World Cup 89 - Roleplay Thread

World Cup 81/82/83/84

Wild Cards make BP wary
Scott McCrae
The Daily Mail Chief Soccer Writer

There has been a definite sense of purpose around the Commonwealth National Team during training leading up to the doubleheader for matchdays 6 & 7 of World Cup Qualifying, as the squad will being going against a pair of in-form sides that are exceeding the expectations of anyone who gives only passing thought to pot 9 and 10 nations.

Polkopia will be the visitors at Old College Park in Southend, the first visit of the Bees to the venue since they defeated Bonbakh u Pieche 9-2 during WCQ 87; the Snovski sit level with Jeruselem in second spot in Group 17 on the back of a pair of 1-0 wins against Flavovespia and Eshialand. Returning to competition following a hiatus, they were unranked for the draw, but they've been targeted by the staff since early days as a possible obstacle if things went their way early.

"We're seeing teams in other groups that are dropping points to sides they would beat 99 times out of 100 under normal circumstances", manager Jen Prescott said. "This is just the type of match in the type of circumstances that these unheralded good sides will make it hard to break them down and steal a goal, then go back home to parades and wall to wall media praise. We have to stay focused on our [;an, the course we're looking to follow through the tourney."

If that wasn't enough to prepare for, the back end of the twin bill sees Baker Park head off to face Kiltoch, another side riding a two match winning streak; having gone out in the BOF group stage, they currently have the same record as they did in Bollonich, 2 wins and 2 draws from five played. The sudden turn in fortunes has caused Prescott to re-think her squad choices for the trip.

"I wanted to get a few of the cappies some time but I'm wondering if we need to stay mostly with the core group. When I say it out loud, it sounds like I have concerns about players in particular situations, which I do not. But I don't want to be letting points get away before we've faced the Princesses."

The match against Flavovespia at President's Park saw the surprise inclusion of debutante Serena McDavid in the starting XI; the 22 year old forward who made a shock $9 million (N$7.7 million) transfer to Euran club Lajuno--where she plays alongside fellow NTer Marcus Nolan--on the basis of three seasons of National Conference action at Hardun AC, has been one of the most anticipated additions to the NT player pool.
In 80 minutes, she played like it was her 28th cap, matching the squad number on her shirt; she set up DeAngelo Simmons for his goal in the 34th minute with a pass following a brilliant run with the ball, and kept up a high work rate on the forward press as the Commonwealth came away with a 2-1 result.

Lainey Wadsworth captained the side in Sajnur and added a goal to highlight a dominant squad performance at the National Stadium in Javosar; Kelsey Vickers missed out on her seventh international clean sheet when the hosts clawed back a garbage time goal in the 86th minute while trailing 4-0.

Lineup vs Polkopia:

Johnston; Hutchins, Rasanamira, Jordan (C); Rizzo, Milton, Boyle, Reynolds; Craig; West, Pryor
bench: Callaway, Onikambe, Bauer, Wiley, Altman, Harris, Price

Lineup vs Kiltoch:

McCormack; Brooks, Onikambe, Bauer; Park, Wiley, Stone (C), Altman; Vuckovic; Harris, Price
bench: Callaway, Freeman, Wiseman, Eichorn, Buxton, Moorman, Mack

by **Pemecutan** » Sat Sep 18, 2021 12:44 am

CHAPTER 2.1 || CHAPTER 2.2

CHAPTER 2.3

The internal meeting of PFA have entered their 3rd day but no talks have been made. Because of Suwitra's missing in yesterday, the meeting got cancelled and it resume again today. The topic of the meeting is GRFA dissolution. Today's meeting is held between President of PFA and 5 leaders of GRFA. The atmosphere of the meeting room is very tense. Suwitra is feeling nervous. His secret talks with Agung Darma yesterday at the hotel makes him more scared and confused. He wants to do the right decision based on his own heart but the situation around him said otherwise.

"So everyone's ready to start the vote?" ask Pande Suryajaya. He looks the person in front of him one by one. And his eyes lock in Suwitra's. He can feel pressure surrounded that man's thought.
"Yes, we are ready. The faster it is end, the better," say Arthajaya with a harsh tone.
Pande's calming smile indicate that he is not insulted with Arthajaya's reaction. "But I have to explain the rule first. If that's okay with everyone," say Pande. Everyone nodded in agreement. "Great. So the vote will only cast 1 answer for 1 question, Do you agree with GRFA dissolution? You will only put a simple yes or no in a blank paper then give the paper to me. The option with the highest vote will be proceed," explain Pande.
Everyone nodded again in agreement. They are also prepare the paper for them to vote. Pande looking at Arthajaya confusingly.
"Mr. Arthajaya," call Pande which makes Arthajaya looked at him. "You understand that in this vote you can't vote, right?" ask Pande politely.
Arthajaya looked at him confusingly. He makes a slight glance to Agung Darma before back to Pande. "Why can't I vote? I have the same rights as the other, right?" he ask back.
Pande shake his head. "You must understand that in this vote your position is the one in question so that will make your vote become subjective. That's why I'm not allowed you to vote," explain Pande.
"But what if the result is draw? Who will make the final decision?" ask Arthajaya again.
"I will," answer Pande with a firm tone. "As the President of PFA, I have a final say if the vote comes out with a draw result."

Arthajaya feels helpless. He can't win if that's the rule.
"So everyone ready to cast their vote?" Pande ask again with a wide smile.

THE NEW FUTURE

Arthajaya hit the table to transfer his anger which makes Agung Darma startled. He seat abruptly in his main office at the PFA headquarter which is rarely used by him. As a President of regional association, Arthajaya spend most of his time at GRFA office which located in Tambapura, the capital of Tambangan.

"Patient, Sir," say Agung Darma who is seating in front of him.
"How can I be patient if I know that my position is in danger?" shouts Arthajaya in anger. Agung Darma keep his silence. "He already think about this right from the start. He know that if I ever able to vote than his plan will not come true. He sabotage me. F**k!"
Take it easy, Sir. Pull yourself together. We still have several days before the result is announced," calm Agung Darma.
"Do you have something that I not know?" ask Arthajaya.
Agung Darma just smile cynically.

Meanwhile in the President office. Pande Suryajaya seating there while collecting the voting papers. He put a smile on his face every time he remember Arthajaya's face when he explain about the rule. That is a big shocked for him. Even though he announced earlier that the result will be announced at the last day of the meeting, but he still start the counting process. Don't know why but he feels like he has to do it. He open the paper one by one and write down the result on separate paper. As he open the third paper, he frowns but then smile again just like he know who is the voter behind that paper. As he finished the counting process, he collected all the voting paper and the result into one envelope and put it in the safety box.

After the lunch break, Gudamang and Karangdewa arrive at the headquarter. For the second part of today's meeting, they will be involved. The security escorted them to the designated meeting room where the other leaders have waiting for them.

"Sorry if we are late," says Gudamang as they enters the room.
"It's fine and take a seat," answer Pande.

Everyone is already seated. Pande see all of them one by one. He can see the relieve mimic on Suwitra's face and also a relax aura from the others. Only Arthajaya and Agung Darma that are look very tense.
As everyone is already here. So welcome again to the headquarter and this is our officially second day of the meeting. We will not count yesterday because it was canceled," open Pande.
Suwitra lower his head when Pande remembering him about yesterday incident. He have to meet privately with Pande and explain everything. He feels relieve after telling him everything although he is a little bit scared with Arthajaya and Agung Darma.

"Today we will be start to discuss about the changing plan that I have in mind for our league system. Hopefully, you have the same insight with me," add Pande.
Pande look to the white screen behind him. And as the light in the room are dim, he press the switch of the projector which show the league system pyramid that he propose to the other leader to the white screen. Everyone in the room are looking at the picture in front of them.

"As you can see from the picture, I have a plan to trim down our league from 18 clubs per league into 12 clubs per league. This rule applies at the national level. With 36 clubs we have now in two national leagues, the possibility is to expand the national level from 2 leagues into 3 leagues," explain Pande.
"Why is there 'Optional' word in Katiga League?" ask Karangdewa.
Pande smile. "Well, that is my own personal preference. You see, I have two plan regarding how the national league will be. The first is like in the diagram picture, 3 national leagues, 3 regional leagues and 6 local leagues. My second plan is keep the 2 national leagues composition as it is. But that will make 12 clubs being relegated next season not counting the regular relegation spots in Karo League," say Pande.
"That means 15 relegation spots in the next season?" exclaim Maladi.
Pande nodded slightly.
"How about the regional and local leagues?" ask Suryawan.
"Regional divisions will be supervise and manage by both PFA and all 3 or 8 state associations. It depends on this morning voting result," answer Pande.
"It is a joined managed?" ask Gudamang slowly.
"Yes. So if this morning voting is not pass and GRFA is still continue their run then GRFA is not only entitled to managed 4 local leagues in each states of its member but also as a co-manager of 2 regional leagues, Kaja-Kauh and Kelod-Kangin. While both KRAF and SIRFA will both jointly manage Nusa Regional League," explain Pande. "But if the voting pass, then each regional league will be manage by 3 parties, 2 state associations and PFA,"

add Pande.

A murmur surround the meeting room as Pande finished his explanation. The lights in the room is getting back on.
"Any question?"
Almost all of the participants raise their hand.

by **Sylestone** » Sat Sep 18, 2021 12:57 am

Part One
Part Two
Part Three

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR SENTIENT

Part Four

Avondale, Sylestone

When Brett heard the news, the young boy originally could not believe his ears. He just sat in his seat across the dinner table from his father, staring blandly into outer space as it sunk in. But when it had, Brett was ecstatic. Enveloping his father in an embrace, the young boy seemed to have no intentions of letting him go, but when he did, his large puppy dog eyes met his fathers’ as he began to speak.

“When wiww we be abwe to go, Daddy?” he asked, barely able to make out the words as he trembled with excitement.

“School finishes in two days, yes?” was Brett’s father’s response.

“I fink so, yes.”

“Then we’ll leave on Saturday. Three days time. That should get us down there for Monday morning.”

“But twains from Avondawe to Kirkham don’t wun on Saturdays?”

“We’ll drive, it’s OK.”

“But cars are scawy.”

“Do you want to go to Kirkham or not?”

“Fine. We’ww go by car ven.”

***

The two of them got up early on Saturday morning in order to prepare for the long drive ahead, knowing it would take until Sunday evening, if not even later, to cross the 1500 kilometres of sparse road stretching from one side of the island nation to another. Well, Brett’s father did. Brett seemed to think that it would take them only a couple of hours, tops, no matter what anyone else said. But as has already been established, Brett’s a bit of an idiot, even for a seven-year-old.

When the two of them were about halfway to finishing, Brett walked out of the house with his soft plastic toilet that he sleeps with in place of a teddy bear. When Brett’s father saw his intentions, he breathed a sigh of exasperation.

“You’re not bringing that. There’s nowhere near enough room”, he said to the boy, whose face immediately dropped.

“But Daddy! Why can’t I have my wubber toiwet! I wike my wubber toiwet! I can’t sweep wivout it!”

“Well, you’re going to have to deal with it. Can’t you see how full the car already is? There’s no room.”

“What about in ve back seat wiv me?” Brett asked, determined to get his own way.

“Again, not enough room. I’m really sorry.”

And with hearing that, Brett slunk back into the house, clearly upset. But only seconds later, he emerged again, this time with an even weirder object in his hand.

It was a far smaller object this time, but an impossible one to keep in an apartment with any mischievous young boy. When Brett’s father bought this toy for his son on his sixth birthday, he originally didn’t know the secret things it was able to do. But Brett had worked them out, and his father had regretted buying the thing in the first place.

Yes, you guessed right. It was a rubber poop.

Now, the thing you should know about this is that it is not just any normal rubber poop. No, this rubber poop is special. Apart from looking horribly realistic, this poop is able to produce a foul, foul smell if you poke it in just the right place. When Brett had discovered this, the smell that the thing produced could not be removed from the house for nearly two weeks. Ever since, Brett had kept it hidden away, afraid his father would throw it out, as it was one of his favourite toys.

So when Brett’s father saw this, his eyes went full of fear. “NO. YOU ARE NOT BRINGING THAT PIECE OF SHIT WITH YOU.”

When he had realised what he had said, in front of his son, he went red in the face and ran back into the garage. Brett, taking this as a victory, shoved the thing into a secluded spot in the back seat, prepared to torture his father on the way to the city of Sentients.

An hour later, the two of them had finished packing and were ready to go. Brett’s father strapped his son into the booster seat in the back of the car and off they went. Out the driveway at 420 Doyourrostersontimeoryoulllose Street, then onto Seventy-Seventh Boulevard and past Edgeworth Primary en routeto the highway that would bypass the city centre and into the eastern suburbs of the capital city. As the suburbs gave way to prospering grasslands and countryside, Brett fell asleep in the back of the car; the night before had been a rough one. But as this happened, Brett’s head slumped onto his toy poop. Right on the stinky spot.

Half a minute later, Brett jolted awake again to find his father screaming at him. “I TOLD YOU NOT TO BRING THE POOP! WHY DID YOU BRING THE POOP!”

But Brett ignored him, looking out towards the blissful sea and the surrounding countryside. Then he said:

“Are we there yet?”

