World Cup 90--RP Thread

by **Montana Verde** » Mon Jan 24, 2022 8:55 pm

Montaña Verde – 0 (0)
Dolfo; Castiglione, Tafalla, Magdalena, Justin; Cristo Díaz; Julia Varela (43’) (62’ Emma (89’)), Kristjana; Primitivo (59’); Naomí Berrocal (64’ Indiano (78’)), Osito (88’ Fonseca )

Estorvipa y Estorpiva – 2 (2)
Davydov (16’), Prasutagusic (38’)

Græntfjall – 1 (0)
Röskvi (90+3’)

Montaña Verde – 0 (0)
Dolfo; Zalladen (69’), Arquímedes, Jairo, Justin (60’) (68’ Alcalá (76’)); Ana-Ximena; Valentinha, Kristjana (83’); Primitivo (80’ Julia Varela ); Verónica Ximena (50’ Sara Ariadna ), Osito

Verdean greats blast lacklustre World Cup campaign

by **Oberour Ar Moro** » Mon Jan 24, 2022 8:57 pm

The first days of Ethan Stevenson in Oberour Ar Moro were, unsurprisingly, hectic beyond belief. Stevenson had signed his contract in Poafmersia and returned it by fax, then headed to the airport. Multiple connecting flights later he had landed in Regium where he was immediately whisked away to the city to meet with the Minister of Culture. "You're the manager," the Minister said, "don't let anyone suggest what you should do." The Minister then offered suggestions on what Ethan should do.

From a meeting with the Minister in Regium to his more direct bosses the Football Management Committee at Tourbillon Forest. He got even more unwanted advice, but it was made clear his two major goals were to make Nikolaz d'Aties stop responding to the Hapilopper e-mail, and to clear the air with the managers in the Football System.

Then another meeting, this time with his new assistants. Lohann Tencheeur was most concerned with his continued employment. Loizig de Charni, on the other hand, was still sore about not given an opportunity to take the manager job on his own. Ethan tried to make it clear that none of them would have jobs for long if they didn't start getting results.

Next up: Those calls to the domestic managers. Top of the list was Merard Mouschard, the manager that had led the holdouts of national team players. Ethan was expecting a contentious call, but Merard was complaisant, not the rabble-rouser he had been promised. Mouschard agreed to let Regium Immortal players join the National Team and wouldn't publicly oppose the call-up of any other players. Ethan made sure to pass this along to FMC staff to make sure something was made of this publicly so he couldn't back track.

Ethan had many Oberour football players he needed to introduce himself to. His first call was to Nycollas Mauranghas, who had been serving as team captain and starting striker regularly but had yet to find the back of the net through qualifying. Mauranghas started the call by making an impassioned argument for keeping his starting job and captains' armband. Ethan had not been planning on removing either but appreciated the initiative.

And finally, this series of events culminated in the team travelling to Cabo Azure for game six of qualification. And a rejuvenated Dragoons finally broke through for their first win of qualification. One player Stevenson wanted to credit for the result was Peire de Baingneus, who finally earned his first cap.

by **Eura** » Mon Jan 24, 2022 8:59 pm

WORLD CUP 90 QUALIFYING GROUP 6 – MATCHDAY 6
Al Qurija 0–1 Eura
Scorers: Purcell 63
Lineup: 30. C Webb, 21. H Wheeler (sub Coffey 60), 19. J Byrd, 25. A Coles (sub Stephens 80), 15. K Sherwood, 23. E Reeve, 18. S Erskine, 16. O Vincent, 28. C Rogers, 17. I Tomlinson (sub West 72), 26. D Purcell

WORLD CUP 90 QUALIFYING GROUP 6 – MATCHDAY 7
Eura 5–0 Good Samaritans
Scorers: Robson 7, Malone 30, Sutton 42, Bowman 74, Woakes 76
Lineup: 13. E Palmer, 4. J Menard, 5. T Green, 15. K Sherwood, 6. M Rowland (sub Gates 66), 8. V Robshaw (sub Rogers 56), 12. D Bowman (sub Reeve 85), 7. M Woakes, 11. B Malone, 10. T Sutton, 9. S Robson

The group stood in silence. Whatever could be said of her lack of experience, Green clearly had talent.
Rutherford was pleased. ‘Good. We’re agreed then.’ Confidence restored, he led them back into the eye of the storm. However, on his way, he took a short note and passed it to one of his less prominent advisors. The advisor gave him an affirmative nod and got to work on another part of the Euran approach.

Foreign Secretary Carl Rutherford remembered his order from not all that long ago, and now watched the consequences play out. His phone was lighting up with headlines generated by tactical briefing to the media from party colleagues and military contacts. It wasn’t anything enormous, but these headlines would certainly not alleviate the pressure on Eura’s opponents at the conference:

”KITARAN FORCES BUILD UP AS NEGOTIATIONS DRAG ON”

“EURAN OFFICIALS: KPWC ATTACK ON KFF STRONGHOLDS ‘MIGHT BE UNSTOPPABLE’”

“’WHO?’ POLL FINDS MOST HAVE NO IDEA WHO THIS KABAKA FELLOW IS”

“RUTHERFORD LEADS THE WAY WITH MASSIVE AID COMMITMENT TO KITARAN PEOPLE”

He put his phone away, satisfied. However, the job was far from done. Successful diplomacy often happens not around a table, but in corridors and closets, in hushed tones and whispered voices. While Daniel Longobardo finished up on their proposals, Rutherford was considering his next moves. It had been an interesting response; clearly, the Tikariot delegation had assessed correctly much of the Euran approach. And yet, Rutherford was pleased.
Why? Well, he’d got what he wanted.
Longobardo had overplayed his hand with another counterproposal, intended to sneak in under the radar of a defiant reply. In the process he had overreached, offering the Nepharans and Eurans something they would not accept and could now reject, giving them another opportunity to reframe on their terms.
He had not been chasing some intellectual battle in taking on Longobardo’s intervention. He was satisfied to sit through the barbed counterpoints of his opposite number. His core objectives had been to prevent any exploitation of potential divisions in the Euran-Nepharan alliance (and he had firmed that up well), and to prevent derailing of the summit away from a conclusion that reflected the balance of power in Nyowani Kitara proper. On these counts he had succeeded.

Otherwise, what he really wanted was to know where his newfound opponents stood. He had called Longobardo’s bluff on elections and by attacking the host nation’s alleged mirage of neutrality and denounced its failure to intervene in the Nyowani Kitara conflict, precisely because he knew the combative elements of his response (which otherwise was much more balanced than his remarks about Banija) would draw his opponent out, while giving them the opportunity to respond in kind. That meant both would get to puff out their feathers and “win”. And in doing so, Rutherford had successfully teased out into the open the truth; a reply that essentially confirmed to all that Tikariot was “neutral” and “unbiased” in this conflict in a semantic sense only. The wider strategic motivation at play put Tikariot at the heart of a group of local nations who, for various reasons, wanted their stake in Nyowani Kitara; Rutherford could have no idea how deep such relationships ran, but he could anticipate who the key parties were, their strengths and their weaknesses. From here he knew who he needed to get on board and roughly how, reversing the situation of earlier in the session where he had been taken off guard. Cynically, an added bonus was that the end of any pretence of non-bias from the hosts gave Eura and Nephara a back-pocket excuse to end talks if they needed to, though any such measure would remain a last resort.

It was easy then for Rutherford to reply to Longobardo in a way that would move the conversation closer to a solution. ‘Thank you for your observations, Foreign Minister. I am glad,’ he said as a wry smile emerged on his face, ‘that you have clarified your government’s real intentions here. Let’s not roll around in the dirt over definitions,’ he added, well aware that he had dragged Longobardo into a squabble deliberately, ‘this is not academia. We shall have to agree to disagree on some things. I am afraid your proposals remain unacceptable.’ He didn’t even need to turn to Klose – the Nepharan tapped her table with a signet ring and nodded in approval.
‘…and it seems Corvistone is of the same thinking. We’re going to step away from the table for now and consider if there is a way forward.’ He glanced at Nafuna, who gave nothing away. He had no idea if she would actually get impatient and seek to wipe out the remaining rebels, but it suited him just fine for everyone in the room to think she might. That little look would do wonders to remind everyone present that, if the Terraneans left the room, a resurgent Nafuna would come off her leash.

The Euran and the Nepharan delegations separated off and held another “team talk”.
It did not last long.
Immediately, the allies agreed on a clear landing zone for a compromise that could successfully bring on board every nation in the region known to have an interest. Instead of the originally proposed Nepharan and/or Euran security detail for the election and demilitarisation processes, a multilateral, international peacekeeping force would be set up involving every significantly involved country. This was a little concession of power for Bastion and Corvistone for a big reward – an undeniable signal of trustworthiness and willingness to compromise, a lessening of the load on the Nepharan and Euran militaries in peacekeeping operations, shared culpability if it went wrong, and just that little bit extra reassurance that Nafuna wouldn’t try anything stupid if she lost an election. Meanwhile, a couple of other details in Eura’s previous proposals were really superfluous to what was needed to achieve the allies’ goals; these could now be sacrificed as apparent concessions, without any meaningful cost.

There was one notable miscalculation in Rutherford’s previous proposals, an almost inevitable mishap, bound to happen in the high-stakes, high speed atmosphere of such negotiations. In offering the reassurance to regional partners of a CRC-led election, the Eurans had assumed it would be satisfactory for other countries that they could appeal any alleged election misconduct at the CRC. It was only through some urgent messages from officials in the Minister for Rushmore’s office, and then the points made by the delegate from Tikariot, that they realised that this wouldn’t be an option for most of Nyowani Kitara’s neighbouring countries, whom were the main candidates to observe the elections. None of them were CRC members.
So how could Eura row back on that error and cut off that line of attack on the proposal? By legal means. Non-CRC nations within Rushmore could, if they had valid and proportionate concerns about countries regressing on their commitments in the peace accords (including on free and fair elections), use a discreet legal process to ensure the CRC would debate any such accusations and take action if necessary. Eura and Nephara would be compelled to allow this, which suited both, with neither wanting any elections to be undermined by accusations of foul play.

Then there were the red lines. The attempt by the Tikariot delegation to push back on the running of elections crossed them. Nephara certainly could not back down on this point and Eura, having previously shown indifference on the matter, had increasingly hardened its position as the allies’ positions converged. Frustrated that Longobardo had not been convinced by their genuine desire for free and fair elections (and their skepticism about the generous observer mission offer), the allies would double down, and reiterate their demand that Nephara be allowed to take responsibility for the elections. Nephara had fought and bled to give Kitarans democracy more than anyone else, and had arguably succeeded in converting Nafuna, albeit by coercion as much as persuasion. It would also be unthinkable that the rebels and their foreign backers could negotiate the terms and membership of multinational bodies such as the elections observer group after a ceasefire. There could be no such compromise. As far as the allies were concerned, the ceasefire would only be signed as a full package that could not be backed out of, while they had their boot on the KFF’s throat, and not a second sooner. With their positions aligned, they made their moves. The Nepharans would draw up the detail of this renewed proposal, while the Eurans would work the back channels.

by **Banija** » Mon Jan 24, 2022 9:06 pm

The Banijan delegation, holding a meeting with its own members, as well as the Katikkiro via teleconference, during a break in the Day 5 Session

The Kabaka had walked to their own meeting, which was held during the lunch hour, utterly incensed. "If those damned Nepharans call me Mr. Katende one more time-"

"Your Majesty." The Banijan Ambassador to Tikariot, Rashida Belaye, said. "It is simply their way. They don't like Monarchs." Whether the repeated slight was intended or not, the Banijans were certainly not going to bring up. But the Kabaka was an old man himself. A stickler for tradition. Coming out to Rushmore just to be, what he would see, as a blatant sign of disrespect.

"I'm not trying to be their monarch, am I?" The Kabaka said. "Nobody's asking anybody to bow. For be my subject. To recognize my Crown for anything. But it's a sign of disrespect for all of Banija- for our system of Government, for everybody who has worn this crown before me, and those who will wear this crown after I'm gone."

"Father." Isebantu Mutungi said. "You know, remember what you told me going to this conference. Sometimes, we have to simply just accept things. It's not like these negotiations are live-streamed on camera or anything." The men spoke for a little bit more about the issue, and then dropped it. Would it continue to bother the Kabaka? Absolutely. But would he have to let it go? Once again, absolutely. Simply put, there was far more important things to worry about than whatever petty ways the Nepharans decided to address him. Once again, however, it was emblematic of just much how the Banijan relationship with Nephara, and Eura as well, had detoriated throughout the conflict, as a direct result of the conflict.

What was important here? The realization and understanding, of the Banijan delegation, of the limits of what they could do to effect the peace. It would be difficult. But Banija proved itself a key player in negotiating the peace, ensuring that Malik Akongo would remove himself as an obstacle to peace. There were things that the Banijans did not like, like an independence referendum, but the head of state did not concern himself with that. They were about to hop on a teleconference call with the country's top elected official, Xolile Lubabalo, to give her an update on prognosis, what they thought of the talks, and exactly how things were going down. And, of course, an update on her end- how an eventual treaty would fare in the Lukiiko.

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

As everybody hopped on, it would be the Katikkiro who would start speaking. "Your Majesty, your Highness? Thank you for hopping on the call." Xolile Lubabalo said.

"Thank you, Madame Katikkiro." Kabaka Mwanga said. Everybody else had their introductions. "So- shall we begin?" The Katikkiro nodded yes, and the Kabaka continued. "Well, of course, there have been major points of agreement. One- everybody seems to have agreed that there should be elections in the very near future in Nyowani Kitara. And, most importantly, everybody agrees that President Akongo and the Kitara Progressive Worker's Coalition should not be allowed to oversee it. If the KPWC are running the elections, we may as well not run them at all. Also, we have agreed to a path towards peace. There will be a referendum in the north, which also won't be ran by the KPWC. Malik Akongo will spend his days in Yuezhou, with a stipend from both us and the government of the United Republics."

"He's staying in Yuezhou?" The Katikkiro said, slightly surprised. She was actually relieved- Malik Akongo not coming home on a plane with Banija's top two royals would help her avoid unpopularity from what was functionally a surrender in a war that her predecessor asked for. Which, of course, is why she avoided the conference herself in the first place. "Why?"

"Zhen Qiang emphasized its importance to the Yue government." Isebantu Mutungi said. "Which is fine by me, frankly. We will still pay the stipend, the same rate we agreed upon before we left- but it'll just have to suffer through a slight conversion tax first. He'll be fine. He's gonna be a rich man. God bless his soul if he ever returns home though- I'm sure Nafuna Akongo will have his head."

"There is yet one major part to agree to, and it is the sticking point. The sticking point is this- who will run the country's elections?" The Kabaka said. "The nations of Rushmore, of course, are heavily divided on this issue. It's unclear exactly what solution will emerge from this resort- but it's going to be a coalition of Rushmori nations. Particularly, exclusively Rushmori nations, and nobody else. Who exactly? Unclear, aside from the fact that Nephara will take lead. But whatever solution comes out, we also know that it's not going to be an exclusively Nepharan, or a Nepharan and Euran, effort. It'll be some sort of pan-regional effort, with buy-in from nations like Yuezhou, Tikariot, and Græntfjall."

"But." The Katikkiro said. "Not Banija."

"Correct." The Kabaka said. "It is frustrating, of course, how we've found ourselves on the sidelines here. Without us, this whole thing is impossible. But of course- the Rushmori nations are going for a solution of their own, and at least our primary objective of setting a path for peace, as well as a possible future without Nafuna Akongo, is achieved. The more nations that are involved in such an alliance, the better chance for the demise of the KPWC, if not totally, at least from Government. Our original goals, still possible via peace."

"But your Majesty, have we lost our shot to exercise any sort of influence over the country?" The Katikkiro asked. The question hung up in the air for a long time. Finally, the SUB Director. Lt. Gen. Issa Shawel, answered it.

"The important thing about such a potential multi-national coalition of nations running the election process, is that the chances of a free and fair election are quite high." Said Banija's highest ranking intelligence officer, the Lt. Gen. "Now, of course, it's impossible to know what Nyowani Kitara's electoral landscape is going to be. It's hard to poll a country that hasn't even gone through the motions of having an election in around 3 and a half decades. There's an independence referendum to run. Refugees could be returning home. Refugees could be voting abroad. The establishment of what looks like long-lasting peace, as the multi-national coalition creates electoral rules, changes everything."

Lt. Gen. Issa Shawel paused, and then continued to think. "It's a scenario that's extremely difficult to project. But this could truly open up the electoral system. Establishment of brand new political parties. A new Parliament could radically re-write the Constitution. Get rid of prohibitions on the public practice of religion." The Lt. Gen looked around, and continued speaking. "For now, is our chance at establishing influence in the country gone? Yes. But there will always be the bond that unites Banijans and Kitarans. No matter how much everybody ignores it, they hail from Banija. That history among peoples... That cannot be forgotten. And as their political system undergoes changes, who knows? The relationship, officially, between NYK and Banija can be repaired over the long-term. And we can work as close partners, as we were always meant to do."

