The 81st Cup of Harmony: Sylestone and Zwangzug (Everything)

[Eshialand]

See You Tomorrow, Or Someday
Part IV: But When It Does, What Then?
Part I | Part II | Part III
Eshialand 0-1 Mertagne

Guariday, Zwangzug

"And it looks like that goal from Dani Emdelbia is going to make all the difference here in the Owls' first Cup of Harmony match..."
"Remember when we were wondering whether the Owls might make it to the knockouts this year?"
"Yeah..."
"Well now, the only question we should be asking is whether Kenny Morgan can keep his job after this tournament!"
"Come on now Karsten, don't talk like that... and anyway, he's also the President of the Soccer Federation, he wouldn't just fire himself!"
"Sure he could Josh! All he has to do is say he isn't living up to the team's standards and walk right on out that door! And I can say whatever I want, Eshialand's a free country!"
"We're not in Eshialand, and I have the right to kick you out of the press box!"
"You wouldn't dare..."

George couldn't believe it. What had happened in this, the Owls' only match that was even considered winnable, to make it such a failure? What had he done wrong? Why had Margaret, or whoever was out there controlling how soccer matches went, decided that this would be when the Owls would choke? When they would blow it all in the 85^th minute? When they would go on a three game losing skid that would inevitably be extended...

Not only that, but what about the team's future direction? They'd probably have to do some massive reconstruction after this campaign in order to make them competitive, or even qualifying contenders for World Cup 90 Qualifying. Would this competitive team have him on it, or would he be considered the weak link, who needed to be removed from the team for the greater good? After all, he was the one who let Dani Embdelbia have the ball. He was the one who let her score for Mertagne, making all of the difference in this match. He was the one who could've stopped this all...

As the team made their way to their hotel for the night, he thought about the positives of the situation. After all, it had only been one match, there were still four to play! Sure, one was against Vilita and another against Savojarna, but it'd all be fine in the end. No matter what, the team would emerge unbroken. He also reassured himself that, no matter what, Coach would never, ever fire him. This team was a family, and family sticks together. Coach never cared about whether his team members played well, he only cared about their love of the sport... and not getting into fights. At least, not sober ones. He knew better than anyone that the drunken ones could be forgiven, even when an Electrumite police officer was involved.

When he got to the hotel, he need some time to lie down on the bed and think about the upcoming match against Vilita, the Owls and Jungle Cats' third meeting in a year and a half. How was the team going to get ahead, even with Vilita being "only" 1-0-1? How...

RING! RING!

George's laptop screen lit to life, as the screen displayed that there was an incoming video call from Rebecca. Exactly what he needed right now.

---

Emerald City, Super-Llamaland

"And that's not quite going to be enough from the Dynamo, as this game will end in an 8-7 Greens victory on this, the final day of regular season play in Llamaphant Professional Baseball's inaugural season."

That was it. With that final out, the game was over, and with it ended the regular season. Rebecca rushed right out of the ballpark right after the game ended, because there was only one thing on her mind. Her promise to George that, no matter whether the Dynamo made the postseason or not, she'd make her plans to see George again as soon as the final out was called on game number 160. But there was one even more important thing to do first. She knew that her final game and his first Cup of Harmony match were on the same night, so she had to call just to find out what happened and how he was doing.

And to tell him the good news: she was able to get a ticket to Spenson for matchday four.

She ran straight to the hotel and immediately opened up her laptop, only to find that it had to perform an automatic update. Update? Tonight? That'd take two hours! She didn't want to wait two hours, he'd probably be asleep by then! So, desperate times called for desperate measures, meaning she had to take out her phone. She hated video calls on her phone, but it had to be done, since she had to see George tonight. It had to be tonight. This news couldn't wait.

She called George's number, and waited as it rang.

RING! RING!

...and George picked up. Exactly what she needed right now.

Eshialand - 0
Mertagne - 1 (Emdelbia, 85')

[Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom]

1, 2, 3, 4

Part 1, Part 2

---

Chapter 2, Part 3
21.08 9:06
Not wanting to “scuff up Markus’ good suit” Nikola offered to drive to the funeral, which was located in northern outskirts of the Capital Region, where the deceased medic called home. Rain was not coming down, though Nikola had managed to get an umbrella from his apartment while getting ready, Markus looked to get the pair, “We’ll need to link up with the rest of the people in uniform. Why did you park all the way back here?” “Do not look at me like that!” Nikola said sternly, “I have an interest in leaving this festivity early. I want to visit Mira. She is still in need of our support, no?” Markus nodded, “Well, so long as you’re not taking advantage of my failures at sober driving, it is okay to help her out.” Both men exited Markus old car, “Come then!” Nikola said, “Let’s venture through this carnival of mourning to find out brothers in arms!

There were a few people using the funeral to grandstand about politics. Local elections were to take place, and at least two party leaders were around. The two were prospective candidates for Mayor. One, a chubby gentleman with a black tie named Apolos Jankić. Nikola knew because of his sign. Apolos was from what Nikola understood affiliated with the President, who was once mayor of the Capital Region. Apolos was somber this day, speaking to some about how valued the fallen medic Milo Alscher was to the city, “What a man he was… a victim of the crime in this city… his heart ruined.” A short distance away from Apolos was female on a platform with a two red banners. The banners read “Socijalistička narodna partija” and “Sozialistische Volkspartei” respectively. Next to the young woman were a few men, one of which was ancient looking, and almost being held by a man to his side.

“Is that the mayor’s granddaughter Edita speaking, and the old man himself?” Markus asked. Nikola recognized the old man, but wasn’t sure about the blonde girl. Nikola did not actively follow politics. Current affairs in the city reminded Nikola too much of his time working for those who operated with cloak and dagger, “I believe you may be right, Markus!” Nikola said playfully as a bluff. Nikola bumped Markus shoulder, “Where are those campaigners from that one group?” Markus looked over, “Federation’s Future? You know them,” he said after rolling his eyes, “They only show up if the person who died killed enough people. This guy only saved lives. As far as they are concerned the only good officers are us and any beat cop who injures some minority. Well, maybe a few care, but not their leader.”

Nikola and Markus continued to look around for who’d gathered outside the funeral parlor. There was a skinny man in a suit, with a bald friend to the left. Markus recognized them as two footballers. “Jad, yes?” he asked the bald man, “and you brought a friend” the bald man nodded, “yes, and this is Marko,” Markus chuckled, “As am I to some,” he gave the two men a handshake,” the skinny man spoke “Marko Desimirić, future superstar allegedly, and you?” Jad intervened, “This is Markus, though some call him Marko when there are ethnic tensions. He attended school with my younger brother.” The four men stood around for a moment, Markus spoke up, “The man with me is Nikola, he is in the Durchsetzungseinheit with me.” Jad looked over at Nikola and back to Markus, “you know what I think of cops,” Jad said brushing Markus’ arm playfully before giving Nikola a quick handshake, “You unhappy being at a killer cop’s funeral?” Markus said, Jad shook his head. “This man was a medical man, he saved more lives than you’ve shot. The club wanted some players here anyhow. Isak Helland was ‘too foreign’ so I’m here with Marko.”

Just then, a smartly dressed man interrupted the pair, “excuse me, my boy,” an older soft spoke gentleman this fifth person was, though when he and Nikola locked eyes, the strangers both had some intimidating cases of deja vu. The older man, shook Jad’s hand, “I couldn’t help but hear you two talk about your club.” Markus gave his friend Jad a wave, and both Markus and Nikola walked off. “The man looked familiar,” Nikola said once he was out of earshot, “I feel like I saw him when I was in the Green Order.” Markus lightly grinned at Nikola “Where? Did you infiltrate a sport game? He is Djoko, a sportswriter,” “No,” Nikola replied, “but that man had the eyes that us few dangerous people wear. I must have seen him before.” No matter what reality was, the two men were apart now. Markus nudged Nikola, and pointed to a gathering of people in uniforms. There they were. Dresses in the ceremonial dark grey of the MEU, and also the light grey of the local police force.

“Comrades!” a loud voice shouted to Nikola and Markus, “you’re on time!”

[Huayramarca]

Fishing for a Living - Part 3
Retirement is Not an Option

Part 1 - Disgrace and Business
Part 2 - Three Hearts Living Together

---

Shango-Fogoa basin, 365 kilometers away from the Farf coast – 09/09/1984; 6:15 a.m.

From a considerable distance, Paceña decided to await what the kraken would do, an action that was mostly driven by fear than anything else. A three meters series of waves went in directon of the boat, who once again had its captain claiming, desperately, for support of more Huayramarcan or Farf boats around. “Please, help us, there’s a gigantic kraken that has “El Zeus Criollo” atop!” he continued insisting about the message, until a random Farf sea merchant answered the call for support: “This is “El Farolero Loco” answering, we can see some lights above the sea level, we might arrive in some minutes with some ships that are accompanying us shipping.” Paceña staff answered “Thank you so much.”

Francisco and David weren’t able to listen what the Farf merchant said due to terror, but Carlos was able to notify them “A Farf fishing and merchant flotilla is coming for our help” David answered “Ooooh… The-they mi-mi-mi-might help u-us.” While shaking his entire body in fear, a more serene Edwin said “They will know what to do, they have more experience than us, for sure, dealing with this” Florencia was aiming floodlights across the sea in order to notice or indicate their position to any ship they might encounter and could be a helping hand for them. Christian, another of the crewman spotted one of the hearts of the kraken, how? In a gigantic one, veins and circulatory arteries are monitorable than in little squids, he was in doubt on what to do.

Christian entered to the cabin and said “I can see one of its hearts and it’s not far away. Should we wait or aim it with weapons to kill it?” Francisco and David accompanied Christian in order to make sure what the latter said was true, in fact, they were able to notice it since there were a lot of veins grouped, David asked to Carlos and Florencia about weapons they could use and they had a mechanic harpoon launcher and some grenades. Francisco asked Carlos in order to gather those harpoons and Florencia to pick up grenades, there wasn’t any saner options than that, considering that the kraken’s behavior is unpredictable in any mean imaginable.

Desperation was noticeable in David, he put the grenades and the mechanic harpoon in action, trying to aim to the heart. Francisco fired the mechanic harpoon and they had to wait for a second until they saw blood splashing in the see, the kraken grumbled and started to shake. The crew decided that the best course of action was to refuge themselves in the room and lock it up in case of need. As soon as they entered into the room, Florentina was smashed against the roof of the room, things like electronic devices, cables, personal stuff began to fly in the room, it was the kraken trying to come back to his den in the abyssal waters after being harm seriously.

The Paceña crew noted that the lights were “falling” right into the sea, the captain told to their crew “There they go, we will have to do a burial to them in the sea…” while sighing, the rest of the Paceña crew did the Signal of the Holy Cross while watching the scene, uncapable to do anything. David asked the crew to remain quiet and resist as much as they could, Edwin noted that somebody wasn’t in the room, and that somebody was a close friend of him, Christian; Edwin cried “Christian, nooooooooooooooooo! While crying.

The boat smashed the waters of the Shango-Fogoa basin with violence, the boats that arrived to the scene managed to see a 15 meters tall wave splash as the kraken ran with a near-fatal harpoon shot. El Zeus Criollo moved violently between the waves, shaking and being almost sunk by the violent water, still it resisted with some minor damage at it’s front. The sun was popping out in the horizon, the Paceña and El Farolero Loco expected the worst outcome possible after the gigantic splash that the kraken caused after being shot, they were shocked when they saw El Zeus Criollo appearing from the blood-colored seafoam with almost no damage, with the Huayramarcan flag waving proudly with the breeze in that part of the basin.

Carlos asked everybody to wait, for five minutes, in order to see if things were back to normal or if they were sinking, David decided to open the door and noted that there was relative normality and that some ships were getting closer and closer, he told the crew to get out and check if there was any critical failure in the ship or equipment. They were doing a quick inspection, they were amazed that the ship managed to resist the attack of the gigantic waves with minor damage, El Farolero Loco, a ship with a mostly Faroleran crew approached and greet in Spanish “¡No hay daño, amigos!” (There’s no damage, friends!). The Farves waited for the Paceña ship in order to escort El Zeus Criollo to Faroleran lands, a one-day trip to the coast but one that could help the ship to get some preventive maintenance.

The ships arrived close to noon to the safety of Puerto Farolero, they saw some buildings and docks appearing in the horizon, relief was a general mood in the crew, they were praising God or just happy by being saved, everybody except Christian, who wasn’t seen since the accident, hence Edwin decided to do a search in the boat, as they were fearing that Christian died in the accident, but that wasn’t the case, as they reached the fridge in the boat and Christian was there among fishes, protecting himself. Edwin got down and took Christian out of there, he told him “Look there!” while pointing out to Puerto Farolero, Edwin clarified “That’s Puerto Farolero, we got rescued by Farf merchants and by Paceña, Christian smiled and said “Xavier, acting great as always” referring to the captain of the fellow Huayramarcan fishing boat.

They reached the docks and the Farves told David “Welcome, we are glad that y’all are safe and sound. We can help with some maintenance and then we could talk about the drill of kraken fishing, I guess we could help in that matter” David and Francisco accepted and waved hands with the Farves, then decided to call the crew and called them to go eat something in order to relax for some minutes, they needed that after a circumstance that would mark their entire lives.

[Yue Zhou]

The mood in Conference Room 203-B was absolutely dire. In just a few days after the United Republics had established a beachhead, their equipment and numerical advantage had empowered them to rip the first few waves of socialist defense to shreds. The Republican Army had rapidly advanced from their landing point in Pengzhou, sweeping northwards and decimating the already-stretched YPA forces. While the forests that covered much of Xilindao had given the YPA some respite, as the terrain was particularly ill-suited to such a quick invasion, the United Republics had them so outgunned that they'd managed to make additional landings to the north and northwest after the initial attack on Xilindao. What had once been considered an island bastion, deprived of two of its finest companies and a host of equipment, was now crumbling in front of Ren Qiang's eyes.

