World Cup 89 - Roleplay Thread

[Adab]

Wednesday, January 31, 2035 / 21 Dhu al-Qadah 1456
Adab 5-2 Kaldtfjell
Adab scorers: Yargab (29’, 40’), Yissakar (57’, 88’), al-Kufa (76’)

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Saturday, February 3, 2035 / 24 Dhu al-Qadah 1456
San Ortelio 2-4 Adab
Adab scorers: Yissakar (28’, 56’), Yargab (77’), Arthur (85’)

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

Chapter 37: Room, Part 2

November 22, 2034 / 11 Ramadan 1456
AFA Headquarters
Adab City

“Hello?! For God’s sake, come on!” she shrieked almost at the top of her lungs, banging against the door. The world had been plunged into darkness, that world being the elevator that they were in. She sighed loudly, then again launched her fists against the door. Tong, tong, tong.

“Look,” said the voice behind her, nervous and shaky but nevertheless trying to stay calm, “they’ll come for us soon, alright? I mean people, someone is bound to use the elevator sooner or later. There’s many people here, one of them will notice soon.”

She gnashed her teeth and let out a heavy breath, craning her neck upwards somewhat as she turned from the door to the man behind her. In the darkness she could barely see his figure, leaning back against the wall, almost completely blending in with the void. “You know what?” Her voice was low and breathy, halfway between anger and frustration. “Maybe if someone had bothered to charge their phone, we would have been able to call people that we know to get us out of this thing.”

“Your totally fully recharged phone doesn’t have signal, so you’re not exactly helping either,” he countered, leaning forward and off the wall, tentatively approaching her.

“At least I’m trying,” she insisted, yet again pulling the phone out of her pocket to see if she could do something. There was still no signal, no available Wi-Fi connection. “God, can’t they just demolish this building and replace with, I don’t know, a more Internet-friendly building?” Her voice grew even lower, but also softer, as she brought the phone even closer to her bowed head, scrolling up and down rapidly on the phone. “This is ridiculous.”

“Just because there’s no signal doesn’t mean we should just destroy the entire building and rebuild it all over again,” Alulim Sinmuballit commented.

“It’s a joke,” Emma Arthur quickly countered.

“I know,” Alu shrugged and rolled his eyes upwards, running one hand up and down the back of his head. “Look, Emms, just calm down and take a deep breath. No one’s gonna realize that we’re missing for hours. Give it thirty minutes or something.”

Emma Arthur stood still, even as Alu trudged towards her. No more than three feet separated them. In the darkness, her voice was infected with frustration. She did not even meet his eyes as he approached her, instead looking to his left and right and down at her phone. “This whole thing is a joke. I can’t even use the emergency button.”

“Just calm down, for God’s sake,” Alu said, his wide-open eyes and unsteady breathing barely hiding his own growing frustration. “They’re going to come for us.”

“And exactly how long will it take, mister? What if we run out of oxygen and suffocate before they realize what’s going on?”

“It’s not going to happen, Emma. We’ve literally been here for, what, fifteen minutes?” Alu insisted. They had inched just slightly closer now. Slightly, but closer. No more than two feet were between them. Yet although Alu’s eyes were on her, she avoided his gaze still, her eyes darting between the phone and the expanse of black that enveloped her and him.

When they were not talking, the silence was eerie. No light (except the one emitted by the phone), no sound. He would just solemnly move between the center of the floor and the wall. She would knock on the door, bang on the door, lean against it. But now they were both on the center of the floor, two figures attempting to see each other through the darkness.

“Emma, just look at me.” He had slowed down his breathing, trying to project calm. His voice was softly begging. She finally obeyed him, even if only reluctantly, even if her face betrayed her displeasure. Her lips were clenched shut, her eyes narrowed, teeth gnashing. “Hey, look, are you alright?”

Her words came out almost monotonously, but her eyes finally met his. “I’m alright, Alu, thanks for asking.”

“You don’t sound too pleased about it,” Alu said.

“None of your business,” she countered.

Then they were silent for a while, simply holding each other in their gaze. They thought they could hear -if only for brief, fleeting moments – the hissing of the machine, or the sound of footsteps above or below them. But there were no signs that help was here.

“Look,” Alu began, clearing his throat, his voice almost faint. “I… I don’t know how to say this, but, uh, I feel like there’s something between- no, I mean, uh, separating us. Like, I feel like I’m trying to reach you, but you’re just not there. You’re… colder now.”

“I’m not colder. That’s just the way I am. I mean that’s always been the way I am.”

“Nah, you used to be happier. Or appear to be happier,” Alu said. “Look, Emma, I think I know you quite well and, uh… you know me quite well, too. I know- I mean I may not actually know for sure, but I think I can feel it when there’s something… different. I just want you to know that… if you need anything, I’m here for you.”

“Well, thanks. I’ve always known that.”

“You don’t seem to appreciate it that much.”

“Well, I do. I mean, I really do.” She again lowered her eyes to escape his gaze, although this time – having put the phone back in her pocket – they traveled to the dark, dark floor between the outlines of Alu’s feet. She slid one foot forward, just to have the tip of her shoe touch his and make sure that those were his feet, his shoes that she thought she was looking at in the darkness.

She cleared her throat. “You know, there’s something that I gotta tell you.”

He nodded in understanding. “There’s… actually there’s something that I need to tell you too.”

Adab lineup for MD14 and MD15

Starting lineup: Chandrasekar, Altun, Enmerkar, Issou, Frangieh, Arthur (VC), Sinmuballit, Orlev, Al-Kufa, Yissakar, Yargab (C)

Substitutes: Marramzi, Al-Tikriti, Sharkalisharri, Akshak, Thomas, al-Muntar, Samanu, Emmita, Uhwan, Zambiya, Akaptaha, Barzani

[Darmen]

Eight year old Zoey Clay was up way past her bedtime. Her parents had forgotten to send her to bed, whatever was happening on the television was clearly more important in their minds. Normally when the family watched late night television, there was popcorn and lemonade to go along with it, but not so tonight. The living room table was empty, with the exception of that morning’s edition of The Southern Times.

”...this is the first time municipal elections are taking place by themselves. What sort of effect will that have on the results, Glenn?”

“Well, normally, you would expect that local issues would take precedence. Yes, as Zachary said earlier, midterm elections typically take on some amount of a quasi-referendum nature, with the incumbent national government either gaining votes if voters approve of them, or losing votes if voters disapprove of them. But in this election, national issues have clearly come to the forefront, with the Southeast regional referendum and questions about Rademacher’s foreign policy clearly being the dominant issues of this campaign.”

“But certainly electing non-Liberal municipal councilors isn’t going to change the President’s mind, will it? I mean, the mayor of Cadott certainly doesn’t have much influence in the Foreign Department, do they?”

“No, of course not. But the Liberals controlled 39 municipal councils coming into tonight. The exit polls show that number could be halved, perhaps even worse. Things are iffy for the Liberals in Cadott even, they’ve done well there in the past few elections, but tonight it looks as though the Republicans could end the Liberal administration of that municipality. If that’s truly the case, not just in Cadott, but elsewhere as well, then voters will have sent a clear message to Scott City that Rademacher’s foreign policy and the situation in Nyowani Kitara in particular are not popular. He’ll then be faced with a big decision: stay the course and risk a massive defeat two years from now, or reverse course and hope that will help to stabilize his support.”

Mateo Padilla was also staying up later than he had ever managed before, he had tried to stay awake until midnight on a New Year’s Eve once, only to fall asleep at 11:53pm. It was now 12:06am, Saturday, April 29th, 2051. Mateo’s father, Florentino, had tried to explain to his son the importance of that night’s events, reading him story after story from that morning’s edition of Libertad. When asked if he understood, Mateo had nodded his head, which was a lie; were ten year olds really expected to understand this political stuff? If you asked Mateo, adults had funny hobbies.

”...we now have our third result of the night, as the Republicans have taken control of the municipal council in Mansfield. The Liberals lose just one councilor, but the Republicans gain two and there’s a fourteen percent swing towards the Republicans. Blimey, Zachary, that’s quite the swing.”

“It most definitely is, Gary. The exit polls showed a swing of eight percent nationwide, but if the results in Mansfield are what we can expect going forward, it’ll be a bad night for the Liberals.”

Zoey yawned. It drew a quick rebuke from her normally stoic father, Mason; yawning didn’t usually result in a shushing for Zoey. Something was definitely different tonight.

”...and now we return to our main story tonight, which is the status referendum in the Southeast region. Angela, our main referendum analyst, has been monitoring the events so far. When can we expect the results announcement to take place, Angela?”

“I’m told by sources at the main counting center in Rogerton that counting of the ballots from Kalenda and Bucuresti has already finished and that results from Chavarría should be finalized within the next five to ten minutes. Results from Rogerton should take a bit longer, so I’d expect the results announcement to be in thirty to forty minutes.”

“Now Angela, do we have any indication of what kind of result we can expect to see tonight?”

“There is a great deal of uncertainty around the result. One thing we do know for sure is that the option to establish an independent nation in the region is extremely unlikely to win. Pre-referendum polls suggested that just one percent of the region’s voters were planning on choosing the third option, which means that the question of the region’s status should be resolved without the need for a second round of voting two weeks from now.

“Now, on the one hand, the polls had been suggesting that autonomy and the establishment of a regional government would win with a two-thirds majority, but our exit polls have suggested that the pro-union Partido Valladar are expected to double their percentage of the votes in the municipal election in Rogerton and will be up in Chavarría as well. Now, that would suggest that things will be much closer than the pre-election night polls suggested, but it doesn’t necessarily indicate a union victory.”

“What’s the mood like in that region? Have there been any reports of violence or intimidation?”

“I haven’t heard of any violence or intimidation, or any other illegal activities. Nevertheless, the atmosphere, particularly in Rogerton and Chavarría is pretty tense. A significant amount of negative campaigning has taken its toll on the region and a lot of cross-ethnic relationships have become pretty strained.”

“I’ve one more question for you Angela before I ask you Glenn how this plays into the national political scene. If the option for autonomy wins tonight, will things eventually get back to normal for those living in the region, or will this referendum have some sort of long term effect, do those strained relationships have any chance of being repaired?”

“Oh, I definitely think that this referendum has reopened a lot of old wounds. Rademacher initiated this referendum as part of the process of repairing the country’s relationship with Valladares, but I don’t think that’s how people living in the southeast are going to see things. There’s a prevailing feeling that things were just fine prior to the referendum being called. The economy was good, unemployment was lower than in the rest of the nation; so even some Valladars in the region feel that Metropolis made the wrong decision in insisting that this referendum be held as part of the two nation’s negotiations. Regardless of the result, there’s going to be an awful lot of discontent in the region in the years to come.”

“Thanks Angela. Now Glenn, this referendum, what sort of impact might it have on national politics moving forward?”

“Well, that depends on the result. If voters choose to seek union with Valladares, it’ll make the negotiations with Valladares virtually a cakewalk for the Rademacher administration moving forward. But domestically, I don’t see how the Rademacher administration and the Liberal-Labor coalition in Parliament would survive beyond the 2053 election. Voters in other regions would undoubtedly punish the administration for losing the oil rich region to Valladares.

“And let's not forget, the reason why Rademacher sought a reproach with Valladares in the first place was because he felt it was necessary to do so before Darmen makes an attempt at joining the Common Rushmori Community. But even if a union victory helps negotiations with Valladares go faster, I don’t see any possibility for the process of Darmeni CRC membership to be completed prior to the 2053 election, meaning that all of Rademacher’s actions up to this point would be for naught. That would likely mean the end of Rademacher’s political career, there’d be too many foreign policy blunders to overcome as far as his reputation goes; and I wouldn’t see much of a future role for the Liberal Party in Darmeni politics either.

“On the other side, an autonomy victory would likely muddy the waters as far as the negotiations are concerned, but the Liberals could potentially still have fairly good chances heading into the 2053 elections if they can work out a final deal with Valladares. That would open up the possibility of Darmen entering the CRC, albeit on a bit of a longer timeline than I think Rademacher would have wanted.”

Mateo glanced at his always optimistic father. For the first time in his life Mateo noticed that his father was stressed, worried even. As the night went on, Mateo’s father even started to nervously run his fingers through his beard. It was hard to make out in the darkened living room, but Mateo was fairly certain that the beard was becoming thinner and thinner with each passing minute.

”...and we have another municipal result coming in from Maiden... no wait, I take that back, let’s head immediately to Rogerton for the result there...”

“...ason Donaldson, the returning officer for the Southeast Region, do hereby give notice that the result of the Southeast Region Status Referendum of April 28th, 2051 is as follows: the total number of valid votes was two-hundred seventy-nine thousand, nine-hundred ninety-three...”

“...the number of votes necessary for victory is therefore one-hundred forty thousand...”

“...the option for autonomy within the Republic of Darmen, one-hundred fifty-one...”

“¡MIERDA!”

Mateo flinched as he had the mierda scared out of him. He had never heard his father curse before. Florentino jumped to his feet and began to pace about the house, occasionally slamming his fist onto the walls, or the table, or the door, or any inanimate object that was unable to retreat from the threat. Mateo’s mother just stared at the television blankly; Mateo was fairly certain now was not the time to ask either of his parent’s for clarification on why they were reacting the way they were.

Outside of the Padilla house, a screeching bellow filled the air. Florentino stopped, only for a moment, before entering Mateo’s bedroom and grabbing his son’s air rifle. Mateo watched as his father went outside to confront the man playing the Darmeni national anthem on the bagpipes at 1:03am.

Confront was probably not the right word. Florentino didn’t even take three steps out of his door before he leveled the air rifle at his target and took the shot.

POP!

Zoey watched from her own doorway as her father’s bagpipe gave out one last sad holler before deflating. Mason Clay locked eyes with his neighbor Florentino Padilla.

The two men glared at each other.

---

Full results of the Southeast Region Status Referendum and the 161 municipal elections across Darmen can be found here.

[Hapilopper]

Team Hapilopper Headquarters, Hapilopper City
A day before World Cup 89 Qualifying Match 14: Hapilopper v. The Sarian
For the first time in a good bit – way too much of a bit, if we’re being honest – Dominic Probst was present on the practice pitch as he watched Team Hapilopper do their last run-through before the next World Cup Qualifying match. Maybe it was a sign of his increasing confidence, even as he tried to keep an illusion of toughness. The players continued doing their practicing, and saw Probst as just another background character. Many of them didn’t even want to speak to him, after hearing about his lack of confidence in the team.

And the thing about it, too, was that Dom couldn’t explain it away. He could say that he was trying to toughen the players up, but the fact was that anyone could see that to be a lie. He knew that he had to just watch and not do anything. But the fact was, though, was that Dom was starting to have some faith in the kids of Hapilopper. It wasn’t there immediately, but it was slowly but surely building. The results were getting better by the day. A wild 4-4 draw against Siovanija and Teusland probably did a lot to build that confidence.

Siovanija and Teusland, you see, was ranked 27th in the world and played for all the world like a 27th ranked squad, a team that belonged in the World Cup. But Hapilopper played a lot like a team from a few years ago, going toe-to-toe with a team that just weeks before, had their way with the Haps, beating them 2-0. And Dom could see it. When that match came to an end, he went over to head coach Thom Perkins and told him “that’s a win. It’s not three points, but yeah, that’s a win for us. Nicely done.”

This was a team who had most likely intimidated the Kytler Peninsulae’s national team when they traveled to Zube Olympic Stadium. After all, it was against the Kytlerians where Hapilopper’s turnaround got started. It started with a cheap shot designed to hype up the Haps, and it did just that. The Hapiloppians clearly outplayed the Kytlerians on their way to a 3-0 victory. Rather than being a group of sad sacks, the Haps were a cohesive group of players looking to go out and kick ass. Just like Hapiloppian teams of old.

