Handball World Cup 24 - Everything Thread

[Sylestone]

Cutoff for matchday five of the first group stage, Quebec half.

---

Group E

Drawkland 24–24 Gatchingerrak Union
Varmennia 22–33 Quebec & Shingoryeo

Group E                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Quebec & Shingoryeo      5   3  1  1  139 118 +21    7
2 Drawkland                5   2  2  1  131 133  −2    6
3 Gatchingerrak Union      5   1  2  2  123 134 −11    4
4 Varmennia                5   1  1  3  128 136  −8    3

Group F

Juvencus 28–23 North Handoria
The 14 Stars 24–24 HUElavia

Group F              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Juvencus               5   5  0  0  140 116 +24   10
2 HUElavia               5   1  2  2  133 133   0    4
3 The 14 Stars           5   1  2  2  128 128   0    4
4 North Handoria         5   1  0  4  128 152 −24    2

Group G

Natanians and Nosts 24–27 The Jovannic
Hebitaka 20–25 Taxonomic Kingdoms

Group G                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Taxonomic Kingdoms       5   4  0  1  123 112 +11    8
2 The Jovannic             5   3  1  1  126 114 +12    7
3 Natanians and Nosts      5   2  0  3  132 135  −3    4
4 Hebitaka                 5   0  1  4  118 138 −20    1

Group H

Isle Noire 24–29 Ardengard
Ethane 27–29 Græntfjall

Group H              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Ardengard              5   4  0  1  137 126 +11    8
2 Græntfjall             5   3  0  2  131 127  +4    6
3 Isle Noire             5   2  0  3  140 130 +10    4
4 Ethane                 5   1  0  4  127 152 −25    2

Blue indicates a top two finish and automatic progression to the second group stage.
Green indicates a top three finish and assured progression to playoffs, although they can still get top two.
Magenta indicates a third-placed finish and assured progression to the playoffs, but not automatic qualification.
Red indicates elimination.

Please note head-to-head results have not been taken into account.

[Sylestone]

The Sylestonean > Sport > Handball > HWC 24

HAWTHORNS ASSURED OF TOP TWO WITH AWAY VICTORY OVER TERRADIU

Terradiu vs Sylestone @ Unknown

Terradiu Starting VII: Unknown

Sylestone Starting VII: Ackman; Strange - McCartney (c) - Strezlecki; Fosbrook - Barnsley - Radcliffe

SOMEWHERE, TERRADIU - Going into the match knowing that a single win would be sufficient for a top two finish, the Hawthorns were able to get away with playing a slightly weaker side for the match, with the home side only able to grab a single point out of their opening three matches. So it made sense for the Sylestoneans to not play at full strength for the game.

Their starting lineup, though, was a pretty powerful one. Bianca Gotch was being rested for her first game all tournament, with Ben Ackman able to take over in the goalmouth, while Patrick Barnsley will play his first game as a starter with Amber James, Sylestone’s best pivot, being rested for the majority of the match.

With the side nearly at full-strength, the Hawthorns got off to a blistering start against the home side, putting Terradiu under the pump right from the first second. After a mere fifteen minutes, the Sylestoneans were already 10-5 up and looking to capitalise on their opponent’s apparently weak defence, with Barnsley easily able to step into the role of pivot and score six of the Hawthorns opening ten goals, with able support from wingers Lachlan Fosbrook and Zachary Radcliffe.

However, as the half wore on, Sylestonean substitutions meant that the defence line was challenged just a little bit more. Jonathan Younger came on for Lole Strezlecki, while captain Isla McCartney was substituted off for Samantha Hussey, allowing Terradiu to establish their own hold the game to bring the score back to 17-14 by the time half-time came around.

After the break, both sides began to rely on their defence, with neither sides’ forward line able to penetrate their opponents’ ones often, with the third quarter of the game only yielding nine goals; five to Sylestone and four to Terradiu. It meant that despite having multiple chances to jump ahead of their opponents, the Hawthorns had let the home side remain well in the match, only four points behind the third-ranked side in the world, the score sitting at 22-18 with fifteen minutes to spare.

But the Western Esportivans held onto their lead, scoring seven goals over the final fifteen minutes of the match, including six in the final ten, to take out the match by five points. Terradiu fought, at one point decreasing the gap to three points, but Sylestone were the better team. The victory, at a 29-24 scoreline, ensured their automatic progression to the second group stage of the Handball World Cup and a top two finish, one of only three teams to still have that perfect record still. Can they hold onto it, or will one of Lisander or Kriegiersien end it before things get tough?

Cards:

Terradiu:
Unknown

Sylestone:
11’: Lachlan Fosbrook ▮
21’: Lachlan Fosbrook ▮
38’: Ellie McKean ▮
53’: Lachlan Fosbrook ▮
57’: Flynn Strange ▮

Goals:

Terradiu:
Unknown

Sylestone:
Patrick Barnsley - 9
Amber James - 5
Lachlan Fosbrook - 4
Claire Raven - 4
Zachary Radcliffe - 3
Ellie McKean - 2
Jonathan Younger - 2

Starting Lineup vs Lisander @ Unknown

Gotch; Strange - Hussey - Younger; Raven - James - Fosbrook (c)

Schedule

GS 1 MD1: Sylestone 31-20 Terradiu @ Hagdon Park Stadium, Cleorough
GS 1 MD2: Sylestone 28-22 Lisander @ Chamberley Institute of Sport, Chamberley
GS 1 MD3: Kriegiersien 24-28 Sylestone @ Unknown
GS 1 MD4: Terradiu 24-29 Sylestone @ Unknown
GS 1 MD5: Lisander - Sylestone @ Unknown
GS 1 MD6: Sylestone - Kriegiersien @ Avondale Arena, Avondale

[Bollonich]

Bollonischian Handball League

Maihar Lions

Manager - Pattie Nye (37)
Stadium - Maihar Indoor Arena (cap. 8,900)

Foreign Acquisitions
Marc Brinkman (26) of Brookstation
Amber James (29) of Sylestone

Squad

Players	                Pos.	Age	Nationality
Marc Brinkman	        GK	26	BRO
Jeffrey Patrick	        GK	34	BOL
Ingvar Scott	        LB	25	BOL
Darnell Parris	        LB	18	BOL
Marty Reeve	        CB	23	BOL
Grace Morris	        CB	27	BOL
Myrtle Fortune	        RB	29	BOL
Lucinda Bell	        RB	22	BOL
Ella Ikin	        LW	32	BOL
Polly Hart	        LW	21	BOL
Amber James	        P	29	SYL
Laverne Carlisle	P	30	BOL
Andrea Jeanes	        RW	21	BOL
Nigel Attwood	        RW	19	BOL

Past Performance
The Maihar Lions come into this season of the Bollonischian Handball League as one of the new franchises. Maihar Lions having been formed following the initial season will be participating in the first ever Bollonischian Handball League similarly to San Pablo Rockers who will take up the numbers from 8 to 10.

Player Watch
The newly formed Lions have a banging squad with good young players as well as experienced players to guide them. Marc Brinkman who’s been signed from Brookstation will help solidify the position of the goalkeeper bringing in that X-factor and also holds the high regard of being a quality international player. Ingvar Scott the left back played a crucial role in Bollonich’s Olympic gold winning campaign serving as back up for captain Reggie Mutton often taking on his role in the team. Amber James of Sylestone is also an interesting signing in the forward position as the Sylestonian National Team have been more than successful with him. These players form the heart of the team which looks very strong and could fight the others for a WCHC spot.

Expectations
The Maihar Lions being a new franchise have no experience in the competition however they contain a very talented squad who can definitely make the best of the opportunities presented to them as the squad contained some of the best players in Bollonich and across the multiverse. Maihar Lions like most of the sides hold a more than fair chance to make the WCHC which will be the main goal of most of the sides.