"General Wan, your report," Ren began.

"The First and Second Republican Armies are rapidly converging towards the capital, Xihaishi. The Third Republican Army has cut southwards, apparently intent on destroying YPA strongholds in the forests. The Republican Navy has taken complete control of our western coast and is intercepting commercial shipping."

"And our armies, General?"

The young general swallowed. "They've captured a fair few of the YPA, Premier Ren. With your permission, we are retreating the bulk of our forces to the city of Xihaishi itself to protect the capital, and deploying on a ridge outside the city to maximize our defensive abilities. We are maintaining a small force to the south to disrupt their naval presence in important port cities, but they will have to outrun the Third Republican Army lest they are intercepted."

"Your lot said this island was impregnable."

"With all due respect, Premier, we needed every last man we could get to ensure proper defense of the island. With Brigadier General Wang in Nyowani Kitara fighting for our allies, we are missing some of the YPA's finest, and could not sustain our island defense for long once the United Republics noticed."

Foreign Minister Huang Rennan was next to speak. "And if we bring them back? Would Wang and his men be able to turn the tide of this war?"

"Huang," Ren began, "we're not-"

"Well, if they could make a landing in the south," General Wan continued, "they could regroup with our armies there, flank the third Republican Army, and then advance north. The hilly and forested terrain around Xihaishi could then allow us to trap the Republican presence between our Xihaishi defenders and the southern attackers."

"We can't move them. What if Wang stays put? What can we do tactically?"

"We can defend Xihaishi, Premier Ren...maybe."

"Fuck's sake. Gong? You got anything?"

An older general, Gong Ban, thought for a moment, then shook his head. "They've done some serious damage to our military and supply capacities right now. Any offensive from our position in Xihaishi would be likely to fail, and a failed offensive would mark the end."

"end of..."

"The end of the People's Federation," piped up Huang. "The end of socialism in Yuezhou." Gong nodded solemnly.

"So we defend. How long can we hold out for on our own?"

"A few months, maybe a year - Xihaishi will be tough to crack. But with supplies dwindling and under constant pressure from the United Republics - this city will fall if we don't get help."

"So we get help," Ren said, turning back to Huang. "Eura was already considering letting Wang's men past their blockade. And there's no shortage of socialists in Rushmore."

"With all due respect, Eura was only considering that because we back the KPWC. They'd otherwise be glad to see the United Republics kill us. And what about Ana Mecava-Catic's track record makes you think she'll support us in any meaningful way? No, Premier Ren. We need to withdraw from Nyowani Kitara."

"How would we even get Wang's men back here? They control the sea!"

"If they withdraw soon, we still maintain a tenuous hold of the western coast. We can run them to the southwest and have them cut off the third army. But," General Gong said, "that's only if we withdraw soon. If we wait too long, the Republicans will solidify their hold there, too, and the chance will close."

"No matter. We don't even consider this until it's our only option. Minister Huang, I need you to get any help we can get. Anyone who supports the cause. General Wan, defend Xihaishi to your dying breath. And nobody even mentions pulling out of Nyowani Kitara." The men nodded and slowly filed out of the room, one by one, until it was just Ren Qiang alone in the room.

"Boaz," he said, looking down, "forgive me."

---

"You hear the rumors? That they want us back on Xilindao now that the Republicans have invaded?" the young YPA colonel said. Brigadier General Wang Chuan was having none of it.

"That's all bullshit, man. Ren Qiang would never go back on his word. Besides, we couldn't even make it back!"

"We haven't lost the entire coast, sir. There's a window."

"Nah, by the time we could get any sort of mobilization going, they'll have cut us off. We wouldn't make it. Besides, they seem to be holding up okay without us."

"We've lost half the island!"

"And that's all we'll lose."

But later, after the colonel had left, Brigadier General Wang solemnly reviewed the map in front of him. They were making reasonable progress on the front, buoyed by the Nepharans - who still didn't know of his presence on the island. But things were falling apart back home. What would he do if he won New Kitaran victories, but Xihaishi fell?

Then, the San Ortelian border caught his eye. He wasn't going to become an insane lonely crusader if Ren Qiang was brought down. If the People's Federation lost the war, then his responsibility would be to his men, and his men only.

[Sylestone]

Cutoff for matchday three, Groups F-J!

---

Group F

Vilita 2–0 Eshialand
Juvencus 2–2 Savojarna

* Group F                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Savojarna                             3   2  1  0    9   6  +3    7
2 Vilita                                3   2  0  1    7   5  +2    6
3 Mertagne                              2   1  0  1    4   4   0    3
4 Juvencus                              2   0  1  1    4   6  −2    1
5 Eshialand                             2   0  0  2    0   3  −3    0

Group G

Schima Bas 2–0 Pluvia and the Saxean Isles
Geektopia 3–2 Siovanija and Teusland

* Group G                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Geektopia                             2   2  0  0    7   4  +3    6
2 Schima Bas                            3   2  0  1    6   5  +1    6
3 Oberour Ar Moro                       2   1  1  0    5   4  +1    4
4 Pluvia and the Saxean Isles           2   0  1  1    3   5  −2    1
5 Siovanija and Teusland                3   0  0  3    4   7  −3    0

Group H

Lathamford 3–3 Valladares
Independent Athletes from Quebec 2–3 Huayramarca

* Group H                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Huayramarca                           3   2  1  0    6   4  +2    7
2 Le Choix                              2   0  2  0    1   1   0    2
  Valladares                            2   0  2  0    3   3   0    2
4 Lathamford                            3   0  2  1    7   8  −1    2
5 Independent Athletes from Quebec      2   0  1  1    5   6  −1    1

Group I

Britonisea 0–1 Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom
Barunia 2–1 Squornshelan Remnant States

* Group I                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Barunia                               2   2  0  0    6   2  +4    6
2 Squornshelan Remnant States           3   2  0  1    8   5  +3    6
  Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom             2   2  0  0    4   1  +3    6
4 Indusse                               2   0  0  2    3   7  −4    0
5 Britonisea                            3   0  0  3    2   8  −6    0

Group J

Darmen 2–3 Milchama
HUElavia 0–1 Atheara

* Group J                             Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 TJUN-ia                               2   2  0  0    5   1  +4    6
2 HUElavia                              2   1  0  1    2   2   0    3
3 Darmen                                3   1  0  2    4   5  −1    3
4 Atheara                               3   1  0  2    1   2  −1    3
5 Milchama                              2   1  0  1    4   6  −2    3

[Jeruselem]

ZwangZug, Jeruselem manager Pekora Dancer with Naked News Jeruselem's Aidra Nene

Aidra: Hey Peko! Great result for the team today
Pekora: Yes, quite ideal for us
Aidra: I guess it's a good thing for us that Trolleborg drew with Hapilopper 2-2. And of course, us beating Bollonich 4-2 for the goal difference.
Pekora: I'm puzzled with Trolleborg, 3 draws in a row. That would please Sarzonia who won't mind that because they had the bye today.
Aidra: Yeah, guess who we are playing next game
Pekora: Sarzonia ...

Aidra: We're not safe as yet?
Pekora: No, we're far from safe. As I've said all along, 3 wins is only way to be safe.
Aidra: But we won't finish last either
Pekora: We didn't come here to finish last in the group
Aidra: So what's the narrative for the day?
Pekora: We're well placed but we can't afford to be complacent

Aidra: So we still have lots to discuss even if we have to sit out the bye last game
Pekora: Well ... yes, we're doing the best but we cannot afford a slipup right now. We have to grab all the points on offer.
Aidra: Let's go through scenarios for each team ...
Pekora: Well, if you look at the current table ... we're doing by far the best. Bollonich can win the last two games but it will only get them to 6 points. Hapilopper can reach 7 points at best so the threat is not from those two teams. Trolleborg have the bye next and can finish on 6 points if they win the last game. The real worry is Sarzonia, who can get to 10 points if they beat us and their next opponent.
Aidra: So for our safety, we must beat Sarzonia and it will indirectly help Trolleborg on the bye next game.
Pekora: Yes.

Aidra: I guess that's a lot for our interview today
Pekora: Normally we look one game ahead but our case, we have the bye last two we must compute two rounds
Aidra: At worst, we're 3rd but we could lose top spot to Sarzonia.
Pekora: Pretty much, if we lose or draw - Sarzonia can take top spot from us if they win the last game.
Aidra: So if we win, we're all good for top spot
Pekora: Yes

Aidra: Got it, hopefully I can remember that
Pekora: I'm so glad, Trolleborg didn't win today. That would have made things far more difficult for us.
Aidra: But it also helped Sarzonia
Pekora: Yes it did but we can't do much about that
Aidra: As long as we make it anyways
Pekora: We don't control what others do. We can only control what we can do.

Aidra: Say, the Mann Network dug up some rather interesting videos of you.
Pekora: That was in my younger days, when I had no money and had to get any work I could
Aidra: I dunno being a topless barmaid and waitress is pretty tame stuff, well compared to what I got up to
Pekora: I'm too insecure to do that kind of stuff. I know that sounds weird coming from someone who is friends with Princess Kate ... who seems completely shameless.
Aidra: You were very pretty when you were young
Pekora: Was, that's all gone now. I can't rely on my looks to get anywhere now.

Aidra: Actually it's not what you now, it's who you know really.
Pekora: Maybe that's why people send their girls to same school as the royal family
Aidra: Mum couldn't afford to send me there. Wouldn't have made much different with me, I'm not very smart anyway.
Pekora: Funny thing, it's still cheaper to send girls there than to send boys to a boys private school. Ask my brother about that.
Aidra: Yeah, girls education is still a low priority according to some.
Pekora: But yet us girls are more educated than some so called educated men.

[Sarzonia]

The path for the Sarzonian national football team to qualify for the knockout rounds of the 81st edition of the Cup of Harmony seemed to clear up, even though group leaders Jeruselem won their match to take a three-point lead in the Group E tables with their 4-2 victory over Bollonich.

Hapilooper, the lowest ranked team of the five in Group E, played to a 2-2 draw in the other match, giving themselves a badly needed point, but also preventing Trolleborg (0-3-0) from overtaking the Stars for second position in the group. Thus, it sets the stage for Matchday 4's battle between Jeruselem and Sarzonia that essentially serves as the Group E championship match. A victory for the Stars would draw them level with ancient powers Jeruselem for the lead in the table. A draw would keep Jeruselem three points clear of the Stars with Sarzonia facing Hapilooper in their final match of the group stage.

Thus, the scene is set. The two countries with the longest tenures in World Cup footballing competition would face each other in arguably the most important match the countries have played against each other in years. The previous meeting between the teams happened in the final match of the World Cup 85 qualifying stages with Jeruselem defeating the Stars 3-2. However, that match at Dazza Dallas Stadium had much lower stakes as the Stars had already booked their place in the proper after a 28-Cup absence. Thus, the Stars weren't playing their primary starting 11 in a dead rubber.

Manager Nathan Hanifer had his team hit the practice pitch for training to prepare for Jeruselem on the afternoon of the two Group E matches. They spent the day off between matches going over mental reps, watching match videos to study tendencies, and reviewing mark assignments. Hanifer said he would have the team employ a walk-through the day before the match, but said his first priority was mental work of a different sort.

"I want to make sure our players aren't distracted by, um, other considerations," he said. When he was asked if it referred to the presenters with Naked News Jeruselem, he gave a look and said, "yeah, you could say that."

Midfielder and captain Clayton Wilson said his team's priority was to play to win the match against Jeruselem and then the match against Hapilooper would allow the team to play for a draw if that were actually part of Sarzonian culture.

"We want to avoid playing in the Round of 22 match if possible," he said. "The only ways we can do that are to win the group or be eliminated, and I don't want us to face the latter."

Hanifer wouldn't commit to starting goalkeeper Trent Woodson in the group stage finale if the Stars defeated Jeruselem and won the group outright.

"We want to maintain our focus," he said.

[Ottoman Syldavia]

OTTOMAN SYLDAVIA: LEGIT?

Poafmersia 1–0 Ottoman Syldavia

Syldavia may have no wins, but it's path to knockouts is still clear, unlike other teams in 4th place in their Group.

"We know that we've got to step up," said Frank De Gaal, head coach for the team,"No excuses. If we want to repeat what we did in the World Cup, we've got to play defense, play offense, and score."

In a rare showing for the team, Ottoman Syldavia failed to score a goal. For Captain Kubos, it was frustrating. "We had so many chances," said the captain,"But it's just a stroke of bad luck that they completely miss the net."

The question if De Gaal should be fired has attracted quite a few heads, but otherwise has gained no traction. For starters, De Gaal's team almost made the World Cup and only has allowed 2 goals in the entire COH.

The team may need to add some new faces, though. Luckily for them, Kyle Smith will be available next WOC and COH for them to play, giving them a new goalscorer to add to the team. De Gaal and the team will be happy to hear that.

[TJUN-ia]

By Peter Davis

After a 1-0 win on opening day kicked off the Clock in style, the Jaguars headed into the mountains of Zwangzug to the Rackham Range to end up at the surprisingly big Wayr Stadium. This footballing cathedral in the wilderness would be the host of our halfway game against the familiar foe of Milchama. We played them twice in the group stage and beat them both times, so many were hoping for more of the same today, but the Cup of Harmony is always known for being a bit unpredicable and no one knew of we could get the job done on the Range.

As it would turn out, we had nothing to worry about at all as the Jaguars got back into their goalscoring form and Seems and Li took Milhama to the cleaners in this one. The main man for the first half was Vladimir Podolov, who would score twice (34th and 43rd) and all in all set up the Jags for the rest of the game. Itamar ben Johansson would get one back at the start of the 2nd half but the Galarians took care of that threat pretty quickly, with Archer Andrwes getting our 3rd goal in the 68th and Prince Carter getting the 4th in the 88th. Opening our campaign with 2 wins is definetly what the doctor ordered and we could enter the bye in peace.

