World Cup 90--RP Thread

by **Guanacasteca** » Mon Jan 17, 2022 8:52 pm

Servicio Guanacasteco de Noticias

An Acceptably Normal Dance

Camilo Gutiérrez, on coverage of the 90^th World Cup.

The Guanacastecan National Team had an “Acceptably Normal” performance for their début in World Cup Qualifiers in foreign soil. Han Ruoyang prepared the stellar-XI that lead the team to perform strongly in the Baptism of Fire in Graintfjall and Tumbra. Keeping the 5-3-2 schema in order to nullify the rival and trying to generate enough chances to attack and feed properly the strikers in the shape of Sean Fuller and Kenneth Ingram up front.

The match didn’t turn to be as simple as the Guanacastecan fans expected to be, since the rival attacked heavily in all fronts, even taking advantage with an early goal at the 12th minute. This was, as expected, a surprise for the fans as Guanacasteca conceded for the second time in their history (short-lived though). Han Ruoyang insisted in pressing the rivals, as they would fall in desperation to score a second goal and those gaps could be easily exploited by the Guanacastecan squad at certain point of the match.

Monterroza and Orellana were leading the attacking efforts from the defense, as they were passing balls to Ricardo Linton. The midfielder struggled to keep the ball in the mid and try to find a chance in order to pass the ball to either Fuller or Ingram, who were waiting for a ball cautiously. The strikers had to retreat some meters in order to take a ball and seek for an opportunity, something they managed to achieve at the 35th minute. Kenneth Ingram received a cross from Linton, the striker decided to shoot a volley but this was saved by the Acceptably Normal keeper in an Acceptably Normal effort.

Han Ruoyang wasn’t satisfied at the performance of the team, he needs to improve it to something Acceptably Normal for the fans, so he needed the rival to make honor to its name, that implied that they had to play a subpar second half to equalize their abnormal performance in the beginning. The line of five defenders turned into a line of 4, thus, turning the scheme in a 4-4-2 for the second half. Han Ruoyang pupils tried to attack desperately in order to score a goal, something they managed to achieve at the 65th minute with a strong shot from Ingram that the keeper wasn’t able to save… That was not an Acceptably Normal attempt for the fans.

Han Ruoyang said at the end of the match “We played as the rival wanted, Acceptably Normal, and that is not enough for us, we need to be better than them and be also disciplined while defending. I didn’t like how the players behaved today, they lacked solidarity while defending or attacking, there wasn’t enough physical intensity as I emphasize in them while training. There’s always room for improvement for the next matches, no matter who, we must perform as we are used to do and showed in the Baptism of Fire.”

by **Farfadillis** » Mon Jan 17, 2022 8:56 pm

previous part

“So, really, when we say ‘observables’ what we really mean is self-adjoint operators on a given Hilbert Space. That’s the abstract viewpoint, anyway. Non-commutativity then immediately implies as a special case—”

“The Heisenberg Principle.” His son interrupted, sighing. “I’m not stupid, Dad.” He stared out the window, longingly. “Can I go play football now? I’m way ahead of schedule anyway, even though you keep treating me like a child.” His annoyance was immediately apparent from his tone of voice.

God, raising a kid was hard. Oh, sure, he’d stopped the ‘inertia’ by marrying Tülìlâ, and that had made him happier. Little Lê over here made everything in life worth it, yeah, but good God did he want to strangle him sometimes. Arrogant little shit, barely even paying attention to his quantum mechanics classes. Not even appreciating how fortunate he was to have his father as a private tutor! At this rate, he’d become head engineer for Boom! and be settled for life, if he continued on this trajectory. But the little shit could only ever think about football. Football, football, football. He wondered if his father was laughing, wherever he was. The interest in football just happened to skip one—and only one—generation, unfortunately.

He rubbed his sinuses. “What’s the Hydrogen atom’s Hamiltonian?”

“Minus h-slash squared by nabla squared divided by two mu—”

“Fine, go.” He dismissed him by gesturing towards the door in clear irritation. “But try not to head the ball too much. I’ve heard it can make you stupid.”

Lê scratched his nape. His father caught the meaning immediately. “Lê... you want to say something. Out with it.”

“I’ve, uh, I don’t know how to say this.” He looked genuinely nervous. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about this for a while, but I don’t know how to bring it up.”

“I couldn’t care less if you think Malik Akongo is the rightful ruler of Nyowani Kitara.”

“It’s not that, Dad,” Lê remarked, slightly exasperated.

“... surely you’re not pro-DFLK? I won’t stand by and watch my child have such putrid political values.”

His son shook his head. “No, Dad, just listen.”

He facepalmed. “Of course, son, my bad. I forget what the new generations care about. You’re gay? I don’t care, either. I’m cool like that.”

“Can you listen rather than guess? You’re gonna wish I was gay by the time I’m done.” His father raised an eyebrow in surprise... and slight fear. “... probably not as bad as me being pro-DFLK, though.” He added, calming his father down a good bit.

He crossed his arms. His son had never seemed so serious. “Alright, I’m listening.” He stared at Lê, his expression rigid.

“I want to be a footballer, not a nuclear chemist for Boom! or whatever. It’s not that I don’t like the time we spend together and what you teach me is fun, sure, but it’s just... it’s not calling me, you know? I don’t feel like this is what will make me happy. Content, maybe, but not happy.”

He laughed, long enough for his son to resent him for it for a few months, probably. “Oh, I thought this was going to be something serious.” He paused to laugh some more, grabbing his belly, then placed his hand on his forehead in relief. “You had me scared for a second there, Lê.”

Lê just stared at him. “I’m one hundred percent serious.” His words were sharp and measured, as if he were a surgeon and his tone of voice the scalpel.

He closed his eyes and gently shook his head, trying his best to seem as condescending as possible. “Look, son, I know you’re being serious, and I know you think you’re not utterly deluding yourself by thinking you could make it as a footballer. Thing is, you are, indeed, being utterly deluded. Your grandpa was like that, too, you know? Ended up dying from lung cancer after toiling away at the uranium mines for a few decades. Good footballer, though. Just, not good enough.” For all his efforts to sound condescending, his rage was seething into his tone of voice very steadily. “I’ve seen this story play out, I know how it ends, I’m not going to allow it, full stop.”

His son crossed his arms, mimicking him. “You don’t know how it ends. You’ve never even seen me play. I’m fifteen and not once have you cared enough to go watch me wipe the floor with every single team I face.”

“You know what the chances are that you’ll make it as a professional footballer?”

“I do. You know Bayes’ Theorem?”

He frowned. “Yes, of course?” His tone denoted extreme irritation, as it did whenever someone appeared to be underestimating him on an intellectual level.

“Well, I know how good I am, you have no fucking idea. Bayes’ Theorem makes me think I’ll probably make it. You’ve not seen me play, so your probability estimate is super off.”

He stroked his beard while breathing deeply in order to calm down. “Fine, that’s a good point. Let’s make a deal, then.” Lê’s eyes lit up as soon as he said that. “I take you to some high-level sèmànâl¹, maybe even the one in Älgònágù², and I let you go play with the big boys. I won’t watch, cause it’s already silly enough that I’m taking you there. If you’re as good as you think, everyone will be super impressed by you and I’ll be able to tell just by what they’re saying about you, right?”

Lê’s expression did not lose even a tiny hint of extreme happiness at any point during his father’s proposal.

“... do we have a deal?” He asked, puzzled by his son’s expression, coupled with his silence.

“Let’s up the ante, just take me to Rülândéá Kôstä’s trials at the end of the month. That’s an even tougher test than Älgònágù’s sèmànâl, and it’s not even far away.”

“Why not Mâ Âlâmëómë’s, then? Or Dí Maozöxê’s? Surely their trials are even harder.”

“Yeah, but it’ll be like three months until the next. Besides, I know you don’t know this because you only care about teaching me chemistry, maths and physics but I’m a Kôstä fan through and through. Your fault for raising me up by the coast, by the way.” For the first time, he was not at all happy to hear his son sound so excited.

He thought this would be a waste of time, but hey, at least this would break some of the inertia his son was experiencing. That much he could empathize with, even if little Lê wouldn’t put it in quite the same words. Hell, it would help him focus on his studies... maybe?

“Ok, fine. Rülândéá Kôstä’s trials, then. But I expect you to read up on quasitriangular Hopf algebras before Friday, in return.”

Lê nodded, happier than ever.

“And also, about Bayes... nobody has scouted you yet, even though you wipe the floor with everyone? Bayes tells me you might be overestimating your ability, son. Do bear that in mind so that the disappointment is not too great.”

“I’ve not been scouted because nobody scouts this stupid rich neighborhood, Dad. They know there’s almost nobody good here, so they don’t even bother.”

“And can you wipe the floor with players that the big teams do bother to scout?”

He flashed his father’s characteristic arrogant smile. “Guess we’ll see.”

¹: per the previous RP: A storied Rulandese tradition: kids from all around the neighborhood, of various ages, would get together and just play a lot of football. Often, small tournaments would be improvised. Scouts from across Ruland would be at many of these.
²: Lìbêrêtê neighborhood notable for producing a ridiculously disproportionate number of talented footballers, with multiple Farf internationals among them.

Ӿ Ӿ Ӿ Ӿ Ӿ

It was a sunny day. One of those that are neither too cold nor too hot. There was a slight breeze. He was walking together with his son; they were on their way to the Rülândéá Kôstä trials in silence.

“Thank God it’s not raining.” Lê broke the ice.

“I mean, yeah, rain’s annoying, I guess.” His father responded, ever-so-slightly puzzled by his son’s utterly boring remark.

“Yeah, but I say it because if it rains, it’s harder to stand above the rest, you know. But the weather today’s perfect. I’m so gonna get signed.” He shook his fists in excitement.

“Son, just to clarify, getting recruited would not suffice, ok? I was very clear the other day. You have to be utterly brilliant today.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Don’t worry, Dad. I know you well enough.” They continued walking in silence for a few seconds. “I do think I could get Mom to convince you to let me sign for them if I ’just’ get recruited, though.” He added, cheekily.

He chuckled. “That might very well be true, but I doubt it’ll even come to that.”

Lê rolled his eyes in response. They continued their walk in silence until they finally arrived.

Rülândéá Kôstä’s trials were held once every six months at the club’s very stadium, Âréné Délékôstä. A capacity of ten thousand was not a lot at the level the club was playing at—the best fucking league in the Multiverse, if you asked any Farf—but it was a lot for a bunch of kids, in the sense that none of them had ever had ten thousand pairs of eyes—probably more, not like safety standards are particularly existent in Ruland—on them before. Lôs Pêskätörès were a passionate bunch, and so they always packed the stadium full for the trials. It was a whole event.

He stared at the stadium. Filled to the brim already, even though they’d made it an hour early. “Say, wouldn’t way too many kids want to try out for Rülândéá Kôstä? How do they even filter them?”

“Oh, easy, the pre-trials.”

“And you went to those?”

“No, no. They were too far away so Mom wouldn’t have let me go. I just paid.”

“Paid?”

“Yeah, I grabbed some of the cash you thought I didn’t know you stored under the sofa and paid the entry fee. Every trial there’s two or three kids who do it, and they’re all invariably mocked because it becomes very readily apparent.”

“Well, I hope the experience makes you a better nuclear chemist, son.”

Lê laughed. “Anyway, I’m going in. See you in a few hours.”

“See you, son.” He turned around and decided to go for a long walk. The day had been stressful enough. Not becoming a nuclear chemist? With his talent? What was his son even thinking?!

Ӿ Ӿ Ӿ Ӿ Ӿ

“EIGH-TY-FOUR. EIGH-TY-FOUR. EIGH-TY-FOUR.”

“Excuse me, sorry. I’m here to pick up my son.” He said, covering his ears.

“EIGH-TY-FOUR. EIGH-TY-FOUR. EIGH-TY-FOUR. EIGH-TY-FOUR.”

“I am sorry, the stadium is too full. You will have to wait outside.”

“EIGH-TY-FOUR. EIGH-TY-FOUR. EIGH-TY-FOUR. EIGH-TY-FOUR.”

“Sorry? I can’t hear with the chants.”

“STADIUM FULL, WAIT OUTSIDE.” The ogre in front of him intoned loud enough for him to hear.

“SON PLAYING, NOT SPECTATOR.” He shouted back, his voice much weaker.

The guard eyed him suspiciously. “BULLSHIT. WAIT OUTSIDE.”

He sighed, grabbed a thick wad of bills he’d brought precisely for this, and gently tucked it into the guard’s pockets, then made his way in, escorted by him.

“EIGH-TY-FOUR. EIGH-TY-FOUR. EIGH-TY-FOUR. EIGH-TY-FOUR.”

It was annoying, how they were all chanting so loudly. Eighty-four? What could that even mean? He searched his brain for an answer. Ah, yeah. World Cup 84. The one Farfadillis won. That made sense, at least.

As he walked into the turf, he realized the trials had ended... two minutes ago, tops. The kids were still on the pitch, presumably socializing. He spotted Lê alone, near the center of the pitch, with an old man speaking to him. His son spotted him, looked at the man, pointed towards him, then started heading in his direction. Within a few seconds, they were right beside him.

“EIGH-TY-FOUR. EIGH-TY-FOUR. EIGH-TY-FOUR. EIGH-TY-FOUR.”

The man shook his hand. “Rôbù, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

He nodded, not sure of what was happening. “Mölnés, the pleasure is mine.”

“I’ll be blunt, won’t beat around the bush. How much do you want?”

“EIGH-TY-FOUR. EIGH-TY-FOUR. EIGH-TY-FOUR. EIGH-TY-FOUR.”

“Uhh... what?” Between the chants and the lack of context, he could not understand a thing.

“How much? We know Mâ Âlâmëómë and Dí Maozöxê can offer more than we can, but I’m sure we can strike a deal of some kind. The kid here is a fan of the club, he tells me. With enough of an incentive, maybe you could allow him to stay here, at Rülândéá Kôstä?”

“EIGH-TY-FOUR. EIGH-TY-FOUR. EIGH-TY-FOUR. EIGH-TY-FOUR.”

He closed his eyes and shook his head. “I’m sorry, I don’t follow.” He looked towards his son, who was wearing the widest shit-eating grin he’d seen in his entire life and... a jersey with the number eighty-four on it.

“Oh, shit.”

by **Independent Athletes from Quebec** » Mon Jan 17, 2022 8:57 pm

OOC: A couple of lines from the song linked here, La Fouine's Sabary, were used.

The Agent

PART 14 - Sabary

The thick, red fog surrounded and then draped all over the Anaian-Atlantean Metropolis of Montreal at three in the morning. (OOC: pre-AOxit) It was a quiet morning, even as the season of festivities started to approach us over time, and the city seemed to have slowed down like the sleeping citizens of their own. It was as if Hypnos, the ancient Greek deity also known for being the personification of sleep, had come out in full action.

It was at the very middle of it that Pierre McCarthy, heading out to somewhere from nowhere, was standing, as he was walking along the walkways of the Aeroport Charles Merton Regimbault's Terminal 3, watching the clouds just placing themselves on the stand-by, almost as if they were waiting for him to leave so the sky would clear again.

Désert de guerre, donc mirage de paix... A line of words emerged out of his head, as Pierre tried his best to figure out the very itineraries of days to come in Maethoru, where he's going to have to deal with finalising the very details of a contract involving Maks Shishkin transfer. Pierre knew the words and the numbers already - none were so unreasonable or yet expensive, as expected from Ko-orenite clubs - but how to handle the process involving the transfer of the Mytanar footballer, whose senses can be surprisingly viewed as that of a romantic, was one that he, even as a veteran agent spanning across the northern Rushmore and southern Atlantian Oceania, required some time to spend getting into the very mindset of his own.

Mais qui n’a pas fait ce rêve, ce rêve de grandeur?
Milliard a fixé le ciel à suspens entre les heures
Mais quel est mon avenir?