Maihar Warriors

Manager - Kenneth Elliot (64)
Stadium - Jenner Stadium (cap. 10,000)

Foreign Acquisitions
Jonathan Younger (24) of Sylestone

Squad

Players	                Pos.	Age	Nationality
Gordie Tatham	        GK	24	BOL
Red Evanson	        GK	36	BOL
Hayden Park	        LB	28	BOL
Liana Bull	        LB	20	BOL
Lovell Ayers	        CB	22	BOL
Willie Close	        CB      26	BOL
Jonathan Younger	RB	24	SYL
Greg Monday	        RB	27	BOL
Marje Jewel	        LW	29	BOL
Nadia Blakesley	        LW	19	BOL
Smith Hampson	        P	21	BOL
Cal Dukes	        P	23	BOL
Zola Abraham	        RW	33	BOL
Brian Abel	        RW	34	BOL

Past Performances
The Maihar Knights team was rebranded following their first season into the Maihar Warriors for the first ever BHL following their first BHC. Their first season was one of major success finishing in the playoff positions very comfortably and making the playoffs. Things however got tight following their league season as their encounter against the Tigers was supremely close. Both teams gave it their all with the Tigers emerging on top by a measly goal.

Player Watch
The rebranded Warriors were coming into the season with very few new signings. They had managed to secure the signature of young Sylestonean Younger who will be serving as their right back for the season. Younger is the only foreign signing for the Warriors however their list of good players don’t end there. Smith Hampson and Jewel are a very impressive attacking duo which will serve the Warriors with lots of goals for their defense to work with as they shall be gunning to repeat the heroics of last season. Lovell Ayers is a very solid centreback of Bollonich’s side who will be key to the Warriors keeping their opponent’s goal count to a reasonable number as there seems to be no reason why this team cannot repeat what they did last time around.

Expectations
The Maihar Warriors have set the bar so high that the pressure seems to already be submerging them. But whether they can come out o this pressure on top or drown in it is yet to be seen. But what we can say with certainty is that this Warriors side is highly talented and a WCHC spot should be considered the minimum as gunning for the title could be possible as well.

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

Cutoff for Sylestonian half, Matchday 5!

---

Group A
Kriegiersien 29–24 Terradiu
Lisander 21–28 Sylestone

  Group A              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts                      
1 Sylestone              5   5  0  0  144 111 +33   10  —    —   28–22  31–20
2 Kriegiersien           5   3  0  2  138 132  +6    6 24–28   —   29–22  29–24
3 Lisander               5   1  1  3  124 137 −13    3 21–28  31–24   —   28–28
4 Terradiu               5   0  1  4  123 149 −26    1 24–29  27–32   —    —

Group B
Qasden 28–21 Hallikshire
Castelobruxo 24–25 Bollonich

  Group B              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts                      
1 Bollonich              5   4  0  1  148 125 +23    8  —   33–24   —   30–24
2 Castelobruxo           5   3  0  2  138 126 +12    6 24–25   —   31–23  32–22
3 Qasden                 5   3  0  2  133 132  +1    6 32–29  23–27   —   28–21
4 Hallikshire            5   0  0  5  112 148 −36    0 21–31   —   24–27   —

Group C
Praxedes 28–20 Raspotochje
Srednjaci 23–30 Sarzonia

Group C              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts                      
1 Sarzonia               5   5  0  0  146 106 +40   10  —    —   31–21  32–19
2 Praxedes               5   3  0  2  139 130  +9    6 21–24   —   32–31  28–20
3 Srednjaci              5   1  0  4  125 146 −21    2 23–30  28–26   —   22–27
4 Raspotochje            5   1  0  4  115 143 −28    2 22–29  27–32   —    —

Group D
Annyeong Oppa 23–29 Skopja
Equestria 28–29 Abanhfleft

  Group D              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts                      
1 Skopja                 5   4  1  0  142 124 +18    9  —   27–26  29–27   — 
2 Annyeong Oppa          5   2  1  2  139 135  +4    5 23–29   —   32–24  28–28
3 Abanhfleft             5   1  1  3  125 135 −10    3 22–22   —    —   23–24
4 Equestria              5   1  1  3  133 145 −12    3 26–35  27–30  28–29   —

[The 14 Stars]

The 14 Stars are close, time to bring the bacon home!

After another great match, a draw against the strongest ranked team from their group The 14 Stars is tied in a race for a ticket automatically to the next round of the Handball world cup.
While we have seen a surprising first place the hope has not been given up at all and an optimistic vibe is felt across the Starsian camp, especially the captain Chris Kenville is very optimistic about their final group match.

''We play against an opponent we know we can against, we once again today played a draw against a stronger side only marking once again how good our team is and the special bond we got.
This team is willing to help eachother, play hard and give it their all i couldn't be more happy today!''

On a diffrent note Handball recently has skyrocketed in The 14 Stars due to the success of the Handball team who are relatively less known then the soccer team and by far don't earn as much as them.
The players today could be seen after walking across the arena to thank the fans, thank everyone who supports them and they stated that many Starsians now see the beauty of the Handball game and join a club near them.
Also the coach was seen complimenting his players and held a motivational small talk after the game after which they did a team chant marking their great spirit and hunger for victory in the last game to join the best teams in the multiverse for another series of intense games.

''Our team is coming along great, we kept our composure and played our game pressuring the opponent and leaving them no choice but to defend and thats how we got a good result here.
Sometimes keeping composure the whole game is more important then using all energy to win, we all know this last match was way more important to us as it is the ideal opportunity to turn things around and finally make the diffrence.''

- coach Mazidis

[Sarzonia]

One more match against the lone ranked opponent the Sarzonian national handball team would face remained.

Sarzonia came into the match with a 4-0 record and already punched their tickets to the second group phase. Srednjaci came in with a 1-3 mark and desperately needed a win to stay alive for a position in the second group phase.

You'd never know by the play on the pitch which team was fighting for their lives because both teams played with urgency. However, it was Sarzonia who parlayed their aggressive play to victory, completing the two-match sweep of Srednjaci with a 30-23 victory that improved Sarzonia's record to 5-0-0. Because Sylestone also won their match by seven goals, to the tune of a 28-21 triumph over Lisander, Sarzonia remains the No. 1 overall seed with a plus-40 goal differential to Sylestone's plus-33. Juvencus also have a 5-0-0 record, but carry a plus-24 goal differential.

Defender Vivianne Taylor said the team's play was no accident.

"We wanted to get out there and establish the tempo from the outset and bury Srednjaci," she said. "It was all about playing with and maintaining momentum out there."

With the final match against Praxedes being meaningless, except for possibly giving Sarzonia a slightly better seeding, would the Stars rest their starters and give depth players an opportunity to play.

For once, manager Joyce Rodham said yes. However, she said the team wasn't just going to relax.

"We're still going to get after it because that's who we are and what we do," she said. "Just because we're playing the depth players as much as possible doesn't mean we aren't going to go for the win."

Still, with Sarzonia having already clinched the group title and strongly retaining the top rank in team handball, the final match will still feel like a coronation in a sense.

"It's in front of our home supporters, and we're going to use the opportunity to salute our supporters and our team," goalkeeper Pat Agnew said. "We definitely feed off the energy at The Palestra and we're happy and proud to be playing there."

[Kriegiersien]

The Schoenwetter Herald

Sport – 24th Handball World Cup

Group A
Kriegiersien 29–24 Terradiu
Lisander 21–28 Sylestone

Bernd Boring commenting on-site

Kriegiersien facing Sylestone in an epic battle without consequences.

