Di Bradini Cup 51/U21WC72 RP and Scores Thread

[TJUN-ia]

By Peter Davis

After a drab 0-0 draw against Eraman essentially extinguished our playoff hopes for this DBC at least, Philip von Oosterend wasn't that concerned that his fate may depend on results going his way in one of the toughest competitions in world football. Sure, it may be a bit iffy to be in this position, but the young team of relative rookies were developing with every game and the real magic may come in two years time, not really now. This team is still learning the ropes but many hoped that they could try and get as many points as possible in the final two games to show them that they could reach great potential in the future.

The game that finally showed how good these players can be was in Tabeck against the Empire of Joseon, or Barhe if you prefer. The people you had to feel for today turned out to be Kwon Hyeong Min and Seo Won Sang, who could do nothing to stop PvO's attacking prowess today in a game that wouldn't matter at all in the playoff picture in the end. Our team was dynamite out there and would score two goals in both halves, both from two players in particular: Regina McDuff and Jackson Smith-Scott. These two seemed to be linked at the hip at times, coming together to produce brilliant football in this contest and fully showing that the mixed-gender era of TJUN-ian sports was well and truly underway. They even connected with each other during the celebrations, dancing and all that jazz. No, I'm not suggesting there's something else at play here or that maybe these guys are the 2nd coming of Kerr and Harrison from Tumbra, but they were the definite two standouts as these Young Jags got their first win of the campaign while their playoff hopes were dashed in the other games.

With our fate sealed, our final game for two players (McVerner and Captain Kim) and the potential final game Mbwekala will go down back in Vecchio against the Equestrian States, or Equestria for short. The Little Ponies are also down and out heading into this one, so this game will be all about salvaging pride before the cycle ends. GO JAGS!

---

SCHEDULE (Group F, All Games In Starblaydia
MD1: vs HUElavia - Hallad City Stadium, Hallad City L 0-1 (5th?)
MD2: vs Chromatika - Victory Park, Vecchio D 2-2 (4th)
MD3: vs Eraman - Bekkside Arena, Tabeck D 0-0 (5th)
MD4: vs Barhe (Empire of Joseon) - Bekkside Arena, Tabeck W 4-0 (4th)
MD5: vs Equestrian States (Equestria) - Victory Park, Vecchio

[Abanhfleft]

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

---

Gaelic Gamers
Presents...

The Football Fallacies
with The Man from Markovsky

TFW SUCCESS IS ACTUALLY SCARY

Hello and welcome to The Football Fallacies. Right, so to all of you fuckers out there who believe that we have finally turned a corner as far as the DBC is concerned, why? Haven't you all been paying attention to what's happened before? Did you all forget how easy it was for our "dominant" teams to get brought back down to earth by bastard teams that we really honestly should have been able to beat if "momentum" was a real thing? How many times have Abanhfleft dominated in the group stages of a tournament only to get knocked out in the very first playoff game? More than I care to remember from all the pain and disappointment, that's for sure. And if you're not afraid of the same thing happening in the DBC once again, a competition where we have been historically cursed ever since we had a good start in our early years here, then you're just bloody delusional.

Why did I bring this up, you wonder? Oh, nothing. I just felt like mentioning it, especially now that we've got yet another win in the bloody Di Bradini Cup! Yes, we defeated Darmen. Yes, we're top of our group. Yes, everything looks like the setup to yet another cruel joke by the football gods. I told you I've seen this before. This is more than just deja vu at this point. This is the point that big-brained scientist was trying to make about insanity being about doing the same thing again and again while expecting a different result. We all know what needs to be done at this point, but up to this point this team has not shown if they are capable of keeping up the same level of intensity once they get to the playoffs.

Well, so far the lasses are keeping it up, but like I said, it's still the group stage. Come back to me when they've won their first knockout game. But while we're on the subject, let's talk about Darmen. They haven't had the best of starts to this DBC. Remember when they got spanked 7-4 by Krytenia? That can't have been good on their morale. They finally got a win against Juvencus before facing us, but it was a close fought thing at 2-3. There were some concerns on my part that this could be the start of a Darmeni renaissance that could break our own team's back. Instead, it was us who broke the Darmeni resistance, and how! Mavis McGlamery drew first blood for the Fleftics in just seven minutes after she pounced on the rebounding ball from Fionnbharr Woodham's save of a Josefine Vitagliano shot. Then Mae Wilbanks thumped home the ball into the roof of the net just six minutes later after a marvelous through ball between the Darmeni defenders by who else but Pina Vitagliano, and then it was Jordyn Bernardino's turn to score from a cross by McGlamery. And only 23 bastard minutes had passed!

Now, if you've been following Gaelic Gamers religiously (and if you're not then what are you doing with your life?) then you know that even when the game is seemingly out of reach for the opposition, I still cannot relax. I have seen too many miraculous comebacks by the other teams to ever be confident about an Abanhfleft victory until the final whistle has been blown. But strangely enough, Abanhfleft did hold on. Sure, there were some times were Darmen were actually a credible threat, especially in the final twenty minutes of the game, but our defense held firm! Shocker, right? And for the first time in a long time, I use the word shocker unironically. This Di Bradini Cup is really making me trip balls. I haven't had a trip this bad since I tried to eat that three-day old tin of cat food because I was too lazy to order Chinese on one of those apps that's all the rage right now. Bonaccorso Dermott did a very credible attempt at replicating Wilbanks' thundercunt of a goal around 74 minutes, and were it not for the crossbar being in the way it could have been contender for goal of the tournament. Who knows? Special mention must go out though to Clare Adcock for the clumsiest "almost a goal" in the tournament. The girl literally could not get the ball to sit right on her feet, and she almost literally walked into the goal because of it. Fionnbharr Woodham had much better ball control though and thus he was able to clear this particular danger.

Now there's only one more game for us to play, and it's against Bahia Roja. Can't say I've heard of them before now. They look decent. They look like a side capable of taking a result away from us. Can't ignore them at all. This game will be yet another test for the lasses in terms of them holding their nerve. Can they do it? And then can they do it one more time in the playoffs?

Anyway, that's all that there is from me now. If you've got comments or thoughts of your own about the game against Darmen or predictions against Bahia Roja then feel free to leave them down below. Until then, I've been the Man from Markovsky, worrying about once again being disappointed by my country.

DARMEN 0 - 3 ABANHFLEFT
             McGLAMERY (7')
             WILBANKS (13')
             BEENARDINO (23')

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

© Sporting Times Daily 2021
Work still to do for U21's in Corinth
by Mindy Cartwright, National Soccer Editor

The Commonwealth of Baker Park National Under 21 Team will close their Group G campaign back where it began in the 51st Di Bradini Cup, at Silverlands in Corinth. In spite of wins in three of the four previous matches played in Starblaydia, their place in the last 16 is not yet secured, holding a two point lead over third place Lathamford, the opponent in this contest.

A draw will see Liam Sullivan's side through, but defeat will allow the newcomers to jump into the second spot behind Cabo Azure.

Amanda Fraley will get her second start in goal, but Sullivan was coy about the rest of the lineup, saying he intends to play a normal pace and style for the match.

The young squad has shown surprising maturity that belies their experience; with the exception of the Cabo Azure loss there's been strong performances from both starting groups along with signs of leadership from unexpected sources.

"We're excited for how the new players have gotten comfortable and the how the 20's (year olds) have become a stronger presence in the dressing room. There have plenty of cohorts that have come through this team that had particular players who transcended the others in a leadership capacity, but our seconds (second year players) collectively are maybe one of the best we've had at taking responsibility, making their voices heard in training and stepping up to be good examples for the younger ones."

The boss was asked about his former colleagues Kate Di Marini and Shane Newman, both of whom led their respective nations--Zwangzug & Indusse--to semi-final berths in the Eagle's Cup, with Di Marini still having a chance to take the title.
"They don't need me to vouch for their ability and strengths as great managers, although I'm sure both would like to hear it come out of my mouth (laughter). But I think it's great for both of them, I think it's great for the association that we have two people who got their start here and have went on to succeed and thrive in their own right."

[Valanora]

MD5 RP cutoff for Starblaydia Half

Matchday 5

Group E
Tumbra 4–1 Bollonich
Savojarna 5–3 Pemecutan
Græntfjall 3–1 Starblaydia

P Group E              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Tumbra                 5   3  0  2    7   5  +2    9
2 Græntfjall             5   2  2  1   13  10  +3    8*
3 Savojarna              5   2  2  1    9   7  +2    8*
4 Bollonich              5   2  1  2    9  12  −3    7
5 Starblaydia            5   2  0  3    7   6  +1    6
6 Pemecutan              5   1  1  3    9  14  −5    4
*Ahead on Goal Difference

Group F
Eraman 1–2 HUElavia
Barhe 0–0 Chromatika
Equestria 2–3 TJUN-ia

P Group F              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 HUElavia               5   4  0  1    8   6  +2   12
2 Chromatika             5   3  2  0   15   7  +8   11
3 TJUN-ia                5   2  2  1    9   5  +4    8
4 Eraman                 5   2  1  2    7   9  −2    7
5 Equestria              5   1  0  4    8  13  −5    3
6 Barhe                  5   0  1  4    1   8  −7    1

Group G
Tikariot 1–3 Cabo Azure
Lathamford 2–1 Baker Park
Xanneria 5–4 Kohnhead

P Group G              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cabo Azure             5   5  0  0   16   6 +10   15
2 Lathamford             5   3  1  1   11   8  +3   10
3 Baker Park             5   3  0  2   12  10  +2    9
4 Tikariot               5   1  2  2    8  10  −2    5
5 Xanneria               5   1  1  3    8  12  −4    4
6 Kohnhead               5   0  0  5   10  19  −9    0

Group H
Juvencus 1–0 Krytenia
Abanhfleft 3–1 Bahía Roja
Lisander 3–0 Darmen

P Group H              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Abanhfleft             5   4  1  0   12   4  +8   13
2 Lisander               5   3  1  1    9   5  +4   10
3 Juvencus               5   2  1  2    5   5   0    7
4 Krytenia               5   1  2  2    8   7  +1    5
5 Bahía Roja             5   1  1  3    7  11  −4    4
6 Darmen                 5   1  0  4   10  19  −9    3

Round of Sixteen Fixtures
Tumbra v Lisander
HUElavia v Lathamford
Cabo Azure v Chromatika
Abanhfleft v Græntfjall

[Lathamford]

---

---

Di Bradini Cup 51/U21WC72
Group G:: Matchday 5
Lathamford 2–1 Baker Park

Styn Fyggs '3,  Sebastian de Axehelm '50   ׀  Phan My Kieu '39

@Iota "Big Eye" Arena, Silverlands, Stadii di Quercus


Game Report

1: Kick off
3: Lathamford scores! The scorer was Styn Fyggs
16: Peter Ironstorm takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
18: Phan My Kieu takes a shot. That's off-target.
29: Styn Fyggs takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
30: Edward Ogwumike takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
32: Peter Ironstorm takes a shot. That's off-target.
35: Lathamford was awarded a corner kick.
39: Baker Park scores! The scorer was Phan My Kieu
42: Styn Fyggs takes a shot. That's off-target.
47: Edward Ogwumike takes a shot. That's off-target.
49: Lathamford awarded a freekick, taken by Sebastian de Axehelm
50: Lathamford scores! The scorer was Sebastian de Axehelm
55: Danny Todd is shown a Yellow Card. ▍
58: Sebastian de Axehelm caught offside
60: Styn Fyggs takes a shot. That's off-target.
62: Peter Ironstorm takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
68: Phan My Kieu takes a shot. That's off-target.
69: Coe Fallenbelly is shown a Yellow Card. ▍
75: Substitution by Lathamford player Coe Fallenbelly make way for Lee Dowson
77: Edward Ogwumike takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
80: Substitution by Lathamford player Raymond Chains make way for Rolf de Axehelm
82: Baker Park awarded a freekick
84: Substitution by Lathamford player Styn Fyggs make way for Matt Strongwick 
89: Peter Ironstorm is shown a Yellow Card. ▍
91: Matt Strongwick takes a shot. That's off-target.
92: Peter Ironstorm takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
90+3: Final Whistle

The selection of Pedro Menendez-Sutra d’Ame as the head coach of the national team proved fruitful when the national team managed to place themselves in third place at the Baptism of Fire 76 tournament held in the Republic of Bollonich and the Kingdom of Banija. Placed in Group F alongside Aix les Filles, Saint Eleanor, Rizealand, and Usanguk, the Speedy Cat proved their superiority by winning the group stage with 13 points as a result of 4 wins and a draw. They did not lose at the group stage, and subsequently qualified for the knock-out stage 16 teams. Their opponent in KO16, is Ardelark, who occupies third place in Group C with 9 points from three wins and 2 losses. The Speedy Cat once again delighted their fans by beating Ardelark 3-0, a hat-trick by Lathamford star Farrowsteam, and directly we qualified for the quarterfinals, our opponent was Milchama, who they beat Moliza 2-1 in the knock out stage 16.

Once again good luck with us, the Speedy Cat managed to beat Milchama 4-3, in a very thrilling match. However, the journey of the national team came to a halt in the semi-finals when they lost to Cabo Azure 0-1 at The Stadium of the Restoration, Banija. Despite the loss, the FA was very pleased with the performance of the head coach, coaching staff, and players for surpassing the set targets. The 3rd and 4th place play-offs took place at The Keystone Stadium between Lathamford and Torisakia. In the 61st minute, Otto Farrowsteam's lone goal put Lathamford in third place by winning the match, it also directly gave exposure to the players to get past another important tournament which is the 89th World Cup qualifier. Congratulations to the Speedy Cat.

Turning to In Bradini Cup 51, the Young Speedy Cat also did their best, they made it to the knock-out stage, along with 15 other teams when they won the group stage final by beating Baker Park 2-1. Their strategy, as we know, was to quickly settle down as well as launch an attack as early as the first minute, and boom .. the third minute, Styn Fyggs who escaped the offside trap easily beat Baker Park goalkeeper Beth Rossi for the first goal of the match. But the opposing team managed to equalize in the 39th minute on a beautiful shot by Phan My Kieu that directly beat our goalkeeper, there may have been a deflection from the Lathamford defense and made Harridan unable to do anything. Lathamford's winning goal came in the 50th minute, Sebastian de Axehelm's free-kick which was powerful and went straight into the opponent's goal and gave us the winning goal in that important match. Our opponent in the Round of Sixteen is another strong team, HUElavia, may the Young Speedy Cat win again.

