The Eagle's Cup XII :: Cup of Champions :: RP/Scores

[Tumbra]

Tumbra 1-0 Ko-oren

TMB (4-2-3-1): 1 - Barker; 2 - Diamond, 14 - Moore (4 - Henderson, 81'), 5 - Perry, 19 - Crozier (3 - Sheppard, 61'); 8 - Fisher, 23 - Morris, 10 - Hunter; 7 - Coonan, 9 - Vaughn (19 - Crossley, 73'); 11 - Erskine

Scorers: Valerie Morris (7')

Player of the Match: Valerie Morris (TMB)

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SPORT > Football
Twelve Decades, Twelve People: The People Who Made Tumbran Football What It Is

By Martin Idle
TBC SPORT

Continued...

7. Paul Heron - The Activist

The 1940s and 50s saw a large influx of migration to Tumbra from countries like Calynabo and San Bartolome, taking advantage of lenient immigration policies at the time. These immigrants formed, and continue to form, the backbone of the Black community in Tumbra today. Life for these new immigrants was tough, however; in the 1960s and 70s, however, they were largely ignored and marginalised, able to vote but with little else. Income levels, too, were far below the average in Tumbra; they'd been left behind, effectively, and left out of the economic boom of the 1950s. Sport offered a pathway out of the endemic poverty many Black families faced upon moving to Tumbra; but while some of them made it professionally, they never made it to the highest levels of Tumbran football.

Enter Paul Heron; a centre midfielder whose silky smooth passes and vision for the game made him one of the most feared creative influences on the pitch. He got his start in football late, only signing his first professional contract in 1967 aged 21; but went on to explode for West Couno United, the city of his birth and the city his parents had moved to from faraway Calynabo. He formed the focal part of a team that went on to win two Premier Division titles in the 1970s, and the famed Double in 1976. He went on to spend his entire professional career at the club, appearing for Confederations League teams like Grove Hill and Millbrook United after he retired, "just for fun."

Heron's legacy, however, comes from him being the first Black player to break through that symbolic glass ceiling and put on the black jersey of the Black Eagles, representing the country 35 times in the 70s. Many Black players who have come after him — Trevor Austin, Jim Buchanan, Marcus Bradley — have all cited Heron as an influence. After retirement, Heron became an activist for racial equality and anti-racism, and today still devotes his time and wealth to trying to eradicate poverty in inner cities.

8. Clive Goldthorpe - The Businessman

In the 1980s, football on television was a novel experience. Most people's experience of football on television would come from the television programme Matchday on TBC One, which would show recorded highlights from Premier Division matches. The rare occasions where football would be shown on television
included both matches of the Republic Cup semi-final and final, the Tumbran Supercup, and most famously, the 1989/90 season finale where Kingsbury United played direct title competitors Bencoolen City on the last day and came from behind to secure the three points...and the title. That match was estimated to have been watched by over forty million people — showing the great potential football on television had. Many, however, were reluctant to embrace television — bemoaning the loss in matchday revenue if people watched football on television instead of coming to the stadiums. The Tumbran Broadcasting Corporation could not afford the rights to show more than 10 live football games a season, with the channel having insufficient channels to show matches on without disrupting their other programming.

Enter Clive Goldthorpe. Businessman and employee for Kingsbury-based Aurora Broadcasting, one of the companies that had abandoned terrestrial broadcasting and embraced cable in the late 80s, he used the Kingsbury versus Bencoolen match to try and pitch to then-chief executive and owner Richard Harrison why Aurora should go for the television broadcast rights for every Premier Division match in Tumbra.

He was, surprisingly, given the go-ahead and made the public face of the negotiations and deal. Eventually, at the end of the 1990/91 season, Goldthorpe managed to secure one of the biggest television deals in history, worth $380 million over five years to show 80 matches a season; and the modern era of Tumbran sport began when Lakewood United versus Hesham FC became the first match on Aurora Sports. Today Aurora Sports is still the main delivery of live football in Tumbra, showing over 150 matches a season over three channels.

Unlike the rest of the people on this list, Goldthorpe's legacy is not looked upon as kindly as the rest of the people on this list. Yes, he did revolutionise football and the way it was brought to the people on the small screen. Yet the price of watching football has increased more than ten-fold since 1991, outstripping inflation by a factor of hundred. Football becoming such a money-driven enterprise has also largely been driven by the TV rights deals, which have become a major part of club's incomes. A report by the Premier Division said that clubs were "virtually reliant" on television revenues for over 50% of their revenue. The latest five-year deal — $2.5 billion from the 2026/27 season onwards — has poured an eye-watering sum of money into the game, and that number does not look like decreasing any time soon.

9. Bernard Mackley - The Man-Manager

Mackley is best known for his nine titles with Guillemard Town (1984/85), Kingsbury United (1987/88, 1988/89, 1989/90, 1992/93) and FC Inter Nantwich (1993/94, 1997/98, 1998/99, 2004/05), and being the only manager to win the Premier Division with three different clubs. Apart from that, however, Mackley also revolutionised the world of coaching, albeit not tactically (he stuck to the bog-standard 4-4-2 throughout his tenure, leading to some criticism of him being unable to evolve his tactics) — but rather off the pitch.

At Kingsbury, he became one of the first managers to look after players' habits off the pitch as well as on it, enforcing strict diets at the team cafeteria and before meals and taking greater control of transfer, contracts and training sessions; personally joining his players at these sessions. Kingsbury defender Tom Philips said in his memoirs that "he wanted to stop us drinking when we were off the pitch. Kingsbury had a massive alcohol problem, we'd all go partying in the city late into the night. But Mackley stopped all that." Controlling the diets and physical exercise regimen of his players may have seemed like an unfathomably draconian move at the time, a sentiment echoed by the tabloids. Yet, it worked — not to mention the dressing room atmosphere Mackley created at both Kingsbury and Nantwich, defending his players to the end in front of the press, creating a set-up that would steamroll the rest of Tumbran football. Nantwich player Charlie Hurst would remark that "he'd shout sometimes, but he could also be your best mate. But you knew you could go to him for anything. He basically became the team dad, and we were willing to do a lot for him."

With these innovations, Mackley became the proto-example for what a modern Tumbran football manager should be — and continues to influence managers today. He retired in 2009, and is today enjoying retirement.

10. Daniel Galbraith - The Phenomenon

What's there to be said about Galbraith that hasn't been said, or watched, already? Bursting onto the scene in 2005 as an 18 year-old, Galbraith immediately slotted into the first team at Straton Football Club, switching between playing on the right flank and playing up front at ease. Easily the best player to ever come out of Straton's academy, Galbraith's finest hour was the two consecutive Doubles with Straton in 2009-2011. Straton, however, would run into the beginning of their financial troubles; and the 2010/11 league would be the last league title Galbraith would win. He would, however, achieve more success in the Republic Cup, winning that competition six times; the 2015 final, in which he scored a hat-trick, would go on to be nicknamed the Galbraith Final.