"The Lt. Gen. is right." Isebantu Mutungi said. "The long game, unfortunately, must be our strategy- the Rushmori powerhouses have boxed us entirely out of the short game. But we stay here- we're gonna have to sign any sort of treaty. Simply because, Malik will have to sign it, we're his primary benefactors alongside Yuezhou, and we are part of the treaty in regards to Malik's future. But unfortunately, while the time was right- the circumstances were not. We'll see what the new landscape looks like when the time comes." The meeting pretty much broke up at that point. The Kabaka was disappointed- he was in his 80s, getting up there in age. There would be nothing to cap off his legacy like the building of a real relationship with Nyowani Kitara. The odds of that, were under 50%. Could even 80+ year old men play the long game in foreign affairs?

Katikkiro Xolile Lubabalo, on the floor of the Lukiiko

Xolile Lubabalo had just finished a meeting with her Ambassador to Chromatika, which was held just after the teleconference meeting she had with Banija's royals. It was unlikely that the peace treaty would have anything that would be particularly negative for her Government. For Banija's prestige on the world stage as a whole? Yes- when you are the primary benefactor of the losing horse, in a civil war that saw nations from every corner of the multiverse comment and pay attention, there was no way that wasn't going to effect your prestige.

But Xolile knew that she was interested in the big domestic things. And she just needed to make sure that these peace talks didn't cost her. And so far- they wouldn't. Of course, Banijans would not like the fact that Malik Akongo would be effective disbarred from Kitaran politics in the future. But it was the reality that warlords who lose generally do not get to participate in general elections. So that was unavoidable. She had avoided sending herself, or any of her cabinet, to those meetings.

Before she could embark on her progressive economic transformation of Banija, however, she knew that she had to deal with the Farfadillis reparations negotiations. And that would require the elected government- this was considered less of a foreign policy issues, and more of a domestic policy issue, simply because it was almost entirely about how to allocate money. The Banijans had done absolutely 0 prep for that, but with peace talks proceeding nicely in Tikariot, she made a note to herself to get her Chief of Staff to start preparing briefings and proposals on the issue.

But at this moment, she wouldn't worry about that. She strode onto the Chamber's floor, to thunderous applause from the Government benches, and asked for time from the Speaker. "Ladies and Gentlemen- the Katikkiro wishes to make a statement!" The Speaker's voice boomed.

"Thank you, Mr. Speaker." She told the Chamber. "Of course, as peace talks in Varakoula are of a very sensitive nature, I cannot update this Chamber as to exact details on progress. However, I am in frequent communication with His Majesty the Kabaka. Banija's interests are in good hands, and he is very confident that all parties can reach a deal on an acceptable way forward for all involved soon in Nyowani Kitara. There are two specific things that I want to mention about this issue."

She paused, and then continued. "First, I want to acknowledge support for our nation's efforts in Nyowani Kitara, even if the effort did not go as planned." Malik Akongo, despite everything, was still radically popular in country, and even if she was purposely avoiding Varakoula like the plague, she was a politician at heart. "We've had strong support from traditional, and non-traditional, allies alike. Nations like Darmen and Juvencus, standing with us in favor of Malik Akongo. And even our traditional allies. First, a big thank you to Chancellor Meier, and those in Borograd, who stood with us. And particularly, as always, our erstwhile allies in Belle Haven. There is clearly bipartisan opposition to the KPWC in Belle Haven, as this whole thing has brought us together. Always a lesson to learn- better together."

"Second, I'd like to address Nyowani Kitara's refugee situation. Of course, Banija has taken in a quarter of a million refugees from the war-torn country. Presently, we have applied the laws passed for Farf refugees, for Kitaran refugees in this country. Our Government is reviewing, at this time, whether or not to create a specific set of rules for refugees from Nyowani Kitara. Presently, under rules for Farf refugees, they are given preferential access to find housing, and are allowed both schooling and ease of access to get a job. No review can be completed, however, until peace talks are over. But there is a specific refugee situation I'd like to address. Over the past four weeks, four players on their national soccer team stood up to Nafuna Akongo and the KPWC. Johannes von Weber, Vilgot Westermark, Arendt Sundin, and Omollo Ayange."

"The first three of whom, declaring support for the DFLK. The last, declaring support for the KFF. They've lived in a country, all their lives, where political dissent meant certain death. How could they not defect after standing up?" The Katikkiro paused as there was deafening applause. There was almost no support for Nafuna Akongo in this country. "Chromatik Ambassador Saralee Ambroise, who is present in Varakoula supporting Banijan interests, has successfully arranged the asylum declarations of Arendt Sundin and Omollo Ayange." The cheers lifted again. "She, of course, while deserving personal credit, also works for Keri Wyse Aart. I want to give full credit to Keri Wyse Aart. I've worked with her over the years, and her concern for the people, and for human rights, goes all the way down the chain of command. Lead by example- without the example of Aart, great actions by Ambroise would not be possible. Our nation stands with Chromatika today, as they stand as a beacon in Anaia with their acceptance of these Kitaran athlete-refugees."

She was satisfied with her speech, which heard chants of "Ker-i" from the Government benches. She reminded herself to get Keri Wyse Aart to speak in front of this Chamber one day. And with that, she sat down, prepared for whatever questions the Opposition had for her today.

by **PotatoFarmers** » Mon Jan 24, 2022 9:09 pm

OOC Note: Will Update the Box Scores at a later time, verify on your perception of the story with me if there are any discrepencies

Poafmersia 3–2 Treekidistan
Poafmersian Scorers: Matea Idowu 27', 89' (assisted by Leontiy Seet); Agapito Murphy 60'
Poafmersian Lineup (4-3-3): Shirou Amatore; Mitchel Rosales, Hollis Stephenson, Ali Berger, Natalia Abbott; Michael Jackson, Woden Sweet, Nero Wood; Matea Idowu, Makana Tuft, Leontiy Seet
Poafmersian Substitutes: Kelefe Hans (Stephenson 60'); Lesia Astrauskas (Wood 78')

Saltstead 1–4 Poafmersia

Poafmersia 3–4 The Licentian Isles

Poafmersia 4–2 Atlantic Republic

Ardengard 1–3 Poafmersia

Poafmersia 2–1 Havynwilde

Pasarga 5–0 Poafmersia

The halfway mark is always an important time to review the qualifiers, especially with the qualifiers being 14 matchdays rather than the 18 that we have been used to for the past 4 qualifiers. And with this particular batch of players, Adnan Suliaha was extremely careful about it.

Following the Red Panjias' disappointing performance last cycle, the head coach has been reviewing the entire process of selecting younger blood to join. And he made no secret of it, given how he chose to field a completely inexperienced squad at the IAC then. While the Group Stage exit was ridiculous in the eyes of many Poafmers, it only showed the problems with the entire Poafmersian football setup and its decline - that without its golden generation holding the fort, the teams are struggling to make progress both domestically and internationally. The only saving grace that this group isn't that hard to navigate, and that it would be a perfect 14 matchdays for the newer players to get up to speed with the progress, and hopefully, start out at the playoffs or something like that.

Or is it?

A home game against Treekidistan, our fellow region mates, wasn't going to be easy. It was almost like a scare for Adnan Suliaha, when the team fell behind 2-1 at halftime, and Suliaha was worried that they would start of on the wrong foot, which would be a bad omen for the team. Then came a trip to Saltstead, where the team scored 4 - much to the surprise of the coach. Matea Idowu, for all the flake he has been getting in his domestic club, put up a hat-trick, and helped rising star Agapito Murphy to the last goal. But reality soon hit hard against The Licentian Isles, where the defence flared up following the injury to Mitchel Rosales midway through the game. The game was a brilliant example of Poafmersia's flaws being exploited - basically, goalkeepers who are attack oriented and front-looking will not be as good at certain close-range situations. Like Nicole Potts' error that caused the opponents to grab their win - that, to Suliaha, was not explainable at all. But it was always an area which Poafmersia was really bad at, and that the country as a whole hasn't been able to get a good quality of defenders, which is why the stars are extremely precious to many Poafmersian teams. On the other side, the offence wasn't able to grab enough goals, which led to the loss - a situation which will happen once again in Pasarga, when the powerhouses handed the Red Panjias a 5-0 demolition. A porous defence, combined with a super solid opposition defence on the other side, was all it took to one-side the match, and the away fans can only look in horror at the demolition, which is probably a Poafmersian record in the World Cup Qualifiers, equal to what Farfadillis did to us a few cycles prior.

The other games, however, was a brilliant show of Adnan's ability to push new players forward. Handing out starts to the newer players gave the coach an idea of the depth of his squad, and his players promptly took the opportunity. For instance, Kelefe Hans running forward at the correct opportunity to score the equaliser against Havynwilde, or Verbena Zoltánfi's cooperation with Jordan Huerta in Ardengard. These were bright spots that generally kept the fans approved about the progress the squad - though it wasn't great to see those losses, Poafmersia's standards haven't really dropped far, and the standards was acceptable when you compared to the performance of the clubs at recent IFCFs - something which really gave food for thought.

Going forward, what is next? Securing top 2 is still the target of Adnan Suliaha - going any lower might mean the end of his managerial career, given how determined he was to stay as long in what he calls "his last job as a manager". He believed that the downs, as seen by the IAC group stage exit and the quarterfinal shock at the last Cup of Harmony, are just slight blips in Poafmersia's football team, and they can bounce back to it. We shall see if it is true.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

With 7 matches left, the question is: are your Players Ballin'?

CUTOFF

by **Starblaydia** » Mon Jan 24, 2022 9:36 pm

Episode 4 - The Last
S01 | E01 | E02 | E03

As the nation co-hosts the World Cup for the very
first time, it's time for one legendary star to finally
bow out, but he's not going without a final hurrah.

Simeone Di Bradini
Striker, World Cup 20 (pictured in World Cup 18)

Narrator: "In the Twentieth World Cup, the multiverse descended on Starblaydia and Druida for a landmark edition of the undisputed greatest sporting event in existence. Starblaydia, qualifying as co-hosts with fellow Atlantian Oceania nation Druida, would set out the team that they hoped could take them all the way to the top in their own back yard. Guylain N'Dumbu-Nsungu selected his strongest possible team, which contained one name that stood out; it was at once entirely predictable, but also came as a total surprise.

N'Dumbu-Nsungu had, for World Cup 20, a comparative wealth of talent that no Starblaydi manager had been able to work with up until that point. He had picked three men in the starting eleven who would go on to be the SFA's nominations for the World Cup Hall of Fame within the next twenty years or so. Jerome Montefalcon, who played in the Melmond Premier Division for Cali Purples and anchored the mifdield diamond so brilliantly, was at the peak of his powers at 28 years old, a man who'd captain his country four years later. Nick Matranga, at 23, was coming into the best years of his life for club and country, who could play either side of midfield with ease. Khim Azanulbizarn, who'd later lead Starblaydia as captain before taking up the managerial position to lead the team to a top three-finish at the World Cup on three separate occasions, was the dominant full-back on the left-hand side, so dangerous over short distances. These three were undeniably good and are in the frame for being in any all-time Starblaydia Elven.

Added to those you had players like the captain, Jean-Pierre Durand, who was so languid and elegant that he often looked like he was just having a warm-up while being the most competitively physical defender, who was so good on the ball. Tetsuo Naoki, playing for Floral FC in the Bedistan Premier League, was this explosive dynamo at the tip of the diamond. Marco Del Blanco and Darius Belizaire were a formidable partnership up front at national level, and Belizaire was in the mold of the ideal Starblaydi number 10 which Del Blanco constantly working hard just off his shoulder. Geraint Evens, who'd scored that magical AOCAF Cup-winning goal eight years earlier, sat squarely on the right of the midfield, supported brilliantly by Roberto Di Bradini behind him, using all the experience he'd picked up at PARANOiA UNiTED in Dance 2 Revolution.

The larger squad had a blend of experience from around the world, in the Vilitan Stellar division, Giant Zucchini Premier, and more, and overall this was arguably better than any Starblaydi team who had taken the field before. The way N'Dumbu-Nsungu rounded off his 23-man squad, though, was a huge long-shot gamble, but at the same time was also absolute genius. For the number 23 shirt, he picked the 39 year old Simeone Di Bradini.

Narrator: "It had been thought that Di Bradini had signed off on his international career four years earlier, as he captained the defending regional champions in the fifth AOCAF Cup, while also having special dispensation to turn out for the 'A' team in the qualifying campaign for World Cup 19."

Back in the old days, the AOCAF was held pretty much at the same time as the World Cup. It was almost impossible for Starblaydia to send their best team to both tournaments, so the AOCAF became something of a 'B' team, where you try out the youngsters first, while giving the older players who have just lost that yard of pace a final chance to lend their experience to the new guys, as well as letting everyone on the fringes of the full squad to stake a claim for the next tournament. It's all different now, of course, but back in the day everything was a little more fast and loose with the timelines and the SFA did the best they could at the time.

So when, for AOCAF Cup 5 and World Cup 19, Simeone Di Bradini had, on one hand, the number 10 shirt and captain's armband for the AOCAF, he would fly back and forth to swap for the 23 shirt with the World Cup side. now this had never happened before in the previous four cycles that the SFA had entered, so essentially everyone thought that was his last hurrah - and what a hurrah.

Narrator: "Di Bradini would make seven appearances in the World Cup 19 campaign, scoring only once on the opening Matchday against Dead Rockstars - the third of a 3-1 victory. In the 5th AOCAF, however, he was nigh-on unstoppable."

This was an aging squad, for the 5th AOCAF Cup, only two of the starters were under 30, and it was definitely seen as the last hurrah for that first full generation of players who had started in the third Under-21 Cup. Da Silva, Salisbury, Stark and Carter were all there alongside the captain, Simeone Di Bradini. It was their last chance, as they aimed to defend in Legalese the trophy that had been one on home soil four years before.

Di Bradini was a revelation, even at 35. He banged in four against Big Pimento, another two against Druid, one against Sarzonia, and then another one versus Druida in the double round-robin of a group stage. Starblaydia cruised that group with just a single 0-0 against Sarzonia on the final matchday when they'd already easily qualified. They came undone in the two-legged quarter-final against Turori, though, losing 3-1 in a game where Di Bradini scored yet again, then being dumped out with a 0-0 draw that kept the aggregate score at 3-1. It was slightly disappointing for the team to go out that early, but they'd acquitted themselves really well, and it although not quite the farewell the players had wanted, that's the way that international football goes more often than not.

So when the World Cup 20 roster is announced four years later, not all that many people are clamouring for 'SDB' to be in the side. At thirty-nine, player-managing for Kiiarana City as they were bouncing between the Vilitan Stellar and Declasse divisions, he was something of an afterthought. 43 goals in 82 appearances was a Starblaydi record and no-one was even close to that at the time. Belizaire was a lock, without question, and Del Blanco another definite, whether up front or vying with Naoki at the tip of the diamond. Squad players announced were the veteran Jakkinho, playing for Dawson Springs FC in the BPL of Bedistan, and the up and coming Juan Silva De Souza, because Corinthian Spirits always know how to coach a forward in their academy. But that wouldn't be all, because three strikers and a transitional Midfielder-Forward is just not enough for a tournament squad.

The other options open at the time included a thirty-five year old Eomer Hall, still big and bruising but not really fitting this squad's kind of style. Syku Lyku-Agbayani was still a teenager and, again, would be vying with at least four players across two different positions to get any game time at all. There was little to choose between for Kurt Recinos, Ilias Provatidis and Julio Matis, none of whom were really considered as the next big thing, very much journeymen in the grand scheme of things. So who would this fourth out-and-out striker be? The SFA and GNDN left it until the absolute last minute to announce their decision, and how long before they'd made the decision is still up for debate to this day, but they announced it with a ton of fanfare.

Narrator: "To the surprise of almost every journalist, fan and observer both inside and outside the game, the number 23 shirt was given to Simeone Di Bradini. Thirty-nine and all but retired, it sent a wave of excitement and disbelief across the country."

Before this, the number 23 shirt was the ultimate afterthought of the Starblaydi national team roster. Sometimes a goalie, or a defender, or maybe a striker, or a player who just frankly wasn't expected to get all that much game time. After both World Cup 19 and now this stunt, the number 23 shirt was suddenly cool. Seemingly both retro and cutting-edge at the same time, it immediately became the shirt that every striker in the squad wanted if they weren't part of the manager's starting places.