Di Bradini Cup 51/U21WC72
Group G:: MD1		Tikariot 1-1			Ironstorm
Group G:: MD2		Cabo Azure 2-4			Fyggs  ׀	 Ironstorm 		 ▍: Chains
Group G:: MD3		Xanneria 3-0			Ironstorm x2  ׀	de Axehelm		 ▍: du Fugerholds
Group G:: MD4		Kohnhead 3-2			Marfont ׀ Ironstorm ׀ Fike		 ▍: Paulus ׀  Marfont
Group G:: MD5		Baker Park 2-1			Styn Fyggs ׀ de Axehelm			 ▍: Fallenbelly ׀ Ironstorm

Scorer: Di Bradini Cup 51/U21WC72
Ironstorm		5
Fyggs			2
de Axehelm		2
Marfont			1
Fike			1

DBC51-1		Harridan, Paulus, Chains, Dexs [Sebastian-Claw], Colfield, Fallenbelly, de Axehelm (C), Bryanson, Trafford [Fike], Marfont [Fyggs], Ironstorm              	::1-1, Tikariot
DBC51-2		Harridan, Paulus, Chains  ▍, Dexs, Colfield, Fallenbelly, de Axehelm (C), Bryanson [du Fugerholds], Trafford [Wolfstein], Fyggs, Ironstorm [Strongwick]	::2-4, Cabo Azure
DBC51-3		Harridan, Paulus, du Fugerholds ▍ (Sebastian-Claw), Dexs, Colfield, Fallenbelly (Strongpike), de Axehelm (C), Bryanson, Trafford, Marfont (Fyggs), Ironstorm	::3-0, Xanneria
DBC51-4		Harridan, Paulus ▍, Chains, Dexs (Sebastian-Claw), Colfield, Fallenbelly (Strongpike), de Axehelm (C), Fike, Trafford, Marfont ▍ (Fyggs), Ironstorm       	::3-2, Kohnhead
DBC51-5		Harridan, Paulus, Chains (R. de Axehelm), Dexs, Colfield, Fallenbelly ▍ (Dowson), de Axehelm (C), Bryanson, Trafford, Fyggs (Strongwick), Ironstorm ▍		::2-1 Baker Park

[Tumbra]

Tumbra 4-1 Bollonich

TMB (4-3-3): 1 - Jones; 18 - Finney (2 - Renton, 61'), 4 - Kerr, 5 - Pritchett, 3 - Mercurio; 6 - Harrison, 15 - Morris (23 - Finnemore, 84'), 10 - Monaghan; 7 - Wells (17 - McGarry, 73'), 9 - Crossley, 22 - Hardaker

TMB scorers: Lynne Crossley (31', 68'), Julie Hardaker (52'), Trudy Harrison (90'+1')

Player of the Match: Lynne Crossley (TMB)

Link to arc home
defender meets midfielder: season 3, part 6/season 2, part 10
the memory/quibbles and squabbles

EXPLANATORY OOC NOTES

This can be construed as a direct follow-up to both the previous part in this series and the end of Season Two — where Stephen, journeying in Chromatika with his friend Trudy, receives the news that negotiations failed.

---

Z’ai’ai

“W-what?"

“I-I...Trudy, I’ve just been told…”

“Told…? Is everything okay, Stephen?”

“I’m on the market, Trudy.”

“That means…”

“I’m going to have to leave Straton. They’re not willing to pay.”

“That’s great news! You can finally go somewhere that...that…” Trudy’s voice trailed off upon seeing Stephen’s despondent face; the chopsticks clattered onto the plate, the duck on the table looking rather less delicious than it had been previously. He silently put his phone on the table, face down; then looked away from Trudy, seemingly hurt.

“You don’t understand. Straton is my life, Trudy. I grew up there. My first memory of the club is of my grandpa putting me on his shoulders, above the crowd, and walking down Stonehouse Avenue. Hundreds, thousands of people, walking towards that concrete behemoth. People call it ugly, but, well...it’s home. The first time I heard the cheers after a goal was scored. The first time I heard Straton’s Song. And I decided, at that very moment, that I wanted to play for the club.”

“Stephen, I think —”

“It was my dream to play for the club. And, well...it’s all about to go up in smoke. I was greedy, Trudy, I should’ve —”

“No, Stephen, it was right for you to try and negotiate. There was no way —”

“Don’t tell me what I should and what I shouldn’t do with my career! I shouldn’t have asked for so much. God, I was an idiot. What the fuck was I thinking?”

“Stephen, maybe we’ll just...maybe we should go? Get some fresh air. Go on a walk.”

“Yeah, sure.”

---

The two strode alongside each other down the crowded streets of Z’ai’ai, which was still remarkably busy despite it being relatively late at night. Chromatika, it seemed, never slept. Stephen cut a rather more forlorn figure, his steps dragging behind; while Trudy tried desperately to cheer him up.

“Look, Stevie, some skewers. Those look great.”

“No, Trudy, I don’t want anything right now.”

“Please, Stephen, talk to me.”

“Trudy, I really don’t feel like talking. And if we do, what’ll we talk about? The great meal we had? What matches we’re going to watch? Who’s going to face who in the next stage of the World Cup? Or are we just going to talk about me moving to Chromatika again?”

“Stephen, I’m just looking out for you.”

“Yeah, sure, by ignoring what I want. I want to stay at Straton, not move to Chromatika. Or anywhere else, really. It’s not something I want.”

“But it’s your career — you have to take these opportunities when you’re offered, fight for every last penny. You could suffer some kind of injury, or something could befall you. You, Stephen, are but a footballer. They are a club, a business. They’re not a charity. They can and they will short-change you whenever they get, Stephen, I —”

“I don’t see them in that light.”

“You’re looking at Straton wrongly. All those red flags? Letting Daniel Galbraith go? Trying to short-change you? Stephen, those red flags aren’t showing up because you’re looking at it through rose-tinted glasses. They just look like flags, Stephen, and they’re mistreating you.”

“But I love this club.”

“Well — they obviously don’t feel the same way about you.”

“That’s just patently not true, Trudy. Look — the club gave me my big break. They helped me get on that plane to Zeta Reka and Hügeltaldom. Without them I’d — well, I’d never have met you.”

Trudy smiled slightly upon hearing the last sentence, but forced herself to maintain her composure. “Still doesn’t change anything about the fact that they’re mistreating you by refusing to pay a decent wage for someone who’s going to start, week-in, week-out. Stephen, you were brave enough to even begin negotiating for the money you deserved in the first place. That they refused to negotiate is a failing on their side, not yours —”

“I don’t know, Trudy. I don’t know what to feel right now. It’s just — it’s just everything at once. I’m scared, Trudy, I don’t know what to do. There’s just so much going on —”

“Stephen, it’s normal to feel like this. You’ve just had a rug pulled out from underneath you…”

“I know.”

“I need to know you’re alright. It pains me to see you like this.”

A small smile crept over Stephen’s face. “You’re talking like I’m the sufferer of some debilitating disease, and I’ve been suffering for a long time. It’s been —” he glanced down at his watch, “— fifteen minutes.”

“Still, this is the saddest I’ve ever seen you.”

“...You’re probably not wrong, there.”

“I’ll buy you something. To cheer you up.”

“Like...what?”

She took his arm and dragged him to a shop in the crowded night market. The intricate Yueyu characters, in calligraphy, gave the small store an atmosphere of grandness; of something that had been here for a long time. 龍鬚糖, the sign read, each character painted with forceful yet delicate strokes; evidently a piece of art all of its own. Beneath it a small subtitle; “Dragon’s Beard Candy.”

“Really?”

“It’s good. Really good. Come, we’ll try some.” She led Stephen to a small bench which was, thankfully, unoccupied; though the rest of the benches in the seating area were; by couples enjoying the night-time ambience, parents sharing food with their kids, or just older people taking a break. This was still part of the night market, but it was a more relaxed part; here there were less people.

Trudy, for her part, approached the elderly man tending the store; a short while after, two boxes of the candies were in her hand. She put one away in her bag before sitting down next to Stephen.

“You’re not allergic to nuts, right? Just - just confirming. I never did ask before this, it’d be a real shame if —”

“No, Trudy, I’m not.”

“Cool.” She cracked open the plastic lid of the box, exposing the six fluffy-white candies to the world. Each one of the candies looked like a cloud; wisps of white sugar which had been painstakingly spun into little strings. Threads, maybe, was the more apt descriptor; the sugar had been spun so finely that it felt like cotton balls instead of, well, sugar. It was sticky, nearly gooey to the touch; but had a remarkable sense of solidity when pressed.

“What’s this?”

“Well, dolt, the sign says it right there. Dragons’ beard candy. It’s a big thing in Yuezhou and Xinhua, apparently. Dating back thousands of years. It’s healthier than cotton candy, too. There are peanuts in the middle, which, well...taste it and you’ll see. Go on.”

Stephen gingerly plucked one of the candies from the plastic box; he turned and examined it, before biting into half of it. Immediately his eyes widened; the soft, airy sugar contrasted well with the hard, earthy peanuts in the middle, producing a new gustatory experience that he evidently enjoyed. He chewed a bit, swallowed and put the rest inside without any hesitation.

He looked back at Trudy, who looked somewhat bemused. “What?” he said, looking rather annoyed.

“It’s nothing.” She took one of the sweets, and bit into it as well. “This is good. We never had it at home, but, here, well. It helped me get through the first year. Leysa — Leysa Burns, my team-mate? She introduced me to this. After a particularly gruelling training session, where I felt I wasn’t good enough? She picked me up, told me we’d go out somewhere nice. And she brought me to one of these markets, and said that they had some of the best food in the city. Of course, the markets in Chromia can't compare to what they have here, of course...but...”

“Well. I fell in love after this.”

“I can see why. This...it’s amazing.”

The two shared the remaining four candies, appreciating the warmth of the sugar in the cold night air. Before they could finish, though, they were interrupted in the middle of their conversation.

“Excuse me? Hi. Ah. I’m a photographer, and, well, I’m looking for subjects to shoot. It’s for a school project, titled ‘Reflections of the Night’. I noticed you two, and, well, I think you two look really cute together, and —”

“Cute? I think you’ve rather got the wrong idea, my dude, we’re —”

“We’re friends.”

“Yeah. Just friends.”

“Well, my bad. Sorry. You two look really close, and it’s perfect for a shot that I would love to grab. Could I? Please? I promise I won’t take up too much of your time. I just need you two to look at each other for a bit, and, well, I’ll handle the rest.”

Stephen looked at Trudy, shrugged, and asked. “You alright with this?”

“Only if you are.”

“It’s decided, then,” Stephen said to the photographer. “We’ll do it; but be quick.”

“Thank you!” The unnamed teenager got to work almost immediately, setting up his camera; Stephen and Trudy looked together, mildly bemused, before they began looking into each other’s eyes. It was immediately obvious that they’d never looked this hard at each other; and both of them couldn’t control their laughter after about thirty seconds. But, eventually, to not disappoint the young photographer who was obviously extremely enthusiastic about his work; they started looking at each other again.

Stephen’s eyes were dark brown, hazel to use the correct term, really; like an autumn’s day. They constantly darted around, trying to focus on anything but Trudy’s eyes, she suspected; but after about fifteen seconds he gave up, and started looking into her own eyes.

Trudy’s eyes, on the other hand, were a much lighter shade of blue; the inkblot that was her iris seemed stable, and pierced straight into Stephen’s gaze. It fit her, really; though Stephen felt a tad intimidated by her, and tried looking somewhere else. After a while, though, he gave up; and looked straight at her. Her eyes did look very nice, he reckoned.

After about three minutes of the two of them trying to focus on each other, giggling as they did so, the young teenager approached them, and gently told them he was done. They swapped contact details; when he offered to pay the two of them for their time, they refused. After all, he was but a student; and both of them knew what it was like to be a student.

As he hurriedly scampered off, presumably to grab some other shots, the two of them got up and prepared to go back to the hotel. It was properly late, now; the moon was high up in the air. The mood had considerably lightened, however; and there was a distinct spring in Stephen’s step as they arrived on the threshold of the hotel.

“Well. It’s certainly been interesting.”

“Yeah. Ten tomorrow? Then we can go and spend another afternoon here before we go watch Brenecia versus Nephara.”

“Sure. Stephen…”

“Yeah?”

“...would you consider moving to Chromatika?”

“Not this again, Trudy, come on.”

“I’m only thinking of your future. Please, Stephen, I—”

“Look, Trudy, I appreciate it, but I came here to watch the World Cup. It’s just unfortunate that my career got in the way, and I really just want to watch some football. I’m not going to make a decision so soon, and I’m not here to search for a career move. Please, Trudy.”

“I really think —”

“STOP IT! Please. Please, Trudy, leave me be. I’ll see you tomorrow. Good night.”

He walked off without another word, leaving Trudy in the hotel lobby, simply standing there.

---

Was I too harsh?

Sleep didn’t come easily for Stephen that night. He tossed and turned, thinking of; well, many things. Straton. Trudy. Home. Football.

But I really don’t want to think about the future.

Maybe if he laid on his back he’d feel more comfortable. The hotel room was dark, the curtains drawn; and all he could stare at was the solitary ceiling light. He’d come here to watch football; not get drawn into a lengthy discussion over his future.

But he had to face it, soon. He contemplated leaving Straton, his home; he knew that he had to move. He didn’t like what Trudy had said, but...it was true. She knew better than him about this; she was an interested observer, for sure, but when he thought about it, she was right.

Maybe I should fly back.

Cut short his holiday, fly back to Tumbra, launch himself into the lion’s den? Here he was still safe. Here he wouldn’t have to deal with the burning-hot embers of Tumbran football’s fire. But he’d have to face up to it soon; Straton wasn't willing to offer him a deal.