But MD3 would actually be pretty interstiing, with both Milchama and Atheara, the two nations we previously played, upsetting the big boys of the group in Darmen and HUElavia. That means that with 2 games left to play, TJUN-ia is sat alone on top of Group J and potentially 1 win away from claiming a spot in the Round of 16 automatically. This will be Darmen's final Group game though, so they will certainly be fighting for survival in the Range next time. We are so close to the playoffs again, but it's not over just yet. GO JAGS!

---

SCHEDULE (Group J, All Matches in Zwangzug)
MD1: vs Atheara (84) - Bug House, Twineur W 1-0 (T-1st)
MD2: vs Milchama (132) - Wayr Stadium, Rackham Range W 4-1 (1st)
MD3: BYE (1st)
MD4: vs Darmen (57) - Wayr Stadium, Rackham Range
MD5: vs HUElavia (31) - Bug House, Twineur

[Schima Bas]

One more match:
Basians hope for final win against Oberour Ar Moro as they cling to second with game in hand

Match Reports

Matchday 3: Schima Bas (2-0) Pluvia and the Saxean Isles

‘42 Casildo Hana
‘75 Numair Mahmoud

The Golden Crescent got the thrill of upset first in the World Cup Qualifiers when it took down (16) Chromatika away from home. The national team has continued in the vein of giant-slaying, punching well above their weight in the qualifiers. Sustaining that success, however, was the main reason the team couldn’t deliver a higher placement in the group stage.

Some of the more cynical fans in the home country suspected the team’s first victory in their Cup of Harmony group, against Siovanjia and Teusland, would be the last in the limited matches of the early CoH. Those fans were proven wrong by the Golden Crescent, who continued their winning ways into matchday three, adding another crucial tally in the win column for the underdogs.

The offense struggled to develop a rhythm in the beginning of the game, as the opposing side took control of the midfield early. Both teams lined up in a 4-3-3, and much of the game was focused on the midfield. In the 23rd minute Bisma Shehadeh was knocked off his feet by Niko Gardner on a strong tackle that earned the midfielder a yellow. Shehadeh’s push to Gardner after the card also earned him a yellow, and was a reminder that the midfielder still needs to work on moderating his temper.

Cairo Hatem followed up an excellent stop in the closing minutes of the first half with a booming kick up the wing to Makin Moghaddam who countered energetically, with a nice one-two with help from Numair Mahmoud, who earned his first start for the Golden Crescent. Moghaddam found space and curled a cross into the box that found the stalwart head of the young captain Casildo Hana, lighting up the stands right before the half-time whistle.

Following the half-time break, the opposition vigorously fought, with an especially hectic moment in the 60th minute where the ball was denied by the post twice before being cleared by Hatem’s glove. Another confrontation between midfielders Gardner and Shehadeh in the 68th minute saw Tio pull the fiery player off in favor of Isam Ramada. Ramada seemed to lack some of the physicality of the man he replaced, and the match’s momentum quickly shifted against the basians, as the opposition overloaded the midfield and were able to play passes through into dangerous areas of the backline.

Once again, the Golden Crescent counter proved to be indispensable, as an intercepted pass by Shunnar Huq in the backline made its way up to an advanced Numair Mahmoud, who used a great burst of speed to get into position with the keeper before nailing a low shot to seal the victory.

Mahmoud, who played on the left wing in Hideki Nazar’s absence, was delighted with his exceptional goal to mark his first national team appearance. The youngster seemed nervous in the beginning of the game, but found his confidence and performed well in build-up play. L’embac Ourelasia, one of the two capital city clubs playing in the top division of the basian domestic league, has much to celebrate as the young striker finalized his contract with the club. Much will be expected of him at a club that looks to compete, and a national team goal in a crucial match isn’t a bad way to advertise his talents.

Nazar, still recovering from a leg injury sustained in the game versus Siovanjia and Teusland, is believed to be match fit for the final matchup against Orberour Ar Moro.

---

The Round Crescent: A podcast about our team

The recording starts with an advertisement telling listeners about the high-strength fan developed by Hatem Motors. The fan boasts of being able to cool the hottest of manufacturing plant working floors. Also advertised are fans for home use, a growing market in Schima Bas.

The show opens with a rock-country song that mixes some of the weirdest elements of basian culture with vague football references in a way that is far too cheesy to be enjoyable. It sounds like they’re passionate, but it’s clearly far different from most football podcasts. It slowly fades in the voices of two men. The quality of the audio is tinny and flawed.

Abrams (Further away from the mic): ...I mean, he’s just like an idiot, right? He got off with a warning and still he just- man!

Smith: Well, looks like he’s already riled up. I just started recording, Jimmy.

Abrams: I’ve got a whole lot more to get riled up about!

Smith: We also have plenty of good things to say too. It’s looking up.

Abrams: There’s a lot to worry about. You haven’t introduced the show yet. Do we need to stop and start again?

Smith: No, I’ll just cut it. Or maybe leave it in, who knows. They say it adds character.

Abrams: What adds character?

Smith: Little slip ups. Shows people we’re human.

Abrams: I have doubts that you’re human sometimes.

Smith: Thank you for your opinion. Welcome, folks, to The Round Crescent, the first and only podcast about our National Football Team. Usually we’ll have more guests than this, but we’re in-between recording spaces, and don’t have our good recording equipment. But we wanted to put out an episode to stay up with the results of the Cup of Harmony anyways, just to show how much we care.

Abrams: Thanks for all the support in our first few episodes. We love hearing what you have to say about the show.

Smith: And we’re looking to get the community more involved with the show soon, so be sure to follow our social channels, @RoundCrescentPod. That’s the same for all of the thousands of social media websites we signed up for to promote this, isn’t that right, Abrams?

Abrams: I don’t know how we got that lucky, honestly. There’s billions of social media networks in the multiverse and we picked the one podcast name that no one has tried before.

Smith: I think most of our audience tunes into the show for our opinions on football, but our social media expertise comes in a close second.

Abrams: What about football?

Smith: Well how about the Golden Crescent’s clean-sheet victory against Pluvia and the Saxean Isles? A pretty fine result there, isn't it?

Abrams: We’ve now got two straight victories. I’m going to be honest, I did not expect us to win a game in the group, and now we’re sitting second in the table.

Smith: Second in the table with a game in hand, but still. Second in the table.

Abrams: I think that gives us an advantage, especially if we can pick up points in this next matchday. I think it’s beneficial that the team only has to concern itself with one more game. After that, it’s up to the other teams in the table.

Smith: Three victories assures us second or first, depending on Geektopia’s result. If we lose, it gets more complicated. The team is on a winning streak right now, if they can continue it it could mean a very advantageous finishing position.

Abrams: Now that we’ve talked about how the Golden Crescent has done, let’s talk about how Orberour Ar Moro’s Cup of Harmony has gone so far.

Smith: On matchday one they defeated Siovanija and Teusland 2-1.

Abrams: That’s the same scoreline as our match versus the S and T’s.

Smith: Uh, I don’t think that’s a nickname I’ve ever heard used for them.

Abrams: I’ll make my own nicknames up. I hate long names.

Smith: Surely you still say Schima Bas everytime you say the national anthem?

Abrams: I mean, at a football game, sure. International yes, domestic no. Every country should only be allowed to have a one word name. Like Geektopia. It’s nice and clean. Easy to say. That’s why they’re top of the table. If we lose, don't blame me. Blame the government for naming us.

Smith: Some very hot takes today from my opinionated co-host. After their first victory, they drew against Pluvia and the Saxean Isles, 3-3. I think their defense faltered a little bit, they likely should have won that match, but the two teams were very evenly matched. That result actually put them top of the table, although they did have a match in hand against second-place Geektopia.

Abrams: So now they come to us.

Smith: Yes, and they’ll be hungry for a win after last game’s inconclusive ending. They’re actually in a fairly good position to challenge for the higher spots. If they can get a result versus the Golden Crescent, they have a chance of upsetting Geektopia for the top on matchday five depending on the former’s result in matchday four. Abrams, what do you think the final scoreline will be?

Abrams: 2-2. I think Orberour Ar Moro’s system will lend well to scoring goals, which I think they’ll need if they want to stop our momentum coming into this game. Questions have been raised about Hideki Nazar’s health, and if he’ll be forced to sit out this next game. I don’t think he will, but even if he is again absent, Mahmoud has proven that he’s a fighting offensive force for us.

Smith: I’ll be the fanboy and give us a positive result. 3-2 victory, putting us in the top half. This match is big for both teams, but I believe our winning streak will give us the energy to push over that line.

Abrams: I wish I had your child-like optimism. Looks like we’re running a little late here.

Smith: Let’s move our thoughts about Akili Granada to our slew of social accounts, and give the audience some moments of peace to themselves.

Abrams: Always sounds good to me. Pleasure to be a part of this project, Smith.

A jazzy upbeat tune kicks in, with sounds of the broadcasts of the past matchdays playing in the background. An ad plays after the tune falls off, advertising the stopping power of the Qadir Rifling Company’s home defense revolver.

[Lathamford]

The Farmers:: part 12

The MD8 Lathamford Nationwide League match sees Teaham FC with Inkwell FC at West Lake Stadium, Teaham. Teaham FC head coach Nilson Morrow lined up young goalkeeper Thidias Cassius as his starting line-up as well as two players previously ruled out due to injuries, namely defender Caesar Denforth and midfielder Claudius Bottomford. The Coaster, under Alistair Hunton-Blather, has a number of reserve players including defender Adam Heidenstam, midfielder Matteo Petersson, and Patrick Cederblom. Their main defender, Wilhelm Hedström is not on the roster for this match. Teams like Inkwell FC have a considerable number of players placed in the main team as well as the development team. This needs to be done because they need to rotate players to face a long season. In addition, some young players from Inkwell Academy were also absorbed up to the first team and some of them remained and consistently lined up in the first-team squad. They are clearly not clumsy as they have long practiced together in a centralized training session. Theodor Strömberg and Benjamin Olsson were among the Inkwell Academy products that were successfully brought up to the first team and played with confidence. The match saw the Farmers lose again with a 0-1 result. [Part 1 ׀ Part 2 ׀ Part 3 ׀ Part 4 ׀ Part 5 ׀ Part 6 ׀ Part 7 ׀ Part 8 ׀ Part 9 ׀ Part 10 ׀ Part 11 ׀ Part 12 ׀ Part 13]

Cup of Harmony 81: MD01
Lathamford 3–3 Independent Athletes from Quebec
Morten Clawbrand '22; Otto Farrowsteam '61, '79 ׀ Havard Popov '8, Lyyti Vang '12, '19
@Stabb Field, Cham, Zwangzug

Lineup
Glowsnarl, Haymoore (Rockripper), Wolfsong, Decker (C), Wymondham, du Graypelt, Hargreave (Trafford), Colfield, Clawbrand (Strongwick), Ironstorm, Farrowsteam

Cup of Harmony 81: MD02
Huayramarca 2–1 Lathamford
Bryan Tello '28, '81 pen. ׀ Peter Ironstorm '50
@Simplex 3, 102d, Zwangzug

Lineup
Glowsnarl, Haymoore (Barrington), Wolfsong, Decker (C), Wymondham (Kaylock), du Graypelt, Hargreave, Colfield, Clawbrand, Ironstorm (Caskwoods), Farrowsteam

Cup of Harmony 81: MD03
Lathamford 3–3 Valladares
Giles Kingsley '23, '51, '64 ׀ Thibault Benezet '2, '66, Aymeric Fortin '90
@Simplex 3, 102d, Zwangzug

Lineup
Glowsnarl, Haymoore (Sebastian-Claw), Barrington, Decker (C), Wymondham, du Graypelt (Hargreave), Wyvernchaser, de Axehelm, Clawbrand (Strongwick), Ironstorm, Kingsley

[Adab]

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 41: Battle Lines, Part 1

June 11, 2035 / 5 Rabi’ al-Thani 1457
Saad Kaykali’s house
Adab City
7:30 a.m.

“You sure you’re alright, honeypie?” asked Saad Kaykali from his sofa as he watched the morning news. His eyes darted slightly to the left to meet his daughter Aida, leaning down to give his father a kiss on the cheek.

“I’m alright, Dad, everything is fine,” said Aida, pulling back from his father’s cheek with a smile. “Well there’s still some unfinished work over at the office, but, eh, that’s life. Oh well, gotta go now. See you tonight!”

“See you,” Saad said, smiling and leaning back on the sofa as Aida turned and started towards the door.

“Wait, Dad, you’re not going to work today?” Aida asked, momentarily stopping and turning back to see her father. “No training sessions?”

“No, we’re resting now,” Saad explained as he grabbed the remote next to him to increase the volume. “I mean we’re flying out again tomorrow. I want to give the boys and girls some free time while we’re in our own country.”

“Oh, alright,” Aida nodded. “Anyway, food’s in the kitchen so feel free to treat yourself. I’ve already told Walid and Salim.” Then she turned and continued on her way, opening the front door. “Bye Dad!”

“Byee!” he shouted back, putting his arms behind his head and further settling onto the sofa. Aida’s return to Adab City, though he would never openly admit it, had been of great comfort to him; his housekeeper Walid was getting up there in years and could sometimes benefit from some assistance while doing household chores. This Aida gladly provided, cooking and cleaning the house whenever she was available, especially on weekends. But the work of a lawyer was demanding, to put it lightly, and because Saad himself was rarely home, he would often ask Salim the driver to stay in his house during his trips abroad with the national team, effectively acting as a second housekeeper.

---

9:00 a.m.