The whole thing was certainly a PR stunt, at it's core, because a fifth-choice forward will rarely get any games in a World Cup - maybe only a few minutes here or there at absolute most. The key thing in the World Cup is just win the games, manage the injuries, get through everything with the starting eleven as best you can and see what happens. There's no room for emotional picks when it comes to the on-field action, but this inclusion was definitely an emotional pick.

It picked up the fans' interest even more, brought more casual eyes, domestically, to this festival of football that Starblaydia was co-hosting. They were guaranteed to fill the stadia already, but now there was a clamour and a buzz around the team as this aging warhorse came into the squad. The guy was already the all-time record top scorer for his country, record appearance maker too, so if you're the likes of Raphael Delgado, just twenty-one, and you're sitting on the bench next to a living legend, then you can't help but up your game to prove yourself.

Simeone Di Bradini didn't play in the first match, which although full of noise and vibrancy and celebration, was a 0-0 draw with Svecia. The dream debut just wasn't to be, and there was something of a frustrated fanbase that Starblaydia hadn't kicked off the opening match of the World Cup with a real bang. Next up was The Belmore Family.

Narrator: "Among the greatest names in the world in those early days was Alan Belmore. He, and a host of identically-named Belmore players, captured the multiverse's imagination. Whether they were all one man, a cohort of clones of the ruler of billionaire ruler of The Belmore Family, or simply lazy naming on the part of parents all across that nation, The Belmore Family and their national team were inseparable from the name Alan Belmore."

Alan Belmore was one of the original "godmods", those players who seem to be able to effectively 'see the Matrix', understand the individual lines of code that makes up the rules of the world, and then well and truly break them for their own benefit, as and when they feel like it. This was a term that had applied to Simeone Di Bradini throughout his career and it's a legend that only ever really grows with time, as people who never saw him play have these grandiose ideas that every touch was a goal, or some such nonsense. Just as the likes of Alan Belmore or Jenji Y didn't score a game-winning hat trick every match, neither did SDB.

The expected Starblaydi starting eleven lined up against The Belmore Family's strongest side, and suddenly things went into overdrive. Starblaydia ran absolutely riot, it was like watching them play a kids team, it was unreal.

Narrator: "As the Foundation Road crowd in Starblaydia's captial city, Jhanna, raucously urged their team on, an exceptional game - from the home side's point of view - unfolded."

Bang, Darius Belizaire, 1-0. Bang, Marco Del Blanco, 2-0. Alan Belmore pulls one back, but bang again, its Belizaire with a second and a three one lead. Foundation Road are in dreamland and Starblaydia are in almost complete control. Finally, this top-twenty side are absolutely thrashing someone in their home World Cup. It completely brings the tournament alive, as you're always relying on good performances - but not too good - from the home teams to get the atmosphere in the streets going, get everyone in the mood and up and bouncing, which transfers itself throughout all the visiting fans on the away trip of their lives. Everyone makes the most of it, and everyone in white was making the most of their opportunities. It was four-one once Geraint Evans had scored, and Starblaydia were in complete control of the match.

Archive footage wrote:"Foundation Road is in dreamland, here in the Starblaydi capital," said the SCB:Sports commentator Sven Motsonsson, surveying the sea of White and Purple in the stands who were singing and dancing in as Starblaydia were in the final minutes of a famous victory again The Belmore Family, "the fans are quite obviously delighted by this four-one scoreline, with around three minutes of normal time left."

The fans are having a real party, vastly outnumbering the visiting Belmore Family supporters. Then, with just minutes to go the main Starblaydi commentator, Sven Motsonsson, was nudged by his co-commentator Trevor Collins, who points down to the touchline, in front of the Starblaydi dugout. Most of the fans in the stadium can't see this going on, but slowly word goes around and there's this wave of realisation that starts to bubble up from one side of the stadium, spreading around like a living organism.

Archive footage wrote:"And It appears," Sven said, "that none other than Simeone Di Bradini is preparing to come on. This is incredible, Trevor."

"Indeed," Trevor Collins, former NEWI Cefn Druids midfielder and co-commentator for the game replied, "Guylain must think there aren't enough Godmods on the pitch, so he's bringing one on."

"Ha ha," Sven stifled a groan, "so, wearing number twenty-three, at the age of thirty-nine, can you believe it, Simeone Di Bradini is coming on to play in his fourth different World Cup.

"He's played in Kaze Progressa, Eauz, Turori and now in Starblaydia itself, taking the field: it's Simeone Di Bradini!"

People are standing up out of their seats and pointing, they're cheering, they're in disbelief at what they're actually getting to see. Tucking his shirt in, tying the cord at the front of his shorts, having his studs checked by the fourth official, and just hopping from side to side as a final warm-up is the man, the legend. The stadium announcer was so used to having called SDB's name when he was an Iskara Daii player - and let's not forget SDB had left this very stadium, the majority of the fans here had been his fans at club level twenty years earlier - he left this stadium as a club player to go to Alan City of The Belmore Family for a world-record fee at the time of forty million Alans. He was the original Galactico of the transfer window and there was absolutely no doubting that this was fate, this was history. Like poetry it was rhyming, as Simeone Di Bradini came on to face The Belmore Family with only a few minutes left on the clock.

Archive footage wrote:Sven was drowned out by the roar of the Starblaydi crowd as their ageing hero came on for Starblaydia's third and final substitution of the game.

"Could he, Sven?" Trevor asked, no-one needing to be told the question.

"It'd be 'Roy of the Rovers' stuff, certainly, if it did happen."

The Belmore Family players were half-heartedly knocking the ball around, looking for an opening. They had three goals to make up in three minutes and as much as there's never truly a lot cause in a sport like football until the final whistle goes, they were deflated and staring down the barrel of a heavy defeat that would scupper their chances of making the next round. Still, they attacked with a reasonable amount of intent. Down the left they went, but the ball was picked by Roberto Di Bradini in the right-back position, forced into the corner by the Belmorans, having to snatch at the ball to clear it away so it's not a corner or an attacking throw. Just get it down the field.

Archive footage wrote:"Roberto Di Bradini, with a quick clearance from the byline, under pressure from Paul Belmore. Falls to his older brother, excellent first touch of the game by Simeone, he's knocked it out wide for Matranga on the left.

Roberto just hoofs it down the pitch, and it curls inwards slightly into around the halfway line. Simeone is there, having not touched the ball yet, just making a vague nuisance of himself jogging around. He does that trademark technique of shielding as the ball arcs downwards, arms out to the side, backside nudging the defender, jockeying for position, and as he's made himself some room with his back to goal, instead of heading or chesting it down, he waits to volley it. Simple as anything, left foot, out wide to the left. It's a lovely little pass as Nick Matranga just takes it in his stride and spints away. You wouldn't think he'd been on the field for 90 minutes up and down that left flank, but he just goes. The rest of the team follow him, but Simeone has already turned and breezed past his man, running hell for leather towards the box in support. He's lost that yard of pace that Matranga still has even while dribbling, but he's that crucial yard ahead of the Belmoran defender trying to track him.

Archive footage wrote:"Matranga, goes by Rick Moore, a great turn of speed, toward the box, a left-foot cross. Nodded back by Del Blanco for... Di Bradini! With an incredible goal! Twenty yards out, and he's found the back of the net with his second touch!

Del Blanco was in the box, but in an awkward position. Instead of trying an overhead kick, or twisting and turning with the defender on him, he sees that white shirt. It's a simple cushioned header to put it into Di Bradini's path. He's still outside the area but at full tilt he just unleashes this first-time right footed shot, and it's an absolute piledriver. As the crowd are in complete raptures, Di Bradini just puts his arms out to the side, and runs towards the corner. He's got the smile, the impossibly cool hair, and though there's a few more wrinkles than before, it's unmistakably the celebration of a player who's content in their existence. He even makes it most of the way before being absolutely mobbed by his teammates.

Archive footage wrote:"Its now Five-One for Stablaydia and the crowd here at Foundation Road have gone absolutely mental! This is some of the loudest celebration I've ever heard from a crowd! Its taken SDB four years to get back on the scoresheet since AOCAF Five, and now he's moved on to Forty-Four International Goals, extending his record yet further!"

44 goals nowadays, you're not even in the top ten. Thanks to the elves, thanks to a much more crowded international fixture list, tactical innovations, advances in nutrition and technology and all that, thanks too to there being much, much better Starblaydi squads in subsequent years providing their strikers with far more and far better opportunities, you're on the wrong end of an xG arms race with some of the players that have been before. At this moment, however, it's a record that no-one can conceive of breaking. After all, who could be as good as SDB?

Archive footage wrote:"And there it is! The final whistle, and Starblaydia have crushed The Belmore Family by Five goals to One. Two from Darius Belizaire, Marco Del Blanco and Geraint Evans with one each, and the match rounded off by Simeone Di Bradini with the fifth, from just his second touch of the ball. What a victory, as Starblaydia move up to Four points in Group A of the Twentieth World Cup. From Foundation Road this is Sven Motsonsson, for Trevor Collins, saying goodnight."

"-bitches!" Trevor managed to get in at the last second. "I've always wanted to say that, y'know."

Final score from Foundation Road (75,000):
_Starblaydia_ 5-1 _The Belmore Family_
_Belizaire (2), Del Blanco, Evans, S Di Bradini_ - _Belmore_

Narrator: "Simeone Di Bradini would play in one more match for his country, trying to repeat the marvelous trick in the Second Round match of that tournament against Bedistan. He failed, however, as Starblaydia were defeated 2-1 in Extra Time by Bedistan and knocked out of their own World Cup. His legacy, however, would remain for as long as people still played football, and he retired - and remains to this day - one of the most famous and recognised players in the history of the game. For all the subsequent achievements of later players, including several from the Di Bradini family itself, there would never be a Starblaydi player quite so iconic as 'SDB'."

by **Ranoria** » Mon Jan 24, 2022 10:58 pm

Introducing: The Teams of The National Alliance of Association Football!

In this series, we'll be giving a brief history lesson on all of the current members of Ranoria's domestic soccer league. So unfortunately, no focused article on the flash-in-the-pan Cold Hill Couriers. In our fifth edition of this series, you'll be regaled with the tragic history of a team that has likely induced depression in thousands of its fans!
*all stats as of 2028 season

1:Highport Heroes
2: Ranoria City Privateers
3: Memphis Delta Blues
4: Port Kruger Cougars
5: Richardson Revolt - you're here!
\/Coming Soon!\/
6: Ashialand Blizzard
7: Vricksinburg Thunder
8: Dietrich Dirks

Overall Record: 40-21-31, 4-6 elimination
Best Finish: 8-4-2 regular season, 0-1 elimination games (2027)
Worst Finish: 3-5-2 (2021)
Championships/Appearances: 0/4

Pain: The Richardson Revolt

You want tragedy? This is your team. They're on par with the likes of Banija's WLC squad - they've made 5 of the last 6 semifinals, gotten to the championship three times, and could never close the deal. Or perhaps the Grid Corps of Drawkland in the World Bowl - they've lost in a whopping four World Bowl Championships (although they've also got two gold medals to show for all that). The Revolt can match that catastrophe with four of their own championship losses domestically.

The Revolt looked like the best thing in Ranorian soccer in the NAAF's debut season, finishing 3-1-2 to secure the first seed and a home game for the championship. They were the only team that year to finish with a winning record, but still got stomped by Dietrich in the final, 4-2. No problem, they'd bounce back.

2020 rolls around and...they slipped up. The Revolt still finished 5-1-4 to secure a winning record, but with only the top two teams qualifying for the final they were the first one out. Then in 2021 they were completely unable to close their games, ending the season 3-5-2 with the fourth seed. Fortunately, this is a strong organization and for the second time in four seasons, they secured the first seed with a 5-3-2 record and a berth against Vricksinburg in the championship. In a tightly played game, they lost a heartbreaker after extra time, 1-0.

But Richardson wasn't so easily felled. While the Dietrich Dirks ran away with the top seed at 9-0-1 in 2023, the Revolt finished 5-1-4 for their second consecutive championship berth and third overall, the most of any team in NAAF history to that point. Once again, neither team could close it in regulation, but the Dirks piled it on to win it 3-0 during a penalty shootout. Richardson moved to 0-3 in championship games. 2024 marked another miss, with the team finishing 4-4-2 in the last single-game playoff season. And the next year?

2025 was the worst regular season in franchise history for the Revolt - they ended it 5-3-6, but with a four team playoff with a play-in between the 4th and 5th seeds coming prior, they managed to sneak in. It was a storybook campaign, as they knocked off Memphis 2-1 in the play-in and defeated the juggernaut Dietrich Dirks in a penalty shootout to end the game, just as the Dirks had doe to them in 2023. They reached the championship...only for Port Kruger to win their sole title on their first trip.

You can imagine it was a devastating blow for one of the original four teams in the Alliance to be beaten by a second-year expansion team, but the Revolt kept trying. At 6-3-5, they again won a play in game - this time against Memphis - but fell in the semifinals to Ashialand. It was the team's first non-championship elimination game loss. But 2027? The next season? They were electric.

The Revolt went 8-4-2, just a hair behind the Dirks for the top seed...only to completely flop in the first round. They were dropped 2-0 against the Vricksinburg Thunder, moving their mark in elimination games to 3-6. And most recently in 2028, they finished with a losing record for the second time in franchise history. However, once again at 5-3-6 they were just good enough to get into a play-in game, which they won before falling in the semifinal for the second consecutive season, this time to their rivals in Dietrich, if you can call anyone a rival to the best team in Alliance History. The Revolt have a 4-6 overall postseason record and a disastrous 0-4 mark in championship bouts, in stark contrast to winning 40-21-31 regular season record. Wishing the best to this surely struggling fanbase - but there is hope!

Veteran midfielder and Krauts starter Esther Simson is a national team starter and the glue for this squad, with Organa Philly - a national team reserve - heading up the defense. Both are over 30 and maybe past their prime, but these two have proven more than capable of providing their team an edge. But they've got young talent too - Annika Amann is just 20 years of age and a starter on the U21 squad, with true star potential while Sabra Sapharina is one of the more exciting young talents in Ranoria on the back end at just 19.

But the real star? They have the best goalie in Ranoria in Vincent Emilia.

Emilia is still a spry 26 years of age and has been the starter for Ranoria's national team in all of its iterations - Baptism of Fire or World Cup. The athletic defender has made plenty of plays to help his Krauts stay in games, and as long as that X-factor is on the back end, the Revolt have a chance to pitch a shutout.

by **Eura** » Mon Jan 24, 2022 11:54 pm

Zhen Qiang tried his best to size up Angela Green as she took a seat opposite. Yuezhou’s Foreign Minister, in his late forties, had a slight age and a big experience advantage. Still, he had no intention of underestimating the young Euran politician. Nor did he regard conversing with her instead of his opposite number Rutherford as a snub, as from what he’d read, this Green character might be destined for big things in future. It was her plan that Tikariot’s representatives wanted to overhaul, and having heard the case put forward, he was sympathetic to their criticisms, but felt a compromise could be reached and that she was well placed to strike it with him. Qiang had a lot of discretion to do whatever it took now that the leadership at home had descended into…well, anarchy was too kind a word, he thought. Especially after Malik Akongo’s future had been resolved to Yuezhou’s advantage, the big-ticket victory Yuezhou’s fledgling regime had been seeking.

When Green explained the plan to him, his main objections melted away. In part this was a function of geopolitical reality. The Nepharans and Eurans were clearly not going to compromise any more than was necessary to prevent Nafuna butchering Inhalo, so every gain from here was worth banking without asking too many questions. On the proposed Nyowani Kitara elections it was clear that Bastion and Corvistone were now entrenched in their positions.
Fortunately, Qiang had a good sense for what he could gain that wouldn’t come at the expense of his opponents, the mark of a wily negotiator; in fact, he was about to win one of those concessions they had baked into the previous proposals, knowing it would be needed later. ‘What I don’t understand is, if Nephara is running the election, why would you need yourselves or another of Dewayo’s allies abroad to join the observer panel?’
‘Well, in the interests of fairness, it seems only right each faction should have a backer present.’

Pausing a moment, Green put on her best “reasonable centrist” voice. ‘Mind you, I suppose we’d have access through the Nepharans anyway…’
‘…so, you have nothing to lose by dropping that part of the proposals.’ Qiang chuckled as he finished her sentence. ‘Look at us. Already on the same page.’
‘Huh. So we are.’
‘This peacekeeping force…what exactly does it look like? What’s the make up?’
‘Every significant Rushmori nation involved, really. Of course, the Nepharans and ourselves would be the biggest presence given we have been invited by the legitimate government of the country, but everyone would get more than their fair share of boots on the ground. We’d have a joint body regulating operations. The purpose of the peacekeepers would be very clear. They would be present in a defensive capacity, there to deter any attempts at ceasefire-breaking or atrocities-‘
‘Any exceptions?’
‘We’ll need to be able to continue to carry out minor counter-terrorist ops. There are still Sameban nationalists who helped the KFF dotted around. They need cleaning up, but I doubt you have any issues with that.’