He’d have to move clubs. And by God, if Straton weren’t willing to have him, he’d make them regret every moment of it.

But first, he’d have to apologise to Trudy. He didn’t want to lose one of his dearest friends; and he was afraid his stubbornness would lose her.

Stephen Kerr lay on his back for a long time; but as sleep does tend to wash over someone, it caught up with him, too; and soon he was caught in it, too, slumbering away.

---

Was I too pushy?

Sleep didn’t come easy for Trudy that night. She tossed and turned, thinking of...things. But in succession. Chromatik. Chromatika. Kingsbury. Stephen.

But he really doesn’t realise what’s wrong.

She flipped onto her right side, slipping a hand under her pillow. All she could stare at was the luminous clock on her bedside table; it was the only source of light in the room. She’d asked Stephen to come here and watch football; not flog the country as a potential future career move.

What if he doesn’t want to move here anymore? God, I’m so fucking stupid.

Trudy hadn’t been able to get any of the rest of the Nine to move to Chromatika; she knew it was selfish for her to want Stephen to come here, but she genuinely thought it was a good move for him. Chromatik was a great club, on the up-and-up; with him they’d be able to make a stab at the title.

I need to say sorry to him. Before...before...I lose him.

There was every chance now Stephen would cut short his holiday; but she would have to stand by him on that. But before that — any of that — she’d have to apologise, hope that their friendship hadn’t been damaged…

Trudy Harrison lay on her side for a long time; but eventually she found herself falling asleep, too. She made no attempt to fight it; and allowed herself to drift away.

---

The Next Morning

The atmosphere was tense as the two sat down opposite each other at the breakfast table; both avoided eye contact with each other.

“I -”

“No, you go first.”

“How about I - hah. Alright, I’ll go first.”

“I’m sorry, Trudy, for flaring up at you last night. And for, well, ignoring whatever you were saying.”

“And I’m sorry, Stephen, for being so pushy.”

“I forgive you.”

“And I forgive you.”

The two shared a quiet moment.

“The thing is, Trudy, I don’t think I can stay in Chromatika for much longer. Things are going to be heating up, y’know — and I’ve got to go back. I wish I could stay, I really could. But…”

“I understand, I understand completely. It’s a shame we weren’t able to watch the Final together. But your career comes first. Please, Stephen, choose wisely.”

“I will. Or, at least, I’ll do my best.”

She grinned. “I know you will. Plus, I’ll always be here for you. Same way you came, then? Quebec, then Tumbra?”

“Most likely. Trudy…”

“Everything will be alright, Stephen. Let’s eat.”

---

Straton

“Stephen. Stephen, everything’s okay. Stephen, can you hear me…?”

The dulcet tones of Daniel Galbraith shook Stephen out of his shallow, rapid breaths; he snapped out of it, taking deep breaths like a swimmer who’d just surfaced from a long, deep dive.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Just...got away from me there.”

“That’s good. That’s good. Take your time, alright? No need to rush. Everything’s alright…”

“Yeah. Everything will be.”

TUMBRA vs LISANDER - DI BRADINI CUP 51 ROUND OF 16
Starters: 1 - Jones; 2 - Renton, 4 - Kerr, 5 - Pritchett, 3 - Mercurio; 6 - Harrison, 15 - Morris, 10 - Monaghan; 7 - Wells, 9 - Crossley, 11 - Riordan
Bench 12 - Ager, 13 - Russell; 18 - Finney, 14 - Wyatt, 20 - Hamilton, 19 - Green; 8 - Lawrence, 16 - Robertson, 23 - Finnemore; 17 - McGarry, 21 - Baker, 22 - Hardaker

[Sendhang]

DAY 21 - MONTH 6 - YEAR 7

---

---

Narrow win for the Young Farmers, through to the Round of 16

Raynor City: The Sendhang Under-21 national team won over Savigliane with a final score of 3-2 in the final match of the Group A of the Di Bradini Cup at the Hellgate, Raynor City tonight. Sendhang goals were scored by Antonius Konai in the 8th and 85th minutes, and Wahyu Sujawardi in the 27th minute. The two goals for Savigliane were contributed by Sofia Mercanti in the 22nd minute and Valentina Gastaldo in the 89th minute.

In the action at the Hellgate, the Young Swans maintained the accuracy of the passes between their players and hold most of the possession of the ball during the game. However, Sendhang's defenders and midfielders, who combined compactly to form the defensive line, often thwarted the efforts of goal opportunities that were built by the opponent since the first minute of the match.

Sendhang's surprise attack through a cross from Wahyu Sujawardi into the heart of Savigliane's defense successfully created chaos in the Young Swans' penalty zone. It was Antonius Konai who managed to snatch the wild ball towards the corner of Gianfranco Giglio's goal to produce the first goal for Sendhang in the 8th minute.

Savigliane's equalizer was created by deep-lying playmaker, Elia Grossi, and creative midfielder, Sabine Faucher in the 22nd minute through a short but fast pass which was executed carefully by the left-winger, Sofia Mercanti, who was waiting at the goalmouth to equalize the score to make 1-1.

Five minutes later, Teuku Syarkawi's side managed to get the lead again through a corner kick opportunity which was converted into a goal by Wahyu Sujawardi's header. Score 2-1 to Sendhang.

After halftime, Savigliane appeared more aggressive in pressing Sendhang through the wing lines and long-range crosses into the heart of the opponent. The defensive line of Sendhang was found out by the attacking duo of Elizabeth Blanc and Valentino Gastaldo in the 51st minute. But the inaccurate finishing touch by Elizabeth Blanc let the Young Swans down.

The high pressure from Savigliane made Teuku Syarkawi change the composition of players in attack and defense, they were midfielder Asep Surasep who was replaced by Fernandes Geong, and left-winger Tatang Suratang was replaced by Teuku Farid in the middle of the second half.

The Sendhang striker, Antonius Konai, finally dashed Savigliane's hopes of turning things around, after scoring the third goal for his side in the 85th minute after a fast counter-attack from right-back Susila Gunawan's long ball forward.

Savigliane finally found their second goal of the game through a penalty kick by Valentina Gastaldo in the 89th minute after she was tackled by two Sendhang defenders inside the penalty box. It was however too late for Savigliane to mount a comeback as the referee blew the final whistle three minutes after that.

The result means Sendhang finished second of Group A and is through to the Round of 16. Sendhang recorded 3 wins, a draw, and a defeat in the group stage to collect 10 points, 3 points behind group winner Valanora, and two points ahead of Poafmersia in third place. Sendhang will play the fellow Melayuan nation and winner of Group D, Sharktail in the Round of 16.

[HUElavia]

Historic HUElavia!

Yamane's and Bourdain-McSheehy's goals secure HUElavia's advance to the knockouts for the first time!

Eraman 1-2 HUElavia
(Ekayawan 42' | Bourdain-McSheehy (P) 22', Yamane 87'')
(Hallad City Stadium, Hallad City, Starblaydia)

Entering Matchday 5, HUElavia and Eraman were coming into the match both needing a victory. Eraman needed it to directly advance, HUElavia needed it to secure their spot in the knockouts. Both teams were playing with their A-Teams, with Yamane as Captain and Huamani in goal, and both teams wore their Home Uniforms for the match. The match was set to be played at Hallad City Stadium (49,000), in Hallad City, with thousands of HUElavians flocking to the stadium to cheer on the team. The teams came out, the anthems were played, the coin toss was done, and the ball rolled to set up a crucial win-and-in match for both teams.

Despite chances from both teams going out narrowly, the opening goal came in the 22nd minute, when Yamane was being covered by Dabiti, where the Eramanian defender stuck out a leg too far and tripped up Yamane in the box. The referee did not hesitate to blow his whistle and pointed to the spot, giving Dabiti a yellow card in the process. Bourdain-McSheehy stepped up and sent Dewadarsa the wrong way, as she blasted the ball into the top right corner of the goal, making it 0-1. Bourdain-McSheehy celebrated with hugs and high-fives from her teammates, while the HUElavian crowd jumped with joy and passion. In the 42nd minute, a throw in was put in by Suaryati, which was gotten by Senajit and crossed into the box, only for Ekayawan to head the ball over Otto and past Huamani into the goal, making it 1-1. Ekayawan grabbed the ball and ran to center circle, while the Eramanians in the crowd celebrated with cheers, motivating their team to continue. Despite chances done by both teams, it looked as if HUElavia was willing to hang on to the draw. Although, in the 87th minute, a pass by Durmuka (in for Harimasru) was intercepted by Cerqueira (in for Jaillita), who gave a pass to Notario, who in turn gave a low pass towards a sprinting Yamane, who got past her coverage by Suaryati and was played onside. Yamane went one-on-one with Dewadarsa, giving a low shot to the right of the Eramanian goalkeeper, with the ball rolling into the goal, making it 1-2. Yamane was mobbed by her teammates and the bench for the goal, while the HUElavian crowd erupted and jumped with joy and passion to make the stadium rumble. The goal deflated and dejected the Eramanians, as HUElavia held out to win the match, and earn their first-ever appearance in the Round-of-16 in the DBC.

With the victory, HUElavia finish Group F in 1st Place with 12 Points (4-0-1), going over Chromatika, who came off a 0-0 draw with Barhe, where they finished 2nd Place with 11 Points (3-2-0). With a difference in knockout matches, HUElavia will play against Group G Runners-Up, Lathamford. They finished in their group with 10 Points (3-1-1). The A-Team will play for both teams, with HUElavia wearing the Home Uniform and Lathamford will wear their Away Uniform. Yamane will be Captain once again while Huamani will start in goal. The match is set to be played at Iota "Big Eye" Arena (82,000), in Penningworth. It is expected that thousands of HUElavians will be traveling and flocking to Starblaydia to support the team in this historic match. Here's to hoping this can be a fun and entertaining match, as well as that this "Yellow Dream" can continue.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

[TJUN-ia]

Final: Equestria 2-3 TJUN-ia (Angel Wings (23', 34'); McDuff (29'), Smith-Scott (46'), Kim Choi-Ya (78')

By Peter Davis

A final win ended this tournament of growth, with the goal scorers perfectly explaining where this was headed into the future.

The responses to the two Equestrian goals came from Regina McDuff and Jackson Smith-Scott, the new dynamite duo of TJUN-ian sports. While their personal lives remain a secret (as most footballers tend to do), they are a tight-knit unit out there and certainly a strike force worth talking about.

The eventual winner came from Kim Choi-Ya, the Captian in his final game for the Young Jags, and so say he was a respected member of this team was an understatement. He had been through a lot during his time at the U21s and he was certainly celebrated as such, being clapped off the pitch by the rest of the team as he, Alex McVerner and (potentially) Sadio Mbwekala enter the tunnel as U21s for the final time.

Growth takes time. But under Jose Lozano de la Cruz, many hope for better next time around. We will be back! GO JAGS!

---

SCHEDULE (Group F, All Games In Starblaydia
MD1: vs HUElavia - Hallad City Stadium, Hallad City L 0-1 (5th?)
MD2: vs Chromatika - Victory Park, Vecchio D 2-2 (4th)
MD3: vs Eraman - Bekkside Arena, Tabeck D 0-0 (5th)
MD4: vs Barhe (Empire of Joseon) - Bekkside Arena, Tabeck W 4-0 (4th)
MD5: vs Equestrian States (Equestria) - Victory Park, Vecchio W 3-2 (3rd/2W-2D-1L/8pts/+4GD)

[Lathamford]

BusinessLink talks to Art Bigspear, CEO of Franco deWolf International Airport, on developing tourism, infrastructure, and other industries

What role does Franco deWolf International Airport play in the Lathamford economy?
Franco deWolf International Airport is the key airport in Lathamford and the main door for visitors arriving into the nation. Tourism is one of the key strengths of Lathamford's economy. We handle approximately 9 million passengers per year, and the growth pattern in 2020 has been positive. We have grown beyond our expectations. We are working hard with tourism sector stakeholders to ensure that we tap into the right potential growth markets. The markets of interest include Melayu Archipelago, where we are making inroads. There are currently no direct flights from Lathamford to Melayu Archipelago, other than to Oakwood Landing. We have been talking mainly about the airport in relation to tourism; however, we are also working to support the development of exports, especially agricultural exports. We also see more business people flying into Franco deWolf International Airport because of all the things going on in Thousandforks. For this reason, we are working with businesses to look at developing the real estate opportunities we have at the airport.

Franco deWolf is said to be one of the most state-of-art airports in this region. What state-of-the-art technologies will make it possible for the airport to remain open even under severe emergency conditions?
We have supported the roof with a part of the steel. A few individuals consider this too much, but the airplane terminal should withstand overwhelming ashfall within the case of a volcanic eruption. Also, we installed a five-centimeter channel throughout the airport to accommodate a very flexible plastic material that reinforces the building against earthquakes. The modern airport can support a seismic tremor positioning nine on the Richter greatness scale. We have moreover introduced an interesting fire-resistant froth within the walls that can survive temperatures up to 700°C.

What expansion works do you have ongoing at the airport?
Franco deWolf International Airport started a modern stage of improvement in 2020, with a center on contributing to and making strides in our framework. We anticipate that over the following 15 a long time, Franco deWolf International Airport will see investments of over $100 million. We will enlarge the terminal building, increase facilities, and add gates to reduce congestion. We are going redesign car parking offices and make strides in the check-in range, as well as the commercial zone to form it much more alluring and curiously. We are working with the migration specialists to guarantee that the traveler's involvement is charming when individuals enter the nation, with the establishment of new booths. We are contributing in discuss conditioning and numerous other things to modernize the airplane terminal. On top of this, we will also lengthen the runway at an additional cost of over $60 million.