His head continued to twirl back and forth, as the past week of events had flashed back and forth for Pierre. His stray thoughts, flashing like the light, continued to reflect upon the moments lost, the what if's and the why did I's, and all that he could do was to wonder, as he shook his head twice before looking at the duty free shops he's rarely visited in this very city. Notions of dull, faux grandeur seen on display... he saw a couple of the stores, full of expensive items but with only one employee to handle the operations, staying empty in the seconds he looked at them. He was only taking a brief look at them, not only because he's grown out of those spending habits a while back, but also because the thirty minutes that he had between now and the boarding call was more than enough for him to take a look.

Thirty minutes that feel more like three hours....all things be damned.

Has Pierre McCarthy expected his own life to involve travelling as a job, just to get away from past ghosts that continue to entice him these days? Probably not, let alone being an agent of the highest calibre in many sports. The sporting world, as he had come to learn over the years, was fickle, and the unexpected absences of a country or two regarded as high-flying powerhouses would often have him at watch. But those were the surprises that a life of his own can bring, and he had seen such in his daughter and Zinaida, the benefactory of his honte. When Arabella, his daughter whose tennis career was limited but still held massive potential of her own, messaged him on the way to airport saying that it's not about the dust, but about the dandelion seeds that float into the air, there was a massive realisation made that brought him brought the time back to his side again. After all the deals made and even a half-bungled relocation phase for Zinaida, who he knew was still going to have to adjust to the life in the big cities after spending all her life in Prince Eric, there was something bigger to look forward.

All the reasons to come back to where I had left behind to forget.

It felt like a new start was in sights again. He knew that no matter how filled the past were with misunderstandings and denials, there was some form of inevitability with the ways stars would align, and how the past would ask you to pay up. Perhaps that's what we would expect, as gone were the days of slow, quiet mist that has calmed or silenced (?) the nation. He was indeed living in the 2040s, and maybe the sense of optimism and hope that had come from the athletes and the coaches of this era had perhaps suited him better.

And that's maybe where the story gets rewritten and start again.

by **Schima Bas** » Mon Jan 17, 2022 8:58 pm

Match Reports

MD 1: Cassadaigua, @ Basian Sports Complex, Ourelasia (40,000) 3-2, Cassadaigua

‘26 Morgan Rosenblatt
‘40 Casildo Hana
‘42 Bayley Stanton
‘49 Krystal Sherwin
‘77 Bisma Shehadeh

Golden Crescent fail to slay Fortitudinous Fillies

The first matchday in the Golden Crescent’s World Cup 90 qualifying run had all the makings of a great match. You had the home team, underdogs not only against the Dagans, but much of Group 8. The challenge was going to be immense, but the Basians stepped up to the task, taking to the field with the confidence of a well-established international side. The roaring crowd didn’t dull this motivation, as the pre-match electricity in the air inspired the home fans to shout support from every angle.

The Dagans are a footballing giant, winning two World Cups: 50 and 51. Their home ground, Dagan Airways Stadium, boasts more than double the capacity of the Basian Sports Complex.

The away side started the match with a powerful midfield possession, and Bisma Shehadeh seemed to be out of his element for the first time in his international career, bodied out of possession with an excellent play by experienced international Morgan Rosenblatt. He seemed surprised by this, and wasn’t playing with his usual vigor.

The early midfield dominance by the Dagans eliminated the offensive pressure that so often has helped the Basians find opportunities. Neither team was able to find shots early, and possession was lost and gained frequently. The crowd lost energy, as many had expected to see a similar type of football to what the Golden Crescent had played before Gaio Grecio took command of the squad: endlessly pressing and notoriously offensive. Instead, the manager's instructions to the team seemed to absorb the pressure of the Dagans, and play cautiously. Some fans even booed the manager after Morgan Rosenblatt’s goal in the 26th minute. Calls of “Where’s the offense?” and “Why are we sitting back?” were howled towards the home bench.

The ball remained mostly in the possession of the away side as the conflict continued, a tough fought battle in the midfield with the whole Basian squad falling back when possession could not be regained easily, forming a formidable wall with eight men back.

On one of these such plays, nearing the close of the quarter, Makin Moghaddam intercepted a pass and made a Dagan defender stagger before finding space and delivering a rocketing cross into the box where Casildo Hana found the back of the net with an excellent jumping header. The team celebrated as if they had already won, and the crowd roared back to life with more intensity than ever before. It was a false confidence, and the team learned a valuable lesson about alertness when Bayley Stanton made them pay with her goal just before the halftime whistle.

The Basian midfield found new life in the second half, but the momentum of the match lay with the Dagans, as even a late goal by Bisma Shehadeh couldn’t change the result.

Following the match, Bisma Shehadeh reacted furiously when a reporter questioned if he was frustrated to lose to a women’s team.

“Don’t speak of the competitors like that! That was the toughest match of my life, and it’s nonsense for anyone to downplay their skill, especially a team like the Fillies,” Shehadeh said. “I know this country has a way of putting down female sports players. Athletes are athletes, let us play! You must have never played, to ask such a question! Have you ever played the sport?”

The midfielder took off his boot and threw it at the reporter, having to be restrained by security. He will be suspended from the national team for the next 3 games.

The Basian FA has been reluctant in recognizing women’s football in the country, although the Coastal League has become one of Basian football’s best-kept secrets. Only time will tell if Schima Bas will ever send a co-ed or women’s team to the World Cup.

Upcoming lineups
MD 2: Acceptably Normal @ Apollos Arena, Amanas (15,000)

Tebrum Bourreau,
Orgasnio Azizi, Yann Alam, Ausmil Trenuni, Khuld Montemayor,
(C) Makin Moghaddam, Abaddon Ghanem, Mukarram el-Muhammad, Araft Sergeant,
Bassel Adel, Casildo Hana

MD 3: @ Polkopia, Marshupov Arena, Peeto (42,285)

Tebrum Bourreau,
Volfango Di Lello, Avery Cloutier, Gilles Bertrand, Jerust King,
Raaji Attar, Gaston Barracuda, (C) Mukarram el-Muhammad, Leonard Charbonneau,
Hideki Nazar, Akili Granada

by **Muralos** » Mon Jan 17, 2022 8:58 pm

by **Montana Verde** » Mon Jan 17, 2022 8:59 pm

Montaña Verde – 2 (0)
Dolfo; Castiglione, Arquímedes, Jairo (45’ Isidre Caldera ), Justin (16’); Ana-Ximena; Valentinha (75’ Emma (79’)), Kristjana (52’); Primitivo; Verónica Ximena, Osito (56’ Indiano )

Nagore – 2 (1)
(30’, 82’)

From the website of the news magazine The New Week National Atlantic News Spectating Economist Time Man.

In A Rainforest Republic, The Path To Land Reform Opens Once More

by **Banija** » Mon Jan 17, 2022 9:00 pm

The Kabaka, Mwanga, with his son at the Nyowani Kitara peace talks in Varakoula

Due to time zone differences between Tikariot and Banija, the Kabaka and the rest of the Banijan delegation had a chance to catch the Kadongo Kamu compete in their home opener on television, before the proceedings had really gotten going. Tikariot, to their credit, had basically gone all out for the event. The Vaiomala Beach Resort was an absolutely fantastic resort- crucially, of course, with enough space for each delegation to have quarters to themselves. This, of course, was great for all the nations involved. It would give everybody here a chance to discuss developments, basically in real time, with their bosses back in their own national capitol cities. It would give the Kabaka the ability, of course, to continuously update the elected cabinet on proceedings, although he knew, of course, that he had a fairly wide berth- it wouldn't be too difficult to get 250 votes for most things that they would probably sign here.

They all woke up early local time(6 AM), to watch the Banijan game. Of course, the concerns of the national team, while far down the concerns list of most people here, were myriad themselves. Idai Uster, who had really struggled during the club season(only 4 goals playing a striker role for the league champs!), was lacking confidence, and it was obvious that way at the #9 slot. But, fortunately for Banija, their march back to towards the World Cup Finals took their first and necessary step- the first, of course, of many. But the only way you can move forward as a national team is one match at a time, and just for one Rushmori morning(and one warm Banijan night), the Kadongo Kamu looked good in a 3-1 victory to kick off World Cup Qualifying.

Senior members of the Banijan Delegation

His Majesty the Kabaka- Mwanga
His Royal Highness the Isebantu- Mutungi
Director of SUB- Lt. Gen. Issa Shawel
Banijan Ambassador to Tikariot- Rashida Belaye

But they didn't fly all the way out here to watch a soccer match at 6 AM that was taking place in the country that they had flown from. No- they were here specifically with one task, and that, was to do business. Wrap up the Nyowani Kitara Civil War with Banija's priorities met, make sure that it did not look like a total capitulation and surrender, and peacefully extract Banija from the mess in Pavlova. High-ranking delegations from many nations were here- from nearby nations like Yuezhou and Græntfjall, to nations as far flung as, well, Banija. The Kabaka stood here as one of two heads of state at the meeting, alongside President Nafuna Akongo from Nyowani Kitara.

After watching the match, they went for the small breakfast in the main conference center of the resort. The breakfast small talk, naturally, saw these leaders from all these nations, divided slightly along big lines. On Day 1, you were unlikely to have leaders mingling with each other from across the proverbial table, at least of yet. The Kabaka and the Isebantu spoke mostly with the Yuezhou Foreign Minister, Zhen Qiang, as well as the KFF Commander himself, Malik Akongo. Once the food was done, and they were ready for the real, grind of talks to begin, they were sat down by Tikariot's Foreign Minister. There were plenty of people around- the DFLK people were keeping to themselves, while Græntfjall's people were keeping to themselves. The only person who seemed to be all smiles in the room was President Nafuna Akongo. Grinning, shaking hands, having a great time- the kind of joy that comes from being on the winning side of your civil war.

In the morning sessions, with Tikariot diplomat Anson Coltrane as the Chief Negotiator and the leader of these talks, everybody was able to give their position on what they felt the future Nyowani Kitara should look like. They had all acknowledged, at least implicitly, that the war had been won by President Nafuna Akongo. While not everybody said that, nobody's proposals for a future Nyowani Kitara dislodged her from her perch as President- the acknowledgement that, thanks to her military victory(or the military victory of Corvistone and Bastion, more accurately), she would continue to play a significant role in the future of Nyowani Kitara over the long-term.

It was Max Ulf's speech that proved to be the most interesting. "The DFLK, of course, has fought long and hard for what we feel is right- for the people of Nyowani Kitara." Max Ulf said. "But, of course, we feel as if we have a legitimate popularity claim in the North. This world, in this day and age, is all about the sovereignty of the people. The people in the northern part of Nyowani Kitara- well, there is a big expression amongst many that, with all the changes ongoing, many want a chance to build and claim their own state. Their own nationhood. Osterland. North Kitara. North Nyowani Kitara. Coastal Viljan. Call it whatever you want to call it. But there deserves for the people an opportunity to speak their voice- an opportunity that, under nearly 35 years of Akongo rule, has not been afforded to anybody in this country."

"That would be- an independence referendum? For the North?" Malik Akongo said. When Max Ulf said yes, the reactions in the room acted curious. The delegates from Nephara and Eura? Hard to read, although the Nepharim diplomat was nodding. President Nafuna Akongo, on the other hand, was shaking her head.

"Absolutely not." She said. It quickly devolved into serious arguing between the three Kitaran delegations, before the Tikariot diplomat brought them back to order. The people at the table, of course, were essentially three warlords and a bunch of diplomatic powers. So that made sense, to an extent. The three Kitaran delegations themselves lacked that sort of diplomatic experience, especially in a high-stakes, multi-lateral situation such as the one at their table at this Beach resort. "A Nyowani Kitara? Divided? That cannot be the legacy of what this war. We must bring Nyowani Kitara together- any sort of permanent divisions will only weaken the country, weaken the people-" Just at that, the Nephariam diplomat stood up and whispered in her ear. The President quickly cut herself off, and then, with a scowl on her face, sat down. She hadn't yielded anything- but did that mean her opposition to the proposal was suffering?

"This is something that we feel that we could get behind." The Kabaka stood up. Isebantu Mutungi was moderately surprised, while Malik Akongo simply looked up at his greatest benefactor. "Unity should be proven at the polls. We feel, of course, as if Nyowani Kitara is better united. But a country is best united only if it wants to be united." Other delegates simply looked at him- he couldn't tell what many of the foreign nations thought of the idea. "Look- this is something Banija has gone through. The independence of the Busoga Islands. A part of your country leaving you sometimes feels wrong- but if it is the will of the people, then it is something that should be listened to." Everybody simply looked at the Kabaka. Malik Akongo simply nodded.

"Alright." Malik said. "I'll support it." He said that, staring his sister hard in the eyes. Nafuna Akongo said nothing, and finally, one of her ministers with her said that they will "put a pin in it" and agree to disagree for now.

"Let's move things along." Anson Coltrane said. "We want to talk about more issues- at least everybody get their thoughts out in the open, on the table. We can't work through things unless we know exactly what we want to work through, right?"

After that, there was a proposal for Parliamentary elections within Nyowani Kitara. While all parties agreed to this, with Nafuna Akongo begrudgingly doing so, the question, of course, was who would run them. "We cannot allow the KPWC to run elections, right?" Malik Akongo said. "They'd butcher their opposition and rig the damn thing." At this talk, tempers started to flare. Nafuna Akongo stood up and flat-out called her brother a traitor, while Anson Coltrane had to take a minute to calm the unruly crowd down.

"While Malik certainly could have used better language there," Isebantu Mutungi said. "He is right. If there are to be any sort of elections- a referendum, Parliamentary elections, etc... in Nyowani Kitara, we will need an election Administration that all countries are confident of, that can work. And, no offense to the President sitting across from me- but the Kitara Progressive Worker's Coalition does not have the trust of the people of Nyowani Kitara, particularly the opposition, to run a free and fair election process. Not just at the ballot- the conditions for one. To allow candidates the freedom to campaign. To allow campaigns that are freely critical of the government- without violent retribution. To have a government that fiercely protects the right to a secret ballot, so that voters are not blacklisted for whom they vote for."

"Any such election, while welcome for Nyowani Kitara, must be run by an outside power. Both any prospective referendum, as well as any future Parliamentary elections within the country. We need an administration that will allow anybody to run- the factions at the table, plus any potential new factions that want to run and form a Parliament." Isebantu Mutungi looked around, and then finished. "But who can run such an election? Maybe Græntfjall?"

"Absolutely not." President Nafuna Akongo. "With all due respect for the delegate here for our neighbor to the North, Græntfjall has shown itself time and time again to be a biased actor against the workers revolution in Nyowani Kitara. Maybe Nephara?"

"Nephara could probably run an independence referendum." Malik Akongo said. "But Parliamentary elections? Maybe Tikariot?"

"The Common Rushmori Community is an option here, as well." Anson Coltrane said. After further discussion of the issue, they broke for lunch, and then in the afternoon sessions, they hammered out further proposals before breaking for the night. They broke at about 4 PM. Was that early? Maybe. But it would give many delegates a chance to refresh, and re-convene with each other, and most importantly, get in touch with their own national capitols and update them on what was going on.