He watched in quiet relaxation as the ABC News presenters announced today’s weather forecast for the entire country (sunny weather was predicted for Adab City), then reported on yesterday’s deliberations by the Privy Council on the defense budget, rumors about Adab’s next contestant for WorldVision and the World Hit Festival, and the news that some spiritual movement he had never heard of had bought a yacht with the intention of using it as a place to meditate.

He had laid his phone on the table in front of the table. So engrossed was he in the news that he did not hear the occasional beep coming out of the phone – the sound of text messages coming in – or even the ringing that soon followed. The phone would fall silent, then ring again, but Saad’s attention was firmly on the news.

It was only the third – or was it fourth? – wave of ringing that finally caught Saad’s attention, like a flash of lightning out of nowhere. He reached for the phone and noticed a few missed calls; Naram-Sin had called, which was usual, but Inimabakesh had also called. And Rashid, too. And Eni. Then he noticed the series of text messages – Naram-Sin, Inimabakesh, Rashid – then came that beep again, and a notification: another message, this time from Eni. Then the beep again, and this time the message was from Mohammed. Then another one from Taymour. “What the fuck?” he found himself muttering under his breath.

The messages varied in their words, some of them filled with an overload of capital letters and exclamation marks and improper punctuation which conveyed a sense of urgency. Nah, not urgency, panic. But they all generally carried the same exhortation: go to the website of the Adab Celebrity Report, or whatever website that reported on sports stars and celebrities. What in the name of God is happening?

He was about to type “Adab Celebrity Report” on the search bar when he realized that he wouldn’t have to. Right in front of him, ABC News was announcing it, complete with the pictures.

You’re watching ABC News, and we are looking at… the Adab Celebrity Report has claimed to have obtained these pictures. This picture appears to be showing Aida Kaykali, daughter of national football team manager Saad Kaykali, leaving the house of football star Alulim Sinmuballit some two or three nights ago, and you can see a figure who appears to be Sinmuballit just behind the door, it appears he’s about to close the door. This one appears to show Sinmuballit and Emma Arthur, his teammate at Adab United and of course the national team, hugging and kissing on the front steps of Arthur’s house. This was apparently taken last night…

…and there are also pictures of Sinmuballit visiting the house of goalkeeper Mohammed Marramzi, who has been at the center of rumors regarding his health. Sinmuballit has reportedly made multiple visits there although it is unknown if those visits had anything to do with Marramzi’s health or Sinmuballit’s involvement with Aida Kaykali and Emma Arthur…

“Allahu Akbar,” Saad found himself whispering, slowly shaking his head, phone still in his hand, eyes wide open and fixed on the TV screen. The phone beeped again and he looked down on it, scrolling up, down, and up again through the notifications. Then he placed a call to the person who mattered the most in this situation.

“Naram-Sin,” he began grimly.

“Saad!” that old, hoarse voice shouted back. “Allahu Akbar, did you just wake up? Have you seen the news? Good God, the pictures aren’t blurry this time. It’s pretty clear, Sinmuballit, Arthur, Aida, you can’t mistake them for someone else! Look, we need to take control over this situation, th-this narrative-“

“Calm down, Naram-Sin, where are you? Are you the headquarters? Yes? Right, right, I’m going there now. Yes, yes, I’m telling Inimabakesh- wait, you haven’t told him? Alright, alright, I’m telling Inimabakesh. And yes I’m going to ask Eni to join us too.”

He closed the phone, turned off the TV, and jumped off the sofa. “Salim!” he called out, turning his head left and right in search of his driver. “Are you there?”

The wanted man emerged quickly behind him from the kitchen. His eyes were halfway between his phone and his boss. When Saad turned to face him he could see his ashen face. “Sir, is- is this true?”

“God, I don’t know, but you need to take me to AFA headquarters now before the goddamn media comes for us,” Saad instructed. “Oh, and we’re taking Walid with us. Lock all the doors and turn off the electricity. Turn off everything. Take the keys with you. Okay, wait, hold on a sec and wait here while I pack my suitcase. I don’t know if I’ll be going home tonight, I might just fly straight to the airport tomorrow.”

---

10.20 a.m.
Alulim Sinmuballit’s house

The voice on the other end of the line was resigned, but unexpectedly not angry. “So, the rumors are true, eh, I guess?” she said softly, giggling but nevertheless giving the impression that she didn’t really want to giggle.

He didn’t know what to say; he only knew that there was nothing for him to say. He shook his head, though he knew that she couldn’t possibly see him. “I’m sorry, Emms.”

“Don’t be. I’ve already suspected it,” she replied quickly, regret showing through her tone. He could hear her breathing grow heavy at times. “I… I should’ve told you earlier instead of… leaving you hanging. But why didn’t you just tell me about it? Or just come clean to everyone about it?”

“I wanted to protect her privacy- wait, what do you mean I should’ve come clean? I should’ve just gone public with her?”

“Well… I guess.”

“I… I don’t know really.” But before Alu could think of and give a definite answer, he was cut off by the housekeeper knocking on the door of the bedroom in which he had isolated himself.

“Mr. Sinmuballit, there are media people gathering in front of the gates-“

“Just ignore them. They can stay out there all day long if they want to.” He had anticipated this – no sane man wouldn’t have anticipated this – and had ordered the gates locked and curtains drawn over all the windows. They’re trying to get their hands on him; he would never let them.

“Shit,” Emma whispered, “they’re there, too, aren’t they?”

“They’re everywhere, Emms. Of course they’re going to be everywhere. You know this better than me.”

“Yeah,” Emma agreed. “So, uh, if you still want to answer my question-“

“God, Emma, I… sometimes I don’t know either-“

“Sometimes?”

“I’ve received from messages from uncles, aunts, and some distant relatives that I think I’ve never heard of telling me why this whole thing is a bad idea, why you’re a bad idea, that I’m a sinner and I should repent bla bla bla. My parents are, well, uh, I know they’re trying to be supportive but they don’t really support me either, you know-“

“Same,” Emma cut him off with a flat, almost irritated tone. “Family, huh? My parents have been terrorizing my WhatsApp saying I should cut off contact with you bla bla bla, I’ve got this cousin that just shouted at me over voice call babbling about God and sacraments and living in sin and God knows what else she’s talking about. So that makes two of us, I guess.”

“Emma, if you, uh-“ he suddenly stuttered, scrambling to find the right expression, or at least the right way to deliver it. “…um, I don’t… really know how to say it- I mean, look, if you don’t feel comfortable answering this, it’s fine, it’s totally fine-“

“What is it, silly?” he could hear her starting to giggle again, as if she somehow found it amusing.

“Uh, Emms, do you… do you actually believe in your… religion? Like, I mean, at least do you really follow your church’s teachings and all that?”

He could hear her giggle cease, and he knew he had reduced her to silence, an uncomfortable silence that now settled on both of them. He wondered if he had made a mistake asking her that question. Every second he waited for an answer felt longer than the last.

When the answer came, it was a short one, delivered in so soft a tone that he could barely hear her, but could feel her genuine curiosity. “Do you?”

Then he realized he had no answer to her question. At least nothing he felt comfortable saying. So he lingered on in silence – an even longer silence – and she did not press him.

“You know,” Emma began, conveniently letting Alu not answer the question, “I… uh, it feels wrong saying this, but, uh-“

“Hey, you alright?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m alright. I just…” she hesitated, clearing her throat. “…you know, do you realize that, all this time that we’ve been seeing each other, we’ve never, you know, gone all the way?”

“Oh… yeah, right. I mean I didn’t to… you know, if you’re not comfortable-“

“You’re so sweet,” she continued, her voice so soft and almost reduced to a whisper, going lower with every word. “I… I just wish I had been your first one.”

He could only nod as he took in her words. “I’m sorry, Emms.” He steadied himself in his seat before continuing. “You know, the reason why I’m still doing this… why I’m still seeing you is… well, there’s no other way to say this, really, but… I realized that, after all this, I think I love you, and uh… I can’t lie to myself anymore and pretend that I don’t love you. I want to be with you, but I don’t know if our families will allow it, or society, or, well, everyone around us-“

“Shut up. Don’t say anything more,” she flatly ordered. “I love you, you weirdo. And if the people around us hate us, then so be it. You have me on your side and that’s the only thing that matters.”

“Emms, if I asked you to marry me, will you marry me?”

“Actually yes- wait what? Okay, okay, I think we’re going too quickly here in the heat of the moment.”

“Well, I mean it’s only a hypothetical situation-“

“Look, you need support, so if you don’t mind I’m going over there to your house now. Not only do you have me, but I like to think that I also have you. And not only that, I need you, so please just let me in, alright? I can’t stand it here alone with all these reporters on my doorstep.”

“Well, uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea, considering there are also reporters on my doorstep.”

“Well you don’t really sound like you don’t want me there,” she snickered. “Look, I’ll be there pronto. You need someone by your side and I will support you in any way I can, if you know what I mean. I don’t like bragging, but… I think I’m pretty good at it. I’ll show you.”

[Geisenfried]

Well, what were the silver linings in all this? He supposed for one that they'd played a half of good football. They'd been shaky at the start, and let Savigliane's front woman sneak through the defenses to finish off a cross from Zoë Barthelemy before the ten minute mark to go down one-nil, but the team tightened up the ship considerably after that point. They'd eventually be able to build an attack from the back as they reached the half-hour mark - a Dreschner interception on a pass gave them possession, followed by a series of their own passes helping to press the ball forward, until finally Raffaele Grüneberg feinted his own attack to pull the defenders just enough out of place to dump a ball to Mikkel Christensen, who finished neatly past Nicodemo d'Ambrosio to make it one-all. Fifteen minutes of back and forth later, and it looked like for all intents and purposes, that this would be an intense, well-balanced match.

The other big silver lining was that in the grand scheme of things it hadn't really sunken their chances yet. Yeah, they'd taken a beating, and the goal differential really sucked, but they were far from out of it. Hispinas' talent in drawing every single other team in the group meant that even a single win would bring them back into contention. Savigliane and Sharktail would be playing as the other match next matchday, so as long as the Swans did to Sharktail what they had done to the Golden Eagles, they'd still have control over their own destiny. The upcoming match with Flavovespia consequently had huge implications - if somebody won, they'd be right back in the mix. A loss though... a loss would all but end it for either team.

But man, that second half had been a complete catastrophe. First ten minutes went well enough, but then Kaspar... Kaspar got cocky. Did Rossi oversell the tackle? Almost assuredly. But even without his embellishments, it was a clumsy challenge in a terrible position. For Savigliane, it meant that Adrian Toscani went up to bat at the penalty spot. For Geisenfried, it meant their young wing back took a trip to the showers courtesy of a straight red, and the team having to play the rest of the match down to ten men. Toscani was plenty talented enough to convert the chance, and it was all downhill for Geisenfried from there. They looked listless without Eberhardt, and despite a quick substitution to bring them into balance strategically, being a man down seemed to affect their mental game, and they seemed tentative and uncertain on how to press the ball forward.

And Savigliane pounced. The sight of Rossi, all of ten minutes removed from flailing on the field while Eberhardt was pleading his case with the referees, bouncing around, jumping for joy after having converted his effort past Juergensen - well, that was a special salt that any football fan who watched with any regularity would know, even though deep down he knew it was just as much a part of the game as everything else. Down 3-1 and with offense in short supply, the Golden Eagles' fate was already sealed at that point, but it'd be a connection between two subs to finish it - Alessandro Bella, on for Toscani, given a break early as a reward for his penalty, would find Calliope Montevecchi to put a fourth past Geisenfried in the last few minutes and make the team's humiliation complete.

Making matters even worse was that the ensuing suspension meant they'd lose Eberhardt for their next, all-important match against Flavovespia. Kaspar was a firecracker who was easily Geisenfried's most versatile defender, and had shown up rapidly since joining the national side as their best distributor from the back line. Even if they could replace him on the field, Bosch, like Messer, was more of a traditional full back than a wing back, leaning more into the defensive side. Which, y'know, probably not the worst thing in the world after the shock of giving up 4 goals, but also probably made Geisenfried's already somewhat shaky offensive prowess even more in question. Unless Geri was thinking of doing something a bit crazy like starting Falkenrath back in that spot. He'd be plenty capable of taking up Eberhardt's distributive role, but probably would be far more of a liability on the defensive end, playing a bit out of place as a wing back rather than out in midfield. He thought it unlikely, but... maybe. Probably the more likely scenario is that they'd start relying more on Dreschner - he was best in a holding position and had been playing the role admirably, but he was also likely the most capable to be able to handle a more flexible role as a creator. He supposed he'd see, soon enough.

Anyways, he told himself, enough dawdling. The recap report wasn't gonna write itself, after all.

---

Savigliane 4 - 1 Geisenfried
Squarciafichi (9'), Christensen (30'), Toscani (58' PK), Rossi (67'), Montevecchi (81')

[Eraman]

The Eraman national football team arrived late in Sylestone for the 81st Cup of Harmony. They had a bye on Matchday 1 and only have to take on the field starting from Matchday 2. The host of the 81st Cup of Harmony, Sylestone is the country that inspired the formation of the Association of Melayu Archipelago Nations (AMAN). The visit of the sentient objects to Lathamford in the recent World Cup qualifiers sparked a region-wide discussion that led to 12 nations signing the Thousandforks Declaration to form AMAN which is translated to safe or secure from local languages.

A lot has been said about Sylestone in the local Eraman media after the Lathamford vs Sylestone match at Thousandforks. They have been made as an example of how non-human will rule over humans in the future. So the squad was a bit shocked when they see no sentient objects when they arrived in Avondale a day before the opening ceremony after a long and tiring flight from Eraman.

"Sylestone is actually pretty nice," said Wikra Petara in the team bus as they travel out from the airport.

The weather in Avondale is quite similar to in Eraman. After all, Sylestone is a tropical island nation too. So it suits the Eramanians perfectly. But their mind changed as soon as they disembarked from the air-conditioned team bus in Halpenley in the middle of the Sylestonean desert after a few hours of bus ride from the capital city. Halpenley is too hot. Eraman is hot but this is desert hot, another level of hot. To make it worse, the night is super cold.