Dom thought about that as he watched Team Hapilopper go through their drills. They seemed more spirited. More fired up. More ready to go. More ready to represent Hapilopper the way they should have, rather than just going through the motions. Dom liked what he saw, and he figured he’d stand back and watch the players get the job done.

This kind of play, Dom thought, we’ll be just fine. Maybe Ellis was right. Maybe the kids are alright. They’re really working their asses off.

He stood there and watched as Nathan called the troops together as practice ended. Nathan had a huge smile on his face as he brought his teammates together for a little speech.

“Gang, that was what we needed today,” Nathan told his teammates. “Tomorrow, we’ve got the Sarian. Last time we played them, they took us down. Now you know and I know that we’re not going to let that happen, right?”

“RIGHT!”

“We’re not going to let those guys beat us again, right?”

“RIGHT!”

“We’re going to go out there, we’re going to bust them in the mouth and we’re going to take THREE FUCKING POINTS FROM THEM, AM I RIGHT?!”

“HELL YEAH!”

Nathan was whipping his kids up into a frenzy. And he reveled in that excitement. That was the kind of excitement that he wanted to see from his teammates.

“I want this same energy tomorrow,” Nathan said. “I want to see that same fire from all of you tomorrow. Every single game we’ve got coming up are big games. I don’t know where we’ll end up, but guys, we can still do something great with this team. I want you all to go out there and kick their asses. The way we’ve been practicing? Hell YEAH we’ll kick their ass. Now, WHO THE FUCK IS WITH ME?!”

The rest of the squad started roaring. The message had been received. Team Hapilopper, most likely, wasn’t going to make the World Cup proper. But they were going to try all they could to make it. And if they didn’t? Well, hell. They could still do a lot of damage in the Cup of Harmony and show the rest of the multiverse that Hapilopper wasn’t dead as a footballing nation.

Far from it.

[Savojarna]

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
The Debate: Should the SFFB prolong Daniella Strauss’ contract?

YES - The coach isn’t to blame for bad luck and star allures
By Pavel Sivachuk

“Football fandom”, my father used to say, “is like a marriage, except that the club won’t tell you to stop drinking so much vodka”. While my mother might have had a point on Dad’s drinking, he had a point about being a football fan - much like a marriage, support lasts through the good times and the bad ones. That is a courtesy that in a fast paced media world, only club supporters that go to fan curves every weekend and travel down to Novaya Russica on a Wednesday night for a cold, damp, and dire 0-0 can afford. For the rest of us, and for the international games, it has been replaced by constant scrutiny under the microscope of experts, replays, super-slowmotions and statistics. Under this climate, players are bought and sold and sacrificed on the altar of quick stardom as much as burning in secret. When this is the daily business of football, everyone is under scrutiny, but the players have the benefit of stardom and club fandom to catch their fall - and divert it onto a coach that has hardly done much wrong.

Daniella Strauss has re-organised the Savojar national team in just a bit over two years, with a squad that has frequently shifted and experienced tension due to the allures of certain players. It is not her fault if Krister Voynov feels too important to play a Cup of Harmony, or Sergey Nweke’s head is in contract negotiations rather than the task at hand. Great things always come over time in football, and we are well advised to remember our humility and work ethic of past years. The players, like so often, are shielded from criticism; they are our representatives and clad most of the time into the colours of popular, fancy clubs. This does not mean we should put all the blame on a coach that is, for the most part, setting up a working system that has gotten four goals past Vilita away, that has carried on a winning streak for much of the first half of the qualifiers, and has a proven track record. There is no reason to believe that Strauss is the issue, and every reason to believe the players are.

Like every sports journalist, I can read a statistic as well. Yet, I believe there needs to be a deeper look, a glance at causes and problems of a team rather than just a comparison of numbers. Losses against Sargossa can be expected once in a while; especially in a high-level match that finished closely. Mertagne might have been a more shocking experience, but we are hardly alone in struggling with this returning nation. Devonta have been a difficult opponent in the past, and there is no way that losing to Vilita is cause for concern as long as it happens in an honourable fashion. Unlucky decisions are never the coach’s fault; we ought to give a proven coach time to turn things around and believe in their vision. Only when given that trust can a coach extend it to her players, and execute her vision in a longer timeframe, to improve the team. We, as fans, owe it to the national team to stick with it in every time, and to Daniella Strauss the chance to prove she can turn her team around when there is no sign that she has lost her squad. And if you really, really claim you can’t watch her Northlights without it, I promise I won’t tell my mother how much vodka you drank after the game.

NO - It’s time to recognise a name is not enough
By Anders Heglund

Savojarna’s footballing scene has an endemic issue with shiny names. Give the average Savojar a shiny name to look at, and chances are that they will be all over it; give them a less shiny name and they will have forgotten by lunch time. Vyacheslav Khavarin, centre-back at near S-FPL champion La Nueva Avenida, has not once been contacted by the Savojar National Team, instead now playing in the shirt of Farfadillis with a tattoo of our flag on his chest. Juha Terjakov is good enough to be listed on a “best players of the world” long list and to be crowned an MVP in Kelssek, but can’t get even a look over Lundell and Poulsen. It is unfortunately still the case that in Savojarna, only the Euraleague and the Zenith truly matter; if you haven’t made it there, you appear to just not have made it. The same extends to the national team: Voynov has been around forever, so when he skips out on a tournament and plays without any inspiration in a qualifier game, he must be worth another shot over a player like Juhamatti Rajala - not even in the team for years by now. Sergey Nweke plays in Eura, so he gets a start over Alvesen and Smolov in a game where he needs to be dragged on his feet to do a minimum of defensive play.

The principle also holds for the bench: Daniella Strauss is one loss away from the single longest loss streak of any Savojar manager in history; with 0.97 points per game she only beats out Rune Zackrisson, who famously took over a broken team. It frankly is an achievement to take a side from two consecutive World Cups and four consecutive Copa Rushmori semifinals to a Cup of Harmony octofinal - shamefully lost 1-5, mind you - and a Copa quarterfinal, as unlucky as an out against Sargossa might be; if there is no miracle, it will be yet another Cup of Harmony for the Northlights this summer. Chances also are that when it comes to that, Krister Voynov might miss yet another tournament; if there are no consequences to this kind of behaviour - which Strauss has not administered before - it isn’t hard to imagine Jashkin, Lundell, Poulsen or Pedersen to follow not too long after.

Under Daniella Strauss, the national team not only lost games, it also lost its allure to the Savojar player. Increasingly, the body language of the players might say honour and effort against Vilita or Sargossa, but says boring “have-to-be-here” game when playing Mertagne, Devonta or Sendhang. It’s a trend that might only have taken root recently, but it needs to be stamped out quickly, and Strauss is not showing any signs of doing so. Instead, Voynov returned to the side under claps and cheers; Nweke might have been removed for a fortnight but is back in the 23-man-squad for the upcoming set of games. Worst among it is that these mistakes have consequences: Savojarna might fall down the ladder of international football further and return to the third pot of World Cup qualifications, making returning to the World Cup harder; and a ruined reputation of our once proud national team will make it easier for future players to refuse inconvenient call-ups or try to get away with half-assed performances in the Blue and White. As fans, we should support the team; as journalists, it is our duty to point out when things are going wrong. And right now, they are going wrong in a spectacular and worrying speed.

Savojarna’s 23 man roster for January double-header

Starting XI vs. Cabo Azure (4-4-2): Pakanen - Pedersen, Zirkova, Forsberg, Viipuri - Voynov, Maersk, Lundell, Jashkin - Alvesen, Ehlers
Starting XI vs. Fluvannia (4-4-2): Pakanen - Kiivälä, Dmitriev, Forsberg, Viipuri - Voynov, Ilkkanen, Lundell, Gyldenström - Nweke, Ehlers
Bench: Virulainen, Sharin, Nymark, Skov, Östberg, Poulsen, Smolov

[Flavovespia]

Flavovespia 1 - 0 Eshialand

PH: Hello and welcome to the 12th game of these qualifiers for Flavovespia. Eshialand are the visitors, as they bid to recover from 2 losses in a row in the qualifiers. Now on 17 points, they’re close to the top 2, but those losses pull them back. Flavovespia lie further back on 14 points, and they’re also looking to recover from a loss in their last game. So, what needs improving for Flavovespia?

AH: The loss to Jeruselem was one where it just felt the 50:50 moments fell the wrong way for Flavovespia. The key message needs to be, we can win games if we can just up the performance a little from that. But avoiding another loss is key.

SH: Agreed, one real positive of course was that spectacular Steven Hall goal. I like what I’ve seen so far since Nick Cole returned, but its key a game like this turns into a win, else the nerves and drop of morale returns.

PH: Can Flavovespia win today?

SH: I think so, Eshialand won’t make it easy, but Flavovespia have some key advantages, a home game, an opponent Flavovespia have beaten, and opponents dropping in form. A win is there if Flavovespia delivery.

AH: That’s true, although don’t underestimate Eshialand looking for revenge and an end to their poor form, they could very well see this as a real winnable game.

PH: Thanks, kickoff is imminent here in Waldster, the capital.


Kickoff: Eshialand get us underway in the Hornet’s Nest. Both teams need a win to kick up chances of a Top 2 finish, the latter having been closer these qualifiers than Flavovespia so far. A good atmosphere here, all things considered in these qualifiers.

15 minutes: Eshialand have started the better of the two sides here, clearly trying to make up for lost points. Eshialand are able to get the ball out wide, with a fair amount of success. May and Gardner however seem to be dominant in and around the box, and Aarif Muhammad is looking confident as well, batting away any crosses or shots at him.

30 minutes: 0-0 it remains, but a good game so far. Eshialand’s positive play is being defended well by a resolute Flavovespian defence, and the midfield duo of Clark and Player, a controversial choice initially, are doing well together. Scott Coleman has had 2 efforts on goal, neither of which were bad efforts, but nothing to trouble Eshialand’s goal particularly. Despite the cries of SHOOT! from the crowd everytime he’s on the ball, Steven Hall hasn’t gone for one from range yet.

Half Time: Flavovespia 0 – 0 Eshialand. Goalless, but not a boring game. Both teams are fairly even in performance here, showing a good number of shots on target and key passes, and not many mistakes either. Hard to pick a winner, if any at this rate. A change though for Flavovespia, Blythe will replace Dance, who looked off the pace by the end of the half.

60 minutes: The start of this half has been a little more closed, the ball spending a lot of time in the midfield. Neither side want to settle for a draw, but the space on the pitch seems a little cramped. Eshialand not having as much luck out wide now, Blythe stepping up to stifle that avenue of attack. At the other end, Feld and Hall aren’t getting much in for Flavovespia, leaving Coleman and Cole a little short on decent opportunities.

72 minutes: GOAL! Flavovespia take the lead! In the end, it’s a well weighted through ball by David Clark, into the path of his club teammate Michael Cole, that sets the striker away. Behind the defence, he gets one on one, and takes it with composure, rolling the ball across the face of goal and just inside the post. Flavovespia lead, and Michael Cole is certainly a popular goalscorer in Waldster.

75 minutes: That goal has changed everything, Eshialand clearly looking for more options in attack, Flavovespia sitting back in a bit now. A grandstand finale is brewing, with more goals certainly possible, as Nick Cole and Kenneth Morgan consider the options available to them. The tension in the air can really be felt, but the home crowd are in a positive mood.

90 minutes: Injury time approaches, and there’s just a sense Eshialand have lost some belief. The idea is there, but the execution is not, and for the Flavovespian defence, it isn’t too difficult at the moment. Of course any sort of set-piece will see the kitchen sink thrown at the goal, but Flavovespia are playing out the final minutes well for now.

Full Time: Flavovespia 1 – 0 Eshialand. Michael Cole nearly had a second, but a last ditch block took enough pace off his shot for it to run through to the goalkeeper. It doesn’t matter, as Flavovespia take the 3 points here. Eshialand slip to a 3rd loss in a row, and both sides now 8 points off of the Top 2, and qualifying hopes fade. Back to the studio.


PH:A win for Flavovespia here, what’s your immediate reaction?

SH: Flavovespia did exactly what they needed to, kept it sensible at the back, didn’t play an overly risky game, and their one real clear cut chance, they took it. Flavovespia haven’t ever been a big scoring, big risk-taking side since Nick Cole came in, but I’m impressed.

AH: The sentiment Flavovespia did what was needed was one I fully back. I’m pleased as well mentally they didn’t seem to suffer from the Jeruselem loss last time out, it does seem there’s more belief in the team, and I like that.

PH: Baker Park visit next, any chance for Flavovespia?

AH: It’s not impossible, especially if the defence remains strong again. Jeruselem away was a tough loss with some unlucky bounces, very literally in some respects, so I think there’s a chance.

SH: Never say never. But the key thing is, getting over the mental block that’s hit against the big sides.

PH: Thank you both, up next its Flavovespia vs Commonwealth of Baker Park, back here in Waldster. Until next time, goodbye!

Flavovespia 2 - 2 Commonwealth of Baker Park

PH: Hello and Welcome to Game 13 of the qualifiers. Just 6 to go now, and the business end of the qualifiers really begins to take shape. Joining me today is John Calvert, as we look at Flavovespia’s match against Commonwealth of Baker Park. Baker Park lead the group, but just on goal difference, they’ve not had it all their own way so far. What can Flavovespia take away from that in terms of preparation?

JC: It’s a double-edged sword. On the one hand, that suggests they’re there for the taking, on the other hand there won’t be any complacency in the opposition ranks.

PH: Flavovespia’s woes against bigger sides are now very well documented, what do they need to do to break the curse?

JC: I think just don’t think of it. It’s harder than it sounds, but it’s a simple fact. And I think the games against bigger sides haven’t been bad performances, but they need to be at a higher level to get anything from them.

PH: And if there’s one key bit of advice, what is it in your opinion?

JC: I think don’t concede early. We’ve struggled with that, but if we do avoid it this time, I think there’s a chance of a positive result.

PH: Thank you John, let’s head over to the commentary team


Kickoff: Flavovespia kick us off here in front of a capacity crowd. Commonwealth of Baker Park lead the group, but only on goal difference ahead of the surprise package of Polkopia. Flavovespia looking to end the curse of the big rank opponents.

5 minutes: GOAL! Flavovespia stun the visitors and take the lead in the opening minutes. Flavovespia’s first real moment of possession, and Hall sends an angled ball down the right. Coleman beats Jon Schulman in a foot race to the ball, and then fires with power, Zach Johnston unable to get to the shot quickly enough. Flavovespia not only avoid conceding early, they go and score early!

15 minutes: The atmosphere is absolutely buzzing in the Hornet’s Nest, and you can sense the players feel it. Flavovespia look very buoyed by the early goal, and have begun to find a real rhythm. Commonwealth of Baker Park certainly aren’t out of this, and look dangerous when they move the ball forward, but the breakthrough isn’t there yet.

30 minutes: There’s a cup-tie feel to this game, with Commonwealth of Baker Park having more possession, and the better play, but Flavovespia looking dangerous on the counter. In particular Lyons and Blythe seem strong in getting the ball down the line. No more shots on target yet for Flavovespia, although Michael Cole wasn’t far off from a little inside the box. Johnston had it covered even if it didn’t fly slightly over the bar.

44 minutes: GOAL! Flavovespia just can’t hold on for half time, and it’s an unfortunate own goal to concede. Shanahan drives down the wing towards the goal-line, and aims to turn the ball back towards the penalty spot. Instead it hits Alexander May, too soon for the Flavovespian to react properly, and it deflects off the shin and into the goal at point blank range. May looks very frustrated with himself, but that’s just an unlucky moment at the back. Commonwealth of Baker Park have though been looking strong, and that could be the breakthrough they need to go on and win.