Is the infrastructure in Thousandforks adequate to give people the best tourism experience?
It is extraordinary that hotels here are moreover contributing and developing. There are more lodging rooms accessible, much obliged to both the extension of existing inns and the development of modern inns. Visitors who come here appear to appreciate the encounter. And there's potential for more. I see many upsides to Lathamford. Because we know there will be more hotel rooms coming and we have the passenger demand here, our strategy at Franco deWolf International Airport will be to grow our facilities. In any case, we need to work in conjunction with other entities to guarantee that the complete involvement is as extraordinary because it can be. We are working with lodgings and playing our portion to guarantee that travelers who fly into Franco deWolf International Airport can easily get on their hotel buses. We are also opening a bus station at the airport, which will facilitate multimodal transport inter-connectivity. We are also a homeport for numerous cruise liners; therefore, people fly into Franco deWolf International Airport and start their cruises from here. We have a number of flights from Melayu Archipelago bringing passengers in for this.

Round of Sixteen Fixtures
HUElavia v Lathamford

[Vilita and Turori]

LIttle Eel Kitties Seek Gladerial Escape in Round of 16

The White Fortress, Gladerial, Valanora :: The Vilita and Turori Under-21 Squad had already had a very difficult season of competition with multiple back-to-back-to-back-to-back competitions stretching their roster and exhausting their players. First, a predominantly Under-23 Squad set out to compete in the AOCAF where the Eel-Cat Things would make it all the way to the semi-finals before defeat at the hands of Valanora and a third place finish overall in the competition.

From there, Vilita and Turori would take a split squad with some players heading to Electrum in an attempt to defend the Olympic Gold Medal for the Vilitan Union while others would stay home to compete in the Eagles' Cup XI - the first ever appearance in the competition for a joint Vilita & Turori side. In order to field a full strength squad for both competitions, the Football Association of Vilita and Turori called in some veteran players to the Vilita & Turori squad for the Eagles' Cup. While the average age of the Vilitan Union squad competing in Electrum was under 21 years of age, the Vilita and Turori squad at the AOCAF had a starting forward duo with a combined age of 79.

Despite the added experience, Vilita and Turori would be unable to advance from the Cup of Champions Group Stage at the Eagle's Cup. It wasn't a result of too many defeats for the Eel-Cat Things but a matter of not enough victories. Vilita and Turori were held three times to a draw but only recorded a single victory - on the road against Baptism of Fire Cup Champions Eshialand. It was an unexpectedly defensive performance for the Vilitan Union who were one of just two teams in the tournament to have both goals conceded and total goals scored tallies in the single digits.

The other was Mertagne. While the Vilitan Union and Mertagne would not directly cross paths in the Eagle's Cup outside of the one slightly off-normal stastical oddity, they would square off head to had at the Under-21 World Cup. Three matchdays into the group stage in Valanora it appeared that the clash between Mertagne and Vilita & Turori on the final matchday of Group Play was setting up to be critically important. Three teams, Mertagne, Vilita and Turori and Sarzonia had all been battling for just two spots in the knockout rounds and with Mertagne and Vilita and Turori set to face each other on the final matchday of group play, the potential was there for a winner-take-all; loser go home scenario.

The results of the penultimate matchday, however, rendered the importance of the Mertagne v. Vilita & Turori fixture virtually irrelevant. With Mertagne's victory over Sarzonia on Matchday 4, the three team battle had been reduced to two. Both Mertagne and Vilita & Turori had now been assured of advancement to the knockout rounds. Vilita & Turori, however, were held to a 1-1 draw at the White Fortress in Gladerial by the Quebec & Shingoryeo team who were just looking for some confidence to take home with them after having already been eliminated.

Despite the relative non-importance of the game, it still had to be played. A once promising fixture that promised to be energetic and filled with importance was now just another game standing in the way of two teams already looking ahead to their knockout round matches. The Little Eel Kitties were exhausted and could have used the break but the match would also be a good test to see where Vilita and Turori truly stood against a team that had recently won the Under-18 World Cup and were proving to have a capable youth program.

Despite the inclusion of Trezisi Rokopolis and Clarana Refiami in the lineup, the remainder of the Vilita and Turori players could never find a rhythm against Mertagne - losing the possession battle and failing to find the scoresheet being subject to a rare clean sheet against. Zelkki Milake Jr. conceded two goals as Mertagne would secure a 2-0 victory and Top Spot in Group B heading into the Round of 16.

The Little Eel Kitties would move forward to face Adab in the first knockout round, a side that easily ran over Group C with a 5-0-0 record and just a single goal against over five games. Vilita and Turori are likely to come out with much more energy for the knockout round as the defending Di Bradini Cup Champions look to extend their reign for at least one more round. They will hope, however, to get out of Gladerial as quickly as possible. After having won each of their matches contested at the Angelotic Temple and Orange Gate Falls, Vilita and Turori took just one point from six in two games at The White Fortress and would be more than happy to head out to Sabinal Stadium for the knockout round, if only for the hope that the change of scenery would provide a much needed energy boost for the remainder of the competition.

 Vilita & Turori U21 [0] - [2] Mertagne
				
	GOALS:	Vilita & Turori U21 	:: None	               		
	STATS:	Vilita & Turori U21 	:: Possession: 46%:: Shots: 4:: Corners: 3	Mertagne 	:: Possession: 54%:: Shots: 5:: Corners: 9
	Lineup:	[GK] Zelkki Milake Jr., [D.] Narri Sebapilo, [D.] Kamarela Dzzara, [D.] Planio’o Nrujsa, [ML]  Fyin Miateal, [MC]  Trezisi Rokopolis, [MC] Naraiza Ruaplal, [MC]  Khrusan Mlianko, [MR]  Kinabo Telioa, [FC] Clarana Refiami, [FC] Lutara Makakio			
	Bench:	[FC] Treasvo Tlikara, [FC] Loala Inkabu, [M] Imauka Lkomorak, [M] Friika Diirotora, [U ] Karisto Monafog, [D] Injyua Klizlo, [GK] Derizi Amatopa

[Mertagne]

The squad were fairly used to seeing Kristie Ettrick squinting at a screen, but this time they saw her squinting at a screen with half of a salmon and cream cheese bagel poking out of her mouth. It was as if she'd simply shut down in the middle of their post-group stage brunch after a solid 2-0 victory against Vilita and Turori that culminated in a perfect group stage. To celebrate this fact, she and Ben Holl had taken the team to a wonderful outdoor eatery, and the entire squad were sat on one incredibly long table outside that stretched halfway down the small back alley street in which the restaurant was located.

"Is she broken? Kristie, hello? Not five minutes ago you were singing our praises for defeating the incumbent champions. Are you switched on?" asked Pia Aziz, who slowly waved a hand across her field of vision.
Kristie wiggled her head back and forth and gently placed the bagel loop back on her plate. "Oh, yeah, fine. I've found out who we're playing in the Round of 16. Group C have just wrapped up their game."
A excited clattering of cutlery and chairs crashed out as the squad rearranged themselves to get a better look and listen to Ettrick, who was placed towards the middle of the table. Well? Who is it? I hope it's not Krytenia...

"You will all be up against... Mytanija."
Ben looked quizzically. "Mertagne? You're having us on, right?"
Ettrick coughed loudly. "Oh, sorry. Must have been the bagel. No, Ben, Mytanija. I know we sound similar, but you've got to believe me when I say we're not that alike. For starters, they've got one of the better domestic leagues in the multiverse." She stood up and addressed the squad. "Now, does anyone here have any connections to any Mytanars on the opposing squad?"

Two hands shot up across the long table. Erdotza de la Fontaine and Alips Maurauri.
Ettrick gestured to the two of them. "Ladies, how do you know Mytanars?"

Erdotza stood up. "Tikariot, Kristie. I'm at Meriador with Marko Mishatkin."

"And yourself, Ms. Maurauri?"

"I'm at Blades with Anton Puzin."

Kristie clapped her hands together and smiled, with that typical fire in her eyes. "Wonderful! Do either of you get on with your respective Mytanar men?"

Alips Maurauri rolled her eyes. "As well as you can get on with any team mate, you know?"

"That'll have to do. Well, you can use that to your advantage, as you'll both be starting against the Mytanar squad. I know they're reserves, but hopefully Adem Fejzic will get it through his big skull to play players that might know a thing or two about how we play. Yes, it's a risky maneuver, but if I know one thing about Mytanars, it's that they'll go for those kinds of risky maneuvers if it means they can show off."

"Is this now an impromptu tactics meeting for our Round of 16 match?" asked Ben Holl, finishing off a glass of orange juice.
"Ben, you know me by now. Every conversation we have has the potential to become an impromptu tactics meeting. Like when I called you up and asked you to dress up as an Eel-Cat Thing. You were shaving at the time, weren't you?"
Ben swiftly went to pour himself a glass of water. "I was, but I know better than to reject a call from you."

Ettrick and the squad laughed as she sat back down. "Absolutely correct. Anyway, you've had an unbeatable run so far, but this game will be absolutely nails. Mytanars will do anything to win, and I've got to say, they've had an absolutely brilliant run in the last few Di Bradini Cups. They came third in the last one. I know V&T won the last one, and we did well over them, but we were kind of corralled into going up against them, and I'm not going to lie to your folks - that V&T side must have been a bit shattered to be beaten by you lot. Now, we're here on our own merits, and while I know you have what it takes to beat Adem Fejzic's little beauties, they don't know that. I'm sure they've been told, but they're putting their fingers in their ears and their hands all over the ball and are going 'La la la, I can't hear you, Mytanija are stronk and Thessia until I die'. But I hope you'll all push past that. Anyway, Fontaine, Maurauri, come here - I have a special assignment for you both."

The two stepped up to Ettrick's chair, hesitant yet excited to see what she had in store for them.
"Alips. Tell me more about Anton Puzin."

"Well," Maurauri began, "he's about my age, he's in BxM but he's on loan from Bastion, so he's quite scrappy as he came up through Bastion's youth side."

"Bloody Bastion." Kristie interrupted. "Absolute pain in my arse. Please, carry on."

"He's a good keeper. Will probably play for Bastion someday. I don't know if they'll start him, Kristie, but they might sub him in if Besak gets a bit tired."

"Hopefully Besak will get tired when he's jumping around trying to stop our shots for ninety minutes. Fingers crossed, eh? And you know how to get around him? Has he got a weak spot?"

"We've played close to each other. I don't know about weak spots, but in my opinion, he can get a bit close. Out of the box, overreaching."

"That'll have to do, Alips. And then we can sneak one past him when his back is turned. Nice work." Kristie held out a fist for Alips to bump, before moving on to Erdotza. "And tell, me, Erdotza - how is Tikariot? And how is Marko Mishatkin?"

"Marko's flexible, and starts often for Meriador. They know how to get the best out of him over in Tikariot, and he's got an attacking mindset when he wants to. I'd watch out for him if I were you."

"I've only got so many eyes, Erdotza," Kristie crossed her eyes by holding a finger up towards her nose. "but I'll do my best." She winked at de la Fontaine. "Thanks folks. This is all really useful advice. I knew I could count on you. Go and enjoy the rest of your brunch."

[Starblaydia]

Round of 16, Vanorian half

Round of 16 Results

Valanora 1–2 Pasarga

Mertagne 3–2 Mytanija

Adab 1–0 Vilita and Turori

Sharktail 2–1 Sendhang


Quarter-Final Fixtures

Pasarga v Mertagne

Adab v Sharktail

[Chromatika]

Group Stage
Chromatika 5–2 Equestria
TJUN-ia 2-2 Chromatika
Chromatika 3-1 HUElavia
Chromatika 5-2 Eramen
Barhe 0-0 Chromatika

Fifteen goals scored in five games is a rather large amount for the Junior Anomalies; conceding seven is a rather large amount, though. It's not that Van Enax hasn't been a good keeper, but the play in transition hasn't been the cleanest, leaving him in some untenable situations that the opposition has been able to convert.

As the team moves into the knockout stages of the tournament - beginning with Cabo Azure - they must play at a higher level than has been shown so far in this tournament. To be fair, the goal of this squad has been already reached - to reach the knockout rounds. Everything else is just frosting on the cake, as the saying goes.

[Abanhfleft]

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

---

Gaelic Gamers
Presents...

The Football Fallacies
with The Man from Markovsky

YET ANOTHER "BIGGEST GAME" OF OUT LASSES' LIVES

Hello and welcome to The Football Fallacies. Right, now that Bahia Roja is out of the way, we're through to the knockout stages of the Di Bradini Cup yet again. How many times have we said that before? And how many times have our teams failed to live up to the hype that they've built up through all those games? More than I care to count. Well, at least if it happens yet again, it's at the hands of Græntfjall and not some bastard one-tournament country like Nilrahranfan. Christ above, those fascists still bring my blood to a boil, and it's not just because of their bastard ideology!

Now let's go over what happened against Bahia Roja before we get our arses handed to us yet again. The start of the match was chaotic, to say the least. The lasses were itching to get the scoring started early once again just like they did with Darmen. But the Rojans had studied our tape from that game and they were wary of our own attempts at quick attacks. They held us off by holding their own shape together. It's tough to break down two lines of four, as anyone who has ever played against Gaëtano Bernardeschi will attest to. Whether it was passing on the ground or in the air, it didn't really matter. Bahia Roja were cutting off our attacks before they could truly materialize. And since that was the problem, there was only one solution to it, really: just carry the ball from our area to theirs, and then worry about finding a teammate then. It's gotten to the point where even our fullbacks were having to venture deep into the opponents' half just to get a cross in. And for their part, the Bahia Rojans were content to keep letting us cross and Inshallah because they've got taller defenders than we have attackers. Don't you just love to see it?

Well, the Rojans loved seeing it until Ilda Fausti put a ground ball through the lines and into the feet of Jordyn Bernardino who didn't need to be told to go for goal. Sure, she may have slipped in reaching for the ball, but it went into the back of the net and that's what matters. The second goal of the game for Abanhfleft was a carbon copy of the first, only it was Mavis McGlamery who found Mae Wilbanks down the left side. It wouldn't be until the second half that Bahia Roja would finally find a response, but what a response it was. Dante Prats-Moya lofted the ball over the defense's heads and waited for a teammate to head it in. And that teammate was none other than Diego Caceres. But that was as far as the Rojans would get in terms of making a dent in our lead because Desirae Katigbak thundered home a solo goal to secure all three points for the Young Revolutionaries.

Anyway, that's all that there is for me now. If you've got comments or thoughts of your own about the game against Bahia Roja or predictions against Græntfjall then feel free to leave them down below. Until then, I've been the Man from Markovsky, hoping I won't be disappointed yet again by my country.