Sylestone vs Srednjaci @ Sunlife Stadium, Halpenley

Sylestone (4-1-3-1-1): Brick Wall (▮ 76’); Ironing Board (Nokia 84’) - Sofa - Wok - Drawer; Television; Kitchen Sink - Bar Stool - Spiderwebs (Fridge 63’); Mixer; Tumble Dryer

Srednjaci (4-1-2-1-2): Iveša; Majić (Kozlević 77’) - Kušić - Kutleša (Rušković 45’) - Šutić; Min Ho (▮ 37’); Zimmer - Tavano (▮ 29’) (Julišković 65’); Tomljanović; Marinković - Peng

SYLESTONE - 3
Spiderwebs 17’
Tumble Dryer 32’
Mixer 73’

SREDNJACI - 0
-no scorers-

Sylestone vs Agresos @ Unknown

Agresos (4-3-3): Heniorus; Oilopus - Hevenus (▮ 44’) - Phasilios - Protios; Dianes (▮ 64’) - Enix (▮ 90+3’) - Hercus; Meniotos - Evenix - Ordytas

Sylestone (4-1-3-1-1): Saucepan; Nokia - Washing Machine (Toilet 58’) - Sofa - Dishwasher; Air Conditioner; Stove - Knife - Fridge; Heater (▮ 68’) (Mixer 83’ (▮ 90’); Tumble Dryer (AC Vent 70’)

AGRESOS - 0
-no scorers-

SYLESTONE - 0
-no scorers-

Starting Lineup vs Melbergia @ The Bay Reserve, Betham

Table; Ironing Board - Toilet - Wok - Drawer; Television; Stove - Knife - Spiderwebs; Mixer; AC Vent

Starting Lineup vs Chromatika @ Islander Dome, Myana

Brick Wall; Ironing Board - Toilet - Washing Machine - Dishwasher; Air Conditioner; Stove - Bar Stool - Fridge; Heater; Tumble Dryer

Schedule:

MD1: Sylestone 1-0 Talamia @ Carson Stadium, Cleorough
MD2: Sylestone 1-0 Eura @ Chamberley Institute of Sport, Chamberley
MD3: Lathamford 1-0 Sylestone @ Thousandforks National Arena, Lathamford
MD4: Sylestone 3-0 Srednjaci @ Sunlife Stadium, Halpenley
MD5: Agresos 0-0 Sylestone @ Unknown
MD6: Sylestone - Melbergia @ The Bay Reserve, Betham
MD7: Chromatika - Sylestone @ Islander Dome, Myana
MD8: Sylestone - Darmen @ Avondale International Sports Stadium, Avondale
MD9: Schima Bas - Sylestone @ Unknown
MD10: Talamia - Sylestone @ Ebdemar Au'tokra Stadium, Clinepalas
MD11: Eura - Sylestone @ Bastion National Arena, Bastion
MD12: Sylestone - Lathamford @ Sentient Oval, Kirkham
MD13: Srednjaci - Sylestone @ Blue Volcano Stadium, Melarit
MD14: Sylestone - Agresos @ Ground of Dunkirk, Dunkirk
MD15: Melbergia - Sylestone @ Unknown
MD16: Sylestone - Chromatika @ The Trees, Pesfield
MD17: Darmen - Sylestone @ Unknown
MD18: Sylestone - Schima Bas @ Fiery Stadium, Dodle

by **Sendhang** » Sat Sep 18, 2021 1:18 am

I - II - III - IV - V - VI - VII - VIII - IX - X

XI
THOUSANDFORKS DECLARATION

The news headlines were on the meeting of the Melayuan country's leaders as Sendhang prepare themselves for the second World Cup 89 qualifiers window. The pressure was off from the national team players as the media turn their attention to Thousandforks in Lathamford where 10 leaders representing 10 Melayuan countries met to discuss regional interest for only the second time ever. Sendhang was represented by the Mahapatih himself, Paulus Etamba.

Sendhang was scheduled to play Vdara away, Yuezhou at home, Aix les Filles away, and Gyatso-kai at home during the international break. Salahudin was aware that everyone around him was talking about the meeting in Thousandforks but he is apolitical. He doesn't care about the meeting. He traveled with the squad to Vdara fully focused, not distracted by the current events. However, Vdara was too good for the Sendhangites as Sendhang lost easily 3-0 to them.

As the squad return home to face Yuezhou on Matchday 5, speculations on the meeting were even more intense as the date of the meeting gets closer. But still, it failed to distract Salahudin who was fully focused on trying to score for Sendhang. But again, Yuezhou was too good for the Sendhangites as Sendhang lost 1-0 at home. The national team players did well during the match but it was not enough.

Salahudin missed a few chances during the match. But he was lucky and relieved as well because the hostile Sendhang fans were too busy with the meeting at Thousandforks, saving him from scrutinization.

"I hope these people meet every day," said Salahudin after waking up with no hate messages and no death threats on his social media account the next morning.

by **Tumbra** » Sat Sep 18, 2021 3:14 am

Squornshelous Remnant States 2-1 Tumbra

TMB (4-2-3-1): 1 - John Lennon; 2 - Ryan Hughes (18 - Jacob Keene, 69'), 26 - Raymond Perry, 5 - Harry Henderson, 27 - Nigel Harris; 6 - Vincent Hicks (23 - Michael Aitken, 75'), 8 - Craig McGrath, 10 - Phil Cole; 17 - George Hilton (7 - Neil Fraser, 75'), 9 - Robin Vaughn; 22 - Nick Riordan

TMB goals: George Hilton (36')

Player of the Match: Harvard Popov (SRS)

Northwest Kalactin 0-2 Tumbra

TMB (4-2-3-1): 1 - John Lennon; 2 - Ryan Hughes, 26 - Raymond Perry (4 - Ian Ashburn, 70'), 5 - Harry Henderson, 27 - Nigel Harris; 6 - Vincent Hicks, 8 - Craig McGrath, 10 - Phil Cole; 17 - George Hilton (7 - Neil Fraser, 65'), 9 - Robin Vaughn; 22 - Nick Riordan (44 - Nigel Erskine, 85')

TMB goals: Vincent Hicks (40'), Nick Riordan (63')

Player of the Match: Vincent Hicks (TMB)

POLITICS: TWENTY-THREE REBEL MPS FORM NEW PROGRESSIVE PARTY
The members, who all voted "No" to the Northlands Expansion Act, have struck out on their own — but will it last?

STRATON - It has been one of the more impactful and dramatic forty-eight hours in Tumbran politics since the fall of Edward North's government in March 2000. Today's twist merely added to the intrigue of the debate surrounding the Northlands Expansion Act, and the Tumbran political scene in general; possibly heralding a transition from the old style of broad based, coalition-style big tent parties to more specialised parties catering to the interests of political groups. Led by four MPs — Joyce DeCerce, Mandy Ellis, Shardaben Parmar and Marc Denney — the formation of the Progressive Party, following up to the formation of the Christian Union a few years ago, merely highlights this shift.

The press conference was harriedly called following the announcement that the Whip would be lifted from the rebelling 23 MPs; all of whom represent, in some way, seats that are decidedly urban and liberal in shape. In a short opening speech, with little fanfare, DeCerce announced the formation of the Progressive Party, a "new force" for "Tumbrans of a progressive vein to come together and support progressive policies, from the ground up, into Parliament." The group's reason for leaving Labour was cited as a "long-term political disagreement on the aims, future goals of the party and more recent events that have forced the group's hand," without mentioning the suspension of the MPs from Labour over their vote. Evidently the decision to form the party had been taken long before the actual vote; what else could explain the presence of light pink branding around the room, and neatly-designed, if shallow, political literature?

The new party will be co-led by Mandy Ellis, MP for Caldwell North, and Marc Denney, long-time MP for Tonbridge in Bechor; evidently a mirror of the Greens' system of having two co-leaders, one for each sex. Whether the arrangement will continue into the future, or if they will settle into a traditional single-leader structure, is unknown. Amongst other important roles were DeCerce being appointed as Spokesperson on Home Affairs, Parmar as Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, and Kim Paterson, MP for Killiney Ophirwood, as Spokesperson on the Economy and Trade.

Rumours of a new political party being set up by Labour defectors have been on the high and low ever since the Northlands Expansion Act was introduced for its second reading; yet nothing much came of it until now. Yet not many rumours ever emerged of Labour MPs directly defecting to the Greens or Social Democratic Party, owing to the bad blood between the three parties; the Greens have long since been looked upon by Labour as upstarts who threatened their dominance on the left — a perception that has not changed despite Green participation in the North government of 1999-2000 and the one-term government of Ian Randall from 2005-09 — since their foundation, while the Labour-SDP feud of the 1930s has left deep, stinging memories of infighting between the left. The SDP's image as a protest party intent on sweeping up the votes of young people and of mining towns has not helped either; given that Labour's electoral strategy over the past three decades mainly relied on shedding that image of the left.

Yet the Progressive Party's cause, if anything, might be soon snuffed out by the harsh realities of Tumbran electoral geography. A constituency-based system, particularly one that has instant-runoff voting, as Tumbra does, rewards parties that stick close to the centre; it rewards moderation, a "steady-as-you-go" course, as the ultimate funnel of votes as candidates from fringe, more extreme parties are eliminated. The Progressives' slew of policies may fall on the "extreme" rather than "moderate" side of that equation; though as time mellows emotions, so might their economic policies moderate themselves to that of the more mainstream centre-left as well. A call for electoral reform to mixed-member proportional representation at the very least was also on the agenda; evidently a sign that the founding members of the party recognised the state their party was in. Many of the MPs who defected to the Progressives came from strongly-Labour supporting constituencies; for them to try and hold on to them in any upcoming general election will require either a heavy shift in support to the Progressives, or a great increase in their personal vote. For first-term MPs like Katie Vance, they will find themselves on the cusp of the fight of their electoral life come 2025; with no secure constituency base to her name, there is a chance the Progressives are swept out of Parliament then.

Until then, however, the opposition to the Northlands and a broadly pro-EU policy plank is what separates the Progressives from Labour; how it intends to separate itself from the Greens and the SDP, the other parties vying for a space on the new left, is unknown; they are both freed and weighed down by their former association with Labour. They can present themselves as a party ready for government, should the situation ever arise; but at the same time, voters on the left who despise Labour will most likely never vote for a party of Labour-splitters, having the Greens already for their umbrella.

For Kenneth Everett and Labour, its majority slashed to 86 from 132, this presents no major roadblock in the short-term; as long as the MPs on the left of the party do not follow suit, he keeps his substantial majority intact, and is still on course to win a third term as of today's poll. Yet in the long run, the addition of another party on the left adds to Labour's headache of having to fend off the smaller parties; a younger generation of voters, more engaged than ever, more critical than ever, pay less heed to the previous government record of parties, and more so on the identity of the parties itself. It is not something that is categorically "good" or "bad"; voting in parties solely based on their record in government is not good, for one misses the forest for the trees; voting in parties solely based on what they promise is not good either, focusing solely on electoral promises, neglecting the actual art of governance. Yet, to the younger generation — the most split generation in every poll so far — parties' records matter less to what they can offer now. The Progressives therefore offer a nice coupling of experience plus fresh policy to the mix; something that might win them seats in the long-term, and giving Labour a headache then, too, as they seek to continue control of the country. Whether the Party can stabilise itself from its relatively tumultuous beginnings and set itself on the road to long-term stability, nobody knows.

The full list of MPs who defected from Labour to the Progressives is listed below; in alphabetical order according to their first name.
Alan Coates, Tanglin, Bechor
Charis Edwards, Harren East, Harren
Claire Hudson, Carter City South, Raleigh
Craig Lewis, Chesterfield, Marcato
Dennis Cochrane, Denham, Napier
Diana Cable, Nantwich North, Finnley
Emma Liddell, Killiney Parry, Napier
Frank Wilson, Clyde City, Clearmont
James Drake, Readale Chingamura, Gamaliel
James Powell, Sturrey, Thornton
Joyce DeCerce, Newark South, Severn
Katie Vance, Harren Central, Harren
Kim Paterson, Killiney Ophirwood, Napier
Mandy Ellis, Caldwell North, Caduke
Marc Denney, Tonbridge, Bechor
Peter Symonds, Peirce, Thornton
Quentin Adams, Nantwich South, Finnley
Robert Finch, Straton East, Straton
Robyn Paine, Tavistock Brennan, Dartmoor
Ruth Hannigan, Hesham Fletchley, Clearmont
Shardaben Parmar, Delano South East, Hamilton
Victoria Hughes, Arran, Dartmoor
Wanda Stevenson, Bencoolen North, Bencoolen

OCHRE ISLANDS vs TUMBRA and TUMBRA vs ERAMAN, WORLD CUP 89 QUALIFYING

Starters: 1 - John Lennon, 18 - Jacob Keene, 4 - Ian Ashburn, 14 - Louis Paterson, 19 - Russell White; 23 - Michael Aitken, 15 - Alan Morgan, 10 - Phil Cole; 7 - Neil Fraser, 9 - Robin Vaughn, 22 - Nick Riordan

Bench: 12 - Louis Addison; 25 - Michael Campbell, 5 - Harry Henderson, 35 - Douglas Moore, 3 - Chris Carter; 6 - Vincent Hicks, 8 - Craig McGrath, 16 - Tom Stansfield; 17 - George Hilton, 21 - Lynne Crossley; 11 - Marcus Sheldon, 44 - Nigel Erskine

by **Graintfjall** » Sat Sep 18, 2021 3:59 am

Græntfjall – 1 (1)
B. Ernestisson; Matteosdóttir, Gunnþórsson, Reynarsson (43’), Vilbertsdóttir; Marvinsson (56’) (58’ Ísarrsson ); Hólmarsdóttir, Guttisdóttir (45’ Álvgeirsdóttir ), Kristoffersdóttir; Jonathansdóttir (4’) (57’ Auðunsdóttir ), Þórhallursson

Zug um Zug – 0 (0)

Saltstead – 0 (0)

Græntfjall – 3 (2)

B. Ernestisson; Lúthersdóttir, Jokulsson (65’), Reynarsson, Vilbertsdóttir; Ásvaldursson (80’ Thorleifsson ); Álvgeirsdóttir (87’), Finnvarðsdóttir, Kristoffersdóttir (19’) (71’ Miansdóttir ); Jonathansdóttir (7’) (56’ Erlingsson ), Þórhallursson (28’)

Unfortunately, a scheduling mix-up meant GS SuperSports+ sent their chess commentary team to the Zug um Zug game at the Florus Stadion:

“The pieces lining up very proudly. What a great honor for the young white pawn at e2, taking his place alongside arguably one of the greatest pawns in the world at d2. The other pieces are milling about, the white king looks relaxed as he chews on gum, the white queen full of nervous energy as she really needs to improve her performances. So too from the white princess who is lining up at c1.”