Half Time: Flavovespia 1 – 1 Commonwealth of Baker Park. The equaliser will be so crucial to the outcome of this. Commonwealth of Baker Park were statistically a better side, but Flavovespia were really giving it their all, with a 1 goal lead to defend. Flavovespia looked dangerous on the counter, and after the early goal, left the back of Commonwealth of Baker Park rattled. This could still go either way, the next goal will be very important.

60 minutes: Commonwealth of Baker Park have thrown a lot at Flavovespia straight from play resuming, but so far to no avail. Aarif Muhammad, after early struggles in the qualifiers, has really begun to nail down the goalkeeper spot, with a string of good saves here. Ben Moorman probably had the best chance, but scuffed the shot from 10 or so metres out, straight into the arms of the Flavovespian goalkeeper.

75 minutes: Commonwealth of Baker Park are the better side, and if there’s going to be a goal, it’ll probably come from them. It may require changes up front, there’s a lack of clinical finishing from the visitors. Aarif Muhammad has been tested, but not as much as the early exchanges of the second half. The closest Flavovespia came was from a free-kick by Steven Hall, he went indirect and floated it in to the box, but Kieron Player could only float the ball over the bar with his head.

77 minutes: GOAL! Flavovespia re-take the lead, against the odds! It’s a free kick 5 metres outside the box, right-of-centre. Zach Johnston is beaten as the ball curves into the net. Brilliant from the captain, and he gives his side the lead with just 13 minutes to go. Can Flavovespia hold on?

81 minutes: GOAL! The lead didn’t last long. Commonwealth of Baker Park threw many players forward, and it lead to a scramble in the box. Reggie Laing is eventually best placed to swing at the ball on a half-volley to steer it in. The equaliser, and could either side get a winner?

90 minutes: It’s not all over yet, as Commonwealth of Baker Park go for goal 3 to get 3 points. Flavovespia are back into counter-attacking mode, but that isn’t fazing them at the moment, maybe even they’ll have a chance on the breakaway.

Full Time: Flavovespia 2 – 2 Commonwealth of Baker Park. No injury time goals, despite a few corners for the visitors. A sigh of relief for Flavovespia as the final attacks come to nothing. Flavovespia will certainly hold their heads high after that result, it was a good performance against a very good side. Commonwealth of Baker Park wanted that 3 points, and know it’s points dropped in the bid to win the group and an automatic berth to the World Cup.


PH: Well I don’t know about you John, but that was a thriller, what did you think?

JC: I think there were a lot of nerves, that’s for sure, but Flavovespia came through with a point. The performance from the side, against a strong opponent was largely impressive, and the team deserved it.

PH: Was the win there for the taking?

JC: Anytime you lead, then yes, but I don’t think the team will be too disappointed they didn’t. On another day Commonwealth of Baker Park score more than 2, the defence deserve credit for being less than that.

PH: Of course, despite the point, the qualifying picture looks rather bleak for Flavovespia. What’s the hope now?

JC: I think 3rd would be great, but 4th now maybe the aim. I think the stars have to be Polkopia, and I’d love to see them win the group.

PH: Thank you. Of course Flavovespia travel to Polkopia next, before Aut-Ves-Nat visit Rovers Arena, Loxthorpe. Until next time, goodbye!

[Ethane]

Morph hold us to draw

Ethane have unfortunately been held to a draw by figures made of clay. The fixture occurred last night, when the Red Kites faced Morphtannia in the 89th World Cup qualifying. The Ethanians are currently leading by 7 points following the tie against Morphtannia with 5 games to go, and look close to set to being one of the first teams to officially qualify for the World Cup.

Not much is known about Morph from Morphtannia. I can assure you that we also did not learn much by playing against them. However, a few characteristics can be noted about their appearance and the like. Morph appears to be 12 centimetres tall, much smaller than Ethanian players. It makes us wonder how Morph was able to prevent our team from running riot during the game, with 12cm of height definitely far from enough to cover the whole goal.

Morph is also very light. Morph is about 156 grams in weight. This is remarkably light for football players, who often weigh in at a much higher weight than that. Most Ethanian football players weigh in significantly heavier, averaging around 70-80kg depending on body type. This is significantly heavier than Morph, which means the performance last night is rather surprising. How did pathetically small, light Morph manage to draw against Ethane? How did they even kick the ball, which would be much bigger and heavier than them? These are mysteries we will honestly never find out.

However, we do know that Morph is also made of clay. This gives a subtle advantage to the players. They can mould themselves in a way which advantages them in the game. I can assure you, Ethanians have absolutely no way of moulding our body shape to make us better at football. Our performances rely completely on our talent and skill.

Morph wasn't the only player on the team from Morphtannia though. There are multiple players from the country that pulled off this impressive, astonishing feat against the Red Kites. Chas is another player than had a significant role in the opposition team, and ended up scoring the goal for Morphtannia to claim that draw. He's also made of clay. Other players from Morphtannia had different characteristics as well which you'd expect would disadvantage them but didn't.

Folly, a defender for the team, was made of tinfoil (and somehow was female-gendered and not just a piece of tinfoil - ask her). Gillespie was also made of clay, but a different blue clay to Morph's orange and Chas' paler clay. He was a lot taller than Morph and co. From his playstyle though, it appears Gillespie isn't particularly intelligent. Grandmorph is also made of clay but has a fabric mock beard, and tends to invent the team's tactical approaches. Delilah is made of clay as well - a common theme - and has a real lets get on with attitude - crucial in attack where she charges forward, and played Chas in for his goal.

The team also had Nailbrush playing in midfield - effectively a clay dog. Joining Nailbrush in midfield for Morphtannia was Goobledygook, a literal alien made from clay (but still very small). Finally, filling in the gaps in the team were The Very Small Creatures, which as you can imagine must have looked like ants to the Ethanian players. Yet they still managed a draw against us. Below is a figure showing many of the players for Morphtannia.

[Astograth]

“Like I said, we need to be winning at home, because we sure as hell aren’t doing it away. Six-pointer, you can’t let that go. And I don’t want to say Erke Out, but someone’s got to take the blame, you know.”

Urti Kirna nodded and lowered his phone from the man’s face. “Alright then, sir, thank you! That’ll be all.”

The man nodded in agreement and turned to walk away, before remembering to ask. “Oh, what show is this for? What radio?”

“Uh, it’s for a podcast actually,” Kirna strained to keep himself from grimacing, and repeated the script he’d already told many times that day, “Daineri Starting Goalkeeper, it’s a football podcast. This will go live tomorrow probably, qualifying special.”

“Oh,” said the man, his brown lowering into a vaguely confused frown. “Okay”. He walked away.

Kirna looked around. The street was almost deserted. Phone clock read 22:46, the better part of an hour since the end of the match against Kelssek. He’d spent the time in the streets around Grand Duke’s Stadium, grabbing sound bites from the people filing out of the ground. It emptied quickly – the 2-1 loss further imperilled Olibondeka’s chances at qualifying, and the mood was sour. From the stragglers, like this last interviewee, he’d gotten some good material that might make the cut for the podcast, in DSG’s vox populi segment.

Now he faced the prospect of getting home. He didn’t have a car, and the podcast sure as hell wasn’t providing him with transport. Even an hour past the match, people would still be crowding the bus stops and underground stations closest to the stadium. Rumiatzi’s public transport was hailed as one of the best in Rushmore, but clearing out 90 thousand people on a Friday night was one of the highest-load scenarios. His best bet was a long walk south, out of Tzorrauren borough and into Errenteria, and there take the underground to South Station. Trains to Urbizania ran from South 24/7. So Urti Kirna set off, hands buried in his coat pockets.

Nearly everyone out of Grand Duke’s would be heading west and north; a few blocks south all felt quiet and still. The streetlamps poured orange tint on the pavement, the only light on a landscape of deep black shadows. This area of East Rumiatzi, stretching from Tzorrauren to Arreitio, passing through Errenteria, had been one of the city’s main industrial belts a century and a half ago – slaughterhouses, leatherworks, breweries, oil mills, paper mills – all fed by the eastern railyards bringing in the fruits of the countryside. Other factories crept along the river, through Medrano, Goyerri, Urtegia, and Tzizarnaka: the heavy industry of steel, glass, concrete, arms, and chemicals. It was in these places that teams like the Workers’ Athletic Club of Rumiatzi, the Southern Factory Workers’ Football Club, and the Eastern Railway Workers’ Football Club had been born – now better known as Athletic Rumiatzi, South Factory and East Railway, all mainstays of Astograthian football.

Kirna had been born in Arreitio, as it happened, not too far from where he found himself walking. His parents had gone to Latzerria, which was more affordable, and he to Urbizania, which had better opportunities in media, but he still supported East Railway. As Rumiatzi the city and Rumiatzi the duchy both expanded relentlessly in the last hundred years, manufacturing also had moved out to the outskirts and to other, cheaper cities: Antiguoko, Basabe, Echegoyan, Gortz. Now these neighbourhoods of brick and concrete were an eclectic mix of residential, post-industrial, still-industrial, and commercial outlets – none too active on a Friday night. Everyone would be flocking to the glitz of North Rumiatzi or the classic glamour of the riverside.

Not him, though. He had to get home to file the clips and write up a report, only then could he call it a night. To be fair, yes, he could do that from his phone at a nice late-night café, but he also had to be back in Rumiatzi by 8 in the morning to try and get the scoop on all the Saturday lower-league action. The freelance journalist life was tough, and providing filler for Daineri Starting Goalkeeper was just one of several gigs he had to juggle. What had once been a simple weekly show hosted by two friends – Ibon Mendigurena and Mantzia Olenkiaga – had exploded into a multimedia conglomerate comprising what were now several podcasts, video channels, a news website, and more. On the frontlines of online content, Kirna was just another foot soldier, churning out material.

Luminous green eyes peered at Kirna from the top of a graffitied brick wall. “Pspsps,” he called out, rubbing his thumb and index finger at the shape on the wall, “pspsps”. The cat blinked slowly and slinked away, out of sight. “Hmph,” grunted Kirna. The smell of spray-paint drew his attention to the wall, scratched with bright red.

HANDS OFF
NYOWANI KITARA

Odd. The Grand Duke had shown no interest in Nyowani Kitara. Who in Astograth would care about that place? Odd. Written in English, rather than Astograthan. Odd. Who was this for? Moreover: political graffiti in Astograth? Very odd.

Something in Urti Kirna twitched. A journalistic instinct. He squatted down to get a good look. In the glow of the streetlamps, he could tell the message was still wet. Drips from the hastily scrawled letters were still coursing their way down. He stood up. Whoever had painted this was still nearby. He might as well find them.

So Urti Kirna set off, hands buried in his coat pockets, feeling the most invested he had in years.

[Turori]

Eels Stunned via Uncertain Circumstances in Blacked-Out Raspotochje Match

Unknown Stadium, Unknown City, Unknown Larger Geographical Designation, Raspotochje :: Heading into their match against the unheralded side from Raspotochje, the Turori National Team had gone on an incredible run of four consecutive games that had ended in a 2-1 scoreline. It started with Turori's victory over Hispinas on Matchday 8 collecting goals from Naraiza Ruaplal and Meldi'ita Mungwaii. Then, the Eels suffered their first defeat in nearly two cycles as they were undone by TJUN-ia, losing the Ceremonial World Champions Belt in the process. However, it was not the end of the world for Turori who knew they might very well get a chance to re-claim that belt in the second half of the qualifying campaign.

Turori would bounce back in a big way when goals from Turakia Diijelhma and Loala Inkabu fed a 2-1 victory over Sargossa, the second highest ranked team in Group 13. The victory was critical in restoring the Eels a placement at the top of Group 13 where they could control their destiny en route to the Word Cup 89 finals. Against Sevendia Turori perhaps did their visitors a disservice by only scoring twice instead of seven times - but yet again it was a 2-1 result.

The two consecutive 2-1 victories marked the first time since the 10th Eagle's Cup competition where the Turori National Team had the same exact result in two consecutive matches - when they had back-to-back 1-0 victories over Graintfjall and Valanora. In fact, the previous three times in all competitions that the Turori National Team had the same scoreline in two straight games - the scoreline was 1-0. But what about the last time they had the same scoreline - no matter which team won the game - in four straight matches?

Well, during World Cup 87 Qualifying the Eels won three consecutive games by a 1-0 scoreline. They would then have a 3-3 draw with Couvanarch before winning two more by the same 1-0 scoreline. Close but not quite. Turori scored 2 goals in each of their first four games of Eagle's Cup IX but gave up a variety of different amounts of goals to their opponents in those matches. In fact, there is no record in the modern era that Turori have ever contested four straight matches that ended with the same scoreline. Yet now there is. World Cup 89 Qualifying.

So it was only natural to start to wonder, when the 336th ranked nation in the World... literally the last place team in the entire World Rankings of those that actually had a ranking greater than 0 - and who only had a ranking by virtue of showing up to this cycles Baptism of Fire Cup... scored a goal against the #2 side in the multiverse early in the first half... many onlookers wondered if that goal would become a footnote in Turori's historic fifth straight 2-1 result.

In the end, however, it wasn't. The Turori National Team failed to score a goal. Yet no one knew why. Surely, someone on the Raspotochje team had to have played well. Yet we don't know who. Thats because there has been no political activity in Raspotochje for over two weeks. The National Team of Raspotochje has been hung out to draw. After submitting the names of their players to compete in the 89th World Cup Qualifying, the Raspotochje players were abandoned. There was no local media at the stadium to cover the game. Requests for private foreign streams such as back to the Island Emirate of Turori went unanswered. So the multiverse had nothing to talk about in detail outside the fact that Turori, the reigning World Cup Champion and #2 ranked team in the multiverse, had just lost a match to Raspotochje, second bottom in the KPB Rankings and the majority of whom's population isn't even aware the result took place.

 Turori [0] - [1] Raspotochje
				
	GOALS:	Turori 	:: None
	STATS:	Turori 	:: Possession: 51%:: Shots: 4:: Corners: 4	Raspotochje 	:: Possession: 49%:: Shots: 5:: Corners: 10
	Lineup:	[GK] Wiyauw An'maude, [D.] Lulu Pumaziiri, [D.] Amakli Inuro'o, [D.] Biliki Rona'atu'i, [D.]  Planio’o Nrujsa, [ML]  Kentu Umaka'a, [MC] Naraiza Ruaplal, [MC]  Daliora Toru'u, [MR]  Cuoabaza Orani’aoa, [FC] Turakia Diijelhma, [FC] Nua'oma Aikiki			
	Bench:	[FC] Loala Inkabu, [FC] Meldi'ita Mungwaii, [M] Kinabo Telioa, [M] Kiidallen Aeroluzzi, [U ] Karek Edgeli, [D] Moumouni Verre'elali, [GK] Timaala Hualtia

Eels Park, Eelandii, Turori :: So naturally, when you lose so unexpectedly to a team that has quite frankly shown little to nothing to demonstrate such a result was warranted, there has to be a generation of a desire for revenge. Unfortunately with the way World Cup Qualifying is structured, Turori would not play Raspotochje again during the campaign. In fact, odds were fairly substantial that the Island Emirate of Turori would never face Raspotochje again... ever. They would, however, face St Trinians.

It was perhaps an unfortunate timing for St Trinians, a side which were acutally still in the thick of the battle for the World Cup Qualifying positions yet were stuck facing #2 side in the multiverse Turori after a shock defeat to the 9th place team in the group and knowing they needed a victory to reclaim the top spot in Group 13.