[Graintfjall]

Kit had been travelling for two days, heading back to the port in search of the anchor. But Starblaydia was a vast realm and he was a small mouse. His journey lay long ahead. He rooted through his dwindling supply pack, picking at the last crumbs of arrowroot biscuits and savoring a morsel of hazelnut and white mushroom cheese. He’d refilled his drinking canteen with water, but his stomach had given over to a low rumble of ongoing complaint. He came upon a patch of juicy blackberries and fell to his paws to gratefully eat them, but flinched his paw back. He thought he’d snagged a sharp bramble, but then he noticed the wasp. He pulled his snout back just in time to avoid falling face first into a humming wasps’ nest! Abandoning the blackberries, he hurried on deeper in the woods, mysterious noises hissing and cackling about him. The fur on the nape of his neck stood proud; he snapped off a branch and held it in front of him. But it was no sword of Marteinn the Warrior: just a humble stick. Scared and alone, the little churchmouse wandered alone in the forest as dark shadows skulked behind him…

---

Everyone in the team camp was upset by Kit’s sudden departure. Jessi was sobbing into her porridge (which Larry, who had very gallantly offered to take care of the breakfasts of those feeling in too low spirits to eat, complained was making it too salty) while Burgle was plucking at the little tufty forelock atop his velvety head. Kem and Bavan were anguished at having slept through their friend leaving. But while united in their worries, opinions about how to address the situation were very varied.

On the one paw were those who wanted to set out immediately in search of Kit. This faction, led by Krill and Jed, felt they could not abandon their friend in his hour of need, and that defending the Abbey – and all its inhabitants – came first. On the other paw, there was a faction led by Lissa and Molly, who felt that Kit had been selfish to leave the team like this. They wanted to stay and honor their commitments to Señor Chacuzca and Ms. Michaelsdóttir by playing the rest of the football matches – with or without Kit.

For two days, the arguments raged back and forth. Loyalties shifted, but rarely decisively: when Dimpy joined the ‘pro-Kit’ side, Ginger promptly declared himself ‘anti-Kit’; they had since swapped so many times no one could now remember which was which, only that it was clear their votes were split. A chestnut and beetroot pie had convinced Larry to join Lissa’s side, only to be tempted over Krill’s when he offered up a hotroot and shrimp pasty. Jessi was busy baking a flan to coax the hare back to Lissa’s side. The moles, who did not like disagreement, were abstaining, which meant Kem and Bavan’s votes tied the whole thing up again once they decided to stick with Molly and Jessi.

There was no doubt whose would be the deciding vote, though: on that, for once, they were all agreed.

---

Kit awoke to a smell of damp smoke. Raising his head from the mossy log where he’d laid down to rest, he briefly feared he’d awoken amid a forest fire, but the smoke was too sparse for that. He poked his head over a bush and saw, in the clearing below, a dreaded sight. Searats! The vermin were picking through a camp they’d smashed up. A frightened family of mice were tied in a bundle in the corner, two parents hugging their sobbing bairns, while the nasty searats upended the bags from their travelling wagon. There were three of the ugly brutes: big, brawny creatures with faded blue tattoos, sharpened teeth, and a bristling array of blades tucked into their tawdry rags.

He watched as the searats found the mouse family’s food sack and began tearing into the vittles. They even fought each other for scraps of food, and half of it fell to be trampled underpaw. One of them said something to the family that made the mother mouse burst into fresh tears herself. When her husband hugged her, the searat laid him out with a crack of his tail, wielding the thing like a savage whip. Kit’s eyes narrowed and his teeth bared as he watched the bullying searats victimizing the family. Just like his own family had once fallen prey to a similar horde of vermin. But there was no way he could fight off even one of these searats. Perhaps if he had the sword of Marteinn the Warrior. But right now, all he had was this stick. It wasn’t even much use as a cudgel, with how bendy it was. So bendy, in fact, that…

Kit hunkered down behind the bushes as he formed a plan.

---

The team assembled in the common room. Tables and chairs had been set out but most were too large for them to use, so they had to improvise seats; Burgle and Hanna, for example, sat together, each on an upturned coffee mug. Jessi ignored protests that she should be resting her injured paw and limped around offering some savoury snacks. Everyone was too nervous to eat, though. Everyone except Larry. “Couldn’t manage a thing, Jessi my dear,” explained the hare as she forced down a handful of radish and watercress farls spread thick with meadowcream. Her whiskers were dusted with crumbs from the turnip turnovers she “hadn’t been able to touch with a ten foot pole, wot wot” a few minutes ago.

When Duskborn entered, most shambled to their hindpaws. The young badger was embarrassed at the display of deference from those he wanted to treat as friends. But all the same, he knew they were counting on him to decide the question of what to do about Kit. The two most senior of the team, Jace the otter who’d skippered them here on the Sunbeam, and Lissa, the Squirrelprincess, were seat at opposing ends of a long table, representing the two parties. Duskborn headed to the middle and hauled himself up onto a chair; even he, the largest of all the animals, dangled his paws some way off the ground.

He looked around the room. Nearly two dozen hopeful faces gazed up at him (and one hopeful face gazed up at a walnut flan Jessi was cooling on the window sill). He looked at Jace, then Lissa, then closed his eyes, and for a moment tried to summon the wisdom of the Badger Lords. The confusing visions he saw in his dreams at nights. A tall adult male wielding the largest battle-axe he had ever seen. A powerful adult female on her hindpaws, her muzzle striped with blood. Teeth of rats and foxes, claws of vermin and killers. Bristling weapons. Churning seas. And at the end of every vision – a mountain.

Duskborn opened his eyes, and softly rapped a forepaw on the table. “I have made my decision,” he announced quietly.

---

Yellowtooth had found the jewellery box. No doubt full of valuable pearls and gems as big as gulls’ eggs, the pretty little black box had been hidden at the back of the wagon under a sack of apples. Trampling his way through the crushed fruit, he seized his treasure. His claws pried uselessly at the lad, so he took it outside and smashed it open on a rock. Out tumbled valuable treasures: acorns, dried oak leaves, and a necklace. Made of shells. The youngest mousebabe bawled at seeing his treasure box smashed by the nasty searat. An enraged Yellowtooth howled in frustration.

“A precious haul,” sneered Blacksnout. The oldest of the three, the grizzled searat poked at the ‘treasures’ with the tip of his notched scimitar disdainfully.

Yellowtooth spat at him. “Must be summat’ o’ value. They’re holdin’ out on us.”

“Then maybe we should find a way of makin’ em talk.” The voice of Grince grated like the edge of his rusty dagger as he whetted it on a stone. Even Blacksnout and Yellowtooth feared Grince. His whole face reeked of evil, from his scarred left eye to his sharp snaggle tooth. Both knew Grince’s threats were no idle boast. His dagger sharpened, Grince turned on the mouse family. “Start with the little ‘un…”

Grince took a couple paces towards the cowering mouse family as they tried to link paws protectively around the sobbing youngest. But then he looked, his keen searat ears twitching as he heard a buzzing noise in the air. Getting louder. He looked up, and opened his mouth in astonishment. This was, in hindsight, a very bad decision. The wasps’ nest hit him smack in the mouth and the stinging began at once, concentrating on the tip of his tongue. His blood-rending shriek cut through the forest like a banshee wail.

The wasps ignored the mouse family, who lay flat: instead they headed straight for the three upright targets, all three daubed in crumbs and juice from their feasting. Every foul curse word ever uttered rent the air as the stings kept landing. Yellowtooth ran into the fire to try to drive off the wasps, and emerged with a blackened tail and singed whiskers. Wiping smoke from his smarting eyes, he thought he had gone mad from pain as into the camp ran a tree. A walking tree. A tree with a long, waving branch that lashed out at him and struck him across the face.

It was thinking about Marteinn’s armour that had led Kit to done the hollow leg. It wasn’t metal, and he looked a bit silly with his head poking out a hole in the side, but it protected him against the wasps. The damp wood would have been worthless against a searat’s blade, but the three were too badly stung to sting a weapon. Blacksnout had curled up in a sobbing ball on the ground, Yellowtooth had run back into the fire and was trying to put out his tail, and Grince was slashing blindly around him – literally, for both of his eyes were swollen shut. Kit hobbled over to him and brought him low with a slash of the stick, whose elasticity had been perfect for launching the wasps’
nest he’d discovered the previous night into the camp.

He knew it had been a risk that the wasps would attack the mice, so once all three rats were subdued to cowering wrecks, he hurried over to them. He’d picked up Grince’s knife, and used it to saw the rope off them; then he directed them into the nearby bushes, where dock leaves and a babbling brook were on hand to calm any stings. As it was, they were unharmed, the wasps being more interested in the rats and the remnants of the food. They were still crying, this time from gratitude, hugging the upright log from all around as they called Kit their saviour. He’d dreamed of wearing the sword of Marteinn the Warrior and wielding his sword. A damp old log and a bendy stick were the best he’d managed to find so far – but they’d proven enough!

---

“I know what it is to be driven by a quest. There will come a time when I too will have to set off in search of Salamandastron,” said Duskborn calmly. “And when I do, it will be a journey I must make alone. For that is the nature of quests: they are not about finding a clue, or a sword, or a mountain. They are about the journey within. And finding oneself. Jace, Krill, Jed; I understand you want to help Kit. But know this: you will truly be helping him by trusting your friend. Lissa, Molly, Jessi: I understand you feel Kit has betrayed us, but it is never a betrayal to follow one’s heart. Even if it means a difficult parting from friends.

“We will stay and play the remainder of our games, until such time as we hear from Kit that he wants our help.”

In the silence that followed Duskborn’s decision, some of the eyes (except those fixed firmly on the pie) drifted from him to the otters. Krill and Jace sized each other up for a moment, then slapped their tails on the ground in unison.

“Right then,” said Krill. “Training it is then!”

The meeting broke up in good cheer, and he sauntered over to shake Duskborn’s paw.

---

Kit worked with Thilo, the fathermouse of the family, to tie up Yellowtooth and Blacksnout, cinching the ropes firmly around two trees. Clemency, Thilo’s wife, had made mud poultices with dock leaves, which she was applying to the rats amid great complaints that they were being tortured. She took the complaints in good humour: after all, she had two mighty warriors protecting her. Her two sons were between them just about able to wield Blacktooth’s scimitar, and were pointing it at the searats with repeated threats to “chop off’a tail”. Kit hid a smile as the youngest began debating whether Yellowtooth’s singed tail was even worth chopping off, or whether some other penance would have to be extracted for breaking his toy box.

“What should we do with the other one?” murmured Thilo to the now trunk-less Kit. He glanced over at the white-covered lump on the ground by the fire: he’d considered it a waste of good linen, but Clemency had insisted on getting out one of her bedsheets to cover the body. Grince’s injuries had been too severe and the toxins overwhelmed him.

“We should bury him,” said Kit. “He died as he lived: evil, cruel, and heartless. But nobeast, not even a searat, deserves to be left for carrion. We shall treat him with the respect he never gave those he terrorised.”

Thilo nodded: Kit was a remarkably calm, if at times rather solemn, mouse for one so young. Once the rats were tied up, he headed to the wagon and produced two shovels from amid the various wares the rats hadn’t wrecked. He and Kit searched around for a patch of soft earth, and began digging to the rhythm of the insults and dark threats being flung at the captive searats by the bairns.

“My family and I can never repay you for rescuing us,” said Thilo as he dug down to his knees, shovelling dark soil behind him.

“I don’t ask for payment for helping a fellow mouse in trouble,” said Kit. “It’s what Marteinn the Warrior would have done.” He grinned. “Though I wouldn’t say no to a solid meal!”

They dug on down until the hole was deep enough, then clambered down and brushed each other down. They hauled the body over to the edge of the hole, whereupon Thilo insisted on retrieving his wife’s bedsheet. He regretted it, blanching at the distorted sight of the hideously swollen body. He blanched even more when he looked up at Kit’s stony, impassive face.

“Come on, young ‘un. I’ve got a hole to fill in here that takes priority,” said Thilo, patting his stomach. He linked arms with Kit and they headed back to the wagon, where Clemency was setting out what little food the rats hadn’t eaten or smashed. (The wasps had settled down on a cracked jar of damson jam and seemed content to leave the mice alone now.) Though there wasn’t much, everyone got a mouthful of Clemency’s wonderful homecooked food, which on a day such as today was more than enough.

Kit was staring into the fire as Thilo spoke softly.

“Kit, you won’t take payment, but may I at least offer you some advice?”

Kit looked up.

“I am sure this Marteinn the Warrior was a great mouse. With a great sword. And I wish you good fortune in your quest to find it. But Kit, never forget: a sword is only as good as the paws that hold it. A good sword in an evil beast’s paws is an instrument of that evil alone.” He nodded to where his sons were asleep, their paws still linked around the scimitar handle. “That sword is no more or less evil than the sword you seek.”

Kit wanted to protest at comparing Marteinn the Warrior’s great weapon to that of a stinking searat’s blade. But he knew what Thilo said was true. He nodded. “Thank you, Thilo. Let’s put this talk of evil to rest now, though.”

“After we bury it,” agreed Thilo.

They headed back to the hole. Thilo stood by while Kit offered a perfunctory prayer over the searat’s corpse, then placed his hindpaw on the body to roll it into the hole.

“Wait!”

Thilo paused. Kit bent down by the body. The faded blue searat tattoos were clearer against the mottled red of the angry red skin stung by a thousand wasps. Some of them Kit was unclear of the meaning of, some appeared to be random squiggles, but one, quite clearly, was – an anchor!

…my resting place…

He stood bolt upright, and ignored Thilo’s squawk of alarm as he vaulted over the body down into the empty grave.

---

It was the day of the game. Needing a replacement for Kit, Señor Chacuzca had opted to pick both Dimpy and Ginger, on opposing flanks. Very opposing flanks. Burgle was nervous lest he repeat his mistakes but was receiving a motivational pep talk from Jessi, who was missing the game through injury. Kem and Bavan were very anxious, and even Krill’s tail was beating out a rapid tattoo on the changing room floor. Suddenly the doors burst open and Tumbles flew through in a ball of frenzied excitement. “Itta Kittamouse!” she shrieked. The team as one jumped to their hindpaws and dashed out, trampling the unfortunate messenger underpaw and leaving her in an indignant pile of feathers.