While the Banijan delegation knew that President Akongo would chafe at any attempt to divide the country, it was the Nephara demand that was issued towards the end of the afternoon session that the Banijan delegation knew would cause them the most stress going forward. Their proposed ban on Malik Akongo, in particular, from further involvement in Kitaran politics. The Banijan delegation had heard hints before the talks from Nephara's diplomats that such a demand would come- and yet, Malik Akongo had the exact reaction that they had feared. The President's older brother was, naturally, incensed at the proposal. His reaction to the proposal, of course, probably helped Anson Coltrane not call together a post dinner session for talks- temperatures had risen in the room, particularly among the Kitaran delegations, and they would have to be lowered. Was a potential peace agreement here between the warring parties really possible?

by **Omerica** » Mon Jan 17, 2022 9:00 pm

SFRD News in Brief
Omerican voters head to the polls in upper house elections
Voters across the country are heading to the polls to elect half of Omerica’s upper house for a six-year term. The elections — which occur every three years — are seen as a key test of government support and have a large impact on the government’s ability to enact its agenda. Beyond the legislative and electoral powers of the House of Plenipotentiaries, the vote is seen as a barometer of public opinion ahead of general elections due later this year. The governing Omerica Socialist Party is bracing for losses in what its insiders are dubbing a “twelve-year itch”, with the opposition Democratic Party in the running to top a national poll for the first time in nearly three decades. Read more ▶

Omerica cruise to a ninth consecutive opening victory in World Cup qualification
Despite opening away from home for the first time since visiting Norralesse in World Cup 86 qualification, the Incorrigibles easily swatted aside Jeeves Land 3–0 to continue an opening day winning streak dating back to their 1–0 in Kedroiqua during the World Cup 81 cycle. Despite Felix Zanetti toying with dismissal thanks to a series of unnecessarily slide tackles, Malcolm Beauchesne scored two and assisted Erica Walsh’s goal in a match against the Baptism of Fire group stage éliminées, putting Omerica second to top seeds Kelssek and ahead of third seeds Astograth in a tricky qualifying Group 7 where only the winners will qualify directly. Read more ▶

New Vaucluse completes a long-awaited investigation into the failed Infantino search
The Inspectorate General of the Sûrété néo-vauclusien will release the results of its highly anticipated investigation into the Sûrété and Omerican Federal Constabulary’s failed search for quizzical Football Kelssek director-at-large Moonbeam Infantino next week. Infantino went missing near Mont-Saint-Pierre in the Austral Mountains, allegedly attempting to climb Omerica’s highest peak as part of a vague and unexplained “feasibility study”. The Sûrété and Constabulary declared that they could not find Infantino, but were subsequently embarrassed when he suddenly resumed activity on social media site Honkr. Read more ▶

by **Eura** » Mon Jan 17, 2022 9:02 pm

WORLD CUP 90 QUALIFYING GROUP 6 – MATCHDAY 1
Eura 2 – 2 Taksylvania
Scorers: Robson 19, Erskine 76
Lineup: 1. V Simm, 2. A Mason, 4. J Menard, 5. T Green (sub Malone 66), 19. J Byrd, 3. L Almwood, 18. S Erskine, 8. V Robshaw, 7. M Woakes (sub Bowman 70), 10. T Sutton (sub Purcell 82), 9. S Robson

While the dust settled on the Euran Oceania Territories and its decision, hundreds of millions were heading to the polls in Eura itself. Normally they would do this once a year anyway for local and metropolitan elections, but this was no ordinary day at the ballot box. In the territory that used to constitute the Republic of Sameba, the Provisional Government had steered the annexed nation’s day to day security, welfare and public services, to a great degree of controversy since its inception. No Euran census had successfully worked out a precise figure for the population of Eura’s seventh region since annexation - its 250 parliamentary constituencies put it in the ballpark of 250 million. At least, that was the nearest there was to an official number. Samebans – former Samebans – had turned out inconsistently in the Euran elections they had been participant in so far. This time there would be a lot more enthusiasm.

By a heavy margin of 65% to 35%, the people of the former Republic of Sameba voted to abolish the Provisional Government. The Retain campaign, reluctantly led by the governing Liberals in coalition with several opposition parties, had been roundly beaten, dismissed as a conspiracy of the Euran elite to crush Samebans further after years of mistreatment. The Abolish campaign had marched to victory on the back of most of the ethnic Sameban majority, from the most hardline to the most moderate of nationalists, to a substantial minority of former regime opponents. Even the most pro-Euran Samebans had only voted against abolition out of concern about letting the nationalists back near power. A surprising backer of the campaign were Eura’s opposition Social Party, under the flag of democracy and self-determination, but more cynically also seeing where the wind was blowing and opportunistically following it.

However, their support was heavily caveated. In order to avoid backsliding on Euran-Sameban integration, or any accusations of weakness that could cost them a Eura-wide general election, the Socials had offered their former enemies a deal. The Socials would help the nationalists, and on winning the next general election (as the polls suggested was now highly likely) they would ensure the complete normalisation of Sameban civic life, opening up of elections to Sameba-specific parties, and, critically, the withdrawal of the Euran military from enforcement of law and order. But in return the nationalists would have to swallow two bitter pills – acceptance of Euran parliamentary democracy and of an outright ban on secessionism, drawing a final line under the idea of Sameban nationhood, consigning it to history.

The Socials knew that the most hard-line nationalists would baulk at this in private and go back on their word later on. That didn’t matter – they had correctly calculated that most Samebans either disliked (or outright hated) the former regime more than they did Eura, actively wanted unification in some cases, or simply felt so defeated after the war that they had no urge to reverse the status quo. All most Samebans wanted was respect and the same rights that other Euran citizens enjoyed. The ultranationalists would be marginalised, and maybe even give a Social government the excuse to reintroduce the army to proceedings if they continued to use violence.

The governing Liberal Party, ambiguous about the Euran Oceania Territories, had barely got its reaction out of the door on that vote before the Sameban ballot ran through their plans like a freight train. They had expected defeat but not by such a wide margin; the referendum was not legally binding, and in truth the Liberals intended to backtrack on it if the result was very narrow, or water down any proposals if it was only a moderate margin of defeat. A rapid recalibration took place in the hours afterwards, with various cabinet ministers trotted out to pretend it wasn’t a disaster for them, to speak proudly of “a good day for democracy” and their intent to “fix” former Sameba. The Provisional Government would have to go, they would admit. And yet conveniently they would provide no timeframe or plan for doing so.

Down south, the rest of Eura was voting on the third and final referendum, concerning the electoral system. After being offered a choice of retaining the existing first-past-the-post model or switching to proportional representation, the Euran electorate had given their response. The answer was not helpful. Turnout was low – just 59% nationwide – and the result too tight to be decisive, with “PR” winning out 51-49 over “FPTP”. The actual consequences for electoral reform were not immediately obvious, with all the main parties implying heavily in their official responses that the result would need to be considered by some kind of cross-party group, with only the minor parties clamouring for the result to be implemented.

Instead, the immediate relevance of the electoral reform vote was to serve as a platform for the opposition parties to take a hammer to Prime Minister Ian Smith, and his increasingly ailing administration. In the days after the “Triple Referendum”, while the Euran state machine was busy healing wounds in Atlantian Oceania and laying ground work in Anaia, Smith and the political side of government were in survival mode, with Social Party leader Harry Barnham accusing Smith of having thrown Euran politics into the mire “to save his own skin”. Polling showed a drastic hit to the government’s popularity. Smith, once seen as a safe bet, was now firmly into the category of a lame duck. Rumours of plots against his leadership were beginning to circulate.

One of those rumours evolved into a proposal, then a plan, and finally an attempt – at removing the Euran Prime Minister from their role, for what would be the second time in a single term in office for the party. Letters of no confidence from unhappy backbench MPs almost triggered a leadership contest with a number of party figures lining up a challenge, supposedly with the covert backing of former Prime Minister Amy Yarley. At the last moment Smith was able to survive after a number of allies, led by Foreign Secretary Carl Rutherford, swung in behind him and dissuaded just enough disgruntled backbenchers to end the rebellion. What would the Euran people think of a government that picked this time to succumb to internal battles? Knives were sheathed and ambitions postponed, at least temporarily.

To Smith’s benefit in the short term, but to the detriment of his party, the public had not failed to notice. His ratings stabilised, albeit still at a low point, with some sympathy emerging as the failed leadership challenge was spun as to being blame for the government’s inability to achieve anything. The party’s ratings continued to sink, before eventually reaching a nadir at an average of 23% in the polls, down 14% from the last election. The Social Party had surged to 42% and now looked set for an enormous victory at the next election, an almost exact reversal of the election before last where the Liberals won 1931 seats and the Socials just 571. It was under these conditions that Smith now mounted a successful argument that he had gone from being an asset to a liability but then back to being an asset again. Nevertheless, to turn things around before the next election scheduled to take place in just two years, he would have to do something to win back votes.

A year later – the present day

Carl Rutherford checked his phone, patience running thin. ‘When is he going to call?’
‘Give him a minute, you know he hates cabinet without you there’ said his colleague Angela Green, the recently appointed Minister for Rushmore. Rutherford represented everything the Liberal government didn’t want to be, but unavoidably was; old, grey, tired, and curiously male given how recently Empowered Woman No.1 Amy Yarley had been in charge. Green was his opposite in every way. She was the youngest cabinet minister in Eura’s current government, just 34 years old. A former Foreign Ministry civil servant and attorney, Green was fiercely intelligent and potentially future leadership material, and too young to be tainted by the public’s Liberal fatigue. If only she were 10 years older, and then we’d have someone who could win an election mourned Rutherford, his internal monologue reflecting the fact that little had changed since the night of the referenda.

She did have one flaw. She was insincere. That didn’t always have to be a problem for a politician. The hugely successful Yarley had been largely defined by her ability to destroy her enemies with a dead smile. Green was not Yarley, though. She was not a master tactician worming her way through the corridors of power, one enemy at a time, while having the political nous to offer a wider message to the public. She couldn’t dominate people in the same way, and that made her powers of persuasion important, her ability to be the likable, empathetic figure in the room ever vital. But every now and then Green would say something that demonstrated her words were not backed by her thoughts. On this occasion, she had been overly familiar; pretending to know the ins and outs of Smith’s personality, like she was a member of the inner circle, rather than a hastily promoted junior backbencher with some potential.

With his decades of political experience, Rutherford saw an opportunity to help out the future of his beloved party. ‘And you would know that how?’
Green seemed startled by the challenge. ‘Well, because he gets flustered-‘
‘You have met the PM about three times. Two of those times he didn’t recognise you or remember your name. The third time he was appointing you to Cabinet.’ Rutherford leaned over and spoke to her in a hushed tone. ‘Whomever comes next, whenever that might be, is not going to trust someone who pretended to know their predecessor inside out, when clearly knowing very little.’
‘I don’t know what you are talking about.’
‘Yes, you do. And if you don’t then, well, what are you doing in politics? There’s nothing wrong with ambition.’
Green said nothing in response. The plane thudded as it hit the tarmac. Rutherford, Green and a Euran diplomatic delegation had arrived in Tikariot. They were here to resolve the future of Nyowani Kitara. Rutherford might have had one eye on the fate of the party in the future, but he still had an opportunity to save it in the present.

by **Brookstation** » Mon Jan 17, 2022 9:03 pm

Customarily, Brookstation started yet another tournament campaign with a win to their name against Textentuck at the Pop Smoke Stadium on Sunday. Brookstation had all advantages a team could possibly get in a match. This win put Brookstation at second place just below South Newlandia on the table. The match had attracted an extraordinary number of fans from all over the nation and this game eventually went on to record the second highest audience turnout in this stadium. Soham Misra didn't play his regular predicted eleven on the field but instead played a squad comprising of newcomers with the likes of Lance Logan, Rakesh Dutta and Moussa Wague.

Brookstation primarily started the game with an offensive approach. Their first attack started in as fast as the sixth minute when Geovani Angeles found Jacks in the open right wing and Jacks who dribbled the ball past the box but thanks to the Textentuck defnese, a goal wasn't scored. However, Brookstation did not hesitate for long. In the 11th minute of the game, Brookstation had been awarded a free kick. Johnson delivered a beautiful shot which landed straight in Veum's area who brought the ball under control before firing a shot towards the net. The Textentuck goalkeeper made a brilliant save to stop the ball from entering the net but as soon as he made the save, Cust pranced forward and tapped the ball into the net, giving Brookstation their early lead. Numerous attempts were made from the opponent side but none as effective to bring their attack farther than the halfway line. The Textentuck team were not particularly bad and at times they actually posed serious threats in front of the Brook team, but one thing they lacked was co ordination which saw their attacks die out as soon as they were started. On the other hand Soham Misra is a manager whose primary focus is on team work and co ordination. Soham Misra's efforts on his team had definitely had fruitful effects. Brookstation didn't play with much flare, in fact they played a type of football which would make the audience bored within minutes. The team played with short passes and kept the ball to themselves for the entire duration but in this way, they were able to reach the goal comfortably without misplacing the ball.

There were only five minutes left in the first half of the game and no team had scored again after the Brookstation goal. Textentuck's defense should again be appreciated considering the fact that they kept such a large number of attacks under control is truly remarkable. With only one minute left until the referee blew his whistle, came Brookstation's second goal. Surprisingly enough, the second goal came from a corner kick as well. Johnson took yet another beautiful corner and the ball swung a little before finding itself just near Caceres who didn't hesitate to thump the ball with his forehead into the goal. The second half started with the crowd having high hopes for the Brook team seeing their early lead into the match. The match went on at it's usual pace with both team's opening attacks but none effective enough to see a change in the scoreboard. The match had got really boring by then and it seemed that Brookstation would get away with the win if things continued like this. And yes, Brookstation scored once again in the 71st minute of the game. Polnareff decided to hit a long shot towards Wague who was open at the right corner. Wague recieved the ball brilliantly and knocked it towards Robes who fired Brookstation's third goal of the game. By now, it was safe to say that there was no possible way in which Brookstation could miss the opportunity to get three points to their name. But, you never know. It's Brookstation after all !

Textentuck found the net in the 83rd minute, just seven minutes before the match was theoretically going to end. The Textentuck winger found their centre forward unmarked in the box and he didn't hesitate to the deliver the ball to him and he shot the ball right into the net. This goal didn't cause much of a hype because by then, the entire crowd knew that it was too late. Needless to say, Brookstation did score yet once again in the 91st minute thanks to a 3 minute injury time provided by the referee.

Brookstation would now fly off to Yuezhou and then face Zwangzug at home. Yuezhou and Zwangzug are by far two of the best teams in the eleventh groups and both teams had registered a win in the first matchday.
"Starting any tournament with a win is always a positive indication but this was just the beginning. We have a lot of stronger opponents waiting to face us and thus maintaining our place in this position is going to be far away from "easy". But at the end of the day, one thing that I can assure everyone of is the fact that our team is going to give their best on the field.", said Brook manager Soham Misra.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

After the first Matchday, you might be worried, but don't fret It's All Right

CUTOFF

by **StrayaRoos** » Mon Jan 17, 2022 9:36 pm

MD2-Sendhang
Sendhang 0
StrayaRoos 1 (Cahill 23)
HT 1-0
Sendhang-Wageo-Hamza,Bari,Lumipada,Kefalo,Beripeda,Al Qari,Wirajuda,Kalbasi,Samoi,Salahuddin
Sent off:Hamza 78
StrayaRoos-Yesak-Okuna,Poalian,Kuyta,Turean (Forsberg 76),Fitzsimmons,Lopai,Hazard,Guala,Cahill (L.Kaiplo 78),C.Kaiplo

Against Sendhang Harry Cahill got Our World Cup Qualifiying Goals Off the mark in the 23rd Minute with an similar Fashion to The First goal he scored in the 7-3 Defeat against Cordia with It Actually was the Exact Same So Jedinak stole the ball then Passed to Fitzsimmons who crossed it To Cahill who sent it Looping over the Goalkeepers Head But was taken out by Hamza in the 78th Minute who was then sent off and Luke Kaiplo the Captain and Top scorer of the U21 Side Was Subbed on for his International Debut but was Yellow Carded for Attempting to get Hamzi sent off (OOC:Doing a Neymar)

by **Starblaydia** » Mon Jan 17, 2022 9:46 pm

Episode 1 - The Statement
S01

A meeting with a top-16 side in World Cup Qualifying gives
both the team and their star striker an opportunity to lay down
a marker right at the very beginning of their international journey.

