World Cup 89 - Roleplay Thread

World Cup 81/82/83/84

NT near halfway mark of WCQ
by Oliver Stanley
The Post Chief Soccer Correspondent

Newport--The Commonwealth National Team head into the final two matches of the first half of qualifying for World Cup 89 with a chip on their collective shoulders, bruised pride, and a pair of fixtures that have the potential to set the tone for the return half of Group 17; following on from the pair of defeats to Polkopia and Kiltoch, the squad will look to right the ship, as it were, against Aut-Ves-Nat here at Newport City Stadium.

The shock winners of the inaugural CAFA Cup, the Autonomous Vessel Nation are exactly what their name says--a country without a fixed address, making it interesting when it comes to where the return match on matchday 17 will occur--and Newport was selected as the site as an accommodation to them. To date, they have been mostly invisible through 7 matches, with just 3 draws to prop up the rest of the table; BP Manager Jen Prescott will field a lineup similar to the one that defeated Sajnur, with Kelly O'Connell, Travis Grimaldi, Junior Ngoba and Christa Vuckovic the four who didn't figure in that encounter.

The last matchday will feature the Bees traveling to Jeruselem and the famous Dazza Dallas Stadium; the Tiger Princesses' sit a point behind Baker Park with both teams trailing Polkopia, who have 15 points through seven unbeaten matches.
The 1-0 result at Old College Park was the first time a visitor has defeated BP in Southend in 12 attempts, a result even more surprising when you consider that since the opening of the BBP Stadium for World Cup 84, the NT were 39-1 in home fixtures played at all venues besides the national stadium.

by **Hapilopper** » Mon Sep 20, 2021 6:24 pm

Novi Atletskistadion, Thessia, Mytanija
The second half of World Cup 89 Qualifier Match 9: Hapilopper 1-1 Mytanija
Sitting in an owner’s box, Dom Probst was looking a little uneasy as he looked towards the scoreboard to see the match tied, and even more so, to see the clock reading “66:06.” Still way too much time for the Haps to screw it up. The Mytanars had struck first, a screamer from Jezdimir Ocokoljic putting the home side up 1-0 in the 10th minute, but Herb Northrop took advantage of an opening and sent an alley-oop to Toby Bryson to put one past Pedja Kasun and into the back of the net in the 19th. For much of the last several minutes, it seemed like the kids of Team Hapilopper and Nate Ellis were able to match Mytanija strength for strength and we’d see either a close one or a hard-fought one point.

But Dom was still a little bit cynical of the Hapiloppian Kids, even in spite of that exciting 5-3 victory over Rangers FC, where Pete Robson scored a hat trick and Jerold Dickman, of all people, fired a screamer right past a diving Kristoff Bjoyd to put it ahead of the Rangers late in the match. He wanted to see some more, and he was fearing the Haps were starting to tire out a bit. It seemed like it was taking a hell of a lot for the Haps to match up strength with strength with the Mytanars, and it was starting to show.

The first crucial mistake happened just a minute later, when Jerold Dickman tripped Jasno Odonelec in the 18-yard box, which led to Mytanija getting a penalty kick opportunity. The fans in Thessia roared with delight, knowing a great opportunity to take the lead was coming. Dom, meanwhile, was not roaring with delight, but rather with frustration.

“YOU CAN’T DO THAT, DICKMAN!” Dom screamed towards the pitch, even though he knew Jerold couldn’t hear him. Other members of Team Hapilopper looked at him and nodded his head. And when Odonelec converted the penalty into a goal to put the Mytanars ahead, Dom sat back in his seat, folding his arms and indignantly shaking his head.

It got worse. The Haps started losing their way. They were tiring out, even as Thom Perkins started subbing players out. But it wasn’t enough. In the 77th minute, Ocokoljic broke out of a crowd and fired off a sneaky one over Billy Solomon’s head. It was 3-1 with not much time for the Haps to mount a comeback. It was a frustrating loss for the Haps. They had tired themselves out and the Mytanars took advantage of it.

Al Fresco’s Outdoor Bistro, Hapilopper City
A couple of days later
Dom Probst swirled a glass of white wine silently. There was a look of frustration on his face, the sting of the 3-1 loss to Mytanija still ringing in his head. Nathan Ellis and Thom Perkins were sitting across from him in this outdoor eatery, which was one of the more upscale restaurants in Hapilopper City. Nathan and Thom looked at Dom silently, knowing that he had something to say and that it needed to be heard.

“The kids are alright, huh, Ellis?” Dom said as he took a look at his glass of wine, then over towards his most experienced national team player. “They sure weren’t alright a couple of days ago.”

“They were, Dom, but a mistake was made,” Nate explained. “It’s not the first time I’ve seen someone mess up and it won’t be the last.”

“Nathan, that mistake cost us at least one point and possibly three points,” Dom snapped. “That penalty fucked our game up entirely. We can’t go out there and make mistakes like that. That’s how we lose matches. And what’s worse, that’s your boy.”

“My boy?” Nathan asked, somewhat taken aback at the implication.

“Yeah, that’s YOUR boy,” Dom replied, pointing a finger Nathan’s way. “Ever since he decked you in that practice session, you took to him. So that’s on you. You’ve got to tell him he can’t do that shit, but at the same time, you’re one of the worst at it. So that’s as much on you as it is on him.”

“What difference does it make?” Nathan asked, sitting up in his chair, visibly annoyed with this sudden shot. “I’m not going to focus on whose fault it is. If we spend this whole time saying it’s this guy’s fault or my fault, we’re not going to move past it! How about if we learn from our mistakes rather than focusing on who did what? Holy shit, Probst.”

“Because people have to be held accountable for their actions,” Dom replied. “People have to face the consequences for their actions.”

“We already did, god damn it, we lost the match!” Nathan roared. “You think those boys in the locker room aren’t feeling like shit as it is to begin with? They’re trying as hard as they God damn can. Some of them already have the fear that they don’t have y’all’s support. Hell, I talked to a couple of them and they’re convinced you’re going to pull the plug on this whole fucking thing!”

Nathan’s voice was rising. It sounded like he was going off on one of his rants again, and Dom started looking a little indignant that one of his players – one of HIS hired hands – was going to tell him how to run HIS football team. But if he spoke up, he knew Nathan would unleash that infamous Nathan Ellis fury on him, so he might as well get it out of his system.

“You know something, Probst, these kids probably fuck up because they’re scared,” Nathan continued. “They see you barely in the locker room, barely on the sideline, as cold as ice to anyone that’s not me or anyone that played in the Baptism of Fire, and they figure that you’re just gonna pull the plug and we’re going to be left on the sidelines while fucking Vdara or Indusse or Al Qurija or whoever the fuck else takes OUR spot in the World Cup. But we weren’t there because you had no confidence and you wouldn’t fucking let the players play.”

That set Dom off, and he decided he had heard enough.

“So what do you want me to do then?” Dom snapped, his voice growing louder. “Tell me something, Ellis, since you want to run this God damn team, What the HELL do you want me to do then? You want me to step down and you can run this team?”

Others at the bistro were turning to look at what was going on.

“I don’t want you to quit, Dominic,” Nathan replied loudly. “I want you to quit meddling. Quit being so wishy-washy, let us play, and have some FAITH in your players! You had faith in us when we went to that Baptism of Fire, why can’t you have faith in those kids now?”

“Because they’re not as good as you guys were,” Dom replied.

“HORSE SHIT,” Nathan roared, loudly enough that everyone in the bistro turned around to look and stop their conversations they were having with each other.

“I’ve asked you time and time again, have some faith in these kids,” Nathan continued. “Let them relax. They’re scared to death that you’re going to pull the plug again and we’re going to sit on the sidelines while whoever the fuck, I don’t know, South Asscrackistan, goes out there in OUR place and takes OUR matches and qualified for OUR World Cup. I want you to quit comparing them to us. They’re not us. And you know something? That’s GOOD. But if you don’t let them develop and become good players, they’re going to keep treading water.”

“So you’re saying our poor run out there is my fault,” Dom snapped. “You’re saying it’s MY fault that I couldn’t a team together for World Cup 86. You’re saying it’s MY fault we didn’t do jack shit in World Cup 87 and it’s MY fault we ran out of money before World Cup 88.”

“No, I’m saying it’s your fault those kids are living in fear,” Nathan explained. “They’ve heard you talk about this team. They know what you think.”

“How.” Dom’s response was almost a challenge as much as it was a question. Dom had not gone to the media to explain his displeasure with the team. It had not been publicly discussed to the media, and nobody on twii.tur or any other social media outlets had discussed it.

“I told them,” Nathan explained, about as brazenly and boldly as ever. “I made sure they knew that you had doubts about them. And I told them to prove you wrong. Because quite frankly, that was a pretty shitty thing you said about them.”

Dom and Nathan looked at each other, almost as if they were staring each other down, daring the other to do something. Both were absolutely enraged with each other – Dominic angry because he felt Nathan had violated his trust, and Nathan angry because Dominic had badmouthed his teammates. It wasn’t good for Team Hapilopper, as Nathan was the heart and soul of Team Hapilopper, while Dom Probst was the reason Team Hapilopper even existed in the first place. Something had to give, or cooler heads had to prevail.

by **Ranoria** » Mon Sep 20, 2021 9:43 pm

Ranoria Just Won't Go Away! In a Tight Top Four, Krauts Fighting Tooth and Nail For Position As Qualifiers Begin to Take Shape

Two consecutive wins over Pyazhnaya and Milchama aren't what one would call statement games - but for what's considered a niche sport in Ranoria, any victory is a chance for extra publicity, as is a winning record nine games into qualifying.

Sitting at 5-3-1, the Krauts have played nine solid games, consequently making them one of 37 teams left in the World Cup with 1 or fewer losses. Yeah, that's a good amount of squads, but this is a 180 team tournament - so that's damn near in the top sixth of teams in that category. Consistent effort with solid fundamentals have served the team well, with the occasional flashy goal from part timer Barry Chlorid, who can occasionally be seen flashing the ring he earned in World Bowl 42.

Nevertheless, they're far from being able to let up the gas pedal. The Krauts made it clear that their goal in World Cup 89 was to post a second straight winning record - something that's an achievement in its own right, but we're all wondering if they can make an even bigger jump this go round and...no, we're not even going to say it. Bad luck.

Moreover, there are four teams in this group vying for two top spots in the group. TJUN-ia is familiar to Ranorians as a team that has given us hell in every sport imaginable, including knocking off the Cold Hill University Buffalo in the NSCF last season. They're sitting 3 points behind Ranoria at 4-3-2, but ahead of both of those squads are the teams that would qualify if the group stage ended today. Sargossa and Turori each have six wins, and Turori has just one loss while Sargossa is undefeated. Neither team looks to be getting any weaker down the stretch at this rate, and the Krauts will need to pull a rabbit out of their bag of tricks if they're to usurp either squad's current position.

But, who knows? This is probably the best non-gridiron team Ranoria fields on the international scene at this point.
They're looking to establish themselves as just that. What better way than to...

Well, you know.

by **Lathamford** » Tue Sep 21, 2021 1:42 am

WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION 89:: MD8
Lathamford 1-0 Melbergia

Otto Farrowsteam '77 ׀ NIL

@Thousandforks National Arena (29,801) ׀ Game Sponsor: Organic Councils

Match Report

1: The referee blows the whistle to start the match.
6: Farrowsteam caught offside
12: Haymoore sent a close range header from a corner wide
13: Falconderry takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
16: Melbergia takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
21: Farrowsteam takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
23: Melbergia takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
34: Clawbrand takes a shot. That's off-target.
37: Melbergia takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
41: Falconderry takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
42: Melbergia takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
47: Clawbrand takes a shot. That's off-target.
49: Melbergia takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
55: Farrowsteam takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
57: Melbergia takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
61: Lathamford awarded a corner kick.
64: Melbergia player is shown a Yellow Card. ▍
65: Clawbrand takes a shot. That's off-target.
67: Melbergia takes a shot. That's off-target.
69: Farrowsteam broke away from the defense and hammered a shot straight towards goal... and right into the waiting hands of the goalie.
73: Melbergia takes a shot. It's on target but saved.
74: Falconderry takes a shot. That's off-target.
76: Decker headed a cross just wide.
77: Farrowsteam scores, breaking from deep to collect Wyvernchaser's through-ball before slotting the ball past the goalkeeper.
79: Substitution by Lathamford player Falconderry make way for Giles Kingsley
80: Some deft one-two passing saw Kingsley with only the keeper to beat, yet he made a mistake sending the ball wide of the post
81: Melbergia takes a shot. That's off-target.
83: A poor challenge and Wolfsong accepts his caution. ▍
85: Substitution by Lathamford player Wolfsong make way for Bradley Barrington
88: Substitution by Lathamford player Clawbrand make way for Alan Caskwoods
90+1: End of the game.