Outside, a wagon, freshly repaired, had pulled up. There were no searats in sight – Yellowtooth and Blacksnout had been left with a day’s provisions, and without their weapons. Kit was seated up alongside Thilo. Everyone surged toward him and he had to stand up and yell for them to stay back so they didn’t get crushed by the wheels. He vaulted down, and was besieged by a mixture of hugs, glad he was back, and playful slaps to the head, chiding him for ever leaving. Only Señor Chacuzca seemed to remember the small matter of the game…

“Would you like to play?” asked Bavan anxiously.

“If there’s a shirt for me,” said Kit modestly.

“There is always a shirt for you here,” said Duskborn, clapping the little mouse about the shoulders so hard to fell to the ground, and then helping him back up.

They were about to head back inside. “Kit! Kit! Don’t forget your map!”

Kit hurried back to the wagon, and accepted the scroll handed down by Thilo.

“I will never understand how you knew that map would be there,” admitted the bemused tradermouse. “A random hole in the middle of a clearing. We could have dug anywhere! We wouldn’t have even stopped to dig if it hadn’t been for those rats… how is it possible?”

Kit clenched the map scroll tight in his paws, and smiled gently.

“Marteinn the Warrior!”

[Valanora]

RP Cutoff for Starblaydia half

Round of Sixteen
Tumbra 3–0 Lisander
HUElavia 2–3 Lathamford
Cabo Azure 0–1 Chromatika
Abanhfleft 4–3 Græntfjall

Quarterfinal fixtures
Tumbra v Lathamford
Chromatika v Abanfleft

[Tumbra]

TUMBRA 3-0 LISANDER

TMB (4-3-3): 1 - Jones; 2 - Renton, 4 - Kerr, 5 - Pritchett, 3 - Mercurio - inj (19 - Green, 45'); 6 - Harrison, 15 - Morris (8 - Lawrence, 71'), 10 - Monaghan; 7 - Wells (17 - McGarry, 80'), 9 - Crossley, 11 - Riordan

TMB scorers: Nick Riordan (3', 67'), Stephen Kerr (42')

Player of the Match: Stephen Kerr (TMB)

Link to arc home
defender meets midfielder: season 3, part 7
the decision

Straton

Daniel had gotten a glass of water for Stephen, which the latter gratefully sipped on; he was still recovering from his ordeal. Stephen had never gotten an anxiety attack before; but these were unprecedented times, and, well, his mental health hadn’t been in the best of places since Air Tumbra Flight 240 touched down in Straton.

Everything will be alright. Everything will be alright…

He glanced at his phone again, as if it was some kind of bomb. Dan had very kindly turned the phone screen onto the table. But he caught Stephen glancing at his phone, and he knew that Stephen would try, just try to catch the phone, to try and look at whatever was going on.

“I see that glint in your eye, Steve. No. Not now. Drink your water, make sure you’re breathing correctly, then we can discuss about what the fuck just happened. Or —” he glanced at the phone, which was still vibrating, “— is happening. Lots of people want to get in contact with you, Stephen Kerr. I have a slight suspicion on what is happening, but that can wait. All things can.”

“We don’t have all the time in the world, Dan.”

“But we do have time right now. And, to me, you recovering from the anxiety attack is the most important thing to me. Alright?”

“Alright.”

“D’you want dessert? I wager it’ll make you feel better.”

“Yeah, sure, I suppose.”

---

Chromia
A Few Hours Earlier

Jannick Kontiola strolled into the office of Chromatik Football Club again, making his way towards the fax machine at the back of the room; and once again, Sang-wook, the intern, was there. He looked visibly nervous at Kontiola’s presence; but Kontiola cracked a smile at him, and Sang-wook visibly seemed relieved.

“You must be pretty annoyed that I’m always asking you to use the fax machine, Sang-wook.”

“No! No, boss.”

“Oh, I don’t blame you. Fax machines are annoying to use at the worst of times. Then there’s the whole business of dialing the number. This could’ve been an email, at the worst of times. But whatever, eh? Fax is fax, and most places in the world use this to submit transfer offers, or whatever. Even though we’re clearly supposed to have moved past this technology. Well. I’ve rambled on enough.”

“Who’s it this time, boss?”

“Straton.”

“You’re going in for the boy again?”

“Yes. He is a very good target. No reason why we shouldn’t go in for him, after all. And our improved offer should be enough to get Straton to part ways with him”

“How much is it?”

“Three and a half million.”

“But the word on the street was —”

“Sang-wook, you’ve been a fan of Chromatik for how long, now?”

“About fifteen years.”

“Right. So you can tell me about our squad.”

“You think we can get him because of Trudy Harrison?”

“Well, they evidently share a very close relationship.”

“What if Straton doesn't accept your offer?”

“Oh, they will, I think. A few days ago they said no, but things have changed. A lot. I think they’ll buckle under the pressure soon, and we’ll be first choice for him. Because Trudy plays here. If anything, this may be the final straw. Fire her up, Sang-wook, and we’ll do this again.”

The fax machine whirred and hungrily ate the piece of paper containing Chromatik’s second transfer offer for Stephen Kerr. After a half-hour wait to confirm that they hadn’t just sent the offer back with a giant picture of a middle finger on it, he smirked. Maybe they stood a chance, after all.

---

Straton
Now

The two had pigged out on some excellent ice-cream and brownies; Stephen felt much better, more himself again. A feeling of control had returned to the extremities of his limbs; there was no longer a ringing sensation going through his entire body.

“You’re feeling better again.”

“That I am, yeah.”

Both of them glanced over at the phone on the far side of the table.

“Now I don’t know what’s going to happen when you view the messages that have come in. But I just want you to know that I’m here. I’ll be here to help you make any decision, if you need it.”

Daniel reached over the table, grasped the black phone and put it in front of Stephen. Stephen gingerly unlocked the phone — and the deluge of information nearly made him put his phone down again.

Three missed calls from Sylvia. Two from Bertram; even one from Stephanie, his younger sister. Twelve from John Whiting; evidently something big had happened. He opened Telegraph; the Straton Players’ group chat was lit up, with tons of messages having been sent in the past hour; and it seemed that everyone in the squad had sent some messages of some sort to Stephen.

At that moment, the phone began vibrating again. John. Without hesitation, he picked up the call.

“Stephen? Where the bloody hell have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you for ages! Your parents are worried sick, so has the club; but if we’re being honest, we’ve all been trying to tell you the same thing…”

“What’s that?”

“They-they agreed to put you on the market. They gave up, Stephen! They admitted defeat. And it turns out that they’ve received a metric ton of bids for you, Stephen, lots of them. Are you with anyone right now?”

“Yeah. Hold-hold on, I’ll put him on the line.”

Stephen put the phone on speaker, then put it on the table; thankfully they were secluded.

“John Whiting? You’re Stephen’s agent?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“I’m Daniel Galbraith. You might know me from all the goals I scored?”

“Goodness, it’s Daniel Galbraith! Good evening.”

“I understand something has happened?”

“Yes! Straton have finally agreed to put Stephen on the market. For real, this time.”

Daniel grinned at Stephen; Stephen beamed back. “Well, let’s hear the clubs who are in for him, then.”

And the clubs began pouring out. Francesco, as ever, was right; all the clubs he’d mentioned that night had bid for him. The Lions, Montfort, Capital; Sanford. Vreton. Carathyr, Anhedron, Krasnograd, St. John’s…

There was one club, however, who hadn’t been on Francesco’s list that was amongst the list of names that was being read out by John right now.

“So, Chromatik, in Chromatika, they’ve put on a bid for you. I think clubs in Savojarna are interested, too, they just haven’t been in contact yet —”

“Could you-could you repeat that last one?”

“Chromatik. Club in Chromatika, they play in the Red League. Come quite close to winning their title several times, but they’ve never actually won it.”

He smiled. Trudy did come through. Chromatik had bid. But he still had to consider the other options, first.

“I’ll call you back, John. Ah...I need time to think.”

“Sure.”

He put the phone down, and turned to Daniel.

“Where-where should I go?”

“My personal opinion? Bikarish. Poafmersia’s far — like really far, as far as Kelssek, even — but they’ve got a solid plan. And they seem to really rate you — Danzik Hoboson’s not a name they take lightly there, and they seem to think you can possibly step into his shoes.”

“Hm…”

“But, Stephen, it looks like you’ve already —”

The phone started ringing, again.

“Strange, I thought I told John I’d call him back when —”

He took one look at the name on the screen, and immediately picked the phone up.

“Trudy?”

---

Chromia

She’d spent the last few hours refreshing and scrolling again, getting her hands on whatever source she could — La Gazzetta della Calcio, the Herald (Couno’s version), the TBC. She’d heard the rumour, of course, that Chromatik had put a bid in for Stephen; and unlike the rest, it’d been accepted.

The unfortunate reality of timezones, of course, meant that she was scrolling through the news sites of about sixteen different sports websites at the same time as lunch. All this led to a very distracted Trudy trying to shove food in her mouth — rice, chicken and some vegetables — while scrolling, which evidently served as a source of bemusement for Ami Coulibaly, sat opposite her.

“What’re you scrolling through?”

“Nothing.”

“Is it Stephen again? Hm? Is Straton finally letting him go?”

“It’s-it’s —”

“Ha! Knew it. Your face is super red again.”

“Is not.”

“Is too.”

“...Fine. Yeah, it is him.”

“Aw, why’re you so scared of telling me, Trudy?”

“I don’t want anyone else to know.”

“Are you scared that perhaps I’d steal him?”

“Ami, you’re seventeen.”

“Hasn’t stopped anyone, you know. If he’s good looking, well...speaking of which — I haven’t actually seen a picture of the two of you together, you know.”

“That-that’s because-that’s-that’s-”

“Cat got your tongue?”

“No! We just haven’t taken many pictures together.”

“Aw. Why not? You two have got to cherish these moments, you —”

“We’re friends!”

“Damn. And here I was thinking you had some sort of long distance relationship.”

“No.”

“...I just realised I have never seen a picture of him. Lemme have a look.”

“...You could’ve just searched him up.”

“It’s not as exciting when I see him playing football, you know. I want to see what he really looks like. What he looks like with family, you know, and all that. You can tell a lot about someone from their display picture.”

“Sure, I guess.” Trudy opened up Stephen’s display picture and gingerly turned the phone over.

“Trudy, that’s a picture of a dog.”

“Yeah, and you told me you wanted to see his display picture.”

“You know what I meant, Trudy…”

“Alright, alright, I’m just joking. Here he is.” Trudy swiped a few times, and held the phone out for Ami’s inspection again.

“It’s...a picture of him playing football.”

“What did you expect it would be? He’s always focused on that. It’s his football or his family.”

“Ye-es, so show me his family.”

“Oh. He’s super private about that.”

“Darn, you two have been talking for how long now and he’s still being private about that?”

“Well, I know. He’s not comfortable with telling outsiders about it. Maybe if he comes here —”

“Yeah, yeah.” Ami examined Stephen’s picture for a bit. “He’s cute.”

“Ami!”

“What?”

“You can’t just go around calling my friend cute!”

“Yeah I can. He’s single, isn’t he? And you two are just friends.”

“I-I-”

“Unless…”

“No!”

“Relax, Trudy. I won’t steal him.”

“There’s nothing to steal!”

“Sheesh. Why’re you so worked up?” Trudy’s phone vibrated. “You should probably take your phone back now. Something’s just come up. I think you’ll like it.”

The phone was withdrawn quicker than it was shown to Ami, and Trudy’s face seemed to light up upon reading what was on screen. A few scrolls later, and she was positively beaming from ear to ear as she began dialing Stephen.

Ami crossed her arms, shook her head and smiled. When would she get it?

---

Straton

“Trudy?”

“STEPHENIHEARDCHROMATIKBIDFORYOUANDITHINKSTRATONACCEPTEDPLEASEPLEASPLEASECOMETOCHROMATIK —”

“Trudy, you’ve got to calm down a lil’ bit on the words there, I can’t hear what you’re saying clearly —”

“YOUGOTTACOMEHERESTEPHENIKNOWTHISISWEIRD —”

“Trudy. Trudy, relax. I’m all ears. Maybe start from the beginning?”

A few hard, heavy breaths emanated from the line. She began again — still quickly, but at least Stephen could discern what Trudy was saying this time.

“Stephen I heard Chromatik bid for you — and-and Straton actually accepted. They’re willing to let you go, Stephen, so will you please listen to what we have to say? I’d love for you to come here. I really would, Stephen, I know this is weird but—”

“Yeah, I get it. I’ll — I’ll definitely listen to what they’re saying.”

“I haven’t talked to you in such a long time. I...”

“I miss you too. I promise we’ll talk soon once all of this has blown over.”

“It’ll be soon, right?”

“Yeah. After all, there’s not much time before we gotta fly out to Starblaydia.”

“That’s true. Please consider their offer, Stephen, I’m begging you.”

“Alright. Have fun at training, Trudy.”

“Thanks. See ya. Soon. Dork.”

“See you soon too, idiot.”

The line went dead.

Dan looked up, smirking. “Trudy Harrison. What an enigmatic figure she is. Star of the show; hardest worker on the team. I tried really hard to get her to come to Perce, y’know. But her mind was set. And once her mind’s set...”

“You can’t change it. Yeah, I know this too well.”

“Though it seems your mind’s set, too.”

“What? No.”

“You say that, but when I read out the list of clubs to you earlier, you were quite ambivalent to most of them. You’re the most coveted footballer the world’s seen for a long time, Stephen. Since Hawk or Valruncion, maybe.”

“I don’t know…”

“But when the bid from Chromatik came through? Everything changed. You seemed happy to move overseas. Really, Stephen, you had ten, twenty options, even, when the transfer window started. But now we know there’s only one. Search your feelings, Stephen. You know it to be true.”