After beating Terradiu with 29-24 in a match were “everything went as expected” (except a short general information in the half time that the nuclear war was cancelled for Kriegiersien again, leading to some anger between the local Crabpeople), the team immediately left for Sylestone.

Probably they will play there in the next round of the World Cup or possibly have to go on to Quebec. Anyway, first the last group match has to be played in Sylestone, a match that will define.. nothing.
Thanks to Sylestones clear victory in Lisander both are in the next round, Sylestone as first, Kriegiersien as second. So the match is a better friendly game.

“We will try to get out of it without any injuries. That is all. We will rotate, experiment and test. Our focus is already on the next group stage, wherever that is, we have to be prepared for better teams than Lisander or Terradiu, like Sylestone all the way now”, said Coach Flavia Flöt who was satisfied with the result against Terradiu, but believing that the team still has to give 234% more to win a medal.
More exciting than the game will be the drawing of the next group stage.

[Gatchingerrak Union]

From future-time (15 yrs from now)

Jin Hyeong-Mi sat inside her room, watching the early afternoon pass. She was still getting used to the new place. The city of Mipo, which consisted of the eastern half of the Twin Cities municipality on the southwestern Acadie, was not the easiest place for an 14-year old to move into. In 2066, it was still one of the industrial centres of Quebec, with the factories having switched to more emission-friendly outlets but the landscape only slowly changing to meet the times, as the third decade of the Christinian era came near.

Everything about the said homeland, Quebec and Shingoryeo, felt new, even though it shouldn't have been, with how much time she and her family spent in northwestern Anaia whenever possible. Perhaps it may have been because of how things had just turned out. It was just a month ago when her father, Chang-Wook, had decided to come home after sixteen years playing overseas. Hyeong-Mi remembered being present at the media conference in Nyhavn with her dad, mum and brother, as the setter left thank you's and other comments as cameras flashed all over them. Being the child of the legendary setter, who has won 3 VWE titles and 4 WorldLeague titles while with the Quebecois national team, and 6 BVL and 2 VCL titles won with Vreton Bulls, Hyeong-mi had long known about how famous her father was, at least abroad.

But then, she knew that wasn't really the reason why the Jins had decided to move to the Twin Cities, where the family didn't know a lot of people, because it was more to do with her mother's career. Her mother Tatiana Llnagaay-Kondratyuk, four-time olympic gymnast, and 2044 Istria-Orean gold medalist, may have been on a less popular of sport compared to her husband's, but was a bigger name/icon in general. Tatiana was the Newfoundlander, whose name remained famous in the Yalta Gym of St. John's, but in the last two 6-year olympic qualifications of her career, she had spent much of it travelling back and forth between St. John's, where her parents still lived, and Vreton, before retiring to work with the Norrehavn national gymnastics team for four years. While she was born in St. John's, Hyeong-Mi and her brother Hyeong-Woo had spent most of their schooling years in international schools, so everything was going to be new when she was going to enter freshman year of her local high school in August.

Her bedroom at the Jins' apartment was, no doubt, much bigger than her old one back in Nyhavn, though there was still much more to come. The Jins had only moved in the previous week after a couple of weeks living in a pair of interconnected rooms in Habpo, the busier part of Twin cities, and with some furniture yet to come, the road seemed long. At least there will be plenty more to add, Hyeong-Mi thought as she looked once more at the pale wall right beside her bed, yet to be covered with a wallpaper. The wallpapers, of course, were going to be one of those that ought to be done at some point, but with her mother starting a new job as head coach at Yongma College gymnastics team and father having his own work to do with Mipojoseon VC, this may have to wait.

'At least it's quiet,' she closed her eyes for a second, before thinking about the gigantic poster of Elodie Byeon-Nadon laid on top of the desk. 'And plenty to add.' It made sense that the said poster of the Quebecois rightback, who just retired last year after a decade playing with Nyhavns Handbold, just 'stood' right there. While not the tallest player (depends, 1.83m may be tall in some countries, not elsewhere), the olympic silver medalist and two-time world champion had quick footwork, and it was in 7m and 9m shots where she excelled, drawing many eyes to court whenever Nyhavn or the Quebecois national team played.

Eventually feeling tired of the blank, and deciding that it's a better idea to just play a mobile game over her phone, she got out of her bed and opened the door. Of course, there was nobody in the hallway or the living room - dad wasn't coming back until five, while mum was in the town. 'Right, gym,' Hyeong-Mi said to herself, as she remembered that Tatiana, her mother, was busy building a gym as well. The plans for a gymnastics club project had been in plans for some time, but not much had been said by the parents to her or her brother, Hyeong-Woo, who was already enrolled in the youth club of the Mipojoseon's volleyball division. With the family already having plans and whatnot, the house was [for now] left mostly up to Hyeong-Mi.

Ring!

It was just around then that the bell rang. Hyeong-Mi quickly put her phone in the pocket, and went to the front door to check who was on the door....

[The 14 Stars]

Preview, the match of a lifetime

Cheering crowds, a whole nation's pride on your shoulders and feeling the adrenaline going through your body just before a very important match which would decide the fate of your team today.
That was the message to the Starsian team today, or as they'd like to call it ''Do or die'' after a light training last day after the match today's pre-game warm-up is as intense as ever and they are hungry for the goals.

Today lead players like Kenvile, and Schernikov are expected to lead the team to victory, they are the best Starsian Handball currently has to offer and they are in the best form they've ever been in this time.
In our country the expectations for Handball were never too high as people simply did not know it well enough or simply did not care, but right now when you hear that crowd you can feel the support of the whole nation of almost 5 billion people behind you.

''Starsians!!''
''Starsians!!'
''Starsians!!'

Goes the crowd and as the match draws near the players come togehter for a last team talk before they'd go out on the field and this is what the coach told them in theirn final speech.

''Guys, we've gained good results and lost we felt both sides of the coin but now is the time to turn that coin to our side, go out there and play the game with one thing in mind.

Have fun and enjoy yourself out on that stage, without actually enjoying the game your quality of playing will drop along with it so enjoy what you do to the fullest and give everything you got understood?''


team: ''YES COACH!!!''

[Ardengard]

Michael was relaxing in his office. Legs up on the desk, tie loosened up, his back resting against the soft cushion – he didn’t have much to worry about. His team was working fine. Even after switching up the lineup they’d managed a comfortable win. When they’d started the Cup, one win seemed a lot. Now, it seemed very possible to go far in the competition. They had secured a top two group stage finish with one game to spare. His team and the staff would get small break while the playoffs happened. They needed to keep practicing and preparing for better teams in that time. But that was later. For now, he was going to relax. He closed his eyes and thought about his home. He hadn’t seen his family in a while. They’d be proud of….

We’re no strangers to love,
You know the rules and so do I,
A full commitment's what I'm thinking of,
You wouldn't get this from any other guy,

He woke up with a jolt to see his phone ringing on the desk. He’d kept the song as his ringtone because it was the first song he’d listened to with his wife. He thought it was a beautiful song. Picking up the call he said, “Hello?”
“Coach?” A trembling voice could be heard from the other end. “This…. This is Kate.”
Michael could hear sobbing. Concerned he said,” Hey… hey, what’s the matter?”
“I… I…”
“Take your time.”
“I don’t want to do this over… over the phone. Can you meet me?”
“Yeah sure, where are you?”
“The hotel cafe.”
“Just wait up there. I’m coming.”
Michael took his wallet and phone and hurried out. The person he heard on the phone didn’t sound like the Kate he knew. The same timbre, yes, but not the same character or composure. Kate was one of the finest players he had seen. She knew exactly what to do in what situation and could execute it to perfection. Ever since he had selected her for the team, he felt they had connected on a personal bond as well. To hear her crying made him gravely concerned.
On the lift he called his assistant coach James.
“Hey, meet me in the cafe. There’s some trouble with Kate. Get Ryan too.”
Entering the café, he looked around for the young right-back. She was seated at a table in the corner. He walked over.
“Hey, hey, I’m here,” he said – taking out his handkerchief and wiping the tears off her face.
“Now, slowly and at your own pace, tell me what the problem is.”
Kate sniffled a bit and then said “It’s Fred”.
And Michael knew exactly what had happened.