29,801 spectators watched the 8th match of the 89th World Cup Qualifier series between Lathamford and Melbergia held at the sacred Thousandforks Arena stadium. The strong support of the fans gave the national team the strength to win the match with a score of 1-0 as a result of a beautiful movement started by Wyvernchaser who managed to make an accurate pass to Farrowsteam, and confuse the opposing defense, as well as Farrowsteam easily finished the pass with a perfect goal in the minute 77. The national team and opponents exchanged attacks in the first half but failed to find a touch of goal. In the 13th minute, Falconderry who got a perfect pass from Wymondham almost finished it off with a goal, but the efficiency of the opposing goalkeeper negated it. Similarly in the 41st minute, Clayton Decker's long-range throw went straight into the opponent's goal and was then intercepted by Falconderry, but unfortunately, his shot was a bit slow and easily saved by the opposing goalkeeper. In the 69th minute, the confusion of the opposing defense caused Farrowsteam to put himself 1v1 with the goalkeeper, but his shot went straight into the hands of the opposing goalkeeper, a loss because the perfect chance should have ended in a goal. Finally, a beautiful Wyvernchaser pass gave Farrowsteam a chance to score the winning goal that night. After that the match seemed balanced, the Speedy Cat seemed satisfied with one goal, they seemed to save energy for the 9th match where their opponent is the famous team in multiverses, namely Chromatika, which will take place at The Tidal Wave, Tihon, Urrhed Island. They are now third in Group 18 behind Eura, and Sylestone. They lost 1-2 to Eura in the 8th game, so Lathamford should be careful as they are like injured tigers and will act more aggressively when up against us at home

Line Up

Glowsnarl, Wolfsong (Barrington), Decker (C), Haymoore, Wymondham, Hargreave, Wyvernchaser, Colfield, Falconderry (Kingsley), Clawbrand (Caskwoods), Farrowsteam

Statistic so far..

World Cup Q89
Group 18:: MD1		Darmen		1-0			 Morten Clawbrand 	▍Dustin Skelmersdale
Group 18:: MD2		Schima Bas	1-1			 Otto Farrowsteam 	▍ Joe Wymondham, Clayton Decker
Group 18:: MD3		Sylestone	1-0			 Joe Wymondham       ▍ Martin Haymoore
Group 18:: MD4		Eura		0-2
Group 18:: MD5		Talamia		0-1
Group 18:: MD6		Srednjaci	1-0			 Otto Farrowsteam 	▍ Bradley Barrington
Group 18:: MD7		Agresos		1-1			 Carter Colfield	▍Dustin Skelmersdale [Suspended next game]
Group 18:: MD8		Melbergia	1-0			 Otto Farrowsteam	▍ Xavier Wolfsong

Scorer: World Cup Q89
Otto Farrowsteam		3
Morten Clawbrand		1
Joe Wymondham			1
Carter Colfield			1

by **Jeruselem** » Tue Sep 21, 2021 5:04 am

Princess Kate and Aidra Nene at Dazza Dallas Stadium. Both naked, with a Princess Stella dressed as Hololive Vtuber Gawr Gura standing behind them.

Kate:
Hello, this is Princess Kate for Naked News Jeruselem for the World Cup 89 qualification match day 9 which also happens to mark the halfway point of qualification. I'm with fellow Naked News Jeruselem reporter Aidra Nene and that's my daughter over there but just ignore her antics.

Aidra: She wants your job
Kate: That's fine
Aidra: Another home game and we'll also discuss qualification match day 8 with respect to today
Kate: I guess it's exciting to get the half way point of qualification, if you're doing well that is.
Aidra: Yes, I guess it depends how you are doing
Kate: I guess at this point you can work out who's not going to qualify

Aidra: Group 17 has been a little hard to work out
Kate: I've looked the other groups and ours is clearly one of less predictable ones
Aidra: Just a short recap of the last round for context here.
Kate: Commonwealth of Baker Park recovered from two losses to beat Aut-Ves-Nat at home. Xanneria at home held leader Polkopia to a 3-3 draw. The Jovannic didn't have good home coming losing 2-0 to visitors Flavovespia. Sajnur went down fighting against visiting Eshialand 4-3. Kiltoch failed to fire at home losing to Jeruselem 2-1.
Aidra: We're sure glad we won that game
Kate: We're expected to win that game too!

Aidra: Now to the half way game 9, and once interesting results. Jeruselem at home, that's us, facing the mighty Commonwealth of Baker Park. Lucky us HEY!
Kate: Well, I wish we played them earlier!
Aidra: Yeah, this also means we play them in the last game of qualification.
Kate: Exactly, not the team we want to play on the last game.
Aidra: Never mind that
Kate: For some reason we always end up playing the top seed last day of qualification.

Aidra: We'll look at the other games first!
Kate: Eshialand were at home and the visitors Kiltoch gave tghe home team a bit of trouble but Eshialand ended up winning 5-3
Aidra: Eshialand aren't known for their defenseness if you look at their record.
Kate: There are lot of teams who score highly but also let in a lot of goals at the same time.
Aidra: Flavovespia at home managed to draw with Sajnur 2-2
Kate: That game was always going be hard to pick given how up and down those teams go

Aidra: Polkopia at home put on a show scoring 7 GOALS against The Jovannic but The Jovannic didn't lie down and die, because they managed to score 4 of their own. 11 goals in one game!
Kate: Yeah, that's just kinda unexpected. Polkopia conceding 4 goals in one game? Good thing they scored ... seven.
Aidra: They would be doing better if they had won their last game
Kate: I guess they play better than home, unlike us ...
Aidra: Aut-Ves-Nat at home but made little difference as they lost 2-0 to Xanneria.
Kate: I guess someone has to be last.

Aidra: So for Jeruselem vs Baker Park!
Kate: Sadly we lost 3-1 but it's OK to lose to them.
Aidra: I guess they are making lost points from two losses in a row
Kate: Just proves how good they are really, we did try our best but they aren't the top seed for no reason
Aidra: Not exactly our best effort either, we didn't perform to our best
Kate: It's hard to do that when the opposition don't let you

Aidra: You think we could have drawn?
Kate: Hard to say, we don't play for draws. Scoring more than two goals against them isn't easy. Their two losses were 2-1 and 1-0 meaning they just played badly in offense, but still defended well enough.
Aidra: I guess that makes sense
Kate: So how is everyone travelling in Group 17? Aut-Ves-Nat are still last with 3 points. The Jovannic crashed back to 9th with 8 points. Then a traffic jam with three teams on 11 points as Sajnur 7th, Xanneria 6th and Flavovespia 5th. All happen to have 3-2-4 record as well. Leaving the top 4 which is a weird top 4!
Aidra: Yeah ...
Kate: Jeruselem 2nd seed is 4th on 15 points followed by Eshialand in 3rd on 17 points. Eshialand are ranked 122nd, the other top seeds are not doing well.

Aidra: Polkopia who do not have an actual ranking are 2nd with 19 points, and then Baker Park also on 19 but they are expected to lead the way.
Kate: Polkopia have not been defeated by anyone, they have not been beaten by us or Baker Park either.
Aidra: 4 draws though, the most for all teams in this group.
Kate: I guess can they keep this up in the 2nd half? 5 wins, 1 less than Baker Park.
Aidra: Baker Park doing OK, they just had a bad two games.
Kate: We're the ones who need to get better, 3 draws ... not good enough. 2 losses isn't too bad, one was today.

Aidra: So half way in Group 17, we have ... the top seed, an unranked team, 122nd seed and the 2nd top seed leading the way. It's complicated.
Kate: And the unranked team is undefeated
Aidra: Not the way Pekora Dancer planned this
Kate: Not really, those teams weren't expected to bother us or Baker Park.
Aidra: Well, we'll find out if we can qualify. We're not out of it but we're far from safe.
Kate: Well, 4 points isn't that bad from fourth position. Losing to Baker Park didn't help but the loss to Sanjur really was the one that hurt.

Aidra: That's it from us for now.
Kate: Not everything has gone to plan but we're still the fight for real.
Aidra: I'm sure our rival network will label this one a failure
Kate: They labelled the last cup a failure even when we made the finals
Aidra: That's it from us
Kate: We have to go, the daughter wants to go buy something.

by **Tumbra** » Tue Sep 21, 2021 6:17 am

Huayamarca 0-3 Tumbra

TMB (4-2-3-1): 1 - John Lennon; 2 - Ryan Hughes, 4 - Ian Ashburn, 5 - Harry Henderson (14 - Louis Paterson, 64'), 19 - Russell White; 6 - Vincent Hicks (23 - Michael Aitken, 77'), 8 - Craig McGrath, 10 - Phil Cole; 17 - George Hilton (31 - Dylan van Heirolf, 85'), 9 - Robin Vaughn; 44 - Nigel Erskine

TMB scorers: Nigel Erskine (12', 31'), Robin Vaughn (77')

Player of the Match: Nigel Erskine (TMB)

Tumbra 3- 0 Ottoman Syldavia

TMB (4-2-3-1): 1 - John Lennon; 2 - Ryan Hughes, 4 - Ian Ashburn, 5 - Harry Henderson (14 - Louis Paterson, 63'), 19 - Russell White; 6 - Vincent Hicks, 8 - Craig McGrath (15 - Alan Morgan, 63'), 10 - Phil Cole; 17 - George Hilton, 9 - Robin Vaughn; 44 - Nigel Erskine (11 - Marcus Sheldon, 77')

TMB scorers: George Hilton (60'), Nigel Erskine (72'), Robin Vaughn (85')

Player of the Match: Phil Cole (TMB)

O P I N I O N
Alex Harrison

For The Love Of God, Lindner, Go
The Liberal leader has failed at providing an effective opposition and an effective alternative to Kenneth Everett's government. For the sake of the Liberal Party and for Tumbra, he should resign.

It hasn't been a good few years for the Tumbran Liberal Party, has it?

In the span of five or so years, the party lost government, elected a leader who failed to make an impact in the one year he had the job, toppled that leader, elected another leader who barely registered amongst the electorate, lost fifty seats in one night, lost control of several state governments, nearly lost their existing coalition partner, lost a full third of their Western electorate, and now have lost the moral high ground with regards to the Northlands issue.

Where has Tumbra's bastion of liberty and free enterprise gone? It has retreated to the backbenches, eager to be a cheerleader for the Labour government of Kenneth Everett while ignoring its role as an opposition party and allowing its voter base to be steadily swallowed up by the new Christian Union and the ever-present threat of the Conservative Party. Peter Lindner has been complicit in letting this happen. Instead of vicariously questioning the Prime Minister on the rationale of the move into the Northlands and questioning the Prime Minister on other things like how long these plans had been in motion, he instead asked the Prime Minister what the timeframe for colonisation was.

Hardly inspiring.

I'll be up front — I do support the expansion of Tumbra's borders. I believe it'll be good for the economy, create new markets, ease some of the housing crises we see in some of the bigger cities in Tumbra today. What I don't support about this, however, is how quickly this moved seemed to be sprung upon us. It came upon the hundred and fourteen million people of Tumbra like a crack of thunder on a warm summer's day. I don't think the government is ready to enact this plan, and enact it well; and already, it has placed our special relationship with Omerica under threat. All these could have been questioned by Peter Lindner during the marathon ten-hour debate; instead he sat back, allowed the Prime Minister's own party members to put up a bigger show of opposition than he, and accepted the Prime Minister's words with little to no questioning. Perhaps he was too used to the more congenial attitude of the Senate; in which case, he should probably return to the Chamber he left three years ago, with its red-backed benches instead of the green-backed ones he sits on as the 43rd Leader of the Opposition.

The Liberals allowed a free vote on the issue; they overwhelmingly voted yes on the issue of the Northlands. The arguments for it were sound. A vote in favour would not have been begrudged by the typical Liberal voter on the street, should any of them still remain. Yet what Peter Lindner failed to do, despite supporting the Government on this issue, was relentlessly question the PM. He failed to do his duty as a member of the Opposition; he has failed to present a convincing alternative to Kenneth Everett's government; in his time as Leader of the Opposition, there hasn't been as so much a peep from him on alternative to Kenneth Everett's policy proposals, and whatever he's released has been swept up and under the twenty-four hour media cycle.

Yes, I'll be the first to admit that the Liberal Party has a dearth of talent in the current Parliamentary caucus. With only a hundred and sixty-seven members to choose from — and quite a few still associated with either the Hayes government or the torrid Osbourne/Monteiro administration — it's always going to be hard looking for capable politicians to rebuild the party. One of each ran for Leader in the leadership conference following Anne Monteiro's resignation; Robin Stoff, representing the Hayes government; Lawrence Carlyle, representing the four years spent in Opposition; and then Stephen Williams, the closest the Liberal Party has to a Labour man in their ranks. Lindner presented himself as an inoffensive choice, representing one of the Heartland States, ready to provide a more moderate point of view and bring disenchanted Liberal voters back into the fold.

So of course he won. It wasn't a strong mandate, by any means — the final result went to a runoff election, which Lindner won by four points from Stoff — but it was a mandate, regardless. The Liberals were reeling from a leader who was weak, had failed to impress herself upon the electorate despite. Lindner, puzzlingly enough, has proven to be much of the same, despite his three years as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. Everett's government has made several missteps, and yet they still command a powerful lead in the polls. A competent Liberal leader would be five points ahead, at the very least.

If the Liberals wish to return to power within the next decade, then they need a strong leader, or a change in policy tack. To lose the latter would be a betrayal of their electorate; to gain the former would merely require the resignation of one man.

To appropriate a football chant; Peter Lindner, it's time to go. Sharpish.

Alex Harrison is a Georgia-based political commentator and lifelong Liberal voter. He joined the Serrapince Post in 1986, and is a self described conservative liberal. His Renner Award-winning book, The State in the Twenty-Second Century, covers the relationship between the federal government and the people of Tumbra in a technologically-advanced future.

