World Cup 88- Roleplay Thread

by **Mytanija** » Thu May 27, 2021 3:10 pm

EASTFIELD LODGE LIQUIDATED IN LODGERTIA
VILIM KUPRESAK LEADS INEXPERIENCED HOOPS TO EMPHATIC WIN AGAINST RUSHMORI RIVALS

by Nevenka Planinc

EASTFIELD LODGE 1–4 MYTANIJA
EFL: Girard-Vaillancourt 70’
MYT: Andrijasevic 13’, 29’; Kupresak 56’, Nanusevski 87’

EFL: 1. Foster; 3. Harding, 4. Fahs, 5. Soriano; 2. Dad, 7. Black (sub. O’Brien-Hamer 62’), 6. Elbaz; 8. Accardi (c), 10. Girard-Vaillancourt, 11. Foley (sub. Brewer 67’); 9. Patton (sub. Paree 58’)

MYT: 12. Besak; 13. Milcic, 14. Racic (sub. U. Odonelec 72’), 26. Omerovic, 28. Toshev; 37. Kurtcehajic, 18. Ajanovic, 31. Kupresak (c); 19. Vlahovic, 22. Andrijasevic (sub. Nanusevski 58’), 32. Yvjoev (sub. Agic 58’)

Lev Repin and Vilim Kupresak appear to have put any disagreement between them behind them as the two could be seen warmly embracing at the end of the game between Mytanija and Eastfield Lodge at Parliament Stadium in Lodgertia. Kupresak captained Mytanija in the absence of some of the more high-profile players as Repin explored the depths of the national pool with his team selection. Kupresak was in inspired form in the centre of midfield, acting as a link between defence and the front line in much the same way as Jasno Odonelec has over the past few years. The Olympic Thessia midfielder chipped in with two assists and added a goal of his own in the second-half as Mytanija ran out 4-1 winners away from home at a Rushmori rival only a few days after a famous win over another Rushmori neighbour in the form of Electrum.

Repin’s unusual team selection proves that Mytanija being out of contention for a qualifying spot has its uses. The manager has made it clear that he wants to use it as an opportunity to spend more time with younger players and those with less experience at international level. Mytanija’s tactical approach is different to that which players are used to with their club sides and Repin demands tactical flexibility from his players. A bit more time on the training pitch should give them a chance to get a little more used to each of the many different formations Repin might decide to use in future tournaments. It could also be an early audition for a place in Mytanar squads for the upcoming Copa Rushmori and the Cup of Harmony prior to that, if Mytanija get an invite of course. The likes of Gavril Toshev, Sefir Ajanovic, Zlatan Andrijasevic and Strahinja Nanusevski will have done themselves no harm with their contributions in this game. Along with Kupresak, who proved to be the man of the moment upon his international return.

Thirteen can be an unlucky number for some but not for Mytanija tonight as they opened the scoring in the thirteenth minute through Zlatan Andrijasevic. The Atletik forward offers something a bit different to many of our other striking options, with the more physical aspects to his game marking him out as an altogether different challenge to that which the likes of Ocokoljic and Zgela provide with their movement or Derajevic with his creativity. Gavril Toshev did well to receive the ball in the ‘inverted Srdan Vukovic role’, roaming from his right-back position into attacking midfield pockets when Mytanija had the ball. Toshev found Kupresak with a well-weighted ball out to the left flank, where Kupresak had pulled wide and created an overload against the Eastfielder right-sided wing-back Elbaz as Damir Milcic charged forward on the overlap. It could have left Mytanija light at the back if they lost possession but that wasn’t going to happen due to the quality of Kupresak’s delivery. He whipped the ball in with his left foot into the space between Harding and Fahs and Zlatan Andrijasevic was there to power the ball home with his head. A good move from Mytanija and one which was ably finished off by the big man up top.

Andirjasevic added a second to his tally inside half an hour as he volleyed home a cross from Itzhar Yvjoev. Yvjoev had done some good work down the right to create himself some space to cross from, but he slightly over hit the cross so it ended up heading towards the far post. For other forwards that might have been a problem but Zlatan Andrijasevic is no stranger to improvisation and he acrobatically leapt through the air to get his left foot high above the ball and he almost steered it over Foster’s head in the Eastfield Lodge goal. It was a piece of exceptional skill and a shorter player might not have managed it, but Andrijasevic used those long limbs of his to brilliant effect and it was one of the better goals of the campaign by a Mytanar player.

Half-time came and went without incident and Kupresak turned from provider to scorer as he lashed Dalibor Vlahovic’s low ball across the edge of the penalty area home with his right foot. Kupresak displayed all of his two-footedness in this game, it was a tough shot but he seemed to be supremely confident throughout this game and was all too happy to take the shot on. He sent it right into the bottom corner to leave Foster absolutely stranded. Kupresak was mobbed by his team mates, many of them younger players who have been wholly appreciative of his leadership during this international break in the absence of Jasno Odonelec. He has led both by his words and his example and that’s the sort of figure you want young players to learn from, with Lev Repin vindicated for bringing him back into the team. Although some may wonder how this team might have done had Kupresak not been banished from the squad following his comments after the disappointing draw against Deniria on the opening day of qualification.

After that Repin decided to introduce some substitutes, with Ramiz Agic coming on for Itzhar Yvjoev and Strahinja Nanusevski replacing Zlatan Andrijasevic. Andrijasevic was visibly disappointed to not get the chance to complete an international hat-trick, but that was short-lived as he could be seen laughing and joking with the coaching staff and remaining substitutes shortly after. Eastfield Lodge clawed a goal back from an outstanding free-kick from their creative number ten Craig Girard-Vaillancourt. Girard-Vaillancourt had originally won the free-kick after Zijad Kurtcehajic brought him down around twenty-five yards out. The RGS Athletic playmaker then curled his shot around the wall and into the corner of the net, Semir Besak had dived but couldn’t get near it given the quality with which the shot was struck. It was a goal which could have signalled a second-half fight-back for Eastfield Lodge but Mytanija did well to strangle the life out of the game and play solid possession football.

Usten Odonelec came on for Dino Racic a couple of minutes after the Eastfield Lodge goal, ostensibly to add a little bit more height and physicality to the Mytanar back-line for the closing minutes of the game. Repin probably had faith in his side to hold onto their lead too though and it provided a good opportunity to give Dino Racic a rest and allow Usten Odonelec some minutes. 1923 Esca man Racic has put in some decent performances since being added to the national pool and will surely be a contender to eventually replace Mojmir Anac whenever the Olympic Thessia centre-half decides to call time on his national team career. A potential central defensive pairing of Savicevic and Racic will certainly get mouths watering among those who are proponents of playing out from the back. Those who prefer big and ugly central defenders may be less pleased, but it is the way Repin seems to be heading with the national team.

Vilim Kupresak got his second assist a few minutes from time as the ball broke from an Eastfield Lodge corner and Ramiz Agic brought the ball forward down the wing with his pace. He had rather ran down a blind alley until he was joined by Kupresak and Strahinja Nanusevski, both of whom had been back in the Mytanar penalty area to defend the corner. Agic managed to play the ball inside to Kupresak who paused for a second before hitting the ball to Nanusevski on the striker’s left foot. The pass was weighted so that Nanusevski would have one opportunity to hit it first time before Soriano would be in position to block the shot and the Liria Prizren striker didn’t need telling twice as he sent the ball skimming across the turf and beyond Foster to make it 4-1 for Mytanija. A famous victory and an emphatic score line which will please Lev Repin, everybody at the FSM and Mytanar supporters everywhere. Nobody ever gets tired of beating regional rivals after all.

Looking ahead, Mytanija have three qualifying games remaining against Adab, Abanhfleft and Grearia. We can probably expect similar squads to the one which Lev Repin selected for this international break, with opportunities handed to those who haven’t figured quite as much and may be in his thinking for the next World Cup cycle. A young Mytanar squad did well with wins over two Rushmori nations during this international break, a brilliant 3-2 victory over Electrum and now a 4-1 hammering of Eastfield Lodge and that may make Repin feel that his methods are working and that spending more time with our potential stars of the future makes more sense than calling upon old hands who have been there and done it before. Mytanija wants to be back in contention to qualify for World Cups and getting those players who are likely to play a larger part in trying to do that more time on the pitch can only be a good thing from here on.

MYTANIJA NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION FOR GAMES AGAINST ADAB (H) & ABANHFLEFT (A)
Goalkeepers: 12. Semir Besak (Olympic Thessia), 24. Zafer Muminovic (Tekstil Ibon), 35. Lazar Obradovic (Liria Prizren)
Defenders: 13. Damir Milcic (Tekstil Ibon), 14. Dino Racic (1923 Esca), 15. Kamil Jernejec (Chromatik [CMT]), 16. Petr Isaev (Crvena Zvezda); 25. Tihomir Feric (Atletik Thessia), 26. Josko Omerovic (Olympic Thessia), 36. Andrija Ugljanin (FK Arsika), 28. Gavril Toshev (FK Arsika)
Midfielders: 37. Zijad Kurtcehajic (Litala ’93), 18. Sefir Ajanovic (FK Arsika), 31. Vilim Kupresak (Olympic Thessia), 32. Itzhar Yvjoev (Olympic Thessia), 11. Kemal Gajic (FK Arsika); 29. Predrag Vukomanovic (Energija-Nuklearna), 30. Mersudin Smajic (Liria Prizren), 19. Dalibor Vlahovic (1896 Ebor), 20. Maks Shishkin (Maethoru SC [KOR]) 34. Ramiz Agic (1896 Ebor)
Forwards: 38. Damien Gannot (Atletik Thessia), 33. Anton Derajevic (Nyva Zvornik), 39. Strahinja Nanusevski (Liria Prizren)

by **Ethane** » Thu May 27, 2021 3:16 pm

A walking tour of Canberry, Part 2

Tonight is the biggest night in terms of festivities, and I could tell when I looked across the square: it was so busy, at times it seemed like there wasn't even space to breathe. I wasn't surprised. I was expecting it to be this busy, because of the headline events of the evening. Across the other end of the square was a stage, and this was the main focal point of attention. The show would be starting soon of course, but I hung back a bit. I'd still be able to see and hear the performance, but still enjoy the other activities that the evening had to offer elsewhere as well.

The reason the stage area was so busy was because of who was performing. Jeremy Granger was the headline act for the evening on the main stage. Granger is a really popular performer throughout Ethane, with multiple hit entries into WorldVision and the World Hit Festival alongside many chart hits. He has to be one of the biggest names in the Ethanian music industry currently, so any event he is at is going to be busy. He would be performing for an hour, and his performances are often a must see. This one was as good as any other. Jeremy Granger's performances are something you become emotionally invested in. He has some of the most obsessive fans that I'd ever met covering these events, which is problematic but also shows the amount of dedication and emotional investment that he receives as an artist. His fans are loyal and dedicated to an extreme extent sometimes. I could see that from my vantage point, fans were screaming and chanting, and some were crying and emotional. And that's before the performance would even begin.

I wanted to be within observational distance of this performance, as I like Jeremy Granger just as much as the next regular folk. But I wasn't particularly invested in his performance as I was in what came after - often considered the highlight and main drawing point of the 'Light Up' week in Canberry. On the fifth night of the event (the Friday), a large procession wound through the town and ended in the main square where the performance was happening. I wanted to position myself in the best place to watch this procession. So instead of hanging around the busy market square where crowds were already forming to watch this procession and the live performance of Jeremy Granger, I decided to move to a quieter spot in the streets of this town.

I made my way down the main street which ran alongside the market square. The road continued beyond the market square area and appeared to wind its way out of the town, heading towards the next small town along. These most likely used to be common trade routes in the absence of large enough rivers for transit, the roads built on ancient tracks which farmers and people used for centuries. But I took a left here instead of following the road straight on, knowing the route that the procession would take through the streets. All this information was handily provided in the programme brochure, which I followed. The streets were lined with intricate patterns of lighting hanging from lampposts and the rafters of buildings. However, it was the candle-lights similar to the type you would find in an Ethanian cathedral that really made the space feel enchanted. The candles provided a dim light which flickered across the street, creating this warm glow throughout the town. I followed these lights, mesmerised by the beauty it projected on to this quaint, traditional Ethanian town. It lit up the buildings, far from the modernist patterns you see in architecture in major cities, with clear historical gothic inspiration exerting its influence on the feel of the place. That was when this place really faced more modern patterns of development, moving on from ancient architectural design now only evident in a few small sections of the town. But the modernism I see when I visited major cities had not yet reached Canberry, giving me this feeling of going back in time as I wondered these streets.

I found a solid vantage point from which to observe the parade. It was on a street corner which the parade would turn on and follow the street down towards the main square. The programme dictated that the procession would wind its way down the streets to here before heading to the main square. I would, hopefully, be able to see more of the procession from this street corner and then follow the rear of it into the main square where the final ceremony of the fifth night would occur. It was quite peaceful here. There were some crowds starting to form, but I knew this area would not get as busy as the main square. Thankfully, I could also still hear the sound of the main stage as Jeremy Granger came on to perform, the loud cheers and cries of his fans.

I was getting a bit cold, it was late autumn after all. I saw a cute cafe open, serving hot drinks and pastries to people. So I decided to pop in and grab a cup of tea and a pastry. As I entered the store, I encountered Ethanian hospitality at its finest. A woman was standing at the counter, a beaming smile planted on her face. I could hear the cheery "hello" as I entered the store, I imagine a feature every customer experiences and appreciates. I couldn't help but smile back cheerily. Just a tea and a danish. That would be all I wanted. The kind woman began making my drink, and I took the time to glance around the small cafe. It was bright and cheery, with creamy white walls patterned with a decorative but light floral wallpaper. Candle-lights were placed around the shop in holders, brightening up the location. One of those quotes that you tend to ignore but which also inspire confidence was also painted across the wall behind the counter: "Dream big, do bigger". Those quotes pop up in so many places. It felt odd, yet commonly in touch with the contradictions of hope and anxiety present in this town.

I grabbed my tea and danish and headed back out to the spot I'd scouted out. It was chilly, as a slight breeze was beginning to pick up on this ever-darkening night. It was only a couple of minutes until the procession. And I knew that it was coming because I could hear the music, the cheering and chanting, and the singing coming from another direction now as well as the main square. Jeremy Granger's voice could still be heard, his alluring voice projected across the whole town. But this was soon to be drowned out. There - I saw the first light of the procession. It was one man, dressed in all black with a big bushy beard. Facial hair was not something most Ethanians considered in style, but this was a man that fully accepted and embraced it. Part of that was tradition; if I was correct, this man was only allowed to shave in spring and summer, so had to wear a beard throughout the rest of the year. It was well-kept, but certainly noticeable. He was the head of the team that led the 'Light Up' event, a role that had been passed down to him throughout the generations.

It was about 20 seconds until I saw anyone else, with the bushy man having a fair lead on the rest of the procession as was mandated. This was to signal that he was the head, the chief. He was to be listened to, and he was to lead. Behind him was what seemed like an army of young people carrying flaming torches, and shouting. Almost like a battle cry. This was the town's youth organisation, and it was unique to this town. Sure, I knew other towns had other youth organisations which catered to their interests, but in Canberry young people had to attend this organisation and get involved in its activities - it was considered a crucial part of education here. There were only a few youth that were not involved. It was part of the heritage of the town, and the way the young people were previously marshalled to protect the town from the outside. This, I imagine, dates back to previous attempts by the government hundreds of years ago to exert its influence over rural areas in taxation and policing, which rural communities such as Canberry resisted. The same divide does not exist to the same extent today, but you do see areas in which rural locations such as Canberry have more political power and devolution than other areas of Ethane.

The procession wound its way through the streets and passed me. A whole host of organisations were involved. Organisations from all parts of the charitable sector were involved, bringing awareness to their causes. But beyond that, local associations also were part of it. You had a retirement home involved, with all the old members in mobility scooters wheeling through the town, with music accompanying them. You had the local farmers union led by a tractor coming through, and a couple of them had some farm animals with them. You also had a local dance troupe in the procession. It was diverse and represented everything that Canberry had to offer the world, and it was thoroughly engaging and entertaining.