Ryan Garry
Team Captain, Word Cup 15

Narrator: The World Cup had, for fourteen editions, garnered the attention of billions of people across the multiverse. Whether known as football or soccer, the competition had thrust its way into the hearts and minds of fans from almost every nation. All a country's governing body had to do was to register their interest in a timely manner...

It's quite astounding to think that the Starblaydi Football Association, now this sleek and cutting-edge organisation where every single word uttered in public is so tightly controlled and carefully crafted by a PR team of media-trained language experts and diversity specialists, could make such a monumental error for their very first engagement with the wider world. The SFA were so late, they actually managed to miss the deadline to sign up for what would turn out to be the second Baptism of Fire Cup, one that they have have to wait almost a century for until they could take part in for real.

The team debuts in World Cup 15, starting out officially at the same time as teams like BoF winners Turori and other new competitors like Krytenia and Oaker, but without this warm-up tournament that was designed to provide an introduction for new entrants to the cut-throat world of international soccer. Thankfully, though, the SFA's participation in the previous Under-21 World Cup meant that their international football program had some level of official quality to it, so instead of being unranked, Starblaydia snuck in with an estimate of 116th in the world, although there were officially 100 nations taking part.

The mood of the nation was clear, with the commercial slogans mirroring how football fans felt just as much as it was guiding them to be excited: 'see Starblaydia take on the world', it shouted at you on TV, radio, newspapers and the relatively early days of internet. Everybody wanted to see how the boys representing them would do on the real world stage, not just the youth tournament they'd participated in the year before, which really only the die-hard fans were aware of: not a single player under the age of 23 had made it into this side.

Narrator: The Starblaydi team, although comprising a number veterans from the top division of the national league, newly rechristened the Alpha Division, were not - on the whole - ready made global superstars.

No foreigners played in the Alpha Division at that point, and far from the 48 teams split across three divisions we see now, there were just eight fully professional teams in the country at that point, it was very much an upstart amateur outfit with a combination of journeymen pros, solid athletes with few ball-playing skills and only a few genuinely classy football players. For the average Starblaydi this, of course, was basically the greatest team they'd ever seen assembled. Unless they were dedicated fans who'd been watching the previous World Cup and seen the likes of Kingsford, Rejistania, Total n Utter Insanity, Eauz, etc., there was a very positive feeling behind his team, like they could really be something special. Unfortunately that's what most fans of debuting teams in the World Cup Qualifiers think: they can go all the way, they can be this great underdog who finally makes it and takes a debut title - all these sorts of dreams fans can go wild with before even a ball is kicked. A general hope from the SFA, however, was to sneak a qualification, if they could, but that meant they'd have to overcome more than a few stern tests.

World Cup 15 Qualifying Draw, Group 8:
Lemmitania (10)
Svecia (17)
Dance 2 Revolution (30)
Vilita (38 )
Wella (54)
Avenging Altos (70)
Starblaydia (116)
Grays Harbor (200)
The East Asian Empire (200)
Bakinhale (200)

What brought most fans crashing down to earth with a bump, however, was that as the matches began, the team only picked up one point from the first four games. Pundits, mostly in Vilita, opened by suggesting that Starblaydia would come anywhere from 5th to 7th in the group, and they were really hoping to get the better of Grays Harbor, The East Asian Empire and Bakinhale to try and move further up the table to one of the sought-after qualifying positions, but those wins just didn't come in the early days.

They lost their first official match at senior level away to Vilita in a credible 2-1 defeat. Nikola Lazerevski, leading the line in the number 9 shirt at the front line of a 4-4-2 formation, made his mark on the record books with the first goal for his country, but a loss was still a loss, even though they came away with their heads held high. Another 2-1 defeat to Wella followed, and again 2-1 to Bakinhale was incredibly demoralising for the side, having just picked up their first point against Avenging Altos in a 1-1 draw.

Finally the first win came, 2-0 over Grays Harbour, and the points started to come thick and fast. They'd also beaten Lemmitania - somehow - in front of 85,000 screaming fans in the Iota "Big Eye" Arena in Penningworth to really think about shaking the group up. You'd immediately think that beating a top-ten side would become something of a high point in the early days, but Lemmitania were underperforming and it was actually Dance 2 Revolution who were leading the way, as Starblaydia sat almost rooted to the bottom of the ten-team group. Even by then the chants from the fans in white and purple were the self-deprecating "Qualification, you're havin' a laugh."

Narrator: There had been a minor boost to morale of players, staff and fans, all thanks to a four-game undefeated streak. But when Dance 2 Revolution arrived at the Silverlands stadium in Corinth on Matchday 9 to round out the first half of Qualifying, they sat confidently on top of the Group, while Starblaydia languished in seventh position, eight points behind.

If the first four matchdays had been about misery, the second four had given a real beacon of hope that success was possible. They weren't just one of the scores of nobody teams that enters the World Cup and fades out having never accomplished anything; this team had potential.

Archive footage wrote:The presenter of Saturday Sport Starblaydia, Pete Walker, sits in a comfortable studio, smiles smugly at the camera and reads the autocue directly down the lens.

Walker: "Good afternoon. Now: Hands up anyone who thought the two-nil win over Gray's Harbor was the best Starblaydia victory ever... OK, now how about that great three-nil over Lemmitania? Rrriight then, a few more of you for that one. Now, as we go to the latest match report, I'll sit back and let commentator Scatman Motsonsson and former Starblaydia International-come-analyst Colin Miles tell you all about this one. Enjoy."

The picture changes to match-day footage. We begin with the players coming out of the tunnel. Starblaydia's men walk out in their all-white kit with purple trim, with the Dance 2 Revolutionaries in red shirts and socks, with blue shorts. SCB:Sports' main commentator, Scatman Motsonsson, starts describing the visuals.

Motsonsson: "Eight points separate these two teams as we go into the ninth round of matches, which marks the half-way point of the World Cup Qualifing Groups. The D-Two-R team lead Group Eight with seventeen points, while Starblaydia are in seventh with nine."

The teams line up for the anthems and 'Starblaydia Triumphant' is yelled by 55,000 voices.

Up to this point, Starblaydia had taken six points from a potential nine in three home matches, while on the road they'd picked up three from a possible fifteen. It was starting to become clear that, at home, this team really could have that 'twelfth man', the energy and noise and encouragement from a stadium full of fans, all cheering the home side on, can really be a difference maker at this level. But you've still got to be sensible, you can't just charge hell-for-leather from the first minute of the game, no matter how passionate the crowd are. It's very easy to be undone if you're too hyped up.

Archive footage wrote:Motsonsson: "It's Stomp now with the ball in D-two-R's half, in no hurry to put it up the field. He's played it forward... and... Maeda to Kenkai! It's a goal for Dance 2 Revolution, and its the star man Kenkai! Only six minutes gone, and they've taken the lead already!"

In the slow-motion replay, Stomp chips it forward to playmaker Maeda, who sneaks in from the right wing and nods it down to Kenkai, who in turn takes it beyond Centre-Back Paul Cole, standing motionless, and prods it home. All the home side's Left-Back and Captain Ryan Garry can do is pick the ball out of the back of the net after his attempt to clear off the line.

Disaster in the opening minutes, as Dance 2 Revolution score. Stomp had absolutely free reign in the middle of the park, all the Starblaydi players are either walking or jogging and nobody is marking anybody. Maeda is wide open and has all the time in the world head this looping ball into the box from the right. Paul Cole is standing outside the penalty area and just turns and watches this ball get put across him; he's got no idea who's behind. Stephen Asante tries his best but he's covering two players at once, and Kenkai just sticks out a boot and puts it past the onrushing Myhill. He saw the danger once the header came over, but the defence were playing such a high, broken line, he had no chance of getting to it first. It's far, far too easy for the Revolutionaries, they're hitting every beat right now. Can Starblaydia get back into it?

Archive footage wrote:Motsonsson: "Starblaydia with a free kick now, right up next to the by-line, its practically a corner. Bentley will want to swing this in with his right foot. He does and its too deep. Enrico Bigon picks it up wide on the right and chips it into the danger area, the goalie's come and missed it! Nodded down, and its been put in! The equaliser from Nikola Lazerevski! Lazerevski yet again for Starblaydia, it's his fifth goal in the Qualifiers."

Miles: "A lovely bit of skill in the box there, from de Souza Lima. The 'keeper has flapped at the high cross, and de Souza Lima's just chested it down, right at the feet of Lazerevski, who can't possibly miss from five yards."

Nikola Lazerevski - they nicknamed him "Laser" for the quality of his shooting - he was the first great striker for the team. Bear in mind the country itself had only been taken out of the grip of civil war and brutal thuggery two years earlier, so this was the first time the administration had even been able to scrape a team together for entry into the World Cup. There were a few players who would later go on to become iconic, but Lazerevski began at that level. He'd scored four goals in the eight matches so far and he led the line. If anyone was going to bring them back into the game, it was him.

Although they'd conceded the early goal, it's barely six minutes later and the equaliser comes. Whether the Revolutionaries were over-confident, mis-read the flight of the ball, or just expected their goalie to claim it easily, it doesn't matter. It's one-all and game on, but the rest of the first half is tense and fraught, with both teams trying to get the breakthrough while preventing the other side from doing the same.

Maeda had even missed from a clear-cut chance when clean through, and you could sense something was coming. It would either take a single piece of incredible skill, or some massive error to let the other side in.

Archive footage wrote:Motsonsson: "Here's Benson, skipping down the right, getting to the byline, and he's been felled by the left-back. We've had nearly three minutes of stoppage time in the first half, and i thought the referee was about to blow for half time, but it's a free-kick for Starblaydia in a dangerous area."

Miles: "I think we've got time to take it, Scatman."

Motsonsson: "Starblaydia are putting everyone forward here, Cole and Kilgallon are up from the back. Ifil takes... it's been knocked back by Kilgallon... Haldorsson, ohhhhhh it's in? Yes! It's in! Haldorsson's shot made it through the crowd of players, and it's two-one Starblaydia! Stefan Haldorsson!"

Ifil's slo-mo replay free-kick is put up to the edge of the area, tall and lean Centre-back Matthew Kilgallon heads it back to Haldorsson, who chests it down simply and half-volleys it on the outside of his right foot, curving it round the sea of players and past the goalie, to sneak in inside the far post.

It's a wonderful strike from Haldorsson. He's 25, one of the youngest players in the team, thrust into it with the injury to Aiden Matranga, the usual left-sided midfielder. But Haldorsson has pace, he has power, and he has a phenomenal strike on the ball when he wants to. It's pin-point accuracy as the ball flies through this crowded field of legs and the goalkeeper just doesn't see it in time to cover all the way to his far post.

Narrator: Scoring just before half time is always an important psychological blow. It completely changes the team talk the opposing manager was preparing to make during the break, and galvanises the scoring team, spurring them on to yet greater deeds.

Archive footage wrote:Motsonsson: "Just two minutes gone in the second half, and if they could hold on to this, Starblaydia may move up the table barring, for instance, a Vilita w- here's David Bentley, not going to let me finish, he's chipped it in for Bigon, down for Lazerevski, and it's another goal! Dreamland here at Silverlands Stadium; Nikola Lazerevski gets his second of the match! Starblaydia start the second half in lightning fashion."

Bentley chips the ball in, Enrico Bigon, up from his defensive midfield berth, heads it to the right-hand edge of the area for "Laser" Lazerevski to fire it under the goalie for a 3-1 lead.

Two goals either side of half time, it's just dreamland for the home team. This is only the second time in their short history that they've scored three goals, and it's not just a question of Dance 2 Revolution being bad, it's actually about Starblaydia playing well and showing that there's no only talent in this country, but also desire and determination to succeed and go further. The crowd are urging them to go for it, and the Revolutionaries are shocked, it's like they're wondering who on earth they're playing, because it's not a team who are eighty-six places below them in the rankings.

Jean-Paul Georges-Ringeaux, the Starblaydi manager, can see that the team is feeding on the home crowd's passion and he's using it to his advantage. He's pushing them on from the touchline, knowing that they have the opportunity to make something special happen. After the early lackadaisical play they're now firing on all cylinders and there's very little Dance 2 Revolution can do about it.

Archive footage wrote:Motsonsson: "Starblaydia's three-one lead looks pretty safe at the moment and- oh- Lazerevski's through here again for Starblaydia, what a chance for the hat-trick here, Lazerevski! Ohhhh this is getting better and better and better! One-two-three for Nikola Lazerevski. Starblaydia lead Dance Two Revolution four-one!"

Bigon wins the ball in the right sode of midfield from Revolutionary substitute Qamay and immediately plays a through-ball for Lazerevski. It splits the defence in two and the run takes Lazerevski free of defenders. Onside and through, he bursts into the penalty area and shoots from around twelve yards, into the upper part of the net, sweeping the ball over the Revolutionary goalie, who stays low but can't get a despairing hand up in time to block the shot.

Motsonsson: "He is lethal! Pinch yourselves, please."

Miles: "Well-well-well, you won't get that match ball off him now."

The celebrations for this fourth goal are absolutely wild. Lazerevksi has netted the first international hat-trick by a Starblaydi, and his fellow players are ecstatic, they absolutely mob him and he's surrounded by teammates hugging him, patting him and just taking in the enormous noise that the Silverlands crowd are making in celebration.

Dance 2 Revolution are short on ideas, their body language tells the story with slumped shoulders, just walking around the pitch like they're in a daze. They've come to this country they've never heard of before, making their debut, and they're being picked apart by incisive passing and sharp defending. There's this odd struggle of contrasting emotions rippling throughout the home crowd: half of them can't believe it, while the other half are believing - hell, they're not having to believe, they're actually seeing - that anything is possible.

Archive footage wrote:Miles: "What can I say, no-one in their wildest dreams would have predicted this. I mean, four-one and you've still got twenty minutes to go, incredible."

Motsonsson: "Its a night we'll never forget. Matthew Kilgallon, to de Souza Lima. Benson, de Souza Lima again, now, he's got N'Dumbu-Nsungu up with him- Guylain N'Dumbu-Nsungu... could it be five?! IT IS!!!"

There's utter stunned silence from both commentators. The crowd are cheering, the players celebrating, until Mostsonsson finally has to say something, anything.

Motsonsson: "It's Starblaydia five, Dance-two-Revolution one. I think we've run out of adjectives here in the commentary box."

Final Score from Silverlands Stadium, Corinth (55,000):
Starblaydia 5 - 1 Dance 2 Revolution
(Lazerevski 12' 48' & 66', Haldorsson 45', N'Dumbu-Nsungu 74') (Kenkai 6')

Narrator: Five goals to one marks a record for their highest victory, one that will stand for another eight years across seven competitions. It is the first real statement that Starblaydia have arrived on the world stage, and the rest of the competition takes notice.

This match was the high point of a six-game unbeaten run, where the team picked up four of the six wins they'd get in those Qualifiers. It was really the passion of the home crowd that was getting them their points. At home, they won six, drew two and lost one. Away from home they failed to win a match, drawing four times and losing five. Even here, at the very beginning of their international journey, it is passion of the home crowd, the roar of the fans and the encouragement that they give the players, that's crucial to building that Starblaydi success. It's something that would continually carry the team further than they could otherwise have gone on their own.