‘Anyway, as I was saying. Deter atrocities, maintain the peace, oversee weapons decommissioning of rebel groups and whatever scale of demobbing by the army is agreed – that’s what these peacekeepers will be there for. And we’ll split their balance across Nyowani Kitara based on recognition of where different countries interests and relationships lie. The Graintfjaller’s can police DFLK turf north of the lake, your troops can sit on the south coast, Nephara the centre of the country, us the sea…everyone has a role. What do you think?’
Qiang was pondering how exactly accept the proposals, though he couldn’t help but feel that there was something more to say. ‘I think they would work. The most important thing to us is that Nyowani Kitara can elect a leader, hopefully a non-communist one.’
‘And you’ll accept it if she manages to win somehow?’
Qiang nodded. ‘Our word can be relied upon. Only a fringe minority in our country would antagonise and we can handle that. To be frank with you Minister, after the struggles we have come through…well, I am just glad the reds aren’t in any danger of going on the advance through Pavlova again. And I know my countrymen will appreciate the value to our international stature of playing a role in maintaining the peace across the water.’ He rose to his feet and held out his hand. ‘I think we have a deal. Perhaps, in future, we could discuss other issues between our countries?’ Green didn’t need him to be explicit to know this was a reference to formal recognition of his government, which Eura had put off ever since they took power.
Green shook his hand firmly. ‘Stick by your end of the deal, let us and the Nepharans have our victories, and we’ll look at making that a reality.’

Where Yuezhou’s Foreign Minister was Green’s match in many ways, the food-obsessed Graintfjall delegation were almost impossible to lock down a politician with. A low-ranking Euran official present had tried to open up a dialogue with Snæbjörn Friðleifsson on the Graintfjallers initial arrival, only for the gluttonous Blue-Greens backbencher to thoroughly patronise the lad with a lecture about purdah, an already familiar concept to a public official in a parliamentary democracy like Eura. Eventually the Eurans did manage to secure two quite senior civil servants from Graintfjall’s delegation. Júlía Maria Jónsdóttir and Bjarnharður Herjólfsson had both held senior diplomatic and cabinet-adjacent roles. The Eurans, for their part, managed to field Erica Anderton, the Director for Central Rushmore under Angela Green’s part of the Foreign Office, alongside Vice Admiral Wes Harvey, a senior figure in the command structure of Eura’s Xandrian Sea operations. They met in a quiet backroom that smelled of little more than dust burning away from the air conditioning.

By this point both the Nepharans and Eurans had already made apparent inroads with Graintfjall on a variety of issues relating to the conflict. Although it was apparent that the country’s informal support for the DFLK was more pragmatic than deeply committed, Graintfjall’s electorate would surely respond well to Eura’s amnesty to defecting DFLK footballers’ families, and both countries had set aside their issues with the DFLK in encouraging Nafuna to accept a referendum in the north of the country. It was hoped, therefore, that Nyowani Kitara’s northern neighbour would prove amenable to the solutions provided by Nafuna’s allies. ‘Julia, Bjarnhardur, thank you for speaking with us. We have some proposals for you to consider and relay to your political leadership…’

The Graintfjallers were quiet as their Euran counterparts set out their thinking. They did not seem particularly interested in what was being said – except for the peacekeeping arrangements.
‘So, we would have a direct role on the ground?’
‘Yes. As would every other involved nation. I imagine it would make the most sense for your forces to provide security in the northern regions, on the other side of Lake Viljan. That should be more than enough to provide assurances.’
‘Hmmm. We can relay it and it will be considered. It seems like it would probably be acceptable, the peacekeeping part, that is.’ Julia still didn’t seem convinced. Finally, she said what she was really thinking. ‘To be honest with you, we’re not here for this, really. We wanted to speak to you before you came to us.’
‘Oh?’ The Eurans glanced at one another. ‘About?’
‘Removing Nafuna Akongo.’

Again, the Eurans shared a glance. ‘…well, the plan we’ve laid out gives the Kitaran people the means to do that if they so wish. There will be free and fair elections run by a first-class democratic system in the form of Nephara, with comprehensive oversight from neighbouring countries and opponents of Nafuna’s regime.’
‘Right, but…’ Bjarnhardur glanced at a map on the wall, with Port Viljan and the rest of the Kitaran headland bordering Graintfjall clearly marked.
‘But what?’
‘You have an election round the corner, right? Well so do we. And when it comes the absolute no-mark of a Prime Minister we have now will be out, and almost certainly replaced by someone who will no longer tolerate a threatening, unwanted communist regime right on our doorstep. They’ll want to finish the job. We’re telling you now because this is a prime opportunity to get rid of Nafuna and prevent any misunderstanding in future when she inevitably refuses to concede an election.’

Both Erica and Admiral Harvey were gobsmacked.
‘Hold on,’ Erica, ‘why on earth would we do that? You do realise she’s won this war, right? If it wasn’t for us and the Nepharans she’d have rolled on Inhalo and before long your buddies by the lake would be next.’
‘That may be somewhat true, but circumstances change. You’ll leave one day, and one day we’ll elect someone who wants to rub that last bit of red off the map.’
Erica shook her head in disbelief. ‘Ooo-kay, if you want to have productive negotiations with our political leadership, you won’t get anywhere like this. I mean, what do you plan to do if she wins an election?’
‘Well, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, but I don’t think anyone in Hattmark thinks she’s got much chance.’ The Eurans couldn’t read their minds, but they were being honest in saying they would respect an election result.

Unfortunately, the preceding conversation had left them seriously doubting that. ‘This is long term stuff and probably not worth getting into now; we’ll relay what you’ve said of course but if that’s the mindset of an incoming administration, you need to tell us imminently to prevent any misunderstandings.’ Erica shook her head and picked up her laptop, set to leave. She shot the officials from Graintfjall an exasperated look. ‘It’s been a long war, alright? Nyowani Kitara is exhausted. The last thing it needs is its neighbours picking over the wreckage looking for advantage.’
‘Its not about advantage. You Eurans are lucky – you don’t have to live next to a communist state every day, one whose legitimacy is toast. For many of our leaders, it is a point of national security and national interest.’
‘Oh, pull the other one.’

Admiral Harvey had kept quiet for most of the conversation, but now he interjected. ‘We’re not bloody fools. Nafuna isn’t going anywhere near you, and thanks to the Nepharans – mainly – the days of her acting with impunity are over. If anyone you elect is thinking about marching over that border, it would be an unjustified act of aggression. And, well, I can’t speak for Corvistone, but we wouldn’t put up with it, that’s for sure.’
Bjarnharður scoffed. ‘We all know Eura is war weary after Sameba. We saw what happened in Mytanija all those years ago. Even a leviathan has its weak spots, and here it’s a lack of commitment. Do you think your bosses care about Nyowani Kitara? They just want a poll boost – you’ll be back home before long. There’s a reason you only ever sent a few thousand ground troops.’
‘Really now,’ Harvey pressed, ‘and that is?’
‘Because why would you send your sons to die out in Pavlova for some communists? This is our sphere of influence. You stick to yours.’
It was the Admiral’s turn to scoff at that claim. ‘Spheres of influence? What century is it? Listen – we don’t like those hapless communists much more than you do, but if your next PM uses force to try and reset borders and topple a post-ceasefire, democratic government? Well, a twenty-something Marxist with a uniform will be the least of your problems. So, stop pissing us around, get your people thinking on the proposals, and we’ll see you on the floor.’

Nafuna Akongo was fatigued in a way no average 22-year-old could imagine. She had the pressure of a nation sitting on her shoulders, and not just any nation. It was a nation where a substantial chunk of the country wanted her dead or exiled, where few could truly say life was going their way, and where her leadership had become contingent on foreign benefactors who could barely hide their disdain for her rule.
It was a bad time to have to deal with the Euran Foreign Secretary.
‘Mr Rutherford.’ She couldn’t disguise the exhaustion in her voice, yawning slightly as she spoke.
‘Madam President.’ The Euran pulled up alongside her, staring out of a plate glass window, admiring the views of Varakoula. ‘I understand you wanted to push our meeting back.’
‘Yes. Just come back later tonight, we can discuss-‘
‘I think we should talk now. It will only take a moment.’ Nafuna made no effort to protest. She had learned by now that it was better to get these conversations out of the way sooner rather than later.

‘What is it then? Another betrayal? Or maybe some more humiliations to stack on top of me.’
‘Firstly, I do regret talking for you quite so much in the discussions, so you know.’ She was taken by surprise. Rutherford was not sentimental, and certainly not towards her, which made her suspicious of his motives. For once, she’d outthought one of her sponsors.
‘What do you want then?’
‘I-oh. You are learning.’ She looked up as he wiped his brow and realised she could see Rutherford in a way she never had before. He was old, late 50’s at youngest. Maybe I’ll look like that one day she thought to herself, glumly imagining her future as a democratic politician. Democratic! Ugh.
‘Spit it out.’
‘I think you will see the benefit of our interventions in the discussions on your behalf, absolutely. And I believe, after my officials and colleagues have spoken to several delegations, that we may have a way forward.’

An agreement? Already?
‘Are you sure? How has that happened so quickly?’
‘Oh, it’s nowhere near finalised yet – its all informal chatter. I think we are close though, and once this is agreed, we’re past the hard part. I need to warn you though of a concession made on your behalf, one you won’t like.’
She braced herself, wondering what fresh treason would be inflicted next.
‘The security solution for the elections and demobilisation will no longer be a solely Nepharan and Euran enterprise. We’re going to agree to a multinational peacekeeping task force, jointly run. Of course, we will form the biggest single components, and you can invite further Nepharan or Euran forces into the country at your leisure. You are the head of state after all. But there shouldn’t be any need for that with this deal. And, to be clear, it’s this peacekeeping aspect that keeps your opponent’s away from counting your ballots – and chucking them in the bin.’
In previous years, Nafuna might have lost her cool and all sense of proportion at this news. Now, she meekly nodded. The fire in her belly for today had been thoroughly expended by that call with the Central Military Commission.

‘Great. We’ll go ahead and propose that then. We also have a favour to ask you. Eura, I mean.’
‘Mmm. I suppose you’ve earned something. Go on?’
‘I’ll cut to the chase. We need a port.’ Nafuna raised her eyebrow inquisitively.
‘A port? Why?’
‘Because our biggest operational difficulty throughout this conflict has been maintaining our naval operations in the Xandrian Sea. Do you have any idea how taxing it is to field two nuclear aircraft carriers, with escorts, on constant patrol, rotating out for fresh vessels every few months? In general this area is a bit of a gap in our network of bases and stopping points. We need to resolve that, and have identified some decent candidate natural ports along the coastline. They’re not really deep enough, but we could do work to make them suitable.’
‘And this “port”,’ she asked, ‘would it still be the territory of Nyowani Kitara? Or is it another thing we must sacrifice?’
‘Of course, it will remain your sovereign territory. However, a lengthy lease to the Euran government would provide some insurance for us against any sudden regime changes and the like. I hope that is acceptable?’
‘I…maybe. I don’t know.’ She buried her face in her hands. ‘I will speak to the Central Military Commission and let you know.’ Rutherford could tell she’d reached the end of her tether, and thought it best to leave. ‘If it helps you win with the argument with them, you could point out that such a port would be a great launchpad to defend you from any attacks. Just a thought!’ Nafuna nodded in acknowledgement, and then saw the time; talks were back on. Sleep would have to wait.

‘The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs for Eura, Mr Carl Rutherford MP.’ Rutherford rose from his chair in the central negotiations room and rested his hands on the table, adjusting his microphone slightly so that he could more easily speak from a standing position.
It had been a long few days, and yet, for the first time, there seemed to be light at the end of the tunnel. After some potentially tricky negotiating Rutherford’s team and the Nepharans had managed to swing Yuezhou’s counterpart to himself, “clear the air” with Graintfjall’s deep state and brace Nafuna for the toughest to swallow part of the plan. Everything was now in place for real progress to be made.
With polite grace and his usual attention to detail, Rutherford worked through the plan for the other delegates in its various complexities, including the key proposal of a joint peacekeeping/security force that would give Nyowani Kitara’s neighbours the reassurances they desired in order to prevent this conflict going on any longer than required.

A clear timeline for the force was crucial, and though it was too early to be precise, a principle could at least set out. ‘Once elections are scheduled, the remit of the peacekeeping force would be set – to maintain security throughout the pre- and post-election periods, before staying in post for however long the demobilisation and disarming processes will take. Then, when that is complete, a drawdown will begin until all peacekeeping forces have departed the country.’ It was a solid plan, and although no-one was giving their views on it right away, Rutherford was pleased that at least no-one had heckled it.
When he reached the end of his explanation, he took a seat and waited for the first response. It came from the government of Tikariot. Foreign Minister Longobardo rose to his feet.
‘Here we go…’ muttered Green under her breath, just saw a few inches to Rutherford’s right.
Longobardo cleared his throat, and kept it short and sweet. ‘These proposals seem promising. We will consider them in further detail.’ Longobardo and Rutherford shared a respectful nod, the former taking his seat and allowing himself a moment away from the spotlight, while the latter beamed at Green. Progress was being made, and the path to a deal had become much clearer indeed.

OOC: For my next RP I’m thinking of writing up the actual text of a deal, so if anyone wants to suggest anything, let me know.

by **Cabo Azure** » Tue Jan 25, 2022 4:52 am

Sangti 0-2 Cabo Azure
Pos. Name 
GK   Antunes
LB   Branco (off 60')
RB   de Lima
CB   Mendes
CB   K. Brandão
RM   Ferreira
LM   Serra
CM   Alves
CF   Montenegro (goal 14')
LW   Silveira
RW   Dantas (off 60')

LB Costa (on 60')
RW Gouveia (on 60') (goal 78')
For once, a routine, comfortable win where the Maçaricas looked like a team of professional footballers representing their country. An early goal by Montenegro put Cabo Azure ahead and allowed them to settle into a rhythm which, while it wouldn't yield another goal until close to the death, also didn't allow Sangti any promising chances for the remainder of the first half and well into the second.

As the second half matured, however, Sangti began to grow increasingly bold in taking chances, and so Paulinho made a pair of tactical substitutions to ensure that Cabo Azure would continue to have fresh legs to ward off counterattacks. The choice proved fruitful as the on-again, off-again striker Vasco Gouveia proved to be very much on today, rattling a goal in to thundrous applause from the traveling Azurean fans.

That Cabo Azure's second win of qualifying should come against the same team as their first win, and in the first match of the back half of qualifying, belies how consistent this team has been, especially on the road against world-class opposition such as Banija and Brenecia. In the second half of qualifying, the Maçaricas will look to cash in on their solid play and earn a few more points in their hunt for a Cup of Harmony berth.

Cabo Azure 2-4 Banija
Pos. Name 
GK   Antunes
LB   Branco
RB   de Lima
CB   Mendes
CB   K. Brandão (goal 21')
RM   Ferreira (off 60')
LM   Serra
CM   Alves (off 60')
CF   Montenegro
LW   Silveira
RW   Carriço (goal 66') (off 79')

CM Maciel (on 60')
RM Barbosa (on 60')
RW Cardoso (on 79')
A tough loss against a superior opponent. The Serpent Eagles left nothing to chance against an opponent who held them to a 3-3 draw away on the second matchday of qualifying, and the result both paints a promising picture of the state of Azurean football and leaves no room for doubt as to how far we have still to go.

Despite the Banijans' composure, they were in for a surprise as Cabo Azure centerback Kevin Brandão opened the scoring by heading in a corner twenty minutes in. This led the Serpent Eagles to tighten their defense even more, however, and it would be well past halftime before Cabo Azure got a good look at goal. In the meantime, the Banijans executed their gameplan, scoring two before the half to take the lead.

After the Banijans converted a direct kick early in the second half, Paulinho apparently lost his patience with his midfield and substituted youth and vigor for experience, sending on Narciso Maciel and Lucas Barbosa to try and get something going. The plan backfired, however, as a key turnover by Maciel led to the Serpent Eagles' fourth goal soon after he came on.

It was the enigmatic Ademar Carriço who would put the Azureans on the scoreboard for the second and final time with an unexpected chip-shot from outside the area. Though both teams would test the keepers in the last half-hour of the match, Carriço's score would be the last and the 4-2 scoreline would hold. The Serpent Eagles avenged their high-scoring draw from earlier in qualifying, and the Maçaricas proved they can compete with the best, if not always get a result.