While St Trinians would not have circled their Matchday 13 clash with Turori on their calendars as a match which they would have expected to take any points from at the start of qualifying, they certainly needed the points on this day if they were going to stay in contention for a Top 2 spot. Heading into the match St Trinians were 8 points behind Turori who occupied the second spot in the group. With a victory they would be just 5 points behind. Defeat would see them drop to 11 points back of the Eels and all but put an end to the qualification hopes.

Of course, Turori were in the same mindset. Slipping behind Sargossa, the Eels were now on the outside looking in dropping out of the Automatic Qualification zone and into a projected playoff berth. It was certainly not a place where the World Champions wanted to be. After suffering just their second ever World Cup competition defeat under manager Tarek Edgeli, the game plan for the Eels against St Trinian was simple. Win. Regain Confidence. Send a message.

Turori would do just that and although the possession game was mostly even, when the Turori National Team did have possession it was almost entirely in the attacking third. A pair of goals from Turakia Diijelhma gave Turori a 2-0 lead just half an hour into the match though St Trinians would pull one back just before half time when Ilsa De Grandhomme connected on a pass from Essie Gardner.

With the halftime scoreline 2-1, some wondered if the loss to Raspotochje was just a minor bump in the road for Turori and the Eels were ready to return to their 2-1 winning ways. Those that thought that, however, would be wrong. The introduction of Cuoabaza Orani’aoa in place of Tulaki Rauogba at half time gave Turori another kind of spark as Orani'aoa used central distribution to cause chaos in the St Trinians defense. Turori racked up 10 corner kicks in the second half alone and would score on three of them - twice off the head of Nua'oma Aikiki and once off the foot of midfielder Naraiza Ruaplal who got a fortunate bounce to find the ball at their feet on the top of the box and clear traffic between them and the corner of the net.

The score was now 5-1 and St Trinians were well and truly beaten. Edgeli let off the gas at that moment and started using substitutions to slow the game down and settle in for the three points. Despite having both of their attackers sitting on a pair of goals and eager to run after a deflated group with just two defenders in their formation in search of a hattrick, Edgeli had other ideas. Turakia Diijelhma and Nua'oma Aikiki were both yanked from the game sitting on two goals a piece and in their place came Bastion youngster Loala Inkabu and midfielders Lati'ala Giaoka. Edgeli buttoned the game down with a 4-5-1 formation for the final twenty minutes and allowed St Trinians to maintain possession and take a run at the Turorian defense. It was perhaps a way for Edgeli to provide the team real in game practice on defense. Typically a hallmark of the Turorian game, the Eels had now conceded a goal (or more) in six straight matches. The last time the Turori National Team had gone six games without a clean sheet in all competitions was a six match string between Eagle's Cup 8 and the start of World Cup 85 Qualifying which included a lopsided 3-5 Loss to Valanora in the Eagle's Cup. The last time Turori had gone six straight games without a clean sheet solely in World Cup Committee Sanctioned competition was between the Finals of World Cup 80 and the Qualifiers for World Cup 81 where the Cocoabo Squad conceded in the final three matches of World Cup 80 included a Quarter Final defeat to The Holy Empire, the first two matches of World Cup 81 for a total of five games then the Citizen Squad took over with a 4-1 victory over Gudalajara to extend the streak to six straight World Cup or World Cup Qualifying Matches without a clean sheet.

Of course, fans of the Turori National team would be perfectly fine with the outcome during World Cup 88 Qualifying being the same as it was after conceding in six straight games through to the World Cup 81 Qualifiers as after ending that streak Turori would go on a record eight game streak without conceding a single goal. With a gap of just two points to second seeded Sargossa, the Turori National Team need to keep their momentum up now more than ever yet have two difficult matches ahead of them with a pair of optimistic Baptism of Fire contestants in front of them in back to back matches - both on the road. Both nations are still technically mathematically in contention for a spot in the World Cup Finals but could only do so if Turori, Sargossa, TJUN-ia and Ranoria each lost every one of their remaining games - except the games they played each other which would have to end in a draw. Likewise, Milchama or Pyazhnaya would have to win each of their remaining games - just to be able to finish second and advance to a playoff. The reality, of course, is that in all likelihood neither Milchama or Pyazhnaya will be following up on their Baptism of Fire success with a spot in the World Cup Finals. However, hosting the World Cup Champions at home will certainly be a moment they strap the boots a little tighter for. First up will be Regional rivals Milchama who have been one of the lowest socring teams in the group thus far with just 18 goals scored over the first thirteen matches.

 Turori [5] - [1] St Trinians
				
	GOALS:	Turori 	:: 13' Turakia Diijelhma:: 29' Turakia Diijelhma:: 55' Nua'oma Aikiki:: 65' Naraiza Ruaplal:: 66' Nua'oma Aikiki          		
	STATS:	Turori 	:: Possession: 53%:: Shots: 12:: Corners: 16	St Trinians 	:: Possession: 47%:: Shots: 4:: Corners: 3
	Lineup:	[GK] Timaala Hualtia, [D.] Moumouni Verre'elali, [D.] Lulu Pumaziiri, [D.] Planio’o Nrujsa, [D.]  Amakli Inuro'o, [ML]  Daliora Toru'u, [MC] Naraiza Ruaplal, [MC]  Tulaki Rauogba, [MR]  Kiidallen Aeroluzzi, [FC] Turakia Diijelhma, [FC] Nua'oma Aikiki			
	Bench:	[FC] Loala Inkabu, [FC] Lutara Makakio, [M] Cuoabaza Orani’aoa, [M] Lati'ala Giaoka, [U ] Biliki Rona'atu'i, [D] Bvalis Amaanara, [GK] Wiyauw An'maude

[Sylestone]

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six
Part Seven

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR SENTIENT



Part Eight

Kirkham, Sylestone

---

”Brett, I told you not to try and get a Sentient as a pet!” Brett’s father scolded when the two of them were eating dinner that night.

Brett simply looked down at his feet, knowing full well how wrong his actions had been. His father carried on. “If what you tried to do had succeeded in any sort of way, you and probably I would be facing serious consequences. Under national law, doing something of the like is a serious infraction and you ought to know that. Please, son. Think.”

But the words were going in one ear and out the other. Brett got the gist of it - don’t ever try to train a Sentient Object to be a pet - but nothing else made sense. As a matter of fact, he had no clue what half the words his father was spouting even meant. Infraction? Consequence? Okay, he’d heard that one a few times, but had no clue what it meant. National law? Brett stopped. Just how serious was this?

He was jolted back to reality by his father snapping his fingers in his face. “Listen, Brett. I’ve bought tickets to Sylestone’s game against Lathamford, here in Kirkham, in two weeks time. If I hear anything about you attempting to break rules anymore - whether mine or those created by ones above me, I’m selling them and we’re going straight home to Avondale after the week is over. You hear me?”

Brett nodded his understanding as his father relaxed. “Anyway, we’ve got a very big day tomorrow. I overheard people talking and there are rumours that President Fridge itself may be coming to Kirkham tomorrow to check out the latest developments in renewable technologies. There is also a chance we may have to try to convince it that our products are better than our opponent's, so you must be on your best behaviour. Do you understand me?”

“Yes,” came the immediate response as Brett’s father smiled, clearly relaxed.

“The Sentients’ game against Darmen is on tonight, so I’m guessing you’d want to watch it?”

Brett nodded enthusiastically, relieved he was off the hook. “Yes pwease, Daddy!”

***

The rumours were true. In the late morning the following day, while Brett was eating the juicy flesh of a Sylestonean guava, a commotion was heard up towards the north side of the mall Renewables Week was taking place in. Curious, the young boy wandered up the street to find a crowd, made up of humans and Sentients, circling an area where a largish car was coming through. Brett stood up on his tiptoes, trying to see over the heads of the citizens around him and spotted the reason as to what all the fuss was about.

President Fridge had arrived.

As the crowd parted to make way for the Sentient politician, Brett began to see the leader of the nation better, and was surprised at its looks. It simply looked like a normal Fridge, easily mistaken for pretty much any other Fridge out there, including the captain of the Sentients, the national football team (who are, by the way, NOT the same person). In awe, Brett moved closer to the car as it passed through on its way to the centre of the mall, eager to take a closer look. But just as the car passed him, Brett’s excitement took a dangerous turn, as he fell over, misplacing his feet as he jumped up and down.

Brett cried out as his body slammed into the concrete, blood erupting from his knees. President Fridge looked out of its car and opened the door, bringing its assistant, the First Aid Kit, with it as he attended to the boy. Looking up from the ground, Brett was lost for words as the Fridge stood at his feet, and began speaking to him.

“Are you okay?”

Brett, lost for words, took a while to respond. But he got there in the end. “It hurts.”

“Okay, then. I want you to be very still. I’m going to wash the wound and my assistant here, the First Aid Kit will bandage it. Is that alright with you?”


Brett nodded, as the Fridge opened itself and took a jug of ice-cold water from a compartment. Brett winced as the wound was smothered with the water, before the First Aid Kit got to work with the bandaging. Brett, with tears still running down his face, sat up as the President stood (well, y’know) next to him.

“Are you feeling better now?” asked the President.

Brett, still shocked at what was happening, could only nod before thanking the Fridge. Taking this as a cue to leave, the Fridge wished the young boy well before moving back towards the car, where it would continue towards the centre of the mall.

It was at this time that Brett’s father finally spotted his son and came rushing over. Spotting him on the ground, knees covered in bandages, he put his hand to his mouth, partly out of habit, while wondering who the hell fixed the poor kid up. But Brett answered that question before it was even asked, pointing towards the car that was making its way, slowly, through the mall.

“The President… bandaged you?”

“Not exactwy, but yeah, pwetty much.”

“You met the President.” It was a statement, not a question, although that did not appear to dawn on Brett.

“Indeed I did.”

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Starting Lineup vs Lathamford @ Sentient Oval, Kirkham

Sylestone (4-1-3-1-1): Brick Wall; Nokia - Sofa - Wok - Drawer (Dishwasher 6’ (▮ 8’)); Television; Stove (Kitchen Sink 82’) - Bar Stool - Spiderwebs (Fridge 65’); Heater; Tumble Dryer

Lathamford (3-4-3): Glowsnarl; Decker - Wolfsong (Skelmersdale 70’) - J Ashleigh; Faraday - T Ashleigh (Wyvernchaser 84’) - du Graypelt - Selfridges; Grantham (Falconderry 87’) - Kingsley - Farrowsteam

SYLESTONE - 1
Tumble Dryer 58’

LATHAMFORD - 1
Farrowsteam 25’

Srednjaci vs Sylestone @ Blue Volcano Stadium, Melarit

Srednjaci (4-1-2-1-2): Iveša; Kozlević - Kušić - Kutleša (Rušković 89’) - Šutić; Min Ho; Zimmer - Julišković (Tavano 79’); Tomljanović; Marinković (▮ 33’) - Peng (▮ 60’)

Saucepan; Ironing Board - Toilet (Sofa 74’) - Television - Drawer; Air Conditioner (▮ 68’); Kitchen Sink (Stove 83’) - Knife (Bar Stool 49’) - Fridge; Mixer; AC Vent

SREDNJACI - 1
Julišković 64’

SYLESTONE - 1
Air Conditioner 56’

Starting Lineup vs Agresos @ Ground of Dunkirk, Dunkirk

Table; Nokia - Sofa - Washing Machine - Drawer; Air Conditioner; Kitchen Sink - Bar Stool - Fridge; Mixer; AC Vent

Starting Lineup vs Melbergia @ Unknown

Saucepan; Ironing Board - Toilet - Wok - Drawer; Air Conditioner; Stove - Knife - Fridge; Heater; Tumble Dryer

Schedule

MD1: Sylestone 1-0 Talamia @ Carson Stadium, Cleorough
MD2: Sylestone 1-0 Eura @ Chamberley Institute of Sport, Chamberley
MD3: Lathamford 1-0 Sylestone @ Thousandforks National Arena, Lathamford
MD4: Sylestone 3-0 Srednjaci @ Sunlife Stadium, Halpenley
MD5: Agresos 0-0 Sylestone @ Unknown
MD6: Sylestone 1-0 Melbergia @ The Bay Reserve, Betham
MD7: Chromatika 1-1 Sylestone @ Islander Dome, Myana
MD8: Sylestone 2-0 Darmen @ Avondale International Sports Stadium, Avondale
MD9: Schima Bas 1-2 Sylestone @ Unknown
MD10: Talamia 0-0 Sylestone @ Ebdemar Au'tokra Stadium, Clinepalas
MD11: Eura 1-1 Sylestone @ Bastion National Arena, Bastion
MD12: Sylestone 1-1 Lathamford @ Sentient Oval, Kirkham
MD13: Srednjaci 1-1 Sylestone @ Blue Volcano Stadium, Melarit
MD14: Sylestone - Agresos @ Ground of Dunkirk, Dunkirk
MD15: Melbergia - Sylestone @ Unknown
MD16: Sylestone - Chromatika @ The Trees, Pesfield
MD17: Darmen - Sylestone @ Unknown
MD18: Sylestone - Schima Bas @ Fiery Stadium, Dodle

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Bees look to get their sting back
Scott McCrae
The Mail on Sunday Chief Soccer Writer

With just five matches remaining in World Cup Qualifying, the Baker Park National Team will need to find a way to regain the points lost in the 2-2 draw in Flavovespia on matchday 13 to pull level with table topping Polkopia.

Seven points is all that separates the top four, as Jeruselem and Xanneria round out the leading quartet of which only two will advance; the 26 points that BP are on at the moment is tied with Eraman for the lowest among all nations currently in second place across all 18 groups, leaving open the possibility that there will be several teams that reach 40 points through the entire group stage may miss out on the playoffs.

Sajnur will come to the BBP Stadium ahead of the trip tp Polkopia on MD 15, as the Bees look to have another performance like the one against The Jovannic in which DeAngelo Simmons and Chandra Mack combined for three of the six Commonwealth tallies; offensive consistency has been the main issue throughout the campaign, as the side have scored 3 or more goals 5 times, but have only a single goal combined in their three losses.

The question on everyone's mind throughout the group is can Polkopia maintain its run as the only 10th seed in the entire tournament that is in the top half of the table, holding on to the automatic berth in the same way Vdara did (although they were not number 10 seeds) over Baker Park in World Cup 87, or will their Cinderella moment strike midnight over the final five matches?

lineup vs Sajnur

Vickers; Brooks, Onikambe, Jordan; Rizzo, D'Amico, Milton, Boyle; Wadsworth; Simmons (C), Garvey
bench: Callaway, Flowers, Stone, Eichorn, Buxton, Diaz, Gibson

lineup vs Polkopia

Johnston; O'Connell, Wiseman, Harrison (C); Grimaldi, D'Amico, Nolan, Ngoba; Craig; West, Pryor
bench: McCormack, Edmonds, Buxton, Wiley, Myers, McDavid, Harris

__________________________________________________________________________________________
Final week for Assembly
by James Taverner, Parliament Correspondant
The Guardian

The short September business sitting of the House of Assembly will wrap up with the clearance of the remaining legislative calendar expected by Thursday, marking the end of the fourth Parliamentary session.

The Census and Election Bills are expected to come up for 3rd Readings on Monday, while the Exemption Bill, which will authorize Parliament to begin the process of the historic expansion of the number of seats in the Assembly ahead of the next General Election, will be voted on first thing Wednesday.

The Judicial Vacancies Bill has been returned from the Council of State and will be the focus of Tuesday's business, along with the Supplemental Appropriations Bill involving redistribution of around CBP$758 million from Consolidated Treasury Receipts to the Public Works, Health, State and Local Government funds.