Narrator: The team ultimately finishes seventh in the group, exactly where their international ranking would have predicted at the beginning of the campaign. From soaring highs like the Dance to Revolution game, to crushing lows, the nation was immediately addicted to the adrenaline rush of the World Cup, one that would go on to last for three centuries.

by **Nephara** » Tue Jan 18, 2022 12:24 am

IA Quebec 0 - 4 Nephara
(4-2-3-1) 1 - Provost; 2 - Schrader, 5 - Clevinger, 6 - Turnbull, 3 - Lind; 4 - Timekeeper (22 - Bruhn 79'), 8 - Cromwell; 13 - Reed, 14 - Fletcher (23 - Kvasina 71'), 11 - Considine (16 - Marinca 63'); 21 - Basilisk
Goals: Reed 31', Cromwell 34', Basilisk 56', Marinca 84'

Nephara 7 - 2 Milchama
(4-2-3-1) 1 - Provost; 2 - Schrader (17 - Soeringer 62'), 18 - Warden, 6 - Turnbull, 22 - Page; 4 - Timekeeper, 15 - Sauber; 7 - Koerner, 14 - Fletcher, 11 - Considine; 10 - Harper (9 - Gjasula 66')
Goals: Page 3', Timekeeper 19', Fletcher 21', Considine 27', Harper 44', Warden 81', Gjasula 89'

VARAKOULA DELEGATION:
Medina KLOSE, Minister for Foreign Affairs [Nationals]
Monika LINDBECK, Head of NSIA
Jade HORVATH, Head of DoTFA
Emmeric BUNDSCH, Chairman of the Electoral Commission
Brigadier Claudia LARCHWOOD, military liaison

It had been a bruising day for the Nepharan delegation, and mood in the war room was grim. Hour after hour of going around in circles, trying to grease the wheels of the intractible, figuring out what outrages to forgive (pointedly) and which to oppose. For the most part, they'd been on the back foot; the war was won, so technically any move towards peace effectively implied Nepharan concession. Yet they had, at least, hurled a hand grenade into the Busukuma delegation's room and slammed shut the door, Klose standing for a brisk but forceful twelve-minute speech closing with the demand that Malik Akongo be banned from office. They had already sent out to meet with Nafuna Akongo, and had half an hour to hammer everything out.
First, they called for drinks. Nobody wanted to be first to chime up.
"Alright," said Medina Klose at last. "Let's make sure we're singing from the same songsheet here."
Nephara's leading diplomat, Jade Horvath nodded. "Right. Go ahead."
"One: the delegation from Busukuma is here solely as sponsors of the KFF. Otherwise this is a solely Rushmori issue, and no further meddling from outside the region is welcome."
No arguments there.
"Two: Mr. Katende," she said, pointedly - that meant the Kabaka, "has no place at these talks. We tolerate him for the greater good, but at no point will be anything other than Mr. Katende. So too Foreign Minister or Waziri Katende. The Waziri is the highest-ranked official in the Banijan delegation, and where possible we are content deal with him by dint of that rank."
Nods all around.
"Three: Ulf's psychotic vision of a glorious ethnostate isn't our hill to die on. If that's all he wants out of this, that's something we're happy to pretend is a compromise on our part and put on the table."
Larchwood looked uneasy about it. The DFLK had killed Nepharim in the field. Bundsch, on the other hand, just looked happy at the prospect of another election to run.
"Four: Malik leaves the country. Ideally, the region. He's forfeited his right to benefiting from democratic proceedings. If Banija want him, they can have him. Not hanging him is another compromise."
No dissent.
"Five: we've secured the country, we're a respected and legitimate democratic power, we have regional interests and we're a leading CRC nation - this election is Nephara's to run."
A few glances. Horvath coughed delicately. "Is this really the cornerstone of our policy? A point of pride? Actually given the expense and risk inherent to the--"
"To hell with that. This entire venture's been expense and risk! Coltrane implies--"
"That fucking relic," contributed Larchwood, helpfully.
"Yeah, thank you, Brigadier, yes, that fucking relic implies we can't do the job. Malik pulls the 'meet me in the middle' bullshit and takes a step back and he falls for it! Hook, line, bloody sinker..."
"Dina," said Horvath sharply, "everyone is going to be seething at Coltrane. That means he's doing his work well as mediator. Forget Coltrane."
Klose took a deep, seething breath. "I'm aware he's there to compromise, and that the CRC are the obvious compromise option. But."
Horvath sighed, wearily. "But?"
"Nephara has to run the election," said Klose, firmly.
Emmeric Bundsch, a hale, bluff man of about 45, frowned. "I know it's against my own interests, but Tikariot or the CRC are entirely capable of--"
"I'm aware, but it changes nothing. Nephara will run the election. We came here guaranteeing our own brand of democracy and that's going to be what they get, whether anyone likes it or not." It drew from Klose a cold fury that, to her dawning surprise, she realised was genuine, not just from the benefit of those there. "You know what they think of us as, out there? Brutes and warmongers. They look back across history and they see marchers breaking shit, nothing else. That's what they see here. That's what the people will see, unless . And, yes, it makes sense on paper to compromise on running the elections. in a vacuum, we only care that elections are run. But we need to see this through. We simply must. Or what's this all been for?"
Silence reigned, save Klose's laboured breathing as she leaned on the table. The knock on the door came as a relief to everyone, though nobody actually wanted to move.
It was, in the end, the head of intelligence, Monika Lindbeck, who rose. "I'll go open that, shall I?"
Inevitably it was Nafuna, flush off what had largely been a day of vindication. It was almost perfect. The only thing that could improve it, besides her brother choking to death on his dinner, was Nephara caving on this one issue. Yet shaking every hand in the room was its own victory.
Unhinged though she was, Nafuna was a very intelligent woman. She knew Margravine Lindt despised her, on aggregate. Mostly because Lindt had told her so. Twice. And she knew that Corvistone saw her as nothing more than the least of evils, and even that due largely to incumbency. Mostly, things had been conducted remotely. Then she'd met Lindbeck. Then she'd met Leander. Now she was shaking hands with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and surely the public handshake with the Margravine herself couldn't be too far off.
Legitimacy felt good.
Still, letting the north bail after so much blood was a hard sell. A moral argument was not something anyone cared to make, or win. Chances are, if they split off, Ulf's new nation (Hvíturfjall, perhaps?) wouldn't exactly be on first-name terms with Nephara. But they needed this over the line, and Klose impressed Horvath by pivoting to a purely pragmatic case.
"It's my land," said Nafuna bluntly.
"You'll have the mainland. That's what matters, and if anything it'll reduce the logistical load. I'm aware it's the principle, but--"
"We just won a war for this, and you're telling me you're willing to... to let them clear it off the goalline like this?"
"It's a win for the DFLK, but they've still been pushed off the mainland. They'll no longer be a threat to you. They feel good, but in the long term, you come out on top."
The President wasn't sold. "How so?"
"Twofold. First, they won't vote for you anyway. Clearing them off the decks solidifies the strength of the KPWC just by avoiding diluting the parliament. Second, it gives us leverage. If we can sate the north, then the KFF lose their bargaining chip."
"Which is?"
Larchwood took over. "If Ulf gets what he wants and stays out, it's not a two-front war, anymore. So long as peace is secured in the north, we can simply tear out the KFF, root and branch, and murder Malik. He accepts exile or death."
Silence reigned in the room, a moment, as the brigadier's blunt words took a moment to process.
"Of course," Larchwood conceded as she leaned back in her creaking swivel-chair, "I imagine you'll have to word it a bit more diplomatically. But that's how it will be, all the same."

NEPHARAN NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION - FORTNIGHT 3
Goalkeepers: 1 - Aranea Provost (Spartangrad, EUR), 12 - Raluca Garamond (Sabrefell Athletic), 20 - Tanith Arrowsmith (Dynamo Sjoedrhavn, SVJ)
Defenders: 2 - Ophelia Schrader (AFC Treason), 3 - Radeka Lind (Jinja City FC, BNJ), 5 - Reniira Clevinger (Herzegovina City FC, BNJ), 6 - Reina Turnbull (Kingsgrove, BRE), 17 - Pristina Soeringer (Stein-los Turkish, PAS), 18 - Gawain Warden (Marinos Metrpolis, VLD), 19 - Caracal Page (Starling), 22 - Shosanna Bruhn (Soldarian FC, VAL)
Midfielders: 4 - Rook Timekeeper (Sabrefell Moths), 7 - Anselm Koerner (1830 Cathair, AUD), 8 - Lothaire Cromwell (AC Izotz Zubia, AUD), 11 - Kendra Constantine Ramsey (AFC Treason), 13 - Severine Reed (Raynor City United, VAL), 14 - Thalassa Fletcher (La Nueva Avenida, FFD), 15 - Tasha Sauber (Sabrefell Athletic), 16 - Lili Marinca (Chromatik, CMT), 23 - Lindse Kvasina (Sabrefell Athletic)
Forwards: 9 - Ruby Gjasula (Bastion, EUR), 10 - Bravura Harper (Ulsa, EUR), 21 - Latona Basilisk (Mâ Âlâmëómë, FFD)

SCHEDULE
Indusse 2 - 4 Nephara
IA Quebec 0 - 4 Nephara
Nephara 7 - 2 Milchama @ Farham Arena (Sabrefell)
Pekoland vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. New Zhengguo @ Phoenix Rise (Corvistone)
Barunia vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Natanians and Nosts @ Farham Arena (Sabrefell)
Nephara vs. Indusse @ The Gauntlet (Treason)
Nephara vs. IA Quebec @ Eagle's Club (Brinemouth)
Milchama vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Pekoland @ The Gauntlet (Treason)
New Zhengguo vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Barunia @ Farham Arena (Sabrefell)
Natanians and Nosts vs. Nephara

by **Alezian Union** » Tue Jan 18, 2022 2:03 am

This has been a repeated broadcast from my comic thread which you can find the link to in my signature below!
You can read my other comics and get to know these four characters there!
Hope you enjoy your visit there!

by **Cabo Azure** » Tue Jan 18, 2022 4:57 am

Banija 3-3 Cabo Azure
Pos. Name 
GK   Antunes
LB   Branco (goal 11')
RB   de Lima
CB   Mendes
CB   Moniz
RM   Ferreira
LM   Serra
CM   Alves (off 68')
CF   Montenegro
LW   Silveira (off 68')
RW   Carriço (goal 57')

LW Gouveia (on 68') (goal 88')
MF Dantes (on 68')
A hard-fought match leading to an unexpected point on the road. The Azureans managed to settle in early and execute their gameplan, and while the sheer skill the Banijan attacking unit was too much to contain, they were matched goal-for-goal. Branco got the party started early with a frenetic coast-to-coast run punctuated by a chippy little goal from just inside the area that beat Kouyaté top shelf. Banija would equalize quickly, though, when Adao Moniz was burned by Idai Usterin the penalty box, forcing him to concede a corner which the Serpent Eagles convertedon just the first try.

On level terms down the stretch of the first half, both teams became increasingly aggressive with overlapping runs into the box and energetic breakaways. The next scorer would be Uster herself, fed by a thread-the-needle cross from qualifying debutante Jassey, which she hit on the full volley to find Rufino Antunes completely flatfooted. The 2-1 scoreline would hold until halftime.

At the half, Cabo Azure came with a renewed vigor, attacking the goal from all angles. True to form, it was the partnership of Carriço and Montenegro who finally broke down the Serpent Eagles' defense on a give-and-go with four runners in the box. Banija answered even quicker this time, scoring on a textbook header from an indirect free kick in midfield which left serious questions about the Azureans' set-piece defense.

Down 3-2, Paulinho opted for offensive substitutions, bringing on Vasco Gouveia who was so electric against Mytanija in the Copa Rushmori, where he scored a hat trick to add a shred of respectability to the 6-4 loss. Gouveia did what he did best, lighting up a tired Banijan backline so many times his equalizer seemed inevitable. Despite a late surge by the Serpent Eagles, the 3-3 scoreline would hold, and Cabo Azure would get an unexpected road point against a pot 1 team.

Cabo Azure 0-2 Metherwoll
Pos. Name 
GK   Antunes
LB   Branco
RB   de Lima (off 45')
CB   Medeiro
CB   Moniz (off 45')
RM   Ferreira
LM   Maciel
CM   Medeiros
CF   Montenegro
LW   Silveira
RW   Galma

CB Brandão K (on 45')
RB Carneiro (on 45')
A disappointing loss to an inferior side which will go down as a hangover from tying Banija.

It's been said the word "should" gets thrown around a lot in Azurean football, more than it, well, should. We should win this; Paulinho should be able to rotate his team and still expect a result; the team should practice set pieces more. After the loss to Metherwoll, simply put, there are a lot more "shoulds".

The Maçaricas entered the match with a rotated side after playing their A-team against Banija. Arsenio Galma replaced Ademar Carriço up top, earning his first cap, while Deodato Medeiro slotted in next to Moniz and Narciso Maciel took the attacking midfield role from Serra. It can't be said that the newcomers were the reason for the loss, themselves; Galma in particular showed great composure even as the match began to slip away, and Maciel showed flashes of the heir apparent to Serra's position. The team as a whole, however, played disjointed and failed to adjust for Metherwoll's relatively simple gameplan.

The Metherwoll player known as SEEEEEEEEEEEBOOOOOOOO opened Metherwoll's account at about the twenty-fifth minute, after knocking on Cabo Azure's door for the preceding twenty-four. The second goal of the match came just before halftime, as SEEEEEEEEEEEBOOOOOOOO got on the end of a Santarossa corner and buried it in the back of the net.

At halftime, Paulinho would make some defensive-minded substitutions to shore up his battered backline, apparently expecting it was a matter of time before Metherwoll's shakey defense would yield a goal before Cabo Azure's still fairly composed attack, but no such luck emerged. At least the boys can look forward to Jamie's mum's tea on the return fixture.

Requiem for a Queen, pt 1

“If all of the kings had their queens on the throne
We would pop champagne and raise a toast
To all of the queens who are fighting alone
Baby, you’re not dancing on your own.”

The queen mother’s quarters in the Azurean royal palace are cozy, not much bigger than a hotel suite, with a sitting room, a bedroom, a bathroom with a claw-foot tub, and a little kitchen with an electric stove. The furniture and decor have not changed since the 1950s; the walls and upholstery are decked in floral designs, and the fridge is the kind with a horizontal lever holding it shut. While the rest of the palace has been systematically updated by the best interior designers in Cabo Azure, Queen Abigail has kept her space largely the same.

The reason Her Highness gives for this constancy is that she lives most of the time in her apartment in Sao Simone, that stately affair being paid for by her pension from the University, where she is an emeritus professor of political science. After all, Queen Abigail did spend half her life as Dr. Abby Fonseca, lecturer, wife, and mother, her royal heritage a secret to all but her inner circle. There is, so the Queen says, no reason to spend taxpayer money updating a space she scarcely occupies.

The real reason is less pragmatic. The previous occupant of the queen mother’s apartment was the oft-forgotten Queen Carlotta, second wife of King Reinaldo I, and Abigail’s mother. Though Carlotta was a spoiled socialite ill-suited to motherhood, her staff saw to it that Abigail was well cared for and educated as befit the heirs to the Azurean throne. Princess Abigail spent some of the happiest moments of her childhood in those rooms, and for that reason she is loath to see them change.

Abby was born Princess Abigail Portelo, the only child of Reinaldo I and Carlotta, in 1958. Though she was meant to be a talisman for the new queen, a symbol to bind her to the people’s hearts, Abigail failed in this as soon as she was born. A pudgy, ill-tempered child, she was beset with colic and a skin condition that made it difficult to show her on the Kingdom’s new television screens. As a result, the young princess was raised mainly in private, a final blow against the public’s patience with Queen Carlotta.

Reinaldo I succumbed to heart disease and liver cirrhosis in 1969, after almost a decade of declining health. Eleven year-old Princess Abby mourned publicly for her father while Prince Reinaldo II impatiently awaited his coronation. Even then, there were rumblings that the demure, bookish princess was a better choice for the throne than her discourteous older brother. In 1972, at her request, King Reinaldo II sent his half-sister to study with the Cassadaigan elite in Concord Heights, effectively removing her from the public eye. Then in 1974, following a failed plot to assassinate the young king and place Abby on the throne, Reinaldo took the extraordinary step of annulling his late father’s marriage to Queen Carlotta, declaring Abby a bastard, and disinheriting her.

by **Jeruselem** » Tue Jan 18, 2022 5:22 am

Aidra Nene (aka Just Aidra) in Kyzhurkistan ...