Stephen looked beyond Dan, at the confines of the opulently-decorated restaurant. He stared down at his phone, again. All he had to do was make one phone call, and he’d be able to decide his future. It wasn’t going to be with Straton.

“You’ve got a flight in how long, again?”

“Crap. It’s in about a week.”

“Can’t have you preoccupied with transfer news while trying to win the Di Bradini Cup. Ahh, a trophy I wish I’d won, but the TFF refused to enter us…”

“Why’d they —”

“Story for another time. Are you going to call John or what?”

“I guess I will, yeah.”

He dialled a familiar number; it took but two rings for John to pick up.

“Made your choice, have you? Who d’you wanna speak to first?”

“Chromatik.”

TUMBRA vs LATHAMFORD - DI BRADINI CUP 51, QUARTERFINALS

Starters: 1 - Jones; 2 - Renton, 4 - Kerr, 5 - Pritchett, 19 - Green; 6 - Harrison, 15 - Morris, 10 - Monaghan; 17 - McGarry, 9 - Crossley, 11 - Riordan

Bench: 12 - Ager, 13 - Russell; 18 - Finney, 14 - Wyatt, 20 - Hamilton; 8 - Lawrence, 16 - Robertson, 23 - Finnemore; 7 - Wells, 21 - Baker; 22 - Hardaker

Injured - Unavailable for selection: 3 - Mercurio

[Lathamford]

---

---

Di Bradini Cup 51/U21WC72
Round of Sixteen
HUElavia 2–3 Lathamford

Reuben Kedar '62;  Teresa Font '73  ׀  Boris Trafford '38, 48; Jake Silverlight '79

Game Report

1: Kick off
15: Emilia Bourdain-McSheehy takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
17: HUElavia gave a corner kick.
18: Orson Marfont takes a shot. That's off-target.
22: Emilia Bourdain-McSheehy takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
23: Orson Marfont takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
25: Ringo Yamane takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
28: Peter Ironstorm takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
35: Orson Marfont takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
38: Lathamford scores! The scorer was Boris Trafford
41: Peter Ironstorm takes a shot. That's off-target.
42: John Paulus is shown a Yellow Card.  ▍
48: Lathamford scores! The scorer was Boris Trafford
50: Saray Notario is shown a Yellow Card.  ▍
53: Emilia Bourdain-McSheehy takes a shot. That's off-target.
55: Ringo Yamane caught offside.
59: Substitution by Lathamford player Orson Marfont make way for Jake Silverlight
62: HUElavia scores! The scorer was Reuben Kedar
72: HUElavia awarded a freekick, taken by Font
73: HUElavia scores! The scorer was Teresa Font
75: Substitution by Lathamford player Peter Ironstorm make way for Styn Fyggs
79: Lathamford scores! The scorer was Jake Silverlight
80: Styn Fyggs takes a shot. That's off-target.
81: Emilia Bourdain-McSheehy takes a shot. That's off-target.
84: Substitution by Lathamford player Howard Colfield make way for Sam du Fugerholds
89: Styn Fyggs takes a shot. That's off-target.
90+1: Final Whistle

Round of Sixteen, In Bradini Cup 51 it was not the FA Lathamford’s target for the Young Speedy Cat, to be honest, no target was placed on them, or more simply, the FA did not place any hope on this young Lathamford U21 team. But, they fought well and, obviously, they were also on par with other nations, and as it turned out, they made it to the Quarterfinals, and their future opponent was the Tumbra team.

Against HUElavia it was not an easy issue, in the 15th minute again, Lathamford's goal was almost penetrated, with a beautiful one-two move between Yamane and Bourdain-McSheehy, fortunately, our agile goalkeeper saved Bourdain-McSheehy's close-range shot. In the 22nd minute, a killer pass from Notario to Bourdain-McSheehy once again endangered Lathamford's goal, fortunately once again Harridan saved the situation. Penetration of the current opponent increased, in the 25th minute, Ringo Yamane who got a beautiful pass from Notario managed to trap our defensive line, but his weak shot was easily caught by Harridan. Earlier, in the 23rd minute, Marfont who missed the offside trap managed to put him 1v1 with HUElavia goalkeeper Huamani, but unfortunately, his shot was easily caught.

The Young Speedy Cat's first goal came in the 38th minute, in a chaotic situation in front of the opponent's goal, Boris Trafford calmly shot into the right corner of the goal and made it 1-0. Shortly after the second-half whistle was blown, the result of a corner kick, Boris Trafford once again quickly headed the ball into the opponent's net and made it 2-0. The 2-0 front made the focus of our players start to be distracted and as a result, HUElavia were able to equalize 2-2, the result of their counter-attack in the 62nd minute, by Reuben Kedar and a magnificent free-kick from Teresa Font in the 73rd minute, which caused Harridan to fail to save the ball. Two opposing goals snapped our players ’dreams and returned to reality, an immediate counter-attack was arranged, and in the 79th minute, our substitute striker, Tractor Grasswind FC youngster Jake Silverlight scored the winning goal as a result of a long-range throw-in by John Paulus straight to the opponent's goal and not wasted by Silverlight with a beautiful tapping and beating Huamani, the final time .... we made it to the quarterfinals.

Di Bradini Cup 51/U21WC72
Group G:: MD1		Tikariot 1-1			Ironstorm
Group G:: MD2		Cabo Azure 2-4			Fyggs  ׀	 Ironstorm 		 ▍: Chains - suspended next game
Group G:: MD3		Xanneria 3-0			Ironstorm x2  ׀	de Axehelm		 ▍: du Fugerholds
Group G:: MD4		Kohnhead 3-2			Marfont ׀ Ironstorm ׀ Fike		 ▍: Paulus ׀  Marfont
Group G:: MD5		Baker Park 2-1			Styn Fyggs ׀ de Axehelm			 ▍: Fallenbelly ׀ Ironstorm
Round of Sixteen:	HUElavia 3-2			Boris Trafford x2 ׀ Jake Silverlight	 ▍: Paulus - suspended next game

Scorer: Di Bradini Cup 51/U21WC72
Ironstorm		5
Fyggs			2
de Axehelm		2
Trafford		2
Marfont			1
Fike			1
Silverlight		1

DBC51-1		Harridan, Paulus, Chains, Dexs [Sebastian-Claw], Colfield, Fallenbelly, de Axehelm (C), Bryanson, Trafford [Fike], Marfont [Fyggs], Ironstorm              	::1-1, Tikariot
DBC51-2		Harridan, Paulus, Chains  ▍, Dexs, Colfield, Fallenbelly, de Axehelm (C), Bryanson [du Fugerholds], Trafford [Wolfstein], Fyggs, Ironstorm [Strongwick]	::2-4, Cabo Azure
DBC51-3		Harridan, Paulus, du Fugerholds ▍ (Sebastian-Claw), Dexs, Colfield, Fallenbelly (Strongpike), de Axehelm (C), Bryanson, Trafford, Marfont (Fyggs), Ironstorm	::3-0, Xanneria
DBC51-4		Harridan, Paulus ▍, Chains, Dexs (Sebastian-Claw), Colfield, Fallenbelly (Strongpike), de Axehelm (C), Fike, Trafford, Marfont ▍ (Fyggs), Ironstorm       	::3-2, Kohnhead
DBC51-5		Harridan, Paulus, Chains (R. de Axehelm), Dexs, Colfield, Fallenbelly ▍ (Dowson), de Axehelm (C), Bryanson, Trafford, Fyggs (Strongwick), Ironstorm ▍		::2-1 Baker Park
DBC51 RO16	Harridan, Paulus ▍, Chains, Sebastian-Claw, Colfield (du Fugerholds), Fallenbelly, de Axehelm (C), Fike, Trafford, Marfont (Silverlight), Ironstorm (Fyggs)	::3-2 HUElavia

[Adab]

Monday, August 21, 2034 / 6 Jumada al-Thani 1456
Adab 1-0 Vilita and Turori
Akaptaha (68’)

A Dance with Football
Snapshots of the lives of the people involved in Adabian football and those associated with them
For a full list of chapters click here. To read all the chapters in one go click here
For an (incomplete) list of major/prominent characters in this story click here and scroll down to the ‘Football’ section

Chapter 28: The Heir

August 21, 2034
Valanora
Following the Di Bradini Cup 51 round of 16 match against Vilita and Turori

You’re watching ABC Sport. The top story that everyone has been talking about: the Adab under-21 national team have knocked Di Bradini Cup defending champions Vilita and Turori out of the tournament in the round of 16. Kastiliasu Akaptaha scored off an Amara Emmita header in the 68th minute to produce the only goal of the match and perhaps the biggest shock of the tournament so far. This win secured the young Adabians’ path to the quarterfinals, where they will face Sharktail.

The phone rang, trembling on the table where Rashid Abbas had put it before going off to have a shower. The door creaked open, and out came the man himself, hair somewhat dry but still unkempt, towel wrapped tightly around his body. He reached out for the phone and put it to his ear. “Kara? Hi, can you hear me?”

“Bro, you’ve done it!” came the excited, almost screeching voice of Kara Abbas. “We all watched the match here. Me, Dad, Sabiha, Maria, Celal. Man, when Akaptaha scored that goal, you should have heard the cheers in this room! I was so scared for a moment we had woken up the people next door lol!”

That vocalized lol was too cringe for Rashid, but he kept it to himself. “Hey, I- well, I mean I’m just the manager here. Under-21 manager, no less. I mean, my job is really just guiding those kids-“

“No, oh come on, Rashid, you know you’re much more than that,” Kara cooed, suppressing the temptation to laugh. “Man, being away for a decade really changed you huh bro? The big brother I remember wasn’t usually this humble.”

“Well,” Rashid sighed, but at the same time also smiled, craning his neck and turning his eyes to the ceiling of his hotel room, “those days are long gone, in the past, gone. Hey, how’s Dad? Did he enjoy the match?”

“I think so,” Kara said. “He smiled often. Didn’t talk much but he smiled. And he clapped and I think he even cheered – he let out this ‘woo’ sound – when your boy scored that goal.”

“That’s good to know,” Rashid said, still smiling and looking up, nodding to himself satisfied that his father seemed to have a good time. And that he could apparently still recognize a game of football when he saw one. His voice turned slightly pensive. “Hey, it’s good that you’re bringing Celal to see Dad more often. I know it can be hard for him to see his girlfriend’s father like… in a condition like this… but-“

“Hey, it’s fine,” Kara’s own voice grew softer. In their father’s condo, she pressed her phone on her ear, just to make sure her brother could still hear her. “He’s… he’s been great. He completely understands. He’s… he’s just so good and kind.”

“Has he been treating you right?”

“He’s the best,” she said softly. And across the line, Rashid knew she meant every word.

“If only… if only,” Rashid began, suddenly stumbling and breathing heavily as he searched for the next word, “if only Dad was still… all there, if only he could see what his boy and his girl have become, especially his girl-“

“Rashid, no, not now. I swear if you make me cry-“

“If only he knew that his boy is back, that he finally got himself together, and that his girl is a top dog at the Faraby Broadcasting Corporation-“

“Head of the WorldVision and WHF delegation, yeah I know what you’re gonna say next so please just stop talking,” Kara cut him off, her voice increasingly shaky, her voice uneven. “Look, bro, as great as I maybe am now, you’re greater than me. You’re destined for greater things. You’ve always been. And Dad has always been proud of you.”

“And you.” Rashid slowly lowered his neck, pulling the nearest chair to him and settling down on it. His eyes gazed at the hotel room door in front of him, and the bathroom door to its right, but it was an empty gaze.

“You’ve always been destined to be a great man wherever you are. I mean you know everyone’s heard of you and everything that you’ve done, and you and I know what they’re saying-“

“Many of them are untrue,” Rashid added.

Kara continued on, as if the interruption did not matter. Her voice had regained some semblance of stability, even as she ran her hand across her eyes. “You’re a great player who saved his country from an evil man, or whatever it was that you did for the government-“

“Come on, you don’t actually believe that nonsense.”

“You’re a hero. I hated you because you were away for so long, but who am I? I’m just your poor little sister-“

“Kara, no, come on.”

“And you served the government, you served the country. You’re a hero to us all, a great man,” she said, sometimes sounding as if out of breath. “And now you’re back, like the prodigal son in those books and fairytales, and soon you’re gonna be manager of Adab’s national team-“

“I’m not gonna be manager of the senior team anytime soon, sis. And I don’t think I’m suited for that job-“

“But you are!” Kara’s voice suddenly blared across the line, a mixture of excitement and sadness coming through her ragged breaths. “You just beat the U-21 defending champions! I mean, come on, you and I know that you’re put in this job because Kaykali wants to see if you’re good enough to be his successor. That other assistant manager of his is too old and is also retiring anyway. So who else is gonna replace him when he retires?!”

“Kar, I- I,” Rashid tried to muster a reply, but found himself stumbling and having to think hard for an answer. “There’s… many people who can do this job better than me. Many people have more managerial experience. I’m, uh, I mean al-Ali, the U-18 manager, he took the team to the final of the U-18 World Cup! I think he can do better than me.”

“Do you actually believe some of the words that come out of your mouth?” Kara said, now half-speaking and half-whispering, her breathing shifting between light and heavy as if she could not keep it steady. “Your place is there, Rashid. Adab, Adab City, the Adab national team. And… I just wish I could be there with you, bro… but I’m just an island girl in a distant island outpost-“

“Faraby is not an island outpost,” Rashid interrupted. “Well, by Adabian standards, I guess, yes, but it’s home. It’s my home. And you’re family. And you’re not just an ‘island girl’, whatever it means, though I don’t think it’s a bad thing. You’re my sister, you’re a great woman, and you’re awesome.”

“You’re too kind.”

“Well I’m just being honest,” Rashid sighed, turning around in his chair to catch a glimpse of the sky outside the window. “Look, sis, once we’re done with this tournament, I’ll come visit you and Dad. And Celal. We can go on family outings together. Make up for the lost time and all that. And you better hurry up and tie the knot. That’s what you want, don’t you? No, wait, let me continue. Dad… we don’t know how long Dad is gonna… look, you know he loves children and it’d be good to have a baby or two around the condo. Children keep you young, they say. And well, if you really love him and if you really feel an attachment to him like you said to me, then don’t keep him hanging. He seems a good guy, and lovely too, so, yeah, just… if you really wanna do it, then just do it.”