…

“White pawn making early inroads, a2 to a4, to a5, en passante to b6. She cuts inside, puts the cross in, and the white queen is there at g5, and it’s a very early goal as the white queen brilliantly locks up the black king with a surging header!”

…

“And the ball thuds into the bar! Anguish from the white king who has had yet another chance turned aside by his opposite number. A very firm strike, really blasted his foot through the pass from the white bishop, and the bar still reverberating. The black king just got a hand to it, must have stung a little, as the white pawn races up to h8 to take the corner.”

…

“As they emerge from the half-time tunnel, and there’s a surprise as there’s a bishop exchange. The white bishop has not featured very much at all through the first games of qualifying and will play no further part in this one. Mysterious tactics from Grandmaster Cantor. The white pieces need to be more attacking in the second half as black has been very defensive, keeping all its pawns back and refusing to get involved in midfield exchanges.”

…

“The white rook takes the black bishop out, and that is going to lead to a yellow card for the young white rook, who played rather well early on but since castling has looked a little immobile. Perhaps time for an exchange of pieces and a fresh rook to be brought on.”

…

“And the final whistle goes. Checkmate! The white king, frustrated at having several opportunities for checkmate (somehow) but now he’s all smiles as he congratulates the white queen, who was taken in an exchange but now returns to the board to celebrate her winning move. Some of the white pawns have moved over to thank the fans in attendance, while the white knights are exchanging some words of commiseration with the black king.”

The ‘white queen’ scored a very similar early ‘checkmate’ in the second game, too, as the Snow Wolves visited Saltstead – their first big test of qualifying, with no disrespect to those teams that had come before. Other than Amanda Guttisdóttir this was now essentially a full strength side: in her place, the talented young Kæja Finnvarðsdóttir got her debut, and played very well for the first hour including providing the assist to Eiríka Jonathansdóttir. Jason Þórhallursson had struck the bar, the post, and the ‘black king’ put in a couple of solid saves, in a frustrating game against Zug um Zug in which he played well except for his finishing; given he’s mainly in the side for his finishing, it was thus a relief to blast in a 20 yarder against Saltstead and take the lead to 2 at the half.

In the second half, the Snow Wolves conceded a penalty when Stefan Jokulsson got very confused and interpreted Zacharias van den Slåp’s name a little too literally. But Björnólfur Ernestisson continued his excellent run of form and saved the resulting spot kick. And late on it was the Snow Wolves’ turn to be recipients of a little brutality when Jan-Pijr Åudenberg clattered Johanna Álvgeirsdóttir, who took full reward by curling in the free kick from just outside the box. It was a complete performance and something of a relief to gain a goal difference boost after three comfortable but unspectacular 1 – 0 wins.

With the team’s toughest game to come against The Holy Empire next (who, in a startling development, deep-dive researchers have discovered are – get this – the only remaining team to have played in the first World Cup still active) Cantor is unlikely to experiment much with her formation, although Amanda Guttisdóttir is set to be absent again; Finnvarðsdóttir looked impressive in her place, but patience may have run out with Sara Kristoffersdóttir, with Jade Miansdóttir instead likely to feature to add some midfield solidity against the ever-attacking visitors. If there’s a chance for more experimentation it will come against Acastanha.

by **Chartistan** » Sat Sep 18, 2021 5:28 am

At last, the Chartistani national team rocked up to Quebec City to play the ever-feared Grim Reapers, the Independent Athletes of Quebec themselves. They weren't exactly favorites to come out with a result in such a inhospitable environment like the fortress that is the Reneegrad, but never count out Chartistan...

THAT'S WHAT WE WANT
A parody of That's What I Want by Lil Nas X

[Doctor Lucas Combrush]
1, 2, 3, 4!

[Little Exnash]
Need a goal that can help us stay up late at night
Get us up and jumping in the sunlight
Tell us how we can win, we can fight
Yeah, we did it before, and we'll do it tonight
Those boys wearing black and the red sleeve
The Grim Reaper looking up like he know me
I wonder if they're waiting for me
Let me find out and see, they're coming over to me, yeah
These days We're feeling lonely
We're missing out, I know
These days we're all alone
And we're known for giving goals away, but we want
Someone to score, please, we want
Someone to scream, please
Cause it don't feel right when it's late at night
And we didn't get the points we need
So I want someone to score
That's what we god damn want!

[Adult Royce]
Look, we know it's harder to find them these times
But we got nothing but goals on our mind (Our mind)
We need a sitter right in our prime
Need an adversary to keep us bright and merry
Like tell me there's life when we still haven't won tonight
Be like "We're okay" and "It will be alright", yeah
Win it or nothin', cause we don't want anything
But a screamer, a volley or a little bit of a save
These days We're feeling lonely
We're missing out, I know
These days we're all alone
And we're known for giving goals away, but we want
Someone to score, please, we want
Someone to scream, please
Cause it don't feel right when it's late at night
And we didn't get the points we need
So I want someone to score
That's what we god damn want!

[Little Exnash and Adult Royce]
We want someone to score, please
We want someone to scream, please
Cause it don't feel right when it's late at night
And we didn't get the points we need
So I want someone to score
That's what we god damn want!

Indeed, Chartistan got someone to score on that day, as Little Exnash set up a sprinting Adult Royce to tie up the game at the Reneegrad, 1-1 between Chartistan and Quebec. They would score 5 the very next matchday against Transvolcanic in a sublime team performance that included a brace by Exnash and a screamer by Yamjune reminiscent of the goal against Darmen in the Cup of Harmony. They did get what they wanted...

by **Juvencus** » Sat Sep 18, 2021 6:51 am

Before the matchday report between Oberour Ar Moro and Juvencus, il Scudelliano, as an international media source representative of Juvencus would like to formally hand its apologies in behalf of the Juven Football Federation and the Holy Empire as a whole for the problems caused to les Incorrigibles before and during their visit to Pomena, resulting in them not bringing a single Francophone player and for any resulting attacks to the remaining Anglophone delegation sent to play after the game. Panjuvenism, in its true meaning, is meant to unify all Juven people in Sonnel and beyond, while also keeping close bonds with other Romance groups in the form of a brotherhood, inviting them to join in a greater Juvenhood, should they so desire. We do not stand with the views of the extremists that make life hard for other, very distantly related, Romance people groups. We extend our hands to you in solidarity to stop any hate or extreme views that are harmful to society. Well deserved victory! Nous t'aimons, Omerique!

Oberour Ar Moro 0-3 Juvencus

Gli attaccanti bounce back after Omerica horror!

After staying goalless against Omerica, a Campana hattrick keeps gli attaccanti alive in the race to the top of the table!

While the previous perfromance at Pomena could be described as a shortcoming of the true capabilities of gli attaccanti, being toyed around by the Incorrigibles like nothing, the matchday in Oberour Ar Moro would be described as having received the perfect cure for an illness. Campana was UN-BE-LIEV-A-BLE, with a hattrick that could be considered shocking from the young lad against such a formidable team, ranked 59th in the world, the highest-ranked side gli attaccanti have gotten to beat in this cycle so far.

No risks taken from Madeiros this time, keeping the major core of the team in the starting lineup, leaving Cantù out after being obscene to the Omerican team in a French-language post-match interview as well as suffering a minor hamstring injury during practice. Chimo Quaranta taking his position was a major undertaking by the AC Serone starter that luckily paid off for the majority of the game, as the determined young player never went out of position while provided the team with enough risky, yet calculated plays that played a major role in the team's attacks. While both gli attaccanti and the Oberour Ar Moro are offensive teams, the Juven players made sure to stay true to the Pomenienze tactic, playing quick passes around the field, being intimidating and having a high line against a relatively strong defense for a team that forgets it all and pushes forward themselves. Campana proved to be dangerous early on when a Martell cross found Campana in a perfect position for the header but au Feure was there to keep it wide. A quick counter from the home side saw l'Eglyse and le Bufetier have a few good exchanges of the ball with the latter passing it to Bele who kicked it straight to Bulgari's hands. At the same time as he did pull the shot however, he kicked Callejon in the angle and Wirr Tsi defender in typical hot-headed Juven fashion started pushing and shoving Bele resulting in a major fight between the two, luckily the Puig pulled the 2 players away from each other before anything worse could happen, both Bele and Callejon were awared a yellow card. Quaranta's worth became apparent when gliding through the left side of the Oberour defence, dribbling through Calenge and eventually giving the ball to Campana with the latter lifting it a-la-Bergkamp(some RLStates player, for all we know) and turning around to score the screamer. The 0-1 scoreline would remain until the end of the first half with no major chances from either side, with most heading wide or being stopped by the defenders of each squad.

The second half seemed to be a much smoother sail for la Squadra, since the boost of having the advantadge gave them more of a reason to keep pursuing an increase in that advantadge and escape Oberour Ar Moro's special venue with the 3 points. The results of such a mood boost were apparent effective immediately, Michelangelo Santini did what he does best, a beautiful cross to the box saw Campana capitalise on the volley given to him, leaving Guillo au Feure standing there like a statue. That second goal froze the stadium, but the home side were not too easy on the quit button just yet. A literal barrage of opportunities by Bele, Vrely and le Bufetier were either stopped by Bulgari, the bars, with 5 whole shots hitting the crossbar alone and the nearest opportunity, a beautiful Bele chip over Bulgari's head was luckily saved by Ibarra on the goal-line in the last second. The 0-2 scoreline at that time was very foolish to the happenings of the game and the unluckiness of the Oberour Ar Moro side. The match was sealed by the 72nd minute, a beautiful cross by Kingston FC starter Sissoko found Campana in a favorable position, swiftly changing the ball from his left to the right foot before netting the ball on the top right side of the goal, effectively giving gli attaccanti the much needed 3 points right then and there. Oberour were very close to scoring in the dying minutes of the game, when a cross by l'Eglyse was strongly headed by Bele to the ground, but Bulgari's fingers did the work and ricocheted the ball to the crossbar, with an immediate clearing by Puig following up.

"We might have gotten the 3 points, but the scoreline was not indicative of the happenings of the game. Maintaining a strong attacking form means having an even more solid backline is a must if we really want a shot at qualifying for the world cup. So far our performances have been extremely good and I'm proud of my players and will be waiting for more exceptional performances to come, I believe that the team's idiosyncracy and gameplay will lead them far this time around and the times after that." were Dudu Madeiros' comments after the match.

Other news:

Politics: Were the Holy Emperor's comments too much, too soon? The Royal Parliament certainly think so after historic first ever condemnation of his actions in 40 years is passed.
Juvencus: The Scudelli-Pomena speedrail has finally been completed with high-speed ultramodern trains reaching speeds of 500 km/h reducing the time to go from Scudelli to Pomena in merely 1.5-2 hours maximum.
Sports: Attacks to the Omerica team bus post-match push Juven Football Association to run a 3-home matchday ban towards any and all fans until the culprits are found.
Business: With Scudelli being the base of operations of multiple large companies, is it really worth it to start small and hope big? Here is how to start:

by **Polkopia** » Sat Sep 18, 2021 7:27 am

The Lada Kirovski Players Discuss the Team's Atmosphere Before MD6

Polkipian footballers Yakoby Kosyo, Vadim Išutin, Danya Siyan, and Vladimir Ravlić were together in a bar prior to their evening practice with the rest of the team. Ever since their last victory against Flavovespia, Coach Dyakov had opted to allow for more down time for the team, as it seemed to work out in their favor during the last game. As a reward for how well they have played thus far, Coach Dyakov had also chosen to hold practices in the early evening, rather than in the morning, so the players would be more inclined to go out and explore the city more during the day rather than have to turn in early in order to get enough sleep before practice.

"You know," Siyan took a gulp of his IPA, "I'm usually not a fan of beer, but this stuff, it's pretty good."

The Polkopians had traveled all the way to Baker Park for their next game, a match where Polkopia would face its toughest challenge in the group in their entire qualification campaign - they'd be up against the highest-ranked team in their group AND have to do it without the home field advantage. During their trip to Baker Park, the team had expressed feelings similar to that of how they felt when they traveled to Jerusalem for their match, but the atmosphere in their plane had felt a little more light-hearted than before, as the team knew they had done very well up until this point and, while they were capable of at least holding the team to a draw, there was no shame in losing to a team ranked significantly higher than them, especially one ranked as highly as Baker Park.

"Ugh," Kosyo wrinkled his nose and turned away, "no, not for me. Beer always makes my stomach feel full and I feel like shit for the rest of the day."

Siyan looked down at Kosyo's drink on the table. "So wait, what are you drinking then? Why is it pink?"

"I don't know what pink lemonade is, but I ordered it off of the menu. It has vodka and some other shit in it too, but I think those are the two main ingredients in it." Kosyo looked around the table for a moment, "I think they took the menus away so I don't know exactly."

"Just be happy those Valinkovan pricks aren't here, they wouldn't let you hear the end of it." Ravlić said, sipping his cocktail.

Kosyo and Siyan made eye contact and couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, I don't know what I did but they don't seem to like me too much," Kosyo said.

Ravlić nodded, "Yeah, I've noticed that too. I don't think it's anything you've done, you're usually super quiet so I can't imagine you've said or done anything to offend them or anything, I think it just might be their own personal issues."

"Maybe," Išutin said, thinking out loud, "maybe they're threatened by you? Like, it seems that, out of everyone that seems to have something against you, Panin dislikes you the most, right? Well I think it's because you're starting and he isn't. You heard what he said in the locker room that one time, right? I think that kind of speaks for itself as to why he doesn't like you."

"Huh," Siyan nodded, looking down at his drink, "that might be the smartest thing I've ever heard you say. Maybe some of that drag queen's intelligence rubbed off on you while you were fucking her."

Kosyo and Ravlić burst out laughing, while Išutin turned a bright red. "We didn't fuck!" Išutin shot back, "I didn't even know she was a he until later!"

Siyan was having far too much fun with this and he leaned in closer to Išutin. "Until... what happened later? You never told us the full story."