Hello, this is Aidra Nene for Naked News Jeruselem.
I'm in Kyzhurkistan ... which is obvious because there's a big sign over there with that name ... anyway.
It's qualification match day three where Jeruselem had it's first away game after two home games and of course, it's here in Kyzhurkistan.

Just to recap match day two in Group 10 before we discuss match day three.
Ochre Islands beat Soldera 2-1 at home, that's the same Soldera who won their last game 7-3.
Darmen at home drew with Pluvia and the Saxean Isles 3-3.
The Gothanita Isles at home won against visitors Kyzhurkistan - that's this country here.
And Jeruselem at home crashed to 5-2 to loss to Mercedini. So Mercedini making a statement.

So on match day three, what would happen in Group 10.
We got some weird results! Indeed.
Mercedini were at home and after beating Jeruselem 5-2, looked like big favourites to win. But Ochre Islands sent them crashing to 3-2 loss. Well well, Mercedini aren't invincible after looking like it.
Pluvia and the Saxean Isles after two losses, won at home beating The Gothanita Isles 2-0. Yes, they have their first points and first win.
Soldera continued misery for Darmen, Darmen needing a win could only muster 3-3 draw with the home team Soldera.

Just notice, we've had 2 draws 3-3 so far.
Jeruselem smarting fronm 5-2 loss to Mercedini at home, had recover and get back on track in Kyzhurkistan.
Yes that 3-3 draw business? Yes, again. Kyzhurkistan drew with Jeruselem 3-3.
It wasn't our worst game nor our best we did enough not to lose and it was an away game too, without home support.
We did learn something from the last game and while 1 point isn't three points, it's better than none.

Three games in and Jeruselem have 1 win, 1 loss and 1 draw. The loss was to the top team. A mixed bag but it's how you end the campaigh, not how it starts.
Football is unpredictable, like Mercedini who beat us 5-2 and then lose 3-2 at home next game. You just can't pick it from past games.
Admittedly, the team have actually only played 3 games together as we didn't play any friendlies beforehand.
So we're working out the team structure still, but these things take time. There's no magic formula out there for creating a team.

We've let in 8 goals in two games after not conceding any in the first, so there's plenty to work on.
But we're still scoring goals, which helps if you're conceding them as well.
This isn't world Cup 88 which was ideal compared to all our other efforts.
But still far to early to see if this slow start will cost us.

The table for group 10 has Ochre Islands and Mercedini as the top 2, on two wins and 1 loss. All teams in Group 10 have now lost games.
Soldera is 3rd on 4th points with Jeruselem, Kyzhurkistan and Pluvia and the Saxean Isles following also on 4 points - based on goal difference.
The Gothanita Isles is 7th on 1 win and Darmen the 3rd seed has 1 point with 1 draw.
So it's tight group, there's no certainities with this group.
The type of group Jeruselen end up in ...

Princess Peko and her team from Pekoland, are 2nd in Group 9 and our friends from Quebec are 3rd - both with two wins and 1 loss. Nephara lead the group with 9 points
We have to mention Quebec because Prince Marco is one of ours and but Pekoland happens to be in that group even though we have zero affilation with that nation.
Barunia in Group 9 just lost to Quebec today 3-2, having lost to Pekoland on match day 1. So they aren't having the best time.

I get questions! Because Princess Kate isn't doing this job and she's pretty much answered all the ones aimed at her.
No, I'm not loaded with silicon. My breasts are real, that's why I ended up being a porn star first. I didn't need enhancements!
People do complain I don't know anything ... about football. Err, yes - that's true. But hey I don't pretend !!! I don't much, but I'm learning. But I'm here to talk, I leave the real analysis to others.
People ask is there any football people in my family? The answer is ... like pretty much no. We're a family of people being average at anything. OK I'm good at fucking ... that's something.
So, I get asked how I know Princess Kate? She knew a friend of mine ... in that industry, and I asked her if I could find a different kind of job with more respect.

Am I COVID vaccinated? Yes, or else I can't travel around the world. It's not like I had a choice.
Is true I'm banned from TikTok and YouTube? Oh that, I get demonetised on YouTube and TikTok don't like me so ... I'll stick with being vtuber with the Dallas network! They don't care about nudity.
Well, that's it for now!

Jeruselem go back home to play Pluvia and the Saxean Isles for match day 4 and then travel to Soldera on match day 5.
Take care everyone. Don't catch that ... virus ... you know which one.

by **Mertagne** » Tue Jan 18, 2022 7:49 am

The following is in response to the EOT referendum, which takes place in the past.

OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION: Statement from Department of Foreign Relations, in response to the result of the recently commenced Euran Oceania Territories referendum.

Last night, the people of the Euran Oceania Territories (EOT) voted in an historic referendum to determine the future of their proud nation, choosing to embrace the Anaian community and realign to our region. The Nation of Mertagne congratulates the territories for its decision, and looks forward to a renewed and continued closeness after what has been a lack of international cooperation on Mertagne's part over the last few years.

The Mertagnian Government is committed to supporting the EOT through its transition to Anaia, and is willing to enter negotiations with the Territorial Administration to integrate fairer policy between the two nations on areas such as trade and migration. It is the belief of the Mertagnian government that a large contingent of those in the EOT who voted to join Anaia did so because they wanted to see a deeper relationship with Mertagne, and this is something that the Mertagnian government has outlined as a priority in over the next few years. Aligning with the current Euran Government's goals to achieve full, democratic national elections across the territories and a devolved government, Mertagne is ready and willing to provide support to achieve these goals. The Mertagnian government has nothing but the utmost respect for the sovereignty of the Euran Oceania Territories, and notes the hard work of the Euran Territorial Administration over the years to keep order, peace, and prosperity across the EOT.

It would be impossible to forget the history between the Euran Government, the Euran Oceania Territories, and Mertagne. Without the Euran Government, the so-called 'Great Mertagnian Experiment' would never have been realised, and the nation of Mertagne would fail to stand today in the way that it currently does. Where Eura helped the Mertagnians in their hour of need, it is the hope that the Mertagnians can help the Expats in their hour of want.

It is our hope that the EOT can grasp the Anaian opportunity with both hands, and that we can walk with our older brother into the open arms of the Anaia of the future.

The following occurs during the Dannin Transport and Innovation Expo, which occurs a bit less in the past.

Origas® Dannin Convention Centre, Dannin, Mertagne
Ezhvin Kidd was excited to see that his contemporaries in the Mertagnian Ministry for Tourism and Culture had been as busy as he had. The brain child of a nation that proved an ever popular tourist destination, the Ochre Islands, AORTA appeared to be an excellent idea in which some enterprising Mertagnian had come up with the tag line.

He sat for an evening meal opposite the very person that would be signing Mertagne up to AORTA - Tourism and Culture Premier Kelly Plant, of the Unified Mertagne Party political block. One of her party's key election promises was further integration with Anain Institutions as and when they arose, and therefore AORTA appeared to be the perfect opportunity to facilitate tourism and business across the region. However, like with AUNTIE, many of these institutions required a critical 'buy-in' from nations - perhaps more so with AUNTIE than with AORTA, as many of AUNTIE's goals included standardising and facilitated infrastructure that physically connected across borders. So far on this first day, he knew that Ko-oren, Kotzellach, Grande Cucina and the Ochre Islands had publicly announced their commitment - which was a far cry from the more 'oven-ready' commitment to AORTA that several other member nations had committed to. AUNTIE's reach, of course, was a bit more overbearing than that of AORTA, and Ezhvin remained hopeful that more of he region would be willing to dip its toes into regional institutions. In his heart, he was a pan-Calanian - his grandparents instilled that into him from a young age, having been rescued during the Week of the Small Ships by a fishing vessel owned by the Starblaydi, and driven across to Neorudo by a Krytenian bus driver who had volunteered for the effort. From there, they knew the value of international co-operation, and Ezhvin hoped that one day this would be seen again outside of wartime.

"So, big day today for you, I guess?" he asked, tucking into a noodly meal he'd purchased from the artificial street of food vendors that piped along the inner circle of the convention hall.

"I suppose. I'm not the one thrust in the limelight, we're just interested in AORTA. Should be useful, though, might help boost the tourism industry here a little bit. I know there was that fiasco a year or two ago about how that Quebecois cruise liner wouldn't be stopping in Ostosaide any more. Maybe they'll be added back to their route."

"Not much to stop for in Ostosaide anyway, is there?" Kidd replied.

"Well, I grew up in Ostosaide, so it's got a special place in my heart." Plant gave Kidd a glowering look as she took a bite out of her cheeseburger.

Kidd winced a little. "Hah. I didn't mean anything by that. But you're right, AORTA should be good for the country, I can certainly agree with that."

"Great. Best of luck with AUNTIE. On paper it looks like it'll be great. I just hope that it isn't too much of a busybody organisation that we sink a load of money into and nothing happens. What are your hopes for the organisation? What do you want them to achieve?"

Kidd furrowed a brow. "Well, before I was given a political appointment, I worked as a rail infrastructure engineer. I don't know how much you know about the current state of the Trans-Calanian Railway, but it's a bit of a mess. You can't get a decent route from north to south, for starters, and much of the rail passing through provinces like Harridan isn't exactly what you'd call 'high speed'. If we can be certain where those rail links are coming out, especially with the news about the Karodin Tetrarchy throwing a spanner in the works, we can work on connecting all of these finnicky bits up and giving people a much better transport experience. Imagine if we didn't have to get ferry over to Stanton, for example? Lord knows Dannin needs the transport links. So far, it's got good links to the rest of the country, but internationally, we have the airport, and the seaport that's a bit too far away for most nations to bother coming to visit."

"I recognise that was a bit of a long answer, but I'm certainly passionate about it. I'm a pan-Calanian at heart, see."

Plant set her burger down. "And is that known to people? I'd be careful saying that. Pan-Anaian sentinment is high, but I'm not sure how much people are campaigning specifically for Calanian integration. The days of the Union are long behind us, and while it's good news that we pulled the EOT over to our side, it's not like we want to marry off back into the Old Country any time soon."

"Of course, but surely your party-"

"My party, as you well know, is the Unified Mertagne Party. We are the second biggest block in the National Forum, hence why I'm Premier for my department and not one of your Roadbuilder's lackeys. Clearly, Tourism wasn't of the highest priority to the President, but we take what we can get. You seem to forget it was my party that even gave you a united rail network to work with in the first place."

"I'm not doubting the efforts of the previous Transport Administration. It's just that one facet of having revolving door regional elections that influence the national forum that influence the makeup of the cabinet is that one tends to find their job can be increasingly tenuous. Surely you understand this - Dannin's Regional Forum is up for re-election next year, and while the UMP block has a stronghold there, all it takes is one populist swell and your position in the cabinet could well be cut."

"Hah." Plant laughed. "It's more likely that we gain vote share in the regional, thus gaining seats in the national and reshuffling the cabinet in our favour. I'm sure your job is safe, though, as transport's probably one of the only legs that you unionists stand on. Who would get the chop if you lost, say, two cabinet seats?"

"You'd have to ask President Hydguera and her NFMs. I'm not in charge of that area of policy. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've just spotted a Starblaydi delegate that I need to go and talk the ear off of." Kidd got up from his metal chair and dashed off in the direction of a blond-haired, grey suited delegate with a purple lanyard on top of their identical Dannin Expo pass.

Not the first time a Mertagnian has gone running for the heels of a Starblaydi, Plant thought to herself, and probably not the last.

From her seat, Plant kept an ear out across the echoes of the convention hall. "Hi, I'm here to talk to you about AUNTIE. Yes, it stands for the Anaian Union of National Transport Institutes and Economies..."

by **Sannyamathland** » Tue Jan 18, 2022 9:55 am

The Red Terror

Episode 5

It was a normal morning in the 'Correction Center'(secret labour camps use to house political prisoners). After wearing his old prisoner dress, Donsekty walked out of his small cell and then was escorted out of the building by two fat cops and was made to stand in a line with the other prisoners who shared the same building with him. Donsekty was told the previous day that today he and the few others will have to work in the weapons manufacturing department, with volatile substances. By now, the back breaking work no longer mattered to the former assistant manager of the Sannyamathland national football team. He had resigned his life to his fate. But something seemed out of place today. On the other days they were marched into their place of work almost immediately after they had stood in the line. But no one moved today, all of them stood there silently. He could see two policemen, standing in the front of the line, who seemed to be engrossed in a conversation with each other. In spite of their uniforms indicating their superior ranks, Donsekty paid no attention to them.

Suddenly Donsekty noticed the two cops walking towards him. A chill ran down his spine and immediately he turned to the other side, desperately trying to avoid their gazes. But all his efforts went in vain. "Mr. Donsekty?" he heard someone calling his name in a stern voice. "Now what will they do to me?" Donsekty muttered as he turned around to look at the figures who were standing near him. His face bore a haggard expression, but he nevertheless nodded his head and answered: "Yes that's me."
"I would like you to accompany us, sir." one of the policemen said in a very friendly tone and began walking towards.

But Donsekty was confused. "Wait, did they just used the word 'sir'?" he muttered to himself. Usually, the policemen here are exceptionally rude to everyone who is serving their sentences here. They treat the prisoners little better than animals, force them to work until they collapse and ignore their requests for a glass of water or a little food, and beats anyone who dare to disobey their commands. Because of the fact that Donsekty had been a part of this dreadful community for just 2 months, he hasn't received any beatings yet, but he has indeed received plenty of verbal abuses. So their kindness seemed so out of place, that it almost felt surreal. He was worried what they will do to him now. He followed the two cops as they walked inside the main office of the Correction Chamber, from there they proceeded on to take him to a glass windowed room near the office where the guy responsible for running this particular Chamber sat. One of the cops, opened the door of the room and beckoned Donsekty to enter, while the other guy just waited for him to enter. It was a large room, with a large table in the center and two chairs on either side of the table which amounted to a grand total of 4 chairs. There were several paintings in the room, the most prominent one was one of Stalin which hung in the wall just beside the table. White marble covered the floor and it was very clean and posh. It looked very similar to the cliched interrogation rooms that one sees in the movies. This terrified Donsekty, but he tried very hard to conceal his emotions.

"Please sit down, Mr.Donsekty." one of the policemen said as both of them sat beside each other on one end of the table. Donsekty nodded and sat in one of the chairs on the other side of the table. One of the cops, took a cigarette, lit it and began smoking. There was momentary silence. A tense atmosphere hung in the entire room. Donsekty realised he was sweating even though it was a chilly January morning. After smoking for sometime, the policeman placed both his hands on the table, with his illuminated in his right hand, and began speaking in Russian:
"I'll be brief with you, Mr. Donsekty. The purpose of this meeting is that, we would like to convey a message to you." He steadied himself, before continuing "We have received orders from higher authorities that you will be released on Thursday, that is, the day after tomorrow."
"What!" Donsekty blurted out. He had originally received a sentence of 6 months prison time, and it had just been 2 months barely. So Donsekty couldn't believe his own ears."
"Yes, sir, now I will appreciate you not interrupting us any further until we have finished speaking." the other policeman said in a tone of disgust. "So now let us continue. All you will do is shut up and listen quietly." The cigarette spoking cop began speaking once again after his partner had finished.

It was evening time. Donsekty sat there in his room. He had just finished watching Sannyamathland's match against Talamia. He had witnessed V.I. Mount scoring a hattrick and the Lions playing extremely well. In spite of this he had a sick feeling in his stomach. He still couldn't come to terms with what he had heard in the morning. The main concern of this sudden meeting was that Donsekty will be released by the authorities 4 months earlier. No reasons were provided to him for this release. For the next 3 hours, the two policemen conveyed to him how he should act in front of the media once he gets released, what he should say and what he should definitely avoid saying. He was also informed that a second such meeting will be held tomorrow at the same time, but with different people.