On the international stage, Galbraith racked up caps and goals too, reaching a hundred in both in Tamarind Region related-trophies and competitions; but a dispute in 2019 would mark his retirement from international football with immediate effect. The dispute would see him miss out on Tumbra's WCC debut, and allow Robin Vaughn to step into his shoes on the right; and was not settled until 2023, when he returned to lead a team of Tumbran players at the Olympics. The team would finish fourth at that competition, unfortunately missing out on a medal.

Galbraith also popularised moving abroad, with his declaration that he was moving to Quebec & Shingoryeo's Perce Town resulting in a 500% increase in searches for related terms in the 24 hours following his announcement. His move paved the way for more players to move overseas, like Vincent Hicks, who now plays for Metropola Borograd in Siovanija & Teusland, Harry Henderson for Aleusia Capital in Zeta Reka & Hugeltaldom, and more recently, Phil Cole for Osarese Marcadia in Audioslavia. His announcement shocked the football world — but just like his skills, he proved to be a trailblazer in that respect. Now retired and serving as the manager for Swanguard Athletic in Quebec, Galbraith has been touted as a future national team manager; but he's remained mum on any questions on moving back to Tumbra, indicating that his loyalty for the foreseeable future lies with Swanguard.

11. Yuan Zilai - The Boundary-Breaker

Tumbra's entry into World Cup Committee events after nearly a hundred years of occupying pride of place at the Tamarind International Football Association meant that they'd be starting as minnows, at the mercy of nearly every single football team in the world. Two respectable qualification campaigns followed, with the latter seeing Tumbra missing out on a playoff berth on the last day of qualification; but a torrid Cup of Harmony performance saw then-manager Marco Hemmings decide to step down from the role.

In came Yuan Zilai, who was meant to take over at AC Valanari; however, the visa he applied for never arrived. What did arrive, however, was a job offer from the Tumbran Football Federation with the sole aim of taking the team forward. Doubts over his suitability emerged after another bottom of the group performance at the Campionato, but the TFF urged patience; and were duly rewarded with Zilai shattering all expectations and bringing Tumbra to their first World Cup just one year after that Campionato Esportiva outing, achieving a surprise second-round appearance.

To prove that the World Cup was no fluke, Yuan returned to the Campionato Esportiva, and, with a steady hand, guided Tumbra to win their first regional tournament after just six years in World Cup Committee football. In a sport where qualifying for the World Cup is an arduous affair, and even qualifying for it can be a major achievement, what Yuan did in just forty-four competitive matches has been nothing short of revolutionary. He retains the reins of the team for the 90th World Cup cycle, as the Tumbran team — now regarded as one of the thirty best in the world — searches for another chance to possibly go further in Vilita and Baker Park.

12. Trudy Harrison - The Pioneer

Another name from the present day, Trudy Harrison makes this history as the only woman — but hopefully the first of many to join this list in the future — as the spark that set off a revolution in Tumbran football — one that allows women to play alongside men in the Tumbran Football League today. The story is well-known; Trudy Harrison and eight other players went to the Under-18 World Cup in a move that baffled the footballsphere of Tumbra, won the title, set off a chain of events that allowed women to play in the traditionally male-only football league, and getting signed by Chromatik — being a key piece in their Season 8 title win. Widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world, even at age 22, Harrison looks set to dominate the game for over a decade more.

Like Yuan, her story is yet to be finished; though she's become somewhat of a breakout star on the Tumbran national team, starring in the team's Campionato Esportiva 31 victory. What she and the rest of the Nine have done for equality in the sport, however, already merits her inclusion on the list.

[Nephara]

Nephara 2 - 1 IA Quebec
(4-2-3-1) 12 - Arrowsmith; 2 - Schrader, 5 - Warden, 6 - Turnbull, 3 - Page; 15 - Tapper (4 - Miller 80'), 21 - Sauber; 13 - Mordecai (7 - Conrad 73'), 23 - March (14 - Laskaris 65'), 16 - Marinca; 10 - Carrick
Goals: Carrick 18', Sauber 37'