As the rear of the procession passed, I followed it back to the main square. It was slow going with the parade slowly weaving its way through the streets of Canberry, but as the rear entered the square you could hear Jeremy Granger wrapping up the end of his performance and drawing attention to the procession. The participants were all in the square, every group around the outside with the candle lit ceremonial circle in the middle. The crowds were gathered around the outside. An announcement was made. Then silence. Remembering those who had died in Canberry in the past year in any capacity. And then the leader of the parade stepped forward towards the circle. He was brandishing a very long stick which was on fire. He held it up aloft to a large candle - I hadn't noticed it before because I honestly thought it was a tree. But this candle was like 10 metres tall. It was honestly spectacular. He reached up and lit it, and a loud cheer went up around the square. As he lit it, a pyrotechnic display began. Colourful fireworks lit up the night sky, bringing a colourful glow to the dark.

I returned to my bus, along with the throng of people trying to escape. The night's festivities ended with a bang. I highly recommend anyone that has the chance to attend the final two nights of 'Light Up' in Canberry, or for those who can't to put the date in your diary for next year. It's something that is worth experiencing, almost like stepping back into history and experiencing the magic and spiritual power of that place.

by **Chartistan** » Thu May 27, 2021 3:28 pm

THE BILLBOARD GAZETTE

WE HOPE YOU HAD THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE

Chartistan eliminated from World Cup qualification with 4 games to go after loss to Eraman

It's something that's predictable, but in the end it is right. The Chartistani national team got eliminated from World Cup qualification contention with a loss at home to Eraman, ending a campaign which saw them slay titans and fall to minnows, going from deja vu to thank u, next, all while the future of Chartistani football glides as smooth as butter towards the Cup of Harmony.

Throughout all of the troubles for his team, Doctor Lucas has seen a lot with this squad that not many national team managers would witness with their own eyes. Air Latte became captain of the Chartistani national team for the first time this campaign, guiding them to 5 wins, no 2 wins being more impressive than the home and away demolitions of Taeshan. Adult Royce and Tatertot Crazy, who started their careers as goalkeeper and in defense respectively, made up a respectable midfield combination, all while Royce scored a beauty against Montaña Verde. And the team continues to gel together even while eliminated - Little Exnash, as well as the aforementioned Latte, Royce and Crazy, will likely make the trip to the Cup of Harmony with Combbrush, with some names undecided. But even as the team is eliminated, Doctor Lucas is not letting up yet,

"I know we're already out, but we have to look forward to the future", Lucas said after the elimination-guaranteeing loss. "These next 2 games will help me decide who makes the cut for the Cup of Harmony squad. I know I don't want this entire team to go, especially you, The Original Mega Millions, but at the end of the day someone, or a group of people, will have to be replaced. I want this team to make some noise in the Cup of Harmony, and you should all know that."

No other Chartistani players were available for comment.

what you know about rolling down in the deep

by **South Newlandia** » Thu May 27, 2021 3:50 pm

The South Newlandian Football Association would like to officially thank Lunaro Tsukida, the Ko-orenite who managed to help them with their problems. We would also like to apologize for initially publishing an incorrect version of the puzzle with a slightly inaccurate Clue 15. Here’s how Tsukida might’ve done it (there are probably other possible ways to solve this, but this works):

NEWS

**South Newlandia offers to host next Esportivan summit, New Colk proposed as location**
**Strange events on Dragon Island, “nothing to worry about”, according to Murphy**
**Conflicting reports about Owlephant sizes – different species “possible”, says Nunez**
**SNL going into the homestretch with the same squad**
**Decision by the World Cup Committee about hosting rights for CoH80 expected soon**

ELEPHANT VALLEY SPORTS MAIL

4 Nations. 3 Games. 1 Playoff spot. While Eura has already left the group in the dust, 4 nations still have chances to finish in second place, to probably get a playoff spot for Chromatika and Cassadaigua. It’s time to take a look at which team this will most likely be.

South Newlandia

So far…
After an injury to their starting goalkeeper and a mediocre first half, the South Newlandian bid to qualify for a second time seemed just about doomed.
South Newlandia has been collecting themselves in the second half, including important, narrow wins over Ranoria and Muralos. Notably, they kept a shutout in both of the two most recent matches, after barely being able to do that ever since the Trischuk-injury. They now sit in second place; with 29 goals and a goal differencial of +6.

Schedule
@Xanneria
@Eura
vQasden
South Newlandia has one of the most difficult schedules remaining; with two away games at the already qualified one-seed from Eura and a match at their Esportivan regionmates, the third-seeded Xannerian team, next up. The Maroons may already be eliminated, but they proved that they can play spoiler with two recent wins over Muralos and Ranoria. After that, the Elephants will wrap the campaign up with a direct duel with the fourth-seeded Qasden in Elephant Valley.

Key players
South Newlandia will keep relying on their back-up keeper Rufus Rigby, and while the offense around Brandon Irving and Simon McCabe has done their job well, the defense around Roy and Gurero has struggled. If the Elephants can stay stable, they have it in their own hands. (On their own feet?)

Chances
South Newlandia is just barely holding on to a two-point lead over third, and the match against Qasden will be absolutely crucial. A repeat of the 0-3 loss they had in Qasden would almost certainly doom their chances.

Qasden

So far…
The 68th-ranked four-seed from Qasden had a terrible start to their campaign, sitting on a 0-2-3 record and 9th place after 5 games. After that, they caught on fire, winning 8 out of the next nine games (with the only loss coming against Eura), before they drew the Natanians and Nosts in the last game. Aside from that, the Qads from Atlantian Oceania have proven that they, too, can come back from a terrible start to make a great campaign. Currently, they sit in third, with 27 points and a goal differential of plus 5.

Schedule
@Bigtopian Isles
vRanoria
@South Newlandia
After a trip to the Bigtopian Isles in last place that should net the Vans three easy points, they have two crucial matches against direct competitors from Ranoria and South Newlandia. They still control their own destiny, too; nine points in the last three matches, just like they managed to do in the first half of qualifying, would send them to a playoff.

Key players
The QAFA hasn’t actually bothered to release their players to the general public, but from the records of the campaign two years ago, we can assume that then-captain Michelle McCracken is still playing a big role in the team of Sylvia Zimari. Other notable players include Archibald, a young forward; and Zinnia Thurstan, the main goalkeeper.

Chances
The side from AO certainly has chances to take the trip, if they can use their opportunities. There is no room to drop any more points, but the Krauts and the Elephants will try their best to slow them down.

Ranoria

So far…
The Krauts had a phenomenal start, sitting tied with Eura in first after six matches. They were in second after nine games, but have only started 2-1-3 into the second half. These crucial dropped points, including two in the last two games against Esportivan sides, have sent the 152nd-ranked Krauts all the way down to fourth; still impressive for a 7th seed. The team from Winterfell has 26 points and a goal differential of +5.

Schedule
vEura
@Qasden
vHimebaugh
The Krauts have a tough schedule coming up, with a home match against the seemingly invincible Euran side, followed by a tough away match in Qasden. Considering they are already three points behind, the relatively easy match on matchday 10 against an unranked team might be too little, too late.

Key players
So far, the strength of the Krauts has been their defense, especially goalkeeper Vincent Emilia. Ranoria has only conceded 16 goals in 15 games – tied for least in the group – and they will rely further on the skills of Emilia and the defense around Rimold, Bier and co.

Chances
Ranoria has to enter must-win mode now. Six points probably won’t cut it at this point, so at least a point against Eura might be required – that might be too much to ask. Even if they don’t qualify, the Krauts can be more than happy with their second cycle.

Muralos

So far…
The 135th-ranked Hawks started their campaign strong, with 6 wins in the first half, playing them in 3rd. Since then, the team from Asian Archipelago has lost 4 of 6 games, including a nail-biter in Newport and a tough home loss to Xanneria most recently. The 6th-seed has, notably, not made a single draw yet, and sports a 8-0-7 record for 24 points and a goal differential of plus 4, and 5th place.

Schedule
@Sahuarita
vNatanians and Nosts
@Bigtopian Isles
The Hawks have the easiest schedule by far. None of their remaining three matches should give them too much trouble, so nine points are certainly possible; even though they dropped their game to the Natanians and Nosts in the first fixture.

Key players
Markov has done a terrific job in goal so far, but the true strength of Muralos lies in the offense. They have scored 33 goals, the most of the four teams discussed here, thanks to their strikers Rui and Brava.

Chances
The Hawks may be 5 points behind, with their schedule, they could easily inch closer. They also hold the Head-2-Head over the Elephants, so if they get nine points, they might inch up faster than expected. For them, it’s important to not think too much about the other teams, focus on their own schedule, and hope for the others to slip up.

NEWS

**South Newlandia to take part in massive post-WCQ celebrations in Valentine Z**
**Petra Stark optimistic about economic chances for South Newlandia**
**Malidridad Mariners pick Jack Goodson, Shortstop out of EVSI, first overall**
**Dragonovic proposes bill to outlaw creating “bad riddles”**
**Does South Newlandia have winning chances in the next Baseball Slam?**

by **Pasarga** » Thu May 27, 2021 4:43 pm

In a region full of illustrious history and with nations much more famous than Pasarga, it is easy to understand why the Wanderers are oft overlooked when considering the powers that be when it comes to the sporting region. Despite being one of the four nations responsible for the forming of the Copa Rushmori as well as the Copa de Campeones, Pasarga is often eclipsed in the eyes of public opinion by more famous names from the region who have been able to stamp their influence not just inside the region but the sport as a whole. Those who are old enough to remember the time of their participation in this great tournament of ours, being the World Cup of course, will no doubt easily recall the popularity and influence that was in wielded by Polar Islandstates and Candelaria And Marquez during the prime of their participation. Both international and domestic football was theirs to shape and mold it seemed and all others an actor in their play.

Even now that is true, with the looming shadow of the ever present Eura and the remarkable grit and determination of Nephara, keeping the spotlight on them and rightfully capturing the game's attention both in international football as well as at club level. The Zenith is recognized internationally as one of the best domestic leagues the world over, with the quality of football in our regional neighbors so high that many consider the second tier to be well worth playing in and even drawing national league talent from. This does not even begin to speak of their recent success on the international level, having been in multiple World Cup Finals in the last few years and being able to hoist the trophy in one of those occasions, rightfully earning their spot at the summit of the world rankings. Eura's Gold League is a similar standard, though they often are the bridesmaid and not the bride in both club and international competitions, with Revolutionaires having made the Final of the last two Copa de Campeones, only to lose to a Valladares squad both times.

This shadow looms so large that there are quite a few who prefer foreign based clubs than those who do play in the SuperLiga here in the dual islands. A recent survey found that among people who did not watch domestic clubs, that sixty-four percent watch the Gold League, another thirty-one percent watched the Zenith, and the remaining five percent watched other various domestic leagues. This is not particularly surprising, given that for near on a decade, nearly half of the Wanderers seemed to play in the Euraleague, including nearly all of defenders in the national pool. The perception seemed to be that by being able to make it in such a competitive league, that those players would give the Wanderers an edge up when it came to international competitions. Unfortunately for the national team, that was not always the case.

Of the historic and successful clubs that partake in Eura and Nephara, there definitely seems to be a pair of clubs from both nations that have an increased popularity among Pasargans. In Eura, that comes in the form of Directus and Spartangrad, as both clubs have a long history now of signing young Pasargan talent and turning them into fairly good to even great players. In Nephara, it is Brinemouth and Starling, though the reasons seem as varied as there are the different nationalities and ethnicities in Paulinthal and Torgos. Suffice to say, the regional powers that be have quite a presence in the dual islands and this has historically been true, with Stein-los Turkish being a sister club of Albrecht Turkish and the way that the Polarian league was held in high esteem when they were competing. Perhaps in the future it will be Pasargan football that casts its shadow across the rest of the region, but for now it battles tirelessly to improve itself both at the club as well as the international level, as the Wanderers prepare themselves for an intense final three games in hopes of securing a top two spot despite their very poor first half of the campaign.

by **Huayramarca** » Thu May 27, 2021 4:53 pm

WC 88 Qualifiers, also known as the disaster.

Written by: Zulma Buendía.
27/05/1983 – 6:13 P.M.

This World Cup Qualifiers have been pretty much a disaster, to the point that the Government decided to investigate the root causes of such a performance from a team that aspired to do a bit more rather than finishing 9th in the first half of the WCQ. Huayramarca is, currently, at the 6th place of the Group 12 Leaderboard and away from every chance to compete for playoff positions, and let’s not talk about the first place. A debacle and ending of a cycle or just mere burnout? The Government found out in its investigations that the root causes are a bit intricated in some cases, in others, things are clear and can be easily solved.

The Ministry of Health and Sporting Affairs and also the Spartak branch of Ñucanchi Ñan decided to run an investigation into the national team, they contacted people “secretively” into the National Team with some people that have vital contact with the players, be it some people from the staff and players acquittances that could disclose as many details as possible. During a period of three weeks, the players were closely supervised by the investigators, keeping things as normal in order to not reveal anything nor making things look suspicious.

The head of said Ministry, Milton Huamán, disclosed that the results weren’t as worrying as they expected to be, except for certain cases that will need to have some accompaniment in order to solve them; mostly, the panel analyzed that the starting XI was suffering the infamous burnout syndrome due to playing almost 99% of the matches and the few substitutions that Omar Caicedo does on the matches, also, the pressure that the players received in the last months after Huayramarca joined into Anaia, where fans from other nations attacked Huayramarca in an unseen display of hostility for the players, caused anxiety and fear for their lives. “Our players need psychological advice due to the taunting and bullying that they received during the last months, even to the point of receiving death threats. Though we understand that they are some sort of Huayramarcan ambassadors, they don’t take any political decision, it’s us and Ñucanchi Ñan who do it for the progress of our people.”

In what transcends from the mere sporting topic, Huamán said “In most cases, this situation can be solved with psychological treatment, something that we are pleased to provide the players in order to recompose their feelings and helping them to cope with any bad thoughts they might suffer.” From now on, the National Team will have a psychologist into their staff, in order to assess the players mental readiness and improve their mental health. Meanwhile, Huamán said “We have the information of which nations have been hostile towards our players, this information has been provided to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to let them assess said particularities and proceed as they should consider. We won’t let our guys behind; we will protect them against any threat that they receive.”

Meanwhile, for the most sensitive cases, Huamán decided to reserve information, but he disclosed that there’s certain lack of motivation in some players, adding “That’s a matter of Omar Caicedo itself, but we detected some unhappiness into some players, so, he needs to handle better the dressing room, that’s why we need to send Caicedo to receive specializations abroad, we consider him as capable to do so, that’s why we will invest in him and our players, we want a confident team that can fulfill the dreams of our nations in the multiversal arena of Football.

At the end of the conference, Augusto Buendía popped up in a video conference and said “We, as Ñucanchi Ñan, will always support our people, sportsman aren’t an exception, that’s why we will help them with mental assessment, tactical readiness courses and sending abroad some of the staff in order to let them gather the knowledge needed in order to perform as we hope to see them, soon, in a World Cup and being able to play at the biggest scene possible with the needed skills to be successful on it.

There’s work to be done, hence, the courses abroad will be done prior to a possible participation in the new Anaian regional tournament, in order to use it as a testing ground for the Huayramarcan National Team and his refreshed attitude and skills, there’s need to show to the Government and the Huayramarcan people that our National Team will be better than ever as soon as possible.

by **Yue Zhou** » Thu May 27, 2021 5:29 pm

The Meridian, Jiangdong

Below the private box, the Dragons of Yuezhou and Francesco Grilo's New Lusitania were engaged in a tense, chippy chess match of a game of football. The tension was palpable - after all, with Yuezhou sitting just a point back of New Lusitania for a trip to the qualification playoffs, the result of the match could swing who qualified and who would be left packing. And with Equestria lurking in fourth place, a draw - which the match, already in its seventieth scoreless minute, was creeping increasingly closer to - could let the former champions back into it.