TUMBRA vs DELACLAVA & NEPHARA vs TUMBRA - WORLD CUP 89 QUALIFYING

Starters: 1 - John Lennon; 2 - Ryan Hughes, 4 - Ian Ashburn, 14 - Louis Paterson, 3 - Chris Carter; 6 - Vincent Hicks, 8 - Craig McGrath, 10 - Phil Cole; 17 - George Hilton, 9 - Robin Vaughn, 22 - Nick Riordan

Bench: 12 - Louis Addison; 18 - Jacob Keene, 5 - Harry Henderson, 36 - Stephen Kerr, 27 - Nigel Harris; 40 - Trudy Harrison, 15 - Alan Morgan, 38 - Leo Hooper; 7 - Neil Fraser, 21 - Lynne Crossley; 11 - Marcus Sheldon, 44 - Nigel Erskine

OOC: The Serrapince Post is the centre-right equivalent to the Couno Herald. George Osbourne served as Opposition leader following the 2017 election defeat to Labour; he served for a year before being no confidence'd due to flagging poll numbers. Anne Monteiro took over, but didn't do much better, losing fifty seats in the 2021 federal elections.

by **Juvencus** » Tue Sep 21, 2021 9:27 am

Official Statement by the Parlamento Reale speaker, Prime Minister Salvatore Domenico Garcia
To be delivered to Carl Rutherford, Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs of the United Federation of Eura

As the house speaker for the Parlamento Reale, I happened to be the recipient to a message that could be regarded as both warm and concerning in regards to the Holy Empire's involvement in the Nyowani Kitara civil conflict, Rushmori politics in general and most of all, the comments made by his holy majesty, Holy Emperor Nicola II, Terzi.

Initially it would be wise to talk about Juvencus' limited, yet very real position on Rushmori politics. It is a well-known fact that Nyowani Kitara is a neighboring nation to San Ortelio. San Ortelio is a country on which automobile and shipmaking company Odiol operates, any and all undertakings of the company must done under the certainty of a safe enviroment provided to them, something that is not the case as long as Nyowani Kitara is under conflict and there is a fear of spillovers on the horizon. While definitely not stated by the Holy Emperor publicly, the interests of the company directly tie with our interests for safe international trade and operations in Rushmore and beyond. Secondarily, whatever was stated by the Holy Emperor have been the Terzi royal dynasty's positions in global politics since the Juven unification following the Second Great War of Unification in 1892, it may seem benign on the surface, but it is one of the few valiant positions that the monarchy could not back down on unless extensive dialogue is achieved, but even then it is mostly implausible.

It is true that the Parlamento Reale did condemn the actions of the Holy Emperor in a majority vote, as they were considered hasty and direct military involvement is very hard to achieve at this current moment in time. However, we also believe that stopping any and all involvement of the Holy Empire in order to protect its interests is an action that we strongly condemn, given our popular support for the KFF and alongside the Holy Emperor's approval of them, despite our efforts for a more peaceful solution. We do highly request that should enmities continue, that we send a small force in the area solely for its protection by any ensuing attacks from the oppressive and illegal Nyowani Kitara government, whose foreign ministry recently issued a warning to the Holy Empire in a public statement that was sent towards multiple nations. A warning that we consider rather worrysome.

We are willing to extend more talks in the Parlamento Reale directly to the Holy Emperor himself and should those said talks change his mind when it comes to either retracting his statements or our involvement in the general area altogether, should we accept your invitation for more talks in person. This, however, must not be considered as a formal accepting of the invitation but as more of a "maybe" as any and all decisions regarding the Holy Empire should be done by both the Holy Emperor and Parlamento Reale's representatives in presence, especially in foreign affairs matters.

We, as the Parlamento Reale, give you our warmest thanks for reaching out on us in due time and we applaud your government's efforts towards a more peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Kind regards,
Salvatore Domenico Garcia
House Speaker of Parlamento Reale,
Prime Minister of the Holy Empire of Juvencus

Official Communique by il Sacro Impero di Juvencus, relayed by the Holy Emperor himself, Nicola II, of the House Terzi
Recipient: Malik Akongo, leader of the Kitara Freedom Front

As you are aware, I am a very firm supporter of your cause in regards to protecting the interests of the Kitaran people and very much against the totalitarianism that your little sister wants to impose upon them. However I must relay this message to you with great caution, as a number of governments, including my own have condemned my comments and subsequent likelihood of actions in regards to helping your cause. For that reason, I am giving you the fair warning that help can only come in the form of limited funds on a trickle that could reach as high as 5 million NS$ to reach your hands in secret to fund any arms supplies and other necessities until a way to directly involve the Juven Esercito directly is found. I give you no promise for the latter, as the Euran goverment did issue a warning of an ensuing blockade in any and all military involvement under the Juven flag in Rushmori waters with another issue being the far distance, as Juvencus is located in Sonnel, something that could hinder speed of support should direct military involvement is allowed to be given.

I am eagerly waiting for a response,
The Holy Emperor of Juvencus,
His Holy Majesty, Nicola II, Terzi

by **Banija** » Tue Sep 21, 2021 12:36 pm

RBSA Executive Board Meeting

The RBSA's Executive Chairman, Robel Ezera, was sitting in a room, with his Executive Board. All of them were mystified and angry at what, exactly, was going on in Banija's World Cup Qualifying campaign. It had been an absolute disaster so far- at the halfway point, Banija were sitting in fourth place. 4 points out of even a playoff points, and a shocking nine points off the pace set by 78th ranked Pemecutan. The shocking gap between Pemecutan and the 5th ranked Kadongo Kamu was thoroughly proven on the field, as Pemecutan utterly demolished a visiting Banijan team. Demoralizing the team so thoroughly, there were shocking scenes after that match. Demba Kinteh heaving a chair towards an empty bench after the 90 minutes was up. The travelling support booing the national team in the closing moments.

It was one of the most stunning results of the World Cup Qualifying campaign. And while a loss like that was never pretty, it would not be panic-inducing if it was a one-off. But here was the worst part- it was the furthest thing from a one-off. It was the perfect encapsulation of how Banija had been playing ever since their trip to Ranoria City, right before the beginning of World Cup Qualifying. Why do Banija's nightmares always start there? We travelled there, and lost, right before our worst World Cup Finals apperance since World Cup 82. And now- well, travelling there right before qualifying, and this happening.

Randolf Clery, an Executive Board Member who was the Commissioner of Banija League Soccer, spoke first. "Look- do we need to ask ourselves the question? Does Marcus Waters need to go?" The Drawkian said. His perspective was certainly the most unique in the room. He was also a former manager of the Kadongo Kamu. He took over the team for a cycle and a half. World Cup 79 Qualifying, AOCAF 55, and the first half of World Cup 80 Qualifying- before a disastrous first half of Qualifying doomed him. That campaign, of course, was in different circumstances than this one. They were 8th at the halfway point. He got fired, he was replaced by his assistant, Marcus Waters- and the rest is history. Marcus Waters is now a WCC Hall of Famer, who managed to qualify for that World Cup, and win one seven cycles later.

"Look- there's no need to be hasty here." Said the Herzegovina City FC owner. There were a few club owners on the Executive Board of the RBSA, and the owner of Banija's biggest club was one of them. "Marcus Waters has gotten us out from far worse. Plus- what does that say about the RBSA if we fire him now? Fire a legend at the first sign of trouble? What top-tier coach will want to work for us after that?" He, of course, like everyone, wanted a winning national team that was playing in World Cups. But he also had other worries. His team's manager, Omar Sanyang, would surely be a candidate to take over if Waters was fired mid-campaign. And he did not want that to happen. Jinja City FC's owner expressed the same sentiment's as Herzegovina City's owner, with the same underlying reasoning.

"Look, managers understand how this game works." Said another member of the Executive Board, who was the VP of Marketing for the RBSA. "There is no loyalty in pro sports. Remember the manager who took Nephara to back to back World Cup Finals? And yet, at first sign of trouble, Nephara dismissed her. Daniella Strauss, was her name?" An aide shouted yes as he continued. "When Eura missed a World Cup after Qualifying for 27 in a row, they didn't hesitate to fire their manager. It's all about how well are you doing for me lately. Do we want to consider ourselves among the truly big nations? Be mentioned alongside the Nepharas, the Valanoras, the Euras of the multiverse? We must maintain that high standard of excellence. This doesn't mean Waters isn't a legend, it just means that maybe he's lost his touch."

"He hasn't lost his touch!" Jinja City FC's owner said, banging his fist on the table. "We literally just won the AOCAFs. How are we saying he's lost his touch? If there's anyone I trust to get our shit back together and turn things around, its Marcus Waters."

The men in the room debated among themselves, before Robel Ezera came to a conclusion. "Look- it's always counter-productive to message the manager and tell him, 'hey, you have X amount of days to turn shit around'. He's a smart man- he understands that. It's not like he's not doing everything he can already." Robel Ezera paused. "Let's resolve this- we're going to meet here after Matchday 13. And at that point, we will make a decision- we will either ride out Waters for the rest of the campaign, or fire him and make a quick hire for an interim manager, since 5 games is theoretically enough to turn things around." The men all agreed.

"In the meantime." Robel Ezera said. "I will make a shortlist of candidates. Discreetly. We don't want leaks." Everybody nodded, and then they moved on to other matters of discussion.

Marcus Waters makes wholesale changes to the roster as Qualifying campaign remains 'in jeopardy'

HERZEGOVINA CITY, MORAVICA- Manager Marcus Waters made drastic changes to the lineup and the roster today, as he sent a number of players home at the halfway break of World Cup Qualifying. Of course, after every two match window you can make squad and lineup changes, but Waters chose to ride it out with his main XI that just won him a regional title up to the halfway point. But the Qualifying campaign has been a disaster. Just 14 points across 9 games, and sitting firmly in the mid-table, there is real concern that Banija will fail to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since World Cup 79.

Former players, of course, are all over the television, being harshly critical of the squad playing right now. "Back in my day, all these Banijans weren't pampered superstars, playing in all of these foreign leagues." Said Assefa Yitebarke, a former starting #9 for this national team. "We had our grind, right here in Banija. Now, combing with the S-FPL was brilliant. A nation like Farfadillis- playing in those conditions make players tougher, and much more skilled. But it's sad- all these players care about now is contracts. And it shows. Kausu Dione just got big money in Audioslavia. But why isn't he doing shit for his country? Ikpeazu isn't doing anything. Kouyaté's not even that good, despite all those trophies, and yet we can't replace her because Tantoh and Okparo are old as shit."

Amidst the criticism, there are words coming from a few pundits that are saying that the manager, Marcus Waters, should step down. "He has done everything there is to do for this national team." Said one pundit for Matong Sports Television. "He's won it all- an Eagle's Cup, the AOCAFs, even the World Cup. But coaches can't stay with one team forever. Eventually, things go stale. And they've gotten stale. He just isn't getting through to these players like he used to. And there's no shame in that! How many national teams have had the same manager since World Cup 80 Qualifying and now? If even Daniella Strauss can lose her job after going to back to back World Cup Finals, surely Waters can step down."

Meanwhile, Marcus Waters refused to accept questions about his job security. For a man long considered to have the safest job in international management, this campaign shows how much that really means- so are the perils of international management. "We are going to make a number of call-ups, and do them with immediate effect." Said the head man. "Furthermore, we're going to be doing a bit of shuffling between the starters and the bench. And lastly? We're going to make a formation change. We clearly aren't playing with enough help in the back. We're going to switch to four at the back as well. A 4-4-2 diamond will be our new shape. We're going to need better performance, and this is a time of great urgency."

Waters went on to confirm that young striker Wesoloski-Okafor, who emerged for the Busembe Timberwolves, will get a callup. The Quebecois/Banijan dual-national getting a callup, of course, will be a coup for Banija in the never-ending competition for dual-nationals. The most surprising move is Madu Okparra- who retired from the national team after World Cup 86, but is 'offering his services' to help ensure that Banija doesn't disastrously miss World Cup 89 altogether. The most stunning move, however, is the manager's decision to bench Mzukizi Nzo. He has been a mainstay in the center of the park for a full decade, but he has struggled alongside most of the national team. Marcus simply said that Mboge 'would get his chance' as Banija seeks solutions to their current dilemmas. With Nzo no longer being a surefire starter, the armband has gone to Demba Kinteh.

The full list of call-ups is below.

Mid-Qualifying Call-ups
ST Abel Wesoloski-Okafor(Busembe Timberwolves). 19 years old, Quebecois/Banijan dual-national. Replacing AKACHI ORJEE.
CB Demba Kouyaté(Istria City FC). 23 years old. Replacing ABIGAIL ADMASSU.
LB Ebrahima Jallow(Kitara). 29 years old. Replacing CHIOKIE UCHIE.
LW/RW Madu Okparra(Herzegovina City FC). 36 years old. Replacing ORJI UZOMA.

by **Kelssek** » Tue Sep 21, 2021 1:13 pm

INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL
Maradrogba magic fires Kelssek back into contention

Danielle Maradrogba’s brilliant hat-trick was just the tonic for a Kelssek qualifying campaign with deteriorating vital signs, as she capped a 5-1 thrashing of Euran Oceania Territories that saw Kelssek climb to within three points of the group lead.

Following a 2-1 away win against Kimi-suomi, this series of internationals puts Kelssek in a much better position than they had gone in with even as they are still left chasing table-toppers Twicetagria for the automatic qualification spot. It also gives Andrea Crowe some food for selection thought as strong performances by players like Thor Ibrahim Ahmad, Bryan Hartpoach, and Issac Lafrenière add to the calls for a full youth movement.

It was a player older than many think who opened the rout. Long overshadowed in the Kelssek shirt by the likes of Brayden Custworth and Matt Lister, 27-year old Loïc Maçon-Petrault seemed energized playing in his hometown and opened the scoring when he stepped out slightly wide and found enough space to bend a left-footed curler inside the far post from 15 yards.