Išutin rolled his eyes, "So yeah, after the club closed her friends and I went outside and we talked for a bit, then someone came by to pick her friends up and it was just me and her, right? So we walked for a bit, and remember, we're both super drunk by this point, but we pulled off into an alley, we made out a bit, exchanged numbers, all that. She, or.. he... I don't know! They invited me back to their place and I said no, but THEN, she said that she wanted to hang out again when she wasn't in drag, and that's when I knew."

"So what'd you do then?" Kosyo asked while the other two were hunched over the table, laughing.

"Well I mean, I wasn't mad but I was kind of a dick I guess," Išutin said, "I kind of freaked out a bit and ran away, but I texted him this morning and apologized for it all and explained myself, but he still hasn't texted me back." Išutin paused for a bit, sighed, and then laughed again, "Whatever though, I don't give a shit, I was just trying to be nice."

"But... you still made out with a guy?" Ravlić asked in between breaths.

"Yeah and so what?" Išutin laughed, "It's not for me but life's all about new experiences, eh?"

"I'm surprised you're actually here with us today, actually." Siyan said, "The Vadim I know would've been in bed with three girls already at this point."

"Yeah, I think I just need a break for a little bit." Išutin paused to finish his drink, slamming the glass on the wooden table in front of them, "But I'll be back, don't worry too much Danya Silyević."

by **HUElavia** » Sat Sep 18, 2021 7:29 am

Distressing Draws!

HUElavia drop 4 of 6 points after two draws against weaker opponents!

Moliza 2-2 HUElavia
(Soto 37', Blundell 85' |Kedar 15' (P), Chyke 55')

HUElavia 0-0 Txakhaxi
(Al-Rahid Stadium, Hamar)

(OOC: Due to time constraints of work, I cannot write a full-fledged Match RP like I normally do, so I'll do a news piece for a change. As a note for my upcoming matches at Britland and versus Brenecia: The B-Team will play at Britland, with Marquez in goal and Wentz as Captain, with the Away Uniform being worn. The A-Team will play against Brenecia, with Vannier in goal and Mendieta as the Captain, while wearing the Home Uniform. The home game against Brenecia will take place at Estadio Costeiro (78,000), in HUEsilia.)

Slide to the Right!

HUElavia's right-ward shift brings massive changes in HUElavian society.

A few months ago, the victory of Conservative Party's Guilherme Barbosa Fagundes over Green Party candidate Natalia Ramos Caetano was a surprising result to many in the International community. This was the case given that HUElavia has historically been a more left-wing nation. Compared to the last time Conservatives were in the Grand House, there really was massive changes thrust forward put for HUElavia.

At first, there was a change in economic reforms, with the long-standing A.I. Economy that helped boost the employment be changed out to the normal Capitalist Economy. Compared to the last time HUElavia enacted that, this time the drop in employment was not horrible, mainly affecting students, where they were given more room to study, while allowing educated graduates of both universities and trade schools to work as normal. With this, this also sparked a massive growth in the agricultural industry, an industry historically lacking in HUElavia, now flourishing with the environmental protections set in place over the years. To say that this is the most Pro-Business administration is an understatement. Eventually, President Barbosa Fagundes passed labor reforms to give more power to businesses, mainly allowing them to fire employees without reason or repercussion. On top of that, these changes allowed companies to plaster their advertisement almost anywhere, in particular in sporting events, where teams had sponsors on their uniforms for the first time in HUElavian history. Not to mention, he gave plenty of protections to businesses to do as they please, so long as they follow the stringent environmental laws of the country.

With the changes, a massive wealth gap grew within months. Historically, the gap between the Top and bottom 10% was at about 2.2 to 2.5 times at length. Today, that gap has grown to 25.9. Adding on, the Top 10% are earning on average 1.4 Million Hueks, for the first time since the early days of the country. Essentially, millionaires and a few billionaires are throwing their money to influence society, mainly in activist causes (given the massive societal disapproval of paying bribes in politics) to influence people to consume products. All while on the flip side, the poorest 10% of HUElavians have gone from earning 220K Hueks a year, to just 55K a year, essentially suffering horribly in poverty. This poverty has especially been found in rural areas where the economic changes has been felt profusely. Due to this massive wealth gap and inequality, millions of HUElavians have had to take up multiple jobs (compared to the well-off one job in the previous A.I. system), including more dangerous ones, as well as unsavory ones. With these changes, HUElavia is seen as a "Corporate Bordello," where HUElavia seems to be selling itself to businesses in order to make profits.

As for social society, HUElavia has become the most conservative it has been in well over 150 years. President Barbosa Fagundes used his support and majority in the lower houses to pass laws that has been seen as very conservative and restrictive. In particular, it has affected women the most. Notably, there were laws passed that ordered women to dress more feminine, but conservatively. Thus, normal clothes like short shorts and tanktops are very frowned upon on HUElavian women, where they have been changed to long skirts and light, long-sleeved shirts to cover their arms. Men have also had to change, with more emphasis on business casual clothing for hot days and mor temperate days see suits being worn. Bathing suits for men and women have been changed to more conservative styles, something that has disappointed HUElavians around the country, given the attractive nature of the beaches and their people. Nudity was also restricted with all the changes, where now it is restricted to certain communities that are enclosed.

Adding on, contraceptives have been banned in HUElavia, where there is an emphasis on increasing population in the name of Catholicism and for women to become mothers much sooner. Many women have protested this around HUElavia, with the most notable signs being waved saying "I AM NOT SUBMISSIVE AND BREEDABLE!" Regardless, pregnancy rates have gone up all around the country, as well as teen pregnancy, something that had not been seen since the early 2070s when Sex Education was made optional instead of mandatory. STDs have also been on the rise, causing people to be very uneasy once the mention of it is spoken. As a result, people have resorted to illegally smuggling contraceptives into the country, with notably some of the products coming from the country of Quebec and Shingoryeo (this in particular has been found in Bordellos around the country, where poor women have been found working at in recent times to make money for their families). There is word that possibly abortions are next on the list, where it will be very restrictive, whether it would be a partial or full ban in the country.

Only time will tell how much HUElavian society will change, but assuming that the change in government will happen eventually in 4 or 8 years, the successor of President Barbosa Fagundes will have a lot to fix in the society, especially to make it the proper beacon of freedom that the country has championed for so long.

by **The Jovannic** » Sat Sep 18, 2021 8:00 am

Three Peas in a Pod

It wasn't the best day for Ojan. Two extra projects to finish, and a corrupt file left him skipping lunch and taking overtime just to finish his goals for the day. He stumbled slowly onto the train at the last crack of sunset. The young graphic designer work had just started gaining commissions for at the start of the summer holidays. "Draw a dragonborn couple with red hair and a nice background" he read on his phone. "What a vague request." He thought to himself shortly before he slipped from a small jerk from the train, hitting some other lady standing next to him.

"Pathe Station" The female voice announced from its speakers. He walked back to his rental apartment, albeit slowly.

He opened the door and was greeted by Kier preparing popcorn and nachos. He was much taller than Ojan, black hair, thin glasses, pear shaped face. His jacket draped over him bolded out "Nationale Jovannica".

"Hello Ojan! Why so late? The match is about to start!

"Had some business to do at the high tech office."

"Whatever, quickly go eat dinner."

"Who cooked it?"

"Marvic"

"God no I'm not eating what he cooks! What did he cook?"

"Eggs and some rice."

"Em...That isn't so bad, how can he mess eggs up?"

"Oh, you'll see." A small grin spread over Kier's face.

"I definitely will."

Marvic was busy drawing opposite the dining table. It seemed like he starting to draw some NSFW stuff, the ahegao face was starting to form. He was taller than Ojan, but shorter than Kier, his eyes were light green and his hair jet black. His hair often fell over his eyes in a sort of long bowl cut, their university teacher often made fun of that fact, telling him that he was prepared for war whenever it came. He largely ignored Marvic, sitting down and taking a small bite. The sharp taste of garlic and onion hit him immediately.

"HOLY CRAP WHAT DID YOU PUT IN THIS?" Choking it out.

"Just some garnishes, what's so bad about it?"

"I'm not eating this anymore. I'm watching the match against Sanjur.

"Fine with me."

The three students sat down onto their squeaky couch as the match was about to start. The snacks and drinks were prepared, and the screen lit as the Grand Jovannica Stadium zoomed into view.

"Good evening The Jovannic as we head into Matchday 4 of the WCQ 89! Today's match will be against Sanjur, 83rd rank in the world! They will be featuring a slightly adjusted lineup, after yesterday's 4-1 drubbing by our regionmates Baker Park, The national team will look to return to winning ways at home.

"I sure hope they do." Kier quipped, tossing a piece of popcorn into his mouth.

For the first 20 minutes, it didn't look like they would. Right off the bat, The Jovannic was all over the place, Gothal Mathee was screaming once again, and the whole stadium, once rift with excitement, was quiet. It was eerily similar to the match against Baker Park. Andre Naulo scored in the 12th minute, and Sanjur's captain Jessica Siafik scored a beautiful volley in the 19th minute. The apartment was pretty quiet as well, except for Marvic's slow munching of Nachos. He didn't really care for football, and was obviously just chilling with the free snacks.

"Come on! Get a move on!" Kier was copying Mather's moves, gesturing left and right, until he slapped Ojan in the face.

"God damnit Kier, keep your hands to yourself."

The match continued and The Jovannic continued struggling. That was until The Jovannic scored in the 24th minute, right against the run of play.

"The corner is swung in by Jin Tze, it's poked out by Alek Khadur, straight to Ilohil, hits it hopefully into the box...WHAT'S THAT SCRAMBLE THERE! IT'S A MESS OOO SAMI NING COMES OUT WITH THE BALL AND HE SCORRRREEEESSSS!!!

"Why so messy one?" Marvic asked, still eating.

But there was no reply as both Ojan and Kier jumped up in joy, shouting Ning chants and celebrating. The formerly quiet stadium erupted in elation once again.

"IT'S ONE GOAL BACK FOR THE JOVANNIC!"

The Jovannic would continue to strike hard and fast. Thomas Behine and Luo Xiang Mao both hit the crossbar before Juyt Dersa scored his first goal of qualifying in the 36th minute, and Luo Xiang Mao scored on his WCQ debut with a rocket of a shot that went straight through Alek Kandur's hands in the 42nd minute. The Jovannic were on a high note by half time.

However, Sanjur would keep things right by scoring in the 51st minute, Andre Naulo scoring his second goal. The Jovannic would take the win, however, with a great tactical play in the 62nd minute and finished off with a slot in by Sami Ning, bringing his total tally to 3 goals. The Jovannic had won 4-2.

"What a win! That kept me at the edge of my seat!" Kier said, stretching from the couch.

"Yeah, definitely made my day better."

Marvic was still munching on popcorn, having finished both the nachos and the cheezo snacks. At this point, he was just checking his phone. He looked up a bit, and winked.

Kier nodded. "I know what would make your day better!" He pulled out three ticket sized pieces of paper. "Three crisp tickets to the match against Jerusalem the day after! Shorty will enjoy this! After that is Eshialand, remember when their news report guaranteed 6 points for them? Well, we're going to fucking trash them."

Ojan smiled. Maybe this wasn't a bad day at all.

Starting Eleven against Jerusalem: Mavin Tsuniki, Kish Dasny, Raye Eng, Kallin Yustat, Io Castra, Jin Tze, Stockain Lelop, Carunos Majaria, Juyt Dersa, Sami Ning, Jovan Ilohil

Starting Eleven against Eshialand: Mavin Tsuniki, Twatter Harring, Korion Messitawa, Kallin Yustat, Nivario Wesh, Jin Tze, Stockain Lelop, Juyt Dersa, John Crackers, Sami Ning, Jovan Ilohil

All Hail The Jovannic!

by **The Gothanita Isles** » Sat Sep 18, 2021 8:57 am

Part 4

Stories about The Gothanita Isles
Chapter 1: North-South divide
Part 5

It is time to bring the final player into all of this, eh?

When Hallikshire first came into contact with the Otksars, the Handorians, and the Jeoleris, it was just 10 years before the signing of the Gothanitan agreement. And Hallikshire, at that point in time, was one of the more stable islands around. The country has developed its own political system, with 4 main dominant parties in a first-past-the-post system. The country has also been developing their on economic output (manufacturing high-end products, tourism), as well as finding a way to balance between giving adequate civil rights and maintaining a harmonious society. Which is why civil rights is much lower than that in present-day South Jeolerina. But, oh well, there isn't much complain from Hallikshirans on these issues.

Anyways, when Hallikshire first talked to the Handorians and the Jeoleris, they could already tell something was amiss. Both sides seems to be operating separately as independent nations, even though both sides were insistent that they are 1 country. There was no agreement and standardization whatsoever. To Handorians, they left the decision to the tribal leaders to make decisions involving the whole country, while village town halls are the way things are done for Jeoleris. Jeoleris prioritized the economy as part of the path to national development, Handorians saw that establishing a political structure is the way forward. 2 really different branches of thinking, and Hallikshirans first reaction was to be more aligned to the Jeoleris, since they are shaping themselves to be more open and forgiving. In fact, the Jeoleris took an interest in Hallikshire's political system, where everyone gets to select their leaders and all, though they still prioritised economic development and talked to Otksarin a lot on that matter.

In secret, however, the Hallikshirans and the Otksarins were already talking about some sort of union. There was some similarities between the 2 much more developed nations, with economic development being the main priority at the moment. Both countries, however, are looking into developing slightly different areas, with Hallikshirans looking into more technology, while Otksarins continuing to do mid-tier manufacturing. Both countries also have small military, which they feel could be pooled together to develop the country. Both countries also have an interest in sports, and are also willing to help Handoria-Jeoleria develop into an equivalent partner. Of course, this was the starting of a discussion to the Handorian agreement, but that is not the point of this series, and should be discussed at a later time.

by **Blouman Empire** » Sat Sep 18, 2021 9:01 am

THE EMPIRE TIME

No Chances Lead To No Goals

A dismal performance from the Eagles last night saw group favourites Farfadillis defeat them 2-0 in front of fans at Stadium Bloumany. The dismal performance saw the team fail to register a single shot on goal thanks to the strong defense effort from Farfadillis, while Edmün Çídh and Emiliano Gallegas did enough to score a goal each and take home the three points.