"Hey. You sound like you came a long way. Now-- hey, relax, this town won't bite. I know we got a reputation as kind of a fucking nowhereville, but that's a central reputation. They can keep their choked-up sprawl, but this ain't a damn farmland, either. You want six-fingered freaks, you'll have to drive up to the Vale. Nah... friend, you're in the cream of the crop, far as Nephara goes. Up northeast is where it's at.
"Don't believe me? Look outside, tell me what you see... no, more obvious than that. Yeah, you see a sky. A blue sky. You see the brown on my cheeks? We get the sun here, time to time. People talk shit about the price of living in Nephara, but I promise you, out here? Electricity bills slashed in half. Perfect, temperate weather all year 'round. Can throw out your heaters, can tear out your AC. Just live.
"And as for your amenities, that's... well, there's enough. Bars, clubs, libraries, uh, shopping centres... look, as you grow older, you don't need so many nights on the town, anymore. Believe me. And culture? Yeah, there's, uh, there's culture. Some nice buildings, those Yue botanical gardens that're like a tribute to the dead communist regime, uh... yeah, and I guess there's the statue, as well.
"Nah, mate, you've seen the statue. I promise you you've seen the statue. It looks kind of like an art student threw up, but I promise you that's meant to be Seeker, you know, the warlord who went east and murdered the entire line of succession in Brenecia. She's from here, you know.
"Newrook? Nah, see, that's where people get confused. Not least, people from Newrook. They think, yeah, sure, she grew up in Newrook, but that's just where she enlisted. She only went to Newrook because it was the only significant keep in the area, but I promise you Coret was a township for centuries before that place over the hill was a glint in the mad baron's eye...
"Newrook... they've got a statue, too. Or, at least, they had one, hah. You much of a football fan, mate? Yeah... they made it this whole... thing. It's a long story. But I've got time, if you have.
"So here's the thing. Newrook and Coret - and there's other clubs in both, but, for the sake of argument, it's pretty much City vs. Hawks. Newrook will tell you they're a small city and we're just a large town, which, by the by: bullshit. But City - the club - they were, at least, there first. Kind of. Coret's more a late-blooming town. Some foreigner way back - and we are talking most of a century, here - started a club abroad, ran it in the old Premiership a while back, way before even the UICA days, but they ran out of cash and situated themselves in the most marketable clubless place on the mainland. That was us, that's where we got our Hawks. City were decently established by then, so they saw us as nouveau-riche upstarts.
"Here's the.. annoying thing, is each club's about as good as the other. But it's in such a way that it's clear God has a plan for the Hawks; by which I'm saying he really, really, really hates us. Couple decades back, when I was just starting to go as a kid, we were really starting to put a team together. we had this... really fucking tall goalkeeper, Cormak Lethbridge. We had internationals past, future and present - ah, what a fucking team. Christener came after winning the World Cup, we had, uh, McDonald, Montague. Young Jeurissen and Tarashaj. Draxler, the disappointment. But the one that most shirts had on the back was Gabriella Antonio, 'cause it was her scoring all the goals.
"Telling you this team had it all, and we'd been hurting so long, you know. We had the talent, but just couldn't quite have the consistency, and managers were dropping like flies in search of it. Year after year after year we'd seem to be easing towards international football - that was the real holy grail, club of our stature - but just couldn't. Get it. Together. But Antonio's still lashing ni the goals, amazing ones, and Lethbridge is still making save after unbelievable save. A giant of a man, like a basketballer if anything. And there's an amazing loyalty in the unit. McDonald could've left. Montague eventually went to Brinemouth, but the keyword was eventually. We had... hah, so much more faith than we deserved, but the players just really seemed to buy into it. We had one fear, that someone would come in for Antonio. And it never happened.
"So then the best goalkeeper in the history of the club takes the best striker in the history of the club - counting to the present day, mind - and what's he do, he fucking impregnates her.
"She was like 29, and you think, okay, those are her prime years up, but she'll still be great for us 'til retirement. You think, okay, maybe this is our year. But no. Wants to keep the baby. So maybe she's out a year... ? No, she's gonna retire, focus on being a 'good parent', yeah, like those exist... Don't actually talk shit, though, anyone who says a bad word about Gabi's just askin' for trouble in these parts.
"So Lethbridge fucks us, by fucking her. He sticks around, of course, and we, weirdly, get off to a really good start the next year. I don't even remember who our strikers were then - Harper, maybe? - but it's almost like they've been infused with some kind of residual essence of Antonio. And we think, yeah, maybe this is our year... right after Gabi's gone. But we kinda know it won't last, and we realise it when we go across to Newrook. Now, Newrook are building up. Newrook have been piece-of-shit nobodies like we were until recently, and they're just about to enter their own golden age with this weird little intense Cosumarite guy called Bartolnicci. But we don't know that yet, so we go across thinking we're gonna beat the shit out of them. Our form is tailing off a little bit... and theirs is starting to rise a little bit...
"I don't know who scored for us. I know it was Lorne Winter who did for them - I was there that day - Winter, a fucking, nothing player, played in by the ancient creaking ghost of Aziz Senturk. Another Cosumarite, they were fucking everywhere in those days. Our defence melted, and Winter just thrashes it low past Lethbridge, who's never been so good at getting all that height down to the ground fast. 83rd or 84th or something minute leveller. Stops our season dead in its tracks.
"Anyway, mood like that, you walk out onto the main plaza where all the pubs are and you see... a statue of motherfucking Seeker. Seeker's our war criminal! Now, I didn't see it happen, but I saw the police come in after, dragging off some hulking woman who just... I guess got sick of what she saw and took a hammer to it all. Thing was so much scrap by the end.
"It's all but forgotten by the return leg. I mean, our season's kind of turned to a mediocre slurry of shit. Then it gets worse.
"Newrook come visit. They've got this Valladar, Alan Bothroyd. Their own star attraction foreign forward, handsome guy, seems to just find the corners so easily. And he wins a penalty, he's always gonna score that penalty, sends Lethbridge the wrong way and the Rooks sneak a 1-0 win on our patch 'cause our strikers can't finish for shit anymore. Memories of Antonio flare up. And we come out, go for drinks... and our own statue of Seeker's been pounded to dust.
"So we go to Newrook, and finally some shit goes right. We fucking mince them after half-time in front of their home fans, having done fuck-all in the first half. Win 3-2, go out, see they've rebuilt their statue. Have a bit of a laugh... then people start tearing it down. This time, I join in. It feels good. By the time we get back home, someone notices Coret's got a brand new Seeker statue of our own...
"Yeah, so the police twig on pretty quick and started guarding the new statues, after new ones got built. Sometimes fans ended up too dejected to bother dealing with the police, it was only really when their blood was up after a win... yeah, I can see you get it now. Now it's kind of honour-rule solidified over the years into, 'we win on your turf, we break your statue'. We've protected it the past couple years but, uh, you can tell the council's invested less and less money in making sure it looks any good. Doesn't matter. It's, technically, intact, and anytime it's intact, that's a little flex on the little fish down the road. So it's not some corporate stunt, the league's marketing team haven't latched onto it - much - and it's all organic, all an expression of hate at, essentially, the concept of maternity leave. So when people say life in the northeast is so dull and placid and lifeless, I think of the statues. Now you know the story, won't you?"

[Ko-oren]

Relics
Of course, the football-related thing that connects us to our past the most is the national team. You're forgiven for thinking that the Ko-orenite Top League is a relatively modern invention and that our clubs haven't amounted to much. The first part is false, the latter is arguably true - apart from Maethoru SC, our clubs have failed to breach the top ranks of UICA and have only started to do better in the IFCF era, and even then progress is slow and sparse. Then again, with a country of just 28 million people that plays over half a dozen sports at the highest level, globally, you can't have everything going for you at the same time. If that means our club football isn't as big as it could have been, so be it.

That said, the Top League isn't a modern invention, and its clubs do have a long and storied history - at least, some of them. The ones that do have been recognised by the KFA and they're almost exclusively the usual suspects: they're the clubs with a little silver star next to them. Beyond them, there are a few more clubs that you can't ignore when painting the history of Ko-orenite club football. They might not have been around for long, or if they are old, they might not have featured in the top divisions much, but at some point all of these clubs have been influential in their own way.

The Big One: Maethoru SC
The most successful club of the country has been around for ages and has been successful from the start, winning the first four national championships as well as enjoying multi-title dynasties later in their existence, including their current three-championship run. Their attention to details, excellent character judgement, and balanced outlook on the game has helped them recruit some of the biggest talents in Ko-oren throughout history. Most of them, somehow, midfielders. What else can be said about the capital club? If you've not heard of them by now...

The Santa Teresa Derby Clubs: Branvon CD & Miradela GD
Having two professional clubs in one city is rare enough (in fact, only Burnet (Burnet Athletic, Ambergate City, 2nd and 3rd divisions, respectively) and Katashi (Katashi-Kanatsu, Odahayashi, Katashi Azula, div 1, 3, 3) can say the same) and having both of them active in the Top League for nearly their entire run is even more incredible. As the Top League features 12 clubs (up from 8), that means that the league's centre of gravity is pulled heavily towards the city of Santa Teresa. Branvon CD is the older club, with more historical silverware, and perhaps a brighter immediate future, while Miradela GD has a few titles in between. Branvon CD is from the blue collar harbour district, while Miradela GD is the club of the upper class and the navy (Santa Teresa is the home base of most of Ko-oren's coast guard). Their rivalry is the oldest and grandest of the country. Between them, they have countless NT'ers and (local) legends.