But then it was over to the talented Newrook City forward and Association Ariddienne product Maradrogba to steal the show, as she notched Kelssek’s second as she dribbled between two central defenders and fired a powerful strike past Charlie Ross. A well-struck half volley from a ball that dribbled loose from an aerial contest at a corner ensured Kelssek ended the half 3-0 up.

Despite a half-time change by EOT Kelssek continued to dominate the midfield battle and soon Maradrogba nipped through the defensive line again, stroking a cross-field through ball from Colm Ó Tuathail into the net. Minutes later Pierre-Louis Le Tonnelier swerved a free kick into the net to record EOT’s only goal, but by then the match was well in hand for Kelssek.

Rémy Dionne then finished off a passing play that looked off the training ground late in the match, with the back three caught ball-watching. EOT’s manager Wolcjeck Gruber didn’t give much away as he looked on but it’s hard to imagine something other than frustration with his outfit’s performance given the Expats’ World Cup ambitions.

As for Kelssek’s own ambitions, attention now turns to the second half of the qualifying schedule as Kelssek now focus on chasing down Twicetagaria, who remain unbeaten after nine matches and are three points ahead. They further stamped their credentials with a stunner of a win against Astograth, throwing down the gauntlet for the upcoming clash in Kirkenes.

KELSSEK 5 – Maçon-Petrault (15’), Maradrogba (24’, 43’, 54’), Dionne (81’)
St-Gerlais, Dumont, Halliger, Fourtin, Vinter, Lapierre, Lafrenière (Dionne 71’), Ó Tuathail, Ahmad, Maçon-Petrault (Taleb 60’), Maradrogba (Torshen 84’).
EURAN OCEANIA TERRITORIES 1 – Le Tonnelier (59’)
Ross, Law, Ford, Potts, Walsh, Hayden (Richards 45’), Conway, Mitchell (Clarke 76’), Dravon, Fuller (Rowe 65’), Le Tonnelier.
Stade Intersat, Saint-Rémy (attendance 35,755)
KIMI-SUOMI 1 - ?????? (43’)
KELSSEK 2 – Wylten (36’), McDonald (72’)
St-Gerlais, Buené, Marshall, Auiloquet, Liadon, Blanchette (Bogdanor 63’), Lafrenière, McDonald, Hartpoach (Tremblay-Fillon 74’), Maçon-Petrault, Wylten (Ahmad 66’)

by **Alasdair I Frosticus** » Tue Sep 21, 2021 1:38 pm

"I hereby call this meeting of the GOOFI committee to order. Present are Honorary Secretary Dagon, Chair Cthulhu, Vice-Chair Azathoth, and Membership Secretary Nyarlathotep."

"Thank you, Secretary Dagon."

"Don't mention it, Chair Cthulhu."

"So, Membership Secretary Nyarlathotep, can you give us an update on this campaign's GOOFI recruitment drive?"

"Yes I can, Chair Cthulhu."

"And?"

"There have been no new members of GOOFI this qualifying campaign. Not one. Not a sausage."

"I see."

"That's right, Chair Cthulhu. India? Beaten 4-1 away, and no interest in GOOFI. Zug um Zug held us to a 1-1 draw at home; no interest in GOOFI. Equestria were defeated 1-0 away - absolutely no interest in GOOFI. Acastanha were thrashed 3-0 at home (and what a fine hat trick from Hastur), and showed no interest in GOOFI. A late penalty from yourself, Chair Cthulhu, gave us a 1-0 away victory to Graintfjall - who showed no interest in GOOFI. This was followed up by a thrilling 4-3 victory over Sarzonia, who were quite appreciative of our efforts, but still showed no interest in GOOFI. After that was another easy 3-0 victory, this time to Brookstation; but they showed no interest in GOOFI. And finally there was last night's worryingly narrow 1-0 victory over Ostankin, a nation that showed no interest in GOOFI."

"Has there been no interest in GOOFI, Membership Secretary Nyarlathotep?"

"Well, Chair Cthulhu, if you remember there was that query from Saltstead, Chair Cthulhu."

"Which was promptly sabotaged by a group of over-enthusiastic mad cultists; yes, I remember. Unfortunately."

"Burble, burble, burble"

"Could you repeat that, Vice-Chair Azathoth?"

"Burble. Burble burble. Burble. Burble, burble, burble."

"Yes; I see... I quite agree; perhaps we haven't tried to distribute enough cuddles and cups of tea; but still."

"Burble. Burble. Burble burble."

"I know. Audioslavia and Vilita are still the only nations to have joined GOOFI."

"Burble"

"Well, I don't know about Turori, Vice-Chair Azathoth. They were absolutely lovely until they defeated us in the World Cup final. Perhaps if we ask Nig'el to help clarify their status?"

"An excellent suggestion, Chair Cthulhu."

"Thank you, Secretary Dagon."

"Shall I minute that as an action point?"

"Please do."

"Any further action points on GOOFI membership for the minutes? Yes, Membership Secretary Nyarlathotep?"

"I suggest we try even harder to spread love and tea and cuddles in the second half of qualifiers."

"A fine suggestion, Membership Secretary Nyarlathotep. Do please minute that as an action point, Secretary Dagon; all members of the Holy Empire World Cup 89 squad are to try even harder to find recruits for GOOFI via love and tea and cuddles in the second half of qualifiers."

"Absolutely, Chair Cthulhu."

"And no mad cultists!"

"Entirely agree Membership Secretary Nyarlathotep; no mad cultists - we don't want a repeat of the Saltstead incident. And any other business?"

"Burble. Burble. Burble burble. Burble, burble, burble. Burble. Burble burble. Burble. Burble, burble, burble."

"No, I don't know who the so-called Holy Emperor of Juvencus Nicola II of the House Terzi is, Vice-Chair Azathoth."

"Burble, burble, burble. Burble. Burble burble."

"Plagiarism?"

"Burble. Burble, burble, burble, burble. Burble!"

"Yes... I quite see; the apparent similarity of his crest to the Holy Empire's flag; thank you for pointing this out Vice-Chair Azathoth. But I'm not sure what we can do... It's no doubt an innocent misunderstanding."

"Say.... if they like the Holy Empire so much that they want to copy us so badly, perhaps this Nicola II entity will want to join GOOFI!"

"What a capital idea, Membership Secretary Nyarlathotep."

"Thank you, Chair Cthulhu."

"Do please minute that as an action point as well, Secretary Dagon. Membership Secretary Nyarlathotep to invite Juvencus to join GOOFI due to the similarity of the shield of Nicola II to the flag of the Holy Empire."

"Super; all done."

"Thanks, everyone; meeting adjourned - and lets hope for considerably more GOOFIness in the second half of qualifiers!"

by **Sarzonia** » Tue Sep 21, 2021 1:43 pm

If Sarzonia are going to return to the World Cup proper, their road back will be a lot longer and more arduous this time around.

The days when a Sarzonian national football team could qualify for the proper in their fourth attempt after their initial debut way back in World Cup 16 have long since passed. So, too, are the days when Sarzonia only needed three World Cups to return to the proper after a 13-cup absence. Even the more recent feat of a second half comeback with a stunning away upset of a former world champion and then qualifying two cups after a 16-World Cup absence is fading into the mists of the past.

This team just got delivered another reality check at the hands of Acastanhada in a 3-2 defeat that saw the Stars blow a 2-0 lead after the second half kickoff. After the team honoured the lacrosse Stars for their seventh World Lacrosse Championship trophy to a thunderous ovation from every one of the 105,900 Sarzonians in attendance at Dave Wilson Stadium, the Stars coughed up three goals in the next 45 minutes. Manager Nathan Hanifer made an 82nd minute substitution sending goalkeeper Carlton Sandt onto the pitch after nominal reserve Trent Woodson conceded all three goals in the second half, including a particularly soft goal in the 82nd minute. Woodson failed to hustle aggressively after the ball and it resulted in a goal from striker Cezar Tipag, who did.

"I wanted to send Trent a message," Hanifer said after the match. "I was always planning to start Carlton against Græntfjall since they're a higher-ranked side and it's an away match, but now we'll likely be seeing a lot more of Carlton in even the matches we expect to, uh, expected to win." Even with Sandt and all the starters in the 11 against the Græntfjallers, the Stars still couldn't pull out the victory, falling 2-1.

However, an away defeat by one goal against a higher-ranked side is a far cry from a home defeat to a team ranked lower in the KPBs. And Hanifer knows it.

"We can't afford to drop points to the teams we should beat," he said. "We did that against Acastanhada. It makes matches like this one more difficult because no matter whom we play, losses make it much more difficult to see us get into a position to qualify."

Of course, by now the Stars (3-1-5) may now find themselves in a position to start looking toward the future, and question whether Hanifer will be part of that future going forward. He got his job in an interim role after Nicola Mentes was fired for only getting four wins out of Sarzonia in World Cup 88 qualifying.

Did sitting out World Cup 87 hurt the Stars programme in the long term?

"It certainly hasn't helped," Hanifer said. "I don't think anybody in the [Incorporated Football Federation] will tell you it was the wrong thing to do," to withdraw from World Cup 87 after Ethane and Taeshan were chosen as hosts, "but it set this programme back quite a bit."

"We were always going to take lumps after sitting out World Cup 87," captain Clayton Wilson said. "We were expecting to need a while to find our footing after Brady [Reynolds, former starting midfielder] retired. But to have a five-match losing streak including two teams we had no business losing to," he said. "It hurts."

Perhaps the biggest lesson in all this is Sarzonia can no longer consider themselves a team that can expect to win any match.

"I'll go with that," Hanifer said. "Best explanation I've heard."

by **Eshialand** » Tue Sep 21, 2021 2:24 pm

Halfway There
Sajnur 3-4 Eshialand
Eshialand 5-3 Kiltoch

https://www.blogwrite.esh/statscorner/07-23-22/a_check-in
STATS CORNER
Eshian Sports by the Numbers
A CHECK-IN
One cycle later, where are the teams from Baptism of Fire 75?

Hello, it's me, Josh Seametzle, back for more statistical mumbo-jumbo. So, I was thinking lately about Eshialand's Baptism of Fire, and specifically about the teams from that tournament. The king said something about the tournament that has always stuck with me, that these teams will be forever connected, no matter what. You know what, he was right. Probably. In any event, I'd like to take a look at the nine teams from that tournament that are still here for World Cup 89 Qualifying, and see what's happening to them. Are they doing well, or falling flat on their faces? Let's analyze this now. I'll be going through each team and their performance in the first half of qualifying in order of how far they far they got into the BoF, starting with teams that didn't make it to the playoffs. Why? Well, I want to build you up to seeing the Owls last, that's all. Let's do this.

Sendhang (5-1-3, 4^th in Group 5)

Valanora 1–0 Sendhang
Treekidistan 0–1 Sendhang
Sendhang 5–1 Marianne
Vdara 3–0 Sendhang
Sendhang 0–1 Yuezhou
Aix les Filles 0–1 Sendhang
Sendhang 3–3 Gyatso-Kai
Daehae 0–1 Sendhang
Sendhang 3–0 Legalese
And so, we begin with the only team on this list that failed to reach the BoF playoffs, Sendhang. Yes, believe it or not, of the 14 teams that didn't make it to the knockouts, 13 never came back. That's a real shame, isn't it? Their associations were too disillusioned by their poor performances that they never returned. Anyway, back to Sendhang. On the list of ways to drop points, losing to the Eternal Empire, Vdara, and Yuezhou and drawing Gyatso-Kai are certainly in the respectable category. A 5-1-3 record for 16 points is definitely a solid showing for this team in their sophomore year (especially given that they only got the same number in all of qualifying last cycle), and they even continued their "tradition" (if you can call two cycles enough to be a tradition) of blasting a team 5-1. At least it wasn't Eshialand on the receiving end of that one.

All and all, that's a solid start for our friends from the Melayu Archipelago. I can't wait to see what comes next for them!

Montaña Verde (4-2-3, 6^th in Group 15)

Montaña Verde 0–1 Ko-oren
Bollonich 3–2 Montaña Verde
Montaña Verde 1–0 Britonisea
Vajlahrys 1–2 Montaña Verde
Montaña Verde 7–2 Ardelark
Juvencus 3–3 Montaña Verde
Montaña Verde 3–1 Omerica
Oberour Ar Moro 4–2 Montaña Verde
Montaña Verde 5–5 Baggieland
And now, we get to the four teams in this qualifying cycle that lost in the Round of 16 in the BoF, the first of them being Montaña Verde. The Rainforest Republic may be in 6^th place right now, which seems a lot worse than Sendhang's 4^th, but that really isn't their fault and it can't be held against them. When they dropped points, it was to teams that deserved their results. Ko-oren is Ko-oren, Bollonich was another shining new star from Cycle 88 despite not participating in the Baptism, Oberour Ar Moro isn't a team to sneeze at, and Juvencus and Baggieland are extremely respectable draws. Heck, them annihilating Ardelark 7-2 and even beating Omerica is definitely a sign that they aren't a team to laugh at, but they just seem to have a harder group than Sendhang did, hence the two fewer points and two positions lower in their group table. I can definitely see a breakthrough coming in the back half of qualifying, however, as this team has a lot more potential than you might think.

Srednjaci (2-2-5, 8^th in Group 18)

Srednjaci 0–4 Chromatika
Darmen 2–1 Srednjaci
Srednjaci 4–2 Schima Bas
Sylestone 3–0 Srednjaci
Srednjaci 2–3 Eura
Lathamford 1–0 Srednjaci
Srednjaci 3–3 Talamia
Srednjaci 4–0 Agresos
Melbergia 0–0 Srednjaci
I can imagine that the first question on a lot of people's minds when they see this team is "what went wrong"... but that's not exactly what I see here. They got placed in a tough group that's currently seeing a three-way battle between Eura, Sylestone, and Chromatika, with every other team just being a footnote in comparison. Sure, losing to BoF 76 debutants Lathamford might be a bit disappointing, but their wins against Schima Bas and Agresos were definitely assertive enough to show that this team still has bite in it. That being said, they're still the second-worst team out of the bunch and will have to hope for a good second half if they want anything to come of this attempt at qualification.