But even as Wen Xiaohui lined up to take a decisive free-kick after Ferradura had brought a surging Huang down just outside the box, the two men up above paid the match little attention. This was made more surprising by the fact that the one on the left, the shorter and wirier of the two, was the midfielder's uncle. But even as Wen Xiaohui's magical right foot sent the ball spiraling inches short of the bottom-right corner, instead staunchly rejected by Lopes' outstretched palms, Wen Xiaoli was talking intensely to the other man in the box.

"Look, I can't guarantee much yet, but I've been in talks with the government of the Free Republic of Sangau. Us footballers are valuable assets to their government, and we really have a chance here to use our clout to make an impact. If you could manage the National Team of Sangau in a friendly, maybe it'd be enough for the World Cup Committee to let us into qualifying, to give us a platform for our independence movement."

"I get it, but I don't get why you want me specifically," said former Mükiachou Revolutionaries and national team striker Jiawei Shangu. "There's plenty of Sangauese managers out there - Zhaxi Nanlei's probably taking Wirr Tsi to IFCF football next season. Why not them?"

"Zhaxi isn't going to leave Wirr Tsi, and the rest of them just want to not alienate anyone."

"As if their skin wasn't alienation enough for the southerners," Jiawei interjected bitterly.

"Be that as it may, we've seen what happens to managers who speak up in Yuezhou. They lose their careers. Nobody wants that for what could just be a single friendly match against the People's Federation."

"So you think I have nothing to lose? I was never about the Movement-" Jiawei glanced up, as the crowd jeered at Palhagueira's wild tackle on Liu Huiying. The referee brandished a yellow card accordingly, but by the time the Valnohar man had accepted it, Jiawei had already turned away. "never about the Movement like you were. I have grandkids now. My kids are still living on the border. There could be...repercussions."

"Don't you want to do something, though? If everyone in Sangau really joined the movement and did their part, we could be free by now. But we all hem and haw and try not to burn any bridges with the Yueren. Those bridges are rotten, Jiawei. Certainly do what you have to do beforehand for your family's safety - but-" he was cut off by roars as Huang Shedong wrong-footed Ferradura and slid a pinpoint low shot just out of Lopes' reach, before the crowd realized he'd been about six feet offside. "-But you can't just live in fear forever."

"And besides, who would I even pick? You can convince me, Wen Xiaoli, but you can't convince a whole team to join on. Your gambit won't work if the top players don't join. I mean, sure, your niece might be persuaded, but Jiawei Chuan? Lau Sifong? All of the foreign-based talents who want to become the best in the world? They're not throwing that away for a single friendly."

"Well, what do you want me to do, Jiawei?"

"You need to make it mean something. You can't entice them with a friendly, or just a single chance to represent their nation. You need to give them something to really get fired up about."

"That's not my job-"

"Then why are you being political? The Free Republic has been sitting on its ass for months now, and you just said you have a direct line of comms. Sports are a way out for you, my friend. You need momentum before you can get people to sign on. You need a real revolution."

Below, the full-time whistle blew.

by **Turori** » Thu May 27, 2021 5:33 pm

Eels Clinch Finals Spot while reaching Record Milestone

Eel's Park, Eelandii, Turori :: After holding down the fort for the Turori National Team in a critical 1-0 victory over Reçueçn on Matchday 13 that left the Eels just one victory away from a guaranteed spot in Cassdaigua and Chromatika, Eura based goalkeeper Derizi Amatopa was given the opportunity to start back to back matches for the third time in the campaign. Each of the two previous times that Amatopa was given the opportunity to start in back to back games, the youngster was unable to hold a clean sheet for 180 minutes. Both of the youngsters counterparts, Timaala Hualtia and Wiyauw An'maude had already completed 180 consecutive minutes of shutout play themselves earlier in the campaign. Amatopa knew this could be their last shot at it. Hualtia and An'maude had already proven themselves. Turori were cruising towards a spot in the World Cup 88 Finals and neither were on the bench behind Amatopa. Instead, it was Cocoabo #86 standing by in case Amatopa needed to be pulled. That was the battle on the cards.

Of course, it was also a critical match for the Turori National Team. Victory over the 322nd ranked side would erase any doubts about Turori's participation in the World Cup 88 Finals. It was a team that Turori had defeated 5-0 at home earlier in the campaign and while - for unknown reasons the bettors were still cool on selecting Turori, the Eels were once again heavily favored to secure all three points.

After 90 minutes of action in Gergary, all checkboxes had been checked. Derizi Amatopa held on to secure a clean sheet, making them the third Turorian netminder to post 180 minutes of consecutive play without having a goal scored upon them during the World Cup 88 Qualifying Campaign and almost certainly securing their place in Turori's squad for the World Cup 88 Finals. Goals from Yitizo Mpala'a, Kentu Umaka'a and Wiztsana Iretziia secured Turori's victory. It was their 14th of the campaign - the ultimate high bar mark established way back when Turori had first entered the World Cup and Qualifying campaigns consisted largely of Ten groups of Eight being contested over a fourteen matchday schedule. While there was still work to be done, the achievement instantly unlocked celebrations throughout the Island Emirate and the party would not stop even until the Eels next match against Hispinas at Eel's Park in Eelandii, Turori.

 Turori [3] - [0] Gergary
				
	GOALS:	Turori 	:: 15' Yitizo Mpala'a:: 31' Kentu Umaka'a:: 48' Wiztsana Iretziia            		
	STATS:	Turori 	:: Possession: 57%:: Shots: 5:: Corners: 8	Gergary 	:: Possession: 43%:: Shots: 3:: Corners: 3
	Lineup:	[GK] Derizi Amatopa, [D.] Amakli Inuro'o, [D.] Mikki Mayelli, [D.] Yitizo Mpala'a, [D.]  Karek Edgeli, [ML]  Kentu Umaka'a, [MC] Daliora Toru'u, [MC]  Kiidallen Aeroluzzi, [MR]  Cuoabaza Orani’aoa, [FC] Meldi'ita Mungwaii, [FC] Lutara Makakio			
	Bench:	[FC] Kala'a Yuliizala, [FC] Wiztsana Iretziia, [M] Naraiza Ruaplal, [M] Tulaki Rauogba, [U ] Lulu Pumaziiri, [D] Biliki Rona'atu'i, [GK] Cocoabo #86

Turorian Fans Dance along with a Nigel-Green colored figure on the Eels Park Scoreboard

Though the majority of the Turorian fans could not celebrate their teams special accomplishment in person following their victory in Gergary, the Football Association of Turori did hold a special ceremony prior to their following home match against Hispinas with the classic Vilitan Cove anthem 14-Zero-Zero playing as the fans danced and cheered along.

Of course, it was a moment of celebration made extra special as not only could the team - for the very first time - dance along to one of the most popular songs in Vilita & Turorian sport having actually lived its very words, but they could also celebrate the fact that it was their 14th victory over the course of the World Cup 88 Qualifiers that secured their place in Cassadaigua and Chromatika. With just 4 games to play, the Turori National Team had stretched their lead over Reçueçn to 16 points. The lead was now insurmountable and Turori were among the first teams to punch their ticket to the World Cup 88 Finals.

Of course, there was still plenty of work to be done. While some called for the Turori National Team to change up its lineup in the wake of certain qualification - or even to cede the remainder of the World Cup 88 Qualifying campaign to Turori's National Cocoabo Squad - there would be no such changes at least for this night of celebration at Eel's Park.

With Nigel's Army already at the peak of euphoria before the match had even kicked off, it did not take long for their energy to transmit itself into the Turori National Team players on the pitch. Within five minutes the Eels had already gotten themselves out in front through a goal from Lati'ala Giaoka - a confident strike that came after youngster Kinabo Telioa saw an attempted cross partially deflected by the Hispinas defender Fermin Maquibar. Unfortunately for Maquibar and the Hispinas side it only resulted in Giaoka being the goalscorer instead of the intended target Wiztsana Iretziia and the Turorian crowd, still amped up from the pre-match ceremonies, kept the energy going as their side took a 1-0 lead.

Iretziia would get their own chance on the scoreboard in the 18th minute after being fed through by Daliora Toru'u and finding the space to chip the ball past Natalio Londono Cerna to double the advantage for the home side. From there, the energy of the match - and to a proportional extent - the crowd, started to level off. There would be no more goals through half time and the match actually started to get a little nervy for the Eels as the second half progressed and Hispinas clawed a goal back through the substitute Everardo Esquilin Echavarria. In the end, however, that would be as close as Hispinas would get. Toru'u would put the match out of reach in the 79th minute and Kiidallen Aeroluzzi would come off the bench to pad the stat line as Turori completed a night of celebration in Eelandii.

After the match, the dancing Nigel graced the large scoreboard screens once again, as the Turorian fans ad-libbed over the key stanza in the classic song to accurately reflect their new record. They would enjoy the evening through and through but the coaching staff now had tough decisions to make regarding the final three matches of the campaign for Turori's National Team.

 Turori [4] - [1] Hispinas
				
	GOALS:	Turori 	:: 4' Lati'ala Giaoka:: 18' Wiztsana Iretziia:: 79' Daliora Toru'u:: 83' Kiidallen Aeroluzzi           		
	STATS:	Turori 	:: Possession: 58%:: Shots: 9:: Corners: 9	Hispinas 	:: Possession: 42%:: Shots: 4:: Corners: 3
	Lineup:	[GK] Derizi Amatopa, [D.] Amakli Inuro'o, [D.] Lulu Pumaziiri, [D.] Biliki Rona'atu'i, [D.]  Moumouni Verre'elali, [ML]  Kentu Umaka'a, [MC] Daliora Toru'u, [MC]  Lati'ala Giaoka, [MR]  Kinabo Telioa, [FC] Meldi'ita Mungwaii, [FC] Wiztsana Iretziia			
	Bench:	[FC] Turakia Diijelhma, [FC] Nua'oma Aikiki, [M] Kiidallen Aeroluzzi, [M] Tulaki Rauogba, [U ] Planio’o Nrujsa, [D] Mikki Mayelli, [GK] Timaala Hualtia

by **Hampton Island** » Thu May 27, 2021 5:35 pm

Conversation between Stafford City Stadium CEO and team manager Ned Haygood

CEO: Just so you know, Brianna Carter was trying to convince me to give her your managerial job. Obviously I said no, but Hannah Sanders is trying to come back into the picture.

Ned Haygood: Not a distraction that we need right now. Where the hell has Hannah been?

CEO: I was able to get Brianna to say that she is in Ellicott City. Odd place for her to be hanging around if she wanted to be on some grand vacation.

Ned Haygood: I agree.

CEO: Regardless, three games to go, and all is looking good. Congratulations on all you have done up to this point.

Ned Haygood: It’s the team. Especially Edwin. Man, that guy is incredible in goal.

CEO: I don’t want you to look past Central Shanesville, but we got a packed house ready to go nuts against the Squids on Steroids country.

Ned Haygood: Don’t worry, not looking past them.

CEO: One of the few nations we can say that we were better than in NSSCRA. Squids did that too, didn’t they?

Ned Haygood: Yeah, they had an also ran in the field like we did.

CEO: How is the team feeling, in general? Everyone good with the bears?

Ned Haygood: Right now, we are as good as we have been in the whole tournament. The bears don’t know any better, so that is a good thing. There will be no pressure on them, and every game that goes by they start getting a little smarter. The trainers have a good system in place now to uphold their interest for a full ninety minutes. We’ve been scoring more goals during the second half, and I think that has a lot to do with it.

CEO: That is important. Beat Squidroidia, second place is ours but the top spot, you know, that is still sitting there.

Ned Haygood: Yes, that is what we are really focused on as a team. With one more game against Nephara, it’s not a stretch. We’d need a little help, but it’s up for grabs. That’s why against Shanesville, I am not really worried about us not having a top notch effort.

CEO: Very good.

Ned Haygood: So, what are Brianna and Hannah trying to do?

CEO: Just the empty threat about suing me for putting the team together. They have said they were going to do that almost before every game, but they still have not done so.

Ned Haygood: Brianna thinks she can just take back the job?

CEO: Her and her dumb sister, yes. Hannah is promising them that. It’s really getting to be about time to put the Hannah Sanders nightmare to bed, once and for all.

Ned Haygood: That would be good, she betrays everyone.

CEO: Maybe an accident with a bear.

Ned Haygood: Hey now!

CEO: Yeah, not fair to the bear.

Ned Haygood: Definitely not.

by **Krytenia** » Thu May 27, 2021 5:50 pm

The "what party are you voting for" opinion polls may be the headline grabbers, but it's not the only question the pollsters are asking. Let's have a look at some of the other questions they've been putting to the populace.

It's an open secret that Charles Linton isn't exactly the most popular person in the country, and the result of this question really presses that point home. Mr. Linton's -37 confidence rating is the lowest since polls asking this question have been recorded; clearly, the nation has lost its faith in the Prime Minister.

So if not Mr. Linton, then who? It's no surprise that Conservative leader Penelope Baker tops this list, considering she has been visible, vocal, and not in the mood to suffer any foolishness from her political opponents. What is interesting is that the bombastic Nicole Deschamps is trailing the more cerebral and measured Thomas Haymer in this particular poll. Sadly for Mr. Haymer, the Democrats are coming from a very long way back.

The Anaia situation dominates proceedings - but perhaps not as much as you might expect. Of course it could be argued that concerns about the economy stem from the uncertain international climate, but it does at least remind the parties and their candidates that there are other things to talk about. Notably, almost all of the respondents who mentioned farming reform live in rural areas. Makes sense, really.

Finally, there's the question of where your "average" Krytie stands on this whole Foxchester mess. Almost seven out of ten respondents want to remain part of Anaia - though without completely abandoning their Oceanic roots - with only 7% wanting to completely burn that bridge. It's interesting to see, though, that almost as many people would rather see Krytenia join the CRC than go back to Atlantian Oceania; of course, the Federal Kingdom was once a Rushmori nation, so perhaps this isn't as much of a surprise as it looks.

by **Nephara** » Thu May 27, 2021 5:53 pm

THE HERALD
HISTORY OF THE NEPHARA NATIONAL TEAM - PART 2
Geneva Schwarzer Football Historian

Nephara's run of early success kept up in the first off-cycle year, taking home Market Cup 6 - hardly prestigious, but nevertheless a trophy, and the first and far less significant time Nephara would beat Ko-oren 1-0 in a final, albeit here after extra time - and more remarkably, their inaugural entry to the Campionato Esportiva, taking out the likes of the Licentian Isles and Uitbregen on the way to the top. It was also a time of friendlies and invitationals, with Nephara inviting Saintland to come and take the Strongnesse Trophy from them and defending it, before Wight handed Nephara their only loss of the year in the Spit Invitational.

The 65 World Cup qualifiers saw Nephara consolidate its position on the world stage, coming third - the definite highlight, a 2-1 win over the Archregimancy - and climbing to the top 50 world rankings. The next World Cup, 66, saw an innovative but controversial 30x6 group format; no playoffs, one single qualification place to wrestle over. Nephara were second seeds, Sargossa first, with old foes Brenecia makiing up the numbers in the group. It represented Nephara's best shot at qualification to date, and they got off to a fine start, sweeping every opponent in the first leg bar Sargossa themselves, whose class told. However, Nephara avenged their defeat in the home leg... only for the wheels to dramatically fall off, dropping points to Bypass 814 - the first nation accused by the infamous 'Time Bastards' conspiracy theory - and Felix returning Sargossa to the driving seat. A 4-0 annihilation of Brenecia was deeply cathartic, but insufficient.

Still, the Cormorants' hopes were undimmed going into the next phase of qualifiers, especially as they had yet again won the Campionato Esportiva. A first encounter with Buyan - two wins - a narrow win over Brenecia - three matches, three wins, three clean sheets - the now-obligatory knockout match with the Licentian Isles before a stunning 4-4 draw with Northern Sunrise Islands in the final. It was, in truth, a foregone conclusion once it went to penalties, though nobody actually knew this, yet - Nephara won all nine of the penalty shootouts in official tournaments they contested, this the second, Ceni only breaking the streak in World Cup 79. Curiously, the Cormorants went on to lose four in a row from that point.

