15 minutes including a first career International Goal for Karek Edgeli - the offspring of the National Team coach Tarek Edgeli. Edgeli's header off a Daliora Toru'u Corner Kick came just a minute after Toru'u themselves had scored on a free kick from 20 yards out. While Amatopa would concede a consolation goal to the Baggies in the second half, it was an all around solid performance for the Eels who completed the cycle-sweep over Baggieland 6-2 on aggregate.

 Turori [4] - [1] Baggieland
				
	GOALS:	Turori 	:: 3' Meldi'ita Mungwaii:: 14' Daliora Toru'u:: 15' Karek Edgeli:: 37' Kiidallen Aeroluzzi           		
	STATS:	Turori 	:: Possession: 52%:: Shots: 10:: Corners: 9	Baggieland 	:: Possession: 48%:: Shots: 4:: Corners: 8
	Lineup:	[GK] Derizi Amatopa, [D.] Amakli Inuro'o, [D.] Mikki Mayelli, [D.] Moumouni Verre'elali, [D.]  Karek Edgeli, [ML]  Daliora Toru'u, [MC] Kentu Umaka'a, [MC]  Lati'ala Giaoka, [MR]  Kiidallen Aeroluzzi, [FC] Nua'oma Aikiki, [FC] Meldi'ita Mungwaii			
	Bench:	[FC] Wiztsana Iretziia, [FC] Kala'a Yuliizala, [M] Naraiza Ruaplal, [M] Cuoabaza Orani’aoa, [U ] Bvalis Amaanara, [D] Yitizo Mpala'a, [GK] Wiyauw An'maude

Having lost out on the opportunity to post a clean sheet against each of their Group 15 opposition after having conceded a goal in each game played against Baggieland, the Turori National Team returned home to Eel's Park in Eelandii, Turori to host Valentine Z. It was fitting to host the Valentians in the shadow of the Eelandii Grand Prix Course with so many of the Valentian players being experienced race car drivers. Much like the first match against Valentine Z on matchday 2, however, the only racing on the field would be done by the Eels themselves.

In fact, there was a bunch of pacing at the start of the match which was appropriate for the rainy conditions outside the stadium and it was a welcome fact for the Valentians who struggled to start their World Cup Qualifying campaign and would be more than willing to accept a draw on the day with at the home of the favored Turorian's. Ultimately it was not to be as the green flag waved on the second half of the match and the Turori National Team stepped things into gear.

Working from the back of the pack, defender Moumouni Verre'elali worked their way up to the front to stick a nose - or head in to a dangerous area and twice in less than 10 minutes would take top spot on the scoreboard with a pair of corner-kick goals.

When the action resumed, Turori were looking to extend their advantage out front and did so in the 76th minute when Kala'a Yuliizala broke away from the pack with a fresh set of rubber and set Turori solidly on their path to victory. When the checkered flag waved on the match Turori had secured a 3-0 victory and Derizi Amatopa recorded their second clean sheet of the campaign.

 Turori [3] - [0] Valentine Z
				
	GOALS:	Turori 	:: 52' Moumouni Verre'elali:: 58' Moumouni Verre'elali:: 76' Kala'a Yuliizala            		
	STATS:	Turori 	:: Possession: 61%:: Shots: 6:: Corners: 8	Valentine Z 	:: Possession: 39%:: Shots: 2:: Corners: 0
	Lineup:	[GK] Derizi Amatopa, [D.] Moumouni Verre'elali, [D.] Mikki Mayelli, [D.] Karek Edgeli, [D.]  Lulu Pumaziiri, [ML]  Naraiza Ruaplal, [MC] Kiidallen Aeroluzzi, [MC]  Kentu Umaka'a, [MR]  Daliora Toru'u, [FC] Nua'oma Aikiki, [FC] Kala'a Yuliizala			
	Bench:	[FC] Wiztsana Iretziia, [FC] Meldi'ita Mungwaii, [M] Tulaki Rauogba, [M] Friika Diirotora, [U ] Yitizo Mpala'a, [D] Amakli Inuro'o, [GK] Wiyauw An'maude

by **Yue Zhou** » Sun May 23, 2021 9:38 am

Note: "Sporting Buddha" is a rough translation of the Yue podcast, whose name in Yue is 体佛 ("Ti-Fo"). Definitely not a reference to anything.

ZW: “Welcome back to Sporting Buddha podcast! I’m Zhen Wuxi...”

TJ:: “...and I’m Tong Jiewen, and before the break, we were talking about Nanhai Lunar's stunning season, and how their unique playstyle might translate to the Yue Super! League next season. But now, we turn our attention to the national team, where Lu Jialan's Dragons, after eleven matches, are 7-2-2, with Farfadillis the only team that has beaten them so far. While New Lusitania and Equestria remain just one and two points behind, respectively, it means that Yuezhou is currently in playoff position with seven matches to play. Wuxi, where do you want to start?"

ZW: "I think we have to start with the defining player of this qualification run, and that's been Liu Huiying. The Corvistone attacker has had a coming-out party of sorts during these qualifiers, after a strong debut season in the Zenith, and has six goals and five assists in her eleven matches. Yuezhou has had a lot of joy on the counterattack these qualifiers, perhaps more than anyone was expecting, and Liu Huiying is a massive reason for that."