"Sylestone sucks," said Wikra Petara after staying in Halpenley for a day.

The squad had some trouble settling in with the environment in Halpenley and it was apparent in the match against Adab. The Adabians who has similar weather and environment back home had no trouble settling down in the match as they move the ball comfortably and dominated the first half. They opened the scoring 5 minutes before the break through 36 years old Baghdad City striker, Enlilbani Yargab. Adab leads 1-0 at the break.

The second half was a lot better for the Eramanians. Something inspirational must have been said in the dressing room. They looked more comfortable and finally got the equalizer just 10 minutes after the start of the second half through Samara Grawira who was the first to react after a shot by Wikra Petara was blocked by the goalkeeper, Satchit Chandrasekar. Eraman then took the lead in the 64th minute through Mahar Mina who was left unmarked at the far post to calmly tap the ball into the net after Adab's goalkeeper Satchit Chandrasekar failed to block Serigala Rudra's corner.

However, the Eramanian fans who were eager to see their team advance to the knockout stage again this time around were left disappointed after Rebekah Yissakar's shot in the 85th minute went in the back of the net to make it 2-2 and denied the hopes of the Eramanians to see their side get the 3 points in their first match in the 81st Cup of Harmony.

With Banija, one of the best footballing nations in the world coming up next at the same ground, it was not going to be easier for the Eramanians. Luckily, unlike Banija, the Eramanians had more time to settle in with the environment as they had been in Halpenley since the day before the opening ceremony. Banija had just arrived a few days before the match as they had to be in Avondale for their first two matches.

In the match at the Sunlife Stadium, Era Hitam and Wikra Petara put the Eramanians 2 goals ahead in the first half before Serigala Rudra scored the 3rd goal through a penalty kick early in the second half. No one would have expected Eraman to have a 3 goal lead over Banija but that just happened. Unbelievable scene at the Sunlife Stadium. Banija rose and closed the gap through 2 goals from Udai Uster and Kausu Dione but their efforts to find the equalizer were unsuccessful.

The win put Eraman top of Group C, level on 4 points with their next two opponents, Saint Eleanor in second and Saltstead in third.

[Sharktail]

Sharktail Post Ep 58
The light still there

AVONDALE CITY: The match against Savigliane is crucial for The Blue Predator to enlighten the team’s chances of advancing to the next round. The two points collected in the first two games are not enough to put Sharktail in a comfortable position at the moment.

As such, Sharktail left -back Harold urged all the players to be cautious with the word in mind that Savigliane is not an easy opponent. For him, although in principle they should not pay attention to the difference in ranking, but in this case, it could be a warning that Savigliane will try to ensure that the three points belong to them. This view is supported by the captain, Nik Akif. Addition to Harold word, Nik Akif strictly speaking, the chance to win is not non -existent, it is still there but if the players do not prepare, what may be faced by all players is just disappointment. Given that the opportunity to get past the group stage competition is still there, so until Sharktail’s campaign in this Cup of Harmony comes to an end, the fighting spirit must be shown and proven by all players.

"We don't have many options. Giving up is not in our dictionary. Fear is normal, for me it is not the main problem. If players think they are afraid to face a strong opponent, they better stop. Don't just find excuses to say why we have to be afraid of their threats, however effort is the main thing to do.As long as the finishing whistle hasn’t blown, game on."

With two games left to go, the chances for Carrol and his men are still bright. Sharktail may be able to get past the group stage competition in this edition, However, it more suit to put focus on the short upcoming thing first, so for now it's better to think about the match against Savigliane first.

[Vilita]

Vilita Fight Back with Victory over Eshialand

Stelladome, Spensen, Zwangzug :: The Vilitan National Team had plenty of time to reflect on the gravity of their defeat to Savojarna on Matchday 2 of the Cup of Harmony as they stayed in Spensen in preparation for the second of back to back matches at the Stelladome in Zwangzug. With Five Teams in Each Group and only 2 assured to be moving on to the knockout rounds, the Jungle Cats loss to Savojarna meant that they would have to win their two remaining matches to be able to assure they would be one of the two teams advancing forward to the Round of 22 at the Cup of Harmony. To make the job even more difficult for the Jungle Cats, they would be the only nation in the group with a bye on the final Matchday meaning that every team in the group would know exactly what they needed to do to overtake Vilita and steal their potential spot in the knockout rounds.

Knowing that there was no room for error, Vilita would head back to the field on Matchday 3 to take on an Eshialand team that they had struggled to put behind them on multiple occasions over the previous two cycles. While there is no question that Vilita and Savojarna are among the most familiar nations in the multiverse over the previous ten cycles, Vilita and Eshialand have also become quite close having contested home and away series in World Cup 88 Qualifying and in the Eleventh Eagle's Cup competition through the Vilitan Union. During World Cup 88 Qualifying, Eshialand came into Vilita and stunned the Jungle Cats holding the Vilita National Team to a 0-0 draw and marking the only time during the Entire World Cup 88 Cycle that Vilita failed to score a goal in a single match.

During the Eagle's Cup, Eshialand would once again roll in and disrupt the Vilitan advance holding a Vilitan Union side made up largely of players from the Vilitan National Team to a 1-1 draw. One common denominator across the previous failures to defeat Eshialand, however, was the strength of the team Vilita put forward. There would be no such mistake during Matchday 3 of the Cup of Harmony as the Vilitan Coaching Staff put forth a nearly full strength squad with just one relatively unknown name in the starting eleven. The debutant would be an attempt to solve a perceived weakness in the Vilitan lineup as Riku Kasslin, a 23 year old winger who plays for Club ESF in Valanora was drafted into the starting lineup to make their full debut for the Vilitan National Team. Outside of Kasslin, the lineup featured a who's who of Vilita National Team starters. Goalkeeper Mako Canopii. MidfielderLimu Katarakhna. Defender Inteali Koranjo, Forward Nii'arala Milaaso. They Jungle Cats even retained Legendary forward Sipke Tarala on the bench.

The Jungle Cats weren't taking chances on this result and it showed. Vilita would get on the scoresheet within 20 minutes through Nii'arala Milaaso who scored for the second consecutive game after being the only player to score a goal against Savojarna. Overall it was a strong performance in the opening forty five minutes from Vilita who rarely appeared as if they were under threat from Eshialand. The Owls seemed to have the energy sucked out of them when Milaaso scored the opener and would need to regroup at the half time break if they were going to get back into the match and challenge the Jungle Cats who appeared well prepared both mentally and physically for the fixture.

Whatever pep talk occured in the locker room for Eshialand, however, was unlikely to include preparation for the changes that the Vilitan Coaching staff made at the break, taking off two good players and replacing them with arguably two even better players for the second forty-five minute period. The aging defensive minded midfielder Jurzen Devmiko was replaced by youthful playmaker Tresizi Rokopolis while at the front of the attack the utility player Enzoril Alabonni was replaced by legendary Vilitan striker Sipke Tarala.

Both Tarala and Rokopolis have a history of scoring against Eshialand, with both having found the back of the net while playing for the Vilitan Union during the Eagle's Cup XI competition which saw both nations crash out in the Group Phase. The two would combine to produce another goal against Eshialand just past the hour mark on Matchday 3 of the 81st Cup of Harmony when Tarala expertly attracted the attention of three Eshialand defenders and leaving Rokopolis completely unmarked. Tarala dished the ball off through the legs of George Habisbrauer to Rokopolis who took a step then fired past Alexander Kolek for the Jungle Cats second goal of the game. It was more than enough to seal the deal as any last will to fight for the Owls was vanquished with the Rokopolis goal. The Jungle Cats would hold on for a 2-0 victory and would temporarily retain their group on the second position in Group F.

 Vilita [2] - [0] Eshialand
				
	GOALS:	Vilita 	:: 19' Nii'arala Milaaso:: 64' Trezisi Rokopolis             		
	STATS:	Vilita 	:: Possession: 58%:: Shots: 6:: Corners: 11	Eshialand 	:: Possession: 42%:: Shots: 2:: Corners: 4
	Lineup:	[GK]  Mako Canopii, [D.]  Inteali Koranjo, [D.]  Mileke Drokasorna, [D.]  Rojara Tiones, [ML]  Jurzen Devmiko, [MC]  Limu Katarakhna, [MC]  Lentali Purama, [MC]  Kudii Davasarii, [MR]  Riku Kasslin, [FC]  Nii'arala Milaaso, [FC]  Enzoril Alabonni			
	Bench:	[FC]  Tenziki Kulakao, [FC]  Sipke Tarala, [M]  Trezisi Rokopolis, [M]  Intikko Kuhilana, [U ]  Clarana Refiami, [D]  Lohani Riiyaaw, [GK]  Vernasa Sanamun

Now the Vilitan National Team would have just one match remaining. Their opponent would be Mertagne. While the Vilita National Team had a number of unfortunate results during World Cup 89 Qualifying - including a pair of defeats to eventual Group Winners Kandorith. Any single one of those defeats could be pointed at as the difference between Vilita competing at the World Cup Finals in Tikariot and South Newlandia, or where they are competing instead at the Cup of Harmony in Zwangzug and Sylestone. 3 Points in any direction would have been enough for the Jungle Cats to automatically qualify to the World Cup Finals and completely avoid the Playoff round which ultimately saw Vilita eliminated from contention on penalty kicks by Squidroidia. For some fans, however, one match stands out above them all.

On Matchday 3 of World Cup 89 Qualifying, the Vilitan National Team - coming off their most lopsided defeat since the World Cup 72 Semi-Final agaisnt Eura, travelled to the Unranked Nation of Mertagne and would suffer their second consecutive two-goal defeat against an Unranked nation after having previously suffered a 1-3 defeat against The 14 Stars on Matchday 11 of World Cup 88 Qualifying. The Jungle Cats inability to not only defeat unranked nations in World Cup Qualifying but to lose by multiple goals has been cited by many as the difference in quality between the nation that won back-to-back World Cup titles and the one that now sites on the brink of elimination from the Group Stage of the Cup of Harmony.

For their final Group Stage Match, the Vilitan National Team will travel back to the Janaki Gardens in Guariday, the same venue which they contested their 4-2 opening matchday victory against Juvencus. The Jungle Cats entire Cup of Harmony campaign will depend upon their result against Mertagne. Another defeat to the Green Goblins on Matchday 4 of the Cup of Harmony would confirm the Jungle Cats early elimination. Victory would confirm their spot in the Knockout Rounds. For their part, Mertagne still have two matches to play including a game against strugglers Juvencus while the Vilita National Team's full hopes rely only on their next result. Even if they should win, the Jungle Cats odds of finishing atop the Group are slim with current leaders Savojarna still having one further match to play on the final Matchday against Eshialand, the nation sitting at the bottom of the Group Table. However, as their history against Vilitan sides has proven, Eshialand are a nation that can still pick up an unexpected result and may still have a say in the final Group Table.

---

---

[Mertagne]

"I've handed it over to Romanage, it's in her hands now."

"I still don't know why you didn't let me do it, Tyrrel."

"Like I said before, it's too personal coming from you. You and him actually had some history, you worked together - you were friends!"

"And that's exactly I wanted to be the one to drop him in it for betraying me!"

Kristie Ettrick and Tyrrel Gulliver were sat in a cellar pub in Neorudo's Old Quarter. The unique thing, of course, about a cellar pub in Neorudo's Old Quarter is that it doesn't matter at all that it's a cellar pub, as much of the Old Quarter is fully contained within the confines of an ancient magma chamber of a volcano that has long since cooled and been excavated. Kristie's emotions, however, were nothing like the chamber they found themselves in - they were red hot and this time the typically cooling influence of Ben Holl would have done nothing to assuage her.

"It's in her hands now. If Romanage chooses to do something, we'll be a part of and see the results from it." Gulliver replied, sipping a pint and settling into the cushioned stone carved booth the two of them were sat in.

Kristie Ettrick folded her arms and swung her legs out to fill the other side of the booth, with her back against the stone carved wall, that contained both fresh and ancient marks of etched graffiti. "I still think we should have done something ourselves. Taken it to a tribunal, hell, taken it to the press! That would have certainly been ironic. Maybe we could have sold it to rival journalists!"

"But that would have made us no better than those we highlighted." said Gulliver, eyeing the room around him. It wasn't very busy at this time of day, but the two of them, dressed in more formal wear than the rest of the pub patrons, stood out slightly. Most of the pubfolk were, however, spellbound by a broadcast rounding up the latest World Cup results. Gulliver knew how to pick his sports bars, after all.

"I know you're angry with Ben, Kristie", he iterated, continuing to take the odd sip of his drink, "but I'm sure he had good reasons for being a bit leaky. I mean, at least you know now how that Sarzonian manager got those comments about you, and how they found out about that Jungle Cat stunt you made him do."

"I think half the bloody hotel in Valanora found out at the Eel-Cat things stunt. And you'd be surprised, some of that was his idea!" Kristie stretched and put her hands behind her head, looking lost in thought. "Maybe you're right. Maybe there was a reason he was leaking to the press? I mean, people do it all the time in other countries - this is sports, not the government after all - but yeah, this whole situation really does rub me up the wrong way."

"Well, what can you do. Our job is done. I've got a Cup of Harmony campaign to mess over and you might have to find a new assistant manager. We've got enough on our plates now if you ask me." Tyrrell sighed and rubbed the stony table with a beer mat.

Kristie pulled out her mobile phone. "What can I do? Well, I could just ask him, couldn't I? He owes me that much." She selected the number and held the device up to her ear. "Oh, actually, I'll put him on speaker. You can grill him too."

A few seconds later, the damned Hello? of Ben Holl came through the speaker phone.