There are also four private members bills that will be cleared following the Monday votes and the official withdrawal of two bills unreported from committee coming after Wednesday's 3rd Reading process.

The clearance will bring the passage rate up to 89% for the year of the 143 bills laid on the table, down from 91% the previous session which had more total bills (168).

[Mercedini]

89th World Cup Qualification Review
Group 16 So Far...
@ Zoloroni Sports City Stadium - Zoloroni, Mercedini

Good afternoon everyone and welcome back to Mercedini Sport Daily's coverage of the 89th World Cup Qualification campaign. We are back on the trail in qualification as the matches begin to tick down and the points available begin to dwindle. We are beginning to see teams drop out of contention in the world cup, now that they are too far away to grab a spot in the top two. For Mercedini, they will likely be in the hunt for the remainder of the camapign since they have been recording performance after performance in Group 16 which as led them up to this point. After the first round of matches, they sat second with a remarkable 8-0-1 record, the best out of any second-placed team. They were nudged out of the top spot by top seed Cassadaigua who held a perfect 9-0-0 record out of their first nine games in the group. Will this continue? We will see has Mercedini head to Cassadaigua for their first match of the second half. Dini often do well away from home, with the scalps of Starblaydia, Baker Park and Siovanija & Teusland all a testament to that.

World Cup Qualification: Back & Forth As Top Spot Still Up For Contention

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The hust for the top spot loooks like it will go to the wire as both teams slip up in their opening four games of the campaign. For the Golden Eagles of Mercedini and the black and pink of Cassadaigua, the second half began with two wins and two draws to start. That meant that neither team could close the gap or extend the lead over the opposition, but it did end Cassadaigua's perfect run. The blue and black of Mercedini started their final nine by ending the perfect run of the Pot 1 opponents, but taking them all the way in a dramatic and entertaining 2-2 draw in Concord Heights. They followed that up with an easy 3-1 win over Vikanias, which saw Billic start a rotated squad to give the experienced legs of Chillotov and Dostalok a rest. Next on the international tour was Qasden, which Mercedini had stumbled over before, en-route to qualifying for last editions World Cup. There, it was honours even between the two sides once again, with Billic playing a more defensive side to see out a goalless stalemate which puts another point on the board, but gave up ground to Cassadaigua thanks to those dropped points.

Rounding out the second half so far was another away day, this time to Freeport in a complete switch to the action of last game. A Christian Armani hattrick put Mercedini on the right track, as they came from 1-0 down to rally late in the game and score five in an eight goal thriller. Another win chalked up, meaning Dini are unbeaten in twelve following their MD1 loss to the current group leaders. Out of the rest of the top four, Dini only have to play Geektopia, which will be a six pointer in itself and would likely decide whether the race for the top two is over or not. All eyes will be on that match, but the Golden Eagles will hope that the group will be wrapped up before then to remove any tension from the match.

Results So Far: (Second Half)

Cassadaigua 2–2 Mercedini
Mercedini 3–1 Vikanias
Qasden 0–0 Mercedini
Freeport 3–5 Mercedini

Over to the group table and it remains a three point gap between the Pot 1 ad Pot 2 teams, who are both holding their rank and look to secure post-quals football for another cycle. The best second-placed sides go through automatically, so there is still a chance that Mercedini can avoid the dreaded playoffs if they fail to win the group. Top 2 is the bare minimum they need though, so Billic will be aiming for that as Step 1. Geektopia are five points back in third, with Qasden a further three points back still. Fifth placed Natanians and Nosts are 15 points back, and have already lost the ability to top the group, they will likely be eliminated in the coming days. Five games remain, with fifteen points the magic number of points remaining for teams to claim.

*  Group 16                    Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Cassadaigua                  13   11   2   0    39   20  +19    35
 2 Mercedini                    13   10   2   1    35   19  +16    32
 3 Geektopia                    13    8   3   2    35   21  +14    27
 4 Qasden                       13    7   3   3    15    9   +6    24
 5 Natanians and Nosts          13    5   2   6    40   37   +3    17 Y
 6 Gatchingerrak Union          13    5   0   8    14   14    0    15 E
 7 Freeport                     13    3   2   8    18   34  −16    11 E
 8 Vikanias                     13    3   2   8    12   28  −16    11 E
 9 Tamgu                        13    2   2   9    22   26   −4     8 E
10 Beaverriver                  13    2   0  11     9   31  −22     6 E

That concludes our coverage of the opening day of action at the qualifying stage of World Cup 89. It's beginning to come together for the Mercedinians in the quest for back-to-back appearances at the World Cup. All Dini need to do now is avoid shock results versus teams beneath them in the group and beneath them in the World Rankings. 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 now see the who is still in the race come the final few days. Goodnight!

[Krytenia]

Fjell Runners
By Rami Niblick in Hornungsvagr, Kaldtfjell

THE wheels may have skidded in the ice somewhat, but they're still turning. Krytenia were made to work hard for their victory at the Hovdingsarena, but in the end the Dragons came away with the three points they needed to keep their place atop Group 14.

The arena itself may be climate controlled, but the atmosphere outside was definitely of the "Tuesday night in Monthuez" variety. Sadly, the Dragons had no CFF players to call on to take advantage of this. It did hand Kaldtfjell a bit of an advantage though, more used as they are to the ambient temperature and thinner air at altitude. This might explain why the visitors were sluggish in possession early in the game. Though Krytenia did hold the ball well, it was mostly in their own end of the field, with Ciaran Rafferty and Alun Belmwr almost entirely starved of possession, and Cande Montalban effectively working deep as an extra midfielder. The home side, meanwhile, were sensible in the press, playing a high enough line to constrict their opponents without leaving holes behind for a longer ball over the top. When Kaldtfjell did get the ball, they looked dangerous, as Elias Molinari and Fergal Finnan had their hands full dealing with the likes of Havardr Osmondsson and Bjarne Gustavsson. Robert Wilson was the first goalkeeper called into service, tipping a Gustavsson shot over the bar. The resulting corner, though, very nearly led to a goal at the other end, as Molinari's clearing header was hooked forward by Max Snelders into the path of Rafferty; the Hibs striker, though, lost his composure at the crucial moment, getting his foot under the ball and guiding it yards over the bar with Andor Baggisson horribly exposed.

Krytenia started to, for want of a better phrase, warm up as the first half went on. The Dragons went from lateral passing along their own defensive line to actually asking the Kaldtfjell defenders some questions, probing balls forward and looking for weak spots in the home side's armour. Snelders especially was channelling his inner Cormac O'Neill, spraying the ball around and looking to stretch the Kaldtfjeller back line. Oliver Selhurst and Robert Reeder, too, were working space on the flanks, with Billy Price and Benjamin Lispalle providing extra options and/or an escape valve as necessary. Indeed, it was Price who set up Krytenia's best chance of the half, his whipped ball across the middle finding an incoming Reeder; the Yeaddin Owls midfielder, though, couldn't beat Baggison with his strike as the SFK Hornungsvagr keeper plucked the ball out of the air with an excellent diving save. The home side were still without chances, however, and were unlucky not to take the lead in first-half stoppage time when Jarl Torkelsson dragged his shot wide with Wilson nowhere.

The game was in need of the spark of life, and though it took its sweet time coming, it eventually happened just over ten minutes into the second half. Krytenia continued their pressure play, and when Snelders threaded a beautiful pass between two Kaldtfjell defenders into the path of Alun Belmwr, the Mercia Bromham striker made no mistake, slotting the ball past Baggison to put the Dragons into a deserved lead. The crowd were silenced, but their team was not disheartened; indeed, if anything, going a goal down added a bit of urgency to their play. Finnan limping off certainly helped in that regard, as well, with the talented but low-speed Joey Sinton coming on. Osmondsson saw this as an opportunity to be exploited, and Sinton was given a torrid time as the FK Brumundal forward dragged him all over the pitch. This opened up some nice gaps for his team-mates to find, and when Torkelsson whipped in a cross, Osmondsson had a yard on Sinton to calmly nod the ball home and put the home side level.

If there's one thing that separates this Krytenia side from its immediate predecessors, though, it's the ability to grab a result when things aren't going their way. Despite being pegged back to one-all, Krytenia kept chipping away at their opponents, with the gamechanger being the introduction of Alex Meitner late in the game. Cande Montalban hadn't played badly, but was visibly tiring after running his legs off for the side; with Meitner in his place, there was a freshness about the Dragons going forward. It would be Meitner who would set up the winner, though the final touch was from another substitute. Meitner led Viggo Gudbrandsson a merry dance towards the bye-line, before cutting the ball back into the path of an oncoming Carlos Senna. The Avidia City man made no mistake, hitting a rising shot with Baggison unsighted to plant a dagger in Kaldtfjeller hearts.

Next up for the Dragons in a home match in Ousevale that could be their most important thus far. San Ortelio gave Krytenia a lot to think about in their game in the first half of qualifying, and desperately need the points to rekindle their hopes of making the finals following a painful four-two reverse against Adab. For Krytenia, meanwhile, they know they need to keep winning with the dangerous Pasarga team still only a solitary point behind. Sorry San Ortelio; we love you, but we must break you. Onward!

KALDTFJELL - 1
Osmondsson 71

KRYTENIA - 2
Belmwr 57
Senna 89

[Twicetagram and JYPe]

Home >> Domestic >> AO

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Twicetagria on course for second qualification

By Jan Gargevich

After yet another win against Darkmania, the Lieutenants look likely to occupy the top two spots of their World Cup Qualifying group, Group 12. Having gone unbeaten in all 13 matches, Twicetagria has proved to be a formidable force as we enter the last 5 matchdays.

As we enter the next round of matches, Twicetagria are off against the Euran Oceania Territories. An opponent whom we have faced before, it will be interesting to see how the match fares. However, after a resounding win against them, Twicetagria are most likely to take the victory.

Twicetagrien fans are all excited at the prospect of a second consecutive direct qualification. In the previous World Cup, the Lieutanents directly qualified through the skin of their teeth when they placed the 6th best second-placed team, the minimum for auto-qualification. This time, Twicetagria will aim to finish top of the group, lest they have to go through playoffs. However, this journey will not prove ti be easy as we face top teams such as Kelssek, The Licentian Isles, and Astograth. Kelssek are the second-placed team in Group 12, having stumbled a bit at the start but made up for it in later matches.

The Lieutenants face off the Euran Oceania Territories tomorrow at 7 pm. Make sure to catch it on Vse Veshi Sports.

[Sargossa]

“As family squabbles go”, Emparán stared at the now all too familiar map of the Pavola region of the continent. “This one’s a doozy.”

The family in question were the Akongos, the ruling regime of Nyowani Kitara and the current agents of chaos down in the southeast. When big daddy Boaz unhelpfully kicked the bucket his lack of a succession plan left something of a power vacuum at the top of the nation. One ultimately filled by his daughter Nafuna. By all accounts an apple that fell pretty close to the tree that bloomed her. But while young Nafuna was trying to gather up the reins of power her big brother Malik was concocting plans of his own, gathering enough support to launch a full-blown insurrection against his sister’s nascent rule.

“So, SITREP?” The Nyowani Kitara situation had become a regular feature of the Sargossan president’s daily security briefing in recent weeks. It provided an interesting diversion from the domestic norm.

“Intelligence reports indicate that government forces hold some kind of control over the bulk of Nyowani Kitara.” The army uniform indicated that the speaker held the rank of colonel. “Support for the usurper Malik Akongo and the KFF is confined to the south. Here and here.” Markers on the map lit up to indicate the referenced areas. “Whereas the DFLK’s stronghold lies in the north of the country, including the strategically significant city of Port Viljan.”

“Ah, yes. The third players in this little production. What’s the wider international picture looking like?”

“Most significantly the Akongo regime have received support from Nephara.”

“Let’s not call it the Akongo regime, the situation is confusing enough as it is. But Nafuna has the support of Nephara? That is interesting. What about the brother?”

“Within Rushmore only the Darmenis have shown support for the usurper Malik Akongo. Although they seem put off by reports of certain unpleasantries committed by KFF forces. The KFF have also received recognition from powers outside of Rushmore, notably Juvencus and Banija.”

Emparán grimaced slightly. He was naturally uneasy about any attempts to overthrow an autocrat. The fact that Malik Akongo was being referred to as ‘the usurper’ suggested his prejudices were seeping through to those that put together the briefings. But he was equally uneasy at outside nation’s sticking their noses into Rushmori affairs. It was invariably unhelpful. He pressed a button on the desk.

“Lieutenant, there are somewhere in the region of six thousand screens in this room. Would you kindly place the football on one of them?”

Dutifully one screen changed from detailing naval movements in the Komodo Channel to the World Cup qualifier in Hispinas. It wasn’t going well. He grimaced again. “Please, continue.”

“Tikariot, Græntfjall and San Ortelio have all distanced themselves from the conflict.”

“So the neighbours want no part of it. Eura?”

“No official statement of intent.”

He regarded the map of the wider region again. For both Nephara and Eura the Rushmori geography was going to prove a bitch. Way down on the Endemien Coast, both nation’s were poorly placed to provide material support to any kind of conflict in Nyowani Kitara. Naval support would have to endure a long voyage west and then north through the Nova Cambria canal. Otherwise known as ‘that fucking canal’. Or face an even longer journey north and then west along the coast of Liventia, before heading south through the Komodo Channel. It wasn’t ideal. It also wasn’t his problem.

“Has our position changed sir?” One of the officer’s seated around the table, an admiral, asked.

“No. A third world nation’s dynastic struggle is not something we need get involved in. Currently. Our standing policy is that there really is only one dictatorship that we’re going to focus on keeping in power. That being said, the ripple effects of this, with Nephara getting involved, are hard to predict. Particularly without a clear idea of how the Eurans intend to… fuck.”

A sixth goal had gone in over in Hispinas. Unfortunately, Sargossa had managed only one of them. Emparán regathered his thoughts.

“I don’t want to be surprised by anything. Raise the alert status of our forces in the Komodo Channel. The Fifth Carrier Group is enroute from Curamunga to bolster our presence there. I want to be informed the moment they arrive. And have fleet command send me the patrol patterns of the Caymans based out of Sarrinquila. I want them sent into the Xandrian Sea at the earliest possibility. Most importantly, would someone please turn off the football.”

[Kandorith]

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Shinonome Kyoai - International

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Control and minimizing damage is the story.

A draw and another win keeps the Kandorese ahead, not a single game conceded yet.
By Natsumi Miyasaki
Sports

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*  Group 3                            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Kandorith                           13   10   3   0    41   20  +21    33
 2 Vilita                              13    9   1   3    36   31   +5    28
 3 Mertagne                            13    6   4   3    33   24   +9    22
 4 Barunia                             13    6   3   4    30   22   +8    21
 5 Savojarna                           13    6   2   5    22   18   +4    20
 6 Nyowani Kitara                      13    6   2   5    26   23   +3    20
 7 Cabo Azure                          13    3   5   5    26   24   +2    14 Y 
 8 Fluvannia                           13    2   4   7    18   24   −6    10 E
 9 Devonta                             13    3   0  10    19   40  −21     9 E
10 Arjunnagar                          13    1   2  10    17   42  −25     5 E 

For Kaya Michiyu the start of the job as manager for the national team could not have been more magical. The Kandorese have not lost a single game yet and are staying in first place firmly. Though on the side there's rising concerns as Vilita have made a rebound which is showing their attacking prowess. Right now the Kandorese just have to keep their composure and make sure they keep their undefeated streak going. With five games to go, Kandorith can still win a maximum of fifteen and a minimum of five points if they keep their composure now. As it stands now, Kandorith will remain at least in second place as they keep this up; if they keep performing as they have though, they will qualify directly as the number one of the group in an amazing fashion.