Requiem for a Queen, pt 4

In addition to the Portelos, who, discounting O Interregno, have ruled unbroken since the thirteenth century AD, Cabo Azure has a host of aristocratic families whose fortunes have waxed and waned over the centuries. Most noble houses trace their lineage to the Lords Commander, sworn Knights of St. Simon whom Sebastien di Portelo, the self-proclaimed first king of the Azurean Islands, gave charge of various islands. Over time, some of these families have become extinct, while others have given their holdings over to the state and become private citizens, but a few have kept their seats and their status.

One such family is the House of Silva, descendants of Diego Silva, one of Sebastien’s closest confidantes to whom he entrusted the island of Aho. From their seat at Villa Silva in the upscale Sao Simone neighborhood which bears its name, the Silvas have retained their wealth and clout throughout the centuries as rival houses have risen and fallen. Shrewd, long-term investments have become a hallmark of the Silva brand: Diego Silva Sao Simone International Airport, the only controlled airport in Cabo Azure, sits on land leased from the Silvas; and the Silvas were among the earliest investors in Zul, the Azurean telecommunications monopoly.

Another investment by the Silvas that has paid off is the close relationship shared between Esteban Silva, current patriarch of the Silva family, and Queen Abigail. Esteban’s sister Martina was a playmate of then-Princess Abigail when both were young girls in the 1960s. Despite their residence in Sao Simone, considered the heart of republican sentiment, the Silvas were staunch royalists at the forefront of the resistance to Queen Abigail’s older half-brother, the tyrannical King Reinaldo II.

Esteban was originally thought to be a suitor to the young Princess, but his coming out at a young age squashed those dreams. He and Abby maintained their playful, sometimes spirited friendship throughout their adolescence, trading letters and visiting each other during holidays. They kept in contact even while Abby started attending Maritime incognito, with Esteban being one of the few to know her true whereabouts in those days.

For his part, Esteban came up in the business world, graduating Maritime in 1978, the year before the coup, and pursuing his MBA abroad. Despite being obese most of his life and insisting on dressing and acting flamboyant at all times, Silva became known as a ruthless negotiator and businessman, taking over the chairmanship of Villa Silva football club in 1982, followed by the airport commission in 1985 and a seat on the board of the Sao Simone Port Authority in 1988. He was not himself considered part of the Maritime Mafia, but his longtime partner Gabriel Perez taught economics alongside Victor de la Cruz.

by **Acastanha** » Tue Jan 25, 2022 6:25 am

Still At Third

Acastanha start the second half of World Cup Qualifying Round with a great result. They are securing 6 points from 2 winnings. Their second match against Talamia was a clear fight. Acastanha ensure that they want to revenge from their lost in the first half. And the luck is with them. Although Talamia secured 1 goal but 2 goals from Yushankar ensure Acastanhada victory.

Their 9th match was against Melbergia. They won by a single goal from Ivan Gutna. The result is also better than their first meeting where their match ended in goaless draw. With 6 additional points, they are stay strong in the 3rd place. And now they are only 2 points less than Huayramarca, the 2nd place. Their next match is crucial as they will meet Krytenia.
Of course we want a win. But we also have to be cautious with both teams. Although Krytenia is now 4th, but we all know they are a better team than us. And Sannyamathland, although we defeat them before but I think they will become more careful this time. But all in all, I have a faith in my boys. Whatever the result will be, I'm still proud of them."

- Jorge Garbano
Acastanha NT Manager

For the next 2 matches, they will be playing away matches. These facts makes their matches harder. As host, Krytenia and Sannyamathland got more support from their fans.
"Wherever it will be, we will always support our national team. For the next matches, we have confirm some 3,000 supporters will go to Krytenia and Sannyamathland. It maybe not much but our support are always with them."

- David Wiskande
Chief of Arrarad (The Red Arrow)
Acastanha Official Fans Club

by **HUElavia** » Tue Jan 25, 2022 7:26 am

United States of Great America 2-5 HUElavia
(REDACTED 42', 61' | Braz-Bittencourt 1', 32', Ferreiro 38', Rego 81', Valentinovna 90+3')

HUElavia 4-2 TJUN-ia
(Fonseca-Mantovani 7', 42', 73', Sol 90' | Green 22', Pique 81')
(Estadio Nacional, Curumba, HUElavia)

HUElavia 4-3 Aut-Ves-Nat
(Nazario 9', Chanca 50, 73', Uzochukwu 90+1' | Crockett 40', Stanley 62', Manihar 83')
(Estadio da Selva, Natel, HUElavia)

United Adaikes 2-3 HUElavia
(Maddox 35', Lane 78' | Regnard 20', Sergeyevna 69', Yom 88')

XI vs Ranoria:
Lettmann, Mitarte, Coentrao, Pujals, Vogt, Doisneau, Fonseca-Mantovani (C), Yamane, Torrisi, Sol, Nascimento

XI at Darkmania:
Casillas, Regnard, Pillpe, Uzochukwu, Larrangoz, Font, Nazario, Castilho, Leupold, Wu, Carreiro

A Chef's Voyage

Sense of Taste in San Rafael

"Hi, my name's Antoine Brousseau. For several years, I've been a chef for many years, working in various restaurants throughout HUElavia. The sights and smells of cuisine have been a part of my life since I was very young. But now, it's time for a new change in my life. It's time to travel throughout the country and sample the various dishes this country has to offer. I don't know what's ahead for me, but I got the appetite to find out. This is A Chef's Voyage."

On this coastline that is the deepest inwards towards HUElavia, lies one of the most important and iconic cities of HUElavia: San Rafael. Located in the state of Malinia, this bustling city of over 21.1 million inhabitants, makes it the 3rd largest city in HUElavia. Not to mention, San Rafael is the cultural capital of the Astellian culture and the Spanish Language in HUElavia, the 2nd largest group of the country. Astellia came here centuries ago looking to expand their empire, setting up San Rafael as their main base, coming to meet and subjugate the Hueti. With mediation by the Catholic Church, much like the Portuzians, the Astellians ultimately had to treat them as equals, and ultimately helped set up a society within the city. Eventually, San Rafael was the capital city of East HUElavia, before it merged with West HUElavia to end up being an influential city in the country. Today, San Rafael is filled with its mix of Modern Architecture with Astellian designs, as the city has ultimately decided, much like Sao Salvador, to keep the designs of their colonial predecessors. Today, I'm here to try out the popular dishes of this historic city.

One thing San Rafael is known for is their abundance of food. The city is one of the most popular cities for foodies to visit, and thus, there's a variety of restaurants and street food to enjoy when going around the city, enjoying the variety of cultural landmarks and nature spots. While on my way to visit these landmarks, I'd figure I would enjoy one of the most popular street foods in the city: Empanadas. A traditional dish from Astellia, this turnover pastry is used as an appetizer or main dish, which can make for some enjoyable food to eat. I got a solid variety of flavors to try: Beef, Chicken, and Ham & Cheese. First up, the Beef. *Takes bite* Mmmm, so great! It's salty and savory, you can taste the meaty flavor of the beef, along with the onions, garlic, and bell peppers. All those things add a real kick to the taste of the empanada. Next up, the Chicken. *Takes Bite* Mmmmm, very good! The chicken is nice, with the bell peppers, onion, and garlic being in the mix, its made a nice orange-red sauce that covers the chicken to have a tangy, savory taste to it. Finally, the Ham and Cheese. *Takes bite* Oooofff, this is very good. The cheese in here is melted from being baked, and it has a soft, creamy taste when it hits your tongue, while the ham chunks is salty and savory as well, feels more like a fast food than an actual dish like the other two versions. Regardless, as simple as it is, this one can be a really great guilty pleasure of a dish to eat.

I wander around the city, seeing museums dedicated to the history of Astellian culture, as well as the spread of the Spanish language throughout the land. On top of that, there's one dedicated to the many famous HUElavians who were of Astellian origin, as well as Mestizo (with Hueti mixing) and Castizo HUElavians. On top of that, there were plenty of parks around the city, with busts of various famous people who were from San Rafael. The largest church of the city, Iglesia Catolica de San Rafael, was another big spot in the center of the city. The church would fill up for mass, while there were constant visitors coming in and out, paying respects and such. In fact, the church is a popular location among sick and disabled HUElavians where they come to pray for their ailments to improve, go away or for a long life. Of course, I dedicate my time to pay my respects and enjoy the beautiful architecture of the church before going along my day.

After a long trip visiting locations in the city, it's time for a nice evening meal. Tonight, I visit Rincon de Rafael, one of the oldest restaurants in the city and the country, where they serve traditional Astellian dishes. The dish I'm having is a very popular one throughout the country: Cocido Madrileno. A hearty stew filled with chickpea, potatoes, cabbage, and carrots. Along with that, you have chorizo and pork, and ham as the meat of the dish. Time to dig in! *Slurps and bites* Mmmmm, so delicious... Ooohhh, this is great! The chickpea and chorizo make a savory and hearty taste, and the vegetables are a nice touch to it. The ham makes it salty a bit, but it really is a nice blend of ingredients to make this stew. In general, this is some great stuff to try when out in the cold. After a hearty meal, it's time to return back to the hotel, to fall into a food coma from how delicious and fulfilling the stew was.

Before leaving the city, one cannot exit without taking a moment to enjoy the fantastic Pastelitos of the city. An assortment of Cream Cheese, Guava, Beef and Coconut is a must-have for anyone with a sweet tooth. *Takes several bites* Mmmmm, they're all great! The beef has a sweet and savory taste that's similar to the beef empanada and it feels very flaky to have. The cheese is very sweet and sugary with the toppings, while having a creamy taste to it. The guava is sweet and has a mild taste to it, which can get addictive when eating it. Finally, the coconut is sweet and has the flaky taste that feels great to have with each bite and it's an underrated pastry to have.

San Rafael is a very beautiful city, filled with hard-working, proud, religious folks who have a passion for the culinary arts. Very solid foods to have where they have a mix of tradition and modernism.

Join me next time as I travel to Gikoji to try the Arican influenced dishes of the Ibo-HUElavian people, a small population that have their own mix in the HUElavian culture and cuisine.

by **Alezian Union** » Tue Jan 25, 2022 7:46 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 **Garifunya** » Tue Jan 25, 2022 8:07 am

Frederykvil, Garifunya

Immanuel Prins, President of the Republic, sat in the Presidential Palace, thinking. It was the last year of his presidential term, and although he was eligible to run for re-election, it was no sure thing. How had it come to this? The days after the revolution had been so hopeful. The equality of the people, the restoration of democracy, and the opening of relations with the world. That had been the plan, anyway. The people and two-thirds of the military were on Prins' side, but they still had to fight a bloody and brief civil war. They had fought battles in the streets of Frederykvil, Mytelbeerg and Vrijport, and then an insurgency raged for more than 100 days. After the end of the civil war, trials of the major players had gone off as scheduled, a constitutional convention and then the people had approved a new constitution, even as protests had urged the constitutional process to begin earlier. Prins had been elected president and had secured a co-operative majority in Parliament.

The new government had achieved so much: anti-corruption laws, public works programs, reductions in the unemployment rate, the introduction of a fair minimum wage, the legalization of abortion, the creation of a vice-president (and in doing so, the solidifying of an alliance with the Social Democrats). They had begun the process of rebuilding Garifunya after so much mismanagement and outright theft by Gillaat and his cronies. But things had stalled out when public safety had become the issue of the day. Under Gillaat, restricted trade, corruption, and cronyism limited the ability of many law-abiding Garifunyans to obtain what they needed for survival, leading to a great black market sprung up. While his jobs programs and less corruption had made it easier for people to purchase basic necessities, the black market still thrived in the area of weapons. Weapons continued to seep into the country, and that and a dangerous anti-Latino immigrant sentiment had culminated in an attack on a Latino neighborhood and the death of three men. His government had brought back the Jandaams, the national police force, with a limited focus on drugs, guns, and gangs, as well as banning many forms of guns and investing in social workers to try to address root causes of violence. But the nation had almost seen street battles over the re-introduction of the Jandaams and the anti-immigrant violence.

He'd thought things would calm down when they captured many of the perpetrators of the attack on the Latino neighborhood. The men were tried and duly convicted, but it hadn't seemed to quell the violence. The men had links to popular football teams' supporter groups, or as some would call them, ultras or hooligans. Taunting at games between FC Frederykvil and Eendracht Garifunya, already an issue, became even more barbed, and these supporter groups clashed. Isolated incidents of anti-Latino violence had continued, and the Communist Party had expanded their own militia, Wouj Krijgers (Red Warriors) to establish themselves as the "official protectors of our Latino brothers and sisters", despite the fact that this was supposed to be the job of local police and if necessary, Jandaams. WK had clashed with police officers and Jandaams at the same time that the National Party, led by Prins' intractable foe Arjan Staal, had established Buurtwachtgroepen (Neighborhood Watch Groups), which were supposed to police the Jandaams and "protect public safety where our government is failing". The BWGs had come to blows with the Jandaams on occasion, and WK had fought them as well, accusing them of anti-immigrant and anti-leftist sentiments. Parliament increased public spending on police and Jandaams, leading to cutbacks in the job program, over leftist and even some Social Democratic opposition. Prins had tried to breach the gap by proposing new spending on education and training programs, but this was watered down.

He faced opposition from every direction. The left was furious with him for not being more aggressive on land and wealth inequality, and for cutting back on public jobs. The right hated him no matter what, but the whole Jandaams situation had become a flashpoint of opposition. Both the Nationals and the Patriotic Union, the Gilaatist right, had stepped up their attacks and both implied that if a rightist president and Parliament was not elected in the upcoming elections, then public safety would be at risk and massive resistance to the government might become necessary. He faced militias of the left and right, hooliganism, anti-immigrant violence, a public desperate for safety but fearful of returning to the Jandaams' excesses of the Gillaat years, and an economy that had rallied initially, but slumped recently. Even in his own coalition there were disagreements. The Social Democrats had put up with the increased law enforcement spending, but had made it clear that to continue the coalition, they would need more safety-net investment. Meanwhile, those on the right of Democratic Revival were threatening to withhold their votes if taxes weren't cut on businesses and the next government focused on education instead of more expensive direct investment. Since Simone Lunenborg continued to be his Vice-President, the Social Democrat vote would get him into the second round at least. But if things were desperate enough, he could slip in the second round.

He needed a plan to win the people to his side, to calm their fears, and to inspire them to better things. And there was only one man who could do it: Francois, his old advisor. He picked up the phone.

by **Tumbra** » Tue Jan 25, 2022 10:28 am

Adab 3-2 Tumbra

TMB (4-2-3-1):1 - John Lennon; 2 - Ryan Hughes (25 - Neal Diamond, 66'), 4 - Harry Henderson, 5 - Ian Ashburn, 3 - Nigel Harris; 6 - Vincent Hicks (23 - Andrew Fisher, 75'), 15 - Trudy Harrison, 10 - Phil Cole; 7 - George Hilton; 9 - Robin Vaughn; 11 - Nick Riordan (22 - Nigel Erskine, 85')

Scorers: George Hilton (23'), Nick Riordan (47')

Player of the Match: Kastiliasu Akaptaha (ADB)
Starblaydia 0-1 Tumbra

TMB (4-2-3-1):1 - John Lennon; 2 - Ryan Hughes, 4 - Harry Henderson, 14 - Stephen Kerr, 3 - Nigel Harris (27 - Mike Sheppard, 65'); 6 - Vincent Hicks (23 - Andrew Fisher, 79'), 15 - Trudy Harrison, 10 - Phil Cole; 7 - George Hilton (30 - Valerie Wells, 82'), 9 - Robin Vaughn; 11 - Nick Riordan

Scorers: Phil Cole (90'+1')

Player of the Match: Phil Cole (TMB)

PREVIOUSLY ON DEFENDER MEETS MIDFIELDER
Stephen and Trudy watch a movie together, and the conversation they've been fleet-footing around forever finally happens. Who will crack first, and finally tell the other about their feelings for them?

Link to arc home
defender meets midfielder: season 5, part 6
in other words...

"...I love you, Stephen Kerr."

"What?"

Trudy's face rapidly went red, as if she couldn't believe what she'd just said. That, or she was getting mad at Stephen for not hearing what she'd said properly. A punch on the arm confirmed it was the latter.

"I said what I said, idiot!"

"No, no, say that again. I-ah-"

Did she really just say it? Am I hallucinating or did she really just admit to me that she loves me?

YOU ARE SO FUCKING ANNOYING

"I..." She sat up and looked away, embarrassed by the words she was about to say. Steeling herself, she looked Stephen straight in the eyes; and repeated the words slowly, letting each one linger, as if to drive home the message. And after that, she sank back into the sofa, defeated, but with a curious look of expectation on her face.

The walls were broken, the waves of emotion came rushing through, a tsunami of thoughts racing through the mind of Stephen Kerr. Here was the girl he liked — no, loved — telling him that she, too, loved him — all the questions, answered, all the doubts he'd had, cleared, all the thoughts, gone, safe and secure in the knowledge that yes, the girl he loved did love him back — and all he could say in the moment, looking at her expectant face and hopeful eyes, hoping that she hadn't read the situation wrongly, was...