---

“This is exactly what I had warned you about,” said Ryan.
“No you hadn’t,” replied James.
“Ok, well, no I hadn’t but it’s another reason to support what I had been saying before.”
“Look,” Michael interrupted, “None of us had foreseen this, or brought it up before so let’s forget about what should have been done and focus on what we do now.”
Frederick McKinnon was the first choice right-back for the team. He had been replaced by Kate Armason in their game against Isle Noire, in which Kate had performed very well. Thus, when Kate told Michael that Fred was the problem, Michael instinctively understood the situation they were in.
“How bad was it” James inquired.
“They were both coming down the elevator together and he slandered and maligned her the entire way. I don’t think the words were very harmful but the intention – that’s what we need to look at.”
“First thing we need to sort is tomorrow’s lineup. Does Fred play or Kate?”
“Kate, that’s for sure. The least we can do in this position is show that such actions won’t be tolerated.”
“I concur.”
“We all agree on that then. Next, I need to speak to Fred. Let’s try to sort this out as quickly as possible before the malice spreads to other players.”
Michael’s phone starts ringing again.

We’re no strangers to love,
You know the rules and so do I,
A full commitment's what I'm thinking of,
You wouldn't get this from any other guy,

“Nice one coach.”
“What’s that?” Michael said obliviously.
“You didn’t mean to... do that?”
“Uhhhh, I don’t know what you guys are talking about there. I’ll just take this call and y’all can explain.”
“Hello?”
“Yeah coach, this is Fred. Can we talk?”

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

From future-time (15 yrs from now)-II

It was a guy who was sitting on his motorised wheelchair, just outside the door. Hyeong-Mi took a quick look at him, before realisin that it was someone she had never seen before, though the perceived age of him suggested they weren't apart much by age either. It was clear he was tall, though him being on wheelchair itself did enough to cover that on the initial impression. He looked charming enough, though Hyeong-Mi didn't know why this stranger brought a basket of presents. Surely this wasn't for me, she thought to herself as the stranger cleared his throat.

'Oh, hi.' The stranger said with slight uncertainty in his voice. 'This is Mr. Jin's place, right?'

Hyeong-Mi wasn't sure on how to respond to it- yes, it was her place and he came to it on right timing...but why now? Isn't it clear as night and day that he's not here? She had a slight hesitation in response, but eventually came to decide that there was no point making a big deal out of that. She nodded twice.

'Well...yes, he's my dad,' Hyeong-Mi responded, hoping that the stranger would come back at a later time. 'What's with the basket? As you can see, he's not here and neither is my mum.'

'Ah, I see.' the stranger responded. On the second glance, it was clear to Hyeong-Mi he probably knew who she was by now, and there's a solid chance they may be going to a same school in fall. 'My father, who's just down the hallway, asked if I could bring your dad some gifts for moving in- he said he's really sorry he couldn't bring stuff two weeks ago - we were at mum's place.'

'That explains. How do your dad know me though? I assume they must have met before if that's what you're saying.' Hyeong-Mi answered back, trying to figure out whose son this guy may be, before coming up with none. Remembering celebrities or any big sports figures back in Quebec weren't really her strong suit either, and that's above her paygrade as a fourteen-year old still in school.

'Why, yes.' He answered, trying to figure out how to word it. The stranger was having a hard time wording it, without saying who his parents were, but at least from the initial minutes it was clear she didn't know. 'That's partly why your dad signed with Mipojoseon- he did suggest we move here whenever possible.'

'And how we got stuck here. Pardon me once again-' she took a look at his clothes, before coming to a conclusion that he must have grown up in a bit of unconventional or affluent environment, 'but you know, it's not easy moving from Nyhavn to here, where the chimneys aren't that far away and the bleak imagery overrules everything else. And I don't know why you and your father are here - why are you stuck in this part of Twin Cities?' she asked.

'Well, we don't really live here. Dad sometimes goes through treatment for his, uh, medical conditions, and so sometimes we stay here because the University Hospital's just down the road.' He pointed the finger to thin air, in the westerly direction of the campus. 'Otherwise we are normally on the other side of the region- live half an hour...west? I think? from Habpo, over the river.'

'That explains. Anyhow, he's not here so maybe you'll have to come back later,' she said, before taking the gift. 'I'll let my parents know when they come home though. Anyways, I was gonna head outside- are you busy today?'

'Not really, no.' he shook his head, 'I could just text my dad I'll be out on a walk and he'll understand. He's not on wheelchairs, but he's not well either, so I think he'll be fine with it anyway.' He continued. 'My sister, the older one, will be home from the city later though, so it'll have to be short. What's your name?'

'Jin Hyeong-Mi, and you?' she asked.

'Henry Lundrigan.' he smiled back.

[Sylestone]

Cutoff for matchday six of the first group stage, Quebec half.

---

Group E

Gatchingerrak Union 32–28 Varmennia
Quebec & Shingoryeo 29–28 Drawkland

Group E                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Quebec & Shingoryeo      6   4  1  1  168 146 +22    9
2 Drawkland                6   2  2  2  159 162  −3    6
3 Gatchingerrak Union      6   2  2  2  155 162  −7    6
4 Varmennia                6   1  1  4  156 168 −12    3

Group F

North Handoria 24–32 The 14 Stars
HUElavia 30–29 Juvencus

Group F                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Juvencus               6   5  0  1  169 146 +23   10
2 The 14 Stars           6   2  2  2  160 152  +8    6
3 HUElavia               6   2  2  2  163 162  +1    6
4 North Handoria         6   1  0  5  152 184 −32    2

Group G

The Jovannic 33–31 Hebitaka
Taxonomic Kingdoms 34–24 Natanians and Nosts

Group G                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Taxonomic Kingdoms       6   5  0  1  157 136 +21   10
2 The Jovannic             6   4  1  1  159 145 +14    9
3 Natanians and Nosts      6   2  0  4  156 169 −13    4
4 Hebitaka                 6   0  1  5  149 171 −22    1

Group H

Ardengard 29–20 Ethane
Græntfjall 23–23 Isle Noire

Group H                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Ardengard              6   5  0  1  166 146 +20   10
2 Græntfjall             6   3  1  2  154 150  +4    7
3 Isle Noire             6   2  1  3  163 153 +10    5
4 Ethane                 6   1  0  5  147 181 −34    2

Blue indicates automatic progression to the second group stage.
Magenta indicates progression to the playoffs for the second group stage.