Silence from Kara, and then she said, “Don’t you want to… experience it yourself?”

“I can’t, Kara. I’ve told you. I’m too old for this,” Rashid said, his eyes fixed on the clouds passing by in the night, and the stars that dotted the sky. “My time has come and gone. You’re younger than me. You still have time. Use it, do whatever you want to do.”

“I will,” Kara replied, rather weakly. “You know I love you, don’t you?”

“Of course, sis. I love you.”

---

“I knew you could do it, I knew,” declared the exuberant Saad Kaykali from Adab City. “They thought Vilita and Turori would run over us, but you and the boys and girls held on. When Kasti scored that goal, I said to myself, ‘This is it. This is our match to lose.’ I was right.”

“Thank you, Boss. You know I’m just trying my best here,” said a more beleaguered Rashid Abbas, taking his second phone call of the night. “It’s the boys and girls on the pitch who really did it. I’m just trying to help them.”

“You know they likely wouldn’t succeed without your tactics,” Saad replied, smiling as he delivered the answer. “Stop underselling yourself, Rashid. You’re a big part of this team’s success. We just eliminated the champions, by the grace of Allah!”

“Yes,” Rashid said simply. “I still can’t believe it.”

“Well you better believe it, because you just made it reality,” Saad said. “Now, while I still remember, there’s something that I should tell you. Mohammed hasn’t been, uh, feeling himself lately, and today he went home early from practice.”

“What? But the World Cup Qualifiers are only like a month or two away. Is he alright?”

“Well, he’s alright, health-wise. It’s just that, I don’t know why, but to be honest with you, he does seem to have lost a bit of his footballing touch,” Saad continued. “Maybe it’s his age catching up with him, I don’t know. Playing goalkeeper at 35 can be a bit taxing, after all. Sometimes he seems slow coming up to the ball. Sometimes it’s only a slight difference, but you and I have been in this business a long time and we’ve been footballers too. I know it when I see it, and you’ll know it too when you see it.”

“So, uh, Boss, what’re you saying is that…”

“We may need a backup, like really need a backup. I’ll keep an eye on Mohammed, and I need you to keep an eye on Satchit. I’ll continue watching him too through my TV. I hope it doesn’t come to that, but, well, Satchit has been doing a really great job so far, and if Mohammed’s performance doesn’t show much improvement then I may consider putting Satchit on the starting lineup for the qualifiers and putting Mohammed on the bench.”

“Satchit has been a great keeper so far, but that’s a big ask for a 19-year-old.”

“Mohammed was around that age too in his first World Cup. And I think Satchit has what it takes to perform in the senior team. For now we just have to keep an eye on them both and see which one of them will take us further in the qualifiers.”

[Lathamford]

The Farmers:: part 1

Dubbed as "The Farmers", Teaham FC was indeed founded on the efforts of Casprow Mountain tea farmers in late 1956 and was known as Estate Worker FC before changing its name to the present. Starting casually, the match in the afternoon, led to the establishment of a professional football club known as Teaham FC in May 1956, then competed in the Municipality League. At the end of the 18th season, the Lathamford FA began restructuring its football league and the Municipal League was elevated to second-tier and known as the Lathamford Nationwide League which has 16 teams. In their first season, Lathamford Nationwide League, Teaham FC were in 13th place, with 35 points, where they won 10, drew five, and lost 15. They are now coached by former national player Nilson Morrow. This season they also missed out on competing in the Ardington & Lockinge Cup tournament as only the top 8 teams in the league qualified. The Farmers use West Lake Stadium as their home venue, the stadium with a capacity of 10,000 spectators is the second stadium, Teaham FC previously used, Casprow Estate Field as its main stadium. [Part 2]

Quarterfinal fixtures
Tumbra v Lathamford

[Mertagne]

In the night, after the Round of Sixteen

*BZZZZZZZZZ* *BZZZZZZZZZ* *BZZZZZZZZZ*
"Hello?" Kristie Ettrick picked up the phone. She didn't normally pick up when the screen said 'Unknown Number', but she wasn't in the worst of the moods. If she was, she probably would have still picked up, if only to berate whoever was on the other side.
"Hi, is that Kristie? It's me, Michelle Romanage, from the FMF."

Like I don't know who my own boss is. "Hi Michelle, what's with the unknown number?"

"Oh, I must have enabled that by mistake after my last call. Apologies," Michelle said, surprised.

"I'm just calling to have a quick chat about your possible trajectory here. You've made it to the quarter finals, and I'm assuming morale is still high?"

"With all due respect, Ms. Romanage, do you know what time it is here in Valanora?" Kristie sat up in the hotel bed. grabbed a pillow for under her back, and leaned back on the headboard, before gently slamming her head into it a few times.

"I do apologise, I was working rather late, crunching the numbers, you know. So, you're up against Pasarga in the Quarter Final. Assuming you win, who do you think you'll be going up against? Adab or Sharktail?"

Ettrick sighed. "That is a bold assumption to make. Have you looked at... well, football, lately? Pasarga have got some of the best of the best. You know as well as I do that when players play within their own nation, it's for one of three reasons. One, they're not great and so the players are the best the country has to offer. Two, the country is allergic to domestic transfers. Three, the domestic scene is absolutely fantastic and so are the players, so why would they go anywhere else? In the case of Pasarga? It's Reason 3."

Romanage sighed from the other end of the phone line. "I understand that, and I also understand it's your job to ensure your team know that. As head of the FMF, it's my job to look ahead, perhaps with an unyielding and infectious positivity." Ettrick could hear Romanage smiling down the line.

"Right, I'll indulge you here, if only to get me back to sleep. Rattle matches off to me one-by-one, and I'll give you my honest prediction. Assume we win all of our games." Kristie yawned.

"Adab v Sharktail"
"Adab. Their youth program's probably as good as ours. They did very well in the Under 18 World Cup, as I'm sure you know. I think Sharktail have been lucky."

"Tumbra v Lathamford"
"Tumbra."
"Why?"
"Stephen Kerr. Trudy Harrison. Good chemistry, good control over their squad. When defender meets midfielder like that, there's something explosive in the centre of the pitch. Also, some of this squad is the same squad that won the last Under 18 World Cup. I've got it on good authority they're hungry for some more silverware, just like we are. You should really pay some attention to that tournament, you know - ask Kylian Forsyth to make you up a chart."

"Thanks. I'll try to. Moving on, Chromatika v Abanhfleft."
"Now, the thinking person down the pub would say Chromatika -- I just mentioned Kerr and Harrison, after all, and they're tearing it up over there. Tumbrans are built different to the Chromatik, though, and Abanhfleft are on a high after trumping Græntfjall. I think they've got what it takes to step on once more."

"So, that would mean... Mertagne vs Adab for the Semis?"
"Again, ask Kylian Forsyth how that matchup goes. You'll see from my predictions that this Under-21 World Cup plays out similarly to his Under-18 World Cup in your ideal world."

"Does that mean you pick Tumbra over Abanhfleft?"
"I do. I haven't even talked about Nick Riordan. I should probably have a chat to Jackie at Bretsaar about him, actually - seems like he'd be a good fit if anyone could pry him away from Serrapince. But, yeah. Tumbra over Abanhfleft, and then Tumbra in the final, just to piss you off."

"Kristie, you don't like being confident, do you?"
"My absolute favourite phrase, that I've luckily started to drill into the team, is that 'overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer'. I know that better than most. We can't go into any match thinking we're absolutely going to win. We're already playing against the multiverse's best, and if the path goes how I've predicted it, we'll be playing some absolutely nails games. We were lucky enough to beat teams like Tumbra and Adab in the Under-18, but their Under-21 squads have more experience, more athleticism, and greater tactical ability. I think if we work hard enough, we can meet them on the level, but one slip is all it'll take to banish us from this tournament. And that slip could come from anywhere, like a manager not getting enough sleep. You get me?"

Another sigh from Romanage. "I do get it, you know. It's not the easiest to be the super-positive face of the FMF all the time. We've got a World Cup Qualifier to think about in a few years time. I'm hoping that with the success from this Di Bradini, we can call up some of your squad to that."
"... And get slaughtered on the international stage? I'm sure they'd love that."

"The international stage is a markedly different one to these youth tournaments, I know, and we will struggle in the next World Cup." a crack from the infectious positivity that Romanage typically liked to spout. "Look, Kristie, just keep doing what you're doing. You and Ben seem to have the right idea. You're at most three matches from coming home. Do your best with the time you have."

"Thanks, Ms. Romanage. I'll be sure to. I'm going to use some of it to sleep, though."

*click*

---

Kristie found herself surrounded by a haze of blank faces and training tracksuits. She was back at the Cop Limy, and the sun was setting in the sky. The long light stretched the shadows along the floor, which drew out long and shifting patterns of shirts, scarves, plates, and cups.

Let's do it, Kristie. It'll only be a quick snap - nobody'll know. It's just preparation for tomorrow, right? You said so yourself there was no way Lehen could lose here against Ninestar. It'll look great on the back page of the Neorudo Newslink.

Her feet slid forward of their own volition, over to the large plinth that the regional cup stood on. Engraved with the names of Touchpoint's champions, she passed her hand over the cool metal, unengraved for this year. As she passed over it, the letters seared themselves into the cup.

L F E M H F E C N
N N I E N O E R S U T D A O R

A shift, a twist in the world, and she found herself posing with the cup, as the faceless figures moved around her, repeated again and again, the camera flashing and remaining as the lights built up all around her.

*click*
That's great, you're looking great!
*click*
Give me confident, you've just won, after all!
*click*
Hattrick Ettrick does it again!
*clickclickclick*
Do you have a few words to say for the press?
*clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick*

The light grew until the blinding whiteness was all she could see. The cup dematerialised in her hands, turning to ash. Her eyes adjusted, like when a light is turned on and you're not ready for it, and the fuzzy landscape came into focus as she felt the sinking feeling of studs on loamy grass. The Cop Limy surrounded her, it's roaring crowd coming into view, yet sounding like insidious whispers. The squad, lined up behind her, faceless still, and Ninestar's orange-clad keeper jumping around and clapping at her with a menacing posture.
The ball appeared at her feet. The eerie near-silence of the pitch settled in, putting Kristie on edge. A fog settled in, obscuring all but her, the goal, and the keeper.
She took a deep breath, in, and out. Three times, to regain herself. Each time, exhaling a thin, vaporous green smoke. She batted it away, and took the steps back required to take the shot. She remembered where she'd put it last time, and where the keeper went. She wondered if they'd do it again.

Roaring forward, she ran as fast as she could, but failed to cover any distance. The pitch grew out from under her, creating distance between herself and the ball, which grew, along with the rest of the pitch, larger, and larger before her very eyes.

Was everything getting bigger, or was she getting smaller? She had no idea.

Running to take charge of the effervescent control she had over the situation, she kicked the ball as hard as she could.
It didn't move, now as tall as she was. Looking around, she saw the cup, now massive in comparison, swing its bottom rim into the ball, and she went with it, the ball embossed with myriad swirling letters.
She span, facing the goal and facing the arms, of the keeper, which grew, larger
and larger, longer and longer,
multiplying out and out
and out of its body,
its hair,
its ears, all hands, all arms,
coming closer
and closer

and closer


and...

---

Kristie Ettrick woke up with a start, drenched in a cold sweat. She looked at the clock. 03:21. An ominous countdown.

[Sharktail]

SHARK SPORT JOURNAL
Edition O2

"We win, we win" That was the cry that could be heard from Azhari Dollah's mouth after his team won against Sendhang and qualified for the quarterfinals. The 56 year old manager was seen cheering with joy when he managed to take the team past the group stage and on to the quarterfinals. This is Sharktail's best achievement at the U21 level. He did it.

The first match of the knockout round saw Sendhang as Sharktail’s opponent. The final result is in favor of Sharktail 2 - 1. Both teams are arguably equally strong. Clash of the Malay Archipelago countries once again occurred on the international stage. The advantages of experience play little role. Although the average squad selected is a newly formed squad however, in terms of compatibility, there has been an improvement from each match.

When looking at the matchup of the next match, it can be said that Sharktail’s chances to the next level are less than 50%. Adab are not a team that can be taken lightly. Their success in defeating Vilita and Turori added even more horror to their opponents. What can be deduced from the Adab team is that they are like an unpredictable enemy. On average expect the progress of Vilta and Turori but the end result is in favor of Adab.

The achievement of advance to the quarterfinals is already great enough for a moderate team like Sharktail. Compared to other countries, Sharktail football has several times undergone a dark phase with various internal problems. Various development projects were planned and arguably succeeded, but in the end were buried with shattered hopes. And now that hope is back, success to the DBC quarterfinals this time around seems to show that Sharktail still has hope to shine. Slow or fast, successful or not, all that is still in the shadows, no answer. Yet, this achievement shows that nothing is impossible to achieve. Sharktail's journey may continue, or may stop but the next effort will never stop DBC quarter final vs Adab, here we go.

[Chromatika]

Cabo Azure 0-1 Chromatika

Emilie Kreutzberg was a patient player.

Classified as a "swarmer" by her peers and foes, Kreutzberg is the type to never leave the area in front of goal, going here, there, and everywhere in order to continue to pressure the goal. She rarely scores in the beginning of matches, scoring in the last thirty minutes of matches in those matches where she scores goals.

This match was no different.

Cabo Azure proved to be a tough test for the Junior Anomalies after scoring fifteen goals in the Group Stage; Chromatika could get the ball to the latter third but not attack the keeper. Vicente Leitão was having a good match, and the Junior Anomalies were having difficulties.

In the eighty-first minute, Baillaire Fillar's shot was parried by Leitão; Kruetzberg, lurking on the side, pounced on it and struck it home. The patience had paid off, and Chromatika was off to the Quarters.

[Starblaydia]

Quarter-Finals, Vanorian half

Quarter-Final Results

Pasarga 0–1 Mertagne

Adab 3–2 Sharktail


Semi-Final Fixture

Mertagne v Adab