"Really?"

He was still stuck in the mirage of thoughts, unable to react to the pillow that was thrown into his face by the girl sitting on the other edge of the sofa, then the girl climbing over the sofa, storming off to her room...

...but his instincts took over.

"Hold-wait-no-don't-Trudy-I-I-I-I love you too. I l-love you. So much. I really do," he stuttered, clambering over the sofa and trying to reach her before she reached her room.

She turned back, a smirk forming on her face. Her smile widened as she turned back towards him, and slowly, surely...

"What?" was the reply, her quiver in her voice contrasting with the biting sarcasm that she'd just said. "Could you say that again? I didn't quite catch it."

Stephen gulped, palms sweaty, as the words emerged from his mouth, clearer this time, and slower. The smirk grew into a genuine smile, and she bounded forward and embraced him, burying her face into his chest. Taken aback, he didn't respond verbally; and whatever words she was saying, if any, were lost to him; all he could do as he put his arms around her was try and isolate one of the thoughts, running through his head — that the girl he loved was in love with him, and now she knew that he did love her — and all he could do was close his eyes, feel Trudy's long embrace on him, live in the moment — before she gently withdrew from it, smiled at him, and glided through her door.

Alone again in his house, all Stephen could do was slowly move through the motions of getting ready for bed.

Though sleep wouldn't come.

The moment Trudy Harrison returned to consciousness, the bright rays of sunshine peering through her window, her heart beat returned to the frantic pace it'd been when she said the words to Stephen. She hadn't imagined the events of last night, right? She'd watched a movie with Stephen, and then, in the heat of the moment, they'd drawn close together, and they'd finally spilled their feelings towards each other. And finally, finally, she'd gotten the answer that she wanted to hear, the official confirmation of what she'd come round to realise since that night in the park with Leysa — that yes, Stephen Kerr was in love with her. And all it took was for her to confess first, because she'd grown tired of the charade of waiting, and because waiting for Stephen to confess would be like waiting for her to be accepted by her fam—

That had happened, right? It wasn't some crazy dream that her brain had concocted up. She checked her phone, her message history betraying nothing. She hadn't messaged anyone about the events of yesterday. Not Ami, not Leysa, not Lynne, nobody. Apparently she'd fallen asleep really quickly last night. Either that, or she hadn't thought of messaging them before she fell asleep. Huh. Maybe it did happen.

After changing from her sleeping clothes, she gingerly peered outside the door, looking for any signs of life. None, but there was a gentle sizzling coming from the general direction of the kitchen. Plus pancakes. The smell of pancakes...it was too much to resist. She walked out of the room, trying to act like everything was normal, and turned the corner to see Stephen in the kitchen, saying nothing and fully focused on the pancakes.

Okay. Gotta act natural. Gotta act like nothing happened and see whether he does anything.

She made a big show of yawning and stretching as she walked into the kitchen, getting Stephen to react to her. A huge smile followed, before he set the last pancake on the plates he'd prepared for the two of them — and then put the pan down, walked straight to her, and kissed her on the forehead.

"Morning, sleepyhead," he mumbled. "I made pancakes for us. Didn't have a waffle iron, unfortunately."

Okay, I'm not dreaming, I definitely felt that kiss. Wait, did he just — okay, don't act like anything strange happened

"Morning..." she mumbled back. "Man, last night was wild, huh? I can't remember...a lot of things."

Stephen's face dropped, the smile disappearing from his face. "O-oh..."

"Did we really both confess to each other? I..."

"Yeah. Yeah, we did," Stephen gulped, sitting down at the table. "You've not...changed your mind, right?"

"Nah. I just wanted to make sure that it actually happened, and that it wasn't some...dream. But...just to make sure..."

Stephen laughed. "No, Trudy, it wasn't a dream. I do love you," he shyly said, avoiding her gaze, cheeks turning red. "You...you do, too, right?" A hint of panic entered his voice.

"Yeah. Of course, Stephen. I love you."

The visible relaxation on Stephen's face caused a giggle to inadvertently escape from Trudy, which made Stephen very cross for a moment; but they soon laughed it off. They spent the rest of the meal in silence, stealing glimpses at each other; and genuinely, for the first time in a long, long while, both of them were fully honest with what they felt. It was...refreshing; a weight had been lifted off their backs, and now things were...perfect.

Whew. So it...was true, after all.

But what now?

Stephen's Car

"Okay. So. When did you, y'know..."

"Fall for you? I don't know. I guess the first time I really realised it was during..."

"...the CFF session with the Reds?"

"Yeah."

"Explains you freezing up when you tried to hand that orange soda over to me."

"Don't remind me. God. But I think the first time I really looked at you differently was...actually, I'm not really sure. I don't know when I fell for you."

"Typical."

"Hey!"

"Me in the black dress during the World Cup opening ceremony. The two of us after Lhor. Winning the Di Bradini Cup. Winning the Under-18 World Cup. You mean to say you didn't feel anything, anything at all?"

"...Not really. What about you, then? When did you realise that you were..."

"In love with you? Really, not that long ago. A few months ago, before the Wirr Tsi game, I talked to Leysa. She drove down, we had a chat...and she helped me through it."

"...Ouch."

"I'm not finished! Well, that was when I properly realised I had, well, feelings for you. When I thought more about it, though..." Her voice trailed off.

"...Yeah?"

"The first time we met, properly, I had you marked out as something special. Someone...different. Most of the boys didn't give a shit about our existence back then. Some even questioned us. We were ignored. You..."

"Mm-hm?"

"You were the first person who cared. Really, truly cared. That day in Kven? When you properly walked into my life outside of any football context? I was snippy, I was rude...but I kept thinking about it. Kept thinking about you. And I knew you were someone worth my time. So. From the very, very first time we met. I didn't know it then, but here we are. With each other."

"Damn. That's...that's...wish I could answer more. My answer just sounds dumb in comparison."

"Don't sweat it, Stephen. It's okay. As long as we both know we're in love with each other, everything will be fine. Or I hope it'll be, anyway."

"So long as we're here for each other? We will be." He brought the car to a gentle stop, pulled the handbrake, leant over — and kissed her on the forehead, again. "It'll all be fine," he murmured. "You go up first. Gotta bring up some stuff from the car."

They were next to each other again, on the same couch where they'd confessed their love to each other. Trudy was leaning on Stephen's chest, Stephen running his hands through Trudy's hair, playing with it; both watching the sun set over another day in Chromia. They'd said remarkably little to each other across the day; but words weren't needed. They understood.

But there were still some things that needed to be said.

"So...we've got to make some choices."

"Yeah?"

"We both want to keep this going."

"Mm-hm," Trudy said, adjusting to make herself more comfortable.

"What if the world finds out?"

"Then we'll face it together, Stephen. You and me."

"But I like it this way. Just the two of us."

"Mmmm...then we'll just have to keep things on the down low. Then we can keep it that way until one day we decide to go public."

"Sounds...sounds like a plan. And life will go on as normal. Except..."

"Except?"

"Except you're free to come sleep in the same bed as me now. If you want to, of course."

"Gross."

Scarcely three nights had passed, however, before Trudy awoke from a bad dream she was having, walked over to Stephen's bed in the other room and collapsed into it.

She didn't return to her bed the next night.

Or the one after that.

Tumbra vs Alezian Union and Flavovespia vs Tumbra - World Cup 90 Qualification
Goalkeepers: 1 - 1 - John Lennon [Lakewood City], 12 - Nick Barker [FC Inter Nantwich], 13 - Frank Johnson [Abingdon Celtic, TLI]
Defenders: 2 - Ryan Hughes [Lakewood City], 3 - Nigel Harris [Lakewood United], 4 - Harry Henderson [Aleiuisia Capital, ZRH], 5 - Ian Ashburn [Lakewood City], 14 - Stephen Kerr [Chromatik, CMT], 18 - Michael Campbell [Straton FC], 19 - Chris Carter [Lakewood City], 26 - Raymond Perry [Serrapince FC]
Midfielders: 6 - Vincent Hicks [FK Metropola Borograd, STL], 8 - Craig McGrath [Serrapince FC], 10 - Phil Cole [Osarese Marcadia], 15 - Trudy Harrison [Chromatik, CMT], 23 - Andrew Fisher [FC Inter Nantwich], 38 - Leo Hooper [Myana, CMT]
Wingers: 7 - George Hilton [Serrapince FC], 9 - Robin Vaughn [Lakewood City], 21 - Lynne Crossley [Strathcona Internationals, KSK], 30 - Valerie Wells [Swanguard Athletic, QUE]
Strikers: 11 - Nick Riordan [Serrapince FC], 22 - Nigel Erskine [Anomalies, CMT]

by **Sarzonia** » Tue Jan 25, 2022 10:59 am

The words may not have specifically said so, but Sarzonian national football team manager Nathan Hanifer knew the subtext.

Hanifer knew he needed to do something to save his job. Middling results, even though one of his team's defeats came at the hands of No. 1 ranked defending runners up The Holy Empire and the away match against arguably the best team in the multiverse was up next on the team's schedule, would be unacceptable. The home matchup against Mytanija also loomed directly behind their match against The Holy Empire, so Hanifer knew he had to do something. Get a signature result. Something. Sure, an away result against the Pot 2 team Mytanija was a strong result in the early stretches of qualifying, but even that result didn't move the needle in the eyes of some of Hanifer's critics.

The opening match of the second half of World Cup 90 qualifying was that signature result. It moved the fucking needle, and how. Sarzonia went into the Dreamed Realm and knocked off The Holy Empire. The 73rd ranked team in the multiverse went into hostile territory against a team that has aspirations of winning a World Cup, and has won several in the history of the competition and became the first team in this World Cup qualifying cycle to defeat The Holy Empire, winning it 2-1 thanks to a laser of a free kick off the right boot of Jake Campos in the 53rd minute and a thunderous volley from Holly Cambrio in the 69th that gave the team a nice 2-0 lead. Zorander Wolf would poach a goal in the second minute of stoppage time to prevent the Stars from notching a stunning shutout, but the final blasts of whistle from the Vdaran referee sent the away kit-wearing Stars into celebration.

Hanifer's celebration on the pitch and in the away team's dressing room may have been muted, but that was until he'd gotten a text from Joelle Crosby, arguably his harshest critic on the Board of Governors that simply said, "Nice work, Nathan. Guess you're not going anywhere." Even a 2-1 defeat at Dave Wilson Stadium to the Mytanars where only a Clayton Wilson penalty prevented the Mytanars from shutting out the Stars with Trent Woodson in goal didn't quell the enthusiasm. Hanifer had his signature victory. And boy was it a signature result. The Holy Empire would likely wrap up the Group 18 crown before very long. The Mytanars were two points behind The Holy Empire and were favoured to at least earn the playoff spot from the group. But the Stars had away victories against both teams in this cycle, and even if those results didn't send the Stars through to the proper, they sent a message that Sarzonia was once again a team not to be trifled with.

by **Audioslavia** » Tue Jan 25, 2022 11:02 am

“I’m not the type of person to blow up the moon” said Archer Flat, “but if I were, I think I’d do it with honey”
Obadele removed his headphones and looked across at Archer. Archer was reclined in his window seat, slumped towards it, staring out across the sky. Far below them, the greyish-green waters of the Sea of Champions rolled by, illuminated only by the glow of a big proud moon.
“I didn’t hear you. What’s the plan this time?”
“Blowing up the moon” said Archer, turning towards Obadele, the moonlight shining brightly enough to illuminate his right ear to the same hue of that of a dull blood-orange. “With honey”
“Okay” said Obadele, putting his headphones on his lap. He folded his arms, gave Archer an amused smile, and said “go on”. Always the best tactic when Archer is talking. Just let him tire himself out. Same went for if you ever found yourself in a fight with him. Archer stroked his chin for a second.
“You don’t want to do it with nukes or anything like that. Pressure. Drill a tiny hole to the centre, drip some honey down. It’s not like there’s any air pressure to contend with, so that shouldn’t be a problem. Just make sure the pressure of the honey is bigger than the… the force of honey trying to escape the moon. After a while, the pressure gets too much, and the moon… cracks?”
“I don’t think..” Obadele started
“Okay not exactly like that. But that’s the general plan. You fill the moon with something until it bursts”
“Why honey”
“I like the idea of putting billions of bees to work in space”
“What would they eat?” asked Obadele
“Pollen. You’d carry that up in rockets”
“Why not just flowers?. Big greenhouses”
“Nah I don’t want the place looking pretty” said Archer, waving a hand. Obadele nodded and made a face.
“If you put too much honey in, the moon would get too heavy and fall into the earth”
“Nah it wouldn’t. It’d get too heavy and fly away”
“What? No. No it’s gravity isn’t it? Make something heavier and it’s harder to keep up in the air”
“Nah mate it’s orbits” said Archer. “Make something heavier, there’s more inertia, and so it wants to keep going more instead of curving” he said, demonstrating his hypothesis with a balled fist and a peanut, which he promptly threw into his mouth for a second, before spitting pellets of it out during the phrase “that’s physics, that is”
In front of the pairing, Yuriyorkis Stelea had been trying his hardest to suppress a loud sigh, but realised if he didn’t do one now, he might accidentally murder both of them.

—

Cathair Crossport was a ridiculous airport to arrive into. Aeroplanes landed a 5 minute bus journey away from the arrivals section, and after that there was a full eight-minute walk to passport control. After that, and waiting for your luggage, the architect had still decided you needed to double-back on yourself down a new hallway in order to get out of the building.
“Annoying, isn’t he?” came a voice behind Yuriyorkis. He turned to see the wry smile of Obadele Volonte behind him.
“Aye, just a bit” said Yuriyorkis. Up ahead of the two of them, Archer Flat was rounding the corner towards passport control. “I mean, aside from always trying to get off the plane while its taxiing”
“It’s all an affectation” said Obadele, nodding. “Archer looks like a Bond villain, so he acts like it. There’s no harm in it. Unless he ever does cause a plane to depressurise at thirty thousand feet”
“Why does he look like that?” Asked Yuriyorkis.
“Some people are just odd looking” said Obadele. “Shaved ginger hair, white as a fridge, big angry red scar across his face, he’s certainly one of them. Best to have on the inside of the tent pissing out, though”
“Huh” grunted Yoriyorkis. “I suppose so?”
“You’re his team-mate and you find him annoying. Imagine how opposing teams feel”
“Don’t have to” said Yuriyorkis. “We play Shamrock twice a season at least”
“Us too” said Obadele. “He winds up the strikers something rotten. Just rise above it”
“Man” said Yuriyorkis. “You have to share the same city as him too”
“I mean, it’s Cathair” said Obadele, “Shamrock are miles away on the other side. How long does it take to drive there? Across the bridge, through the Catharan traffic? Two hours? More? He may as well be in space. I can get to your ground quicker than I can get to theirs”
“I never thought of it like that” said Yuriyorkis. “Never really been to Cathair”
The pair showed their passports and nodded to the guy behind the glass, who looked like he was trying to build a moustache through collecting various lengths of other people’s discarded hairs rather than grow his own.
“What do you mean you’ve never been to Cathair?”
“I mean, we go to play you lot, or 1830 or Shamrock, and it’s a coach ride along one of the big roads, then usually a couple of those big helicopters”
“Man, it’s such a shame everyone stopped coming to Caza on the bus. La Carpeta Roja was the greatest thing ever, growing up”
“Did you really try to board the bus and set fire to the players”
“Kind of? I mean, that’s the thing, right? A group of mad Caza fans fifty years ago said they were going to harass the bus, kid on that they were going to break in and set fire to everyone, and within weeks there’s thousands of Caza fans doing the same thing. I reckon most of them knew you were just there to intimidate, not to actually cause harm, but as time went on and more generations joined in, you can’t be sure how many of them weren’t actually trying to burn the opposition. That’s what made it so scary.”
“Yeah.. yeah nah I’m glad we’ve got the helicopters these days”
“Trust me, one day you’ll see a mad Cazador on a ladder with a bag of stones and a slingshot”
“No that already happens”
“Yeah” said Obadele. I fuckin love my club. But you’ve really never been to Cathair? I mean, Audioslavia, we play there”
“Bus. Helicopter. Hotel. Training. Hotel. Pitch. Play. Media. Helicopter. Bus. Out. Doesn’t matter if it’s with Itzi or the national team, it’s the same thing. I don’t know anything about Cathair”
“Well” said Obadele. “Stick around with me, mate. Next time we’re in the capital, I’ll take you to see the sights”
“Like we’ll be allowed” said Yuriyorkis, shaking his head.
“We will” said Obadele. “You’re forgetting who our boss is”

by **Farfadillis** » Tue Jan 25, 2022 12:23 pm

A nondescript man sits down to watch television in a nondescript country. He grabs the remote and click. It’s time to watch his favorite show. It helps remind him that life could be a lot worse: he could’ve been an inessential part of a World Cup-winning team. That is to say, it is time to watch…

The show that makes your childhood dream seem unappealing!