Speaking of foregone conclusions, Nephara's second seed in WCQ67 were the Eastfield Lodge, bringing a team of bizarre aliens to the party. First-leg victories over Eura and the Lodge put Nephara in a commanding position, though Eura would ultimately put them in their place with a 6-2 annihilation on home soil. A playoff with the Free Republics loomed. A campaign of mutual psychological warfare was unleashed between the sides, involving wrestling, journalism and sausages, but ultimately Nephara edged both legs to creep into the finals. Unfortunately, it was here that it first became truly apparent how far there still was to go.

Nephara had enjoyed immense success, but chiefly in the Baptism of Fire and the Esportivan regionals, a region still years removed from its peak. The first match saw Nephara exposed, going down 2-0 to the hosting Equestrian States. The Polar Islandstates were next, titans of the game in that era, and in truth one can see them as Nephara's predecessors. Powerful, muscular, disciplined, with a decisive cutting edge... and though Dale Brightley received the honour of scoring Nephara's first World Cup goal, in truth, the Valhallans simply looked stronger, faster, better, all across the pitch in a 3-1 win. Two honourable defeats saw Nephara the first nation officially eliminated from the World Cup, though a Gerhard Thunder header saw the Cormorants at least beat Antoletia to go out with their heads held high, squeezing into the top 30 of the ranks. Qualification would now be an expectation, not an ambition.

And so Gethin Ramsey quit the national team. He had taken the side as far as he could, winning trophy after trophy, getting to the golden era. He would go on to manage the Licentian Isles and Cosumar, bringing both to the World Cup finals - has any other manager taken three nations to the final 32? - but the job of taking that next step would be left to other hands. Jess Mortlock stepped into the breach, into the curious middle period of Nepharan football; the slow, steady build-up to its glorious, brassy crescendo.

NEPHARAN NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION - FORTNIGHT 10-ish
Goalkeepers: 1 - Aranea Provost (Spartangrad, EUR), 12 - Raluca Garamond (Sabrefell Athletic), 20 - Fasolt Senninger (AFC Treason)
Defenders: 2 - Rovena Stride (AFC Treason), 3 - Vivica Muscadin (Sabrefell Moths), 5 - Reniira Clevinger (Sabrefell Athletic), 6 - Miska Brabanzon (Sabrefell Moths), 17 - Pristina Soeringer (Stein-los Turkish, PAS), 19 - Besart Sale (AFC Treason), 22 - Radeka Lind (Vermillion Rage)
Midfielders: 4 - Rook Timekeeper (Sabrefell Moths), 7 - Anselm Koerner (1830 Cathair, AUD), 8 - Lothaire Cromwell (AC Izotz Zubia, AUD), 11 - Kendra Considine Ramsey (AFC Treason), 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 - Konrad Lovelace (Revolutionaries, EUR), 16 - Danica Marinkovic (Royal Rumiatzi, ASG), 21 - Latona Basilisk (Mâ Âlâmëómë, FFD), 23 - Traudl Mrdja (Vermillion Rage)

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) 0 - 8 Nephara
Nephara 7 - 2 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 **Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom** » Thu May 27, 2021 5:58 pm

Two gentlemen sat out by a lake that stretched over the horizon, the sun beginning to set on them as they drank. Business was to be done however. “This has been a dumpster fire hasn’t it, friend?” Djoko chuckled at the question he was given, “Oh, perhaps. Nothing unusual though. A shame we couldn’t finish our drinks, Želmir. You sure makeup isn’t needed?” Djoko’s guest, Želmir, chuckled, “Oh no, I’m fine. —” Želmir looked around “— Are we going to get this show started? No time like the present, we would not want to be late. I hate people who skip deadlines, they should be quartered.” Djoko took a swig of his water, “I assume you were given the run down, my friend Milan here will be running around… This water is fantastic” Želmir nodded “Alright, I assume we can just start, friend.” Djoko twiddled his thumbs, “Before we countdown, old friend, let me just say you are an impatient ass at times.” “Thanks.” “Now, where is my producer… oh forget it, I’ll count us down, Five! Four! Three! Two!”

“Thank you Iwan, we’re back at the Lodge for another tell all interview, this time with a good friend of mine, and a famous footballer here in Zeta Reka. Želmir Kolarowić, it is a pleasure to have you with me today.” Djoko bobbed a hand, motioning for some excitement. “Oh, it’s my pleasure Djoko, always is.” Želmir said quietly. “Well of course,” Djoko quickly murmured, “I’d like to ask you about the current situation on the National Team. You’ve had a lot of early exits under your captainship. Some in this country, myself included, are of the mind that our nation should be doing better. I don’t want to put a friend of mine under the hot seat, but I’ve got to ask for your thoughts on the team so far.” Želmir’s head tilted, a camera eyeing him down, “Well, we could be doing better for sure.” He said. Djoko piped up, “Why? What’s gone wrong?” he asked, Želmir was queit for a bit, “Obviously for some years now we have had issues in the knockout stages. We have advanced past the first knockout match in two tournaments, but I think we’ve had about six losses at that stage —” “Has something caused it? Who’s responsible?” Želmir puffed, giving a wink to Djoko, “I think it’s my outcomes to hold, especially as of late. We’ve obviously had some big changes coming into the next campaign, and I’m looking forward to trying for qualification.” Djoko smiled as the camera tilted his way. “What happens if we don’t qualify?” Želmir pondered for a moment, finger on his chin, “I don’t know, but clearly a change will be in order again.”

“Even with that being said, are you confident Zeta Reka will perform better than in the last World Cup?” Želmir’s head ebbed and came back up sharply, “Absolutely.” He said, We just need to either qualify for the World Cup, or we just need to win a few games in the Cup of Harmony.” Djoko took a swig of water, his finger pointed up, “Why hasn’t success been the way it was during the Baptism of Fire. Rekans got to see their people in the finals of a major tournament. Since then we’ve been in just one quarter final.” Želmir, “It’s complicated. I’m of the mindset that our work has to pay off soon, maybe we will even make another run. We have talented plays all over the world from this country, but things don’t come together. Maybe it’s work ethic, but we have that. Skill isn’t missing, but we could be outplayed. —” “—Are we just being outclassed then, by teams like Hampton Islands, Omerica,— “— Oh yeah, oh yeah. The other teams are earning wins. It’s our job to do the work and earn some of our own.”

“You’re a veteran at this point. Has football changed? Maybe that is the issue.” Djoko smiled, having talking for many years with Želmir about the game, “For an old man,” Želmir “I’ve had a lot of chances people didn’t get when I was born. We didn’t play around the world, in finals, in world cities, or anything like that. My career is symbolic of our sport growing in our place. To me that is worth more than all the money in the world.” Djoko put a finger in his mouth, moving away from the hard camera and the mobile one. Želmir chuckled at the display of disgust. “Ever a politician,” Djoko said, “Maybe one day you’ll impress people.” The two chuckled. “I think that’s good,” Djoko said, “Alright, Želmir… this will be the outdo, okay?” Želmir nodded, “Alright, Želmir, thank you for spending time with us, and best of luck in the World Cup. Don’t finish sixth alright?” Želmir chuckled, “We will not.”

Players from matches 14 & 15, plus lineups for 16 & 17

Poafmersia 1–0 Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom
GK: Zlatko Wukowić
LB: Denis Pretchel
CB: Ali Faruq
CB: Wlad Wlad
RB: Yuri Kewić
DM: Nikola Branić
CM: Stanimir Rekawić
AM: Želmir Kolarowić (c)
LF: Jad
CF: Bogdan Rawić
RF: Miloš Simeoniwić
Subs
CF: Fen Schwartzhammer
CM: Tomislaw Radowić
LB: Zaur-Luka Igorić

Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom 5–2 Galeanna
GK: Dejan Wasić
LB: Zaur-Luka Igorić
CB: Yousef Iwanić
CB: Anubis Zlatkowić
RB: Steffanow Kostessen
DM: Stani Gröss
CM: Stanimir Rekawić
AM: Želmir Kolarowić (c)
LF: Arnald Gal
CF: Stojan Heiden
RF: Josip Jorowić
subs
AM: Marko Zup
CB: Bartolomej Wladmirowić
CF: Adam Wladić-Hermann

vs. Græntfjall
GK: Dejan Wasić
LB: Zaur-Luka Igorić
CB: Wlad Wlad
CB: Anubis Zlatkowić
RB: Steffanow Kostessen
DM: Stani Gröss
CM: Tomislaw Radowić
AM: Želmir Kolarowić (c)
LF: Arnald Gal
CF: Bogdan Rawić
RF: Miloš Simeoniwić
Named Subs
GK: Zlatko Wukowić, Julius Markowić
CB: Marka Krušlin, Ali Faruq
L/RB/CM: Hermann Hamppe
DM: Lazar Macek-Leibberman
CM: Zdeslaw Markowić
AM: Marko Zup
L/CF: Fen Schwartzhammer
CF: Adam Wladić-Hermann
RF: Albertow Nowak
FW: Miloš Simeoniwić

vs. Ziwana
GK: Dejan Wasić
LB: Zaur-Luka Igorić
CB: Anubis Zlatkowić
CB: Bartolomej Wladmirowić
RB: Wukdrag Nikowić
DM: Nikola Branić
CM: Zdeslaw Markowić
AM: Marko Zup
LF: Stojan Heiden
CF: Arnald Gal
RF: Jad (c)
Named Subs
GK: Branislaw Mucić, Julius Markowić
CB: Damjan Protić, Lukabor Illić
LB: Nikola Djordjewić
RB: Steffanow Kostessen
DM: Lazar Macek-Leibberman
CM: Ratko Ivančir
AM: Marko Opština
LF: Petar Karić
CF: Adam Wladić-Hermann
RF: Albertow Nowak

Special Notes

With elimination comes resignation, coach Stanimirić stepped from active duty after the loss to Poafmersia. For now, Bosko Nowak is the main man. The former assistant is in his first senior coaching job after a short time coordinating the under 21 team for DD Porto Nowi.
The Federal Football announced the creation of the "Federation National Team Board." The FNTB will comprise of former head coaches of the national team, plus select alumni of the national team system and some former captains. The first task for the FNTB is to find a permanent head coach.
Goalscoers vs Galeanna: Arnald Gal (Assist: Zaur-Luka Igorić), Stanimir Rekawić (Assist: Stani Gröss), Anubis Zlatkowić (Assist: Steffanow Kostessen), Josip Jorowić (Assist: Stanimir Rekawić), Marko Zup (Assist: Stanimir Rekawić)
Rawić remains the cycle's top scorer with nine (9) goals to his name.
Yuri Kewić collected another yellow card, he'll be sitting out for a while. This is a great test of the reserves.
Stanimir Rekawić, Jad, and Wukdrag Nikowić have collected yellow cards as well.
Igorić returned from a leg injury, but Imilić remains out.
Reservists are italicized.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

10 Most Memorable BPNT Matches, continued

We're close to the finish, only two left after this one,

3) Of the last three matches on the list, two of them involve the nation that is probably the most closely identified with the Commonwealth in the sport, is the opponent that the BPNT has faced more than any other in the NS Era and the strongest ally politically and socially in Atlantian Oceania.

As has been previously mentioned, Banija & Qasden shared the hosting duties for the Baptism of Fire 67, and prior to that, the BCEL Beverage Corporation had struck a deal with the local officials in Jinja City for the naming rights to the newly built stadium, which would be opening in the tournament.

Banija had made several previous attempts at qualifying for the World Cup, but had fallen short until Marcus Waters took over during the WCQ 80 tournament and led the Kadongo Kamu to their first ever place in the Finals, alongside Baker Park; the duo were the lowest ranked of the 32 sides in Equestria & Starblaydia, and both have qualified for every World Cup since.

This entry doesn't have a sense of urgency or high stakes surrounding it, in fact it was a friendly arranged as part of pre Finals warmup tour, with a doubleheader against Busoga Islands and Banija and a home match against Cassadaigua followed by a trip to Chromatika before heading to Mriin.

The Stadium of the Restoration was the venue, this being the 5th time that Baker Park had played there—although the first against the home side—having made their senior NT debut against Norcambria in the BOF.

Both sides were full strength starting XI's, as the clock was ticking away to the start of World Cup 85 in Farfadillis and Mriin. Over 90,000 filled the stands, which included around 12,000 away supporters, and there was very close to a WC level atmosphere at the kickoff.
The Bees had proven during the long qualifying tournament that the ideas brought by manager Ichi Tuzzio on offense had taken hold; only a single loss and three draws out of 24 had provided a boost of confidence to a squad that was nearly at it's peak, with the solid core made up of the 'Golden Generation' in top form.

The Banijan side were also nearly at the apex of greatness, as their own Golden Generation were about to go on a run which culminated in the World Cup 86 Championship, the Kadongo Kamu's finest hour.
In this immediate present however, there would be a bumps in the road to navigate, and the Commonwealth had, if not hostile then certainly less than friendly intent in mind.

It was a “Ladies Day” feel to the lineup, as Derick Briggs, Terence Stephens, Jamari Bozeman and DeAngelo Simmons were the only four male starters; the match started off as you might expect—slow buildup, getting all the players into the flow with some touches and recycling possession, no heavy aggressive tackling, in essence a training ground pace from each side—moving into a bit more into probing runs, pushing forward after 15 minutes.

On this particular day, it was the center midfield pairing of Nicki Stone and Amanda Hayes that would be responsible for all the goals scored; a sloppy pass was intercepted by Stone, who took the ball forward 25 yards with almost no challenge, playing it to Maria Fernandez on right wing who pushed towards the byeline, pulling it back to Stone who chipped into the box, where Simmons headed it into the top left corner.

Banija had their own opportunities to equalize, holding onto the ball for much of the period between 28 and 39 minutes, but unable to find the ball to get past Caroline Gordon in goal.

Stone's 'solid' presence was rewarded three minutes from the break, as Hayes found her breaking into space behind a dummy by Sabrina Patton, the Riverside City star smashing home from inside the box. The teams went to dressing room with it 0-2, and surprisingly few catcalls or dissension in the crowd.

Emily Arnold came on for the second half in place of Stephens, and it took less than 10 minutes for the competitive aspect of the contest to be decided; Bozeman headed a Annabeth Westmoreland cross—after Hayes mugged the defender and laid the ball to the wing—to stretch it 3-0.
Waters and Tuzzio withdrew key players beginning on the hour mark, and Gordon was challenged only twice more.
There was a lot camaraderie and friendly exchanges at the final whistle, the BP supporters paying tribute to the hosts with a specially developed chant, and no serious injuries reported. It was the first win for Baker Park against Banija in the series, most of the other matches ending up as draws or one goal losses.

In the wider picture, it further reinforced the belief in what Tuzzio had been saying since his arrival, that this team could win the World Cup now, it had the talent, the tactical discipline, the spirit.

Approximately six weeks later, the sides would face one another in the first ever competitive match between the nations, in the 3rd Place playoff at La Gran Avenida in Puerto Favalero; having missed out on a battle for the title, the bronze medal would have to be the stakes on this evening. The match was a tight, back & forth affair. The intensity was higher than in Busukuma, but in the end there was the same mutual respect among both squads after the final whistle, a 4-3 victory for Banija. Some neutral observers believed in the aftermath that this could be a preview of a future Semi-Final or Final.

Banija 0-3 Commonwealth of Baker Park
Simmons 24'
Stone 42'
Bozeman 53'

International Friendly
Stadium of the Restoration, Busukuma, Banija att-90,000

lineup vs CAP
Johnston (C); Brooks, Freeman, Edmonds; Rizzo, Wiley, Buxton, Aguilar; Shanahan; Cassell, Garvey

lineup vs Juvencus
Gaines; O'Connell, Onikambe, Jordan; Delgarro, Milton, Sotolongo (C), Ngoba; Craig; West, Pryor

by **Omerica** » Thu May 27, 2021 5:59 pm

blogdefootball.co.or
All the football news that’s fit to print!