Aut-Ves-Nat (0-3-6, 10^th in Group 17)

The Jovannic 4–2 Aut-Ves-Nat
Aut-Ves-Nat 4–5 Sajnur
Kiltoch 2–2 Aut-Ves-Nat
Aut-Ves-Nat 2–5 Jeruselem
Eshialand 4–2 Aut-Ves-Nat
Aut-Ves-Nat 0–0 Flavovespia
Polkopia 2–2 Aut-Ves-Nat
Commonwealth of Baker Park 3–1 Aut-Ves-Nat
Aut-Ves-Nat 0–2 Xanneria
Hoo boy. I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this, but I guess it's time to hand out the "well, you tried" award. Aut-Ves-Nat has managed to go completely winless in their first nine matches, which is certainly a step down from their playoff performance in the Baptism of Fire. On the brights side, they stole points from Flavovespia and Polkopia, but there's nothing much else of note here. Just what truly is the epitome of a sophomore slump as this team limps through all of their matches with all of the joy of a team of robots. Wait, didn't these guys just win the CAFA Cup?

This definitely wasn't the best performance the Autonomous Vessel Nation could provide, so let's just hope that things get a bit better in the second half... except for when they play Eshialand. Let's hope they play their worst then.

Brookstation (4-2-3, 4^th in Group 7)

Brookstation 0–1 Græntfjall
Sarzonia 2–1 Brookstation
Brookstation 1–0 Equestria
Brookstation 3–1 Ostankin
India 1–4 Brookstation
Brookstation 2–1 Zug um Zug
Saltstead 0–0 Brookstation
Brookstation 0–3 The Holy Empire
Acastanha 2–2 Brookstation
Remember Brookstation? I sure do. They were one of only five undefeated teams in the BoF's group stage and even made a brief run with the Unofficial World Championship after somehow beating Nephara last year. Yep, now you remember them. Anyway, they've actually managed to make a large impact on this group which has quickly turned into a story of Græntfjall and The Holy Empire. Heck, they even managed to beat Equestria and draw Saltstead! The only major blotch I can see on their record is a draw at 8^th-placed Acastanha, and even that's just one draw on an otherwise beautiful record. This team is definitely taking advantage of all of the opportunities they have to get points in this qualifying group, and I can't wait to see what happens to them in the back half.

St. Trinians (3-3-3, 5^th in Group 13)

St. Trinians 3–1 Sevendia
Raspotochje 2–5 St. Trinians
St. Trinians 1–1 Milchama
St. Trinians 2–3 Turori
Pyazhnaya 4–1 St. Trinians
St. Trinians 2–2 Ranoria
Hispinas 3–3 St. Trinians
St. Trinians 4–1 TJUN-ia
Sargossa 6–2 St. Trinians
Before we talk about the BoF podium finishers, we have to take a brief detour to talk about the only team who lost in the quarterfinals to make a second qualifying appearance, St. Trinians. Last year, they proved themselves to be a cut above the rest of the new nations by becoming one of just two to still be alive in the qualifying race on Matchday 18. Heck, if they hadn't failed to beat fellow debutants Grandistania on that very last day, they would've even finished second in Group 18 and played in the playoff round! However, this year is different for them. They went from truly amazing to just okay, and when just okay puts them below most other teams from their BoF class, it's downright unremarkable. You never know, they could have a better second half, but this may be a good time to reevaluate where they are as a soccer team and see where they could go from here. This record would be a lot more excusable if they didn't do so well last year, but the context behind this team makes it a lot worse.

Atheara (5-3-1, 2^nd in Group 4)

Atheara 1–0 Eastfield Lodge
Torisakia 0–1 Atheara
Atheara 0–0 Garbelia
Barhe 0–3 Atheara
Atheara 3–0 Usanguk
Farfadillis 5–1 Atheara
Atheara 1–1 Drawkland
Blouman Empire 1–1 Atheara
Atheara 2–1 Valladares
Speaking of context, last year, the Blue Guard started their qualification campaign 1-0-8 with only a win in Electrum to their names. This year, however, started off strong as they didn't allow a single goal in their first five matches on their way to having only one loss to Farfadillis and a total at the half-way mark of 18 points (beating the 15 that they got in all of their last qualifying outing) and, if qualifying ended tomorrow, a playoff spot! That's right, a playoff spot! What might come next for this team? Well, I really don't know. All I know is that they gave that chant Alana and the Wackadoodle Squad® started official status and that really grinds my gears.

What will be in store for the Blue Guard this cycle? Will they keep up their first half performance? Will they actually qualify? At this point, who knows? All I know is that I can't wait to see what happens.

Le Choix (4-2-3, 5^th in Group 2)

Le Choix 1–0 Txakhaxi
Britland 0–2 Le Choix
Le Choix 1–0 Brenecia
Garifunya 0–0 Le Choix
Le Choix 4–1 Moliza
Le Choix 0–1 Squidroidia
Kohnhead 1–0 Le Choix
Le Choix 2–2 Geisenfried
HUElavia 2–0 Le Choix
A 4-2-3 record, 14 points, 5^th place. If this looks like the Le Choix we saw last year, that's because that's the exact same record they had last year. They have a +3 goal differential compared to last year's +2, but that's the only actual difference. Is that a good thing or not? Well, they were still mathematically in the qualifying race before the final match last cycle, so you could say that's a good thing, but just being alive may not cut it in a qualifiers where Atheara could set the bar as high as the playoffs or even qualification. Whether Le Choix, after imprisoning two of their best players for the horrible, horrible crime of love is still in good shape this year still isn't completely determined, I reckon. For les Élus, whether cycle 89 goes down in history as a good one or a bad one will all be up to how the final nine matches play out. But hey, they beat Brenecia!

Eshialand (5-2-2, 3^rd in Group 17)

Jeruselem 1–1 Eshialand
Commonwealth of Baker Park 2–2 Eshialand
Eshialand 1–2 Flavovespia
Polkopia 1–0 Eshialand
Eshialand 4–2 Aut-Ves-Nat
Xanneria 2–3 Eshialand
Eshialand 5–0 The Jovannic
Sajnur 3–4 Eshialand
Eshialand 5–3 Kiltoch
Remember the Owls team that lost 5 matches in a row last year? Sure you do! It's all imprinted on our minds for the rest of eternity. We'll never live that down... but this year is very clearly different, as their latest wins against Sajnur and Kiltoch have put them at 5 wins in a row. Wins. What makes this cycle so different? Well, in short, I really don't know. They've actually managed wins against higher-ranked teams, they scraped out draws against Baker Park and Jeruselem (let me repeat that if you didn't hear/believe it: Baker Park and Jeruselem), and their losses are equally respectable, as they've only lost to third seed Flavovespia and unranked surprises Polkopia by one goal apiece. The Owls might have a real shot at qualification here, so let's see if they can make that happen, shall we?

That's about it for today, but before I go, I'd like to make one final comparison between these nine teams. That's right, I'm bringing out a table showing all of the teams I've just covered. Why? Because obsessively comparing things is fun, that's why.
Class of 75                   Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Atheara                       9    5   3   1    13    8   +5    18
2 Eshialand                     9    5   2   2    25   16   +9    17
3 Sendhang                      9    5   1   3    14    9   +5    16
4 Montaña Verde                 9    4   2   3    25   20   +5    14
5 Le Choix                      9    4   2   3    10    7   +3    14
6 Brookstation                  9    4   2   3    13   11   +2    14
7 St. Trinians                  9    3   3   3    23   23    0    12
8 Srednjaci                     9    2   2   5    14   18   −4     8
9 Aut-Ves-Nat                   9    0   3   6    15   27  −12     3
Until next time, I've been Josh Seametzle, and this has been Stats Corner.

Sajnur - 3 (Parjazu 23'; Siafik 56'; Naulo 64')
Eshialand - 4 (Carey 19'; Harran 42', 69'; Carroll 51')

Eshialand - 5 (Carroll 9', 49', 72'; Meilling 32'; Longfield 55')
Kiltoch - 3 (Tennyson 21'; Mitter 63'; Candella 78')

by **Mercedini** » Tue Sep 21, 2021 3:12 pm

89th World Cup Qualification MD9 Review
Beaverriver vs. Mercedini
@ Beaverriver National Stadium - Corvan, Beaverriver

Good afternoon everyone and welcome back to Mercedini Sport Daily's coverage of the 89th World Cup Qualification campaign. Today we mark the end of the first half of qualification, with every team in every group now having played all of their opponents at least once by now. Upon the conclusion of the first nine matchdays, we will see who is leading the pack and who is languishing behind in their quest to qualify for the 89th World Cup. For Mercedini, they are attempting to make it back-to-back appearances at the tournament's Group Stage, giving themselves a chance of making it to their first ever knockout stage.

Mercedini have made impressive gains in their group since their opening day loss to first seed Cassadaigua. They currently have a seven game winning streak and sit second in the group, all because Cassadaigua have a perfect run in the group so far, not dropping so much as a single point. With Dini sitting at 7-0-1 and facing last placed Beaverriver now, all arrows are pointing to the Golden Eagles finishing second and contesting a playoff unless they can win in Cassadaigua in the second half, and hope Cassadaigua drop points elsewhere in the campaign. Nevertheless, the match has just finished here in Corvan, so let's review that and the first half of qualification.

World Cup Qualification: Eight On The Bounce Solidifies Second

It has been quite the bounce back for the Mercedinian National Team since their last defeat, it hasn't been easy for them in many games, but they have clutched up when it matters and now sit firmly in second place in a rather divided Group 18. Their eighth and latest win in a row came inside the Beaverriver National Stadium in Corvan with a solitary goal from Adrian Talisky enough to overcome the Unranked side in their national stadium. It was a close affair, with Billic's squad rotation causing some difficulties with the team, since they lacked the game time and experience with each other to produce flowing football. The Beaverriver saw this as a big opportunity to take a big scalp at home in front of their own fans, so they were giving it both barrels to conjure up a result.

On paper, this was a mismatch, but it didn't seem like it as Mercedini were denied many chances to move forward, and it was the home side who took the initiative to create chances for themselves. For the couple hundred or so Mercedinian fans in the stands, this was an unexpectedly nervy performance for the Golden Eagles. They did well not to concede a major chance in the first half. It was Chillotov and Talisky on strikers' duty for the match, with Billic resting key players in this match due to the opposition that he was facing. Even with this weakened squad, Mercedini were expected to steam roll Beaverriver in this game, and that was proving much more difficult that imagined.

The half time whistle granted the Golden Eagles some solace, as the home side really came into their own during the last five minutes of the half. Thankfully, a notoriously leaky defence held firm throughout that onslaught, and both teams went in level at the break at 0-0. Nothing really to shout about if you were a fan of the visitors, save for a couple of half chances from Chillotov which he either blasted straight at the goalkeeper or high and wide of the goal. Most of the plaudits so far went to the Mercedinian defence and the team of Beaverriver, who were punching well above their weight in this match so far. It was up to the attacking prowess of Mercedini to break them down and avoid a surprise result.

Into the second half and it seemed to be the break which the Golden Eagles needed to reset themselves and begin to make inroads on the pitch in the Beaverriver National Stadium. The crowd was against them, but the referee's whistle to kick off the second was the switch to turn on Dini's footballing dominance. From looking like they could be victim to a shock defeat, to looking like they could score on every attack, whatever Billic said in the half-time team talk had worked it's magic on the team. All they needed to was stick the ball in the net, which seemed surprisingly difficult considering who was on the pitch. Chance after chance, it seemed as if they were lining up to take shots and hit a random person in the crowd with the ball. Time was ticking away on Mercedini's chance to get three points, the pressure had to give, but where would it come from?

Up stepped Adrian Talisky who has been seldom seen throughout the campaign so far, but came up with a bullet to save the blushes of his team and keep the nation's winning streak going, at least for now. Ten minutes were left on the clock with Beaverriver camped out in their own box, we could count at least seven players pushed up to pass the ball around and wait for a defensive error. That never came, to the credit to the home side's defence, so it was up to a piece of individual brilliance to settle the difference in this match. Nymark passed to Talisky on the edge of the box, the young striker cut inside and fired the ball into the top corner of the net. It was a peach of a goal that was worthy of winning any match, with may of his own teammates stunned by the quality of the finish. You could barely hear the cheers of the Mercedinians at the other end of the field, they were drowned out my the groans of the home fans who saw their chance of a big result evaporate in front of them.