The Original Challenger: Tanques AOE
Much like Branvon CD, Tanques AOE was a very early challenger to Maethoru SC's hegemony. The difference was that Tanques AOE used Maethoru's weapons against them, with great recruiting, a possession-based style with a heavy midfield and individually talented players. The club did get a title once, but also relegated to the 2nd division recently (before promoting back up after a few years), it'll take a while for them to build up what they once had. The ambition remains the same. Tanques AOE is a truly ancient club with history going back to not just the early days of national play, but regional play, appearing in the first Cote Australienne competition as well as the first fully completed season of club play - finishing third, behind... Branvon CD (2nd) and Maethoru SC (1st).

The Self-Declared Champion of the East: Katashi-Kanatsu
A merger of several clubs that appeared in the first season of a national league (namely Katashi Blue FC, Katashi Fighters, and the Katashi IV), the club has ties going all the way back. At the time, the province they're in, Yoshima, already felt a little different from the rest of Ko-oren and that difference is something Yoshimans will always stress... never quite ruling out autonomy or even independence. It was only 'fitting', then, that the region could rally around a football identity, and the Katashi club offered an easy way to do so. Since then, they might not have the titles of some of the previous clubs, but unlike any of them, they were always present at the party, whatever the KFA threw at them. Most of the Yoshiman (Japanese) names came through their ranks, playing a more attacking style from the get-go.

The Club that Started the National Team: Straudum VV
The small, unassuming northeastern club ended up being the blueprint for the national team. Stifling defence, never letting their small budget, fanbase, number of players, or anything else come between them and a good season. The Ko-orenite national team hasn't been brilliant from the start, and only started getting traction after they tried everything else (as in, modelling the NT after the only successful club we had, Maethoru, and to a lesser extent, Tanques). It was the Straudum-inspired coaching and selecting that gave the Dragonflies its defensive nature, and we've never looked back. The club supplied legendary defender after legendary defender. If only Straudum VV could have held on to any generation of players for longer than a few years, they would have been our record champions now.

The Other Eastern Club: Advance Alara
Trying to do things radically different, Alara settled on an all-out attack, with creative players looking for goals at every turn. Initially unsuccessful, their brand of football got them many fans from all over Ko-oren - and the multiverse - as the contrarian club. Advance Alara is from Yoshima like Katashi-Kanatsu, but always had a hate-love relationship with them. Sure, they banded together as the Yoshiman clubs against the Ko-orenite grain, but their rivalry with the much bigger Katashi club is fierce (and somewhat one-sided) at the same time. Alara just does things different, not per se better. They produce some incredible strikers, though.

The Odd One Out: Cresthill FC
The city of Willowbourne has a weird relationship with football. It's the second-largest city, but has no big club and its supporters are scattered across Huthwich & Iduloren (the English-speakers, that is), as well as many other clubs from rural Gehrenna (Vinroux, Strongfair, various southwestern clubs) but the city does have a football history if only they cared to look it up. Cresthill FC is the direct successor club to... a long list of previous iterations... including Arelothun (a club in the first KFA season), Willowbourne (a one-time champion just before the modern format), but every time they change names, they throw their history out of the window. Despite all that, the KFA has recognised their history, even if the fans won't.

The Modern Forces: Maynard AFC & Schemerdrecht SVV
Not recognised as one of the original eight, but still mentioned in the same breath, are two clubs that have put Ko-oren on the map more recently. Maynard AFC may be a laughingstock as of the last decade or so, before that they were the club in the southwest, covering Willowbourne, Greencaster (the two biggest cities of the country, both of which can't seem to decide on a club to support), qualifying for UICA, and promoting football in the more rugby, gridiron, and cricket-oriented southwest, with a long line of iconic managers and owners, failed forays into foreign leagues, you name it. Schemerdrecht SVV is the unofficial club of the north even though Straudum is right there, and it's mostly due to fanbase: Schemerdrecht is a huge club from a huge city, that in recent years has repeatedly got itself into UICA and IFCF, with a slightly diluted Straudum gameplan (only defending a lot instead of defending all the time) and exciting players.

[Turori]

Eagle's Club, Sabinal, Valanora :: No two teams in the history of the Eagle's Cup have finished in the medals than Turroi and Valanora. Heading into Eagle's Cup XII, both were tied with an all time streak of three consecutive Medal placements. Turori's streak was active having earned Bronze in Eagle's Cup IX and X before being crowned champions of Eagle's Cup XI. The Vanorian streak had ended in Eagle's Cup X after they had also put together a string of two Bronzes and a Gold but they were very much looking to start up a new streak while protecting their own claim as joint longest streak holders. The Vanorians had only a brief road to the Semi Finals of the Cup of Champions after a new format that saw the Marauders advance straight to the second half of the group stage along with Adab. There was no sign of rust as Valanora would top Phase B of the Confederations Group and earn home field advantage over Turori with the match to be played at the Eagle's Club in Sabinal.

While it was no surprise to see the Turori National Team starting with Meldi'ita Mungwaii and Nua'oma Aikiki in attack, between the sticks it was Timaala Hualtia instead of Derizi Amatopa - a decision which surprised most who expected to see the Eura-based netminder taking the gloves for the remainder of the tournament. With a tough World Cup Qualifying campaign on the horizon, however, perhaps Tarek Edgeli and the Turori National Coaching staff were playing their cards differently - especially as reigning champions of the Cup of Champions.

Unfortunately for the Eels it was a rocky start for Hualtia. Vilitan League based strike Elias Hammer who plays for Lonngeylin Coast in the Stellar Division was able to get the best of Hualtia twice in the opening thirty minutes sending a surge of energy through the stadium as the locals could sense the Cup of Champions final on their fingertips. The Vanorians would maintain their two-goal lead through the half but the Eels would strike back within minutes of the second half getting under way. The goal came from Jungle Strike FC forward Nua'oma Aikiki who was fed through by Lati'ala Giaoka as the Marauders were still taking in the crowd at the start of the half.