WCQ88: Omerica stare down the possibility of an Equestria-esque collapse in the final three matchdays
By Anastasia Saint-Martin

Omerica have left the humorously-named SuperNerd Wants To Fight Video Game And Computer Store Stadium—which we, like the supporters, are still calling “the Rev”—in Riverview having collected a full three points from a floundering South Covello side. This first-ever win over the Esportivan nation gave Omerica their first six-point matchweek of the campaign and kept the Incorrigibles firmly in the drivers seat going into the penultimate matchweek. But crucially, no one in the Omerican camp will take even a third-place spot for granted and that’s because the Incorrigibles will face group leaders Newmanistan, bogeymen Darkmania and challenging Flavovespia in what is doubtlessly the most difficult qualifying run-in of any major qualifying contender.

Newmanistan’s visit to the Stade des Marins will be the beginning of the end of the group stage for the Incorrigibles. With Newmanistan six points clear at the top and Omerica the only team left that can overtake them, the Rockets can seal a return to the World Cup finals with a win in Romainbourg, but that prospect has a significant question mark hanging over it thanks to Omerica’s comeback win in Loudon earlier this cycle. Yet both sides readily acknowledge that Omerica need the points far more than Newmanistan do, allowing Newmanistan to play a freer game, whereas the home side will be more defensive and risk-averse. Defeat for the Incorrigibles here would be a blow to the campaign, as it would give Flavovespia the chance to cut Omerica’s cushion from five points to two against Omerica’s next qualifying opponents…

Darkmania. After the match in Romainbourg comes a trip to Örkendrem to face a team that was once the dream draw for any Omerica supporter, a team whom the Incorrigibles had never once dropped points to up until their shocking 3–3 in Bayonnette last cycle. Darkmania further established themselves as a bogey for Alexis Stephanidis when they made the trip to Londonderry Court earlier in the campaign and humiliated the Incorrigibles, who lost to Darkmania for the first time ever. A spoiler in the truest sense of the term, Darkmania fell to 6–4 defeats against Newmanistan and were beaten away from home by Flavovespia, tilting the balance of the group away from the Incorrigibles. Currently sitting in fourth and trailing Omerica by seven points, Darkmania have the chance to spoil Omerica’s qualification party and hand Flavovespia the opportunity to take a critical lead going into the final matchday.

Then comes the final matchday against none other than the Hornets. Unless results go in Omerica’s favour, the result at the Stade des Marins will decide who goes into the playoffs—Omerica could, in theory, win direct qualification in this match, but that is an admittedly unlikely prospect. The winners of the match will almost certainly finish second in the group, with the outcome of a drawn match up in the air: if things go truly tits-up for the Incorrigibles, they could go into this match needing a win just to get into the playoffs. Omerica can go into this game with some optimism thanks to their convincing win in Hadford Hill on matchday nine, but the Flavovespian campaign has picked up some steam in the last few weeks and the Hornets—who have never qualified for the World Cup finals—will doubtlessly be eager to pip a major name in indie football for a playoff spot.

On the balance, this qualification has been markedly different from recent campaigns in a few key respects. Omerica have typically struggled against the top seeds the last two cycles, getting just three points off Starblaydia and Equestria last cycle and exactly zero off Turori and Siovanija–Teusland the cycle before that. Conversely, the Incorrigibles were domineering machines against Pots 6 through 10, winning all but one of their twenty games against bottom pots over the two cycles. This time around, Omerica came away with crucial victories in Loudon and Hadford Hill, only to be held to two draws by the Gothanita Isles and stunned by Acastanha in the Arrachi Federal City.

As a consequence, the Incorrigibles stare down the possibility of a monumental collapse that would rival Equestria’s last cycle, i.e. the first-to-third collapse that was crucial in allowing Omerica to sneak into the playoffs. There is every possibility that the Incorrigibles could avoid the playoffs—where they have a 0–2–3 record and have conceded 13 goals against seven scored—and secure direct qualification if everything goes their way, but that requires some of the biggest results in Omerican football history. Qualifying directly this cycle would beat out Omerica’s shock World Cup 74 qualification campaign against Nephara and Abanhfleft in magnitude or the IAC grand final victory over Drawkland in terms of emotional resonance.

If Omerica are to finish with the thirty-four points that manager Alexis Stephanidis set as a goal at the group draw or finish in the top three as she aimed for, the Incorrigibles will need to be on their top game these last two matchweeks. If Omerica are to qualify, the Incorrigibles will have to capture lightning in a bottle. They have done crazier things in the past, but the Omerica team cannot rest on their laurels here. In these final three matchday, complacency is death. ◇

Other Football News:
• WCQ88: How the Gothanita Isles are ahead of Osarius and Bunkaiia in the group table despite having won exactly zero games
• WCQ88: Saltstead manager John Rosencrants approaches the end of his stay in AO(?) as the Stallions’ campaign utterly collapses
• The duality of Omerican football managers: eternal optimist John Rosencrants v self-critical pessimist Anne-Sophie Groothuis

United Republican Soccer Federation
6 Jean-Jacques la Rouge Road
Port Alexandre, MS 18-A40
UNITED REPUBLICS OF OMERICA
Omerica v Newmanistan
World Cup 88 qualification — Matchday Sixteen
Stade des Marins, Romainbourg, Romainbourg
— and —
Darkmania v Omerica
World Cup 88 qualification — Matchday Seventeen
Örkendrem Nätionaljë Foëtbäll Arëna, Örkendrem, Darkmania
Omerica lineup (4–3–3): Valentine Augustin (captain); Alphonse Notley, Charity Kayode, Raphaël Martin, Sacha Sepulveda; Maxime Fournier, Fearchar Mac Cléirich, Nadiya al-Hashim; Jessie Beckett, Alexis Chrysanthos, Adélaïde Argyris
Substitutes: Antoine Vicario, Annelise Betancourt; Jacques Laurent, Frédérique Marquetti, Justin Thyme, Felix Zanetti; Jacques-Pierre Castell, Soraya Archambault, Thom Magalhães; Jean-Lucas Babineaux, Malcolm Beauchesne, Jamal Ahmad

by **Legalese** » Thu May 27, 2021 5:59 pm

The team opened the lockers, and paused.

"Uh, Skip?" Skyler Mandella said after a long pause. "What are these?"

"Myles stepped out of his office, sunglasses on and a green crown pinned to his chest.

"Hey, if we're going to go out, let's go out in style, and show Chartistan exactly what The Legal Press is about!"

The team donned the red velour tracksuits again, and headed towards the tunnel.

by **Muralos** » Thu May 27, 2021 6:06 pm

(OOC note: This RP was about musical genres that are commonly heard and studied in Muralos. I deleted the RP, as I felt it wasn't very well researched for a world-building RP that incorporates RL cultures.)

by **Vdara** » Thu May 27, 2021 6:06 pm

Keeping Up To Date

Following his sacking, Lükækš Væñøœrëñbérghüïś decided to go on a mountain retreat, to clear his mind, isolate himself and have a few weeks of thinking about absolutely nothing. To complete this sense of isolation, he didn’t bring a single bit of technology with him - which resulted in a few surprises upon his return to civilisation...

The Pub
Heraklion, Vdara

Væñøœrëñbérghüïś: ”...and I said, that’s not a goalkeeper, that’s my WIFE!”
Bartender: ”Hah! Man, your stories are the best. You should do a podcast sometime.”
Væñøœrëñbérghüïś: ”I already do! Granted, it only gets a few listeners from places such as Ko-oren and Quebec, but those people seem to enjoy listening to me talking about random pish.”
Bartender: ”Send me the link, I’ll listen to it when I’ve got time. Anyhow, how’s your life as an unemployed man going?”
Væñøœrëñbérghüïś: ”To be honest, it’s fantastic. It’s fucking BRILLIANT to not be doing anything during a World Cup cycle. Not had that feeling in years, y’know?”
Bartender: ”Yeah, that would be great after almost a decade of managing. Can’t have been nice to be pushed away like that though, no?”
Væñøœrëñbérghüïś: ”Nah, fuck em. I was losing my motivation to manage the lads anyway, and we were doing pretty shit.”
Bartender: ”Eh, fair. Must be nice to see your successor shitting the bed, heh.”
Væñøœrëñbérghüïś: ”Wait, what d’ya mean?”
Bartender: ”You not seen the most recent result?”
Væñøœrëñbérghüïś: ”Nah, I’ve tried to keep my mind off of... well, everything for the past couple weeks.”
Bartender: ”Fair, fair. Shocker of a result, though, after such a promising run of form.”
Væñøœrëñbérghüïś: ”Wait, you’re serious? You’re telling me that Markos has fucked it already?”
Bartender: ”Yep! Lost at home to fucking Delaclava. I couldn’t even search up who’s in their World Cup squad, last I could find was from the last AOCAF.”
Væñøœrëñbérghüïś: ”Oh, Delaclava? No wonder.”
Bartender: ”Aye, they do seem pretty miffed about that whole Anaia thing. They were bound to be fired up.”
Væñøœrëñbérghüïś: ”Wait, hold up - what’s Anaia? I was just referring to how we beat them in our last Cup of Harmony, not whatever this ‘Anaia’ thing is.”
Bartender: ”Have you been living under a rock for the past few days?”
Væñøœrëñbérghüïś: ”I mean, yeah. I thought we established that.”
Bartender: ”Fair, fair. So, remember how we joined Atlantian Oceania after we ditched Esportiva for pastures new?”
Væñøœrëñbérghüïś: ”Of course I do, I’m part of the reason we left Esportiva!”
Bartender: ”Well, we and a few other nations decided to ditch Atlantian Oceania for this cool new thing called Anaia.”
Væñøœrëñbérghüïś: ”You’re telling me that after irreparably damaging our relations with our old pals, we decided to fuck over the ones with our new pals?!”
Bartender: ”Who would you say our pals in Atlantian Oceania were?”
Væñøœrëñbérghüïś: ”Well, y’know, the ones that are decent at football! Valanora, Audioslavia, Starblaydia, Ko-oren, Krytenia... y’know, those type of nations.”
Bartender: ”Good news! We’ve only strained relations with ONE of those nations! I’m not telling you which one, though. You can give it a guess.”
Væñøœrëñbérghüïś: ”I... don’t think I’ll bother. How does this affect us, anyway?”
Bartender: ”Well, if you ever thought of winning an AOCAF - you can kiss goodbye to that for the foreseeable future. We’ll be doing a regional tournament with the Anaian nations.”
Væñøœrëñbérghüïś: ”Currency-wise?”
Bartender: ”Oddly specific, but not at all. Official government line is that we’re still in the European Union, and won’t be getting involved in any pan-Anaian shite unless it’s strictly sport or travel-related.”
Væñøœrëñbérghüïś: ”Do we even HAVE a government yet? We dissolved the government before I was sacked, and now that it’s been a few weeks-“
Bartender: ”Nah. Temporary arrangements until the elections are held.”
Væñøœrëñbérghüïś: ”Must be shite for the poor guy cursed with being Vdaran President for a month, eh?”
Bartender: ”Haha, aye. I think he used to be the Minister of Uselessly Comical and Lengthy Government Department Names... and Culture.”
Væñøœrëñbérghüïś: ”Good for him, then. A quick and easy promotion to a big job and a sizeable payroll for a month.”
Bartender: ”Ooft, easy? If you call having to go to lengthy negotiations involving Anaia ‘easy’, then sure.”
Væñøœrëñbérghüïś: ”Oh aye, aye - That’ll be tough. Anyhow, enough about politics. What about Markos’ other results?”
Bartender: ”Well, he beat HUElavia and North Yorkshire before losing to Delaclava, so he had that going for him.”
Væñøœrëñbérghüïś: ”Huh. He must be due to play Ko-oren soon, so I’ll send him a few words of encouragement when I get phone service back. Thanks for the company, mate!”
Bartender: ”No problem, man!”

Lükækš did eventually get around to sending those “words of encouragement” to Markos, but it depends on how you class “words of encouragement.”

The Team Bus
Somewhere on the road, Vdara

Moustakakos; ”Oh, I’ve received a text!”
Vlahiades: ”From who?”
Moustakakos: ”It’s from Lükækš.”
Vlahiades: ”What does it say?”

Moustakakos: ”He’s just wishing us luck.”

by **Vilita** » Thu May 27, 2021 6:08 pm

Canopii Still Out for Jungle Cats

Sanamun leads Vilita to back-to-back Victories

Lirai Asku Castle, Yeaddin, Vilita :: With the Vilitan National Teams Matchday 15 fixture against Sendhang taking place at the Lirai Asku Castle - home of Yeaddin Owls FC and their superstar goalkeeper Mako Canopii, many expected at the very least to see the veteran goalkeeper back in action at their home stadium after initial reports indicated that Canopii would be out just two games. Prior to that, however, the team would be on the road at Devonta and when the Team sheet was revealed for that match there was no Mako Canopii traveling with the squad. Additionally, the traveling squad did not include Kudii Davasarii or Linkat Cjinder the other two Vilitan players who were sidelined as a result of the unfortunate Torndao event in the 14 Stars that came about through the controversial use of the Mystical formation known as "Grid Omega"

It was now three consecutive matches for the Jungle Cats without the core of their defensive presence - their Team Captain, their starting goalkeeper and their most metricly effective defensive midfielder. Still, the show must go on and it most certainly did in Devonta. The Jungle Cats got some much needed support from the attack when Tenziki Kulakao put Vilita on the board just five minutes into the game. The lead would not last long, however, as defender Narri Sebapilo - the youngster from Vilita and Turori's recently Triumphant Di Bradini Cup winning side, made a critical error in the 8th minute that gifted a goal to the 75th ranked side in the multiverse and nullified Kulakao's early advantage earned for the Jungle Cats.

It looked as if the match would hold 1-1 until the half but once again a mistake from Sebapilo appeared to turn the match on its head. Having been unable to control their hand inside the box, the ball struck Sebapilo in the most inopportune location as there was no danger on the play on the edge of the box. However, strictly by the rules it was a handball inside the box and Devonta would take the gift of a 2-1 lead with them into the locker room at the half time break.

For an early stretch of the second half it appeared that the events in the 14 Stars may just have doomed the Jungle Cats World Cup 88 Qualifying campaign. After dropping points at Eshialand, Vilita found themselves on the outside looking in as far as the Finals projections were going. Defeat at Devonta would all but eliminate Vilita from contention for the Top Spot in Group 2 and the players knew it. With head coach Cavuna Aquafek on the pitch for the second consecutive game for the Jungle Cats the long time Turoki Tide midfielder used their presence to lift the team up and created themselves the opportunity that would drag the Jungle Cats back into the game. Aquafek zipped past a pair of Devontans in the corned then - despite being off balance - delivered a marvelous cross to the top of the box where Jyuola Mtalata was in perfect position to volley home to level the scores. The team rallied around Aquafek's inspirational play and seemed to take it as a marker to do better as the match reached its final stages.

The team were well aware of the position they were in. Dropped points meant no World Cup. Even though they were no longer losing, they had to find a way to win. Aqaufek signaled to the bench and on came the legendary veteran attacker Sipke Tarala. One of the few - if only players in history to record the game Winning Goal in consecutive World Cup Finals, Tarala was fresh and despite their age, the freshness was the difference. Within minutes of coming on the pitch Tarala found a way to restore the Jungle Cats lead. Turori pressured the Devontan defenders who were rushed into an erstwhile pass that was intercepted by Trezisi Rokopolis. Showing a vision well beyond their years, Rokopolis had the key mindset to quickly bounce the ball back in the direction of Tarala who dragged past the Devontan defender and quickly shot to secure the Game Winner. It wasn't pretty but the Jungle Cats survived to keep pace with the S's Savojarna and the Squornshelan Remnant States in a tight Group 2 Qualification Battle.