"Ben? It's Kristie. How are you doing? It's been a few weeks since we caught up."

"Yeah, I'm good thanks K. Just been back in Ist, sorting some stuff out. I moved house the other week, so I've been working all of that out. You know how it is." Ben said, his voice waving in and out as if he hadn't devoted his full attention to the call.

"Sounds challenging. Where did you find the cash to move yourself, Ben? Did you get handsomely paid by journos by any chance, you sellout scumbag?" Kristie angrily picked up the phone and nearly shouted down it.

"I... That's a very big accusation to make. Are you saying I'm not committed to the FMF?" Ben stammered.

"I'm saying you're committed to the highest bidder. And you better start telling me the truth or I'll come over there and sell your-"

Gulliver snatched the phone off of Ettrick. "Okay, no need to go there. Listen mate, it's Tyrrel Gulliver. You know, senior national team manager. Kristie's dragged me into this conspiracy that we've been chasing up for a while now, so I know all about your business. The meetings in Ist with Ekitaldia. The free dinners in Dannin. I don't care about the what, or really the how, any prat with a computer can do it nowadays. I just want to know the why. That's it."

A pointed pause before Holl began to speak. "I can't give you the details. But this wasn't my idea."

Gulliver rolled his eyes. "Oh? So you're not the mastermind behind the whole leaking operation? I'd never have guessed. ...Who is, out of interest?"

Ben reiterated. "I. Can't. Tell. You." he coughed. "They'll know it was me if I did. I can, however, point you in the right direction if you want to keep digging at this."

Kristie chimed in. "Well, we either dig at this or at your eyes with an ice-cream scoop, so I know which one I'd pick if I were you."

A scared Ben Holl mumbled down the line. "They like to meet in Anaia Tower on the last Sunday of the month in the basement. Six o' clock in the evening. And talk. Head there yourself one time and see what it's all about. But, look. Just don't be yourselves."

Gulliver smiled. "Thanks for your help, Ben, we'll see you on the other side. And don't worry about us getting spotted - I know a guy that doesn't care about things enough to help us out with that." He hung up the phone and tapped his nose.

"Are you serious?" asked Kristie. "Are we going to infiltrate that meeting?"

"We're not, unless you have some sort of disguise planned. But a certain member of staff might."

[Chartistan]

Alright, focus... Concentrate... You are Adult Royce, former Chartistani footballer turned Sylestonian Olympic star. Pretend this is Electrum. 100 meter dash. Your countrymate, Jack Hutchison next to you, going for Gold. Give it everything you got. There's no turning back now...

On a sidewalk in Kirkham, the footballer who abandoned his team was on his marks, Sentients walking past him, preparing to run as fast as he could. He abandoned the sport he knew and was searching for a new one. First one up - Athletics. The 100 meter dash is perhaps the most famous event in the Olympic Games. At the Agri Cricket Ground during the 15th Olympiad in Electrum, Jack Hutchison, a Sylestonian, would claim the spoils to himself and walk out with a Gold medal and a 9.71 time in a sprint to the finish that attracted fans up and down the multiverse. Where else to begin on trying to find a new sport than going through the wide world of Olympic sports?

As a sound of a gun fired up in his mind, Royce sprinted up the sidewalk. Wearing football boots on concrete and running at the same time was a bad idea. A few stumbles later Royce finished his 100 meters and caught his breath. 16.28. Going to need a lot of improvement in order to make the Olympic team, he thought. Maybe a sprint wouldn't be the best thing for him, even if he's used to running.

Going off to a nearby beach, Royce would then attempt the long jump for himself... It didn't pan out great either. Triple jump? Not good enough. Javelin or shot put? I mean come on, he could harm a Sentient here! Maybe running WAS his best option, and he just needed this space...

Round 2. Pretend this isn't the Olympics. Let's try to improve my time. 16.28 on concrete... I was born to run. I need to get better... Nothing but 100 meters of dirt separating you... From glory.

And off went Royce, sprinting across the dirt before stopping himself. 12.84. Maybe it was a good idea to do track. Maybe 200 or 400 meters or hurdles? He would get smoked in the 100 though, because... The reigning Gold medalist is from Sylestone. He wouldn't have a chance at the 100.

Oh yeah, and Chartistan drew their 2nd Cup of Harmony game as well. Young Brandonson did him proud... Now off to find another sport.

[Flavovespia]

Savigliane 3-1 Flavovespia

Key Events:

0’: Kickoff. Flavovespia get us underway, in their yellow and black kit, Hispinas in their away white and orange kit.

14’ GOAL – Flavovespia 0 – 1 Hispinas (Hibai Berriz) – Hispinas get the opener fairly early on, from long range. A cross into the box is half-cleared by Alexander May, but Hibai Berriz colelcts it just outside the box, and drills a powerful shot towards goal. It stays low, and has too much pace for Aarif Muhammad.

23’ – Steven Hall puts in a good cross, it’s just tipped away from Michael Cole before Kishan Rees fires the follow up shot well wide.

28’ GOAL – Flavovespia 1 – 1 Hispinas (Michael Cole) – An equaliser, and Michael Cole gets his 2nd of the tournament. There’s mothing too complicated about it, David Clark plays in Michael Cole off the shoulder of Casimiro Coso, and the striker stays onside despite some calls for offside. From there, Michael Cole drives forward into the box, then places it past Natalio London with an accurate and composed finish.

35’ GOAL – Flavovespia 1 – 2 Hispinas (Ozeano Amunategui) - Hispinas retake the lead. Peppi Palmero puts a high cross into the box, and Amunategui jumps higher than Stuart Cookson, and heads it straight into the net, Aarif Muammad with little chance at that distance. Poor defence from Flavovespia there.

37’ - Ozeano Amunategui almost has another, he outmuscles Stuart Cookson for a long ball fired in by Hibai Berriz. Thankfully Aarif Muhammad sees the danger quickly, and is able to capitalise on Amunategui not being able to get the shot away before the Flavovespian goalkeeper collects up the ball.

40’ GOAL – Flavovespia 1 – 3 Hispinas (Peppi Palmero) – It gets even better for Hispinas, a 2 goal lead close to half time. This time the cross into the box is met by Stuart Cookson, but he scuffs his touch. Peppi Palmero gets to the loose ball first, ahead of Alexander May, and lifts it over Aarif Muhammad as he comes sliding in to try and smother it. 1-3 now, Hispinas on a high, Flavovespia faltering.

Half Time – Flavovespia 1 – 3 Hispinas

53’ GOAL – Flavovespia 2 – 3 Hispinas (Scott Coleman) – Is the comeback on for Flavovespia? It’s Steven Hall with a low cross into the box, Scott Coleman doesn’t make the best contact with it, but the ball squirms past Natalio Londono at the near post. A scrappy goal, but he’ll take that, and so will Flavovespia.

72’ – Steven Hall is denied an equaliser by a brilliant save by Natalio Londono to parry the ball over the bar from a curling shot. The follow-up corner is only half-cleared, but Michael Cole snatches at the loose ball and sends it over.

81’ GOAL – Flavovespia 3 – 3 Hispinas (Steven Hall) – It’s the captain to the rescue! Flavovespia have pushed players forward, and almost all of the midfield and attackers are in the final third. There’s too many numbers for Hispinas to cope with, and the ball from Kieron Player to Steven Hall is met on the half-volley. It goes beyond the reach of Natalio Londono, as it flies across goal and in on the opposite side. The equaliser having been 1-3 down, and still 9 minutes for either side to grab a winner.

Full Time - Flavovespia 3 – 3 Hispinas

Player Ratings:

Aarif Muhammed - 5. Hard to fault him much for any of the Goals, but not a stellar performance.

David Lyons - 5. Only one of the defence who did little wrong, but then didn’t particularly shine.

Stuart Cookson (-> Gardner 45’) – 3. Had a real shocker, outmuscled for the 2nd and his error caused the 3rd. Subbed off at half time which sums it up.

Alexander May – 4. Was overran, and couldn’t compose himself in the first half. Was more settled in the second half but the damage was done.

David Blythe – 4. Failed to defend his wing, allowing too many attacks down his side.

Kishan Rees – 5 (-> Feld 63’). Never really got into the game, so not a big surprise he went off.

Alexander Clarkson – 6 (-> Player 74’). Performed better this game, and was solid, if not spectacular.

David Clark – 6. Did get an assist, but was drifting from his defensive duties, which caused issues.

Steven Hall – 9. A goal and an assist, and was a real difficulty for the opposition the whole game.

Michael Cole – 8. Got himself on the scoresheet again. An impressive performance, but occasionally rushed chances.

Scott Coleman – 7. By his standards, a middling performance. However he was in the right place to get a goal, and was regularly a handful up front.

Subs:

Tony Gardner – 7. The Flavovespian defence looked much more assured when he came on, and he didn’t concede in 45 minutes.

Jonathan Feld – 6. Was more positive than Rees down the left midfield, even if he made no major contributions.

Kieron Player – 7. On as a sub, and got an assist, a good decision to bring him on.

Review:

From Flavovespia’s perspective, a game that left a lot to be desired, especially after 45 minutes. The decision to drop Tony Gardner backfired, with Stuart Cookson all out of sorts in defence, and Alexander May not much better. The latter minutes of the first half were particularly poor, and could’ve put the game out of reach. It took a bit of a lucky goal from Scott Coleman, and perseverance by the attacking players, not least Steven Hall to eventually find the equaliser. Questions are definitely raised of the performances of some players, and the struggles of international tournament play and important games.

Flavovespia vs Geisenfried

Preview

Intro:
2 games and only a point so far, Flavovespia haven’t exactly hit form so far in the Cup of Harmony 81. The only good news so far is, there’s been plenty of draws in Group D, and Flavovespia can still grab 2nd with 2 wins in the last two games. Geisenfried are the next opponents of Flavovespia, coming off of a 4-1 defeat to Savigliane, and keen to make amends, as they themselves look to try and qualify.

Flavovespia travel South East to Kirkham. The host stadium Sentient Oval has a capacity a little under 30’000, but the stand out feature is the seats. The seats are in fact toilet seats, something Flavovespian fans will certainly not be used to from home. Still, international football can send nations to many fun filled places, and the Sentient Object population of Kirkham will make visiting fans feel welcome.

Qualifiers:
Geisenfried return after a long absence, and thus were an unranked side in the qualifiers. Whilst they didn’t match the feat of Polkopia, 5th, with a record of 9-2-7 and a +7 goal difference is a very competent performance when returning to international football. Whilst HUElavia, Kohnhead and Squidroidia shut them out, Geisenfried showed the potential to cause upsets with a win over Brenecia. They also did a very solid job of winning against the lower pot sides, their losses only came from sides in Pot 4 and above.

Past meetings:
None, this is the first between Flavovespia and Geisenfried.

Tactical analysis:

The Golden Eagles of Geisenfried play a defence minded 4-5-1, a rare change for Flavovespia as they’ve been largely facing attacking sides for now. This game isn’t quite a “must win” yet, especially if Savigliane defeat Sharktail, however a loss all but eliminates the loser. A draw wouldn’t do either side much favours, especially if Sharktail avoid defeat to Savigliane, and takes the destiny of the sides out of their hands going into the final Matchday. Flavovespia will know as well if they don’t win here, it could lead to a particularly poor showing at the Cup of Harmony again.

The 4-5-1 plays quite like a 4-3-3 for the defence, only with the wide midfielders sitting deeper than wingers. That’s not to say they won’t push forward, and Flavovespia have to defend that better than they have done. A change in personnel is coming up at the back, Tony Gardner replaces Stuart Cookson, and Andrew Dance will make his first appearance at the tournament, in place of David Blythe. Keeping a good defence is key for Flavovespia to pick up more points.

Flavovespia’s hopes in midfield will be buoyed by the dismissal of Kaspar Eberhardt in the 4-1 defeat of Savigliane. Geisenfried were certainly unimpressed with the decision, with allegations of playacting, but it doesn’t change the outcome. Not only have Geisenfried lost one of their key defenders who’s able to progress the ball, the role of marking Steven Hall comes to a backup player now. Changes are made in midfield, Jonathan Feld now starts in the left midfield position that’s been a bit of a curse for Flavovespia so far. Kieron Player joins David Clark in central midfield, hopefully a duo that finally combine their individual skills into a dangerous duo.

Attack is one of Flavovespia’s few decent areas so far this tournament. Michael Cole simply needs to do what he’s been doing so far, beating the offside trap. Scott Coleman is also in the scoring charts, and will hope to kick on, otherwise more complaints that he can’t deliver in big international games will come in. Flavovespia won’t have it as easy in attack this time though, against a side who care about defence.

[Saint Eleanor]

OOC: Very heavily inspired by a dream I had around this time last year. This is how I explained it to Kandorith (with some edits made for clarity):

...I was still at school and met an old schoolfriend at a trivia contest who was actually representing some other school. This was in the modern day and the friend in question had this thing where she could ask a question on the mobile phone and the answer would be transmitted to that other school's big rivals (not my school)...

---

Gift of the Gab
Episode III: Blinding Lights

3:08pm - Saturday 24th August 1996

If you're an adult and you need to shoot the shit in your spare time for whatever reason, you go to your district's National Liberation Front Club, with its dizzying array of alcoholic drinks, its much more limited selection of food, and "EVERY GAME AT WORLD CUP 83 LIVE ON OUR BIG SCREENS" (depending on whether your local Club actually bothers actually updating their blackboards). If you're not - and in lieu of any branches of Cocoa-bo - you have three choices.

The first is your school canteen: you know what they serve, you know who they serve, you know when they serve, you know why they serve what they serve... not like you'll be able to go there for another couple of days, anyway. The second is Torch: great burgers, fairly quick, fairly cheap, well-loved, likely to give you a massive heart attack if you go there too often, mostly why there's one restaurant for every few thousand Eleanorians, not open until 3pm for a very good reason - but there's still quite a way to dinner left. So we are left with Premium Coffee, another ubiquitous home-grown outlet which only does one-and-a-half of those things.