The game started off well for the Blouman side controlling the tempo and having the majority of possession. Some good play between Lincoln Zilva and Luke Cousins saw them get the ball into the attacking third but the defensive effort from Gëngüdó Pìgülôçô saw the opportunity to shoot cut out. While the Eagles passed amongst the defensive third the opportunity to penetrate into their attacking third was few and far between. Cousins received a long ball from Liam Peach but was forced to shoot from distance as he was quickly closed down, with the ball flying high into the stadium.

Farfadillis opened up the scoring in the 30th minute with a powerful shot from Cidh from the top of the box. Ígnîgo Çí Xôrí intercepted a pass off Peach and quickly sent it through to Gallegas who managed to take it down the line sending Rhys Lornet the wrong way as he wrong footed him before sending a low cross towards Cidh who managed to find himself with space and time to control the ball and calmly slot the ball past Bushmaster and into the back of the net. The Eagles looked to get back into the game but were any build up was continually disrupted by the organised Farfadillis limiting their opportunities to have shots on goal. It looked like the Eagles had made a break through after Luke Codle sent a floater in for Cousins but his first time volley went well wide of the goal.

The second half saw Farfadillis come out of the gates with force, peppering the goal face putting Bushmaster under pressure who was able to hold off the onslaught for the first 10 minutes. The Eagles got back some control and while they managed to make penetrations were forced to take shots from outside the area but none troubled the Farfadilliis goal. Farfadillis didn't look like they were going to extend their league until the 77th minute with Gallegas creating a solo effort winning the ball off a poor pass from William Dressen and hitting the ball cleanly into the top corner beyond the reach of Bushmaster.

The loss is the third in 5 matches for the Empire and sees them drop to 6th in the ladder seven points adrift from a guaranteed qualification spot. Manager Samuel Foranna was disappointed after the game "We didn't play as well as we should have, it was a poor performance and we should consider ourselves lucky to only be walking away with a two goal loss".

The Eagles will next travel off to Dawkland hoping to salvage something from their campaign and will be looking to put in a better performance as Captain William Dressen said in his post match comments "This result will drive the team to put in a better performance".

by **Adab** » Sat Sep 18, 2021 9:11 am

Friday, November 3, 2034 / 22 Sha’ban 1456
Adab 2-2 San Ortelio
Yissakar (14’), Yargab (60’) | Garofalo (79’, 89’)

Friday, November 17, 2034 / 6 Ramadan 1456
Damukuni 2-2 Adab
Michigan (37’), Akitaro (87’) | Al-Kufa (18’), Yargab (58’)

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 33: A Changing of the Guard

November 20, 2034
Saad Kaykali’s house
Adab City

“I’m afraid this is what we must do, Saad,” advised the gravelly voice of Inimabakesh Thulus over the phone, as Saad Kaykali sat in his living room. Walid the old gardener and housekeeper was sitting across the room, under the clock, accompanying his boss in the quiet night. “Look, I love him too, Saad, but all good things must come to an end. He’s 35 now, he’s already gone through a lot as a keeper. It’s time that we lighten his workload. He can’t keep on doing this day in, day out.”

Saad Kaykali clenched his lips together, his free hand softly cruising back and forth across his thigh and nearly down to his knee. His eyes wandered up to some point in the ceiling, or was he trying to look through it to the sky? “I know this day would come, and sooner or later Chandrasekar will have to step up,” he sighed, finally parting his lips, “but, Ini, you know that this pains me.”

“You think it doesn’t pain me, too?” retorted Inimabakesh, sounding halfway between grief and irritation. But then his voice softened. “Saad, he’s getting up there in years, football-wise. It’s only natural. Besides, the press are gonna keep on giving us a bad name if we keep the goalkeeper who’s conceded in two goals and denied us two victories in two matches in a row. Every match is crucial and you know that. It’s what it is.”

“It’s what it is,” Saad agreed sadly. Though his eyes were pointed at the ceiling, images flashed in his mind of the Captain, as his teammates often called Mohammed Marramzi. The Captain was a great player, but recently it became clear that he had lost his touch. His movements had become worryingly slower. The defense was now bearing an increasingly heavy burden in making sure that the ball didn’t go past the keeper. For the sake of the team, and to give a chance to young blood, there must be a change.

“He told Hamza that he had been feeling a bit more tired lately,” reminded Ini. “I worry that he can no longer muster enough energy for the entire World Cup qualifiers.”

“Yeah,” Saad said simply, his eyes traveling down the wall to the table in front of him. “I do think Chandrasekar will do the job well. He was very confident throughout the Di Bradini Cup. He won’t buckle under the pressure.”

“Between the two of us, I’m the one who’s actually more worried for the youngster,” Ini responded, a hint of regret in his voice. “I’m not saying that we should stick with Mohammed, but, yeah, let’s just hope the pressure doesn’t get to him. I’d love to see him do well.”

“Don’t we all?” Saad said, nodding at Walid’s direction, though the latter was looking down at his phone and so did not bear witness to his boss’ nod. “Look, I think we need to break the news to Mohammed personally. He’s still here, right? Or has he gone back to the Baghdad house?”

“Look, I’m sorry, Robert, but it’s just not going to work out. Look, yes, Rob, I’m sorry if I’ve misled you. It’s just… it’s not working.” Emma Arthur shook her head, breathing rapidly and running one hand down the back of her hair. Her voice was calm, but a few more words from the other end of the connection and it quickly rose. ”Jeez, look, Robert, we’ve tried everything. We’ve tried, alright?! It’s not your fault, it’s not- oh, okay, look, maybe it’s both of us- just shut up and listen to me for once, for God’s sake, alright? We’re just on different paths- no, I’m not the one you’re looking for, I’m sorry, I- no, I’m really sorry.”

A few more pleas for her to come back and she finally decided she’d had enough. “I’m sorry, Robert. You’re not that bad of a guy. There just isn’t that much of a connection between us. Look, it’s doesn’t mean we can’t ever talk to each other again. I don’t know, maybe gimme a call every once in a while if you’re in the mood, y’know, let me know how you’re doing? Just don’t ring me up every single day.”

She dropped the phone to the mattress, not even bothering to end the call. Then she threw herself down on that soft surface right next to the phone, her disheveled hair running down the pillow and under her shoulders. She could still hear the somewhat muffled voice of Robert Fields, unaware that he was now delivering a sermon to the mattress. After a while that voice disappeared; he had taken the initiative to end the call.

She picked up the phone, not thinking of any particular objective which she intended to accomplish by doing so. She scrolled down, up, and down her list of contacts, evaluating every name without any intention to actually contact them.

But one name kept coming back to her.

Baghdad

She had taken his advice, and now he was taking hers. She was right; football wasn’t everything, the be-all and end-all. Loosen up, go out, have some fun. Surely that couldn’t be bad for him, right?

So why was he so apprehensive about his first relationship? Well, for a start, getting together with your boss’ daughter may, to put it lightly, have an influence on your job. She was the one who approached him first, during that dinner at the boss’ house. He had gone outside to gaze at the stars, have some alone time. She did so just to enjoy her cup of coffee in the outdoors. They soon discovered that they shared an intellectual bent. He was happy to have someone acknowledge his intellectual side (not that Emma never acknowledged it). She was touched by his genuine appreciation of her work in law, a sometimes thankless job that required her to work long hours.

Now he found himself in this Baghdad hotel room, feeling that he was about to do something he had never done before, something for which he had flown all the way from Adab City. They had only known each other for a month, but that month seemed to just pass in a blur. If they were moving too quickly, I guess it’s better than moving too slowly.

He wondered how Emma was faring with that art dealer guy. They seemed to be quite the match, chic, stylish, same social circles and all that. Perfect magazine cover material. As for himself, this was certainly an unexpected turn. But would life be fun without its unexpected twists and turns?

The bell rang, and Alulim Sinmuballit rose from the bed to greet his visitor. Along the way his hands shook somewhat; his nerves were showing.

He opened the door slowly to reveal the visitor, her hair shimmering, her beaming smile and chirpy voice infected with a hint of mischief, undiminished by her workload. “Hi there,” said Aida Kaykali, stepping inside. “Enjoy the room?”

by **Barunia** » Sat Sep 18, 2021 9:13 am

“What’s the fucking point?” screamed Emmanuel Carter, hurling a chair across the locker room. It was about half an hour after the team drew Fluvannia at Bayview Stadium. The team had gathered for the usual debriefing, but Carter’s outburst was anything but usual.

“Hey, calm down”, said Louise Cartwright

“No!” yelled Emmanuel, turning to face his team, “We worked to fucking hard for this! And for what? One lousy win. Like, who the fuck are these guys? Or Cabo Azure, anyone ever heard of them?”

At this point Liesel McLelland walked in. The coach heard the end of Carter’s rant, and stared at him. “Cool it Emmanuel.” She told him crossly.

Instead of calming down, the Barunian forward strode up to her. “I will not! You know what, I’m done!” He stormed out of the room.
There was silence in the locker room for what seemed like an eternity. Then Neville Swan called them back to reality.
“Ok, we have a briefing. Coach, over to you.”

Liesel gave her talk, breaking down the problems in their strategy, how they weren’t being an effective goal-scoring machine. But it was almost rote, like she was on autopliot, just regurgitating the information she’d analysed before she walked in the room. Her mind was on Emmanuel Carter.
She was still thinking about Emmanuel when she drove to her hotel that evening. A call to the director of the NFB had confirmed her fear: Carter’s outburst meant an automatic suspension from the NFB. He would not be allowed to play for the Suns until such time as his attitude improved.

Liesel was angry at Emmanuel. He was being an idiot, and it cost the team their best striker, at a time when they could ill afford it. She didn’t understand why he was so upset anyway. Sure, the team weren’t doing too well, but this was Carter’s third campaign. He was a seasoned player now, and this wasn’t the first time the Suns had struggled. But it was the first time she’d seen this kind of behavior from a player.

When she got to her hotel room, Liesel vented her frustrations to her partner Anna. It was quite common for her to hear Liesel do this, and Anna listened patiently while her partner ranted. Although she was not involved in football herself, Anna understood how much it meant to Liesel, After the coach was done, Anna calmly offered her advice, as she normally did in these situations.

“Can I ask a question. Who scored the goal today?”

“Er, Sara did. Why?”

“It sounds like it’s not the score Emmanuel’s frustrated with. It’s himself. Think about it. He’s the best forward on the team, you put him at the front position. How many goals has he scored in recent games?”
Liesel had to think about it for a bit. “Ah, he got one against Devonta, I think? Oh yes, the penalty. That was his last goal. But he’s had goalless streaks before. Why now?”

“I suspect it’s because he’s expecting to score. He puts that expectation on himslef, that he has to score. He feels like he should have scored against the last two teams. But apart from a penalty, he’s been goalless.”

Liesel nodded. It was sage advice. Anna understood people. Liesel had learned a lot about management from her.

“We’ve been touting him as the best striker since Yohan Marris. That kind of pressure has got to get to him.”

“He’s still young, Liesel. And yes, perhaps he is a little arrogant. He needs to realise that he isn’t the best player ever in the history of the world. Bringing him down to earth will hurt, but it will make him a better person. And a better player too, probably.”

Liesel leant forward and kissed Anna on the cheek. “Thanks love. Your advice is wonderful as always.”

She went to bed that night vowing to have a long serious talk to Carter in the morning

by **Squornshelan Remnant States** » Sat Sep 18, 2021 9:17 am

A three-all draw with unranked Ottoman Syldavia was not exactly a result to be proud of, but it was at least an away point earned. Finally.

The proverbial seas of media appearances and board meetings that SCFA President Ailen Koirala had to navigate had been getting rougher and rougher, but these latest results could be taken as a sign of calmer waters ahead. The real boost to her mood had come earlier in the week, when the Black-and-Reds had finally managed a victory over one of the troublesome mid-pot teams that were so far giving them no end of trouble. It had been a beautiful day in Hunian, scattered clouds and balmy temperatures. On the field, however, the match looked to be a stalemate for quite some time, with both teams getting their goals shortly before the half. The Black-and-Reds had taken the lead through Lavanya Naqvi, who you'd never suspect was 32 based on her form so far in qualifying and the most recent S-FPL season. The Tumbrans struck back just a handful of minutes later though, with George Hilton backing Storsjo off with speed before cutting inside to shoot from his right foot, beating Anthonsson to the near post. Koirala, in attendance with a collection of company executives from prospective future sponsors of the SCFA, had to endure a humiliating series of comments on the team's lackluster performance so far before Groothuis brought on Popov in the 60th.

The right wing had been in for some criticism after a second-half appearance against Eraman failed to generate the tying goal, but more than justified the manager's choice that afternoon. His dynamic movement and crisp passing opened holes in the left side of the Tumbran defense, and he gave the Confederacy the lead less than ten minutes after entering the match, playing a quick one-two with Takala and bursting into the penalty area past Hughes, who had looked totally unable to deal with him. Keene replaced the Lakewood City man, and managed to staunch the bleeding, more or less shadowing Popov for much of the second half. The damage was done already though, and despite a pair of changes with fifteen minutes to go, Tumbra was unable to generate a clear cut chance, thanks in large part to Groothuis countering their adjustments with the defensive poise of Tabur and fresh legs of Volam in midfield. Koirala's evening was salvaged, and a slate of follow-up meetings with the various donors were added to her schedule.