Turori would appear to climb fully back into the match less than ten minutes later when Daliora Toru'u scored a fortunate goal off a corner kick that went straight into the net after curving in at the back post out of the reach of Isak Helland. The nature of the goal served to motivate the Vanorians to strike back and strike back quickly - which they did. 23 year old Taina Vääräniemi of Dí Maozöxê capitalized with her first touch of the game to restore the lead for the home side. Edgeli's Eels were not giving up however and pulled level once more through substitute Kinabo Telioa whose goal would send the game into extra time. There was nothing to separate the two sides in the extra session and the honor of advancing to the Cup of Champions Final would be resolved on penalty kicks. After four rounds and one miss a piece, Turorian netminder Timaala Hualtia would make amends for a rough first half performance by getting a palm to deny the fifth attempt from the Marauders. It sealed the match 4-3 in favor of Turori on Penalty Kicks and denied Valanora their first ever Cup of Champions appearance.

With the victory, Turori would advance to their second consecutive Cup of Champions final and second of all time while they would square off with Tumbra - one of the hottest nations in the multiverse and the first ever Cup of Champions participant who qualified as Champion of the Campionato Esportiva to advance through to the Final.

Turori 3 - 3 Valanora
Goals: :: 47' Nua'oma Aikiki:: 58' Daliora Toru'u:: 76' Kinabo Telioa
Roster: Timaala Hualtia, Planio’o Nrujsa (Kinabo Telioa 68'), Karek Edgeli (Lumlao Noauryua 75'), Bvalis Amaanara, Kiidallen Aeroluzzi, Daliora Toru'u (Tulaki Rauogba 101'), Cuoabaza Orani’aoa, Lati'ala Giaoka, Naraiza Ruaplal (Turakia Diijelhma 61'), Nua'oma Aikiki, Meldi'ita Mungwaii

A Brief Story of Turori's most interesting Trophy: The Loser's Trophy (And the Coconut Legacy it Inspired)

The debate has carried on for decades in Turori. To Cup or Not to Cup. As a fully integrated part of the Vilitan League system, Turorian clubs participate in the Vilitan Cup. The Vilitan Cup has always had Turorian teams integrated and there has never been a standalone Cup just for teams from the Island Emirate. The discussion usually comes up every couple of seasons - particularly after a Turorian team actually wins the Vilitan Cup, qualifies for the Cup Winners Cup and Turorians are reminded that because they have no cup of their own they are not guaranteed any entry into the Cup Winners Cup on a seasonal basis.s

Of course, however, whenever the discussion on a Turorian Cup comes about, it ultimately results in a peak in the volume of search results for the Turorian Losers Cup. A Tradition that was started way back in Vilitan League Season 1 when there were just two Turorian Teams in the Stellar Division: Cednia Beach AFC and FC Almintora. The battle for Turorian surpremacy came down to the final matchday where Cednia Beach AFC reigned triumphant in a bitter battle with FC Almintora with Cednia Beach AFC fighting for a Top 5 spot in the final standings. Cednia would edge out their rivals to finish 4th and declared themselves "Champions of Turori" by virtue of being the highest placed Turorian side in the Stellar Division.

While there was no official recognition for the Turorian Champion amongst the clubs in the Vilitan League, Cednia Beach team members decided to celebrate anyway when the final whistle blew. As the Cednia Players celebrated they spotted a trophy - it was a local citizen who had won the half time entertainment competition which was put on by the Cednia Beach Chapter of the Coconut Bowling Association (CBA) - a local spin on 10-pin bowling using palm pins and coconut balls. After a brief negotiation, the players were now posing in front of the Coconut Trophy. The fan, who had just earned themselves season tickets by virtue of conceding the hardware watched on as Cednia Beach AFC posed as champions with the makeshift Coconut Trophy. A local paper's headline the following day of "Coconuts Triumph!" would go on to forever associate the Coconuts Nickname with Cednia Beach AFC.

That wouldn't be the end of the story, however. The prize for the top Coconut Bowler at the Coconut Bowling Exhibition at half time of the Season 1 Cednia Beach AFC Home Finale was a cheaply made piece of construction with a real coconut wedged at the top - the intention for the bowler to be able to utilize or consume the Coconut as part of their prize. Instead, the trophy sat at the Cednia Beach Center and eventually the Coconut began to rot. As proud Champions of Turori, Cednia Beach AFC was not about to discard their trophy - but when the second season of Vilitan League competition came to a close one of their employees had an idea. In an obvious boost to the rivalry, FC Almintora fans and players were extremely vocal about being able to re-claim the trophy at the end of Season 2 yet with three games to play Cednia Beach AFC had already sealed the deal with a 10 point gap to their in-country rivals. In preparation, Cednia Beach AFC commissioned a new - more durable and permanent trophy for the champions of Turori with a non-perishable Coconut on top. As for the original champions trophy? Cednia Beach AFC slide open the rotted Coconut and presented the trophy as is to FC Almintora, Rot and all.

Both in good fun, and acknowledging the slight, FC Almintora redoubled their efforts to capture the Turorian Trophy during Season 3 - and this time they were motivated to present the original rotted trophy back to their rivals. Unfortunately they fell one place short finishing 6th in the Stellar Division with Cednia Beach AFC in 5th. Being good sports and in good spirits after having won for the third consecutive season, Cednia Beach AFC offered to replace the rotted Coconut with a fresh one - sliced - but allowed to rot over the next year firmly establishing the tradition that the losing side would be given the Losers Trophy by the winning team with a fresh but perishable item as the centerpiece. The Trophy remained exclusively shared between Cednia Beach AFC and FC Almintora - and exclusively the property of FC Almintora with a Cednia provided Coconut until Almintora's shock relegation from the Stellar Division during Vilitan League Season 6, at which point the tradition continued to live on through the newly promoted side Kionao Locals. From then on, the Turori Losers Trophy was presented to the lowest placed Turorian side in the Stellar Division with the perishable item replaced each season as necessary. While as champions Cednia Beach AFC have always upheld the Coconut Tradition, a more recent tradition is that when the Losers Trophy changes hands between two clubs it is the previous loser who chooses the item to decorate the trophy with - while the Turorian Champion choose the item when the same club retains the Trophy for two consecutive seasons. In recent seasons the items have become creative with Mliona-Lpaka once placing a cup of Cocoa-bo at the top in honor of their newly minted (at the time) shirt Sponsor the Cocoa-bo eatery and delectables company. In addition to the possibility that the cup of Cocoa-bo would not age well over time, the recipients of the trophy also had to ensure not to tip the trophy for fear of spilling the spoiled delectable mix.

The Loser's Trophy of Turori, a spur of the moment relic to recognize the best Turorian domestic side turned domestic tradition to serve as both ridicule and inspiration for the worst side from the Island Emirate.