 Vilita [3] - [2] Devonta
				
	GOALS:	Vilita 	:: 5' Tenziki Kulakao:: 63' Jyuola Mtalata:: 85' Sipke Tarala            		
	STATS:	Vilita 	:: Possession: 53%:: Shots: 8:: Corners: 5	Devonta 	:: Possession: 47%:: Shots: 6:: Corners: 14
	Lineup:	[GK] Vernasa Sanamun, [D.] Narri Sebapilo, [D.] Lohani Riiyaaw, [D.] Rintala Sekagaya, [ML]  Cavuna Aquafek, [MC]  Jurzen Devmiko, [MC] Imauka Lkomorak, [MC]  Trezisi Rokopolis, [MR]  Jyuola Mtalata, [FC] Tenziki Kulakao, [FC] Nii'arala Milaaso			
	Bench:	[FC] Sipke Tarala, [FC] Enzoril Alabonni, [M] Intikko Kuhilana, [M] Lentali Purama, [U ] Limu Katarakhna, [D] Mileke Drokasorna, [GK] Hanauma Ranbomahi

The highly anticipated return of the Jungle Cats to the Lirai Asku Castle in Yeaddin had arrived, and the fans were ready. Unfortunately the thing they were ready for was not something they were to be given. For the fourth consecutive match, Mako Canopii was not in the lineup. The absence of Canopii at their home stadium four games after being injured could only mean one of two things. The optimistic viewpoint of the scenario was that the Vilitan Coaching Staff and grown confident enough in the performance of Vernasa Sanamun that they felt the Jungle Strike FC Co-Starter would be perfectly capable of holding down the fort for one more match against the already eliminated team from Sendhang, and there was no reason to risk Mako Canopii's health and deny them one more week of recovery with a potential Top-of-the-table Clash against Savojarna on the schedule during the next international match week.

Of course, the pessimistic point of view surrounding the absence of Canopii and two other critical Vilitan defensive players at this stage was that the injuries they suffered in the 14 stars were far more significant than initially reported and that the Vilitan coaching staff may be forcing themselves to figure out ways to win without them. Despite a pair of crucial errors leading to both of the Devonta goals on matchday 14, young Makosile United defender Narri Sebapilo kept their place in the starting lineup at the Lirai Asku Castle. It was also an appearance for the hero of the Di Bradini Cup, goalkeeper Zelkki Milake Jr. who would appear on the bench and be called upon in the event Sanamun got injured. Milake took over the role from Hanauma Ranbomahi who had taken the backup job the previous games.

One name not in the lineup against Sendhang would be the head coach, Cavuna Aquafek. After two straight games on the pitch, Aquafek was back behind the bench calling the shots. After scoring the winning goal as a substitute in Devonta, Sipke Tarala was in the starting lineup for the Jungle Cats against Sendhang and made it two-for two in scoring the games only goal in the 19th minute. Vernasa Sanamun put in a strong performance stopping both of Sendhang's quality chances in what turned out to be largely a possession battle in the midfield. It was a very non-Vilitan type victory in a match with the Vilitan's missing a number of their key defensive players - but it was an important match for Aquafek to prove that if they had to move on without Canopii, Davasarii and Cjinder - and still earn a victory in a tight match - they had the possibility of doing just that.

Thanks to the high scoring 4-4 draw between Savojarna and the Squornshelan Remnant States, the Vilita National Team found themselves temporarily back atop Group 2 and for once, regaining control of their own destiny with just 3 matches to play in World Cup 88 Qualifying. However, the downside of the result is that it allowed both of the teams that are chasing the Jungle Cats to remain within two points of the Top spot. Three wins from three matches over the final three matchdays would assure Vilita a place in World Cup 88. Any points dropped at this stage could be unrecoverable as one of the three teams will miss out on the World Cup Finals altogether with only the Top 2 assured at least a spot in the playoffs. Up next for the Jungle Cats: Pluvea and the Saxean Isles. Away. A team that Vilita lost to during the first half of Qualifying. It would either be revenge or elimination for the Jungle Cats and they would likely have to do it without some of their best players on the pitch.

 Vilita [1] - [0] Sendhang
				
	GOALS:	Vilita 	:: 19' Sipke Tarala              		
	STATS:	Vilita 	:: Possession: 52%:: Shots: 3:: Corners: 7	Sendhang 	:: Possession: 48%:: Shots: 2:: Corners: 5
	Lineup:	[GK] Vernasa Sanamun, [D.] Lohani Riiyaaw, [D.] Narri Sebapilo, [D.] Rojara Tiones, [ML]  Jyuola Mtalata, [MC]  Polaox Torerun, [MC] Cywrenta Vlintejni, [MC]  Imauka Lkomorak, [MR]  Limu Katarakhna, [FC] Sipke Tarala, [FC] Enzoril Alabonni			
	Bench:	[FC] Fishtii Blikala, [FC] Clarana Refiami, [M] Trezisi Rokopolis, [M] Lentali Purama, [U ] Jurzen Devmiko, [D] Inteali Koranjo, [GK] Zelkki Milake Jr.

by **Independent Athletes from Quebec** » Thu May 27, 2021 6:08 pm

The Agent

PART 7 - Comrade

Like much of the gentrified district of Downton-Westside, Prince Eric Ascott Hotel was at the latest of cutting edge technology and the minimalist aesthetics. A clean, modern design mostly befitted with white and use of synthetic materials, it spoke both of the trends both trendy and unfortunate for those with the slightest eye in art.

With how odd the hotel looked, from the moment she entered the lobby to the conference room she was invited by Pierre to visit, Zina immediately figured out how the taste and the relatively recent acquisition of wealth had meant so little in terms of acquisition of talent or even ability to identify it. Noticing that the world she's going to enter will either resemble the tacky aesthetics or those too old to even have a Wi-Fi connection, Zina carried herself with the confidence not expected from a sixteen-year old who had just lost her mother, with all her effort placed into blocking the tragedy out of her mind.

I am doing this, and it will be for my family, Zina said to herself, as she left the elevator and then walked few steps to the right as suggested by a sign. She was feeling tired, which somewhat helped regularise her walking patterns, and ran herself on fumes. Fortunately for Zina, it had taken little time for her to find her way out for she, without realising it, made turns and stops and then walked all the way to the farthest corner of this hotel. Now she was standing in front of the Meeting Room 'Rose'.

Unfortunately, Zinaida Woodcarver was already late to the meeting as she opened the door, carrying a couple of luggage carriers and a backpack, and entered the meeting room. Pierre McCarthy, sitting on his chair facing the medium-sized table, had already downed a couple of bottles of Gin, even though it was only noon, and he was clearly not amused with how much extra time he had in drinking. While Pierre, aware of the 'dificult' policies many countries had towards some forms of smoking- for some countries it would be cigarettes, others marijuana- did not smoke, he had spent many years drinking under regular capacities. Whether it be home or abroad, preferably somewhere where his daughter was nowhere near his presence he drank like a whale, and he knew very well about the habit. At Zina's funeral the past three days, he was advised by his friends and acquaintances, whom were quite impressed with how much his life had turned around from a socially questionable joker to a giant in the sports management, to maybe tone down the level of alcohol consumption. With them he had chatted for a bit, and exchanged numbers with some, but for most part kept himself on phone whenever he was not mourning about Elora.

'You are late, young lady.' Pierre said, his metal glasses slightly dirty as he watched the six-footer drop her luggages and sit on the other side of the table. After letting her slowly sit down, calm herself and breathe a little while, he raised his left hand forward (he's a natural lefty) and welcomed her. 'But oh my, is it my pleasure to meet Elora Watkins's daughter, never did I imagine it.'

All she could manage was a gracious smile, trying to indicate that she was not feeling too uncomfortable about the current situation, given what had passed for the past week of her life. 'Thank you, sir.' Zina said, as she shook his hand with her left hand as well. 'I know it hasn't been the best of times for us to meet, especially not right now.'

'No, never say that in my presence,' He smiled back at Zina, the full curve of his smile suggesting the genuine enthusiasm and willingness of his action. 'I love meeting people, and this is nothing to call a wolf and say is not the right time.' Despite that he's twenty-two years older than the teenager, and had seen lot more on life elsewhere, there was something quintessentially Quebecois and child-like with the superagent that Zina found delightful.

Was he stuck in the past-time, or is it just one of those moments? Zinaida wondered, as he continued to speak. 'So, I know you are ready to move on, as we talked about it sometime after the funeral yesterday. I know that you are thinking of joining a professional career in football, whether it be Swanguard or elsewhere.'

'Yes. I did say that earlier.' Zina nodded, as she watched Pierre write down notes in the cursives, writing in a pace so quick and unassuming that it was a work of its own right. Zina had of course heard of Pierre's names long before the funeral, and she did little bit of fresearch on his reputation- whether it be through the latest transfer rumours or those who he had known. But the pace of his resourcefulness was seen right there. That's what Elora's friends who, while not entirely inclined on telling much about Pierre, had mentioned in a few comments given to her, and she was noticing it.

Pierre's facial expression, worn down and somewhat rugged from the days of mourning, started to change a bit as he thought about how to say the words. He swallowed hard, brought back his own composure, and then spoke again. 'Well, first, please do not worry about whatever the arrangements I will come up with for you by the end of this week. That's not why I am here. For those who have known me through other avenues, they know me better for other reasons. Whether it be as father of Arabella the tennis prospect, the cousin to legendary Cornwall actor Sir. Joel-Lynn, or-'

He muttered, struggling to figure out. Zina, trying to ease the struggle, spoke out the term that they both had in mind. 'A leach?'

‘Perfect! That's the right term to describe me as an agent if I am a club president.' He raised both his hands in joy, indicating that Zina read his mind perfectly. While Zina slightly chuckled at how easy Pierre seemed to please, she anticipated what was the next thing he's going to say. Then he continued speaking: 'But that's what I'm supposed to do. I am supposed to defend the interests of my athletes, and they have what, twenty years maximum in their career to live off of. And we also have to remember the legacies they will have to carve, and I am not going to let anybody overwhelm you.'

'Thank you. But that implies that I will have to start looking for clubs,' Zina looked at Pierre, who stopped jotting down the notes. 'Won't it be a bit too late in the year?' She had realised that she said something not so smart, though that's not really one for her to be blamed upon. Like what was said earlier, Zina was given little choice earlier in her life, and it was only now that the options were opening up and she, in a hurried spin of twenty-four hours, was figuring them out...

'Nonsense,' he answered back. 'If there's anything I've been surprised over the past week here is that no Swanguard official nor agent has approached to sign with you.' He sighed. 'By doing so, those whom you were supposed to trust are not giving you one bit of honest advice. Whatever they are calling for honest advice would be no more than a bullshit.'

'I see.' She nodded, realising that Pierre clearly wasn't in the best of terms with her hometown club. 'If that's the case then, Where do we plan to go next? Sorry or asking too much-'

'And that's why we are going to Montreal starting this week.' He was not one bit amused, though unfairly so, at how unequipped Zina was in knowing about the industry. And this is a girl who excelled in Swanguard Academy and in high school! Were Elora that overprotective of her interests, to the point where she failed to give her a choice? He sighed, as he scratched a couple of lines off his notes. 'We won't be staying here- Swanguard clearly hasn't helped you to prepare for this, and I won't let them affect your career like how I've seen it happen far too often before.' He looked back at Zina, whose blue eyes glistened once again. 'We will be heading to Montreal and then Quebec City, or just Montreal. Those people there take the business seriously, and they know I am not to be messed with, especially when it involves the memories of your mother...'

'Okay, so what happened between you and my mother?' She interrupted, trying to figure out what he was exactly saying there. 'Are you saying that there was something?'

Pierre shook his head to suggest otherwise. 'Maybe not now, Zina,' he added before grabbing another glass on the rocks. 'But let me tell you one thing, and it's that I rarely atone. But for very few I atone for my own mistakes against them, I atone for the slightest of mistakes.'

by **New Lusitania and the Algarves** » Thu May 27, 2021 6:09 pm

A REBOUND AT THE END OF THE ROUND?
New Lusitania 1-0 Arklanda/Tolanka 0-3 New Lusitania
@ Estádio do Conquistador, Guimarães (Att: 29 809) / @X-Nation Arena (???); Tolanka (Att:?)
Welcome to the continued attempts to actually catch up

A half-full Conquistador welcomed back the Lusitanians that March in Guimarães. It was a match for Lopes to regain confidence with Mendonça, Ferradura and Pedralva set up the defensive positions; Palhagueira, Caldeirão, Veiga, Guerra and Gama were the five midfielders with Jota and Silveira up front. No sign on Fernando just yet. Arklanda was the type of game that New Lusitania hoped would be the game to put their hopes back up, but it seemed they would be a tough nut to crack. New Lusitania would eventually only score one singular goal during the entire match on the fifty-third minute of play, as Veiga pushed the ball onwards to Guerra who really ran for it and slid it in - but it wasn’t for lack of trying that they didn’t get more. Silveira hit the post twice and Jota really tested the keeper during the first half. Caldeirão managed to actually put in the net at the end of the second half, only to be discovered offside. Either way, the three points were there and New Lusitania were now marching onwards to Tolanka to complete the first round of matches in this qualifying phase.
A few changes were made in this match – Luís Manuel took his promised chance. Mendonça returned, as was the case for Azinheira. Domingues debuted in the cycle, meanwhile. The ball was ready to roll as all the formalities were over and done with in this sunny day, which signalled the halfway mark on the road to the World Cup. It was a much better match in comparison. Jota netted one of his rarer goals this cycle, not being as present as previous cycles, hanging more around playmaking. This time a nice touch of the ball was all It took after a cross by Gama. It wasn’t very long before a second surfaced after Mendonça blasted it up field finding Veiga who attempted to control it as best he could, sending its way to the former assist-maker, Gama who delightfully curved the ball making his first goal of the cycle at an arguably late phase. Mentioning late, the third goal came very late indeed - in injury time to be precise with substitute Filipe Vieira being given the ball by Jota in a two-man counterattack, kicking off his international career. So, after nine matches how did the table look like? Farfadillis clearly led, invict and with the full 27 points. Yuezhou trailed behind in the now all-important second place position with twenty. New Lusitania’s mid-cycle disaster left them trailing by four points with an awful defensive record of seventeen conceded and Equestria’s resurgence meant they were now only a point behind. Le Choix, too, had slipped, but their fifth position was only two points off the Selecção and second off the runners-up. Havynwilde had returned to some winning ways but were already with some catching up to do with only eight points, the same as Tolanka. With Netop on seven and the remaining two – Arklanda and Sapim – on six, the race to see who the best of the minnows was was also clearly wide open.

“THAT’S MORE LIKE IT! ... – A GREAT START TO ROUND TWO”
Sapim 0-4 New Lusitania

After the summer break, the World Cup Qualifying returned at the end of August with a double-header, starting with the away match at Sapim. The team was mostly the same, with most of the players from the previous match staying on. Fernando was also back in the squad, despite sitting out the starting line-up in this first venture of the new season. As the ball kicked off the second batch of matches, it was still anyone’s game for that runners-up spot, as far as the Selecção perceived it. Thankfully, it seemed like the old Navigators were back with a good, essentially dominating performance over Sapim in this tenth matchday with plenty of attacking runs. Caldeirão and Veiga would really shine over this period, as they would constantly be with the ball inside the adversary’s box – it would be Silveira scoring the opener with a spur of the ball though. Seconds and thirds would come shortly to this dinnertime match whose course was currently a really good treat for the away fans with both of the aforementioned duo nonetheless – the former would get the chance via a nice free kick, under the wall with something he later called “something that I had felt, not as much thought of, so I reckoned I’d try it”. The latter later on would practically seal the deal before halftime. Fernando came on “feeling good and ready” as a trial run which was arguably very successful considering he made the assist for the fourth and final goal, on to a confident Silveira which used a nice kick to confirm the victory for sure. A galvanising win for the Selecção which seek to put certain parts of the recent past behind them.

by **The Gothanita Isles** » Thu May 27, 2021 6:15 pm

Council of 4 approves resolution regarding foreign relations
After a 1-month long impass, the Council of 4 today agreed on a resolution giving the individual member states some leeway with regards to establishing informal relations with regionmates, paving the way for North Handoria, South Jeolerina and Hallikshire to pursue talks with regards to being a full member of the region.