Koirala had not made the trip to Ottoman Syldavia, largely on account of conflicts with those very meetings meaning she would have had to fly in and out the same day as the match itself, with scant hours in between to prepare. Groothuis had elected to give several younger or less-capped players an opportunity against this weaker opponent, which was hardly an unusual tactic. Unfortunately, after taking a 3-0 first half lead, that B team had taken its foot too much off the gas. Two goals from Vang and one from Damnagoras were duly erased in turn as the hosts fought back, urged on by a capacity crowd at Red Bull Stadium and led by the play of their captain, Jared Kubos. In their ultra aggressive 4-3-3, which had left them exposed at the back in the first half, the Syldavians did a much better job of protecting possession, avoiding getting caught in possession and moving the ball quickly. Selvala Tabur leaving the match with an injury early in the second certainly didn't help things for the Black-and-Reds. The other central midfield options available are excellent players, but all of them more attacking-minded than the Torpedo captain. Shortly after Tabur's departure, Pizzarò dribbled past Hashemi, who was not quite yet up to match speed, and fed Kubos to cut the lead to two. After some aimless keep-away from the Black-and-Reds ate up ten minutes or so after the ensuing kickoff, a quick counter up the wing was led by Volot, culminating in a quick switch of play to Tyton rushing in from the other wing for their second goal. Koirala, trying to prepare her notes for a meeting with Zinovy Smirnov, CFO of Striterax Cybernetics Corporation, had to repeatedly squash the urge to toss them across the room in disgust. In the dying embers of the match, with a feeling almost of inevitability hanging in the air, Valot lined up for a corner kick, and swung it in perfectly to meet the forehead of Kubos. The Syldavians wheeled away to the corner flag in delirious celebration, leaving the Black-and-Reds standing around, hands planted on hips or heads, wondering what had just happened to them.

Koirala switched off the TV. She was going to get practice spinning this result in, she glanced at her watch, two hours and 38 minutes.

Home Schedule and Venues:

FRND: SRS 0-1 HUE @ Olympiastad (cap. 47,550), Arkintoofle, Megabrantis, SRS
MD01: ERM 2-1 SRS @ Daulapura Stadium (cap. 40,000), Daulapura, Daula, ERM
MD02: SRS 4-0 MTU @ Lugina Computing Field (cap. 20,450), Yassaca, Sivolvia, SRS
MD03: HUA 3-1 SRS @ Estadio Metropolitano del Guayas (cap. 62,000), Guayaquil, HUA
MD04: SRS 2-1 TMB @ Sunergy Field (cap 37,550), Hunian, Algolia, SRS
MD05: OSY 3-3 SRS @ Red Bull Stadium, OSY
MD06: SRS  v  NWK @ Malgacorp Arena (cap. 29,350), Hensha, Megabrantis, SRS
MD07: DEL  v  SRS @ Golden Phoenix Field (cap. 150,000), DNAC, Catherina, DEL
MD08: SRS  v  OCI @ Slavnarzeczpospolitastadion (cap. 61,230), Lublova, Molvania, SRS
MD09: NPH  v  SRS @ Farham Arena (cap. 88,046), Sabrefell, NPH
MD10: SRS  v  ERM @ Synesoft Arena (cap. 38,600), Syneca, Sivolvia, SRS
MD11: MTU  v  SRS @ TBA
MD12: SRS  v  HUA @ Raftel Park (cap. 59,870), Chalesm, Megabrantis, SRS
MD13: TMB  v  SRS @ Trenton Park, (cap. 74,500), Lakewood, Severn, TMB
MD14: SRS  v  OSY @ Eichlen Stadium (cap. 37,500), Rudlit, West Flania, SRS
MD15: NWK  v  SRS @ TBA
MD16: SRS  v  DEL @ Castle Street (cap. 57,300), Jaglan, Algolia, SRS
MD17: OCI  v  SRS @ Emperor Boston Stadium, (cap. 60,000), New Ranton, OCI
MD18: SRS  v  NPH @ Albrechtsson Park (cap. 65,400), Damogran, Algolia, SRS

by **Banija** » Sat Sep 18, 2021 9:43 am

Background Info on NYK
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11

Kabaka Mwanga at a Banijan cabinet meeting on Nyowani Kitara, one week after their intelligence briefing on the country

It was a much different sort of makeup for this cabinet meeting, as opposed to the cabinet meeting for the intelligence briefing. This was what was informally labelled in Banijan circles as a 'decision-makers' meeting. Only the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was there representing the military, and they would only offer their opinions when they were asked.

Instead of this meeting being mostly conducted by SUB, Banija's chief intelligence agency, it would be directed by political actors. Particularly, the Minister of Defense, as he laid out Banija's potential options for involvement in North Rushmore once again. And, of course, while opposition leaders weren't really present at the intelligence briefing, they were able to receive a lot of the documents at that intelligence, so they knew what was going on. None of that today though- this more traditional cabinet meeting obviously was far more political, and therefore, opposition leadership obviously wouldn't be privy to any of this discussion.

Once Kabaka Mwanga walked in the room, this time 9 minutes after the scheduled start time of 11 AM, everybody stood up for their King. Once he told everybody to sit down, the Kabaka himself began speaking. "My friends, these are some dark days ahead for the people of Nyowani Kitara. We must keep them in our prayers. May we ask the good God to guide our decision-making- the fates of peoples are always at risk when brutal civil war breaks out, as it has done so in Nyowani Kitara. That awful government of Nafuna Akongo must fall of course, but we should do what we can to build a future that can bring hope back to Nyowani Kitara."

Once he was done, then the Katikkiro(Prime Minister), Kobe Azizi, began speaking himself. "My friends, the Minister of Defense has prepared the following report, in conjunction with his Royal Highness, the Waziri(Foreign Minister), Isebantu Mutungi." Everybody turned to the Isebantu(Crown Prince) and simply nodded. He was foreign minister, of course, by constitutional right. "The working together of both elected officials and the Royal Family, how our country's founding fathers wanted our foreign policy to be run. We are going to talk about our options to influence this Civil War, who else is influencing this Civil War, and what exactly we can do."

The Minister of Defense then stood up. "The first thing I want to talk about is the following- which faction, if any, should we support? And then how do we support the people we back in that conflict?"

Who do we support?
Option #1: The KPWC

Option #2: The DFLK

The pros behind such a move, of course, is that the DFLK are technically the stronger fighting force, although the KFF is quickly growing in both skill and stature. The DFLK is made up mostly of former collaborators with the regime. In an all-encompassing totalitarian autocracy, that is not to be unexpected- lower level leaders wanting to lead the revolution, and their ambition making them realize that you have to start within the system to gain power. They've got a strong foothold in the Northern part of the country, and they have official diplomatic recognition from one nation already.

With many former members of the regime, they may be able to beset negotiate a peaceful end and transition of power with the KPWC, as the party may be more likely to trust the familiar faces of the KPWC than the long-term opposition forces of the KFF- unless, of course, foreign countries can change the equation. The DFLK also seem very unlikely to lose control of the territory they hold now to the KPWC, which leaves them in a decent negotiating position.

The cons behind supporting the DFLK, of course, are obvious- it would very likely be politically untenable, on a domestic political basis, to support the DFLK. We doubt we could get a majority of the cabinet to back such a policy, let alone the backbenchers of the coalition partners. There's 0 chance we could get 250 members of the Lukiiko to support such a policy. And to say the quiet part out loud- it would be politically untenable domestically to essentially support the DFLK party, that is dominated by the local white ethnic groups, that the country may see as opposed to our Kitaran brothers and sisters.

Saying they're opposed may not be true. DFLK has committed to building a multi-racial society. But perception is everything. And what is true is this- the vast majority of DFLK supporters, territories, fighters, and leadership- Nordlanders and Osterlanders. Very few Kitarans. Public declaration of support for the DFLK would probably lead to our political demise.

Option #3: The KFF

That leaves us, of course, with one option- the KFF. There are a lot of reasons to support the KFF. One, of course, is that the KFF overwhelmingly has the support of Banijans politically. This will give us the popular support within our own country domestically, to intervene and make some difficult decisions on behalf of the Kitaran Freedom Front. Banija politically could rally around Malik Akongo and the KFF, and if they are willing to work with us on long-term issues, then we can really back them and hopefully take them towards power.

Another pro is that they seem to be the most popular option abroad, as well. Darmen has declared their support for the KFF. Juvencus has declared their support for the KFF. There seems to be support from the KFF from a number of other places, although a few influential nations have yet to tip their hand publicly- the United Republics of Yuezhou. Eura. Nephara. Quebec. But Malik Akongo seems to have generated goodwill, and with his movement being, essentially, entirely revolutionaries, he has generated confidence.

But why is there hesitation on our front to publicly back him? There are cons here as well. Can we trust Malik Akongo? A man who has been disinterested for so long, suddenly grasping at the throne? Could someone who betrayed their own sister ever be trusted? Has a revolutionary movement just co-opted him as their figurehead and public face, one that we do not know enough about? Is this a vanity project for Malik Akongo, a bid for revenge on his sister for taking his alleged birthright?

He's got the ability to reform the country, if he so chooses. Still, this country is wary of anyone with the name Akongo, especially since we do not know enough about the people behind him.

The cabinet debated the options. The way everything was laid out by the Minister of Defense, of course, made things clear- there was only one option, and that was to back the Kitara Freedom Front. Obviously they were going to continue to call for the immediate resignation of the KPWC, and after trailing a few scenarios, it was quickly evident to everybody in the room that publicly support the DFLK would simply lead to their own political demise, and quite possibly, an election they would surely lose in the midst of a foreign policy crisis.

And, of course, the DFLK carried a risk- with so many members of the old regime, it could just go from one brutal totalitarian regime to another. And the DFLK, of course, could be an even worse one. Of course, that could happen with the KFF, as well. Nothing was perfect in this world. Foreign policy was always tough- there wasn't always an obvious 'good guy'.

But the KFF would be who they would back. The national security cabinet backed it. However, what exactly would they do? The Minister of Defense had assumed they would come to this conclusion, of course, and prepared documents accordingly

How to support the KFF?
Option #1: Publicly and Emphatically

There were pros here, of course. Banija would be firmly asserting itself, and charting our own path, even in Rushmore. There were numerous positives to that. And, of course, we would be a rallying point of influence for the KFF. The Kitara Freedom Front would be able to be influenced most effectively by the Banijan Government. And of course, it would be easier to approve funds via the Lukiiko, transparently, to provide them with arms, cash, etc... In their fight against the tyrannical regime of Nafuna Akongo. And the more international momentum that could be swung towards the KFF, the better.

There were cons, of course. The KFF were a ragtag, revolutionary group. What if the forces did things that the Banijan Government didn't like? It was going to be a brutal civil war, and the KFF seemed prepared to fight it. Good for them, bad for public relations. Remember, groups like the KFF simply did not have the capacity to hold large groups of prisoners of war. Could bad actions by the KFF tarnish Banija by association?

And of course, the bigger risk. Could this move limit Banijan influence in this part of Rushmore? Should Banija make more of a concerted effort to work with regional partners before going this alone? There wasn't much of a Banijan relationship with any of NYK's neighbors, but nations like Eura and Nephara working alongside Banija could yield the most effective results. And the other con, of course, was the KFF could lose. It'd be a massive setback for Banija.

Option #2: Support them quietly while maintaining flexibility

There was no need to just yet declare public support for Malik Akongo. The war had a long way to go, and the KPWC still controlled a strong majority of the country's territory. But Banija could set themselves up for influencing the situation.

Namely, the option of sending troops to the region. Banija had the capability to directly influence events in NYK militarily if need be(as a last resort), thanks to the rapid development of our armed forces thanks to years of work with Siovanija & Teusland. But we still lacked the ability to deploy directly outside the region, that far away. Fortunately, there were better options.

That was, of course, a last resort. They'd need the support of the Lukiiko for deployment to a foreign nation, which could not always be had. But, there was the city state of Gatchinovo*. Part of the Quebecois Commonwealth, they were a strategic ally of the Kingdom of Banija. The ability for 'joint military exercises' there would be good. It would give the Banijans a decent jumping off point. If they wanted to intervene militarily at any point for any reason, Gatchinovo would be a good place to base forces. 30,000 troops for long-term exercises? Would anyone realize that the forces could be used to intervene directly in NYK?

*= This city-state is part of the Gatchingerrak Union, which is not on the Rushmori map, but a now frequent participant in the World Cup and always a part of Rushmore.

Option #3: Work towards international solution, support them diplomatically in private

That leaves us, of course, with one more option- work towards an international solution, where the major influencers(Quebec, the general powers of RUshmore, NYK's neighbors, Juvencus, Banija, etc...) essentially try to broker a solution for Nyowani Kitara, and work together to implement it on the ground. With different nations, of course, representing whatever factions that they support.

There are plenty of positives here. The biggest positive is that this would be likely the format to cause the least amount of international concern. Working together with Rushmori partners means that Banija cannot be left out of a potential solution, and will not be sitting on the sidelines no matter what happens in the country, unless the KPWC surprises everybody by turning things around.

Of course, there are negatives. Many nations would have to be at the table. It'd be difficult to get NYK representation at the table. Who would work with who? The Akongo siblings coming to a negotiated peace seems unlikely- it had to be personal between them now. And would they want to be part of a foreign-imposed solution on NYK? Is that what was best for NYK?

Hard choices to be made for the Banijans. But ultimately, they would go for Option #2. They would leave the meeting, and get the Lukiiko's approval for deployment of 30,000 for military exercises in Gatchinovo, with the condition of further approval needed should they deploy anywhere else besides back home to Banija.

After receiving that approval, the Minister of Defense and Isebantu Mutungi had a joint press conference about it.

"The Kingdom of Banija is always going to be in a state of military preparedness. That is why we are proud to work with Pierre Loseff to announce the deployment of 30,000 men to Gatchinovo, the city-state in Rushmore, for joint military exercises. We want to remain on the cutting edge, while continuing to work diplomatically with our historical partners, and this is a great way to do so. Pierre Loseff has said that his nation will be 'gracious hosts' to members of our Armed Forces. We will do these exercises on a long-term basis, rotating men in and out to get Banijan troops used to different terrain, and operating abroad."