---

[Zwangzug]

In downtown Zwischen, there is a black Ziggurat that, at eight stories tall, is dwarfed by the nearby skyscrapers that had been constructed in the wake of the Consolidation and the country's population surge. Perhaps, when the city was recovering from the wall breach, it had once been imposing. Or, when the government was isolationist enough that five dozen parliamentarians could meet in relative obscurity and still have room for floors of bureaucrats above them, it had been a seat of power. Today it is a museum, open to the public. And on the first floor, displayed in a prominent place of honor, is a golden statue of a haddock.

It had been a gift from the Holy Empire during World Cup 36. The Empire, notably inscrutable at best, had brought a fervent if short-lived obsession with the Melanogrammus to the tournament, publishing an early edition of the "Mammoth Compendium of World Cup Lies" detailing vivid, if completely fabricated, information about the prominent role of the haddock in each of the final thirty-two nations. As for Zwangzug, they had stumbled through the playoffs after a governmental shutdown limited international media coverage. When the budget was settled, the national team had somehow outlasted Atheistic Right and, on goal difference, Jeruselem, to earn a date with Bettia--champions of two of the last three World Cups.

Zwangzug didn't just win. They dominated, 3-0. Then they knocked off hosts Cafundéu to advance to the semifinals. At that point, the Imperials decided that they would award a Golden Haddock to the semifinalist that best exemplified the eccentric Frostican spirit. Zwangzug--given their formational iconoclasm, underdog narrative, and announcers more interested in computing the Lorentz factor gamma than talking about football--might have appeared to be a lock, but Errinundera were almost as resolute at forging their own path while being brilliant footballers besides. Besides, there was the small matter of Ariddia, who had won the two most recent non-Bettian-clinched World Cups, boasted a footballing pedigree as old as the Empire's, and topped Zwangzug's group. The team representing host association (and definitely not a state or nation) Capitalizt SLANI--which was set to host the final on the planet Sirius D--were arguably the most mundane and least "Frostican" of the last four.

If you ask fans in Zwischen about the enduring lesson of World Cup 36, they might say: be true to yourself, no matter how quirky or juvenile or tryhard you are, and you just might make a World Cup semifinal--and not only that, earn a shiny metal fish. If you ask them in the FTC, they might tell you: learn from others, admire the communism of Ariddia and Errinundera, but don't be too sycophantic, or later you'll cringe at your own immaturity. If you ask them in Namiri, they'll be clear: even if your tactics are attacking-minded, having players like Cassie Lee that are able and willing to keep goal is an extremely useful strategy for being good at football.

And if you ask the Arlington Collective, after they regale you with tales of Eddie Barnes, someone will mention this: one ought to be quiet when speaking of the future, and don't make assurances you can't keep. The trophy on proud display in the Ziggurat is the first Golden Haddock. It is also the only one. The Empire did not continue with the "tradition" of honoring later semifinalists--by the next tournament, the vast and multifaceted realm had new focuses, such as the ever-present wonder and terror of Juan Tzimisces, and such awards fell by the wayside. In Arlington, they say: best not to place too much stock in predictions or prophecies, because things may change. Sometimes hoped-for honors never transpire. But then, sometimes what seems like the end of the world, or a world, as you know it, is not so cataclysmic after all.

(Sokhi 19, Waugh 58; Gibson 42)

[Zwangzug]

Cutoff!

Cocoa-bo Challenge final/Eagle's Cup Semifinal:
Zwangzug 0–0 Nephara (0–1 AET)

Cocoa-bo Challenge Third-place playoff:
Independent Athletes of Quebec 0–1 Baker Park

Cup of Champions final/Eagle's Cup Semifinal:
Tumbra 0–3 Turori

Cup of Champions Third-place playoff:
Ko-oren 0–1 Valanora

Eagles' Cup final:
Nephara vs. Turori (Stelladome, Fulpog, Zwangzug)

Eagles' Cup third-place playoff:
Zwangzug vs. Tumbra (Eagles' Club, Forbridge, Zwangzug)

[Nephara]

Zwangzug 0 - 0 Nephara (0-1 AET)
(4-2-3-1) 12 - Arrowsmith; 2 - Schrader, 5 - Warden, 6 - Turnbull, 3 - Page; 15 - Tapper (4 - Miller 63'), 21 - Sauber; 13 - Mordecai, 21 - March (14 - Laskaris 79'), 16 - Marinca; 10 - Carrick (9 - Pawnbroker 72')
Goal: Laskaris 97'

The Eagles Cup was a time for many to reflect on legacy. Sometimes, to go forward, you had to go back.
It had all been... so simple, once. For her father, Triffid Ramsey realised. For all the nation's expectations, realistically, they came in at the bottom of the pile. Every win was to be savoured. No opponent could be taken for granted. They'd briefly been on top of the world, ever so briefly, but it was only later they realised that Baptism of Fire champions came and went, came and went. Staying power was a rare and precious thing, with the WCC such a logistical challenge to overcome.
She couldn't ask the man himself what it had been like, but history books recounted things were pretty basic. Nephara's matches back then sure as hell were. Run and kick, run and kick. Kick the ball. Kick the man. Whatever. If you got sent off you could always blame the referee for being soft, hah...
And there'd been a small handful of coaches and a handful of drills and a couple reliable tactics, and the old man had mastered the little tweaks that meant the Cormorants could beat the old guard again and again and again. Somehow. Someway.
The old man hadn't made it to 80. The chain-smoking habit of a lifetime had seen to that. And he'd had Triffid late. Never saw her took the reins for the Cormorants. Same job as he'd had, though it... wasn't the same, anymore, was it.
And it wasn't just that Ramsey - no, Triffid Ramsey, because 'Ramsey' still meant her old man, and probably always would - was in charge of a better team, had a whole staff of top-of-the-line coaches, could demonstrably call on two squads of not dissimilar capabilities. It wasn't just that their players swore off lager and trained obsessively to reach their peak potential, or that they had the avenues to achieve that. There was something ephemeral...
See, Nephara was old guard, now. Nobody was entirely sure when it had happened. After the World Cup win? After that, in turn, secured a Triple Crown that cemented their legacy? Was it their name being etched in the WCC Hall of Fame, eight years later? Was it when the Premiership became the dominant force in league football for twenty years? Was it when the two Sabrefell sides swept the last ever UICA tournament? Was it when the Cormorants started being disappointed by a drift in results, rather than relishing each game to come? When coming third in a field of ten qualifiers was an immediate sackable offense? Or was it the World Cup that Triffid Ramsey herself won, the second to secure Nephara's place on the list of WCC greats?
Certainly, it had not been the case in the Eagles Cup they won. They'd arrived as regional champions, and been underdogs much of the way. Sure, there were a handful of genuine top-class talents; Rook Cathar, Hadrian Belfast, Michael Brandon. There was also a self-loathing leftback with crippling anxiety, a Felixan political dissident and a 31-year old winger for a captain who'd never left the Premiership, back when that reflected a certain lack of ambition. How many players would Ramsey pick for the squad today? Their place at the table, then, had felt like another stolen glory, and all the sweeter for it. But they did not, yet, truly belong.
The truth was, there was no one breakthrough moment. Not of Nephara's. There was just a point where people started viewing the Cormorants the same way Nephara had viewed the Polar Islandstates back in the mid-60s. Now, in a sense, they were antagonist, not protagonist. The dragon waiting in its lair.
Ramsey smiled softly. So let them come. Let the new blood prove themselves. She'd be ready, with a hoard garlanded ever more with trophies. Tomorrow, perhaps, their name would fit more smoothly on the trophy's base.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