Third-placed Teams:

1 HUElavia                 6   2  2  2  163 162  +1    6
2 Gatchingerrak Union      6   2  2  2  155 162  −7    6
3 Isle Noire               6   2  1  3  163 153 +10    5
4 Natanians and Nosts      6   2  0  4  156 169 −13    4

Playoffs:
HUElavia vs Natanians and Nosts @ Calania Place, Montréal, Quebec and Shingoryeo
Gatchingerrak Union vs Isle Noire @ Baja Calania Arena, Baja Calania, Quebec and Shingoryeo

[Bollonich]

Bollonischian Handball League

Marda Frogs

Manager - Bryson Rimmer (35)
Stadium - Marda District Indoor Ground (cap. 3,000)

Foreign Acquisitions
Maria Sigurdsson (24) of Quebec and Shingoryeo

Squad

Players	                Pos.	Age	Nationality
Jacqui Williams	        GK	27	BOL
Penny Gardiner	        GK	23	BOL
Sharlene Yap	        LB	19	BOL
Marina Stranton	        LB	35	BOL
Maria Sigurdsson	CB	24	QUE
Luanne Forester	        CB	21	BOL
Fern Tailor	        RB	33	BOL
Silvia Bryson	        RB	31	BOL
George Thwaite	        LW	24	BOL
Desiree Phelps	        LW	28	BOL
Lizbeth Townsend	P	18	BOL
Trace Park	        P	38	BOL
Corrin Anderson	        RW	26	BOL
Dionne Perry	        RW	20	BOL

Past Performance
The Frogs started off previous season in despondent fashion suffering a heavy defeat to the Kings, however they soon made a comeback in the very next match against the Yetis winning that encounter. Wins were hard to come by for the Frogs from that point on as they were struggling a fair bit only managing to put a halt on their losing streak on Matchday 6. The last season wasn’t the best one for the Frogs as they struggled to get many points on the board across the seven matches managing two wins a tie on the final match day.

Player Watch
Things have drastically changed since two years ago as the league has undergone a major revamp and along with that has come the smell of new signings and players. Maria Sigurdsson of Quebec and Shingoryeo is an interesting prospect for the side as she comes in from a nation who’s well renowned for their hand balling prowess and she has shown the same in her outings with the national tram. Her signing is an interesting event for the side as she comes into the team with lots of potential to deliver. Sharlene Yap is another exciting prospect for the side as show took part in the Olympics with the Womens’ side showing her talent. She is a young Bollonischian who’ll be eager and hungry to prove themselves.

Expectations
Despite the Frogs having multiple exciting players the truth is rather grim. The team is currently not in the shape they would want to be as other teams have moved far ahead with them still lagging behind. Developments made by other teams haven’t reached them yet as they also lost out on a key player, Smith Hampson. Expectations going into the next season should be for them to finish in the bottom half of the table with anything more than that extremely unlikely for which a miracle would need to take place.

San Pablo Rockers

Manager - Carrol Taylor (57)
Stadium - Rockers Indoor Arena (cap. 8,000)

Foreign Acquisitions
Frank van Der Boon (21) of Brookstation

Squad

Players	                Pos.	Age	Nationality
Doug Young	        GK	30	BOL
Percivel Forester	GK	21	BOL
Mina Shepherd	        LB	27	BOL
Nikki Tyrell	        LB	26	BOL
Marlene Newton	        CB	23	BOL
Cal Rhodes	        CB	33	BOL
Frank van der Boon	RB	21	BRO
Lillie Seymour	        RB	29	BOL
Josh Rollins	        LW	34	BOL
Madison Davies	        LW	31	BOL
Tottie Henson	        P	27	BOL
Tamela Auteberry	P	22	BOL
Tibby Weaver	        RW	24	BOL
Cam Wood	        RW	26	BOL

Past Performance
The Rockers similarly to the Lions are a new franchise who shall be joining the Bollonischian Handball League from the first season and hence don’t have any prior experience. The players however are greatly experienced on the domestic as well as international level.

Player Watch
The Rockers managed to secure the much sought after signing of Brook right back Van Der Boon, a young talented player who’s arrival in the Bollonischian Handball League will definitely help propel the young players forward. He will also be a stable unit in the side going forward and backwards providing some solidity to the line up. They also have some very talented Bollonischians among their ranks in the form of young guns Tibby Weaver and Marlene Newton, both of whom will be important players in the following season needing to play their part as always like every other player.

Expectations
The Rockers come into this season as a fresh face to the league, and with the state of their team we could see big things and good performances but our expectations should definitely be low. Comparing the summer they had to the other teams they definitely have a bit less quality than some of the top sides so it should be reasonable for them to have a good mid table run however we should not rule out the underdogs defying our expectations.

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

Cutoff for Sylestonian half, Matchday 6!

---

Group A
Terradiu 22–29 Lisander
Sylestone 31–20 Kriegiersien

  Group A              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts                      
1 Sylestone              6   6  0  0  175 131 +44   12  —   31–20  28–22  31–20
2 Kriegiersien           6   3  0  3  158 163  −5    6 24–28   —   29–22  29–24
3 Lisander               6   2  1  3  153 159  −6    5 21–28  31–24   —   28–28
4 Terradiu               6   0  1  5  145 178 −33    1 24–29  27–32  22–29   —

Group B
Hallikshire 27–30 Castelobruxo
Bollonich 29–23 Qasden

  Group B              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts                      
1 Bollonich              6   5  0  1  177 148 +29   10  —   33–24  29–23  30–24
2 Castelobruxo           6   4  0  2  168 153 +15    8 24–25   —   31–23  32–22
3 Qasden                 6   3  0  3  156 161  −5    6 32–29  23–27   —   28–21
4 Hallikshire            6   0  0  6  139 178 −39    0 21–31  27–30  24–27   —

Group C
Raspotochje 29–28 Srednjaci
Sarzonia 38–24 Praxedes

  Group C              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts                      
1 Sarzonia               6   6  0  0  184 130 +54   12  —   38–24  32–19  31–21
2 Praxedes               6   3  0  3  163 168  −5    6 21–24   —   28–20  32–31
3 Raspotochje            6   2  0  4  144 171 −27    4 22–29  27–32   —   29–28
4 Srednjaci              6   1  0  5  153 175 −22    2 23–30  28–26  22–27   —

Group D
Skopja 27–22 Equestria
Abanhfleft 24–30 Annyeong Oppa

  Group D              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts                      
1 Skopja                 6   5  1  0  169 146 +23   11  —   27–26  29–27  27–22
2 Annyeong Oppa          6   3  1  2  169 159 +10    7 23–29   —   32–24  28–28
3 Abanhfleft             6   1  1  4  149 165 −16    3 22–22  24–30   —   23–24
4 Equestria              6   1  1  4  155 172 −17    3 26–35  27–30  28–29   —

Third-placed Teams:

1 Qasden                 6   3  0  3  156 161  −5    6
2 Lisander               6   2  1  3  153 159  −6    5
3 Raspotochje            6   2  0  4  144 171 −27    4
4 Abanhfleft             6   1  1  4  149 165 −16    3

Playoffs:
Qasden (3-1) vs Abanhfleft (3-4) @ Institute Arena, Chamberley, Sylestone
Lisander (3-2) vs. Raspotochje (3-3) @ Avondale Arena, Avondale, Sylestone

[Sarzonia]

When a team decides to start mainly its depth players, it's usually a signal they don't care about the result. Typically, a team that does it is one that's either eliminated from a competition and wants to see young players or give seldom-used folks an opportunity to see the pitch or a team that has already met every goal they set for the group stage and wants the same things.

For Sarzonia, it was an opportunity to give the depth players a chance to play, sure. But it was also a chance for the same players to make a statement that they belonged on the pitch as well. The Sarzonian national handball team put on a show against a Praxedes side that also already earned an automatic berth into the second group stage and the Stars took the match easily 38-24.

Joyce Rodham could take stock of where her team is after it wrapped up its 18th consecutive victory across three editions of the Handball World Cup. She'd managed the Stars to a 3-1-4 mark in the 22nd edition and caused a little stir when she was brought back for the 23rd as the 23rd ranked team in the handball multiverse. She angered Sarzonia Handball officials by benching both goalkeeper Pat Agnew and back Vivianne Taylor for arguing on the pitch. But then she rallied the team to an undefeated run to the title, defeating Kotzellach in extra time in the final in what essentially served as a battle between Atlantian Oceania and Anaia.