Oh, and did I mention coffee? "I'd just like two medium cappuccinos, please - no cream or anything like that." "Actually, no, I'm having the other one." "Whatever you say, ladies. Team...! You can have any of the free tables over here."

One of the customers decided to mark out her group's prospective territory in short order. The other one... didn't. "Young ladies?" "Oh - sorry about that. Laura's just getting the paper from the newsagents a few doors down; probably the Reporter. She'll be back in no time. Thanks, anyway."

Now to wait for every---"I'm sorry, Chris, but you need to see this." "Fine... is it important?" "Yes. The Reporter's lead story today."

Grand Beach Community School narrowly held off the prestigious Eleanorian Academy to win their first ever Schools Trivia Challenge yesterday, ahead of schools restarting after the summer holidays on Monday.

But their historic win could be plunged into doubt after Sam Jones, a concerned participant, exclusively disclosed to The Reporter screen captures of a DigiPac Micro game that had been deliberately rigged to allow answers to be transferred between consoles, and which showed every step of how these transfers could take place.

Sam (who asked us not to use their real name) claimed that they had evidence of Grand Beach benefitting from the rogue video game for almost 40% of the last 100 questions, which almost certainly helped The Dolphins race ahead of their competition after a disappointing set of science rounds. The game required the number of a question which featured in the Schools Trivia Handbook 1996 to be entered in order for its answer to be displayed and transmitted - and this number was displayed on the screen at the front of the National Debate Hall.

Sam's other bombshell allegation was that Tim Wellington - the Grand Beach trivia team's designated member of staff - was in possession of the other video game cartridge in question, which could have consolidated Grand Beach's already-unfair advantage if proven. Mr Wellington was unavailable for comment before we went to press at 11pm on Friday.

Cheating in the Schools Trivia Challenge can lead to disqualification and possibly a ban from the following Challenge. The Foundation for Pedagogy, which organises the Challenge, has said that an investigation "will, as is our policy, be opened against any school team as soon as we receive a credible allegation of misconduct." There is no suggestion that Grand Beach has, in fact, benefitted from cheating...

"They're just covering their sorry arses in case the invesigation flops. Besides, I don't see Laura Roberts or Christine Terrence namedropped anywhere in this article..."

"That's because we were left out - Mr Eastwood from Biology said that I definitely deserved a place at the time. Yet we still won? This makes me even more suspicious."

"Indeed, Laura. I'm surprised that the wireless connection even existed; you'd have thought they'd have required all mobile phones and other gizmos to be turned off. But look at this - we're being accused of technologically-aided cheating that could stop us from taking part next year. That has never, ever happened before."

"Didn't that happen to Bramblewood about ten years ago because they didn't send their best team? I think this went on at the same time as the Bramblewood general strike of 1983-ish - which is strange because I thought we'd inherited the Tinhamptonian colonists' ban on secondary strikes."

"That isn't relevant. What I'm trying to say is that the Schools Trivia Challenge has been clean for two decades. And then some rando has to fuck it up like this in two of Grand Beach's strongest subject areas."

"Whoever's doing that wanted to look like they were really helping us. Or perhaps that our team were focusing on more favourable subjects."

"It clearly didn't work out," noted Christine as she started to drink her coffee. "Because... yeah. Not the best idea when this competition's supposed to test everything you know."

"Not about how to cheat, surely."

"Probably not! Do you want to hear my crazy theory about this whole nonsense?"

Laura began to sip on her coffee. And then she nodded.

"Whoever this Sam Jones person is, he or she is definitely the person who tried to sabotage us. I have a hard time believing that Sam couldn't have just shown the screen on their fancy games console to the teacher if he really wanted to get the correct answer, I mean. No idea where she could be studying or how she got the damn... cartridge, for want of a better word, but this doesn't add up."

"And this article contains a quote by the Challenge organisers saying that they'll investigate..."

"Credible reports. Yes, I'm aware, Laura. They probably got it last night from Sam Jones or whoever. No doubt Mr Wellington's name is going to be up in all the wrong kinds of lights in the coming days. Meanwhile, Sam ends up having their identity protected forever and celebrated as somebody who brought down the cheaters. Or worked to expose them, perhaps."

"Everything about our trivia team is highly questionable, Chris. I'm just glad I wasn't a part of it, now that I've been thinking a bit more... maybe next year they'll end up in some fully-blown corruption scandal that threatens the existence of the Challenge as we know it."

"You shouldn't be assuming nothing's going to happen with the investigation... but it's not like I was guilty of doing that a few minutes ago. I honestly thought you were one of the three smartest people in our class."

"You're the other one?"

"And Sarah French failed to respond to the multiple phone calls I tried to lodge with her asking if she'd like to have a chat at Premium Coffee today. Nothing suspicious here."

"I know, right?"

[Banija]

Kabaka- King
Isebantu- Crown Prince
Waziri- Foreign Minister
Lukiiko- Parliament
Katikkiro- Prime Minister
SUB(Shirika la Ujasusi Banija)- Intelligence Agency of Banija

Background Info on NYK
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
Part 13
Part 14
Part 15
Part 16
Part 17
Part 18
Part 19
Part 20
Part 21
Part 22
Part 23

Gatchinovo Air Base, Gatchingerrak Union

"Man." Major General Halima Jawo said. "The Kadongo Kamu fucking suck." She had just finished watching the national team play, and it was an absolutely brutal match from beginning to end. There was no energy, no desire, Pam Scott seemed to simply be screaming on the sideline to no avail. There was a horde of talented players on the pitch. Kausu Dione was one of the best strikers in the world. Gereh Kama had a $25 million NSD valuation, something that very few players in world football could presently match. Some of these players had World Cup trophies, and basically all of them had AOCAF trophies. And yet... the Major General was still disgusted by what she had saw.

"Don't worry about it Halima." Said Lt. Colonel Isa Baldeg. "I thought we were good at this sport. Well, at least we have basketball... " The national team's performance at the Cup of Harmony had been horrific. A pair of draws to open the tournament, and then, a 3-2 loss to Eraman. And the scoreline had made the score look closer than it really was. Even with all of Banija's high-priced, famous players, a number of whom would at least be Galacticos long-listed were that still a thing, Eraman just kicked the shit out of Banija in Sylestone. Down 2-0 at the break and 3-0 after 50 minutes, the team was simply stunned and shell-shocked. Banija's high priced strike pair, Kausu Dione and Idai Uster, each scored, but that wasn't enough.

"You think we'll go boots on the ground?" Lt. Colonel asked her.

"We can't go boots on the ground." Major General Jawo said. "We were late to the punch- while you can run supply routes via the air, you're going to need ships if you want a sustainable land based deployment. And if we tried to shoot our way through a blockade, it'd start one hell of a hot war, all the way out in North Rushmore, that we'd frankly be likely to lose. Would we be able to bowl over the KRF? For sure. But it'd be suicidal to get into an actual hot war with both Nephara and Eura."

"Ahh. Well, politics aren't my thing." The Lt. Colonel said. "I'm here to fight wherever they tell me to fight. Fight for my family, fight for my country. Get some thrill. You'd have to shoot me before you throw me behind some damn boring desk, working a 9-5."

And then, in walked Ilman Mendy. He was, what the Foreign Ministry liked to call a 'Diplomat without Assignment'. In reality, he was somebody who represented Banija's aggressive civilian control of the military standard. A lot of orders from Busukuma came directly through him, and then, of course, were passed onto the military personnel. Major General Halima Jawo wasn't a huge fan of how that chain of command worked- but that's simply how it was. She was the highest ranking military officer at the base. Kind of a punch the glass ceiling moment, being the first woman to lead a foreign mission.

"Major General. Lt. Colonel?" Ilman Mendy said. "It's time. The transport starts now." The Major General nodded at him, thanked him, and then moved out of her office, to the mess hall were many of the soldiers were.

"ATTENTION!" The Major General yelled. Everybody simply stood and turned towards her. "We're setting off towards our mission NOW! The order has come from Busukuma. Load up the planes! Fire 'em up! Tonight, we ride transport towards Inhalo." And then, the base went from relative silence, to what would look to an outsider like pandemonium. Everything had to be done- the planes had to be loaded, then taken out to the runway, pilots be given there final preparations- it was something that would take a few hours to prepare.

As the clock ticked on, Major General Jawo walked up to the soldiers who were loading the planes. "How's it coming along?" She asked, as a Captain walked up to her. He told her that the loading was going well. All 6 planes were being packed with the same things. The most basic of which, of course, were guns- and lots of them. And, of course, plenty of ammo for the weapons. It also provided the KFF ability with plenty of modern weaponry. Satelittle capabilities, artillery, counter-artillery equipment, etc...

She went up and looked at some of the weapons. She was looking at a gun that was going to be packed. "Just like you ordered, Major General." The captain said. "Painted over." The men had spent weeks here at the base, painting over any Banijan logos on weapons. It had been a long job- but that was the order from on high, in Busukuma. Just in case weapons got discovered by Nephara or Eura being used against them, there was plausible deniability. The Major General had thought it was horseshit- Banija had been publicly supplying weaponry to the Kitara Freedom Front for months, and just a few days ago, the Isebantu himself went on television and said that they would continue supply through the blockade. Didn't take a genius to figure out where these weapons came from.

Ilman Mendy said it was more of a diplomatic technicality- a way of Banija keep its options open diplomatically, and allowing everybody some wiggle room. If they couldn't 100% identify whose weapons were being used, Ilman Mendy had told her, then it made some sort of peace deal more likely. The Major General didn't understand it, but then again, there were a bunch of diplomatic niceties that made no sense. Not her problem. They made sure that weapons with flags that were painted over were thrown into the military transport plane.

After a few hours of loading the planes, Major General Jawo walked to the bunkers, to meet some of the pilots who would be flying these. She first walked up to the in-air leader of the mission, Command Pilot, Major Okparra Jajah. "Captain Jajah." The Major General said. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, Major General." He said with a salute, a nod to her authority. "I am ready. My men are ready-" and he nodded to the other people in the room, all part of the transport. 24 people in total- 4 on each plane. Two pilots on each plane, plus two more to help unload when they touched ground in Inhalo.

"You know the mission." The Major General said. "Land in Inhalo. Unload the planes. Come straight home." Major Jajah nodded. "Now, we know who will be flying first. We will fly two planes first. Major Jajah, you will be the lead pilot on the first plane." He simply nodded. "Captain Ebele? You will be the chief pilot on the second plane. Your planes will take off at the same time. Remember- we don't know what we will encounter. Do what it takes to reach Inhalo. But more important than anything- do not get yourselves shot out of the sky. It is unlikely that the Eurans will fire at you from the sea, but who knows. It is unlikely that the Nepharans will challenge you in the skies- they are the boots on the ground, but Nephara has not yet established a no-fly zone, although one is rumored. We shall see on both counts."

"Of course, 6 hours after they take off, we will have the next four planes go." She continued. "Our lead pilots- Captains Ozioma, Obey, Edu, and Chinwendu." The four men all stood up and nodded. "Same instructions. You know your flight route. We will fly over Euran Naval ships. Do not engage. Make it to our destination, but above all- do not get yourselves shot out of the sky. They have absolutely no right to be enforcing a blockade for the communist government of Nafuna Akongo. Everybody- know what we are flying for. This is a dangerous mission. These are dangerous times. But you're fighting the good fight."

"The tyrannical reign of Nafuna Akongo, her Father before her, and her Great Uncle before him must be stopped where it stands. They do nothing but poison the minds of the people of Nyowani Kitara, and they then use a totalitarian government to take away the political rights of the people, while making everybody poorer. It's probably, when you combine both economic and political opportunity, the worst country to live in in Rushmore. But- they have a hope. They have a future. If the KFF loses... They will be slaughtered by the likes of Nafuna Akongo as soon as Nephara gets bored and loses interest within the country."

"These weapons we are delivering." The Major General paused, and then continued. "These weapons we are delivering- it is their best and only chance at defending themselves. At commanding a new future. And Banija- we stand with freedom. Especially if it's for our brothers-in-arms." After she was done speaking to them, she walked back to the control tower, to watch the first two planes leave. There as a miniature ceremony- the Banijan flag was brought out, a drumroll played, and the anthem played on a trumpet. And then- takeoff.

She watched the two planes taxi around the runway, before they took off. Major Jajah's plane, in the runway next to Captain Ebele's plane. As they gained speed and took liftoff, the Major General grabbed an energy drink. It was surely going to be a long night for everybody involved. And she sent a simple message to her ultimate boss, the Minister of Defense, back in Busukuma- "The Planes are in the skies." All she could do from here on out is watch. Would these planes be allowed to reach their final destination?

[Nyowani Kitara]

Note: This government owned media source is one of the most biased media sources in the entire tournament, so read this media source, especially the other news section, with a critical eye. Obviously, everything is strictly IC

The Kitara People's Free Press
The voice for the working people of Nyowani Kitara

Banijan controlled WCC suspends Liang Wei and Tage Hermannsson for 4 games each for 'acts of resistance' against the Usurper Government of the United Repubilcs

INNER EAST CHAMBERLEY- At Nyowani Kitara's opener at Cup of Harmony 81, we took on the United Republics of Yuezhou. Unfortunately, not the legitimate government or nation, but the illegitimate team representing the United Republics. It was an ugly match, with the blatant acts of disrespect for the game from the United Republics squad marring the contest. Furthermore, plenty of Kitaran players were hailed as heroes at home and abroad(in Xilindao specifically) for 'acts of resistance' against this illegitimate national team. The starting XI protested, in unity, against the usurpers anthem, and manager Liang Wei wore a shirt celebrating Ren Qiang.