A compilation of various embarrassing moments from World Cup-winning players throughout history plays out as an intro. Farves appear to be overrepresented in it, considering they’ve won the World Cup a grand total of once. A huge disclaimer saying “BROUGHT TO YOU BY ALEX TERÁN TV” appears at the end and lingers for a good fifteen seconds.

As usual, the show is quick to get down to business. “Berrëngüé Lé Méjî is not a name known to many.” The narrator opens the way he usually does, only changing the name of the player for each episode. “If you ask about him in the Rulandese coast, in most cases he’ll elicit a few seconds of head-scratching before a satisfied nod. If the person is not a die-hard Rülândéá Kôstä fan, they’ll pat themselves on the back for their impeccable memory. If you ask about him in Banija, one in thirty times you’ll come across someone football-crazed enough to remember him. In that case ‘Yeah, he was kinda decent, one of the better players in a bad team,’ or something to that effect, is all they’ll have to say about him. With some luck, you’ll come across a fan of said bad team, Capitol City FC. In that case, they’ll have plenty more to say about him. Still, a fan favorite for a third-tier Banijan club is hardly what you expect from someone who’s held the most coveted trophy in the Multiverse in his hands.”

A compilation of Lé Méjî’s best moments plays out while the narrator describes him and his trajectory. “Starting out at Rülândéá Kôstä, Lé Méjî broke into the first team after Vínseslâdís Wìjìnì, the very same Vínseslâdís Wìjìnì that started ahead of him throughout World Cup 84, left for Dí Maozöxê. There, he impressed. A young talent, impetuous. He had the skill needed to make it in the Farf Freitball Ligá. With the Farf league no longer what it once was, Lé Méjî had no trouble putting in respectable performances for a mid-table club. When World Cup 84 rolled around, la Vherdeorja manager Ichi Tuzzio faced a conundrum: his team lacked depth, to a worrying degree. In a fit of desperation, he was forced to call up three players who were, at best, just regularly good-ish while playing for mid-table Farf clubs: Liberté Salogadó, Lancelot Mojica and, finally, our very own Berrëngüé Lé Méjî.” The camera pans to the Rulandese. He’s sitting across Alex Terán, who has decided to act as the interviewer for the first episode of what he believes will be the next big hit in international television. They both speak English as if they were native speakers—Farves can become native-like in any language within a month of constant exposure to it—though they both have distinct accents: Terán sounds Apoxian, while Lé Méjî sounds Banijan. Unsurprising, considering their playing careers.

“You know, I had an illustrious playing career. I was world-class, could’ve walked into any team in the Multiverse, to say nothing of how I was, easily, in the top 1% of footballers in terms of looks.” Alex isn’t exactly known for his humility. “For all my various, impressive accomplishments, however, I still don’t know how much it weighs. You do. Tell us, then: how much does it weigh?”

“I, uh, I don’t know, actually.” Lé Méjî answers before beginning a coughing feat. “Sorry, sorry.” He says with a raspy voice. “But no, I don’t know how much it weighs. Baldomero wouldn’t let me hold it, saying I hadn’t earned the privilege. I didn’t want to kick up a fuss. Not really my style.”

“Huh, that does sound like something he would do,” Terán responds, somewhat surprised. “Tough but fair, I guess.” This is followed by an awkward silence. “Ok, so… World Cup 84, then. What was it like?”

“Great. We won. Didn’t get to play much, but hey, still helped write history, you know.” Lé Méjî says as he shrugs. Lé Méjî’s full participation in World Cup 84 interrupts the interview. It is displayed with no interruptions. He gets subbed in against HUElavia in what is supposed to be a dead rubber game for la Vherderoja. He misplaces five passes in as many minutes. He commits a silly foul. Dandalleion, at wit’s end, audibly insults his mother. He gets subbed off. We return to the interview.

“I take it you were an important presence in the locker room?” Alex asks, dismissively.

“Yes, actually. I consider myself to have been a bit of an unsung hero. You know how the FFFF always booked the worst hotels?” He asks.

Alex Terán, President-for-life of the FFFF since before World Cup 84, raises an eyebrow. “From what I’ve heard, the FFFF only books the best hotels for la Vherderoja, and does so with plenty of time to spare.”

“What? No.” Lé Méjî stares at him, confused. He seems almost offended at the insinuation that the FFFF had done anything correctly during his short stint with the national team.

Alex Terán turns to the cameraman. “We’ll be cutting out this part, ok?” Lé Méjî does not seem to react to this. The interview appears to jump forward a few minutes. Lé Méjî seems bored. The light in his eyes appears to have been long snuffed out. This is just what is left of whoever he used to be.

“Wow, that was actually a fascinating story,” Alex remarks. He seems genuine. “This is exactly the kind of story we want to show to the Multiverse. This is great television.” He seems to be getting more excited by the second, but Lé Méjî is not mirroring him. “But anyway, back to what we’re here for. World Cup 84, you were saying you considered yourself to have been, what was it? ‘An unsung hero’?”

Lé Méjî nods. “Yeah. Every single one of our hotels had only one bathroom for the entire squad, and they were never pretty. I took it upon myself to keep them clean, all day long. Had to skip a few training sessions, even, but by kágàfógôs¹ that bathrooms were squeaky clean most of the time.” Alex’s face betrays discomfort at where the conversation is heading. “You have no idea how much shit I had to scrub off the toilet seat. Like, it’s no secret Holsteiner wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, right? Well, he didn’t know how to take a shit, apparently. Either that or he thought it would be funny to shit outside the toilet knowing I’d be taking care of it.” Lé Méjî pauses for a moment, one of realization. “Actually, that’s probably it.”

Alex slowly turns to the cameraman once again. “We’ll be cutting out this part, took, got it?” The show fast forwards once again. Alex Terán appears to be wearing make-up now. Lé Méjî still looks every bit as lively as a nine-to-fiver preparing for his two-hour commute.

“I… I don’t know what to say.” Alex’s voice seems almost apologetic. “Thank you, Berrëngüé, for enlightening us like that. I’m sure this will mark an important day in the life of anyone watching this show.” Alex places his hand on his chin and stares at the ceiling for a few seconds, pensive. “Man, that really was profound.” He shakes his head. “Sorry, sorry, let’s get back to what we’re here for. We’ve gone over World Cup 84, but we’re interested in the man himself. What did Berrëngüé Lé Méjî’s life look after tasting ultimate glory, even if in the form of cleaning service?”

The Rulandese man lets out a long, deep, depressing sigh. “How, uh, young is your audience supposed to be, here?”

“Thirteen or older.”

Lé Méjî pauses for a few seconds to carefully choose his words. “Well, I signed for Capitol City after that. Back then, Rülândéá Kôstä were not a good team. I had no way of knowing I was making such a big mistake. Capitol City were in the BSL, and they were offering much more money. Back then, Rülândéá Kôstä didn’t have the money they have now. Again, big mistake. I then saw out the rest of my career at Capitol City, earning a very good wage and looking a worse player than the previous year, every year.”

“So, an unremarkable career, in the end?”

Lé Méjî winces. “No, not quite. Though I do wish it had turned out that way. On the plus side, I did become a small-time fan-favorite, at least for a while. Nowadays most Capitol City fans couldn’t care less about me, but to the Farves in Busukuma, especially those who live here in La Olla, I’m still a bit of a hero. That’s nice.”

“Alright, that’s the plus side. What’s the, uh, minus side?”

“When I retired, I decided to stay in Busukuma. You know, Farfadillis wasn’t—and still isn’t—a good place to live in.”

“Except for Farolera.” Alex Terán, President-for-life of Farolera, chimes in.

“… except for Farolera.” Lé Méjî adds, confused but uncaring. “Anyway, I didn’t know what to do with myself after hanging up my boots. I got in with a bad crowd and, uh,” he struggles for words as he remembers kids will be watching this show, “took a particular liking to a specific kind of, uh, sugar. Let’s call it, uh, meth-sugar².”

Alex’s blank stare is plain to see. “… meth-sugar.” He asks, aghast and unimpressed.

“Yeah, that was bad a period of my life. Really ate into my savings… into all of my savings. Wife and kids left—haven’t seen them since—and I had to move here, one of the not-better parts of La Olla. La Olla, which as any part of the city filled to the brim with refugees is… well, not rich. I hope what I’m trying to say is coming across.”

“Euphemisms, yes, I get it. It’s pretty transparent.” Alex turns to the cameraman once again. "We’ll be cutting this out, too." He sighs, exasperated. The interview appears to skip to the end, and now Alex Terán’s standing in front of the camera, Lé Méjî barely visible in the background.

“And there we have it, folks. Alexsandr van Sorensen never won the World Cup. Rowena Strongbow never won the World Cup. Lee Sharp never won the World Cup. Fôrté Wínrôuge never won the World Cup. Neither did yours truly.” He pauses for dramatic effect. “We do not have a World Cup winner’s medal at home. However, Berrëngüé Lé Méjî does, and he deserves it. This is what makes football so beauti—”

“Actually, I don’t!” Lé Méjî can be heard shouting from the back.

“You don’t?”

“Sold it for meth… sugar. Meth-sugar.”

Alex turns to the camera once again, ignoring what he just heard. He can cut this part out, so long as the director is competent enough. “Until next time! This has been Unremembered World Cup “Heroes”.” He’s not rhythmically-gifted, and it shows.

OOC Notes:
¹: kágàfógôs is the god of fire in most Rulandese religions, and invariably the most important one.
²: this is actually just methamphetamine.

by **South Newlandia** » Tue Jan 25, 2022 12:33 pm

by **Soldera** » Tue Jan 25, 2022 12:39 pm

Qualification hopes for the Solderan national football team were always going to be slim at best, but they took a tumble after two matchdays saw them only earn one point at King Anthony Stadium in Branwen.

Soldera played to a disappointing 1-1 draw against Pluvia and the Saxean Isles before a 2-1 defeat to Ochre Islands left the Snakes with a 3-2-4 record and 11 points, now six points behind group leaders Kyzhurkistan for the automatic berth in the World Cup from Group 10.

The media's questions about the team's being four points behind the playoff berth from Group 2 led manager Norm Carricker to try -- again -- to manage expectations for a team whose world ranking was tied at 236th.

"Remember, we're ranked as one of the minnows in the multiversal rankings," he said. "We're not a team that's expected to challenge for a spot in the World Cup proper no matter how you look at things. We're still a team that can on one hand rout a team that's currently first place in the group standings and then on the other hand drop two points [out of three for a victory] against a team currently in seventh out of eight teams. Until we can develop some consistency as a team, we're going to continue to have results like that."

When asked about his decision to start Davis Perez in the back four after defender Eli Bingham suffered a torn ACL, Carricker snapped.

"Look at the options I have," he said. "You seriously think we can play a 3-5-2? We're not built like that." He stormed out of the press room until he was intercepted by the team's technical director.

"We need to talk about your reaction there," the technical director said. "But we'll do that once you've had a chance to look at things more dispassionately."

Carricker understood. He knew his boss did, too. The scrutiny was to be expected, of course. His reaction to being second-guessed for a decision he felt he'd fully and sufficiently explained was out of line. He knew that, even as angry as he was about the question. After he'd had the prescribed time to cool off from the raw heat of the moment, he stepped into the technical director's office. After the typical pleasantries, the point had to be addressed, and it was first thing.

"You have to understand that such scrutiny is part of the business of being a manager or a head coach or whatever you want to call it," Dahvid Leib, the technical director said. Carricker looked at his boss. His bespectacled eyes, graying beard, and the yarmulke that sat atop his salt and pepper hair belied a man who was called upon to choose players for the national team and explaining how sport should work. But yet, Leib proved his mettle in assembling a team of players who very clearly had the sort of skill necessary to make an impression on opposing nations' media outlets, even going so far as to disagree with the mixed nature of Solderan media's assessments of their national team.

"I get it," Dahvid," Carricker said. "Believe me, I do."

"Then you understand that temper tantrum wasn't the way to handle that question," Leib said. "The question wasn't even challenging you on the decision. It was to try to understand what the intent was behind getting a veteran defender who may not have the stamina needed to play a full 90 minutes into the starting 11."

"I explained that decision in the pre-match conference," Carricker said. "The reporter who asked the question was there when I very specifically said I was starting [defender Davis] Perez to bring in veteran leadership, which I felt was necessary because we lost [defender Eli] Bingham." And then there was the matter of how to substitute when Perez ultimately, and expectedly, began to tire after not having played a full 90-minute match in quite some time. He'd played 49 minutes against Pluvia and the Saxean Isles and 56 minutes against Ochre Islands, and Carricker was hoping to get at least 70 minutes in the road game against Darmen and perhaps closer to 80 minutes against The Gothanita Isles.

It wasn't an ideal time to make a change to the starting 11, and it would have been even less of an ideal time to change formations to accommodate the loss of Bingham, but Carricker knew his choices were limited by his team's lack of depth. He knew Leib understood his position, but also had to address his conduct with the media. Otherwise, Soldera risked a testy relationship with media in the all too critical building phase of the program.

Leib had a busy day after Carricker left his office to travel to Branwen International Airport for the flight to Darmen. He had meetings with the organizers behind the new league that was eventually to become the third division in Soldera's football pyramid. It would feature potentially as many as 60 teams, at least in the early going with the potential to see as many as 20 teams promoted to the second position along with four so-called expansion teams that would form the second division. Then there was the matter of establishing whether the Solderan Elite League would contain as few as eight teams or as many as 12, and how the teams that eventually made up that first division would be determined. Then there was the matter of allocating each of the Snakes players to teams, be they in the third division to start off with or in the Elite League once that finally got started.

Leib had a lot of work to do in the coming months. Adding to that a decision about the future of his manager was not in the cards, nor did he want it to be that way. But he had to make the point that there was a right way and a wrong way to go about things, and he had to make sure Carricker understood what the difference was and how to live up to the expectations.

by **TJUN-ia** » Tue Jan 25, 2022 1:01 pm

By Peter Davis

After a big win over Ethane and defeat in HUElavia, The Jaguars of TJUN-ia found themselves leading this group by a single point entering the 2nd half of the campaign, a fact some fans would've reacted to before MD1 with one simple remark: "Really?" David Seems and Li Xiu Ying going 5-0-2 was certainly a great development and while the 4-2 defeat in Curumba showed they still had stuff to work on, that 4-0 in Szensky felt like the walls of the past were broken for the first time in a while - probably since winning the in-use UWC belt in the capital 2 years ago. The road still had many turns in front of us but heading into the 2nd half, everyone knew for a fact TJUN-ia had what it took to do something historic - the question was, would our taboos or our results bend first?

First up in the competition of this 3-game road trip was away at the United States of Great America, whom we beat 4-0 in the National Stadium on opening day. Some expected this away environment to certainly favour the USGA more and that would certainly be the case when they scored within 7 minutes of the opening kickoff to the applause of the crowd. But if TJUN-ia is known for anything thus far in WCQ, is an attitude of not giving up until the final whistle and we would see that again here - with Joe Green making it level at 34', Vladimir Podolov taking the lead on 66' and Archer Andrews adding the icing on the cake in the 78th. It wasn't easy, but the job was done and good for that as well...Ethane drew with UA. HUElavia was now in 2nd.

That would be the scenario the group faced entering our final game of the road trip on the Autonomous Vessel Nation itself - Aut-Ves-Nat. This game would essentially be like our defeat in HUElavia only this time, it would be the Jags on top in a game that showed both sides can certainly play ball on their day. Martin Fitoussi scored the opening goal of the game in the 34th before Kepo Ulawaya decided enough was enough and slammed in two goals past Bob Scottsman before halftime arrived. The second began just like the first as Hesediel the Warrior used the support of

to get the game back up to level pegging, but Ulawaya was consistent as well and managed to get his hattrick before his replacement, Carlos Pique, found the space to get the 4th in the end. Another good comeback performance as the WC begins to show its teeth to TJUN-ia as a whole.

TJUN-ia 21, HUElavia 19, Ranoria 17, Ethane 15, Darkmania 12. That is the new order now and that will certainly make a difference in our next two games. We play in TIankong for the final time this WC when we host United Adaikes before we make the trip to Richardson to try and claim revenge against the Krauts of Ranoria. Hope is beginning to seep into the TJUN-ian football landscape for the first time in a while - but everyone knows things can change in an instant and we must be cautious to try and avoid the mistakes of the past this time around. GO JAGS!