The already historical season of the Dragons is also seeing a more animated and invested manager, the first and youngest manager in the style which Kandorith has to get used to. As the youngest manager for the national team, one of the youngest in the domestic league, there has been doubts about how the season would unravel. Right now, the Kandorese have no complaints so far. As a first time manager for the national squad it is clear that Michiyu is having a dream season already. With every game played the Dragons are beating records as they are still undefeated in the qualifiers - a statistic which has never happened before. Along the way, the Kandorese would normally lose at least one game in the first part of qualifiers - right now they have yet to concede a game with only five matches to go.

When asked about the magical season we got a hearty chuckle from Michiyu. "I think we are doing amazing" Michiyu said. "It is an absolute honour to manage this team and to be on the front row of trying to bring our great nation back to the World Cup. For me, personally, I have taken inspiration from many managers how came before me and have promised myself to build on their greatness. From building on their greatness; I want to build improvement. I do think that the Kandorese team has improved a whole lot after I entered the ring of managing this team.

"For too long the Kandorese Association has had a revolving door policy and was controlled by the old culture. The old culture stuck to known managers and coaches who, in my opinion, should have quit already before they even took the job as national team manager. I do believe that I am the first who brings a whole new culture to our football and I will surely be trying to build the new culture. The new and younger generation is what we should build on and this is something which should also be reflected in the managing and coaching staff."

The Kandorese failed to overpower Cabo Azure with a match ending in a thrilling three to three draw where Kandorith secured another point. The following match showed an entire different team once again. Kandorith trashed Fluvannia with an easy three to one victory to grab the full three points and another plus two to their goal advantage. So far Kandorith has managed to score forty-one goals which is an absolute record. Never in the entire history of international football did Kandorith manage to get these kind of scorelines.

Previously there was a lot of skepticism towards the Kandorese team as both Watanabe and Hayabusa eventually quit as national team managers as results were disappointing. With Michiyu there seems to be an absolute revival of the team and a seemingly unstoppable momentum. Within the Empire the trust in their national team has fully returned and the stadiums are packed once again as they cheer on their team. The upcoming matches will be absolutely crucial and in the worst case scenario Michiyu will be aiming to avoid losing any points to the upcoming opponents.

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Kenji Tagawa dissolves parliament.

IPrime minister under pressure gambles on new elections.
By Hikaru Yamashiro
Politics

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Kenji Tagawa has decided to dissolve parliament as his government was meeting more and more resistance when it came to passing laws. One of the breaking points for the current parliament were the minister of defense and a minister of healthcare stepping down after alleged corruption accusations. The final blow for the Tagawa government however, came after the state secretary stepped down after acknowledging she was having an affair in exchange for political favours.

After the dissolvement of parliament Tagawa has already said he would not seek a parliamentary shuffle but would rather focus on new elections. Currently in the polls the Liberal Democrats of Tagawa only have a slight lead over the rising Central Democratic Party, who were absolutely decimated in the previous general elections. The CDP seems to have risen from the ashes and might actually return to the political scene in a resurrection unknown to the Kandorese theatre of politics.

Charm leads the polls

The LDP has been falling in the polls because of Tagawa's parliament failing to respond early to corruption and failures within the government itself and this is where the CDP already wins points yet, this is not the only trick the Central Democrats have up their sleeves. Shinji Asato, cult icon and business magnate, is the new face of the Central Democratic Party. The very well known, and loved, club and restaurant owner is rising in the polls like a rocket as his offensive of pure charm is captivating the hearts of the Kandorese people.

Where the established parties keep stuck on their political talk and bringing politics to the people, Asato travels across the country to hype up people with his charm. Not making any promises, Asato tells the people he is here to fix politics and remove the blatant corruption which has "poisoned" Kandorith for decades. An advocate for a more free society, more direct democracy and of course less influence of the media over politics he also mentioned that he would at least attempt to get mega-corporations out of the picture.

Asato does not hide his grudges towards the Hiyashi Corporation and the likes and has often accused the government of conceding to the "power hungry" Hiyashi family and governing in their favour. In multiple statements he also claimed the Hiyashi Corporation has been running Kandorese politics as soon as the communist government was ousted and democracy came back to the Empire. While Asato is in no means an anti-monarchist he did claim that the imperial household should respect an investigation into their ties when it comes to the standing mega-corporations within the Kandorese Empire.

Asato has already revealed his government policies will be based on humanity, increased solidarity and less corporatism. In his own words he mentioned; "Taking the fight to the large corporations who have corrupted and poisoned our politics since their inception. They have been trying to control our lives, our political process and our every day happenings. Sadly they are succeeding slowly but surely. I will take the fight back to them and put the people of Kandorith on the first place. Yes, our economy is one of our greatest achievements but; at what cost? Will we be controlled by these predators who put money and resources for people - or will we take back our humanity once again?"

The Hiyashi Corporation's CEO, Kiyomi Hiyashi, has already lashed out against Asato. In her own words she called him a "villain with a boyish charm" and a "devil in disguise who should not be trusted". Without a doubt the Hiyashi Corporation has improved the lives of the Kandorese throughout the decades and there is no single piece of evidence presentable of them being involved in politics.

Currently Asato is winning the hearts of the Kandorese people, but making enemies when it comes to the business world and governmental institutions. The upcoming elections will surely be historical and the Kandorese are standing for a tough choice when it comes to the upcoming weeks. For years Tagawa's Liberal Democratic Party has dominated the Kandorese politics and have been a part of every coalition since the Empire was restored - yet right now their position is not looking solid. As it stands if the elections would be held this weekend, the LDP would lose their majority as the CDP would become the largest party with at least two-hundred seats. For now, the campaigns have kicked of and the ruling parties will be looking to minimize the damage of the latest scandals as the opposition parties are going on the offense to become the new leading force within the nation.

[Vdara]

Picking Up Steam

The Touchline
VdarArena

Markos Moustakakos stood at the sidelines, tapping his foot impatiently as the seconds continued to tick. It was the 94th minute, and his side were barely hanging on in these final few seconds of the match against their rivals for the top spot - Valanora. Both sides had scored a goal each, but the away team were putting a lot of pressure on the home side, causing a lot of nervousness around the stadium. The seconds ticked by at the speed of minutes, and the minutes ticked by at the speed of hours - no matter how quickly Markos wanted time to go, it felt like this period of added time would never end.

Until it did.

As the whistle blew to signify the end of the match, Markos took a look at the scoreboard to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. He had been through this before, having once dreamt about a time where he defeated this very opponent, only to wake up to the sound of his alarm clock incessantly beeping.

VDARA    - 1  90:00
VALANORA - 1  +4:23

He was not dreaming. His side had held one of the best teams in world football to a draw, and the fans roared with approval as the whistle blew. Markos wasn’t quite able to hold in his emotions, as he turned towards the fans and raised both his arms into the air, fists clenched, and shouted ”YEAAAAAAAAAAAH!” back to them. He couldn’t even properly speak, he was so elated. This qualifiers stage was nowhere near over, but judging by the home crowd’s reaction - you’d really think it had been decided there and then. There were tears in the eyes of some of the players as they walked back towards the tunnel, embracing each other as they did - they had well and truly fought for this result, and they were proud of themselves for it. Having lost so badly in the reverse fixture, this almost felt like a win - even if it was only worth a point. A point’s a point, though, and every point is valuable in these late, late stages of the qualifiers. Markos followed the players back into the tunnel, but not before exchanging a few high fives with some fans in the crowd. He was pumped.

Home Team Dressing Room,
VdarArena

Markos: ”Lads… we need to take a breather after that game. My heart is pounding, and I’m not sure I can handle any more excitement. I know we didn’t get the win we were aiming for, but quite frankly - I think the stadium would’ve collapsed if we had beaten our opponents. I mean, just listen to them now!”

The noise of the crowd could be audibly heard from the dressing room; they were singing loudly and proudly, with no sign of slowing down any time soon.

(OOC: this chant is to the tune of the James Tavernier chant, if you want to give it a listen)

”WE’RE TOP OF THE GROUP
(NA NA NA NA NA)
WHOOP DE WHOOP DE WHOOP
(NA NA NA NA NA)
IT MIGHT NOT LAST FOR LONG
BUT WE’LL STILL SING THIS SONG”

Markos: ”Drink that in, lads. Absorb the energy from this. Your fans are out there, belting their hearts out because we got a draw. I mean, can you believe that? We’ve not even won, and yet our fans are immensely proud. Heck, I’M immensely proud. You’ve given our fans something to sing about, which is absolutely fantastic. You’ve earned this, lads - you’ve all earned this.”

After this match, the Vdarans - still presumably riding on the high of the tie - hammered Sendhang 5-1 away, giving their goal difference a hefty boost, as well as boosting themselves further ahead of Valanora at the top of the table. The Vdara train had been picking up steam for a while, chugging along in the early stages, but now it seemed as if the train was at full speed, with no sign of stopping.

[Eura]

WORLD CUP 89 – QUALIFYING GROUP 18 – MATCHDAY 12
TALAMIA 0 – 3 EURA
Scorers: Tomlinson 40, Woakes 60, Malone 67
Lineup: 13. V Simm, 4. J Menard (sub Coles 50), 25. J Byrd, 27. T Wellington, 6. M Rowland, 8. V Robshaw, 11. B Malone, 7. M Woakes, 12. D Bowman (sub Woodman 70), 10. I Tomlinson, 9. B Bond

WORLD CUP 89 – QUALIFYING GROUP 18 – MATCHDAY 13
LATHAMFORD 1 – 0 EURA
Scorers:
Lineup: 1. K Belgrave, 2. H Wheeler (sub Read 59), 4. J Menard, 15. T Green, 5. K Sherwood, 3. L Almwood, 6. M Rowland (sub Vincent 65), 8. V Robshaw, 7. M Woakes, 10. I Tomlinson, 17. S Walker (sub Bond 59)

---

15:40 hours, Endemian time zone
Lakeside Air Force Base, north of Storfan
Near the border with Szavoda

A lonely tick set down on Brigadier Claudia Larchwood’s skin and immediately aggravated the Nepharan. She struck it down with what must have felt like the hammer of God to a tiny little insect. The heat, the bugs, everything was getting to her. And now?
‘I’m sorry Claudia. The stars just haven’t aligned yet, if you get what I mean.’
Another fucking delay.
‘Is that it? What do I tell them?’
‘Just the usual. No flight tonight. Don’t be too honest though, we don’t know how good the security the Eurans have got on the base is. There could be some contractor with dodgy contacts listening in.’
‘Will do boss.’ She hung up on the satellite phone and seethed. And she didn’t hide it well, either; it took the Brigadier a moment to realise she’d crushed the glass in her hand.
At least the medics would have something to do.

A few hundred officers and NCOs gathered on the tarmac outside Lakeside’s massive Hanger 8, which was currently occupied by the troops sleeping outdoors in the balmy Sameban night. Larchwood jumped onto the hood of an EAF truck at the front and spoke as loudly and clearly as her lungs would allow.
‘Gather round! Alright, had a call from Corvistone, and its bad news. No green light. No go tonight.’
A loud groan swept through the crowd.
‘Yeah, yeah, I hear ya’. Its not ideal. I know it’s a pain in the arse. The Eurans have called up the local takeaway joints – we’ll be eating some moreish kebab chicken tonight, over in the assembly hall. First come first serve.’
More positive murmurs started to rebound back towards her.
‘Alright, dismissed.’
‘Yes boss!’ rang the collective cry.

She smiled wryly. This was her outfit above all else. Larchwood was an experienced officer, but her rise through the ranks over the years hadn’t away a distinct caring for the rank and file. She had an intense persona of a distanced leader, sure; that didn’t mean she fit the mould of the “strong, silent type” cliché. When something had to be said she’d say it. Preferably in few words rather than many.
‘Brigadier!’
A chirpy Euran – weren’t there a few too many of them? – jogged over once he’d grabbed her attention. He was Colonel Colin Matthews, one of the less impressive examples of the otherwise peerless Euran officer corps she’d had to deal with over the past few years. A classic example of what the Euran’s dismissively called a “jogger”, after a General who infamously scheduled group runs for him and his officers any time a senior figure was arriving on base to order him to go into combat – career academy men who desired the ability to completely avoid combat and instead focus on paperwork.

Well, Matthews wasn’t that bad. But he was far too chummy for her liking. She dismounted from the truck not-so-elegantly and watched as her soldiers marched off to get some sorely needed grub. ‘Colonel.’
‘Awfully sorry to hear the news. But at least it means we all get to spend some more time together, eh? We’ve hooked up some televisions over in the mess hall so your boys and girls can watch Nephara’s next qualifier, how about that?’
‘Yeah, they’ll like that. Thanks.’ If I finish every sentence this quickly I won’t have to talk to him for at least another hour.
‘Great, fantastic. You’ve got a visitor, by the way.’
‘Visitor? Who?’
‘A couple of OSI types, some civil servants. Oh – and the Minister of Defence.’
‘The what now-‘ He toddled off and signaled for her to follow without further explanation.

After a short walk, Larchwood found she had been led over to the base’s south command centre just off the foot of the main runway. Several armoured cars and a group of Euran black ops special forces guys were lurking around, accompanying a tall man in a suit, who was visibly struggling with the heat. The Eurans clearly hadn’t taken into account the difference in weather when they decided to hold on to Sameba after all. ‘Here you go. Sir! This is Brigadier Larchwood. She heads up the Nepharan task force. Brigadier, this is the Minister of Defence, Sterling Thorpe, have you met?’
‘No.’ Larchwood had technically met him at some function a couple of years back, held by the Euran government to sweet talk Nepharan higher ups they thought might get involved in politics once they returned home, a clever attempt to ensure future Nepharan parliaments had plenty of Eura-lovers. But she had no doubt this Bastion technocrat wouldn’t remember. He held out his hand.

‘Brigadier, good to meet you. Are you sure about that though? I distinctly remember you telling me about your experiences in Bregaland at some event a little while back. It stuck with me somehow. Fascinating stuff, actually.’
Larchwood gulped almost audibly, uncharacteristically embarrassed. She’d underestimated him.
‘Now you mention it…yeah, right. I remember.’
‘Wonderful. Well, I’m glad above all else that your leaders have put a reliable operator in charge. I’ve looked over your record. Fifteen years in the service. Experienced battlefield commander. One of the few Nepharan senior officers to command a Euran-majority formation during the Endemian War. You fought the communists and the regime simultaneously, all while technically being behind enemy lines. All very impressive if you ask me.’
‘Thanks.’ She didn’t take well to flattery, choosing instead to glare slightly less scarily than usual. Kindness comes in many different forms.

‘Listen, I’m grateful for the compliments, but I’ve got a lot of work to do. What is it you need from me?’
‘Ah, nothing. I just wanted to pop up here given this hold-off order doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. How are the troops? Not sneaking off-base, I hope. We don’t want the locals working out what’s going on here.’
‘No, we’ve kept them in line.’
‘Good stuff. Obviously, both in Bastion and Corvistone there’s a lot of goodwill towards you for keeping them in order while the politics resolves itself. It can’t be easy getting people ready for a potential fight then taking it away from them. It’ll work out though, I’m sure of it. And that goodwill means you’re probably destined for higher things after all this is over.’
‘Thanks for the career advice-’ she replied sarcastically, before remembering who she was speaking to. ‘Sorry. I appreciate it. We can introduce you to the ranks if you’d like to make an appearance.’
‘No, no need for that. This is a flying stop – I’ve got to be in Samebus tonight to meet with some Provisional Government honchos, they’re starting to sweat a bit about this referendum.’