The World Cup Committee took a while to form a tribunal regarding the actions in the match, but they could not form one to meet in Sylestone until after NYK's matchday 2 match, so there were no suspension for the game against Sylestone on Matchday 2 from those incidents- just a pair of suspensions from red cards earned within the match. Eventually, however, the WCC, led by President Adama Sowe, a rugged billionaire capitalist from Banija who is horrifically biased against the workers of the world, did form its tribunal. While proceedings were not televised, NYK players were allowed to testify.

Most, however, chose not to. Liang Wei, the Yue manager who is loyal to the true government of Ren Qiang, rather than the usurpers of the United Republics, was forced to testify, however, and he stood strong- even in the midst of the capitalist suits. "I know that in front of this committee, who have unfortunately chosen to recognize a false team as the representative of my homeland of Yuezhou, I could not possibly get a fair trial." He told tribunal investigators. "The government of the United Republics expose the people to the rugged dangers of capitalism, to enrich themselves at the expense of the people. The anthem that played- it does not represent my country, it does not represent my people."

The membership of the WCC tribunal that voted was kept anonymous. But WCC President Adama Sowe announced the result, amidst heavy criticism from Kitaran sources and elsewhere, announced the suspension of the team captain and the manager. "It is impractical to announce a suspension of the entire starting XI, midway through a tournament." The WCC President said. "But this game is built on international support and respect, and it is built as a way to keep us together- not tear us apart. The team's leadership were the instigators of this disgraceful and disrespectful 'protest', which set the tone for one of the most violent games of this World Cup cycle."

"Therefore, the WCC has decided to suspend both manager Liang Wei and captain Tage Hermansson for four games, effectively immediately." That means the manager and the captain will miss Matchdays 4 and 5 of the group stages of the Cup of Harmony, as well as up to the first two rounds of the knockout stages, if the national team makes it that far. Any suspended games not carried out here will carry over to the group stages of the Copa Rushmori.

The KWFA were harsh critics of the ruling. "The WCC is ran by a capitalist billionaire, who, of course, sides with his Government as they try to re-colonize Nyowani Kitara for themselves. The people of NYK stand for the people of NYK. A normal punishment for this is a fine- a four game suspension is absolutely ridiculous. It furthermore shows how this game is rigged. Maybe if the President were less focused on Nyowani Kitara, and more focused on the game at hand, Banija would've actually won a game at this tournament- which we've done, and, last we checked, they haven't."

Speaking of wins. Missing Johannes von Weber and Ouma Okeyo, both suspended due to red cards from the previous match, Liang Wei's men played an inspired match against the host nation. Two goals by Owino Odede in the opening 30 minutes were enough for Nyowani Kitara to pull off a win against the Sentients, as the host nation was not able to build off of an own goal by Ernst Grönberg in the 75th minute that cut NYK's lead in half, to 2-1.

Central midfielder Amittai Owino will receive the armband for the games that Tage Hermansson will miss. And Raira Ouma will serve as the team's interim manager. While both men said the WCC suspensions were the 'dictionary definition of injustice', both said that they will be proud to represent their country in these troubled times, at a great WCC competition.

[Zwangzug]

Zwangzug the nation turns 15 today! Like a typical teenager, they're celebrating by, uh, staying up late watching baseball? I don't think that really counts as news...



Group A
Nyowani Kitara 1–2 Sendhang
Yuezhou 0–0 Sylestone

* Group A                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 New Lusitania            3   2  1  0    5   2  +3    7
2 Sylestone                4   1  2  1    3   3   0    5
3 Nyowani Kitara           3   1  1  1    4   4   0    4
4 Sendhang                 3   1  0  2    2   4  −2    3
5 Yuezhou                  3   0  2  1    2   3  −1    2

Group B
Ottoman Syldavia 0–1 Sargossa
Chartistan 3–2 Poafmersia

* Group B                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Chartistan               3   2  1  0    5   3  +2    7
2 Sargossa                 3   1  2  0    1   0  +1    5
3 Poafmersia               4   1  2  1    4   4   0    5
4 The Licentian Isles      3   0  2  1    1   2  −1    2
5 Ottoman Syldavia         3   0  1  2    1   3  −2    1

Group C
Eraman 1–0 Saint Eleanor
Adab 3–5 Banija

* Group C                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Eraman                   3   2  1  0    6   4  +2    7
2 Banija                   4   1  2  1    8   7  +1    5
3 Saint Eleanor            3   1  1  1    3   3   0    4
4 Saltstead                3   1  1  1    8   8   0    4
5 Adab                     3   0  1  2    9  12  −3    1

Group D
Geisenfried 0–2 Flavovespia
Sharktail 1–0 Savigliane

* Group D                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Savigliane               4   2  1  1    7   3  +4    7
2 Sharktail                3   1  2  0    4   3  +1    5
3 Flavovespia              3   1  1  1    6   6   0    4
4 Hispinas                 3   0  3  0    6   6   0    3
5 Geisenfried              3   0  1  2    1   6  −5    1

Group E
Bollonich 3–2 Hapilopper
Sarzonia 2–3 Jeruselem

* Group E                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Jeruselem                4   3  1  0   12   6  +6   10
2 Sarzonia                 3   1  1  1    5   5   0    4
3 Trolleborg               3   0  3  0    3   3   0    3
4 Bollonich                3   1  0  2    6   8  −2    3
5 Hapilopper               3   0  1  2    6  10  −4    1

[HUElavia]

Well That Sucks.

HUElavia falls short in a disappointing loss to Aethara that sets them up in must-win scenario.

HUElavia 0-1 Aethara
(Osterric 59')
(Wayr Stadium, Outrive, Zwangzug)

Coming into Matchday 3, HUElavia was looking forward to possibly having a good game against Aethara, who was coming off two 1-0 defeats and desperately needing points. In an act of confidence, Coach Conavacio decided to bring out a mix of A-Team and B-Team players, with Marquez in goal and Torrisi as the captain. As a last-minute change, HUElavia opted to use the Home Alternative Uniforms to be able to work with Aethara's Home Uniform. In a sold out crowd at Wayr Stadium in Outrive, the teams came out to great cheer from the crowd. The anthems played, the coin was tossed and the ball rolled to kick off Matchday 3 in Group J.

The match was one very dull and frustrating one for Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos. A very stubborn Aetharan defense kept the HUElavian midfield and forwards in check, in what was a historic day seeing Yamane, Girault, and Braz-Bittencourt become the first all-female forwards to start a Cup of Harmony match for HUElavia. Despite shots taken by the ladies, saves and blocks by Krygorf, as well as dispossessions by Murov and Van Lieser kept the game at 0-0. At the end of the half, it was scoreless, with Aethara feeling more confident they can get a favorable result, while the HUElavians were frustrated at the lack of goals for a team that is known for scoring. In the second half, Aethara's defending would pay off, as in the 58th minute, Girault was dispossessed by Murov, who gave a pass to Yesterov, who gave a pass to the side towards Brusteric, where he began running on the byline against Motocanchi and decided to swing the ball into the box, where it was won by Hicosia, where they took a shot that was saved by Marquez, but rebounded out and allowed Osteric to tap the ball into the (essentially) open goal. Osteric was mobbed by his teammates for the surprising goal, while the Aetharans in the stadium were jumping and cheering for the goal, at such a momentus ocassion for them. HUElavia began putting pressure and attacking at the flanks, but the defense held out and would not let many shots reach Krygorf. HUElavia opted to put in Sol and Nascimento for Braz-Bittencourt and Girault respectively, Despite pressures from Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos, Aethara held out and upset HUElavia, with the final scoreline of 0-1. A scoreline that truly sucks.

Elsewhere in Group J, Milchama also needed a victory and got it against Darmen, 2-3, allowing them to get a victory for themselves. Currently, TJUN-ia leads Group J with 6 Points (2-0-0), while HUElavia hold onto 2nd Place with 3 Points based on Goal Difference (1-0-1, 0 GD). This is followed by Darmen in 3rd Place with -1 Goal Difference (1-0-1), Aethara in 4th Place with -1 Goal Difference (1-0-1), and Milchama in 5th Place with -2 Goal Difference (1-0-1). The next match will see HUElavia take on Milchama, which will be set to be played at The Bug House at Twineur, where thousands of HUElavians will be present to support the team. The Away Alternative Uniform will be worn, with the full A-Team playing, with Vannier in goal and Mendieta starting as Captain. HUElavia are obligated to go for the victory, especially with the chance to get 1st Place in Group J, which may come down to a big match against TJUN-ia on Matchday 5. But before that match, HUElavia must show they mean business against Milchama, and take them down. The team continues to train hard, as they look to give it their all in this very important match. Here's to favorable results!

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

[Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom]

1, 2, 3, 4

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

---

Chapter 2, Part 4
21.08 9:15
The loud voice reverberated into Nikola’s ears. In Nikola’s memory only two men spoke to him and his parters like that, and one was dead. Major Radić was the shouting loud man. Blue eyes cut into Nikola like a knife, but a warm smile followed suit to patch up the holes, “Good news, Nikola,” Radić said seriously adjusting his white suit, “You’re the lieutenant who the young man checked up on before he died. The family has found out, so you get to carry a casket.” Radić’s exuberance regressed to his median temperament, “Don’t drop it, green boy” he said, “Quite frankly, I don’t know why one of the top screw ups in my corps would be selected, but good for you.”

Nikola, noticed that familiar frown on Major Radić. The face of a man who hated patrolling the desks, a man who loathed office duty. Worse yet, Nikola was nothing but “Green boy” to Major Radić. Green boy had two meanings. The first was in reference to Nikola’s inexperience, with just three months in the force. The second meaning Radić had was insidious. Nikola’s time affiliated with the subversive and dangerous Green Order wasn’t lost on Radić, and while many grunts were outwardly kind to Nikola, he knew many did not grant Nikola trust.

“The family is in the funeral parlor, and wish to meat you. Are we clear, Green boy?” Radić asked, “Yes Major,” Nikola said in reply. “As for you, Markus,” the Major said before motioning to his left, “We will need to speak.” Markus wished Nikola well and the pair split off, and festivities were set to begin any minute. Nikola thus was meant to meet the family. Since antiquity, tradition in Zeta Reka and her lands dictated the pallbearers were a guest in the final moments ones’ body was over the ground. Thus, to be selected for this task was an honor. One was to give thanks and condolences to the survivors of the deceased. There the family gave a gift to Nikola, a bouquet of yellow flowers, something the departed held near and dear.

21.08 9:25
The memorial for the fallen medic was off to a later start than expected. The first speaker, a preacher of the christian faith, wished to have more ears focused on the morning activities. The speaker was Bartolomej Filipowić. An older fellow to be sure, the hunched elder was protoiereus, or head priest. He was also an experience orator, though Nikola felt he was sleeping. Where was Nikola? He had been told by the Funeral’s director, a Mr. Penow, to sit with the other casket carrier. Filipowić talked of life and death, in a way he had spoke at many funerals. After a series of ceremonial exercises to worship the figure in Christianity known as “God,” who Nikola believed in partially, Priest Bartolomej spoke of life, death, service to others, and the wonders of medicine in trained hands.

There was an old truck, painted black. After the long winder speaking was over, Priest Bartolomej spoke, “Our departed has wished for this vehicle,” Priest Bartolomej said, “passed though the family, to help us take this body to its place of rest.” The precession began within a minute of the casket being loaded onto the old truck. Nikola lifted the casket into the old truck bed alongside family members, and a fellow medic from the Mobile Enforcement Unit. Then Nikola reconnected with the other police officers who followed the casket down the public roads, before they arrived at the oldest active cemetery in the City. Again Nikola took the casket, which was lowered by professionals after the laying of flowers. Nikola himself placed one after a grieving mother did so as well. At this point Nikola looked at his wrist watch, the time was over ten hours into the day, closer to eleven had passed since midnight.

21.08 10:50
“Green boy,” Major Radić said quietly, getting close to Nikola while Nikola looked over the rows of graves near old and worn trees, “Marko tells me you and him wish to visit our comrade in the hospital,” Nikola looked at his superior, a man who had taken advantage of Nikola’s addictions to keep Nikola on the forced, “Yes sir,” Nikola said. “Those who carry caskets usually stay for any festivities after the funeral. However, given your decision to visit your wounded comrade every morning, I unilaterally explained the situation to the grieving family. You’re lucky she serves directly under a Major, and not an Inspector. For once, you haven’t hurt anyone.” Radić referred to himself when saying “he serves directly under a Major” The officers of the Mobile Enforcement Unit’s Entry Team did indeed do so, and thus Nikola did as well. Major pointed to a marked car, “Officer Wulewić will escort the both you and Marko to whatever vehicle you arrived in. You are dismissed.”

Nikola saluted Major Radić, and as Radić walked away Nikola looked at the man with scorn. Nikola then walked quickly to Officer Wulewić, who Nikola knew as Milan. Milan was a consummate driver of vehicles. The older officer was also the driver who was with Nikola on Nikola’s last job. Wulewić was one of three people to see Nikola’s magical happenstances on the truck by way of a slumped body. Two of the witnesses are still alive. Milan spoke no words when Nikola arrived, but did once both Nikola and Markus were in the car. “Sorry, I am texting family,” Milan said as he looked at his phone while the car was not moving, “May I ask a favor?” Milan said. Nikola and Markus shrugged, “What?” Markus asked, “I wish to visit the young recruit.” Markus and Nikola looked at each other, “That is fine, comrade,” Nikola said, looking forward to Milan with a bit of a smile, “Mira is a fair woman, I’m sure she won’t mind more company.”

Nikola attempted to look through the glass at Milan’s phone. Perhaps he would one day wish he’d seen what was written there, “I am visiting the girl, we still don’t know what she witnessed that day,” a text from Milan said, whoever he was messaging, they had a sickeningly grim attitude, “I’ve made the choice for you, faithful servant." Another text came in, "she must be done away with.”