When they were asked about events in Nyowani Kitara, they had this to say. "The Civil war ongoing in Nyowani Kitara is a sad state of affairs. It is an indictment on totalitarian communism, and that entire system of government. It is unstable, it is anti-democratic, and a basic violation of the fundamental rights of the human person. The Kitara Progressive Workers Coalition should commit to immediately giving up power, and free and fair elections should immediately brought to the country. While the country does not, and will never, get along with the illegitimate KPWC, we have always stood for peace and prosperity in all nations, and we will always support our Kitaran brothers and sisters."

by **Vilita** » Sat Sep 18, 2021 9:52 am

Vilita Prevail in Opening Matchday Shootout with Suns

Suns Stadium, Porthaven, Barunia :: Heading into World Cup 89 Qualifying there were already calls for a change in leadership. While Cavuna Aquafek famously saved the Vilitan National Team's World Cup 87 Qualifying Campaign with a late charge to secure a place in the World Cup 87 Finals, Aquafek failed to lead the Jungle Cats out of the group stage in either World Cup 87 or World Cup 88 while neighbors Turori would make it all the way to the World Cup Final - further adding to the pressure on Aquafek and the Vilita National coaching staff.

Yet when Vilita travelled to Barunia for the opening match of the World Cup 89 Qualifying campaign, it would be Aquafek and their staff on the sidelines after being granted a reprieve from the sack and one more opportunity to prove they are the right group to lead the next generation of Vilitan players.

Given the Vilita National Team's historical record in the early stages of World Cup Qualifying it would be easy to consider a victory - any victory - on the opening matchday of Qualifying as a major milestone for the Jungle Cats. A victory over Barunia - one of the outside threats to push for a Top 2 position in Group 3 - came as a very welcome relief not only to Aquafek but to the entire Jungle Cat Nation. However, despite the victory, there were signs and indicators that perhaps all was not right in the pitch.

For starters, the Jungle Cats were undisciplined. Six yellow cards piled up and the Jungle Cats were lucky to finish the match with 11 players on the pitch. However, it ultimately didn't affect them negatively. The biggest hurdle Vilita had to overcome was losing the possession battle - something the Jungle Cats do not frequently do with five-across in the midfield region. In fact, not only did the Jungle Cats lose the possession battle but they were also out-shot on the day 10-6 by the Suns. The only saving grace for Vilita was the fact that they were more effective at converting their scoring chances into goals. Vilita converted on five of their six scoring chances in what was undoubtedly a difficult day for Barunia netminder John Taylor. On the other end of the pitch, however, Jungle Strike FC goalkeeper Vernasa Sanamun could not be terribly disappointed in their performance despite conceding four goals on account of having save six Barunia shots over the ninety minutes of action.

Vilita's goal scoring came large from one place - the right wing. Clearly they had exploited a weakness in Barunia's Left defense as goal after goal flowed in from the Vilitan Right wing with three players providing the primary contributions - Va'a-Rio Kiwavn, Kudii Davasarii and attacker Clarana Refiami. Many expect Refiami - a 23 year old striker for EuraLeague side Spartangrad - to evolve into the Vilita National Teams #1 attacking threat over the World Cup 89 Qualifying campaign. Refiami got the start alongside Vilitan legend Sipke Tarala providing the experience boost at the start of the match before being swapped out at half time for Eastal Lunar FC's superstar attacker Nii'arala Milaaso.

The match was level through half time with Vilita getting goals from Kudii Davasarii and Va'a-Rio Kiwavn down the right hand side of the pitch to individually counter each of Barunia's opening goals in front of a packed home crowd at Suns Stadium in Porthaven, Barunia. The mood in the stadium would shift on its head when the second half kicked off however and Refiami, now paired with Nii'arala Milaaso, would get to work and make the most of the opportunities created down the right by eventual star of the match Va'a-Rio Kiwavn.

Refiami would latch on to deliveries from Kiwavn twice in the opening ten minutes of the second half, first flicking a high-speed delivery just inside the far post in the 49th minute then being fed through the gap by Kiwavn less than five minutes later to double the Jungle Cats advantage. Despite deflating the stadium, however, Barunia would not give up as the Suns looked to utilize skillful play to shine life back into their fan base. Sara Moorhouse pulled one back on the hour mark delivering a blistering shot that left Jungle Strike FC netminder Vernasa Sanamun no chance and Neville Swan tied the game up in the 73rd minute after a corner kick delivery from Louise Cartwright. At that point the fans were back into it and the Jungle Cats were on their heels looking more likely to concede than to score a late winner.

It would all get swapped on the counter with less than 6 minutes to play when Kiwavn and Davasarii raced up the right hand side catching Barunia short of numbers. Refiami and Milaaso cleverly raced to the back post drawing the one-on-one marking attention of the remaining Barunia defenders leaving Kiwavn only one player to beat. With an unexpected side step, Kiwavn found just enough space at the top of the box to deliver a perfect left footed strike into the back of the net. The goal would give the Jungle Cats the lead which they would hang onto for the remaining five minutes plus stoppage time to claim all three points on the road.

While there could be no complaints about the end result, how they got there would be of some concern to Cavuna Aquafek and the Vilita National Coaching staff. Just one cycle previously during World Cup 88 Qualifying, the Vilita National Team had given up just four goals in their opening six matches. Now they had already conceded four goals after just one game. The result perhaps tempered the voracity of the calls to move on from Team Aquafek but did little to build support for the safety of the manager's position.

 Vilita [5] - [4] Barunia
				
	GOALS:	Vilita 	:: 20' Kudii Davasarii:: 33' Va'a-Rio Kiwavn:: 49' Clarana Refiami:: 53' Clarana Refiami:: 84' Va'a-Rio Kiwavn          		
	STATS:	Vilita 	:: Possession: 47%:: Shots: 6:: Corners: 9	Barunia 	:: Possession: 53%:: Shots: 10:: Corners: 7
	Lineup:	[GK] Vernasa Sanamun, [D.] Rojara Tiones, [D.] Narri Sebapilo, [D.] Jirak Trikala, [ML]  Jurzen Devmiko, [MC]  Trezisi Rokopolis, [MC] Limu Katarakhna, [MC]  Kudii Davasarii, [MR]  Va'a-Rio Kiwavn, [FC] Clarana Refiami, [FC] Sipke Tarala			
	Bench:	[FC] Tyoasi Klipark, [FC] Nii'arala Milaaso, [M] Cywrenta Vlintejni, [M] Fyin Miateal, [U ] Lentali Purama, [D] Lohani Riiyaaw, [GK] Mako Canopii

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Sat Sep 18, 2021 10:12 am

OOC: Of course, if you wish to enter a sports film to be reviewed, send me a TG or PM with basic premises, ideas, etc, and we'll talk further. If you've done something before, of course, we can pick it up from there as well. There is only one condition - that it must be a foreign film covering Quebecois sports scene/plot, or a film covering foreign sports/plot content but directed/produced by a Quebecois.

The Taegukgi: The Korean-language voice of the Quebecois Commonwealth

'100 Years of Sporting Films': Miles and Miles on My Own Review

★★★★

Fabrice Gonneau

QUEBEC CITY, CAPITALE-NATIONALE - 'Nothing in this life stays the same, that's how I envisioned it when I first wrote the script for this film,' said the late Ian Noh at the press conference before the first ever Quebecois screening oft his film back in 2037 Halifax International Film Festival, as he tried his best to think about what led the director, whose cancer diagnosis left him with about a year to direct the film, to work on it.

And that's where the stories begin. The sunset of California City on an April evening look particularly sadder and lonelier throughout 'Miles and Miles on My Own', set mostly in the southwestern border town of Baja Calania (population: 148,360), where the figurative and literal border separates Quebec and Shingoryeo from Huayramarca. While 'Miles and Miles on My Own' is set in the present time, it is clear to a trained eye that the present setting really means nothing, for the historic elements and the circumstances of days long bygone for Quebecois teenagers leave the film at an odd point of discord.

And that's what the late Ian Noh, who went onto direct two more films about adolescence before his eventual passing in 2046, may have intended all along. The memories of his high school days, which was followed by a turbulent twenties, seeps heavily into this film- the series of accidents and injuries alternate for most of the three hours - almost as if you could associate this on your own, or based on the experiences of a friend or two. The film, while never being confirmed by the director, does take lots of life's details from the manitoban, and incorporates such elements more seriously than a sports film intended for teenagers or youths. Then, in the last fifteen minutes, the film takes a twist to provide a solace for the minds present.

As the 'Miles and Miles on My Own' begins - with the playing of the Huayramarcan reed pipes from the distance - the protagonist, Yves (portrayed by director's nephew, Nelson Collinson), is seen running in the early morning. Being a lonely, 17 yr old son of a depressed father in a cannabis plantation, he stays outside and away at all times to avoid facing homeward realities. His father, a discharged veteran, remains in mourning over the passing of his wife, a former serviceman, and the only relief is to watch weekly football games. It is around then that we realise that Yves and his parents moved many times over the years, and that this was their first year in Baja Calania.

It is on his first week of school that an opportunity arises- Mr. Izhak Bonga (Donheil A. Akongo), the local counsellor and a football coach whose daughter, Nell (Cassandra Y. Chen), befriends Yves, asks him to help him out as video coach on their local high school. From the sequences leading up to that point, it becomes clearer that Yves, who spends hours and hours on the beaches with his own video camera, has a knack. After much reluctance, mostly over his fitness conditions, he agrees to do so.

Per genre, he takes time to meet and hang out with his teammates and coaches, and as expected from a new kid, struggles. In a comedic manner, he quickly befriends Jochen (Baek Wa-Ryong), a tall centre back entering his senior year. He also finds company in Ella (Nancy Morson), a lifelong Baja Calanian who asks him questions during their classes and on practices, where he says little but they end up being valuable advice to look into. And while the team, who have consistently made the Manitoba state playoffs but have fallen short in making deep over recent years, struggle to get themselves together, they do grow and Yves gets to slowly come to terms with tougher chapters involving his father and late mother.

Working from his own script, Noh is able to keep the audience drawn to his work without making it sounded cliche with the cameras maintaining some distance from the persons, and the other camera, that of Yves's own, doing much of the work, almost as if we are seeing snapshots of the team's seasons. And in all honesty, that's probably the best way to cover it, especially given the high risk of the protagonists' summer and fall sounding more like polite walkthroughs had they taken another direction. Too often we see films fall into said trap, and Noh, having directed 14 full films before eventually reaching 'Miles and Miles on My Own', knew better than that, especially this late in his life where became more concerned about the cherished memories of the provinces he grew up in...

To read more, please click here.

Read this article in:

English | Français | The Taegukgi Indigenous

by **Kimi-Suomi** » Sat Sep 18, 2021 10:35 am

Ok...HOW IN THE HELL DID WE WIN A GAME 7-4?!?!

SEVEN-FOUR?!? ON THE ROAD?!?

Kimi Aino and Valtteri Nordström both got hattricks in this game. That's all you need to know.

As for the Darkmania game...at least we got a goal?

We're still 7th so...I guess we'll carry on, then...

NOSTA KUIN HUUHKAJAT!

by **Ottoman Syldavia** » Sat Sep 18, 2021 10:46 am

TIE GAME IN THRILLER!

Ottoman Syldavia 3–3 Squornshelan Remnant States

Well, Ottoman Syldavia certainly has been a part of some "interesting" games. While Ottoman Syldavia failed to down Squornshelan Remnant States, who are ranked 26th, their comeback in the 2nd half has some fans glowing with hope for the young team.

For Syldavia, the first half was a nightmare. Louis Timothe failed to stop Valda Harkhan's hat trick in the first half, leading to his benching for Yancey in the 2nd half. The fans booed Coach De Gaal as the team departed toward the tunnel during intermission, while other fans had excuses. "Cmon, we're playing the 26th best team," said one fan on Syldavian Tweeter.

In the 2nd half, De Gaal decided to switch it up, turning to a 5-3-2 style and switching out Valot for Stanko. The interesting substitution worked. At the beginning of the 2nd half, Kubos scored the goal to avoid a shutout against Squornshelan Remnant States. Then,Tyton scored a goal, and fans went crazy. #CANWEDOTHIS quickly rose to #1 trending on the Tweeter.

Then, in the last minute, Struber scored the tie goal. However, Ramaphosa missed a key goal that could've lead to a win for Ottoman Syldavia, and Squornselan Remnant States gained a penalty goal from a foul, leading to fans booing Ramaphosa as he was benched by De Gaal. "If he can't play, I'm not going to make him play," said De Gaal during his after-the-game interview. In a stunning end, Yancey managed to save the shot by Petrov in order to keep the tie.

Ottoman Syldavia continues its WC journey today.

Other News
Economics: Stocks fall by 25 points
BREAKING: HISTORIC PEACE DEAL REACHED, CEASEFIRE WILL HAPPEN

by **TJUN-ia** » Sat Sep 18, 2021 11:15 am

By Peter Davis

Sometimes the clock can be cruel to us all...and that was most certainly proved in this doubleheader.

Our first trip to Milchama saw literally nothing happen as two very-attacking teams could do nothing to get past either Harold Gylfisson or Miles Inthracam in this game. Clearly, Darryl Lamarein didn't like me calling his team a "BoF Team" and decided to take matters into his own hands. This put us down to 5th on the spot, 2 points from 2nd...who we were about to play.

Sargossa came to Szensky and KS wanted a show...but instead got another loss in their stadium. The Corsairs scored twice, both through Mateo Manzanares and there was literally nothing we could do. We are now down a 5 point hole we have to try and climb out of.

Sevendia and Raspojachje are up next. If we can't get six points in Seven and Tiankong...then we have a lot of thinking to do...

GO JAGS!