After that, Dini just had to see the game out and watch the seconds tick away. Granted, it wasn't too difficult since all the fight in the home side had gone following that goal. In fact, it was Mercedini who were closest to scoring next, with a series of narrow misses from Chillotov, including a cheeky lob which bounced off the crossbar before landing safely into the arms of the home goalie. It was comfortable in the end for Mercedini, although the score line will certainly tell the tale of a dogged performance from Beaveriver. They only narrowly lose out to a Talisky thunderbolt as Dini run out 1-0 winners in Corvan

FULL TIME
Beaverriver 0 - 1 Mercedini
Talisky 81'

That concludes our coverage of the opening day of action at the qualifying stage of World Cup 89. It's over to our toughest game of the campaign, where we travel to Cassadaigua for the opening match of the second half. If Mercedini win, it would be a surprise and would start a dogfight for the top spot in the group. If Cassadaigua win, they will have all but qualified for the World Cup, since they will be six points ahead of their nearest rival (who they have beaten twice and have the head-to-head over). We hope you will be able to join us tomorrow for that big match. There's still a long way to go before the end of qualifying, but we will soon have our first casualties of qualification as the matches begin to tick away and the points on offer begin to dwindle. Goodnight!

by **Lathamford** » Tue Sep 21, 2021 3:47 pm

WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION 89:: MD9
Chromatika 1–0 Lathamford
The Tidal Wave, Tihon, Urrhed Island (Cap. 95,210; 25,000 Seats) ׀ Game Sponsor: NIL

Line Up

Greenash, Decker (Darrington), Skelmersdale(C), Haymoore, Wymondham, Wyvernchaser, Hargreave (du Graypelt), Colfield, Falconderry, Clawbrand (Kingsley), Farrowsteam

Statistic so far..

World Cup Q89
Group 18:: MD1		Darmen		1-0			 Morten Clawbrand 	▍Dustin Skelmersdale
Group 18:: MD2		Schima Bas	1-1			 Otto Farrowsteam 	▍ Joe Wymondham, Clayton Decker
Group 18:: MD3		Sylestone	1-0			 Joe Wymondham       ▍ Martin Haymoore
Group 18:: MD4		Eura		0-2
Group 18:: MD5		Talamia		0-1
Group 18:: MD6		Srednjaci	1-0			 Otto Farrowsteam 	▍ Bradley Barrington
Group 18:: MD7		Agresos		1-1			 Carter Colfield	▍Dustin Skelmersdale [Suspended next game]
Group 18:: MD8		Melbergia	1-0			 Otto Farrowsteam	▍ Xavier Wolfsong
Group 18:: MD9		Chromatika	0-1			

Scorer: World Cup Q89
Otto Farrowsteam		3
Morten Clawbrand		1
Joe Wymondham			1
Carter Colfield			1

MD10: Darmen vs. Lathamford
@UNK ׀ Game Sponsor: NIL

Greenash
Decker - Skelmersdale(C) - Haymoore
Wymondham - Hargreave -Wyvernchaser - Colfield
Falconderry - Clawbrand - Farrowsteam

MD11: Lathamford vs. Schima Bas
@Thousandforks National Arena (30,000) ׀ Game Sponsor: Franco deWolf International Airport

Greenash
Decker - Skelmersdale(C) - Haymoore
Wymondham - Hargreave -Wyvernchaser - Colfield
Falconderry - Clawbrand - Farrowsteam

by **Cassadaigua** » Tue Sep 21, 2021 3:54 pm

Concord Heights celebrating championship,
By Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

It’s party time in Concord Heights! No, not because of anything that the baseball team did in the World Baseball Classic and definitely not because of anything that happened in the World Lacrosse Championships. The recent Cassadagan Soccer League championship of Concord Heights City has led everyone in the city, except fans of Suburban to be thrilled. However, even Concord Heights Suburban has plenty to be excited about since they finished fourth on the table and will themselves be playing in the Challenger’s Cup. To get that spot, Suburban had the tiebreakers over both Brattleboro’s in a tiebreaker. Both Brattleboro FC and Brattleboro Westside were even with Suburban for fourth with 87 points, but it was the Concord Heights squad getting that spot. That’s all well and good, but that championship at the top of the table? That went to City, who is, of course, led by 33-year old Rachel Schanke.

Just when people were wondering when Rachel was going to retire, she goes and delivers another title for her squad. During the last World Cup, we were left to wonder if Cassadaigua could be fortunate to win the damn thing on home turf, if Schanke would retire as a champion. Obviously, that did not happen, but now she does have, another, domestic level championship. “I always say this is what pays the bills,” Schanke said when asked that question, “the World Cup is great, and I know it is why so many people have heard of me, but at the end of the day, Concord Heights City pays my salary, not CASE. I couldn’t be any more thrilled. As for retiring, I highly doubt that. I don’t want to make any official statements, but retirement is not really something that I am thinking about. We got such a young team here, why would I not want to keep coming back.”

And that is where the situation for Schanke might be a no brainer on her returning for next season. Yes, she will be 34, and yes, we have heard a lot about her desire to begin starting a family. That is what will persuade her into a domestic retirement more than anything else as her level of play is not wearing down to the point where you say she is a liability. It also really helps Rachel that most of her team’s supporting cast is young or in the prime of their career right now. Up front with her on that team is Bayley Stanton, who is also part of the World Cup team, and actually Stanton plays a bigger role there than some outsiders might think. The huge acquisition for the team was goalkeeper Larut Theshendan, the 34 year old for Ko-oren, who is also appearing on his World Cup roster. He is not the starter on that roster, but certainly the Dragonflies could be confident putting him into a game based on his season with Concord Heights City. Defender Katie Standish (also a World Cup starter), herself 32, called Theshendan, “The best keeper we have ever had back there. To have someone back there who has World Cup experience, yeah, that gave us a lot more confidence, especially when he started making the big saves at times. You know, sure, maybe, father time is not on his side, but we have a great mix of youth and veterans on this team. I am sure Larut realized that when he came here, too.”

During the World Cup qualifying game against 8-0-1 Mercedini at Dagan Airways Stadium in Concord Heights, the members of the City team will be signing autographs throughout the concourse, obviously excluding the ones that are playing in the, like the three S’s, Schanke, Standish, and Stanton; as well as Theshendan, who is of course, playing with Ko-oren.

That’s a pretty big game, since our 9-0-0 Fillies and Mercedini have been pulling away from the rest of the group. Well, Geektopia is hanging around, but after them, it would take a tremendous run of form and a lot of luck for someone else to win this group. Mercedini being so close means that despite the record of the Fillies, there is still a lot of work to do in order to get into the World Cup. If the two teams continue to play as well as they have, then you have to think that it looks good for both to get an automatic spot, but with nine games to go, there is still plenty that can happen. When a team like Banija goes 4-2-3 and sits in fourth place (what??) then anything is possible, still.

by **Krytenia** » Tue Sep 21, 2021 4:23 pm

All Roads Lead To Torgos
By Rami Niblick in Avidia

NINE down, nine to go. As the Dragons prepare to face a return match against Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom at the New City Stadium, they can reflect on a stellar first half of the World Cup qualifiers that sees them top of the table.

It would be a lie to say that Krytenia have crushed sides standing in their way - four of their seven wins have been by only one or two goals - but the discipline and shape has been there throughout. The usually porous defence has five clean sheets to its name, as the side has concentrated on wearing down opponents instead of dazzling them with cheques they can't cash. A case in point is the game in Emberton against Pasarga; Krytenian teams of the past would probably have capitulated after going two-one down, but the Dragons lifted themselves off the floor, and Cande Montalban's equaliser was well deserved.

The Zeta Reka game, though, will be a tough test of how far this team has come. Krytenia may have beaten them on their own patch, but they are still the group's third seeds and will want to atone for their disappointing campaign thus far. On the other hand, if the Dragons can win - and keep winning - they'll be on their way to a first World Cup Finals in over half a century. Onward!

by **Chartistan** » Tue Sep 21, 2021 4:24 pm

It's almost a game of what ifs. Tatertot Crazy, once a star and a key component of the Chartistani national team, has now been left on the AJR (The Absolute Juveniles of Reserves) as a last-ditch left back. It almost seems like her career with Doctor Lucas is going to end the way neither of them wanted it to...

WHAT IF...
A parody of What Ifs by Kane Brown featuring Laura Alaina

[Doctor Lucas Combbrush]
You said what if I hurt you?
What if I leave you?
What if you find somebody else and you don't need me?
What if it goes south?
What if you mess me up?
You said what if you break my heart and leave me done?
Well I hear ya, I feel ya, but not so fast
When I made my mind up I gotta ask...

[Both]
What if you were made for me, and I was made for you?
What if this was it, what if it's meant to be?
What if I wanted one of those fools to go play some games?
What if I just let you close?
What if you went in?
And if the stars lined up
For our last first kick?
What if on all these days I go and change your lane?
What if we threw all that "What if" away?

[Doctor Lucas Combbrush, Tatertot Crazy]
What if the sky fell? (Sky fell?)
When the whistle's blowing
We can worry about those "What ifs" when the fans start going
Or I can play you (You can play me)
What if you like it? (What if I liked it?)
Well we will never know until we try it

[Both]
What if you were made for me, and I was made for you?
What if this was it, what if it's meant to be?
What if I wanted one of those fools to go play some games?
What if I just let you close?
What if you went in?
And if the stars lined up
For our last first kick?
What if on all these days I go and change your lane?
What if we threw all that "What if" away?

[Doctor Lucas Combbrush, Both]
Oh yeah...
Come on!
You said what if you heard me?
If I left you?
What if I found somebody else and I don't need you?
Damn...

[Both]
What if you were made for me, and I was made for you?
What if this was it, what if it's meant to be?
What if I wanted one of those fools to go play some games?
What if I just let you close?
What if you went in?
And if the stars lined up
For our last first kick?
What if on all these days I go and change your lane?
What if we threw all that "What if" away?

[Doctor Lucas Combbrush, Tatertot Crazy]
Away... (Away...)
What if...

by **Atheara** » Tue Sep 21, 2021 4:45 pm

☵ Athearan Sport Ordering News
ASON.com.ah/football/WC/89Q
The website for all your Athearan sporting needs, and many non sport related stories!

Football > World Cup > 89Q
The Halfway Point: Whats Different Around Here?
The halfway point is now here. After nine matchdays where teams decide to do about against eachother, the dust at the halfway mark has been settled. So far, some sides lead the race. Some might have dropped in performance, some dark horses are entering the race being, well, dark horses. And most of all, some ae proving themselves worthy of World Cup records and history. We see some very real dark horses here and there. But, we must first ask about Atheara. What in the absolute hell is going on? Last season, they started with a abyssimal 1 - 0 - 8 record, and now, somehow they are 2nd in a group where the top two seeds are Farfadillis and Drawkland. It just makes no sense at first. Or does it? I want to maybe try and analyze what and how Atheara is on a running spree such as this. The only other dark horse that is shocking everyone so far is Polkopia. Let's see what Atheara brings to the table however.

1. The Coaching
Of course at first, this seems like an obvious reason (well, some of them) why Atheara is doing so well. Coach Lyzen Oddenorf and Kristian Johansson have been changing Athearan tactics left and right to and i quote "confuse the shit out of them." How does it work? Well, although both coaches manage two sides of footballing, they agree on something. The second team (everyone on the bench) will usually put up with a more skilled and athletic tactic, where athleticism is more of a key. Technique, dribbling and passing is the main key. For the first team, they focus on lock down defense, and counter attacking. Both Mugel Krygorf and John Harper are comfortable with the ball on their feet, and both coaches use this advantage differently. but if it works, it just works. And the results show that anything in football can work at this point in time.

2. The Team Bond
In Atheara, coordination and knowing your teammates has largely been a good reason why teams can get upsets over bigger ones, and this shows. Everytime after a match, everyone will gather in the dressing room and talk about anything with eachother to build up bond and trust. This is important, as football is a team game. "To not know your friends, is to not know your enemy" quotes Toriff Hicosia Algeer during an interview after a ferocious Neidegrad derby last season. The more you know your teammates, the more you know how much of a risk everyone would be willing to take. To know eachother personally has been a huge influential factor for Athearan teams. Wonder why the womens team was able to reach the finals in last cycle's Jenna Raven Cup? This is their major reason why! Know it around you before knowing what's outside you.

Group  Country                Pld   W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
 16    Mercedini               9    8   0   1    25   13  +12    24
 14    Pasarga                 9    7   2   0    23    8  +15    23
  2    IA Quebec               9    7   1   1    29   13  +16    22
  7    The Holy Empire         9    7   1   1    18    6  +12    22
  6    Electrum                9    7   1   1    20    9  +11    22
  9    Eraman                  9    7   0   2    24   14  +10    21
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
  5    Vdara                   9    7   0   2    22   14   +8    21
 13    Turori                  9    6   2   1    19    6  +13    20
  3    Savojarna               9    6   2   1    17    6  +11    20
 12    Kelssek                 9    6   2   1    18    9   +9    20
  2    Squidroidia             9    6   2   1    14    6   +8    20
 18    Sylestone               9    6   2   1    11    3   +8    20
 17    Polkopia                9    5   4   0    22   13   +9    19
 10    Siovanija & Teusland    9    5   3   1    18   10   +8    18
  8    Trolleborg              9    6   0   3    12    5   +7    18
 11    Zwangzug                9    5   3   1    15    8   +7    18
  4    Atheara                 9    5   3   1    13    8   +5    18
 15    Juvencus                9    5   2   2    21   14   +7    17

Table of second placed WCQ teams

3. The Tactics
For this, i might as well explain how the tactics of each teams work. Let's start with the first team. The first team is a defense focused team, restricting enemy player movement with a high press. Consistent solo dribbling and some passing for build-up within their own half of the field. When the enemy loses the ball, the ball is immediately sent forward by whoever just got it to either Toriff Hicosia Algeer, or Luis Frawning. Their position is known as a "Ace" as many times they ace through the field with a breeze. But when things comes to shove, the players tend to usually just play through balls down the field.

Now to move onto the second team. The second team is a more offensive oriented team. Consistent passing and moving up the field from their half of the field for more build up. Once they reach the half point, whoever has the ball tends to make a run towards the enemy net. More consistent passing and opening up enemy positions defensively, the team pry's up the enemy defense. You could argue that the second team just uses "Tiki Taka" but you could also argue they don't, since John Harper also tends to run to the half point of the pitch with the ball, and works as a sweeper keeper. And 4 - 1 - 2 - 1 - 2 usually doesn't mix well with dribbling alone (in Atheara anyway).