Larchwood was surprised at how quickly and pleasantly the conversation had gone, even if she was glad the VIP would be out of her hair as quickly as he’d landed in it.
‘One quick thing though…’
Oh. Never mind. Thorpe had made sure to discreetly pull her back while the irritating base chief and anyone else not part of his detail were out of earshot.
‘…your higher-ups in Corvistone, they’re very set on this being an all-green operation. The Cormorant swoops in and saves the day and all of that. Which we’re fine with, of course, and the Prime Minister has complete faith in you and your troops to deliver should you be required. But…’ Larchwood tensed up. She didn’t like the word “but”. ‘…between you and me, and I really do insist it is just between you and me, there are some in Blackhall who are a bit skeptical of where this is all going. So, me and a couple of other Cabinet colleagues have pulled some strings, and this is where we’ve ended up.’

He handed her a unique-looking satellite phone, different to the standard issue Nepharan Army gear she had. ‘This is a direct line to my office in the capital. If things go belly up over there – and I know that you know better than anyone how that can be in combat – I want you to call my office and update me one to one.
‘Why?’ she asked instinctively. ‘I don’t have any reason to do that. I’m not even sure it would be legal.’
‘Well, you’re going to be a long way from home with an initially small force. Quite frankly, if a faction were to rapidly change allegiances and you ended up cornered with no way out, I think it would be a while before your country-people would get there to help. This is your alternative. A get out of jail free card, if you like. I’d like to know what the situation on the ground is like anyway, but if it gets really bad, then call us and we’ll make sure the Prime Minister agrees to sending in the blue and gold cavalry. Just don’t tell your superiors. Diplomacy and all that.’
‘Ok.’ She paused to think for a moment, not quite sure what to make of the request. ‘I’ll bear that in mind.’
‘Excellent. Right, I’ll leave you to it. The Air Force tell me the refueling aircraft and escorts are all ready to go at AFB Pera, so once your bosses boss gives the go-ahead, we’ll be up in the air with you in a jiffy. Anything you need, just ask the Colonel over there and we’ll get it sorted for you. Good luck!’ Thorpe disappeared into the night, leaving Larchwood pondering whether or not to worry that the Eurans felt the need to give her this gift.

[Pasarga]

The time of the world was all over the place, with much chaos going on and it seemed that it was as much in the political arena as it was in the sporting arena. However the place for Pasargans was not to interfere in such ventures, the culture of the dual islands and its government did not typically incline itself into interfering in the affairs of others, unless it directly effected the dual islands themselves. This is perhaps also due to the fact that Pasarga has long been a peaceful nation, with no formal army or any other armed forces to speak of, bar the royal guard. For at least a century Torgos had outsourced its military to regional allies, first in the form of the Polarians, then later with the Eurans as part of the modernization project. Pasargans were a hard working people, close knit but not prone to the usual violence that comes with tribalism or very close knit communities when faced with outsiders.

This makes the matter in the region very curious, as most Pasargans would like to see their fellow man be spared from the atrocities that have befallen certain groups, but then they do not have the force or desire to interfere in their affairs either. They are stuck watching from the sidelines as all the events unfold around them, mere spectators in the affairs of their own region and with those whom they share the most common ground with. It has caused a small question to be formed in the larger cities of the kingdom, should the dual islands once again have a professional standing army as well as more than just merchant ships when it comes to a navy. There was once a point in time where the dual islands did have a professional military, when they had to defend themselves who sought to take away their lands and freedoms that they enjoyed. However as decades of peace turned to centuries, the need faded and with regional allies who were willing to shoulder the burden for the Pariis, it did not seem a pressing need. However forced to watch as such horrid events unfold, it can not but pull at the heart strings and make the question be posed.

For the time being, the dual islands will do what they can to assist, opening up their borders to take in refugees from the ongoing crisis, as well as providing food and other necessities to the refugee camps that are sure to spring up around the area. It might not be the same sort of assistance a nation like Eura or Valladares could provide, but it does serve a purpose and will hopefully help those who are in such dire needs in these trying times. With hearts full of compassion and looking for ways to help, these aid packages as well as the opening up of the borders will put some minds in the dual islands to ease but it is and will continue to be a very troubling situation. Some might wonder what the CRC might due to interfere in the conflict, if it would be right or wrong to do. While all these deliberations take part however, the people they would be looking to help continue to suffer in the conditions that they have unfortunately found themselves in.

[Chromatika]

Part 1: The Plan
Part 2: The Debrief
Part 3: The Shadow Hand
Part 4: The Explosion
Here follows what can be considered Part 5:

Foul Play: After Special Investigation, Chromia Police Department Confirms Bus Engine Explosion Wasn't An Accident
Domestic Terrorist Groups Suspected

By: Harold Springer, Special News Correspondent

CHROMIA, CAPITAL DISTRICT - After a special investigation done by a joint force including the Chromia Police Department, the Department of Domestic Terrorism, and the Chromatik Special Forces, Chromia Joint Police Chief Chester Jones announced that the incident of one of the team buses exploding due to acute hydraulics failure was not an accident, and that foul play had indeed been involved. Mr. Jones stated that someone had deliberately sabotaged the vehicle so that the hydraulics line would rupture, and also touched up the engine so that the resulting heat from the loss of coolant would have a much easier time affecting the engine, resulting in the explosion that killed the driver, put four Anomalies players in critical condition, and injured eight others.

Mr. Jones declined to comment on whom he deems to be the most likely of suspects, deferring to the Department of Domestic Terrorism on that front. Moments afterward, Section Chief Jewell Marchlander had her own presentation, bringing to light that three groups are the primary suspects: The Myana-Urrhed Pirates, The Anacondas, and The Shadow Hand.

The Myana-Urrhed Pirates, or Piranhas as they like to call themselves (despite the fact that piranhas are not native to Chromatik waters at all), are a small-scale pirate group that operate off the coast of Myana Island. They are very hard to track down as they have an offshore tanker where they drill for their own oil, alongside a hydroponics unit that allows them to grow their own food. It isn't known how they handle getting everything that they need, but they're a group of mariners who believe that the sea doesn't belong to any government and wishes for their freedom. According to Ms. Marchlander, the Piranhas are the least likely group to have caused the incident, as "this upcoming election and the politics surrounding Chromatika don't have much bearing on maritime laws. They could've done it just to garner public attention, but it is hardly likely."

The Anacondas are the extreme elements of The Red Party, though the Red Party have disavowed them from their agenda. Besides advocating for ROYG rights, they are also eco-terrorists who believe that all of Chromatika should be forced to go green, and that Eyrods is the bare minimum of what a Chromatik city should endeavor toward. The Anacondas have a lot of sway in Myana Island, which also makes them an unlikely prospect. They've never made a move off of Myana or Urrhed Island in the past, and they are very good at walking the line between terrorism and activism. In fact, Ms. Marchlander stated that her contact in the Anacondas had reported that the Anacondas were retreating while the fervor behind this terrorist act blew over, as if to not get caught in the crossfire.

That leaves one last suspect. Before the Rainbow Revolution, there was an enclave found in the jungles of Eyrods of an army that didn't believe in the Chromatik Party and actively sought to destroy them. The Party had wiped them out to the last man, or that was what had been reported; however, with the information that the Chromatik military has been able to dig up, it seems that the Shadow Hand, the elites of the Red Enclave, are active again. If the Shadow Hand are at large, all of Chromatika is endangered. Ms. Marchlander stressed caution and avoidance of panic from the general public, stating that actions were being taken to sure the safety of the Anomalies players and also the Chromatik public, while also stating that the Shadow Hand's modus operandum was systematic assassination of key targets, not mass chaos or loss of civilian life.

She then took a number of questions from the press before her departure, leaving the media, and the population of Chromatika, stunned. Tensions went up all over the nation. Neighborhood watches mustered themselves. Reports of suspicious activities called into police departments have tripled since the press conference. It isn't lost on anyone that this is all happening during the elections.

For now, dear readers, stay safe and stay vigilant.

---

Sports: Anomalies Bounce Back, Capitalize on Off Days from Sylestone and Eura
Pivotal Three-Game Stretch Still Awaits

By: Jordan Lawless, Sports Correspondent

Matchday 12: Chromatika 2-0 Melbergia @ The Tidal Wave, Tihon, Urrhed Island
Goals: Kuznetsov '33, Mora '72
Player of the Match: AM Hermaeus Mora (1 Goal, 1 Assist)
Starting XI (4-4-1-1): Fillar, J.; Xiao - de Aea - Ken - Ilya; Humphreys - Armageddon (C) - Zuniga - Kuznetsov; Mora; Vidal.
Substitutes: Larriet-Cortes -> Zuniga ('59), Anbient -> Ken ('66), Gainsbourg -> Vidal ('72)

Matchday 13: Chromatika 2-0 Talamia @ Island Dome, Myana, Myana Island
Goals: Vidal '22, '38
Player of the Match: ST Olimipa Vidal (2 Goals)
Starting XI (4-4-1-1): Fillar, J.; Xiao - de Aea - Ken - Ilya; Humphreys - Armageddon (C) - Zuniga - Kuznetsov; Mora; Vidal.
Substitutes: Fillar, G. -> Xiao ('61), Croix-Pierre -> Kuznetsov ('75), Nocturne-> Ilya ('80)

ISLAND DOME, MYANA, MYANA ISLAND - Sometimes, home cooking in front of a feverous, patriotic crowd is what you need.

Playing with a twenty-six man roster, with the other twenty-four on mandated rest either recovering physically or mentally from the explosion, the Anomalies hosted Melbergia and Talamia in Matchdays 12 and 13 knowing that victories were almost required at this point. They were down to Hermaeus Mora being the only Attacking MIdfielder; Juxon Fillar and Grayson Fillar had to play knowing that Baillaire and Edith were both recovering from injuries (Baillaire sprained her left shoulder while Edith will be out a while longer with a broken ankle). The whole team had to play with heavy hearts while knowing that they were still under stress to perform.

Thankfully, the majority of the players remaining are Chromatika's "A" squad. Yes, they haven't played many games in qualifying since the Chromatik Football Federation started using the fifty-man system during qualifiers to give players of various skill levels some playing experience; that being said, when the team needed results, this lineup is the best to field.

Chromatika defeated both of their opponents two-nil behind magnificent play from Juxon Fillar, Hermaeus Mora, and Olimpia Vidal as Chromatika also benefited from Eura's 0-1 loss to Lathamford and Sylestone running into a slew of draws to improve to second place in the group, two points behind Eura and three points ahead of Sylestone.

Juxon Fillar, helped with the base formation that included two Defensive Midfielders, was hardly challenged in the two games, blocking all five significant shots with ease and then putting his right hand over his heart after each save. After the match, he stated that he was thinking of his sisters and that he believed that they would return to the pitch in peak form sooner than later.

Hermaeus Mora was the star in the game against Melbergia, dropping in a gorgeous ball for Kuznetsov to set up the opening goal and then converting on a free kick in the second half. Olimipia Vidal did his damage against Talamia in the first half, the the Anomalies cruised in the second half for a comfortable victory.

When asked about why he didn't go for scoring more goals, Tim Landers replied, "It's paramount that we work on our focus and morale right now ahead of anything else. We were in control for both of our matches and never let them into the game. What's important is that we play clean, injury-free game, not that we run up the score. We'll be fine."

Chromatika will be without the aforementioned twenty-four for at least the next two matches before the uninjured players will be allowed to return, and then those that were injured will come back as they are able. The away game at Darmen will be a challenge, while the home match against unranked Schima Bas will be a chance at revenge after the minnow side upset the Chromatiks for their first loss of these qualifiers.

The Anomalies cannot breathe easy now, as after those two matches, they will play the three-game stretch that will determine their fate, and against competent foes - away at Sylestone, home against Eura at the Capitalizt Dome, and then away at Lathamford, a side that has already defeated Eura and Sylestone one time each.

"We need to stick together and recommit ourselves to the work," stated Juxon Fillar about the five games remaining, "Our destiny is in our own hands, and we will only have ourselves to blame if we were to fall short. Our injured teammates wouldn't want us to do that. We need to do well for them."

That's bound to be one source of motivation for the squad as they march on.

Chromatik Roster for the Next Two Matches:
GK Juxon Fillar, GK Ferret Tioux, RB Kai Xiao, RB Victoire De Saint-Pierre, RB Grayson Fillar, CB Henri de Aea, CB Giles Ken, CB Keira Anbient, CB Damon Ingram, LB Valence Ilya, LB Nina Pomeroy, LB Derron Nocturne, RM/RW Augustus Humphreys, RM/RW Orianne Marc, RM/RW Barrion Winge, LM/LW Vasiliy Marten Kuznetsov, LM/LW Andréa Croix-Pierre, DM Enigma Armageddon, DM Kateryna Zuniga, AM Hermaeus Mora, DM Kaia Larriet-Cortes, DM Eli Apt, ST Olimipa Vidal, ST Alicia Gainsbourg, ST Ignace Thibodeaux.

Starting XI (4-4-1-1): Fillar, J.; Xiao - de Aea - Ken - Ilya; Humphreys - Armageddon (C) - Zuniga - Kuznetsov; Mora; Vidal.

---

Chambers of the Legislature Representatives Results: Red Party, Independents Win Big
Traditionalists Take Huge Blow

By: Xinyi Leung, Politics Correspondent

The Chambers of the Legislature, Pre-Election

Results:
Representative District #03, Chromia Central #2 Isaac Krause (Red Party) 41.5%, Yeling Huang (Rainbow Party) 33.6%, Justin Delvin (Traditionalist Party) 24.9%
Representative District #06, Chromia Eastern #1 Riley Beck (Rainbow Party) 58.4%, Henry Osborn (Traditionalist Party) 41.6%
Representative District #13, Chromia Western #4 Lena Bialla (Red Party) 44.4%, Erik Kamson (Rainbow Party) 32.5%, Myung-Shik Jung (Traditionalist Party) 23.1%
Representative District #20, Chromia Northern #3 Jasmin Dwyer (Rainbow Party) 52.8%, Martha Grey (Traditionalist Party) 47.2%
Representative District #26, Wirr Tsi #1 Karol Kay (Independent) 37.6%, Hand-Do Kim (Traditionalist Party) 36.5%, William Jacques (Rainbow Party) 25.9%
Representative District #32, Capital East #2 Jerod Springer (Rainbow Party) 48.2%, Mirabelle Juron (Traditionalist Party) 30.2% Amie Riora (Red Party) 21.6%
Representative District #39, Sanar #3 Karima Maddox (Traditionalist Party) 63.5%, Darin Wyre (Rainbow Party) 36.5%
Representative District #47, Z'ai'ai #1 Oswald Brentworth (Rainbow Party) 52.1%, Lina Cade (Traditionalist Party) (47.9%)
Representative District #51, Ming #1 Rachelle Pickering (Independent) 46.3%, Avin Jones (Rainbow Party) 32.8%, Henri Champange (Traditionalist Party) 20.9%
Representative District #54, Umbar #2 Reed Dawson (Rainbow Party) 42.5%, Ines Byrom (Traditionalist Party) 36.4%, Carol Dear (Independent) 21.1%
Representative District #59, Lhor Hills Jared Greer (Traditionalist Party) 55.3%, Plyne Greada (Rainbow Party) 44.7%
Representative District #62, Myana Central Harold Myung (Myana Party) 71.7%, Aria Gar (Traditionalist Party) 28.3%
Representative District #69, Eyrods #2 Sara Aerios (Red Party) 50.2%, Amanda Fleur (Rainbow Party) 27.4%, Wayne Hank (Traditionalist Party) 22.4%
Representative District #71, Myana Island Ysolde Hines (Rainbow Party) 53.4%, Dora Hawkins (Traditionalist Party) 46.6%
Representative District #74, Tihon #3 Derrick Sang (Rainbow Party) 66.4%, Olivia Mark (Traditionalist Party) 33.6%
Representative District #79, Urrheddiao #3 Samuel Graft (Traditionalist Party) 52.5%, Eddard Joachim (Red Party) 47.5%

The Chambers of the Legislature, Post-Election

The Red Party and Independents won big as both the Rainbow and Traditionalist Parties took losses in what could be a worrying trend for Chromatik politics going forward.