The match that came after 'The Match' in the Cocoa-bo Challenge Trophy was taken seriously by the veteran squad that Jen Prescott had utilized for this second foray in the Eagles Cup; Baker Park still held Third/Fourth Place consolation games in many sports at the collegiate level, which often provided memorable games that sometimes overshadowed the Championship matchup. The overall attitude in the nation of nearly 53 million was if you're going to play, you might as well play to win.

The 2-1 defeat to the home standing Zwangzug side in the CCT Semi-Final was a mostly cleanly fought, competitive 90 minute chess match between two of the Commonwealth's best coaches from the era before FAC Pro License courses; Kate DiMarini--who went from average college midfielder to All-Star college fullback, then assistant manager to Pamela Scott, to becoming the first foreign manager at Trebuchet Cham to manager of the National Team of Zwangzug--and Prescott; at the final whistle, they shared a long embrace and smiles, a reflection of the friendship they've developed & sustained over the years.

There was no real tradition or history of physical manifestations of local bragging rights in Baker Park until after 1946; an early exception was Osheana State and Ezra State playing football (gridiron) for something called 'The Railhead Prize', a large item that was created from the steel rails and wooden ties from the the Trunk Line (the Commonwealth's main north-south railway in the western part of the nation that Southend and State University are the termini for) that was removed from its original position when the Stillwater Canal was being dug to Brecon Borough.

[by coincidence, the area where the canal was being constructed was almost equidistant between Southend and State U; a temporary spur was laid in 1930 and when the schools resumed playing in 1932 the OSU Industrial Arts Department had fashioned a 275lb award from the heavy wood and metal.]

In 1952, the series between the Universities of Ezra & Osheana resumed, and Ezra made a peace offering of a simple 14" obelisk on a 4" base, called the McInnis-Frasier Trophy--named for the cousins who arranged the first game between the schools (and the second ever game in Baker Park).

The third meeting between the BPNT and the Independent Athletes of Quebec in the competition would be the rubber match, played at the Eagles Club (previously the Albert III Stadium) in Dodoma, Banija; the result was reflective of the makeup of the crowd, as the neutrals were split between the Québécois and Baker Park Commonwealths that Banijans know well.
Chandra Mack tallied the lone score over the course of regulation time, and the squad celebrated the result as befits a placement in a major tournament; Third Place was as important to those in the squad who'd also played in AOCAF 62 in Busukuma.

[Zwangzug]

(OOC: This publication is satirical even by Zwangzug's standards, don't take too seriously. Unless you want to, that is.)

The Kerlagrad Courier

The final of the twelfth Eagles' Cup is set, with Turori and Nephara facing off at the Stelladome. These sides are no strangers to this tournament, with Turori the winners in the third and eleventh editions, and Nephara winning the fifth installment. Both sit in the top five of the KPB rankings, with numerous WCC tournament triumphs to their name. No matter who wins, it will be an extremely strong and deserving team. And more importantly, it will rid the secretive Eagles' Club of their responsibilities to construct another branch.

"I mean, it was touch and go there for a while, Tumbra are really good," admitted Jennifer McFrealy, a representative of the select inner circle that control membership, generate prompts, and argue endlessly over where to put the apostrophe. "And whether they come third or fourth, they'll be guaranteed an invitation next time, because all the other semifinalists are old fogeys. I mean, venerable teams."

"It's a good thing Chartistan won the Relics and Newcomers Cup so we could invite them back, too," said Duncan Marcos. "Plus, I need to have some exposure to whatever cool and hip music the kids are listening to these days, because I am old and boring. But going all the way to build a new headquarters there? That seems like a lot of effort."

"Technically there are probably some branches open in places that have gone gray and white," McFrealy noted. "Tequilo were fairly contemporaneous. Cosumar, who knows. And Bedistan--actually I think it was the team of Capitalizt SLANI from the region of Paripana that used to be Bedistan that claimed to inherit the former nation's records, but since the WCC doesn't recognize them I don't see why we have to either. Especially if it would require us to actually go to Paripana and talk to people."

Banija and Valanora are not only both former Eagles' Cup champions, but they also compete in the historic region of Atlantian Oceania; Valanora received a bye to the later phases of the Confederations Group for their victory in the AOCAF Cup rather than being treated as Eagles' Club members. "I don't really care what group they're drawn into," Marcos said. "Just as long as they pay their club dues and carry out the rubber chicken sacrifices at the anointed time."

Zwangzug will face Tumbra at the third-place playoff in Forbridge, after which the trophies and medals will be presented. "It sounds like there's a weird loophole involving penalty kicks," said McFrealy, "which is just freaking great, because the last thing the world needs right now is Zwangzugians taking advantage of weird loopholes to ensure extra-time dramatics."

[Turori]

Eagle's Club, Eelandii, Turori :: After disposing of their regional rivals from Valanora in Sabinal during the Cup of Champions Semi-Final, the Turori National Team earned a return trip to the Cup of Champions Final which they would get to contest on home soil at the Eagle's Club in Eelandii. Their high scoring battle with Valanora was unique in that the Marauders had torn open Timaala Hualtia and the Turorian defense who had come into the match with three consecutive clean sheets and having conceded just two goals in the six previous matches of the competition. It was all out the window with three goals conceded to Valanora yet somehow the Eels found a way to hang in the match and ultimately win on penalty kicks. Instead of a third match of the campaign against reigning World Cup Champions Ko-oren, however, it would be the Esportivan Champions Tumbra who Turori would battle in the Cup of Champions Final.

For the third game in a row it would be the veteran Inland Peaks FC netminder Timaala Hualtia in goal for Turori. The decision all but confirmed the rumor that Turori's regular starter Derizi Amatopa was nursing some sort of hand injury that was forcing the decision to start Hualtia in the decisive Cup of Champions knockout matches. The starting lineup was a mix of youth an inexperience for the Eels with one player making an unexpected debut for the Turori National Team: 16 year old attacker Tsinuzpa Rana’aiao who was drafted to play in an attacking role behind the front duo of Turakia Diijelhma and Nua'oma Aikiki with veteran Meldi'ita Mungwaii rested for the match.