And now? Sarzonia have not only played like the top ranked team it suddenly became after winning the championship, it also would earn the top overall seed if the knockout rounds were to start now. But since there's a second group stage to follow this one, the team merely earned a first pot position and avoided having to play in the playoffs just to earn a spot.

Unlike the field hockey team, which itself is the defending champion in the 19th Field Hockey World Cup, this Stars unit will get a chance to get some rest before starting the next phase. For Rodham, the only concern is that may cause the team to lose its edge.

"We're going into the second group stage on a roll, and with some great momentum," she said. "It's kind of a shame we're not playing until the second group stage because we've started hitting on all cylinders.

The Stars (6-0) swept aside the only team that gave it any trouble in the home leg of the two-match battle, building an 18-goal lead by halftime. The Praxedes depth players staged a little bit of a rally in the fourth quarter, but it only cut into the Sarzonia lead to make the margin of victory look more respectable. Meanwhile, Agnew and Taylor both watched the match sitting as far apart from each other as the benches on the Sarzonia sideline would allow. They didn't have any incidents before, during, or after the match, much to Rodham's relief.

[The 14 Stars]

Yes we did it, lets go the world!

After hearing the results today The Starsian fans did have something to cheer for, unlike the soccer team our Handball team qualified itself into the second group stage in second place avoiding play-offs.
It is clear that our Starsian can give trouble to any team and they have stated they are not afraid to face any team out there in the following stages and they also had a small party after the match to celebrate the win and qualification.

When asked which teams they wanted to face their answer was clear ''We want to face Juvencus again and we'd love to get the honor to play against the Sarzonian team in the next group stage, they showed clear quality and a great game and we are here to play the best and only the best ans thats what we want to do.''

Their qualification did not come as a surprise though, The 14 Stars has a decent Handball history although the lack of players sometimes really plays along with how well of a game they can put up in reality.
After the disaster of soccer the Handball team repaired the reputation of The 14 Stars on the multiverse stage, they show the real passion of Starsian sports and this greatly returns to vision in all the matches they played.
After today the coach gave all credits to the players, the smile on his their faces are ones to remember, with love and passion for the game there will be no barriers that this team will be unable to take in this World Cup, even if they know there are alot of stronger sides our country is ready to take them on as Chris Kenville said earlier when interviewed.

''We only just started, i recommend all teams to keep an eye out for us since we'll be going above and beyond for our matches!''

[Sylestone]

Cutoff for the playoffs between group stages, Quebec half.

---

Playoff #1

HUElavia 29–32 Natanians and Nosts

Playoff #2

Gatchingerrak Union 30–21 Isle Noire

Therefore, Natanians and Nosts and Gatchingerrak Union will progress to the second group stage of this Handball World Cup.

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

Cutoff for the playoffs between group stages, Sylestone half.

---

Playoff Match A

Qasden 27–31 Abanhfleft

Playoff Match B

Lisander 28–24 Raspotochje

Abanhfleft and Lisander will join Natanians and Nosts and Gatchingerrak Union in their progress to the second group stage.

Subsequent post will handle the second group stage. Remember that tomorrow is a day off, and we'll resume this Friday.

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

OOC: Sylestonian IC information is already up. I am currently swarmed with work for next few hours before sleep, so that will be my task for tomorrow morning or afternoon. But it will be up for at least 24 hours before my cutoff:

Second Group Stage

At last! Welcome to Quebec & Shingoryeo, and Sylestone! From the initial pool of thirty two nations, twenty teams have emerged from the qualification stage to battle for the championship, with only seven matches to go.

For the group draw, the teams will be sorted based on their pots. The pots are based on each team's ranking before this HWC, and does not reflect qualifying stage results or the overall RP score. The 20 teams will be sorted into 4 groups of 5, with top 2 of each group qualifying into the quarterfinals. Standings will be determined by the same tiebreakers as mentioned on the OP, with those being:

• Points
• H2H Points
• H2H Goal Differential
• H2H Goals For
• Goal Difference
• Goals For.

Now, the Pots are of following:

Pot 1: Quebec and Shingoryeo (14-Cohost) / Sylestone (3-Cohost) / Sarzonia (1) / Graintfjall (4)
Pot 2: Taxonomic Kingdoms (6) / Abanhfleft (7) / Bollonich (8) / Castlelobruxo (19)
Pot 3: The 14 Stars (19) / Lisander (19) / Kriegiersien (22) / Drawkland (25)
Pot 4: Ardengard (UR) / Juvencus (UR) / Annyeong Oppa (UR) / Praxedes (UR)
Pot 5: Skopja (UR) / The Jovannic (UR) / Natanians and Nosts (UR) / Gatchingerrak Union (UR)

To start the draw, Sylestone and Quebec and Shingoryeo were placed into Group A and C from Pot 1. Gatchingerrak Union were placed into Group D, from Pot 5, in order to avoid conflicts. The other teams were then drawn into the 4 groups. The order of the groups were randomised after the placement. These are the groups:


Group A (Chamberley, Cleorough and Pesfield)
Sylestone (3)
Juvencus (UR)
The 14 Stars (19)
The Jovannic (UR)
Castelobruxo (19)

Group B (Avondale, Betham and Kirkham)
Abanhfleft (7)
Skopja (UR)
Drawkland (25)
Sarzonia (1)
Ardengard (UR)

Group C (Attawapiskat)
Lisander (19)
Annyeong Oppa (UR)
Bollonich (8)
Quebec and Shingoryeo (14)
Natanians and Nosts (UR)

Group D (Baja Calania)
Kriegiersien (22)
Gatchingerrak Union (UR)
Graintfjall (4)
Praxedes (UR)
Taxonomic Kingdoms (6)

See the following for Group Schedules:

Day 1
Group A - Juvencus (UR) vs. Castelbruxo (19) | The 14 Stars vs. The Jovannic (UR) | ​Sylestone REST
Group B - Skopja (UR) vs. Ardengard (UR) | Drawkland (25) vs. Sarzonia (UR) | Abanhfleft REST
Group C - Annyeong Oppa (UR) vs. Natanians and Nosts (UR) | Bollonich (8) vs. Quebec and Shingoryeo (14) | Lisander REST
Group D - Gatchingerrak Union (UR) vs. Taxonomic Kingdoms (6) | Graintfjall (4) vs. Praxedes (UR) | Kriegiersien REST

Day 2
Group A - Castelobruxo (19) vs. The 14 Stars (19) - Sylestone (3) vs. Juvencus (UR) - The Jovannic REST
Group B - Ardengard (UR) vs. Drawkland (25) | Abanhfleft (7) vs. Skopja (UR) | Sarzonia REST
Group C - Natanians and Nosts (UR) vs. Bollonich (8) | Lisander (19) vs. Annyeong Oppa (UR) | Quebec and Shingoryeo REST
Group D - Taxonomic Kingdoms (6) vs. Graintfjall (4) | Kriegiersien (22) vs. Gatchingerrak Union (UR) | Praxedes REST

Day 3
Group A - The 14 Stars (19) vs. Sylestone (3) - The Jovannic (UR) vs. Castelobruxo (19) - Juvencus REST
Group B - Drawkland (25) vs. Abanhfleft (7) | Sarzonia (1) vs. Ardengard (UR) | Skopja REST
Group C - Bollonich (8) vs. Lisander (19) | Quebec and Shingoryeo (14) vs. Natanians and Nosts (UR) | Annyeong Oppa REST
Group D - Graintfjall (4) vs. Kriegiersien (22) | Praxedes (UR) vs. Taxonomic Kingdoms (6) | Gatchingerrak Union REST