Anyway, those are some reasons why Atheara might have changed their record! They were easily predictable last season, the team didn't co-hease enough with eachother, and the defensive system just didn't work last time. But now, this all has changed. Let's hope Atheara can continue to put up this top and great performance for the second half of qualifications.

Atheara WCQ 89 Schedule
MD1: Atheara 1 vs 0 Eastfield Lodge   @Astena Stadium, Astena
MD2: Atheara 1 vs 0 Torisakia
MD3: Atheara 0 vs 0 Garbelia          @Rekozia Arena, Rekozia
MD4: Atheara 3 vs 0 Barhe
MD5: Atheara 3 vs 0 Usanguk           @Astena Stadium, Astena
MD6: Atheara 1 vs 5 Farfadillis     
MD7: Atheara 1 vs 1 Drawkland         @Rekozia Arena, Rekozia
MD8: Atheara 1 vs 1 Blouman Empire  
MD9: Atheara 2 vs 1 Valladares        @Astena Stadium, Astena

MD10: Atheara vs Eastfield Lodge 
MD11: Atheara vs Torisakia            @Rekozia Arena, Rekozia
MD12: Atheara vs Garbelia        
MD13: Atheara vs Barhe                @Rekozia Arena, Rekozia
MD14: Atheara vs Usanguk         
MD15: Atheara vs Farfadillis          @Astena Stadium, Astena
MD16: Atheara vs Drawkland       
MD17: Atheara vs Blouman Empire       @Rekozia Arena, Rekozia
MD18: Atheara vs Valladares

This outlet was written by Karl Gettsen, he has written 21 outlets.

Other Recent ASON Outlets...
Hockey: Two Hockey Players Missing, Presumed Dead
BREAKING: Estria Shutdown Re-Confirmed as Accidental Grid Shutdown
Football: Second Team Under Fire For Odd Performance

OOC Note: Yes, shitty explanation there. So, i'm sorry there.

by **Geisenfried** » Tue Sep 21, 2021 4:47 pm

Halfway Home: Group 2 at a Glance

X	Brenecia	Squidroidia	Kohnhead	Huelavia	Le Choix	Garifunya	Geisenfried	Moliza	Txakhaxi	Britland
Brenecia	------	W3-2(H)	W1-0(A)	D4-4(A)	L0-1(A)	W3-0(H)	W1-0(H)	W3-0(H)	W1-0(H)	W4-0(A)
Squidroidia	L2-3(A)	------	W2-1(H)	D1-1(H)	W1-0(A)	W3-0(H)	W1-0(A)	D2-2(H)	W1-0(A)	W2-0(H)
Kohnhead	L0-1(H)	L1-2(A)	------	L0-2(A)	W1-0(H)	W3-2(A)	W1-0(H)	W3-0(H)	W6-0(H)	W2-0(A)
Huelavia	D4-4(H)	D1-1(A)	W2-0(H)	------	W2-0(H)	L1-4(A)	W2-0(A)	D2-2(A)	D0-0(H)	W1-0(A)
Le Choix	W1-0(H)	L0-1(H)	L0-1(A)	L0-2(A)	------	D0-0(A)	D2-2(H)	W4-1(H)	W1-0(H)	W2-0(A)
Garifunya	L0-3(A)	L0-3(A)	L2-3(H)	W4-1(H)	D0-0(H)	------	L1-4(A)	W5-1(H)	W2-1(A)	W2-1(H)
Geisenfried	L0-1(A)	L0-1(H)	L0-1(A)	L0-2(H)	D2-2(A)	W4-1(H)	------	W1-0(A)	D0-0(A)	W3-0(H)
Moliza	L0-3(A)	D2-2(A)	L0-3(A)	D2-2(H)	L1-4(A)	L1-5(A)	L0-1(H)	------	W3-2(H)	D0-0(H)
Txakhaxi	L0-1(A)	L0-1(H)	L0-6(A)	D0-0(A)	L0-1(A)	L1-2(H)	D0-0(H)	L2-3(A)	------	W3-0(H)
Britland	L0-4(H)	L0-2(A)	L0-2(H)	L0-1(H)	L0-2(H)	L1-2(A)	L0-3(A)	D0-0(A)	L0-3(A)	------

Brenecia - WR: 17, (7-1-1) 22pts., 21-8 +13 GD - The group favorites headed into the qualifying session, Brenecia have done more or less everything they've needed to - best offense in the group, best goal differential in the group, and only a blemish to Le Choix on their record. That said, they haven't pulled away definitively yet, with a loss to Squidroidia potentially being all that needs to happen to take them out of the catbird seat. While it's hard to point out anything wrong with what the Brenecians have done so far, it's also clear that they need to keep up the pace if they want to take home the group's guaranteed qualifying spot and a ticket to South Newlandia or Tikariot.

Squidroidia - WR: 61, (6-2-1) 20pts., 14-6 +8 GD - Squidroidia have performed admirably in this World Cup qualifying stage so far, with only a disappointing draw against Moliza preventing them from tying Brenecia in points (though the goal differential and head-to-head tiebreakers still favor Brenecia). Their reward, if qualis ended today, would be a spot in the playoffs - but qualis don't end today, there's still another 9 matches to go. And so the question becomes can Squidroidia ride their group-leading defense and keep up how well they've been doing for the back half of the competition. It remains to be seen, but the best place to be in is to control your own destiny, and Squidroidia is in that spot right now.

Kohnhead - WR: 64, (6-0-3) 18pts., 17-7 +10 GD - Kohnhead so far has been the definition of playing to its rank, scoring victories from the teams behind them in the world rankings and getting handed defeats from the teams ahead of them. While that's a great strategy when you're at the top of the heap, when you're still in the middle of the pack, it might not be enough to get you where you need to go. Still, Huelavia's slip in form has put them in 3rd place and still in striking distance of Squidroidia for a spot in the playoffs, but if they want to get there they have to prove they can defeat the teams ahead of them. Without that, they'll likely end up with solid but unsatisfying qualifying session.

Huelavia - WR: 28, (4-4-1) 16pts., 15-11 +4 GD - If any team has been a disappointment through the qualifying cycle here in Group 2, it's been Huelavia. A 4-1 loss to Garifunya and draws against Moliza and Txakhaxi simply won't cut it for a team that has the talent to qualify. One wonders if their strategy to deploy four different teams isn't hurting their chances - is not putting out their best XI every time causing them to play down to their opponents' level? Not showing their opponents enough respect? In any case, Huelavia needs to get its act together soon, or they'll find themselves on the outside looking in despite having the rank to make it to the final 32.

Le Choix - WR: 102, (4-2-3) 14pts., 10-7 +3 GD - At the quarter-mark, five games in, Le Choix seemed to have the perfect start - not only were they leading the group, but they'd managed to upset group favorites Brenecia. But alas, their 4-1-0 start has devolved to 4-2-3, and Le Choix is definitely now on their back foot. They still feature a strong defense, previously being one of the best teams in the entirety of qualifying, but between a 2-0 loss to Huelavia and a surprisingly goal-filled 2-2 draw with fellow defensive Geisenfried squad their defensive numbers have submarined. They'll need to get back to their ways if they want to return back towards the top of the table.

Garifunya - WR: 108, (4-1-4) 13pts., 16-17 -1 GD - This is definitely a team of highs and lows - more than half their games have been either blowouts or being blown out, with more than 3 goals separating the victor and the defeated. When they're at their best, they can play with anybody, but they've not shown their best with any consistency. Just look at the two 4-1 scorelines - thwomping the 28th ranked team in the world, but getting stomped by an unranked team in return. Of particular worry is their defensive prowess - they're averaging nearly 2 goals per game given up, which is simply not acceptable for a team that wants to go anywhere. They might be dangerous, but this team seems more likely to slide than soar.

Geisenfried - WR: UR, (3-2-4) 11pts., 10-8 +2 GD - The Golden Eagles have shown a remarkable consistency over the first half of qualifying - against opponents ranked 100 or worse, they're 3-2-0, putting up 10 goals and ceding only 3. But against opponents ranked better than that, they're 0-0-4, and have yet to put up a goal. Now the good news is they've been remarkably competitive in all those games, only giving up a single goal to all but Huelavia. But they've got to compete with the big dogs if they want to make the splash they're hoping for. As it stands, it may be more likely that their day comes in the Cup of Harmony, but that's perhaps to be expected after an international absence.

Moliza - WR: 239, (1-3-5) 6pts., 9-22 -13 GD - On one hand, you could point out the fact that they managed draws against Squidroidia and Huelavia, and that their schedule was particularly unkind, facing all of the strongest opponents on the road and look at their potential for improvement. On the other hand, their goal differential is atrocious and the team looks full of holes. While they managed to get out of the group stage at the Baptism of Fire, it doesn't look like they'll be getting anywhere close to even competing for the group stage here.

Txakhaxi - WR: 139, (1-2-6) 5pts., 6-14 -8 GD - Definitely another big disappointment. Their rank is not so uncomparable to Le Choix or Garifunya, but through these last nine match days they've been nothing but near the bottom of the barrel for the group. Only in keeping Huelavia to a scoreless draw have they shown the slightest signs of feistiness. Their 3-0 win against Britland should keep them safely out of the cellar, but it looks like their most likely scenario will be fighting with Moliza to be the penultimate finisher in the group.

Britland - WR: 320, (0-1-8) 1pt., 1-19 -18 GD - Well the good news is they no longer have goose eggs in either points or goals scored, but that's about the end of the silver lining for the representatives from Galimencia, who have been the punching bags for the rest of the group, and solid contenders for the Wooden Spoon. Indeed, the next couple matchdays are likely to bring mathematical elimination for Britland, even if they've been effectively eliminated for quite some time now. There's not much left to play for here except for pride and trying to pull out at least one victory.

Le Choix 2 - 2 Geisenfried
Cazenave (19'), Roessler (31'), Voight (44'), Dior (76')

Geisenfried 0 - 1 Squidroidia
Itō (27')

by **Milchama** » Tue Sep 21, 2021 5:40 pm

"So how did we do in the soccer?"

"That's irrelevant"

"Irrelevant how?"

"Well clearly the best time to talk about, update, and have political drama is during a World Cup campaign"

"Why do you say that?"

"Well every other country is busy doing that, I mean look at the RPs, like every other RP is about politics"

"So what?"

"So it's time for us to join in on the game!"

"Ok but what are we going to RP about? We had a long civil war that was very bad but that ended and then we conquered Nedalia after they collapsed"

"They CTE'd be specific"

"Whatever, we took that territory then there was the maybe coup that ended the Isolation"

"Also we don't have clear timelines because the Isolation is anywhere between 6 to 400 years depending on your timeline and is gloriously undefined"

"So if we have such a undefined timeline then why not make it election season?"

"Well we don't really have national elections"

"Why not?"

"Because a real functioning national government would take power away from the people to make their own autonomous decisions. The more nationalized the government then each individual voter becomes less important as they become a statistic to the larger mission of keeping the government moving. Thus, we are a chain of linking anarcho-syndicalist communes that have a nominal head of state for foreign purposes"

"Ok but then why was the toppling of Gonnenberg so important?"

"Because he had been leader for somewhere between 15 or 415 years when he was toppled"

"One of those is a lot longer than the other"

"Yeah he was also the driver in convincing many communes, particularly the Alexandria neighborhood communes, to keep the Isolation"

"Wait this political system doesn't make sense. Like at all"

"Correct, it's underdeveloped, leads to conflict, and makes large scale quick decisions impossible"

"No but also according to NS we're not like that. Like everything is publicly funded and we're able to work as a blindingly efficient and omnipresent government"

"OK but since when does NS represent real life?"

"Sure but we've been answering issues as Milchama for 15 years, with a 6 year break, at this point and more or less created a leftist utopia. We're even branded as a Left Wing Utopia"

"But that doesn't really answer the question"

"I mean it does answer the question just not in the way you want nor in the political system you just described. Like a national confederation is still a national government with significantly devolved power to local autonomy"

"Yeah that's what was I going for"

"Then what's with the anarcho-syndicalist stuff?"

"Monty Python"

"I mean Amitai Goldenberg is many things but he is no King"

"Gonnenberg was functionally a king"

"A King Without a Crown"

"No Matityahu references on Chag!"

"Whatever"

"No but seriously he didn't have full power and his overthrow was a democratic that he lost. There are no term limits because those are bad so he just kept winning"

"I actually support term limits on the Head of State"

"Sure and those might pass the Knesset but we just don't know and that has to happen"

"Why do we have a Knesset?"

"Because we have an actual national government"

"I thought the premise of this conversation is that we didn't"

"Yeah but we backtracked midway through because it didn't make any sense because a national government with significantly devolved powers that has an extremely large tax base while providing real efficient services is probably a more accurate representation of Milchama political structure"

"But is that your actual current thinking on government?"