SCHEDULE (Group 15)
MD1: vs United States of Great America (UR) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City W 4-0 (1st)
----------------------Boot It!----------------------
MD2: vs Aut-Ves-Nat (142) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City W 4-2 (1st)
MD3: @United Adaikes (244) W 1-0 (1st)
----------------------Boot It!----------------------
MD4: vs Ranoria (67) - Tiankong Stadium, Tiankong L 0-1 (2nd)
MD5: @Darkmania (104) - Nätionaljë Stëduÿm, Örkendrem W 1-0 (1st)
----------------------Boot It!----------------------
MD6: vs Ethane (14) - Beregozera Stadium, Szensky W 4-0 (1st)
MD7: @HUElavia (41) - Estadio Nacional, Curumba L 2-4 (1st/W5-D0-L2/15pts/+9GD)
----------------------Boot It!----------------------
MD8: @United States of Great America (UR) W 3-1 (1st)
MD9: @Aut-Ves-Nat (142) W 4-2 (1st)
----------------------Boot It!----------------------
MD10: vs United Adaikes (244) - Tiankong Stadium, Tiankong
MD11: @Ranoria (67) - Smith Field, Richardson
----------------------Boot It!----------------------
MD12: vs Darkmania (104) - Beregozera Stadium, Szensky
MD13: @Ethane (14)
----------------------Boot It!----------------------
MD14: vs HUElavia (41) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City

by **Schima Bas** » Tue Jan 25, 2022 1:15 pm

Match Reports
MD 8: @ Cassadaigua, Dagan Airways Stadium, Concord Heights (83,000). 4-0, Cassadaigua
‘19 Bayley Stanton
‘22 Morgan Rosenblatt
‘49 Jenna Frontiera
‘62 Morgan Rosenblatt

MD 9: @ Acceptably Normal, Unknown. 1-0 Schima Bas
‘58 Casildo Hana

A Crushing by Cassadaigua!

When manager Gaio Grecio said to his team before the match “Give them a result they won’t forget”, a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of the Dagans probably wasn’t what he meant. The biggest loss of the tournament thus far came after the off week following the first qualifying half. In the post-match press conference, the once manager of Packer’s Forest had a much less energetic response.

“It’s obviously never an easy game to win, especially in the Dagans’ home, but I’m frustrated with a myriad of problems that arose in this match,” Grecio said. “We lost the midfield battle from the first whistle, and our composure fell soon after. We’re still a relatively new international squad, there are going to be hiccups. This was a hiccup. Hopefully we can take lessons away from it and continue to fight for the top.”

The Basians managed only 3 shots on goal the entire match, all from the young Casildo Hana, who was effectively isolated from the rest of his team by a crushing defensive pressure. While his goal in the first match against Cassadaigua came from excellent passing play up from the back, his opportunities were mostly made possible by his individual athletics, fielding midfield crosses just inside the opposing half and speeding past the defense. None of his shots were much of a challenge for goalkeeper Cynthia Kerr, who found her second battle against the Golden Crescent to be yawn-worthy.

The midfield battle, which was a key factor in the Dagans’ opening matchday victory, had been less of a conflict and more of a rout, as Danielle Porter worked alongside teammates to crush the Basian midfield talent. A physical match when the teams first met, the second meeting was characterized by domination by the home side. Play through the middle met a wall, and despite opportunities and fast feet by captain Makin Moghaddam on the left wing, the Basians never were able to break through like they had in the home match. Add on top of that Bisma Shehadeh falling to a knock and being subbed off in the opening minutes of the second half, the Dagans effectively sterilized the Basian threat.

Shehadeh, who had praised the tenacity of the Cassadaiguan team following the initial match, did not seem to be himself in the post-match press conference.

“This match meant a lot for me, I wanted to win, we all did. I needed to do better, and I simply didn’t. I pray that I will get another chance against this team to prove myself. For now, I must keep training and getting better,” Shehadeh said.

The Basian defense, which at the halfway point was tied with the Dagans for least goals allowed in the group, was shredded like cheese in the face of an invigorated Dagan attack. An early mistake by Khuld Montemayor, in which an aggressive tackle allowed space for Danielle Porter to find Bayley Stanton in a goal that reminded many of the before-the-halftime-bell goal of their first meeting. Almost immediately following a loss of possession by the midfield was another goal, where Morgan Rosenblatt made quick work of the pushed-up Basian squad before finding herself in a one-on-one with the keeper, slotting a rocketing shot in between the posts to the roaring cheers of the home fans.

Whatever half-time vigor Grecio had attempted to infuse into his squad was quickly silenced by Jenna Frontiera, who found the ball in an advantageous position following a Morgan Rosenblatt shot that was deflected by Avery Cloutier. With zero-hesitation, the Dagan made an arching shot that touched Tebrum Bourreau’s fingertips only slightly before finding the back of the net. A late break by Frontiera again late in the match found the head of Morgan Rosenblatt as the former beat a winded Khlud Montemayor to find crossing space.

Members of the defense admitted that the loss had opened their eyes to some glaring problems, which they hoped to fix before the upcoming match versus Polkopia.

“I think we can look at it as a positive, in some ways. When a team like ours is over performing, complacency can follow,” defensive captain Avery Cloutier said. “I can assure you that no-one on this squad will be complacent in practice this week. We don’t like to lose like that, and this match will be burned into our minds for a while.”

Upcoming lineups
MD 10: Polkopia @ Fusili Park, Alquierdi (24,000)

Tebrum Bourreau,
Volfango Di Lello, Avery Cloutier, Gilles Bertrand, Jerust King,
(C) Makin Moghaddam, Bisma Shehadeh, Mukarram el-Muhammad, Leonard Charbonneau,
Akili Granada, Casildo Hana

MD 11: @ Mertagne, Unknown

Tebrum Bourreau,
Volfango Di Lello, Avery Cloutier, Gilles Bertrand, Khuld Montemayor,
(C) Makin Moghaddam, Bisma Shehadeh, Mukarram el-Muhammad, Araft Sergeant,
Jan Moustafa, Casildo Hana

by **Chartistan** » Tue Jan 25, 2022 2:01 pm

OOC: While this RP mentions the Vilitan Mountain Games and the Cheese Rolling event, this will not play a part in the VMG RP, since it, ICily, takes place before the start of World Cup qualification.

"Have I ever told you about the Cocoa-bo scandal of World Cup 85?"

Kimi Yamjune had appeared to be a key component of the team even if he wasn't the captain. The resident of Gaon and teammates with 6 other Chartistani heartthrobs, of which he is their leader, had sharpened his steel against numerous competitors at the Vilitan Mountain Games, stealing the mountain cheese and taking it and a year's worth of Cocoa-bo beverages with him. With one of the aptly named beverages in his hand, he attempted to talk about the whole thing with Tatertot Crazy, currently on the Bubbling Under Hot 11.

Tatertot quickly replied to Yamjune's suggestion. "Of course not. We drew 4-4 with The Goddamn Sarian again. Every single time we think we're gonna take home all 3 points they make us feel like shit, because if it wasn't for them we'd be 2 points off top spot and a trip to Vilita instead of 6. No wonder they call this group the Group of Death. We'll be killed earlier because of that."

"Tatertot, this is besides the point I'm talking about. This isn't a tale that Combbrush would tell. Surely. You see, 5 cycles ago, there was talk about Cocoa-bo beverages, like the one I'm holding now. In some nations and in some realms, these were performance enhancing drugs. Have one of these and your performance would be greatly approved. The Cheergirls notably were found to use Cocoa-bo beverages to improve their performance. A whole commission was set up in the Dreamed Realm to investigate this, and the pressure was on Cocoa-bo to address them."

"So? What does that have to do with The Sarian?" Tatertot chirped.

"We'll get to that, I promise. Eventually they would do this big meeting in Turori right when the knockouts happened. It was a bunch of slides and charts mostly... Ironic, we're Chartistan..."

"We drew 4-4 again to THE SARIAN! Why are you going on about the so called Cocoa-bo scandal of World Cup 85?"

"Tatertot, let me continue!"

"Ugh, fine..."

"When they got to the end, there was this important announcement. Everyone thought it was about the commission itself and Cocoa-bo acknowledging it and its findings, but it turns out... They were reiterating that all Cocoa-bo products were puppy-free. A fact that existed before this whole thing." Yamjune sighed as he took a sip of his beverage. "And yes we drew 4-4 with The Sarian. Paola Brick crumbled AGAIN."

"...As is every time we play The Sarian."

by **Jeruselem** » Tue Jan 25, 2022 3:09 pm

Jeruselem Manager Pekora Dancer and Naked News Jeruselem's Aidra Nene in Mercedini after 2-2 draw with home team

Aidra: This is Aidra Nene for Naked News Jeruselem, for qualification match day 9 in the World Cup 90. We're here in Mercedini, the top seed in Group 10.
Peko: Hello everyone
Aidra: Well, 2-2 draw with Mercedini in Mercedini ... we'll take that
Peko: Yes, it is a lot better than getting smacked 5-2 ... that wasn't fun
Aidra: I guess it's as good as a win really, we weren't expected to win this after losing the last one against them at home
Peko: We kinda knew what to do this time against them. It wasn't easy but this time we nullified their attack mostly

Aidra: Well, after beating rivals Ochre Islands 1-0 away ... we've done pretty good in this 2nd half
Peko: I guess beating a rival and drawing with the top seed ... in away games is a good start
Aidra: 4 points in two games is a lot better than 1 point in two games like the last two.
Peko: That wasn't something we'd like to repeat in the 2nd half of qualification.
Aidra: Given group 10 is a bit of traffic jam with most teams in contention.
Peko: I think some maybe drifting off the pace now

Aidra: Well in other games, Soldera at home went down to Ochre Islands 2-1.
Peko: I'm pretty glad we've beaten Ochre Islands twice.
Aidra: Kyzhurkistan gave visiting The Gothanita Isles another loss, but it was close 1-0. The Gothanita Isles were far from shamed.
Peko: Even last team in Group 10 is potential trip hazard for most teams
Aidra: Pluvia and the Saxean Isles put up a fight against visiting Darmen but went down 1-0
Peko: What is it with 1-0 in this group meh

Aidra: Interesting results, and teams not able to put together consistent results.
Peko: Yes, all teams struggling to maintain any real momentum. Ochre Islands rebounded from their 1-0 loss to us. The Gothanita Isles losing 3-0 to Mercedini last round but that was expected. I mean Darmen at home going down last round 4-2 to Kyzhurkistan, but then Darmen have been unpredictable and Kyzhurkistan looking better as they go. Soldera drawing last round 1-1 with Pluvia and the Saxean Isles was a good thing for other teams.
Aidra: Things are well ... far from settled in Group 10
Peko: It will come down to the last games, no doubt. No team has been totally dominant at all.
Aidra: Kyzhurkistan are actually leading the table with 17 points but then followed by 3 teams on 15 points - Jeruselem, Mercedini and Ochre Islands. Darmen, the 3rd seed is 5th back in 12 points and Soldera 6th on 11. Pluvia and the Saxean Isles are 7th on 9 points and The Gothanita Isles still last on 6 points.
Peko: The bottom two are in trouble and having negative goal differences doesn't help the cause.

Aidra: We have third worst defense conceding 20 goals, only Darmen and The Gothanita Isles is worse.
Peko: Yes, that loss to Mercedini really messed that up and we've a few high scoring games which made our goal difference look awful.
Aidra: We're also the highest scoring team with 23 goals so that's a plus given in the past, this was a problem.
Peko: World Cup 88 showed what we are capable of with great offense and good defense. We haven't repeated that, as we're not really scoring that many goals and conceding far too many.
Aidra: Still positive signs but a lot of work ahead
Peko: Take as many points off our rivals as possible. It's a long list really. We must win everything really, or at least not lose.

Aidra: Have you worked out the best setup
Peko: Sadly no, I know experimenting this late isn't good but it's not working as I wanted. But today, maybe might be the setup I was looking for.
Aidra: The Mann Network dug up some old videos of you working as a barmaid, just wearing bunny ears. What do say about that?
Peko: Hey look I was young and needed the money. And they paid more money if you wore less.
Aidra: Was this a problem?
Peko: Not really, other girls didn't have problems with this either. Considering I have certain friends who hardly wear anything.

Aidra: How do feel about these personal attacks? People digging up your past.
Peko: It's expected, there's people out there with no meaning in their lives except to find people to target because they are more successful at something. You're a former adult video star and you know what it's like.
Aidra: Sadly there's people out there who are successful at nothing and want to be someone by targetting others. That's sad because it's just being professional troll because you're not recognised for something you think you deserve but no one cares.
Peko: For sure.
Aidra: That's it from me and Peko here in Mercedini ... err, what we got coming up.
Peko: Oh, I think we're at home against Kyzhurkistan, and then an away game at Pluvia and the Saxean Isles.

Aidra: See you all later back home.
Peko: I have to bury one of my rabbits, it seems ...
Aidra: Why is that.
Peko: Taken by a fox. Didn't leave much and left lots of fur.
Aidra: Poor wabbit!
Peko: Admitedly poor girl had one eye and was rather old. I guess, she could run away in time.

Aidra: Is that Kate the rabbit?
Peko: Err, yes.

by **Squidroidia** » Tue Jan 25, 2022 3:11 pm

The Inkopolis Times

SPORTS

A WHOLE NEW BALLGAME

Squidroidian Super League's host cities for new 6 main tournaments revealed

The Squidroidian Football Association, in the leadup to the 2027 Squidroidian Super League season, the first in its new mini-tournament format, has announced the host cities and names of the 6 tournaments that will lead up to the SSL Finals in Inkopolis, Squidroidia's capital city. With Calamari County and Souraoi confirmed to host their own mini-tournaments on Squidroidia's footballing tour, many other cities were vying to play a part in this new format and establish a Road to Inkopolis, as some publications have already called it, to find out the new Squidroidian champion.

The season will kick off with the FunStar Opening Classic, the first mini-tournament on the schedule, hosted in Souraoi, home of the FunStar entertainment company. Most major games will be held at the FunStar Complex Football Field, holding a 25,000 capacity, with an additional smaller stadium with 10,000 seats being built right next door to handle the 16 team tournament. As the season opener, the Opening Classic will play a big role in who gets on the right foot early.

The action will shift to a pair of rival cities in Starlight and Midnight for the Lunar-Solar Extravaganza, the 2nd stop on the tour, with Starlight SC and Midnight Soccer Club cooling off from the Sky Color Derby to host together, although it is expected that the rivalry will heat up along the way. With both stadiums holding 17,000 people at capacity (Midnight's Darkness Stadium pips Sunrise Park, home of Starlight, by 301 seats), it is expected that the final will rotate between the 2 stadia, with Starlight hosting on odd numbered years and Midnight hosting on even numbered years.

Marking part of the midway point of the regular season, capacity increases for Meadowlands Park, home of Northport Meadows SC, has lead Northport and Sawayama to host the Grass Cup, the 3rd stop on the tour. With Meadowlands Park increasing its capacity to 10,000 people, both kids and squids, TS Sawayama's Tractor Arena, 18,000 strong, will not dwarf the tiny town's stadium anytime soon. It is, however, expected for Sawayama to host the Final.

The true midway point of the season, the 4th tournament itself, will see Calamari County host the Calamari Midpoint Battle tournament. Calamari County FC's County Stadium, having come off the back of hosting a FFI Confederations Trophy final, will be expected to welcome 27,830 people to a majority of games, with Octo Valley and the 10,000 seater Octavio Stadium playing host to about a third of the matches.

The 2nd to last tournament of the regular season, the Inklingcraft Spartansburg Clash, will, obviously, be played mainly in Spartansburg at the 15,000 seater Ironworks Arena, with a couple of games being played at a renovated Mill Park in Factoria (Now standing at 7,500 seats) and in Weedpot at the newly named CWooMee Arena, still at 4,200 seats. This will, of course, lead up to the final tournament of the regular season before the SSL Finals, held entirely within the Takanori Army Base, with 30,000 seats and a couple of auxillary stadia, and controlled by the Squidroidia Armed Forces.

The season-ending SSL Finals, where the Super League champion is crowned, will be held in Inkopolis, with games at both Tower Park and Inkopolis City Stadium, the latter of which will host the Super League Final to crown the Squidroidian champion. Entry to the SSL Finals will be based on a points system detailing results from the previous 6 tournaments, with playoff games for the 8 teams who didn't make the knockout stage of said tournaments. The system is as follows:

1st - 30 points
2nd - 25 points
3rd - 20 points
4th - 15 points
5th - 13 points
6th - 11 points
7th - 10 points
8th - 9 points
9th - 8 points
10th - 7 points
11th - 6 points
12th - 5 points
13th - 4 points
14th - 3 points
15th - 2 points
16th - 1 point

No tournament winners will be granted guaranteed entry into the SSL Finals, per the SFA.

World Cup 90--RP Thread

Boot It!: Hope Amongst The Madness

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