Day 4
Group A - Sylestone (3) vs. The Jovannic (UR) - Juvencus (UR) vs. The 14 Stars (19) - Castelobruxo REST
Group B - Abanhfleft (7) vs. Sarzonia (1) | Skopja (UR) vs. Drawkland (25) | Ardengard REST
Group C - Lisander (19) vs. Quebec and Shingoryeo (14) | Annyeong Oppa (UR) vs. Bollonich (8) | Natanians and Nosts REST
Group D - Kriegiersien (22) vs. Praxedes (UR) | Gatchingerrak Union (UR) vs. Graintfjall (4) | Taxonomic Kingdoms REST

Day 5
Group A - The Jovannic (UR) vs. Juvencus (UR) - Castelobruxo (19) vs. Sylestone (3) - The 14 Stars REST
Group B - Sarzonia (1) vs. Skopja (UR) | Ardengard (UR) vs. Abanhfleft (7) | Drawkland REST
Group C - Quebec and Shingoryeo (14) vs. Annyeong Oppa (UR) | Natanians and Nosts (UR) vs. Lisander (19) | Bollonich REST
Group D - Praxedes (UR) vs. Gatchingerrak Union (UR) | Taxonomic Kingdoms (6) vs. Kriegiersien (22) | Graintfjall REST

[Sarzonia]

The waiting is the hardest part.

The Sarzonian national handball team had to wait a little bit to find out who their opponents would be in the second group stage of the 24th edition of the Handball World Cup. They would be expected to play four matches in the second group stage, and the bare minimum goal was to finish top two in their group to advance to the quarterfinals.

But first, they had to learn who their opponents would be.

Top ranked Sarzonia watched the selection show broadcast and learned they would be placed in Group B along with seventh ranked Abanhfleft, 25th ranked Drawkland and two unranked sides, Skopja and Ardengard. The pots were determined by pre-qualifying ranks rather than the results of the first group stage. Manager Joyce Rodham took great care in analysing the four opponents vying it out with the Stars to determine who from Group B would advance to the knockout rounds.

"Abanhfleft may have needed to win a playoff match, and they may have only won a single group stage match, but we've learned to never take the Fleftics for granted in any sport they play," Rodham said. "They're seventh ranked in the multiverse for a reason, even if they didn't necessarily show that form during the qualifying phase. They survived a tough contest against Qasden to get here.

"They say a wounded animal is more dangerous," she added. "We're going to consider that match a potential minefield." Abanhfleft went 1-1-4 in Group D with their only victory being a one-point result over Equestria. They defeated Qasden 31-27 in the playoff match to advance to the second group stage.

The other ranked side in Group B will be Drawkland, a team the Stars have little to no experience against in this sport, but Sarzonia have faced them in other competitions, including providing the Base Corps more knockout round heartbreak in the World Baseball Classic. Drawkland finished 2-2-2 in Group E in Sylestone with a 29-28 loss to co-hosts Quebec and Shingoryeo in their last match. They played two one-goal matches and earned two draws in their last four matches, both of which Rodham said makes the Drawks a battle-tested side.

"You play that many close ones in a row and that teaches you how to handle adversity," she said. "If the match is close late, they have an edge on a lot of teams." She pointed out that Sarzonia's closest match in qualifying was a three-goal victory over unranked Praxedes. Otherwise, the Stars won each match by at least seven goals.

"If we get to the late stages against Drawkland and it's within a goal or two, I'll be very interested to see how we respond to that," she said. "We'd like to think we can handle adversity, but they're definitely more experienced with it."

The other matches in the group will be against unranked sides with the group stage finale being against Group D champions Skopja, who finished 5-1-0 with their only draw by the scoreline of 22-22 in their opening match against fellow Group B opponents Abanhfleft. Rodham said that match will likely decide either which team qualifies for the knockout rounds or which team finishes first or second.

"Based on the results during the group phase, it's going to be the most interesting match," she said. "We've got our work cut out for us when we face that team. They've looked great, winning some close ones and they've started to round into form at just the right time."

Finally, the Stars will also face Ardengard, which is their third matchday of the five. Ardengard won Group H with a 5-0-1 mark, losing only to Ethane 29-25 on Matchday 3. Since then, unranked Ardengard have won five consecutive matches.

"They're another dangerous team," Rodham said. "This is really looking like the Group of Death," she said. "We have three group winners and two teams we're wary of regardless of record. This is going to test us without a doubt."

Sarzonia will have a bye on Matchday 2 before they face "the gauntlet" as Rodham put it.

"Two group winners and Abanhfleft come up after the bye. Drawkland before the bye. If we're going to do well in this tournament, it won't be easy."

[The 14 Stars]

A challenge has risen, we will play hard and take the win!

Today the group stages were revealed and Starsian Media live-covered it for a change as approximately 84 million people watched the draw for the next group stage to see which opponents our team would face.
We have a live interview during this with Chris Kenville to see his reactions and his comments on the draw as The 14 Stars seek to go far in this tournament and to surprise everyone including themselves this time.

Sylestone

''Sylestone, a highly ranked team, a worthy opponent and one that we will have to watch out for as they won their fair share of matches and have the quality and ability to make or break us in a match.
Still its only great to play against such a skilled team, these are the matches we live for and we will go to all lenghts to possibly defeat them and make them as surprised as we surprised Huelavia.''

Juvencus

''They beat us in the first group stage but certainly won't again, we are determined to strike back against them and we will certainly look out for this match not only for revenge but also to seek much needed points.
There is no saying on how good they are, their form fluctuates and we will need to play our very best game to defeat them.''

The Jovannic

''The Jovannic? never heard about them but despite that we will not underestimate any opponent in this stage of the World Cup, they qualified for a good reason and that means they aren't a team to take lightly.
However we will look to secure a full 3 points against them as we don't believe they are on the same level as The 14 Stars and Sylestone just yet no matter how well they play against us in the match.''

CasteloBruxo

''A team ranked evenly to us, we will need to play our best here aswell but we have better chances here then against a team like Sylestone and if we can win here we have a good chance of qualifying.
They certainly are expected to beat the unranked sides and compete for a spot in the next round but so are we and Sylestone, its only a matter of time until we will know who of us will be coming out on top.''

[Juvencus]

HOW? HERE'S HOW?

Jupi1093, what the fuck do you mean how? How what? Why are you leaving us hanging broski? Who even is behind Jupi1093 anyway?

Alright, alright I will get on point real soon. I have answers for almost every single one of your questions and I will answer in the appropriate fashion, like a real manly ass Juven. Here I go:

Jupi1093, what the fuck do you mean how? How what?: 2 questions for 1 answer, you are literally using my blog for 1 reason and 1 reason only, handball, or other obscure shit I write about, god knows what. Anyway, I will get into really short and concise detail as to how gli attaccanti managed to get through the first group stages completely unbeaten and probably tell you a little bit about my beautiful experience in the home game against HUElavia, since the away game was a bit too far away and too costly but the experience at the Alcantara Arena was something else.

I seriously believe Justinianus Cabral is one of the most intelligent coaches alive out of any sport and I mean what the fuck I say. He has given gli attaccanti a fluidity that is unmatched by most other teams in the tournament. Playing ever-changing formations and making every lineup look similar in terms of both individual skill and teamplay as a whole, which is the more important aspect of the two, to be fair. Montessini's goalkeeping potential is undoubtedly huge, being noticed by Bollonischian Handball League side Kings of Fermont, undoubtedly one of their strongest sides. Being noticed by foreigners in sports without much attention such as handball(and by Bollonich of all nations, well-known for its strong culture in regards to handball) is an enormous feat. Then the outfield players, wow, their output is very strong, Konstandinov, Coiro, Di Roca, Cavani, unbelievable scoring talent and that is not the full picture. Combine all this with amazing switches of the ball in all sides of the field and you have a recipe for success that is so obviously good. The 5 win and just 1 loss record speaks for itself and for good reason.