"Nah I'm still an anarchist and you're a spineless liberal"

"But seriously"

"I mean political ideology is less important than helping people in the hear and now. Additionally, the question of mass society has seemingly been settled and it's unclear how to create or maintain local power under a country with any scale. Like we would have to do undo the nation state system, get rid of mass cities, and decrease the human population. It's just not going to work so the only option is to accept mass society. Once you do that then anarchism can't really work as a mass system so instead it's about devolving power and Milchama does that through having a bunch of representatives, a figure head to be head of state, no head of government, and having political parties that are so vague as to be functionally nonexistent"

"That's not true about parties because we have like a 2000 person legislature so parties are important"

"Ok fair but the parties are all pretty small, I mean the biggest one has like 200 reps"

"Right proportional representation with a 1% threshold makes it super easy for minor differences to create a new party"

"Yeah and multi member districts to make sure people are locally represented also makes sure that every little thing becomes a new party"

"I personally am a fan of the party split over the word "the" in the party name"

"I agree with the The National Anarcho-Socialist Progressive Party was to nationalist with "the" in the name which is why I voted for their splinter party National Anarcho-Socialist Progressive Party"

"That was not a confusing ballot"

"Nope there was very clear ideological differentiation as well as name differentiation between the parties"

"Always good"

"Well that should clear up something"

"I think we've made it more difficult to understand than not understand Milchamian politics"

"Yeah but that's the nature of Milchamian politics"

"I mean fair"

"Next time we'll discuss the 2-48 thing and that won't be controversial"

"Yep because if we're going to talk about politics let's get into controversial stuff"

"Basically we should make this into a discussion thread"

"Yep a one person discussion thread"

"We're clearly having a dialogue"

"A self created dialogue"

"So basically Plato"

"I guess"

"Excellent, I've now been compared to Plato"

"By yourself, that's more egotistical than helpful"

"Ok fair"

"So how about that local soccer team?"

"We're not talking about them, remember politics post"

"Sure but we need to end this somehow"

"Fair it is meandering now"

"So then local soccer team"

"Right I hope they win"

"Come on You Warriors!"

"Let's Go Milchama!"

by **Schima Bas** » Tue Sep 21, 2021 6:46 pm

Schima Bas struggles in matchdays, Basian league to start with eight teams

Hatem Sports Chronicler

Other Headlines from Today

Work stoppages affect industry across Schima Bas, here’s how sports have been impacted

Post-Match interview with Cairo Hatem, whose new mansion has three jacuzzis!

Cairo Hatem out with thigh injury, no word on return

Local faith communities look to field football squads for religious league

Hatem Sports Chronicler: The ONLY newspaper for the sporting Basian

Match Report
Home v. Sylestone | 2-1

‘12 - Tumble Dryer
‘18 - Mahdi Vaziri
‘39 - Heater

By Aleticu Corsado | National Team Writer

Schima Bas faced two tough teams this week for match days eight and nine of World Cup 89 qualifying. With half of qualifying over, the Golden Crescent sit 6th in the table with 11 points from 9. Middling in the group, the team would have to find a miracle run of the last games to make a top two placement.

Most in Schima Bas have realized this, apart from a few very irate podcasters, social media influencers, and delusional forum posters. The team went into the qualifying round happy to be there, an unranked team placed within the group of death. With great moments like the 4-3 win over Chromatika at home, this first attempt is likely to be remembered as a great foray into the wider footballing world for the young nation.

Far from the end, there are many more games to be played, and Schima Bas still have a chance of going further, even if that likelihood is minimal. For now, the nation turns its focus inward, examining the future of football in the country.

The Basian FA has released a list of eight teams that will comprise it’s new founding national league. Well-known Basian companies are in attendance, entering into the foray alongside more traditional ownership model clubs. While many of these clubs can be tied to stadia already constructed in the region, like Basian Blac’s, others do not yet have stadiums. None of the mentioned clubs have provided the media with a roster or any further information.

Alquierdi Crown

Barracelio FC

Basian Blac

Hatem Phoenix FC

Jaliot

Leevas

Ourelasia Hearts

Union Alcaso

Upcoming lineups
MD 10 Vs. Talamia

Benincasa Akhtar,
Jawad Radwan, Emir Jalali, Shunnar Huq, Mudahir Avendano,
Makin Moghaddam, Bisma Shehadeh, Jericho Sultana,
Jan Moustafa, Casildo Hana, Akili Granada

MD 11 @ Lathamford

Benincasa Akhtar,
Najya Qasim, Hud Baccus, Rabi Bagheri, Mudahir Avendano,
Makin Moghaddam, Isam Ramada, Araft Sergeant,
Hideki Nazar, Jan Moustafa, Casildo Hana

by **Zwangzug** » Tue Sep 21, 2021 7:00 pm

Time dilation jokes? Who, me?

It was cycle 39
The archives were taking shape
By the lake so deep and blue
Here the team played sides like Lovisa and Qazox,
Starblaydia and Wing Wang Woo.
And the fans sang from their throats
And the bureaucrats got their goats
And twenty-three brave souls
For many a happy day
Travelled worldwide as they'd play
And they shot lots of balls toward the goals.

Don't you hear the calls?
Though you're many years away
Don't you hear their shots sail true?
Write your stories by the lake,
Every shot and each mistake
For the game is reborn, always new.

Now it's cycle 89
And the team calls Forbridge home
It's both a place to play and train
And we bring good news
Of the matches yet to win,
A proud legacy to sustain.
For the lake is deep and wide,
Little darling, I have tried
To figure out, what does this mean?
From so many cups ago
But how long, we just don't know?
Is it a hundred years, or thirteen?

Don't you see the ball
Though we're many years away
Don't you see, in black and white?
All the numbers in the sand
All the strategies they'd planned
Ripple back, never far from our sight.

Don't you see the ball
Though we're many years away?
The same pattern's clear to see:
Just like them, we make our stand
Proud to play for our homeland
And we dream that the best's yet to be.

(Haugen 17, Vizirani 82)
(Blum 12, Axelrod-Conway 55, Puyo-Sachar 61; Thurman IV 20, Bourne 48)

by **Ottoman Syldavia** » Tue Sep 21, 2021 7:35 pm

OTTOMAN SYLDAVIA DOWNS MARTUNE IN THRILLER

Ottoman Slydavia 3-2 Martune

When asked how many games of the year he'd like Ottoman Syldavia to have, De Gaal simply answered with one word,"yes".

On Matchday 9, that showed. The Ottoman Syldavia-Martune game came down to the wire, until Matias Pizzaro managed to go all the way down the field and get the ball past the defender for an incredible goal. When asked why he didn't passed, Pizzaro replied,"I dunno, I suppose it was the will of God. When God says,'Do this', you do this without asking questions."

However, De Gaal had some criticism for the team. "This is why we're sixth," stated De Gaal,"You guys barely beat the last place team in the group who don't have a single win." However, Kubos had some other words. "Sure, they have 0 wins, but we're basically the only Unranked team in this group. I don't think it's a problem, then, that we barely beat Martune," said Kubos.

Ottoman Syldavia plays Tumbra next.

by **Polkopia** » Tue Sep 21, 2021 7:47 pm

On the Pitch During Polkopia's Match Against the Jovannic in MD9

"Hey, hey!" Slava Panin called out to Maksim Pašin, who saw himself face off against two defenders just outside of the box. Panin stood not fifteen feet away, and alternated putting weight on his front foot, and then his back foot, bending his elbows and leaning forward as he put weight on his front foot as he faked a run inside the box. He didn't want to get caught offsides, but still wanted a pass delivered to him in the box. He was wide open and the closest defenders to him were currently focused on stopping Pašin, who threatened to dribble past them and inside the box, leaving Panin virtually unnoted by the team.

"Pašinka! To your right!" It was all Panin could do to stop himself from running over there himself and stealing the ball from his own teammate as the defenders closed in on him. He looked around toward the midfield and most of the Polkopians were in a pretty comfortable position to receive a pass without facing any extra pressure from the Jovannic players, but Pašin was notorious for hogging the ball and developing a sort of tunnel-vision as he made runs, much to the annoyance of Panin who saw this opportunity as starting for the national team for the first time ever as his one redemption for all of the earlier games when he was sorely overlooked by his coach, teammates, and fans. He wanted nothing more than to have his name be on that scoreboard in the Marshupov Arena in big golden letters, to be the reason fireworks go off along the stadium's grounds, and to hear his name chanted by every single fan in the arena, and his teammate was holding him back from all that.

"For fucks sake, pass the fucking ball!" Panin jumped up, screaming at his teammate, feeling that uncontrollable rage start to build inside of him again as he watched his teammate selfishly keep the ball to himself and halt his team's advancement as he toyed with the defenders, tapping the ball to the side, hoping to catch either of them off-guard, but it was destroying the momentum Polkopia had accumulated early on in the game.

Suddenly, one of the defenders lunged forward, at which point Pašin stepped to the side to evade his stab, spun around him, set the ball up in front of him, and delivered a decimating kick, which sent the ball whizzing through the air at incredible speed. The keeper had only just begun to react before the ball found its way in the very back corner of the net, giving Polkopia their first goal of the night.

Of course, in the moment, Panin broadcasted the same emotions one would expect of him, being among teammates who had just scored their first goal of the night in the multiverse's largest football competition, but he could never quite match the same authentic happiness that the rest of his players had. 'It should have been me,' kept playing over and over again as he watched his teammates celebrate Pašin's goal. Soon, the excitement would die down and the team would take their place outside of the inner circle as players from The Jovannic would resume the game in their kickoff, but before the referee had even sounded his whistle, Panin felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Pašin staring right back at him.

Pašin leaned forward and smiled, beckoning Panin to come closer. Panin leaned forward and shivered as if Pašin were breathing literal ice down his neck. He had never heard such coldness in someone's tone before, let alone from someone as reserved as Pašin, and he found himself, for the firs time in his life, unable to speak as the attacking midfielder spoke at him.

"If you ever yell at me like that again, I'll break your fucking kneecap." Pašin has whispered into Panin's ear, before patting him on his shoulder and withdrawing to take his place on the pitch.

Even if Panin wanted to react, he didn't have the time to as the referee sounded his whistle and The Jovannic began the play, kicking the ball among themselves in the midfield. Panin ran up to pressure them, but the words Pašin said to him earlier followed him around the pitch, looming over him, each word piercing his concentration like a dagger pierces its victim, draining every bit of focus he had on the game with each passing second. 'Why?' Panin thought, 'Why does everyone on this team hate me?' He shook his head and continued running toward the ball, setting his sights on anyone with the ball.

The ball had only just left the central defender's feet when Panin felt his feet give our from underneath him as he slid across the ground, kicking his heels up in a moment of uncontrollable temptation as the poor defender found himself thrown to the ground by Panin's momentum. The player grasped his leg and yelled, slamming his hand into the ground as Panin got up, feeling everybody's eyes on him as they saw the tail-end of what could only be described by witnesses as a malicious, irresponsible, and quite frankly, a stupid decision.

Panin heard the whistle and saw the referee run toward him and he felt his heart drop as he saw him dig into his pocket. He knew it was going to be red before the card was flashed in his face and he nodded, accepting the punishment. None of his teammates could defend this act, even if they wanted to. Not even Nikita Rudin, the team captain, ran up to the referee to plead for him; everybody had seen the play and it was an obvious red card. Before he left through the tunnel, Panin caught a glimpse of the player he had slid into get up, dusting himself off as he rejoined the play. Panin sighed. At least he hadn't hurt anyone.

Panin held his head down as he walked through the tunnel, hearing the fans around him shout at him as he disappeared from the pitch. All he wanted to do was to make his team proud, but he completely messed that up and there was no redeeming himself at this point. There were never going to be fans celebrating him. He was never going to be lifted up by his teammates and carried around the pitch. He sat down in the locker room, burying his face in his hands.

For the first time in forever, Panin allowed himself to cry, wanting to feel every bit of this emotion, this shame that he knew he deserved to feel. He was an idiot and acted selfishly, and now the entire team was going to suffer because he wanted to act on impulse rather than logically. The silent weeps soon turned into extravagant sobs as the emotion took over, his stomach cramping as every thought crossing his mind brought another wave of loud, shameless cries that consumed the entire room in noise. At this point, he didn't care if anyone walked in and saw him at his lowest moment. He almost wanted someone to come in and see him in such a state of vulnerability. Maybe that would actually make them realize that he wasn't such a monster, but until then, he knew that he would always be known as that idiot who single-handedly cost his team this game and perhaps the entire qualification campaign.

by **Lathamford** » Tue Sep 21, 2021 9:14 pm

The Farmers:: part 6

The 3rd match in the Lathamford Nationwide League series, Teaham FC is scheduled against a team dubbed River Masters, Whitbury FC, and takes place at their home stadium, West Lake Stadium. For this match Morrow lined up a reserve player, probably because he had lost two games, then the time to change strategy had arrived. Solinus Soundpost was retained as a goalkeeper, while the defensive position was led by Michael Poinston along with Deiphobus Catling and Angus Rebeck. Free-kick specialist Claudius Bottomford leads midfield while Lodovico Stafford is in the attacking position. Bernardo Faulconbridge used a 4-3-3 position for this match for Whitbury FC. They were also unlucky when they drew in the first game and lost to Warleton FC in the second game. Faulconbridge still believes the pairing of Kaven Rawleigh, Lamarr Oldbury, and Jacob Faganburgh in the attacking position. Their main goalkeeper, Sampson Criswell could not be sent off either as he received a red card in the second game of the day. In the early minutes, the River Masters attacked a lot and almost got the first goal if Oldbury were not too hasty to kick the ball. Their best chance was in the 39th minute, they were awarded a penalty kick but Faganburgh's shot was easily read by the Farmers goalkeeper, Soundpost, and managed to deflect the ball. Team FC’s winning goal came when Bottomford’s free-kick managed to fool the Whitbury FC goalkeeper. Team FC earned their first win of the season. [Part 1 ׀ Part 2 ׀ Part 3 ׀ Part 4 ׀ Part 5 ׀ Part 6 ׀ Part 7]

World Cup 89 - Roleplay Thread

Who is online