Turori would have the stronger opening period and eventually capitalize by getting on the scoreboard first after Nua'oma Aikiki scored their leading 7th goal of the tournament thus far. The Esportivan Champions responded well after going a goal down, however, and looked the better side for much of the balance of the first half of play. Turori would remain unchanged at the half and was looking to get the boost of rest from the break to set them back on their path towards the Cup of Champions title and a spot in the Eagle's Cup Title game. A Change in formation just after the hour mark would see the inexperienced H'munao Cagomia who made their Turori debut during the Eagle's Cup group stage replaced by the far more experienced Kiidallen Aeroluzzi. The Veteran's presence was instantly felt and Turori begin to take back control of the possession and threatening in the attacking third once more. The Eels would break through with their second goal of the match when Aikiki once again slotted past Nick Barker to double Turori's advantage.

Despite having doubled their lead, Turori Eel's head coach Tarek Edgeli - a former National Team defender - was smart enough to not change the flow of the game by sitting back and putting added pressure on the inexperienced defensive line and the National Team's second choice netminder. Instead, Edgeli went for the jugular and refreshed the attacking corps with Colonial Sile striker Kala'a Yuliizala. Just over five minute after being introduced to the match, Yuliizala had put the result beyond doubt after being fed through by Lati'ala Giaoka and quickly firing past Barker to give Turori a 3-0 lead. The local fans, perhaps in appreciation of what they were witnessing, cheered on as the Turori National Team inched forward toward their third piece of major silverware in as many cycles - a first in the Nations history.

As the match wound down, however, head coach Edgeli had one more surprise in store. With the fans having planted their fingers firmly in their mouth and a constant whistling buzzed through the Eelandii Air, the Fourth Official held up the substitution board as Turori's #1 goalkeeper, Olympic and World Cup Champion Derizi Amatopa stepped onto the pitch in midfield to finish out the final 2 minutes of stoppage time. For a moment the whistles turned to cheers as Amatopa, with a clearly bandaged left wrist and thumb, kept their distance from the opposing players and jogged about the pitch before celebrating the Cup of Champions title with their teammates at the Final Whistle.

Turori 3 - 0 Tumbra
Goals: :: 23' Nua'oma Aikiki:: 70' Nua'oma Aikiki:: 78' Kala'a Yuliizala
Team: Timaala Hualtia, H’munao Cagomia (Kiidallen Aeroluzzi 66'), Planio’o Nrujsa (Kala'a Yuliizala 72'), Lulu Pumaziiri, Lumlao Noauryua, Lati'ala Giaoka (Derizi Amatopa 92'), Cuoabaza Orani’aoa, Daliora Toru'u, Tsinuzpa Rana’aiao, Turakia Diijelhma, Nua'oma Aikiki

With their victory in the Cup of Champions, the Turori National Team become the first side to advance to the Eagle's Cup Gold Medal Final on three separate occasions - breaking a tie with Kingsford, Zwangzug and Banija who each have also appeared twice in the Eagle's Cup Final. In the first ever Eagle's Cup Final to be held in the Eagles Club member nation of Zwangzug, the home side was narrowly defeated in the Cocoa-bo Cup Final by Nephara who will be adding their own name to the list of nations who have appeared twice in the Eagle's Cup Final, having last advanced to this stage during Eagle's Cup V when they were crowned as the first Eagle's Cup Champions of the modern era with a 2-1 victory over the Calanian Union.

Turori's first appearance in the Eagle's Cup Final came during the third iteration of the Eagle's Cup which took place just prior to World Cup 17 which was also the first World Cup Finals which Turori qualified. Having won the Baptism of Fire Cup prior to World Cup 15, the third Eagle's Cup was Turori's debut appearance in the competition which had just earned its status as an official World Cup Committee Sanctioned tournament. In a field that was a mix of the World Cup's Past and future, Atlantian Oceania's Class of World Cup 15 found themselves distributed between Groups A-C with Turori and Krytenia easily advanced through to the knockout rounds while future five time World Cup Champion Starblaydia were left at the bottom of their group behind Vilita, Total n Utter Insanity and Creedence Clearwater.

In what was the first ever Quarter Final Round matchup in WCC competition for either Turori or Krytenia, Turori survived a grueling 120 minute ordeal with their rivals in Red, Yellow and just a touch of cyan that would later become their entire identity - a Cuolia Tuirma free kick in the first half of extra time proving to be the difference between the two sides. With Colonial Neighbors Vilita having been eliminated in their own Quarter Final Match, it would also mark the first time ever that Turori had finished higher than Vilita in a WCC sanctioned event that both nations were competing in. The Final would see Turori matched up against reigning Eagle's Cup Champions Kingsford. Both teams scored a goal a piece in regular time, then added a second for each in Extra Time forcing the title decider to penalty kicks. After there was nothing between the two sides after four kicks it became 'sudden death' and it appeared all over when Linoi Niabula fired over the top of the net. Thankfully the original Turorian legend in goal, Milauo Slietah, saved the Eels by saving the shot from Kingsford's own legend Saturn Calcete - sending the match beyond the first five selected shooters. The match would ultimately be decided in Round 8 when Tika Poloni scored to put Turori up 7-6 then it was Slietah saving from Rieux d'Arderer to deliver Turori it's first ever official silverware against ranked opposition. While most remember Slietah for their famous hat-trick scoring performance from the goal against Starblaydia - their role in delivering Turori it's first major silverware has perhaps had the most lastest legacy as the Establishment of the Eagle's Club and the purpose built sportroplis of Eelandii that developed around it would forever change both the sporting and economic landscape in the Island Emirate forever.

Now, a new generation of Eels led by Turori's most decorated head coach of all time just two cycles into their current reign will be looking to see if they can add another trophy to the growing list of accomplishments from what future historians may look back on as Turori's greatest generation of all time.

---

[Zwangzug]

For the last time this tournament, cutoff!

[Eagles Club]

---

Eagles Cup XII Final
Stelladome, Fulpog, Zwangzug

Nephara [0] Turori [1]

---

While the curtains have come down at the Stelladome, the festivities are still far from over. While the trophy was presented to the winners, The medal ceremony still follows the back at the Eagle's Club. As a warmup to the medal ceremony, the Bronze Medal Game will be contested between Eagle's Cup VI Champions / host nation Zwangzug, and Campionato Esportiva Champions Tumbra. In order to keep the Medal Ceremony on time, the Third Place Match would go straight to penalties if tied after 90 minutes.

---

---

Eagles Cup Bronze Medal Match
The Eagle's Club, Forbridge, Zwangzug

Zwangzug 0–1 Tumbra

---

^{EAGLES CUP XII - MEDALS}

Turori

Nephara

Tumbra