Now for the home game against HUElavia at the Alcantara arena. Lol, what a time. We live in a period where rampant Panjuvenism runs so strong in our veins as if it is the 19th century again and it gets even more apparent in sports. The paramilitaries betwen Juvencus and Oscioru in the last winter olympics season, the Holy Emperor declaring support for a bunch of rebels from the other side of the multiverse in the middle of the world cup qualifiers and getting condemned by multiple sides for it, let's not forget how dangerous the conditions for the poor Omerican footballers visiting Pomena were, they did not even use their french-speaking players. And now, we have another addition to this whole mess. At least 14 thousand people screaming both extreme Panjuvenist chants against the poor HUElavians.

"You are Juven, nothing else." "This is your everyone's homeland, it's Juvencus. GIVE UP AND ADMIT!" and more shit that I really could not make up in my head. I am really disappointed in our people at times, we need a wake up call and I will add my own little say to this.

DO. NOT. PERSUADE. ROMANCE. PEOPLE. TO. BE. JUVEN. FOR. FUCK'S. SAKE.

It is not hard, they only speak languages similar to us, they are unrelated to us and have been for god knows how long. You people have to relax, you cannot just claim some random people group as our own.

Anyway, back to the handball, those HUElavians gave us a game to remember. We beat them 25-24, it was a gruesome battle that gli attaccanti came out of victorious and the atmosphere after the Panjuvenist bigots shut it for good was amazing. Alcantara Arena lit up with flares and vuvuzelas and everything that should be brought in a good fair handball game. But as our team will be travelling to Sylestone for the second group stage, we will not being the same atmosphere in this arena for a LONG time.

Why are you leaving us hanging broski?: I am not, but writing an article every day is not something of my taste because quality over quantity, or whatever our fathers were saying.

Who even is behind Jupi1093 anyway?: Does it have to be 1 person? Haha just kidding, this is something that you will never known unless you hack into my personal account on February 30th. (In case you missed it, that is never, I have a very secure account!!!)

For the next article I might get more into detail for handball, but this is all you are getting for now, bye bye.

[Kriegiersien]

The Schoenwetter Herald

Sport – 24th Handball World Cup


Even after the loss against Sylestone with 31–20 Kriegiersien is in the second group stage. In Group D in Baja Calania we take a look at the next opponents.


After a rest day the team has to improve. First underdog Gatchingerrak Union awaits. A win is a must against the no-name team, who is only dangerous because its ties to Quebec. The spectators should be on their side, what they will be probably against any team the Olympic champions face, as Kriegiersien doesn’t have the best reputation anyway.
The Girls are still the favoured here.

The second match against Græntfjall is the maybe hardest. Ranked number four the Bouncy Wolves are a Top team on paper. But they had even more problem in their group H than Kriegiersien in Group A and haven’t shown all too much yet.

The next match against Praxedes is another must win against an unranked team without much to say about, but they resisted number one ranked Sarzonia in their home match and proved that they can be dangerous. Still nothing really to fear, if the team plays focused.

The Taxonomic Kingdoms could easily be the decisive opponent for the quarter-final spot in the last match. The team of Marmots are smaller than the tall Kriegiersien team, but playing with godly power. To overpower them with pure strength and goals from outside may be the key.


Coach Flöt was still optimistic to make it to the play-offs and be able to play for a medal.

[Ardengard]

Though the mountains may be moved into the sea
Though the ground beneath might crumble and give way
I can hear my Father singing over me
"It's gonna be okay, it's gonna be okay"
"It's gonna be okay, it's gonna be okay"
Pete Quick was making full use of his shower’s brilliant acoustics. He continued singing as he dried himself and wrapped a towel around his waist. Coming back into his hotel bedroom, he picked up his cellphone. Still humming the tune, he saw he had two missed calls from his mother. He called her back.
“Hey Pete.”
“Hi mom.”
“I called you twice but you didn’t pick up, I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”
“No no, I was in the shower.”
“Ah, while singing – I presume,” she chuckled.
“Of course I was, no better recording booth in the world.”
She smiled. “I won’t be holding you up for long, I know today is a big day. Where’s your brother?”
“I think he’s getting ready too. Call him up, I’ll get dressed too.”
“Ok, love you, bye! And all the best!”
“Thanks, bye mom!”
He put down the phone and picked out a shirt. As he buttoned it up, he thought about what the day held for the team. They’d got past the first group stage but it was about to get tough now. Only twenty teams left now, but all greatly experienced and capable of the title. The draw that day would determine who they were going to face in the second group stage. He looked at himself in the mirror. He was nervous.
Someone knocked at the door.
“Pete, you ready?”
It was his brother, Nick.
“Yeah, just a sec.”
He tied up his shoelaces, picked up his phone and keys and went out.
“Talked to mom?”
“Yeah.”
“Let’s go.”
Pete and Nick were the Quick brothers. They shared a love for handball and had made the journey to the national team together. Separated by just three years, with Nick being the elder one, they had spent most of their lives together and were inseparable.
They met the team in the lobby.
“Everyone here?” Michael asked.
“Yep.”
“Ok, we’ve got a television set up in one of the free rooms. Follow Coach Howard there. I’ll join you in a second.”

---

Everyone was assembled in the room. Coach Veitch entered. Looking around, he decided he better address the team before the draw started.
“Listen up. You’ve all performed splendidly in the first stage. I want you to know that. Now, the second stage will be more difficult. We may not be lucky, so we should be prepared for whatever comes our way. As the Ardengardian motto goes, hope for the best and prepare for the worst.”
Players around the room nodded.
“Coach, I think it’s beginning now.”
Michael sat down. He was proud of how his team had performed. Would they be able to keep it up? The next hour would throw some light on that.

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

worldofhandball.multi - Your Go-To Website for International and Domestic Handball!

This Team is good enough to make it deep, says Grim Reapers coach Hanrahan

Dominic Vassin

NYHAVN, NORREHAVN - Quebec and Shingoryeo men's national team coach Michael Hanrahan said this morning that his side will have a solid chance for possible run at the Handball World Cup 24, if they were going to continue their improved form in the second group stage.

The Grim Reapers, whose highest ever finish was 4th place on two consecutive tournaments dating back two decades, have not placed well in the international tournament, but hope to continue said form after the 14th-ranked side finished the qualification round group stage strong with a 4-1-1 record.

Having won their qualification group, beating out an underwhelming Drawkland side known for their height and Gatchingerrak Union side still figuring out their team chemistry as multi-nation delegation, the Grim Reapers are expected to have a tough challenge against Bollonich this month in the second group stage, where they will be playing in the city of Attawapiskat.

'We have one goal at a time here- quarterfinals first. Beating Bollonich will be one thing, making it to the quarters the other. But we have to play well against others too, else our chances will be at risk with only eight out of twenty progressing,' Hanrahan told worldofhandball earlier today. 'This group stage people have said from time to time that this is going to be an easy one for them, but that's not how handball works. We have seen some horrible upsets going against our ways before, like a shameful loss to Hebitaka last HWC or to Mattijana back in Istria-Orean Games. Do we wanna repeat that? I believe not, and staying humble will be the key for a major progress.'

While trying to stay humble, the Quebecois coach admitted that his side played well enough in the qualification, and stressed that there's more to come from Team Quebec.

'While I tell the guys to calm the fuck over, I do think we have the abilities to make the difference in this tournament,' he added. 'It's time to get to the work.'