In winning two more seats while defending their only seat up for grabs, the Red Party, or "the Party that Never Forgets", is starting to garner a voice in Chromatika.

"We are sick and tired of the current administration not doing enough to catch those that have been oppressed up to speed," stated Isaac Krause, Red-#03 (Chromia Central #2), in his victory speech, "We need to continue to be the thorn in the side that reminds the both the Rainbow and the Traditionalists that reparations need to continue to be paid so that the percentage of the population impacted by the Revolution continues to lessen. If we fail at that, we fail at the duty of the government."

Elsewhere, two self-declared Independents won seats, with Rachelle Pickering and Karol Kay joining the already-established Jerome Kieran.

"There are more ways to think than three," stated Karol Kay, "And the more we get entrenched in the set ways of the parties, the more we let slip by. We must not let ourselves do that."

The Rainbow Party maintains their simple majority, and it is still possible to gain the supermajority by just convincing the Reds; however, as their power grows, the cost to enlist their help may go up at a level that the party is not willing to negotiate.

The Rebel has also heard rumors of something else that is set to take place after the Premier Election, before everything settles down. We will report on that as soon as more information becomes available.

Tales from the Lower Leagues has been postponed indefinitely. The Rebel will return with updated stats through Season 7 for some of those clubs in future editions.

[Sevendia]

The Seven Tribune

77 Sevents

Sevendian players to join teams outside of Sevendia?

Recently, the Llamaphant Pro Baseball’s Sun City Flames have made headlines (in Sevendia) about their signing of Seanna-Seven Joudlven. Joudlven, who is playing for the Sevendian national baseball team, is going to suit up for the Flames in Left Field this coming season. Asked about the jump into this much less Seven nation, Joudlven told reporters: “It’s true that South Newlandia is not a very seven country, but I’m going to be able to survive. The thing that gives me the strength to play in this environment long-term is sports; baseball is allowing me to carry this on. Left Field is the position frequently marked as the 7th in a diamond, and the Flames have agreed to have me be 7th in the batting order, and be pulled after seven innings in most games. I’m still trying to get them to come around on letting me play 77 games, but I’ll figure it out”. Naturally, this has caused some inquiries to the football-Sevens about potential plans to play in other countries. However, many Seven players have already stated a particular disinterest in leaving their seven home, and it remains unclear whether or not any remarkable club would be willing to both tolerate the fact that Sevendians are really bad at the very-not-seven sport of football, and their probably ridiculous demands regarding sevenness. Therefore, Sevendian expert Sevguy-Seven Sevenman has stated “No Sevendian football players will play abroad for several years. Probably at least seven.”

Page 7 – Drawks – how to hunt them efficiently (a guide for everyone who wants to improve their Drawk-hunting game)

Page 7 – Sevendia wins consolation final in the 5th International Cup of 7-ball, coach: “We’ll win the 7th one”

Page 7 – How to achieve total sevenity in your life – what you can improve

Page 7 – Foreigner who graded Sevendian thing as something other than seven reportedly beaten up, sevenolice says

[Schima Bas]

Match Reports
Schima Bas v. Srednjaci, Basian Blac Sporting Field
4-1, Srednjaci

‘21 Matković
‘26 Tavano
‘40 Bisma Shehadeh
‘58 Šutić
‘84 Tavano

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Schima Bas @ Agresos, Unknown
1-0, Agresos

'89 - Meniotos

Schima Bas: Polled!
Brought to you by Shehadeh Enterprise

Do you think Eugenio Tio should keep the Managerial Job after WCQ?
Yes: 63%
No: 30%
I don't know: 7%

What part of the pitch needs the most change?
Goalkeeping: 5%
Defense: 65%
Midfield: 8%
Offense: 22%

Do you know Bisma Shehadeh?
Yes: 64%
No: 33%
I don't know: 3%

Do you like Bisma Shehadeh?
Yes: 45%
Yes: 40%
I don't know: 15%

Would you be more inclined to have a favorable opinion of Bisma Shehadeh if such an opinion gave you 50% off participating goods at the Bisma Shop,patent pending a new sports/shopping experience trialing right now in an area of Schima Bas near you???
Yes: 60%
No: 0%
I don't know: 5%

[Omerica]

The Twii Thread Unroller
Thread from @DamianMonaghanSFRD

Putting aside how completely hairbrained the indie “Super League” idea is, here’s how I think Omericans would react to the idea… (1/X)

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Corona Christiana: Just getting an invitation to a ‘‘super league’’ would be exciting. Long living in the Arena la Rouge’s shadow,… (2/X)

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…La Corona would be highly tempted by such a status symbol, even if they don’t necessarily deserve it. (3/X)

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Malavan Romainbourg: They would immediately and unflinchingly deliver two middle fingers to the Squidroidian Think Tank. (4/X)

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Malavan are called “cocos” for a reason and they would never betray their working class roots, even if they are the most worthy club. (5/X)

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AS Républicains: They have a reputation as villains and would chomp at the bit to break away if the opportunity presented itself. (6/X)

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Républicains are a club that prides itself on wealth and power, so they’d instantly join if given the chance. (7/X)

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United Philibiscostal: They are the second most worthy club after Malavan and would be grumbling that they missed out to La Corona. (8/X)

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Whether they would break away is an open question, but the lustre it would provide would probably be decisive in bringing them in. (9/X)

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The rest of the OPSL: Absolutely livid at the very idea. The Big Four drive money and viewership in Omerican football,… (10/X)

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…so losing any big clubs is a major kneecapping. Expect them to expel any takers from their ranks. (11/X)

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The URSF: Threatening to beat the Big Four w/cricket bats if they break away. They have been mending their relationship w/the FFI… (12/X)

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…and a breakaway would jeopardise that improvement. A breakway would be met with zero tolerance from indie firebrand Immaculata. (13/X)

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Supporters: Digusted by the very notion. Travelling to away days in the IFCF is already a hassle, so a “super league” is not on. (14/X)

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Regular away days in ZWZ, PFA, SQR and MRC would be a tough sell to Omerican fans, who are closer to Anaia than Sonnel. (15/X)

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Besides, jeopardising local derbies would hurt whichever clubs broke away, especially the Romainbourgeois clubs. (16/X)

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Overall, there would be some takers, but most people would not be having any of this “Super League” nonsense. The big death knell? … (17/X)

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… The logistics/economics don’t work. It’s completely impractical and would instantly fail, which makes it a great thought exp’t. (18/18)

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United Republican Soccer Federation
6 Jean-Jacques la Rouge Road
Port Alexandre, MS 18-A40
UNITED REPUBLICS OF OMERICA

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Baggieland v Omerica
World Cup 89 qualifying group stage — Matchday Fourteen
Dartmouth Hill, Hawthorn, Baggieland
— and —
Oberour Ar Moro v Omerica
World Cup 89 qualifying group stage — Matchday Fifteen
Parade Grounds, Regium, Oberour Ar Moro
Omerica lineup (4–3–3): Annelise Betancourt; Kara Félix, Frédérique Marquetti, Noémi Belmonte, Felix Zanetti; Jacques-Pierre Castell, Fearchar Mac Cléirich (captain), Thom Magalhães; Ollie Tate, Malcolm Beauchesne, Adélaïde Argyris
Substitutes: Valentine Augustin, Zavier Street; Sean van de Laar, Sydney Collins, Noah Clement, Frédéric Dufour; Máel Coluim Mac Ealair, Alexandrine Bourreau, Christian Marts; Jean-Paul Campagne, Jean-Lucas Babineaux, Lionel Stavros

---

[Zwangzug]

Here we go again!

Scores

[Eraman]

Ottoman Syldavia was only 3 points behind Eraman when they made the visit to Pasirpura Stadium on Matchday 12 of the World Cup 89 qualifiers. Ottoman Syldavia came into the qualifiers unranked but this is not their first participation as they participated in the World Cup 85 qualifiers, also drawn in the same group as Eraman. The two sides have played each other three times in the past, twice during the 85 World Cup qualifiers and once in the first round of the World Cup 89 qualifiers. Eraman was undefeated in the three matches where they won twice and were drawn once.

Ottoman Syldavia has proved that they are no pushover in the World Cup 89 qualifiers but Eraman was confident due to the past results between the two sides. Surprisingly, the away side came to Pasirpura with a very positive mentality to play an open game for a very entertaining match. They found the lead in the 22nd minute through their captain, Jared Kubos to shocked everyone in the stadium. But 2 goals in the second half by Era Hitam ensured that Eraman got all the 3 points at home soil to widened the gap between the two sides to 6 points. The result also meant Eraman returned to the second spot after Huayramarca lost 7-3 to the Squornshelan Remnant States on the same matchday.

Eraman then traveled to Delaclava to play a boring goalless draw. But luckily, still managed to hang on to 2nd spot as Huayramarca was tied at Ottoman Syldavia and Squornshelan Remnant States lost at Tumbra. With 5 more matches to be played, Nephara who has a 7 points lead at the top of the table is already one foot into the World Cup. But the race for the second spot became a lot more interesting as Eraman, Tumbra, Huayramarca, Squornshelan Remnant States, and maybe even Ottoman Syldavia fighting all out for it. Eraman will entertain the visit of the group leader, Nephara next at the Daulapura Stadium, a very crucial match for the Eramanians.

[Banija]

RBSA Executive Board Meeting

The RBSA's Executive Chairman, Robel Ezera, was sitting in a room, with his Executive Board. They promised each other that they would meet here again, after Matchday 13, to discuss the future of Marcus Waters. Since then, of course, the Banijan NT manager had gone 4-0-0. Only one away game in that set, of course(where Banija's struggles had occured), but it was an away win, even if the team didn't play all that well and left it extremely late.

But of course, all you could do is win the games in front of you, and Banija had won 5 in a row. Considering Marcus Waters history, the fact that he had done Banija out of a World Cup Qualifying hole before, and considering all that he had accomplished leading this team, it was obviously a unanimous decision for the Executive Board to retain him throughout the remainder of World Cup Qualifying. There were only 5 games left, anyways.

"Well, there's nothing we can do now." The Executive Chairman said. "All we can do is sit and hope. We're firmly in the race for a playoff spot- but the biggest games are upcoming. It's up to the men and women on the pitch." Most of the Executive Board chimed in with agreement.

"Of course, we have to be prepared for all scenarios." Robel Ezera said. "Let's agree on this here and now- no matter what, Waters will be given the leeway to finish out World Cup Qualifying, including any potential playoff if we make one. If we don't make it to Tikariot & South Newlandia, then we'll call Pam Scott. She's in the country, she watches Banijan talent week in and week out- she can marshal up a squad for the Cup of Harmony. We'll make her an offer to become interim manager for the CoH, while conducting a full and thorough interview process for the next NT manager."

Everybody agreed. "Should we sound out to Pam Scott now, on the DL?" One member asked.

"No." Robel Ezera replied. "That kind of stuff can leak far too easily. I trust Pam, of course. But she also lives in Busukuma, which is really nice. We've got to project all the confidence in the world that we have faith in Marcus Waters. Hopefully that faith will be well-founded. There's a risk that another NT hires her- but that's a risk we'll have to take." The Executive Board murmured in agreement. Then, they went to discuss budgetary items, and other regularly scheduled agenda items. Could the Kadongo Kamu

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A country 'on edge' as back to back home wins show how far Banija has come- and how far they have to go to rescue their World Cup Qualifying Campaign

BUSUKUMA, NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION- In Banija's last two game window, both at home on the opposite sides of the Kitara Region, the Kadongo Kamu rolled to their fourth and fifth consecutive victories, railing Abanhfleft 4-0 on their home field before defeating Quakmybush in a tightly contesting 1-0 home win in Busembe. The Quakmybush game was definitely a tight, physical battle- a rare defensive masterclass for a team that generally likes to get the ball moving forward. All the team needed in that game was a 17th minute strike from Mar Sara FC striker Kamara Touré, as they bunkered down for the three points after that. Kamara Touré was making his first start of the campaign, as Kausu Dione had earned his second yellow of the campaign in the victory over Abanhfleft, garnering him a one game suspension.

The manager, Marcus Waters, talked about how the team had seemed to settle into World Cup Qualifying. "For the first half of this campaign, this team was really feeling the pressure. We started to take Qualifying for the World Cup for granted- if it ever is for anybody. I always like to say, even Eura missed one after Qualifying 27 consecutive times. What makes us special? Nothing. We've got to go out and earn it. We were thoroughly beaten on the pitch by very talented opponents, including Zwangzug and Pemecutan, as we particularly struggled in games away from home. But now we have the opportunity to turn this around."

This has led Banija, of course, to pick up five consecutive wins in World Cup Qualifying- and due to quirks in the schedule, four of those games were at the comforts of home field, while only one was any away match. But 15 points out of 15 possible is what it says it is- no matter where you play them. "Look, the team is playing well right now." Said a Matong Sports Television Commentator. "You can't ask for more than what we have given over the last five games. But even with that, we are still two points out of a playoff spot, and six out of winning the group. Our early struggles, and our early away game struggles in particular, have washed away how well we've done at home so far."

And the home form has been impeccable. Seven home games- six wins and a draw. 19 points out of 21 possible, with a late goal conceded against Southwest Eastnorth the only thing keeping the Banijans from a perfect home record thus far. The away form has not been forgiving- 2 wins, a draw, and 3 losses out of six games played. Which means that the final quintet of this schedule, or final five games, promises to be an extremely tough set of matches for this team.

We've talked about the away struggles for a while. Even though we won our last away game, on Matchday 12, we didn't look particularly great doing so- even if three points is indeed 3 points. We'll be tested away from home on Matchday 14, travelling to Venmere. We only beat them 2-1 at home, so it's not like they are a nation with a team that we can expect to just roll over. It promises to be a tough away day for the Kadongo Kamu, although considering how bad our start was, our margin for error is almost none at this point- all three points are required. Expect heavy squad rotation for that one. Even if it is away from home, Matchday 15 is the focus of this double matchday. But before we get to that, a note on Venmere. They seem to be the first majority-Mormon nation we have played in this sport before- or any sport. Future ally based on faith, as the sporting world's two majority-Mormon nations?

Let's talk about Matchday 15. Zwangzug. At home. We drew Zwangzug away from home, with a 3-3 score. We've played some pretty epic matchups, historically, against Zwangzug. Namakula Kawesa dramatically hit a last minute penalty against them at World Cup 84 to qualify for the Round of 16. That was the first time we had ever made the knockout stages of a World Cup that wasn't on home soil. World Cup 85, we beat them in the Quarterfinals. Is Banija primed for one more big time victory against Zwangzug?

It is almost a must-win. Zwangzug are two points ahead of us in the table. If we miss this golden opportunity to put ourselves back in second place, then we are in serious trouble. A draw for Zwangzug will ensure Banija are not in control of our own destiny over the last three matchdays. And a win for Zwangzug at the Stadium of the Restoration? Well, at that point, we may as well kiss our World Cup Qualification hopes goodbye, and turn the last three games into a goodbye tour for Marcus Waters.

Thanks to our poor start, the only way to make up for it is to be near perfect the rest of the way. Can we get into a Qualifying place in the table for the first time all campaign by earning another six point window? We'll find out, soo enough.