Donsekty wasn't happy. Neither was he sad. He had a strange mixture of feelings that mere words can not convey. He just waited silently.

by **Tumbra** » Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:22 am

Tumbra 2-0 Starblaydia

TMB (4-2-3-1): 1 - Lennon; 2 - Hughes, 5 - Henderson, 20 - Moore (4 - Ashburn, 63'), 3 - Harris; 23 - Fisher (6 - Hicks, 80'), 15 - Harrison, 10 - Cole; 7 - Hilton (20 - Wells, 75'), 9 - Vaughn; 11 - Riordan

Scorers: Phil Cole (34'), Robin Vaughn (58')

Player of the Match: Robin Vaughn (TMB)
Alezian Union 0-1 Tumbra

TMB (4-2-3-1): 1 - Lennon; 18 - Campbell, 14 - Kerr, 5 - Harrison, 19 - Carter (3 - Harris, 72'); 23 - Fisher, 15 - Harrison, 38 - Hooper (10 - Cole, 77'); 20 - Wells, 9 - Vaughn (21 - Crossley, 85'); 22 - Erskine

Scorers: Leo Hooper (71')

Player of the Match: Leo Hooper (TMB)

Link to arc home
defender meets midfielder: season 5, part 3
moving day

Stephanie
Online now
wait
you what
She asked whether she could move in, and I said yes
ya'll talking to each other yet?
No...it's still pretty awkward.
Huh. That is really weird. You sure she asked you of her own accord?
What's with the capitals and sudden punctuation?
...because this is something I need to take seriously, for once?
What, my friendship with someone?
No, you IDIOT,
The plan. Right.
...sure, the plan. yeah, i'm interested because if it'll help make it easier for me to come out. yeah.
Right so uh what's weird about that? I'm pretty sure she asked of her own accord lol
Dude. This is huge.
Why?
Because she's taking the first step to try and fix your friendship, and because you're a fucking idiot who couldn't be bothered to do it by himself. You owe her, Stephen Kerr.
Ouch...
It's not my fault you decided to act like a blubbering idiot and ghost her the moment you figured out you may be in love with her instead of acting on them!
Well I didn't want my friendship with her to go awry!
And look at the mess that landed you in. Don't think that's any better than you confessing to her and becoming just teammates, isn't it?
sigh...
Don't. I swear to God, don't fuck this up. Fucking hell, if she leaves your life entirely, you'll have nobody else to blame but yourself.
Jeez, way to lay on the harsh advice.
it's only this harsh because you're stupid and you've never had this kind of a relationship with a girl before.

Chromatik Football Club

A warm morning was punctuated by the sounds of a suitcase being dragged onto the driveway of the Chromatik Football Club's lobby. Dragging the handle of the battered silver suitcase in one hand, a few boxes on the ground in tow, and carrying a pillow that just wouldn't fit into the boxes, Trudy Harrison looked and waited for the arrival of Stephen Kerr, who'd insisted on helping her move into his house.

She hadn't exactly figured out why Stephen had responded so quickly, or was so enthusiastic about the idea. All she knew was that she'd have someplace to stay where she could at least feel somewhat comfortable, with someone who knew her, and would probably leave her alone for the most part. She was dreading dragging everything down the Chromia Subway, however; it was a relatively long train trip to Stephen's place, and the thought of having to lug all this around the crowded subway made her feel exhausted already.

On his part, Stephen had offered to help Trudy with the moving; just that she needed to wait for him to arrive if she wanted to help. She had no idea why this condition seemed so specific; but on the other hand, she wasn't going to turn down help. For a moment, though, she looked down at her possessions. One suitcase, one pillow and two cardboard boxes tied shut with raffia string.

Two years in Chromatika and this was all she had to her name. Clothes, makeup for when she wanted to go out, some pairs of shoes, a few books, the picture she'd taken with her neighbours when she departed Kingsbury for the last time. Most people associated the life of a footballer with that of untold riches, one of extravagance, nightly parties and living the high life. Full of shock, scandal, deplorable and glorious; but never mediocre.

Somehow she hadn't gotten the memo.

ami <3
Online now
He arrived yet?
no...
strange. Can't have gotten cold feet, he's not that type of person.
how's your move going?
oh, it's going great. kang and i just got the keys!

A selfie followed, with a beaming Ami in front of her boyfriend standing in front of their new apartment.

ami <3
Online now
haha. cute. that the boyfriend?
yeah. one day i need to introduce you to him, he's such a dear...
But anyway, what time did he say he'd be there?
five minutes ago
that's not too bad...maybe he's just lost. Or the train got delayed.
trains all reading fine to me.
...you're really nervous about this, aren't you?
what? no.
relaaaax. i'm sure he's the same old stephen kerr that he always was before he decided to ghost you.
idk
just...it's like meeting someone you haven't talked to in a while. i mean, we basically haven't spoken until the world cup. surely you'd be nervous?
yeahhhh, of course, but you'll be fine. he's an awesome dude.
sure hope he'd turn up, though.

And at that exact moment, a silver sedan pulled up at the front of the car, and swept around the corner, stopping in front of her. The car door opened, and out stepped a confident young man, clad in blue jeans, a white shirt and a grey jacket. Hair immaculately tousled, the wind somehow decided to begin blowing to accentuate his of his already billowy hair. The most striking bit, however, were the gold-rimmed aviator glasses which sat perfectly on his nose, which the man took off, revealing the same dark brown eyes that Trudy had stared into that night in Z'ai'ai.

Trudy Harrison's heart skipped a beat, as she willed her face to not turn red.

"Sorry I'm late. First time driving to the club, got a bit lost, and Chromia's roads are a bit of a maze," he said, flashing a disarming smile.

There was no response as Trudy Harrison tried her best to maintain her composure.

On the expressway
Still Chromia

"You never told me you'd bought a car..."

"Decided to use my year-end bonus to invest in one. A nice midrange car, not too flamboyant, y'know? But one that's relatively low-maintenance."

"I didn't even know you could drive."

"Oh, that. Decided to take lessons after I—we came back from the World Cup. About the same time I decided to buy a car, y'know? It was expensive and all, but using public transport to get around Chromia can get a bit slow."

In the passenger seat, Trudy tried her best to get comfortable to the new car. It was very new — it'd smelt that way, and the air-conditioning was on full blast, trying to get rid of the summer heat which had invaded Chromia. Stephen's aviators were doing well keeping the sun out of his eyes, and he looked barely bothered by it as they rocketed down the expressway. Tapping his fingers on the steering wheel in time to the beat of the song playing on the radio, he looked at home behind the wheel. This wasn't the Stephen Kerr Trudy knew. Maybe he'd grown. Maybe he'd changed...

"Don't you think you're going a bit quickly?"

"Eh, I want to get you settled in by today. Moving's a big deal, y'know?"

"I've been to your house before."

"It's been...a while." The veneer of confidence seemed to melt away as soon as he'd mentioned it, and the atmosphere in the car palpably changed. An awkward silence soon fell upon the duo.

"Yeah. Yeah, it has," Trudy slowly said, wanting to do anything, anything to break the silence. Was it too delicate a topic to broach when they were still on the way to his house? Or...was it the perfect moment to talk about it?

She decided it wasn't. The old, confident, unafraid to speak her mind Trudy Harrison was...shying away from confrontation. Somehow.

Stephen's House
Later in the day

Stephen had surprised Trudy — or at least Trudy thought he was planning to surprise her, because he barely made any mention of it when he showed her to her new room — with a set of the new sheets on her bed. She wanted to ask him how much he'd spent on her room, and how much she had to provide since she was staying here, but he shrugged off all her questions and began cooking dinner for the two of them. He'd tried to sound chipper — Trudy found herself fixated on him as he was lifting both the boxes she'd brought along — but deep down she knew he didn't feel that way.

Was it guilt for basically stringing her along, ignoring her for basically the latter half of the season unless it was absolutely needed? Was it him still building up walls, or did he just not know how to bring them down?

Would things ever be the same for them again? Trudy gave up unpacking her clothes, and sat down on her bed; looking at the setting Chromia sun, the brilliant red illuminating the sky in various shades of it. She'd sit there, thinking, before a knock on the door interrupted her.

"Hey. Dinner's ready," Stephen said, softly, delicately, afraid of intruding on her.

As usual, Stephen had cooked up a feast. But dinner was a quiet affair, a far cry from what they were like the last time the two of them were sat round the dinner table. She kept stealing glances at him when she was sure he wasn't looking, trying to figure out what he was thinking. Anything, anything at all.

Unbeknownst to her, he was doing the same.

Night

lynne
Last seen four hours ago
nobody in particular.
but
he’s actually the first person i could actually see myself with.

And now I've moved into his house. I'm living with him. What was I thinking when I sent that to Lynne? Granted, she doesn't care, probably, thinks it's a throwaway statement or other; but it's not really about her, now, is it? It's...me. Do I believe in this? Do I truly believe that he's the only person I could be with? Well, I guess I did — I can dream, alright? But now...

I don't know how he's feeling. I kinda wish he'd talk to me. But then I'd have to talk about how I feel about him, as well. Oh, God. Am I in love? I can't be. This isn't love, is it? It's a stupid crush. But that's something too, isn't it? When he pulled up in his car this morning, that self-confident smile on his face...I don't know. I don't know why I asked to move in with him. This was a stupid decision. I can't believe I've actually done this.

But it's too late, now. God, why did I let Ami talk me into this? All for somewhere to stay? I bet he doesn't even care. He went to bed super early. Looked sad throughout dinner. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why is he like this? He can't have feelings for me, I'm his friend! Or at least we...used...to be? Are we still friends? I guess we are. He wouldn't let me stay in his house for free, and...buy these sheets...if he didn't see me as a friend, did he? We can't go back to being strangers. He's...all I really have that ties me to home, no matter how much I hate it.

And he's a pretty nice guy. From the day I met him...

Nigel (Anomalies)
Last seen recently
What I recommend you do now is that you...take some time. Feel it out — is it really love or is this just infatuation? You’ve just moved to a new country, you’re alone for the most part, you’re lonely, sometimes. It’s not surprising that you’d feel this way towards someone who you’re spending a lot of time with. Because you know them.
Give it a bit of time. If you’re still conflicted, feeling like this, in a bit of time
And I can’t say for sure how long, because love’s this stupid thing that nobody really has gotten their heads around
But trust me, you’ll know. One day, it’ll all clear up, and you’ll realise whether this person is who you’re truly in love with. And then all the feelings — the nervousness. anxiety. all of that, Stephen, it’ll melt away. And if you’re really in love, that’s what you’ll feel. Clarity. That’s what you’ll feel.
And that’s the most important bit.

God, Nigel. I wish you could help me. Here I am, with the girl I used to like — yes, I used to like her, but now I can't, because it'd utterly ruin our friendship and the team — just one room over. How would she react if I told her everything? That I decided to stay away because I was scared of how I felt? She'd probably laugh.

I can't like her. I can't. Not romantically. I put her away for the greater good — for Jannick, for Kattie, for...the club, really. I need to step up, and the last thing I need is for my own thing, my feelings, not even for another player — my team-mate — is to screw everything up. We've got the perfect team. I can't ruin this. Not while we're on track to win.

But I want to be selfish. I want something for myself, in a world where my life is being taken away from me, and I'll probably never have control of it unless I'm within these four walls. I want to be able to control my own feelings, and I want to be honest with her.

I want to say "I love you, Trudy Harrison," to her. I want to tell her the truth, the whole truth, and even if she tells me she doesn't see me that way, which, I'll admit, she probably doesn't, I'll at least have gotten something off my chest. Every time we talk, I keep thinking of how I've treated her. And I hate it. I wish I wasn't a coward. And it'd be so easy for me not to be. All I'd need to do is just slip it in somewhere, just tell her the truth, get it off my chest, stop thinking about it, and apologise for how dumb I was.

But then what would happen? And what after that? How would Jannick react? Cande? Kamil? Cameron? Kattie? Would she approve? Would anyone?

Tumbran Squad for Matches vs Flavovespia and @ The 14 Stars
Goalkeepers: 1 - John Lennon, 12 - Nick Barker, 24 - George Danvers
Defenders: 2 - Ryan Hughes, 3 - Nigel Harris, 5 - Harry Henderson, 14 - Stephen Kerr, 20 - Douglas Moore, 26 - Raymond Perry, 27 - Mike Sheppard, 34 - Nicholas Moss
Midfielders: 6 - Vincent Hicks, 8 - Craig McGrath, 10 - Phil Cole, 23 - Andrew Fisher, 42 - James Hunter, 43 - Tom Stansfield
Wingers: 7 - George Hilton, 9 - Robin Vaughn, 17 - Neil Fraser, 19 - Lynne Crossley
Strikers: 11 - Nick Riordan, 22 - Nigel Erskine

by **Soldera** » Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:57 am

Finally, the moment of truth arrived.

After two matches played away from the friendly new confines of King Anthony Stadium, the Solderan national football team would finally get a chance to showcase its sparkling new venue for a match that would count in the Group 10 standings. They would face Darmen, a longtime power in the sport, and the Pot 3 team in the group. Adding to the prestige of the day, His Royal Highness, the Lord of the Realm, King Anthony himself, would be in attendance. So, too would Prince Francis, the namesake of the baseball field Prince Francis Stadium.

Norm Carricker was being called away from his managerial duties to give His Majesty the official tour of the stadium that bore his name. He'd given instructions to his assistant managers to go over the tactical instructions since he learned he was very specifically asked for by the king.

Carricker gave a bow when King Anthony strode inside the stadium.

"Your highness," he said. "Welcome to King Anthony Stadium." Carricker noticed his country's monarch adorned in his ceremonial robes, which he only wore on special occasions. He was aware the king normally wore suits, so he knew the King took this match seriously.

"Thank you," the monarch said. "If you will." Carricker then led the king on the tour of the stadium, culminating in the one place most dignitaries would be discouraged from entering. Although Carricker and every player on the team knew you don't tell the king no.

"And here's the home locker room," Carricker said, motioning his arm with his palm extended to the outside of the door leading into the locker room.

"May I walk in?" the king asked. Carricker hesitated for a moment, but realised you don't tell the king no.

"Of course, your highness. Right this way." He opened the door and heard a loud "Fuck!" He looked back apologetically at the king, who merely shrugged.

Believe me, I've heard worse, Anthony thought as he was led into the locker room.

"Men, women," Carricker said. "And any non-binaries. His Royal Highness, the Lord of The Realm, King Anthony." The players stopped what they were doing and bowed quickly. Team captain Joey Westway was so startled by the presence of his country's monarch that he dropped the towel that was keeping his privates from view.

"I, uh, I'm sorry your highness," Westway said as he fumbled to both pick up the towel from the floor of the locker room and shake the hand of the king since Anthony extended his.

"You have nothing to apologize for," the king said, shaking Westway's hand. "I should have had the Royal Secretary contact you all ahead of time to let you know I was coming," he said.

Yeah, no shit Westway thought as he tried to wrap the towel back over his privates. He certainly wouldn't say THAT to the king, however.

"Everyone," the monarch began. "You are a credit to the Kingdom. I wish you all the utmost success in your footballing endeavors. Carry the day!" A couple of security guards then led the king from the locker room up to the luxury suite where His Royal Highness would watch the Snakes battle Darmen. The Snakes were coming off a 2-1 defeat to Ochre Islands in their second away match to start off World Cup 90 qualifying and they felt they couldn't afford to lose to Darmen here. Fortunately, the Snakes didn't, rallying from a 3-1 deficit in the 79th minute with goals in the 79th and 85th minutes to steal two valuable points from Darmen and send the Branwen crowd home in delirium.

The King would return to the castle where he and the Royal Family lived where he would give his Royal Assent to the plans to implement a first division league under the five-year plan that would start with a third division league in the next few months, followed by a second division league in Year 3, then the Royal Premier League of Soldera in Year 5.