The much welcomed move allows for North Handoria to take steps forward in requesting to be part of the official update of the Atlantian Oceanian map and establish friendly relations with their neighbours. This was pushed by the People's Council of North Handoria following peaceful protests on the streets by the people, calling on the Council to make their stance clear following the Foxchester Declaration that was made close to 2 months ago. The other states, namely South Jeolerina and Hallikshire, also sees the resolution as a pathway for them to begin talks into joining regional organisations, and have their positions reflected on the regional maps.

Many people have welcomed the resolution, calling it a step forward in establishing the Isles' presence on the world map. "It has been proven with Otksarin that the most important step is to establish friendly relations so as to take the nation's progress forward. Now, allowing all 4 member states to puruse informal relations with their regionmates will provide an avenue for the Isles as a whole to establish more diplomatic ties with other nations around," said a professor at the School of Public Policy in the Hangshire University. Others have said that this is a statement that reflects the original goals of the union - to ensure that the Isles have a presence on the world map.

Of course, the resolution still does not lift lots of restrictions with regards to foreign relations. While informal relations, as well as the establishment of consulates, may happen between regionmates, any other form of official relations between the Isles and any member states will still have to be approved at a Council of 4 meeting. This will include any official process of joining an economic union, among other things, or being part of a political bloc in the region. While these are issues which still have to be addressed, the move is definitely a step forward in giving the member states more autonomy with regards to foreign relations, and allows The Gothanitan Isles to move forward and establish more foreign relations in the future.

Tough matchday ahead as the business end of qualifiers loom
Article by Manclester Evening Daily
Disclaimer: This article is part of a 2-part series, published in conjunction with Sporting Daily of Poafmersia. The first half has been published with Poafmersia.

The Gothanitan Isles has been eliminated following a dissapointing campaign where the team produced 9 draws from 15 games thus far. Here, we take a look at the remaining 9 groups, seeing how other teams could possibly book their tickets to the World Cup proper over the next 3 matchdays.

Q - Qualified for the World Cup.
P - Advanced to playoffs.
X - Assured of at least playoffs.
Y - Cannot win group, but can still qualify as one of best runners-up.
Z - Cannot qualify directly, but may still advance to playoffs.

Group 10

Teams in contention: Top seeds Siovanija & Teusland (S&T), second seeds Mercedini, 4th seeds Jeruselem, 5th seeds San Ortelio, 8th seeds Talamia
Remaining fixtures for above teams:
- Jeruselem (35 points): Bluecliff League (h), Fujai (h), San Ortelio (a)
- Mercedini (31 points): Valladares (h), S&T (a), Bluecliff League (h)
- San Ortelio (27 points): S&T (h), Bluecliff League (a), Jeruselem (h)
- S&T (26 points): San Ortelio (a), Mercedini (h), Seguidores de la grasas (a)
- Talamia (26 points): Fujai (a), Istoreya (a), Valladares (h)
Table
*  Group 10                                  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Jeruselem                                  15   11   2   2    33   19  +14    35
 2 Mercedini                                  15   10   1   4    32   23   +9    31
 3 San Ortelio                                15    8   3   4    17   13   +4    27
 4 Siovanija and Teusland                     15    7   5   3    37   26  +11    26*
 5 Talamia (Y)                                15    8   2   5    23   24   −1    26*
*Siovanija and Teusland ahead of Talamia on head-to-head points (S&T 4, Talamia 1)

Tpop seeds Siovanija and Teusland started off with a brutal 0-4-3 in the first 7 matches, but bounced to a 7-5-3 with a 8 game unbeaten streak. Now, it seems that top spot is out of reach for the Goldhorns as they are 9 points off Jeruselem, who have made a surprise run to the top ahead of Mercedini and San Ortelio. But second place may still not be out of reach with games against Mercedini and San Ortelio to come. Their head-to-head against those 2 teams aren't that bad. S&T defeated Mercedini in Matchday 8 2-1, and lost 0-1 to San Ortelio in Matchday 7. Wins against both teams would likely bring S&T to a salvagable position.

Talamia may not have to play any teams above them, but they still have a tricky home game against Valladares, whose hasn't been getting enough results thus far. Being able to possibly get 7 points might mean something, however, though the full 9 points would definitely help their case. It is tough, since they would need results elsewhere to help them, but not an impossible feat.

Renato Di Tane's side may be sitting in 3rd, but they are just 1 point above S&T and Talamia. Not the best position to be in, but they could make a statement if they grab wins against S&T and Jeruselem. Given the current circumstances, their situation looks similar to S&T. Win everything, and they would stand a chance of getting 2nd place and get a chance to avenge their playoff loss to Baker Park last cycle. Lose, and the Swordfishes might end up in the Cup of Harmony.

The Golden Eagles have arguably the easiest path to 2nd place, being 4 points ahead of the Swordfishes, and only one difficult match to meet. An away game against S&T on Matchday 17 would be the best opportunity to seal the deal, as 2 wins will be able to seal the deal and give them at least a playoff spot.

The naked princess of Jeruselem will be coming to Cassadaigua and Chromatika? It looks pretty likely now, with 2 easy home games against Bluecliff League and Fujai upcoming. Win both games, and they will be able to keep their top spot regardless of results elsewhere.

Group 11

Teams in contention: Top seeds Starblaydia, second seeds Tikariot, third seeds Darmen, fourth seeds Kohnhead
Remaining fixtures for above teams:
- Starblaydia (35 points): Lorrana (h), Pratapgadh (a), Kohnhead (h)
- Kohnhead (33 points): Pratapgadh (h), Darmen (h), Starblaydia (a)
- Tikariot (29 points): Qzvarkian Qaz (a), Garifunya (h), Wight (a)
- Darmen (25 points): Wight (h), Kohnhead (a), Gouvanarch (a)
Table
*  Group 11                                  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Starblaydia                                15   11   2   2    48   23  +25    35
 2 Kohnhead                                   15   10   3   2    25   16   +9    33
 3 Tikariot                                   15    9   2   4    41   29  +12    29
 4 Darmen (Y)                                 15    7   4   4    36   27   +9    25

It is just a 3-way fight. Darmen is 8 points off second place, quite an impossible gap to overhaul. Wight is out, because they will lose on head-to-head against Kohnhead. Even if you add Tikariot into the tie. And they can't add Darmen into the tie.

Now Tikariot needs results elsewhere to benefit them. Sure, the Snowy Owls has no head-to-head disadvantage against Starblaydia, but they have a disadvantage against Kohnhead. And Starblaydia's hardest match would likely be the top-of-table decider at home against Kohnhead on Matchday 18. If Tikariot needs a miracle, they would need to hope both Starblaydia and Darmen take points off them, so that they could overtake into 2nd place. Kohnhead's job is simple - win Matchday 16 and 17. If so, all will be down to a final battle in Starblaydia for the direct qualification ticket. Or maybe, even no battle is required.

Group 12

Teams in contention: Top seeds Nephara, second seeds Hampton Island, 4th seeds Squidroidia
Remaining fixtures for above teams:
- Nephara (35 points): Quakmybush (a), Togonistan (a), Hampton Island (h)
- Hampton Island (31 points): Central Shaneville (a), Squidroidia (h), Nephara (a)
- Squidroidia (27 points): Togonistan (h), Hampton Island (a), Sarzonia (h)
Table
*  Group 12                                  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Nephara                                    15   11   2   2    55   20  +35    35
 2 Hampton Island                             15    9   4   2    20    5  +15    31
 3 Squidroidia                                15    8   3   4    24   11  +13    27

Quakmybush has been eliminated, having a poorer head-to-head record against both Hampton Island and Squidroidia. This made it impossible for them to hit the second place, and makes our job easier.

For Nephara, a draw is enough to secure top 2. Just 1 point. Squidroidia has an inferior head-to-head record against them, if you are wondering why that is enough. To secure top spot, they could just simply win 2 games, and leave Hampton Island and Squidroidia fighting for the final spot.

Hampton Island has a tricky situation. A trip to Central Shanevile shouldn't be a problem for the former Campionato Esportiva champions, so the real game is the one against Squidroidia. A draw in the game will be enough to secure top 2, though Squidroidia can really cause some trouble if the Inklings win. In that case, with the gap between the two sides likely dropped to 1, Hampton Island will need to do better at the world champions, as compared to what Squidroidia does at Sarzonia on the final matchday.

Group 13

Teams in contention: Top seeds Banija, third seeds TJUN-ia, 4th seeds Oberour Ar Moro (OAM), 5th seeds Euran Oceania Territories (EOT)
Remaining fixtures for above teams:
- Banija (35 points): EOT (a), Shreekaristan (h), Srednjaci (a)
- TJUN-ia (32 points): Ibixa (h), Astograth (a), OAM (h)
- OAM (27 points): Astograth (h), Malandrin (h), TJUN-ia (a)
- EOT (24 points): Banija (h), Ibixa (a), Astograth (h)
Table
*  Group 13                                  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Banija (X)                                 15   11   4   0    50   22  +28    37
 2 TJUN-ia                                    15   10   2   3    40   30  +10    32
 3 Oberour Ar Moro (Y)                        15    8   3   4    29   26   +3    27
 4 Euran Oceania Territories (Z)              15    7   3   5    32   25   +7    24

Second seeds Astograth, failing to qualify for their second consecutive World Cup proper, may have a chance to play party poppers as they play all 3 of the second-place contendors. Home game against OAM, trip to TJUN-ia, before another home game against EOT. Banija literally has the top spot all tied up, considering the former world champions is unlikely to mess up games against Srednjaci, Shreekaristan, or EOT. The race for second isn't as difficult as it may seem. TJUN-ia could seal the deal if they defeat Ibixa and Astograth doesn't lose to OAM on Matchday 16. If the win against Ibixa comes, and OAM defeats Astograth once again, TJUN-ia just needs to grab at least 1 point in Astograth to keep the tie. Otherwise, they could always resort to a direct win over OAM on Matchday 18.

Group 13

Teams in contention (for 2nd): 2nd seeds South Newlandia, 4th seeds Qasden, 6th seeds Muralos, 7th seeds Ranoria
Remaining fixtures for above teams:
- South Newlandia (29 points): Xanneria (a), Eura (a), Qasden (h)
- Qasden (27 points): Bigtopian isles (a), Ranoria (h), South Newlandia (a)
- Ranoria (26 points): Eura (h), Qasden (a), Himebaugh (h)
- Muralos (24 points): Sahuarita (a), Natanians and Nosts (h), Bigtopian Isles (a)
Table
*  Group 14                                  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Eura (Q)                                   15   13   1   1    46   16  +30    40
 2 South Newlandia (Y)                        15    9   2   4    32   26   +6    29
 3 Qasden (Y)                                 15    8   3   4    26   21   +5    27
 4 Ranoria (Y)                                15    8   2   5    21   16   +5    26
 5 Muralos (Z)                                15    8   0   7    33   29   +4    24

It is a tough call, though we can say that the direct fixture between Qasden, Ranoria and South Newlandia will make all the difference. South Newlandia has tricky trips to disposed third seeds Xanneria and already-qualified Eura, while Qasden has to deal with an overachieving Ranoria on Matchday 17. It is a particularly interesting fight to the finish for these teams fighting for what is likely to be a playoff spot. Muralos would also be able to steal the spot if results go their way, but being 5 points off 2nd place with 3 games to go is a true problem.

Group 15

Teams in contention (for 2nd): 2nd seeds Reçueçn, 3rd seeds Krytenia, 5th seeds Fluvannia, 7th seeds Hispinas
Remaining fixtures for above teams:
- Reçueçn (27 points): Acronius (h), Fluvannia (h), Gregary (a)
- Krytenia (24 points): Fluvannia (a), Turori (a), Baggieland (h)
- Hispinas (20 points): Baggieland (h), Valentine Z (a), Acronius (h)
- Fluvannia (18 points): Krytenia (h), Reçueçn (a), Turori (h)
Table
*  Group 15                                  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Turori (Q)                                 15   15   0   0    43    5  +38    45
 2 Reçueçn (Y)                                15    8   3   4    23   13  +10    27
 3 Krytenia (Z)                               15    6   6   3    42   31  +11    24
 4 Hispinas (Z)                               15    5   5   5    23   26   −3    20
 5 Fluvannia (Z)                              15    5   3   7    19   24   −5    18

Another group where 4 teams are racing for the playoffs, it is an interesting race between Reçueçn and Krytenia. Both teams don't meet, but they both Fluvannia, who are hoping that teams above them drop points so that they can grab the last spot. Honestly, I don't see how that is possible. Reçueçn clearly has the better fixture list here, having 2 home games to heap pressure on Krytenia, who travel to Fluvannia and top side Turori. Turori, by the way, is on a roll. 15 consecutive wins. Absolutely brutal game, for Krytenia, and if they can stop the Turori juggernaut, that might help.

Group 16

Teams in contention Top seeds Pasarga, 2nd seeds Ethane, 3rd seeds Blouman Empire, 4th seeds Busoga Islands, 8th seeds St Trinians
Remaining fixtures for above teams:
- Busoga Islands (30 points): West Zirconia (a), Ancherion (h), Freeport (a)
- Blouman Empire (30 points): St Trinians (a), Pasarga (h), Ethane (a)
- Pasarga (28 points): Ethane (a), Blouman Empire (a), Gatchingerrak Union (h)
- Ethane (26 points): Pasarga (h), West Zirconia (a), Blouman Empire (h)
Table
*  Group 16                                  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Busoga Islands                             15    9   3   3    31   18  +13    30
 2 Blouman Empire                             15    9   3   3    32   22  +10    30
 3 Pasarga                                    15    8   4   3    33   22  +11    28
 4 Ethane                                     15    7   5   3    29   20   +9    26
 5 St Trinians                                15    6   7   2    34   25   +9    25

It is likely to be a Busoga Islands + one of Pasarga and Ethane. Blouman Empire has an absolutely brutal fixture list against 3 teams trying to knock them of the perge, and with Pasarga and Ethane having to play them, they are unlikely to keep their top spot. Ethane defeaeted Pasarga in Matchday 7, a good sign for the second seeds, who can also defeat Blouman Empire to put themselves in a nice position. The winner between the top 2 seeds in Matchday 16 will likely have the best chance to qualify for the playoffs as 2nd placed team, while Busoga Islands should be through if they don't bottle it.

Group 17

Teams in contention: Top seeds Brenecia, 3rd seeds Twicetagria, 2nd seeds Squornshelous, 5th seeds Sajnur, 6th seeds Pemecutan
Remaining fixtures for above teams:
- Brenecia (32 point): Libonesia (a), Sajnur (a), Cascadia (h)
- Twicetagria (31 points): The Sahstan (a), Kannap (h), Squornshelous (a)
- Squornshelous (29 points): Cascadia (h), Pemecutan (a), Twicetagria (h)
- Pemecutan (26 points): Kannap (a), Squornshelous (h), The Sarian (a)
- Sajnur (24 points): The Sarian (a), Brenecia (h), Libonesia (a)
Table
*  Group 17                                  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Brenecia                                   15   10   2   3    30   13  +17    32
 2 Twicetagria                                15    9   4   2    24   11  +13    31
 3 Squornshelous                              15    9   2   4    36   23  +13    29
 4 Pemecutan                                  15    8   2   5    33   24   +9    26
 5 Sajnur                                     15    7   3   5    22   19   +3    24

Tough, tough, tough. A question of who blinks first, who can produce enough points to get past the line. Absolute ridiculous. The top 3 is just 3 points apart, with Pemecutan another 3 points adrift. While typically it is possible to predict the results, it is not the case this time. Brenecia lost to Sajnur in matchday 8. Squornshelous defeated both Pemecutan at home and Twictagria away on Matchday 8/9 respectively. It is interesting. We instead, provided the tiebreakers between the top 3 teams, considering that that might be more likely to happen.

Two way tie between Brenecia and Twicetagria
1) Head-to-head points: Twicetagria 4, Brenecia 1
2) Head-to-head GD: Twicetagria 2, Brenecia -2
Twicetagria will be ahead of Brenecia in this case.