TJ: "I have to agree with you there. Liu Huiying had a relatively poor WCQ87, by her standards, as she had to adjust to playing on the wing. But now that Lu Jialan has moved her more centrally, she's really flourished - and that's opened space for the other attackers as well, as both Huang Shedong and Wen Xiaohui have generally been excellent. Defenses really have to step up to mark her now, as she likes to drop deeper than the other two attackers in the 3-4-2-1, but that drags spaces open that the pace of Huang and Wen can really exploit."

ZW: "I think that's something playing in Nephara has helped with as well. Even before Yuan Zilai put her on the wing, Liu Huiying was more of a support striker type, but someone who always liked to push up. Iron City deployed her as a CAM to great effect though, and I think that's made her more confident in dropping back and linking up play."

TJ: "That does make her one part of what has, so far, been a well-oiled offensive machine. Yuezhou has scored twenty-three goals, third-most in the group, and the Dragons have often looked much more dangerous than that number indicates, with their defensive approach when leading holding that tally back. But the attacking three of Wen, Liu, and Huang have been excellent."

ZW: "I don't think it's fair to limit that to the attacking three. They've had a lot of space opened up on the wings because of the wingback play of Kang Enlai and Diadora Reeve, which has given them the room to flourish. It doesn't hurt that Wen and Liu are both comfortable drifting wider and deeper to play the wingbacks forward. That's something we saw a lot of against Equestria in that statement 3-0 win, as both the second and third goals came from the flanks. And while neither Chen Xiwei nor Li Jing has really made that central midfield position their own, they both provide some excellent playmaking from deep, that has also helped with the flow of the offense."

TJ: "Well, that might be a good time to transition, because I actually disagree with that last point. I think the defense has been a relative letdown so far, and while Kang and Reeve have been solid, the midfield pivot is a big factor in why it's been so disappointing."

ZW: "We've conceded fifteen goals! That's third-fewest in the group."

TJ: "Sure, but a lot of that has because we play so defensively when we're up - well, especially when we're up. But Lu Jialan has generally had his teams sit much deeper, so to still concede fifteen is actually more than I expected. And the xG suggests that Lu Qiang is putting a lot of work in to keep it there, as without her shot-stopping the figure could be much worse. I'm glad Lu has managed to unlock the offense with the new setup, but if it requires playing so many attacking players in midfield, I question whether it'd be better to prioritize defensive solidity."

ZW: "Well, six of those goals were conceded to Farfadillis, and nine conceded in nine matches against less kamikaze opponents sounds much better. And in terms of the midfield pivot, I actually think Yang Tao has been doing some excellent work. Lu Jialan's been panned by many - including you, Tong - for starting him over some of the flashier options, but Yang has been almost everywhere on defense, mopping up before opponents even have a chance to look at the back three. Zhu Aiguo has been immense as well in his hybrid role, as the former fullback is still given room to push forwards and invert, giving the attack an added boost and shoring up the midfield to compensate for its attacking nature."

TJ: "I just think Chen Xiwei and Li Jing have been relatively disappointing defensively so far. While it's not their fault so much as it is Lu Jialan for deploying them there, it's something I'd like to see both work on, especially Chen, who was a relatively solid defensive presence before he turned into Poafmersia's best playmaker. You're right that Ren Fang, Han Jian, Yang Tao, and Lu Qiang have been able to cover for them so far, and in fairness, they have gotten clean sheets against the likes of New Lusitania, Le Choix, and Equestria as of late. But I really don't think it's sustainable, and moving someone like Guo Xiawei in might fix that."

ZW: "That brings us to our next topic, because the Dragons have had a lot of statement wins recently, and really seemed to be hitting their stride before that loss to Farfadillis. New Lusitania, Netop, Equestria, and Le Choix was an absolute gauntlet to finish the first half, but the Dragons conceded just one goal in those four matches and came away with twelve critical points. With H2H results being the first tiebreaker, and the group being so tight, those results are absolutely massive for Yuezhou's chances."

TJ: "It really does seem that way, although I would caution against being too optimistic about tiebreakers. We saw a similar story at WCQ86, where Yuezhou won critical matchups against the likes of Graintfjall and Plane of Possibility, but were ultimately done in by dropped points to teams they should've easily beaten."

ZW: "That Alba and Cymru game still haunts my dreams, yeah. But these wins have felt like much more of a statement than the wins that cycle over Sarzonia and Northwest Kalactin. Equestria's a World Cup champion, even if they haven't been as strong recently. And New Lusitania are a regional champion who are long overdue for a World Cup berth. And these have also been very convincing wins - 3-0 over the former, 2-0 over the latter."

TJ: "I'm not sure how convincing those were - in my opinion, both scorelines, especially the 3-0, flatter us. That Equestria game was really tight in the first half - and the visitors had the better chances, in my opinion, before Liu Huiying pulled a goal out of nowhere. Of course, the gap widened in the second half as Equestria had to go forwards and Yuezhou had better counterattacking opportunities, but if Equestria score first that's a very different game."

ZW: "Well, that's the gameplan, isn't it? Score first, then sit back and hit them on the counter. Lu Jialan has taken a more attacking strategy than Yuan Zilai did, but that's always what Yuezhou have excelled at."

TJ: "Absolutely. We'll see if they can keep it up.

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