SCHEDULE (Group 13)
MD1: @Pyazhnaya (181) - Krasnograd Dome, Krasnograd D 3-3 (T-4th)
----------------------BOOT IT!----------------------
MD2: vs Ranoria (79) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City W 3-2 (4th)
MD3: @Hispinas (126) - Estadio Nacional en el Castill, Mandrid D 2-2 (T-3rd)
----------------------BOOT IT!----------------------
MD4: @Milchama (220) D 0-0 (5th)
MD5: vsSargossa (41) - Beregozera Stadium, Szensky L 0-2 (6th)
----------------------BOOT IT!----------------------
MD6: @Sevenida (UR) - Seven Stadium, Seven
MD7: vs Raspojochje (336) - Tiankong Stadium, Tiankong
----------------------BOOT IT!----------------------
MD8: @St Trinians (97) - National Stadium, Searle
MD9: vs Turori (2) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City
----------------------BOOT IT!----------------------
MD10: vs Pyazhnaya (181) - Beregozera Stadium, Szensky
MD11: @Ranoria (79) - Smith Field, Richardson
----------------------BOOT IT!----------------------
MD12: vs Hispinas (126) - Tiankong Stadium, Tiankong
MD13: vs Milchama (220) - Tiankong Stadium, Tiankong
----------------------BOOT IT!----------------------
MD14: @Sargossa (41) - Independienté, Goza
MD15: vs Sevendia (UR) - Beregozera Stadium, Szensky
----------------------BOOT IT!----------------------
MD16: @Raspojochje (336)
MD17: vs St Trinians (97) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City
----------------------BOOT IT!----------------------
MD18: @Turori (2) - Cednia Beach Center, Cednia

by **Kandorith** » Sat Sep 18, 2021 11:26 am

Shinonome Kyoai - International

Goals galore for Kandorith.

Top of the group is now a fact.
By Natsumi Miyasaki
Sports

^{SHARE THIS:}

*  Group 3                            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Kandorith                            5    4   1   0    16    8   +8    13
   Savojarna                            5    4   1   0    10    2   +8    13
 3 Mertagne                             5    4   1   0    14    7   +7    13
 4 Cabo Azure                           5    2   2   1     9    2   +7     8
 5 Vilita                               5    2   1   2    11   15   −4     7
 6 Barunia                              5    1   2   2    11    8   +3     5
 7 Fluvannia                            5    1   2   2    12   10   +2     5
 8 Nyowani Kitara                       5    1   0   4     5   11   −6     3
 9 Arjunnagar                           5    0   2   3     9   19  −10     2
10 Devonta                              5    0   0   5     3   18  −15     0

With two matches where Kandorith could possibly fall flat as they did in earlier qualification campaigns, the tension was building as the games against Fluvannia and Arjunnagar came closer. For years the Kandorese team has been performing sub par against such teams when the qualification campaign was seemingly going towards multiple wins for them. This time Michiyu has found a way to break the curse. In an amazing display in both games the Golden Dragons have come out on top and with numbers one could only dream of. For the fans there is a sigh of relief and of course celebration as the Kandorese now sit in first place of the group, together with Savojarna. Although there is no reason to party yet as the qualifiers are not on the half way point yet and very far from decided. For now, however, Kandorith sits on top of the group with thirteen points in five matches which can be considered quite the record.

The atmosphere was one of scepticism when Kaya Michiyu took over in the name of the Kandorese Football Association but those voices belong to the past now. In this stage of the qualifiers there is one fact no one can deny; Michiyu is the first manager for Kandorith to have zero losses in the first five matches of the tournament. From here the way to the final tournament seems clear. Careful optimism is the talk of the day now throughout the Empire as in an amazing display the Kandorese managed to overcome both their opponents. During matchday four the Kandorese faced Fluvannia which became the first goal fest for the Golden Dragons which resulted in eight beautiful goals and Kandorith coming out on top with a five to three score, another three points could be added to the tally of the Kandorese.

The next match had a very different atmosphere. The Kandorese would face Arjunnagar at home. According to the curse; a receipt for disaster as they have historically performed terribly against lower ranked teams while facing them at home. In a completely packed Empress Masumi Stadium however, the opposite happened. The Kandorese home fans were treated to an amazing ten goal match in a bizarre series of events which would eventually see Kandorith taking the win in a battle for the ages. No one would have expected for the Arjunnagar team to pack this much of a punch and even more after getting behind multiple times, no one would have expected Kandorith to eventually win the match. The discipline and resilience schown by the Golden Dragons is something which has not been seen for a long time when it comes to Kandorese football. Michiyu, as a manager, has found something to be proud of and made the team find a way to bounce back into the game after being behind for a second time as the second half started.

Taking the spot

As the second half started the scoreline was a bizarre 2 - 4, where Kandorith was in front on multiple occasions after a brilliant 1 - 0 and a reactive 2 - 1. The team however would be stunned by the reactiveness of Arjunnagar who, in quick succession, managed to completely outplay the 4-3-3 system of Michiyu and bring the score line to the 2 - 4 at half-time. The Kandorese seemed broken, shocked and even stunned. The players walked towards the dressing rooms with their heads down in disappointment and wondering how they gave their lead away in such a spectacular fashion. The second half would be a very different story. The Kandorese team ascended from the stairs in a different fashion, they looked refreshed and ready to take on the challenge to at least bring the score back to a draw. A very different image started to show than the fans are used to. Instead of a coach calming watching the football and giving some directions there was now a Michiyu shouting and signing to every member of the team, urging them to go forward and go on the attack to take back control.

The first attack would end up perfectly aligned with Honda who made a quick run into the box and could reach the ball with his head resulting in a bounce which, just before the goal line, which took the Arjunnagar goalkeeper completely by surprise. The stadium erupted in loud cheers as there was now 3 - 4 on the scoreboards and the Kandorese team was looking stronger, quicker and more disciplined. The 65th minute a penalty was awarded after yet again a rushing attack on the wings and Yoshihiro Nakajima, who replaced the injured Yoburo Yoshida, did not find the men in the box. The ball bounced of the Arjunnagar defender and Shinji Matsunaga would take the corner kick as Hamada went off the field. A quick curveball was how Matsunaga tried to reach the players in the box where both Honda and Hiro Fujiwara were denied by the goalkeeper who punched the ball back into play. The ball in the chaos would end up at the feet of Hiroyuki Kaba who did not give any second thoughts and propelled the ball towards goal. At first the ball hit the top part of the left post but then curled behind the line, leaving the Arjunnagar team completely stunned and the 4 - 4 appearing on the scoreline. The only thing the Golden Dragons had to do now was defend the draw and look for counter-attack possibilities.

As the game continued into the 80th minute and the Kandorese mostly controlling the midfield, a chance would arise. Matsunaga found an opening in the midfield to lob the ball to the right field where Fujiwara was waiting for the ball. Quickly dribbling around the defending player, Fujiwara was now set to run towards the right corner flag and was looking for an opportunity to cross the ball. The rest of the attack would not arrive in time to give a direct cross towards the box and therefore Fujiwara had to pass the ball back to Matsumoto who was looking for the connection in midfield. In a burst of speed Hiroyuki Kaba would make a run for it and receive a quick but precise driven pass from Matsumoto to get the ball in front of the goal; a quick fake shot outplayed the defensive players and Kaba was able to drive the ball passed the goalkeeper for the 5 - 4. The roar of the fans could be heard throughout downtown Tenkyo as the Kandorese were certain to take the three points now, if they could hold of the Arjunnagar attack.

Withholding the attack was exactly what the plan was as the Kandorese team applied constant high pressure whenever Arjunnagar was in possession eventually leading to a huge mistake on the left field of the Kandorese in the 89th minute, where a minute earlier Shinji Toyoda replaced Mori Takayama. Toyoda's sprint quickly passed the middle line and was able to give the ball to Matsumoto, who then propelled it towards Honda. Making a run towards goal, Honda was joined by three defenders from Arjunnagar and struggled to keep possession. Almost losing control Honda was able to drive the ball through the legs of one of the defenders and it reached the ever running Yoshihiro Nakajima who was now one on one with the goalkeeper. Nakajima kept his head cool as the goalkeeper made a run for the ball and with a quick lob over the goalkeeper's now sliding body the ball bounced into the back of the net resulting in the 6 - 4, just before the whistle.

The stadium erupted after the goal as Kandorith had sealed another three points at home. Even more cheers would follow as the group table would be shown on the screens in the stadium, with Kandorith now being in the number one spot of the group. For the Kandorese fans the dream is now alive. In the upcoming games the Kandorese will face another two tough matches against Barunia and Savojarna. Barunia is currently in the sixth place but ranked sixty-seventh and Savojarna is on the shared number one spot ranking thirty-second. Both these matches will be among the toughest games for the Dragons and this is where they have to show their true resolve. The fairytale will be complete if the Kandorese will manage to take at least two points from both these matches too. As the half-way of the road of the qualifiers is approaching, the Kandorese are in an excellent spot to indeed qualify for the 89th World Cup.

by **Nyowani Kitara** » Sat Sep 18, 2021 11:32 am

OOC Note: Guide to Accounts
@NYKWatch: Neutral account, foreign observers of Nywoani Kitara
@KitaraPeoplesFreePress: Pro-KPWC
@NYKPublicNews: Pro-KPWC
@DFLK: Official twii.tur account of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Kitara, based in DFLK office in Græntfjall
@PeopleForAFreeKitara: NYK emigrants who are long-time opponents of the regime, and supporters of the KFF
@KRF: Kitara Revolutionary Forces, the military of the central government

@NyowaniKitaraWatch WAR UPDATE- Fierce fighting breaking out on the outskirts of Karora between DFLK forces and the KRF in Karora, as the DFLK try to take another major city. The KRF's attempt to counter into a DFLK pocket in the northern mainland was crushed, and the DFLK have countered by pushing into Karora, with land forces and naval forces from Port Viljan.

@NyowaniKitaraWatch HUMAN RIGHTS- Atrocities committed on all sides as the situation in Nyowani Kitara rapidly deteriorates. There is an unconfirmed video of KRF personnel publicly executing 15 unarmed DFLK soldiers flying around twii.tur, who were prisoners of war. Of those soldiers, 3 appeared to be ethnic Kitaran, while the remaining 12 appeared to be either Osterlander or Nordlander. #NYKWatch

@NyowaniKitaraWatch ANARCHY AND CHAOS- Meanwhile, ethnic violence has occured within cities. There is a video flying around twii.tur of a gang of young Osterlander men, all wearing shirts with the ancient Osterlander falg, entering a home of ethnic Kitarans in Port Viljan and beating all of them before shooting one. The DFLK has condemned this video, but it is flying around twii.tur as expert fear that could be the catalyst for a wave of ethnic violence.

@NyowaniKitaraWatch REPRISALS AT INHALO- KFF forces have shot 'numerous' KRF soldiers who refused to join them in the fight, according to reports from underground journalists inside the city. In the areas surrounding Inhalo, there are reports of KPWC officials and their families being 'dragged out of their homes beaten, and killed', although there are no videos or anything to confirm.

@PeopleForAFreeKitara Look at the race-based violence promoted by the DFLK, and the savagery of the KPWC towards their enemies! Decent people across Rushmore, tell your leaders- support Malik Akongo and the KFF to overthrow the KPWC adn bring peace to Nyowani Kitara! #PeaceInKitara

@KitaraPeoplesFreePress It is clear- the DFLK and the KFF want to embroider Nyowani Kitara in a forever war, based on "might is right" and violence. The Government implores foreign nations to stop legitimizing these illegal, hateful rebellions, as Nafuna Akongo is the only person in the country who can restore peace to this country. #KPWC

by **Valanora** » Sat Sep 18, 2021 11:49 am

For a long time now, everyone has known that Raynor City United is the best club in the Empire. The most domestic league titles, the most Cup titles, tied for the most UICA/IFCFC Champions' League titles, and the most Cup Winner's Cup titles. They have the most money, the best facilities, some of the best coaches, and perhaps the best stadium in the Empire. They are the club in the nation that all other clubs aspire to be like in order to achieve some measure of success. However despite all these things, they are not a hated club by any stretch of the imagination, unless you are of course a supporter of Gladerial United.

In a bit of irony it is the Twilight that actually hold the infamous honor of being the most hated club in the nation. On the surface it seems quite an odd choice for the entire nation to hate this club that has spent most of the existence of the Premiership outside of that membership. Logically it would make far more sense that a club like the Rockers or perhaps even Ibini FC would be the subject of the ire from the fans of the sport and league from across the Empire. Yet for many who do hold Gladerial in such contempt, they do not know why other than they were told that Gladerial United were villains who deserved all the bad fortune that they had endured.

The question then becomes the why, why do the tenants of the White Fortress have such ire from the rest of the nation? It naturally has to do with Raynor City United and the long forgotten Elven First Division, which the Twilight had absolutely dominated. Reaching back into history, there was originally only eight clubs in the nation, all of which played in the First Division. The richest and most dominant of these was Gladerial United, who then used their riches to found a feeder club, Raynor City Rockers as United was known at the time. The other clubs instead used a reserve team and the Rockers were allowed to play in the reserve league. Roughly a decade into their existence, Zeratul Raynor bought the Rockers from the owners of Gladerial. Zeratul then proceeded to provide a loan to a friend of his and they founded Raynor City FC, and both clubs applied for full membership into the First Division.

This act is what was the cause, as Gladerial United sought to block the entry of the Raynor City clubs into the division. However all other clubs approved the entry but Gladerial refused to agree and threatened to use legal action to keep the two clubs out. In a move of solidarity against Gladerial's threat and behavior, the rest of the First Division clubs voted to dissolve the league and instead founded the Premiership, adding the Raynor City clubs in the process. Faced with the dire situation of not being allowed to compete in a league, Gladerial was forced to drop their lawsuit and apply for membership to the newly created league, with only Mar Sara FC not voting for their inclusion. It is the attempt of holding the league hostage because of their own ambition and desires that supporters of the original clubs and the entire nation have ever since held a hatred towards the one most dominant team in the nation. While some have gone on to forgive or forget, there is that past that continues to haunt the Twilight to this day and part of why United is not seen as a villain to the rest of the clubs in Valanora.

World Cup 89 - Roleplay Thread

WC89 MD4-5

WC89Q - MD1 V. Barunia (5-4 W)

Uh.........

Boot It!: The Clock Can Be Cruel To Us...

Who is online