Two way tie between Brenecia and Squornshelous
1) Head-to-head points: Brenecia 4, Squornshelous 1
2) Head-to-head GD: Brencia 1, Squornshelous -1
Brenecia will be ahead of Squornshelous in this case.

Two way tie between Twicetagria and Squornshelous
1) Head-to-head points: Squornshelous 3, Twicetagria 0
2) Head-to-head GD: Squornshelous 1, Twicetagria -1
There is one more game between Twicetagria and Squornshelous, in Matchday 18. Twicetagria holds the head-to-head advantage, but there is a chance for Squornshelous to overturn this if they win against Twicetagria in that fixture.

Three way tie between Brenecia, Twicetagria and Suqornshelous
1) Head-to-head points: Twicetagria 4, Brenecia 5, Squornshelous 4
2) Head-to-head GD: Twicetagria 1, Brenecia -1, Squornshelous 0
Hilarious. Brenecia leads on head-to-head currently, but there are different results depending on what happens between Squornshelous and Twicetagria on Matchday 18.
i) If Squornshelous and Twicetagria draw, Twicetagria, with a +1 head-to-head GD, will be ahead of Squornshelous. Squornshelous will in turn be ahead of Brencia.
ii) If Squornshelous defeats Twicetagria, Squornshelous will be ahead on 7 head-to-head points, followed by Brenecia, and then, Twicetagria.
iii) If Twicetagria defeats Squornshelous, Twicetagria will be ahead on 7 head-to-head points, followed by Brenecia, and then, Squornshelous.

Group 18

Teams in contention (for 2nd): 2nd seeds Equestria, 3rd seeds New Lusitania, 4th seeds Yuezhou, 8th seeds Le Choix
Remaining fixtures for above teams:
- New Lusitania (29 points): Farfadillis (h), Arklanda (a), Tolanka (h)
- Yuezhou (28 points): Netop (a), Le Choix (h), Equestria (a)
- Equestria (28 points): Le Choix (h), Sapim (a), Yuezhou (h)
- Le Choix (24 points): Equestria (a), Yuezhou (a), Farfadillis (h)
Table
*  Group 18                                  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Farfadillis (Q)                            15   13   1   1    55   25  +30    40
 2 New Lusitania (Y)                          15    9   2   4    36   23  +13    29
 3 Yuezhou (Y)                                15    8   4   3    29   20   +9    28*
 4 Equestria (Y)                              15    8   4   3    29   21   +8    28*
 5 Le Choix (Z)                               15    7   3   5    14   13   +1    24
*Yuezhou is ahead of Equestria on head-to-head points (Yuezhou 3, Equestria 0)

Yuezhou and Equestria play on Matchday 18, attempting to win and hope they can catch up to New Lusitania. And it is very much possible, considering that New Lusitania still has to play a team who trashed them 7-2 at home in the previous round - Farfadillis. It is a tough round. Yuezhou holds the advantage over Equestria in the event both draws on Matchday 18. Yuezhou also holds an advantage over New Lusitania in a one-on-one tie, while New Lusitania holds the advantage over Equestria. If there is a team that needs lots of results to grab 2nd spot, it must be Equestria, for they cannot afford to be level on points against the other two teams. Yuezhou could survive any tiebreaker against the other two teams, while New Lusitania would hope that their 1 point advantage over Yuezhou really holds.

by **Ranoria** » Thu May 27, 2021 6:16 pm

"Deondre, I'm telling you this is one of your worst ideas yet," Magnus grunted into the hand that was covering his face, "And that's saying something." Chewie the owlephant loomed behind them, shading them from the sun with his massive frame.

Deondre, of course, waved him off, "Bro, they'll never know the difference. All they know about Ranorian Wolfhoundsis that they're huge and they tear people limb from limb, or something.

Chewie snorted in indignation, still obstinate about his disguise, but it wasn't a terrible getup. A combination of face paint and owlephant-friendly hair dye at least had him matching the colors of Ranoria's genetically-engineered war machine of a national animal, and his ears were covered by a hood that could be mistaken for a lion's mane.

"Sorry Chewie, you didn't sign up for this," Magnus grumbled.

"Tickets please," an employee stated in monotone, eyes dead from going through this process thousands of other attendees, hands moving as if entranced to scan tickets that no one had handed to him. Expression void, to the point where one could question if he was human or something else imitating one.

And then Chewie, the considerate owlephant that he was, sneezed in the man's face.

The poor part time employee started, color returning to what had been pale skin as he stumbled back into the wall behind him.

Magnus waved apologetically, and Deondre Rhine simply patted Chewie's ahead with an affectionate, "Bless you."

"Sir, I'm sorry but due to regulations we have to make sure certain safety precautions are in place to allow...actually, is that an owlephant? It looks like an owlephant," the young man turned around to grab a fortunately available towel to wipe his face, and Magnus took the opportunity to chime in. Whether or not he thought the plan was imbecilic, he was part of this charade.

"His name is Chewie," he corrected, "Commo--"

"Common mistake!" The larger of the couple cut him off, "Chewie here is Great Ranorian Wolfhound, very hard to get ahold of mind you."

"Sir," the gatekeeper scowled as people in the line began to get impatient, "Dogs are indeed allowed, but that is not a dog. I've never seen a dog anywhere close to that thing's size! Do you take me for a fool?"

"No, but I'm beginning to change my mind," Rhine leaned in close - too close - to the man's face, "Have you ever seen a Great Ranorian Wolfhound? I doubt it, there's only a handful of people outside the country who own one. These things were selectively bred for war, pillage, conquest. Of course they're massive."

"Sir, please step back," the poor gate attendant cringed at the invasion of his personal space, "You really smell like weed." Rhine complied, and the young man, who certainly wasn't getting compensated well enough for this, sighed, "Look, that's great, I still have never seen a dog that big, you're full of it!" He pointed accusingly at the quarterback, who crossed his arms.

"Yes you have," Diamond Rhine retorted.

"What?"

Even Magnus shot Rhine a look, knowing damn well what was coming, and the larger man flashed a toothy grin, "Right here, a dog this big. So now we've established that you're a liar. Besides, have you ever seen an owlephant this big?"

The attendant's jaw dropped. He rubbed his temple, mumbled something - probably a string of obscenities, under his breath, and extended his hands with a low, "Tickets, please," in surrender.

Rhine laughed, "Told you this sucker would buy it, Magnus!" He extended his phone and the QR code was good. The two of them stepped through the gate with ease, while Chewie had to maneuver a bit to get his massive body through.

"Atta boy, you can do it!"

"You are an absolute madman, you know that?" Magnus offered.

"Yup. But my receiving core's pretty awesome, so I survive."

Chewie let out a relatively small trumpet of victory when he made it through the all-too human sized gate with an audible pop, and one couldn't help but pity any Drawkian that would've had to come through, though that likely applied to just about any normal human structure.

"Hey Magnus," Rhine pointed down to the pitch, "I thought this was a football game." He double checked the tickets on his phone, and nodded, "Yep, it says football, what the hell?"

They both watched, dumbfounded for a bit as the game went on, and a silent "Oh" was all Magnus replied.

"They call soccer football in other countries, I forgot," Deondre shrugged and then patted Chewie's clearly canine head, "So, you want peanuts or pistachios boy?"

by **Eura** » Thu May 27, 2021 6:20 pm

emplor.eur/main/worldnews
EDITORIAL: SMITH ADMINISTRATION TOILS UNDER PRESSURE
Multiple interacting crises at home and abroad leave Euran government in a spin

When Ian Smith fulfilled a lifelong dream by walking into the Kings Road residence of the Prime Minister as its new resident, there was one question on the nation’s mind – would Smith revitalise the ailing Liberal government he inherited from the suddenly mortal Amy Yarley, or take it further down the path of decline? Before he has even reached six months in office the verdict has to be that Smith is struggling badly, leaving the long-lasting Liberal government of Eura looking shaky for the first time in many years.

Last week the Spartan’s Bugle tabloid, a regional gutter publication popular in the central districts of Spartangrad, ran a light hearted online run off poll between Smith and Euran national football team manager Skorji Oslograd. The question was simple a simple one, Who is the better leader? Their website was quickly overwhelmed as social media chatter made the survey go viral, resulting in an embarrassing result for Smith; sixteen million people voted in a week, and Oslograd won by a whopping 70% to 30%. This was despite the fact that Oslograd reportedly reacted to Eura’s qualifying defeat against Natanians and Nosts by forcing his team to strip naked before shooting them repeatedly with paintball guns.

Liberal Party spin doctors were of course dismissive of this unscientific survey, and held their tongues firmly in cheek when remarking that it was “unfair to compare our excellent Prime Minister to a living god”. Surely, they said, it was all just fun and games? And maybe it was just part of the increasingly ironic attitude taken by Eurans to the national game and the national team, even with their wildcard manager having turned the team’s fortunes around with a convincing World Cup qualifying campaign to date, Eura having already qualified for the tournament with several matchdays to spare.

Unfortunately for the government, the Euran electorate are not joking in real polls that currently suggest Smith is the most unpopular Prime Minister since the nadir of the last Capital Party premier, Prime Minister Jonathan Crow. Even in the immediate aftermath of the catastrophic initial Sameban attack that triggered the Great Endemian War, a “rally around the flag” effect allowed his successor Michael Judge to avoid sinking approval ratings and instead ride out the crisis. Then came Amy Yarley, a political juggernaut in her own right who outpolled her party frequently and almost singlehandedly kept them in power at the last election. Her removal from office so soon after the election has thrown Smith into the spotlight, and it is safe to say he has withered; a honeymoon +17 average rating in national polls has descended rapidly into a troubling -15.

Anaia and the Territories

Eura’s rise to international prominence in recent decades has been accompanied by leaders who rose to the moment in a crisis, be it Lafferton over Mytanija, Crow over Askoy (although he really messed it up in the end), Judge over Sameba, and then Yarley over pan-Rushmorism and the CRC. In his early days Smith did not have such a situation thrust upon him. Now he has an opportunity to show leadership amidst the shocking geopolitical schism in Atlantian Oceania, which threatens to destabilise some of the closest parts of the multiverse to Eura and the success story dominion of the Euran Oceania Territories.

Yet so far, the crisis seems to have exposed the weaknesses of the Smith administration rather than its strengths. It is no secret in Blackhall that Smith lacks the natural radar for international geopolitics that Yarley had, and Government insiders have confirmed this in their conversations with the Emplor, revealing that the Cabinet is deeply divided over how to respond to the crisis as it unfurls. In the words of one senior source, this is only worsened by Smith’s “professed ambivalence” to the situation and refusal to set a direction to cut through the deadlock, which has left senior Liberal politicians and staffers in a state of dismay at the inaction of their new leader. Meanwhile, the devolved Territorial Administration of the Territories looks on anxiously for support and a strategy from the motherland.

Sameban reckoning

Yarley’s downfall was, in the end, her autocratic leadership style within her own party, and perhaps an underestimation of her internal opponents, on top of the same fatigue many people are starting to feel about the Liberals long period in power. Her hawkish response to what many saw as a culture war or post-conflict reconciliation issue over the Aspel Dellaro stadium ultimately led to bodies on the streets at the hand of Euran soldiers, no matter who gave the orders or what the intentions were, and a wave of subsequent unrest. Her party identified this as the final evidence of the aforementioned flaws in her leadership style, and brought down their talisman in order to regain control of the situation. Smith took advantage with political skill and impeccable timing.

Smith’s tactical astuteness has not translated from party political games to actually resolving the problems in former Sameba. His initial attempt to maintain the tough posture of Yarley crumbled far quicker than party strategists had planned, leading to the formation of an internal inquiry that will conclude later this year. It is likely to damage the government, but has a friendly panel, a balance that has pleased no-one; the opposition and civil rights groups will label it a whitewash, while the military and the hawkish, Yarley-worshipping wing of the party will denounce it as a betrayal of the troops. In Sameba itself, the domestic security situation remains precarious, with local elections looking likely to be delayed or scrapped entirely in the coming year, and violence between Sameban nationalists and Provisional Administration security forces (as well as the Euran military itself) remains frequent and deadly.

Increasingly the situation is beginning to damage Eura’s reputation as a law-abiding liberal democracy and drawing concern even from the closest of allies; remarkably this includes Eura’s closest current Rushmori ally, Nephara. Not so long after Nephara helped Eura fight its war more than any other ally, at the expense of great loss of life and treasure, Margravine Ulrica Lindt’s governing party have been dropping hints of a CRC inquest into Eura’s failures to establish a peaceful status quo in former Sameba, with the opposition and public opinion supporting these sentiments. Although the Euran ambassador in Corvistone puffed out his chest and told several local gatherings he was “furious” with briefings to the media criticising Eura’s new Prime Minister, the government itself has been conspicuously quiet.

Rumours circulate that they are especially sensitive to international opinion – although any non-domestic inquest would almost certainly be vetoed, other radical solutions are being considered in order to placate domestic unrest and the international community, even with the Anaia crisis providing a potential distraction in the short to medium term. But these rumours have simply increased uncertainty and set the hares running in parts of Smith’s own party. The PM’s office refused to quash speculation last week concerning a potential political amnesty that would allow Sameban nationalists to run for Parliament. One Cabient minister, speaking on condition of strict anonymity to the Emplor, pulled no punches in describing the consequences of such a move. “It would bring down the government in an hour”, he told us gravely, “and Smith would be finished before he’d got started.”

The “Beige Candidate”

What were the strengths that put Smith in office in the first place? Increasingly, Blackhall and the ruthless Euran political media machine are starting to wonder just that. Suspicion immediately turns, understandably, to the shadow of a decisive, era-defining leader like Yarley , who looms too large to ignore, especially as she quietly remains on the party backbenches. Yarley has not offered so much as an interview since Smith took over, but it is not unfathomable that she could intervene in the gathering debate over the direction of the government and the Liberal party. However the more likely answer to the question of why exactly it was Smith who replaced her, beyond him having lengthy experience as a senior minister and good networking skills, lies in a different direction – the benches opposite.

Towards the end of Yarley’s tenure and at the last election, there appeared to be a yearning in the Euran electorate for another figure reminiscent of Yarley’s predecessor and mentor Michael Judge. Harry Barnham of the Social Party best embodied that figure, but also brought with him a platform of substantial economic and social reform in order to move on from the Great Endemian War, a decade after its official conclusion. Smith was seen by most of the Liberal party as the perfect choice, the “Beige Candidate” to rule them all. Unfortunately, Barnham’s popularity has only increased since, while exposure to the top job has weakened Smith’s. It may only be a matter of time until one has the opportunity to topple the other.

EURAN FEDERAL PARLIAMENT - HEADLINE VOTING INTENTION
Data was last collected at the start of the week, and is published fortnightly, courtesy of Viewpoint Ltd. Bracketed are changes since the last poll from the same company. Incomplete data in former Sameba (c. 250 seats of 3,000 available) may skew results.

Voting Intention
LIB – 34.2% (-1.0)
SCL – 33.6% (+1.2)
CAP – 16.0% (+0.3)
UNI – 4.5% (-0.4)
CIF – 3.9% (-0.1)
Best PM
Barnham (SCL) – 34.5% (+2.0)
Smith (LIB) – 30.3% (-1.4)
Paldrey (CAP) – 8.0% (+0.5)
Bannister (UNI) – 7.1% (-0.1)
Adamson (CIF) – 4.2% (No change)
Approval (Approve %/Disapprove %)
Barnham (SCL) - 37/33 (+4)
Smith (LIB) - 25/41 (-16)
Bannister (UNI) - 18/20 (-2)
Paldrey (CAP) - 19/36 (-17)
Adamson (CIF) - 15/25 (-10)

by **Cassadaigua** » Thu May 27, 2021 6:23 pm

Time for cutoff. We're getting closer to the end! Who will get out alive?

by **Graintfjall** » Thu May 27, 2021 7:27 pm

Posted on the In Brief section of the GS SuperSports+ website.

KG and KG Part Ways

World Cup 88- Roleplay Thread

WC88Q Turori MD14 FOURTEEN ZERO ZERO / MD15

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