The match would be the beginning of Soldera's story. At least everyone involved hoped so.

by **Hapilopper** » Tue Jan 18, 2022 11:17 am

Nathan Ellis’s office, Team Hapilopper Headquarters, Hapilopper City
A day after World Cup 90 Qualifying Match 3

It all started so innocently. Nathan Ellis, on advice from former teammate Ernie Stevenson, decided to send out an email that would "accidentally" go out to every player and every coach on every team entered in World Cup 90, when it looked like he had meant to send it to Team Hapilopper. It included a tactical book for the team's next match against Kimi-Suomi and some notes for the upcoming match. But thankfully, Nathan had thought up some things. First of all, the tactical book was bogus, containing United Hampton Cities' tactics used about 15 years ago in a match against the West Hampton Sports Club, so Nathan was covering himself from any issues that may arise.

Nathan chuckled, as he sent a text message to Ernie: "Turn off your emails for right now. Just a precaution."

From: “Ellis, Nathan” <n.ellis@teamhap.co.hp>
To: “All WC90 Players” <wc90players.list> "All WC90 Coaches" <wc90coaches.list>
CC: “Perkins, Thomas” <t.perkins@teamhap.co.hp>; “Probst, Dominic” <d.probst@teamhap.co.hp>; “Ernie Stevenson” <estevenson@mailnow.co.hp>
Subject: Tomorrow's practice

Alright folks, just as we did today I need you all to come in around 6:30 tomorrow for training. We've got a big game coming up against Kimi-Suomi and we need to be at our absolute best. Last thing we need is to embarrass ourselves when we're playing in front of our home fans. But there's a few things I need to point out:

-Enclosed is your tactical book for this week. Study it tonight and we'll go over everything when we go out to practice. If there are any questions about the right plays, feel free to give me a ring or text me and we'll go over it. I'll be at Center Street until 11:30 tonight and I'll be more than happy to talk to you about any plans you may have.

-To Kerry Spalding: I need you to take this assignment seriously. No more stripping naked in the middle of practice and loudly declaring "I AM NO LONGER AN ARTIST, I HAVE BECOME A WORK OF ART". That sort of behavior will get your ass red-carded, both literally and figuratively. Nobody wants to see that ever again. This isn't Jeruselem.

-To Jerold Dickman: When you get in tomorrow morning, or if you come by Center Street tonight, I need to talk to you about getting into what I call "good card trouble." There's a big difference between attempted mass murder and attempted manslaughter.

-Strikers: Be in contact with McNeil tonight, he's got something for you for the Kimi-Suomi match. He and I were reviewing videotape today and he thinks he found a disadvantage.

-All players: Be on the lookout for another email in an hour or so. There's something I want you all to look at in addition to the tactical book. I think y'all will like it.

Yours, Nate

1 Attachment: <HAP WC90 PLAYBOOK TOP SECRET DO NOT STEAL.prd>

NATHAN ELLIS
Defenseman/Assistant Coach, Team Hapilopper
Cell: (1245) 4022-5351-0805
Office: (1245) 4022-5226-4790
Email: n.ellis@teamhap.co.hp
Twii.Tur: @NateEllis

As Nathan sent out the email, he wondered just what would come of it. A few minutes later, a friend of his texted him.

"Why the fuck did I get this email meant for your team?" the friend asked.

He smiled. It worked.

by **Montana Verde** » Tue Jan 18, 2022 11:36 am

Toro Castrado – 0 (0)

Montaña Verde – 0 (0)
Dolfo; Castiglione, Arquímedes, Isidre Caldera, Justin (63’ Alcalá ); Ana-Ximena (40’) (75’ Roberta ); Valentinha, Kristjana (61’); Primitivo; Verónica Ximena, Osito (64’ Naomí Berrocal )

Montaña Verde – 1 (1)
Dolfo; Castiglione, Arquímedes, Jairo, Alcalá; Santángel; Emma (40’) (83’ Sara Ariadna ), Kristjana (70’ Julia Varela ); Primitivo; Naomí Berrocal (61’ Indiano ), Verónica Ximena

Montaña de Gnomos – 1 (1)
Kroonquist (31’ pen.)

A goalless draw doesn’t have to be listless stalemate, and the Condors’ trip to Il Nuovo Stadio Olimpico della Pomena certainly proved that as they played out a riotous, end-to-end clash with Juvencus that somehow failed to produce a winning strike for either team. Both goalkeepers were busy throughout with 12 saves apiece, the best of them a flying leap from Taddeo Bulgari to buffet away a stinging close-range strike from Verónica Ximena, played through on goal after Kristjana dispossessed Julio Campana, who was caught unusually deep and turned the ball over. Juvencus’s best chance came when Joaquim Martell split the defence with a deft pass and Patxi Extberria timed his run to perfection, surging onto the ball only for Dolfo to rush and deflect the shot with a tangle of arms and legs.

The two teams entered the game in contrasting fortunes: Gli attaccanti coming off a huge statement win against Trolleborg, the Condors down following being held 2–2 to Grupo Quatro bottom seeds Nagore. Juvencus and Montaña Verde were drawn in the same group in World Cup 89 qualifying, sharing an exciting 3–3 draw and the Condors claiming a 2–0 win on the return leg at home. Fireworks were to be expected and the tone was set early when Primitivo brilliantly wove through two defenders and delivered a perfect cross for Osito who exploited the confusion between Carlo Callejon and Carlo Callejon only to send his header wide. It was the start of a frustrating day for the big man who wasn’t able to generate a shot on target despite being fed regular chances by his midfield. Later in the half a fine long pass by Ana-Ximena was skilfully played on by Kristjana, only for Osito to blast over the bar. The big man’s goal scoring troubles – he has scored just 3 goals in 14 matches since his hat-trick against Baggieland two years ago – have not gone unnoticed, and he cut a dispirited figure when he was substituted off for Naomí Berrocal in just the 64th minute.

Juvencus had their chances, too. Michelangelo Santini provided a fine cross from the left, and a clever run by Júlien Cantù drew the defence out of position, leaving Etxeberria with only Isidre Caldera to beat; he outleapt the short Verdean and placed his header low, but Dolfo got down solidly to make a good save. After a quiet first half, Julio Campana showed up in the second, running the length of the pitch and beating both Arquímedes and Isidre Caldera, only for his low shot to be brilliantly saved one-handed by an off-balance Dolfo. He subsequently tried to turn creator, with a wonderful ball across the face of goal that Callejon needed only get a foot to turn in, but was beaten by a lunging Ana-Ximena, who injured herself colliding with the goal-post but at least saved the certain goal. Martell tried to spark something when he intercepted a poor pass by Alcalá and blasted from a tight angle but Dolfo was once more equal to it, standing up strongly and able to catch the snap rebound effort. Shortly before the final whistle, Valentinha played through Arquímedes with a cunning flick, but the defender’s blast was wonderfully saved by Player of the Match Bulgari.

The Condors hosted Copa de Harmonía champions Trolleborg in Santa Margarita for the first time. Ominously, they were missing two key players: captain Ana-Ximena, who injured her knee in a collision with the goal-post against Juvencus; and left-back Justin, who failed a pre-match fitness test after rolling his ankle in training. It meant a first start for Alcalá, and a debut in the crucial ‘5’ position for Santángel. Two tactical changes were also made: Emma’s excellent form led to her being given a start over Valentinha, while – shockingly – star forward Osito was dropped for the first time, Naomí Berrocal preferred over him after his wasteful efforts against Juvencus and string of goalless performances. A fit again Jairo returned to the side and took up the captain’s armband. They were facing tough opponents in Trolleborg whose accolades also include a Bautismo de Fuego trophy and a World Cup qualification.

Goalkeeper Dolfo was called into action early to repeat his heroics from the Juvencus encounter, when Stuart Kerr flicked a ball through for Morten Kroonquist to head powerfully on goal. Dolfo, flying high, showed good reactions to save it, following up with a great second effort to deny Kasper Windass as he closed in on the rebound. His reactions were similarly tested by a Jesper Gronholm drive from distance which he spilled into the path of the rapidly closing Finn Finnsnes, only to bravely dive out and smother the rebound at the risk of collision. Fortunately, Finnsnes nimbly dodged him and injury to either was averted. After those nervy early moments, the Condors settled and began distributing the ball more. Primitivo produced the best early chance, whipping a cross across the face of goal that took an awkward bounce, striking Rekdal Lundstram’s knee and bobbling straight into the path of Naomí Berrocal, who totally mishit her chance at what should have been an easy goal.

The pressure of Trolleborg’s relentless pace finally told on the half hour mark when they won a free-kick in dangerous territory. Though at first it looked to have been comfortably defended by Jairo, Tumbran referee Michael Burrows held up the goal kick for a VAR check. Replays confirmed that Alcalá had tripped Kasper Lejder. A penalty kick was awarded and Morten Kroonquist converted from the spot, sending Dolfo the wrong way and smashing into the roof of the net. A goal down, the Condors rallied to try to find a way back into the game. Santángel showed his class with a wonderful long pass to find Emma racing into space between two defenders, and her deft lob caught Jesper Krogh off his line. It was a fantastic equalizer and wiped out the deficit after just 9 minutes, as well as vindicating the decision to give the speedy winger a starting place in the XI. Just before the half, Dolfo preserved the tie with another instinctive save to deny Kroonquist after a wonderful link-up play with Gronholm.

The exciting half led to expectations of more attacking football in the second, but unfortunately both teams began to go negative. The poor pitch quality undoubtedly contribute to the difficulty both teams had moving the ball at pace, but there were also a frustrating number of moves that ended in stale passes back over the halfway line rather than pressing for an incisive final ball into the box. The higher ranked Trolleborg could have been forgiven for thinking the Condors were content to play for a draw, and though attacking midfielders Sara Ariadna and Julia Varela were brought on, both seemed content to sink into deep-lying defensive roles alongside Santángel. It was only in the last moments of the game that the Condors produced an honest chance on goal, with Julia Varela driving in from the left and Primitivo playing through substitute forward Indiano, whose left-footed slot was never powerful enough to trouble Krogh.

The Condors came away from the match-week with two draws, two points, and the unique record among all 160 teams in the qualifying pool of having drawn every game to date. Far off qualifying pace in Grupo Quatro they sit fifth, exactly matching their seeding. The biggest strengths to date have been their defensive play and the goalkeeping of Dolfo, conceding only two goals from open play – and with that comes the weaknesses, in the finishing of their forwards. Osito’s dropping is not likely to be permanent but Verónica Ximena has also not done much to stand out, and Primitivo has seemed more inclined to pass or cut out to the wings and cross than drive inside and shoot himself. Emma has been the standout offensive player, and along with Kristjana has brought pace and spice, but more is needed to crack the tough defences the Condors will face en route to World Cup 90.

by **Sarzonia** » Tue Jan 18, 2022 11:59 am

When you have a fairly lengthy World Cup qualifying campaign such as the 24-match qualifying schedule for World Cup 85 that saw Sarzonia earn a spot in the proper on the penultimate matchday, there are opportunities to slip up and room for a team to build toward being one of the teams to advance to the World Cup.

The current 14-match schedule for World Cup 90 qualifying is much shorter, and for manager Nathan Hanifer, that means there's no room for error. The Stars earned a 4-3 away victory over Mytanija to rebound from their one-goal defeat to top ranked defending World Cup runners up The Holy Empire, but the defence completely fell apart in a 5-3 home defeat to Pot 6 team Pyazhnaya. That latter result saw the supporters in Dave Wilson Stadium shower the team with boos as they exited the pitch and back to the team dressing rooms, causing reserve goalkeeper Trent Woodson to bash the fans.

"They're a bunch of fair-weather fans," he said. "As soon as we play a bad match they're on us." Team captain Clayton Wilson was far more circumspect about criticising the supporters.

"If I were in the stands watching what the team did, I'd be booing," he said. "We just had a bad match all the way around on defence and in midfield in terms of providing support to the defence. Offensively, we were fine and we have been so far in qualifying, but we aren't getting it done on defence."

Manager Nathan Hanifer said the Stars would return to goalkeeper Carlton Sandt in goal after starting Woodson against Pyazhnaya.

"It was our plan to start Trent against Pyazhnaya all along," he said. "But I feel given Carlton's leadership back there that we need him to return to the starting 11, which he will do against Eastfield Lodge and Eraman." The match against Eastfield Lodge will be away, whereas the Stars will host Eraman." Hanifer said he would address Woodson's comments about the fans before the team begins training for the Eastfield Lodge match.

"I intend to impress upon Trent the need to not criticise the fans," Hanifer said. "They pay their money to enter the stadium grounds and they have a right to expect a better effort than what we gave them last night. That was a failure all across the board, myself included."

To add injury to insult, defender Charlie King suffered a "mild" hyperextended left knee against Pyazhnaya in the 24th minute with the match level at 1-1 and the Stars ended up playing a 3-5-2 to compensate for King's departure. The Stars gave up four goals over the next 37 minutes before Hanifer made two defensive substitutions to allow the Stars to resume their standard 4-4-2. King is likely to sit out the start of the Eastfield Lodge match at the bare minimum as a precaution.

"I don't want this to be a lingering deal for Charlie," Hanifer said. "It has the potential to be if we push it too hard."

by **Krytenia** » Tue Jan 18, 2022 12:27 pm

Rail Infrastructure Network of Krytenia

The Future Of Krytenian Rail
With the formation of AUNTIE, and the new regulations on travel brought about due to the AORTA agreement, the time has come to look at the infrastructure of Krytenian transport. If we are to remain a regional powerhouse, we need to move with the times, and move quickly in both a metaphorical and literal sense. The Government has therefore decided it is past due for the nation's oft-overlooked rail network to be given some much-needed improvements. The Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, George Silversmith, has promised ₳80bn to cover projects in all corners of the country, in order for RINK to provide a truly world-class rail service.

Project A: Rail-Sea Integration
RINK intends to build two new high-speed rail services between the central conurbations and the major ports on each coast. To the west, a new Aigean Express line will serve between Avidia and Aigburth, whilst the eastern link will consist of upgrades and minor re-alignments to the current Emberton-Stanton line to allow for high speed trains.

The Aigean Express route will replace the current line for fast passenger and direct freight services, whilst preserving the stopping service through the Monteste mountains. The new line will begin at Avidia Central, with station calls at Hoxton Junction and Blakeland. At the western end, the passenger service will terminate at Aigburth, with the line extending for freight to a new purpose built depot in the harbourside area.

The new Stanton Line alignment will include, at its western end, a new chord of track built between the line's current Emberton Queen's Park terminus and Emberton Great Northern, futureproofing the line by allowing trains on the Trans-Calanian Railway to divert onto the line, thus creating a rail and sea link between Quebec & Shingoryeo and Starblaydia via the Stanton-Tabeck ferry service. Several sections of the line will be straightened via tunnels or viaducts to allow faster running, with Tuvera as the only intermediate stop between the capital and the coast. In Stanton itself, a brand new Stanton Harbour transport hub will be built to allow for easy transfer between road, rail, and ferry in a single terminal.

Project B: All-Electric Running (AER)
Part of the funding provided by MOTI is dedicated to transferring the sections of the network currently running diesel trains to be upgraded to faster electric running. Most of these projects are on shorter branch lines; the most notable upgrade in this project being the Druidan Lines, with both the Thackworth-Osteria and New Cefn-Beckton lines getting a much-needed investment. In addition, the electrification of suburban lines in the Greater Bromham area, serving Foxham, Birmwood, and Highfield as well as Bromham city itself, will be transferred to the Bromham Rapid Transit Authority on completion of the works, allowing the local authority to fully integrate these services with the Bromham Metro.

Project C: The Advanced Locomotive
In partnership with the Locampera Corporation, based in Wolverton, RINK will be rolling out new rolling stock based on the company's Advanced Locomotive prototype. This new locomotive will allow for trains running on HSR lines at speeds of up to 200mph in non-urban areas. This will be combined, again in partnership with Locampera, with new passenger carriages designed to provide comfort and convenience to travellers. They will include backrest-mounted screens, WiFi hotspots, charging ports for mobile phones and laptops, and upgraded toilet facilities.

Forward Together With RINK

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