Handball World Cup (HWC25) [rosters/RPs/scores]

[Sarzonia]

The first order of business for the Sarzonian national handball team was to get back in the win column after a three-match losing streak coming on the heels of 23 consecutive victories and a world championship.

They accomplished that with their six-goal victory over Qasden. Now they were still in a dogfight to ensure that their next round of matches would take place in the finals stage instead of in the consolation bracket. They faced off against a Raspototchje side that was also fighting to earn a trip to the second group stage with a chance at hoisting a championship trophy. Sarzonia's first mission was to win the match. Their second was to get their groove back.

The Stars managed to do both, crushing Raspotochje 28-15 to give themselves a much more modest two-match winning streak and an assignment in the so-called Eagle Group with Octapolis, Kriegiersien and Muralos. Sarzonia will start the second group stage match against Kriegiersien, and manager Joyce Rodham said the Stars would treat it as a rivalry match.

"Absolutely it's a rivalry match," she said of the contest between Sarzonia and Kriegiersien. "They're one of the opponents we face in multiple sports. We know they consider us a rival, and at this point in the competition, anything can potentially be a rivalry." Sarzonia's next match is against Octapolis, a team the Stars aren't familiar with, then they face Muralos, who are a more familiar name, even though the history with the Stars in team handball isn't exactly there.

As for the Stars, they said to a player they felt as though the victory over Raspotochje made a statement. However, goalkeeper Pat Agnew said the statement would only take hold if they won out.

"We've still got to play Sarzonian team handball," they said. "We've responded well to the opening loss to Kannap, but we've still gotta do a better job on both sides of the pitch."

If there's one thing that's vastly improved even from the team in the midst of its 23-match winning streak, it's chemistry and cohesiveness. There's a pronounced lack of tension on this team, and one player who spoke on condition of anonymity because former right back Vivianne Taylor is rumoured to have filed suit against Rodham and Handball Sarzonia for her termination from the team, said that was due to the absence of Taylor.

"I know she didn't get along with Agnew," the player said. "We're just glad she's gone. It makes a huge difference in everyone's demeanour."

[Srednjaci]

HWC25-Graeintfjall, Rushmore Group- FINAL ROUND

PLUS EIGHT VS SAJNUR FOR SECOND ROUND

by Ana Buneta

Srednjaci - 30
Sajnur - 22

After a heavy defeat by Bollonich, the Master Bears consolidated their play again and defeated Sajnur.
Already at the intonation of the national anthems, on our players we could see the desire to win, the desire to start the match as soon as possible.
Our team came out on the field extremely motivated. When they are so highly motivated then it is very difficult to play and win against Master Bears.
Only the best teams can do that, and Sajnur is definitely not at the moment.
From the very beginning of the game, our team imposed authority and destabilized opponents with successful counterattacks.
Sajnur has no solution against our strong defense. They tried to get through the middle but they couldn't keep up with us.
At one point in the game, there was a plus 11 for the Master Bears, but towards the very end, our team make changes in roster and Sajnur managed to mitigate the defeat.

Sajnur has a very young team, several players have proven to be very good and one of them is definitely Sigurd Tjangeval. This eighteen-year-old has caught the eye of some big clubs managers and as far as we know, one of the clubs from our league is preparing an offer.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH : Tihana Udvarić
BEST SCORRER : Tihana Udvarić - 11 goals

---

TOUGH GROUP FOR MASTER BEARS IN SECOND ROUND

After the first round group competition was over, the second round groups were drawn. Our team is classified in the Wolf group.

Wolf Group

Sylestone
Varmennia
Quebec and Shingoryeo
Srednjaci

Quebec and Shingoryeo - they are currently ranked sixth in the world. They had a 100% performance in this competition. They achieved three victories from three games and the goal difference is 98-87, +11. They have a strong and powerful team this season and are one of the candidates for the final four.

Sylestone - what to say about this team without sounding bad. A great handball nation with a great handball tradition. They are ranked the best of all our representatives in the group, they are currently in second place, just behind Sarzonia. Although they have shown at this HWC that they are not invincible, Sylestone is a candidate for the very top. We must not be deceived by this one defeat. On this HWC they achieved two victories with that one defeat, goal difference 80-65, +15.

Varmennia - very awkward and tough team. In the first part of the competition, they achieved two wins and a defeat just like the Master Bears. Currently, they are the weakest placed team in our group in the HWC ranking, holding the 25th position. However, despite two victories, they did not achieve a big positive score, their goal difference is 84-83, only +1.
This information gives us a lot of information about their attack and defense. Their defense is definitely their weak point.

---

It is time to present the clubs from which our best players come.
We present you ŽRK (women's handball club) KINGS STAR KATANIJA!

Kings Star Katanija is a sports association in the capital. Kings Star is the first professional sports association to have several sports in its name in men's and women's competition. One of the sports in which this club is very successful is handball. Forever this club has been in the shadow of city rivals ZRK Catania but Kings Star Catania (KSK) is always at the top.
This season they were second on the table in the regular part of the competition, but they finished third after the playoffs.
Maja Konjuh is the only player who plays for the national team from this club. Konjuh plays on the left wing. She is also the best left winger in the Master League and is only 23 years old.

"When I was a little girl I looked for myself through sports. My mother said I was very naughty and full of energy. First I wanted to play field hocky and then football. However, at school we had a physical education class where we learned about handball. As soon as I played this sport for the first time, I immediately fell in love with it and this love still lasts. "Said the cheerful Konjuh.

THE BEST MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER

"Last season was very successful for the team, but also for me. We won third place and I was named the best handball player in my position. I think I will remember that season well."

IN FREE TIME ...

"I really like documentaries, travel documentaries, I actually like all documentaries. I try to watch one documentary a day in my free time if I manage to set aside so much time."

UNFULFILLED WISH

"A gold medal at the Olympics. I think it's every athlete's dream."


STANDINGS

1 Bistua Nuova             26   17   6   3   701  642  +59    40
 2 Kings Star Katanija      26   16   3   7   687  660  +27    35
 3 Automobili Raduč         26   16   1   9   690  657  +33    33
 4 Dormatisi                26   14   3   9   689  668  +21    31
 5 Katanija                 26   14   1  11   706  660  +46    29
 6 Jakovo Polje             26   13   2  11   707  711   −4    28
 7 Morska Plovidba          26   12   2  12   679  669  +10    26
 8 Hotels Lopud             26   12   2  12   682  677   +5    26
 9 Daratin                  26   11   3  12   692  704  −12    25
10 Pogratin                 26   11   0  15   647  682  −35    22
11 Markovo                  26    9   2  15   652  685  −33    20
12 Kula                     26    8   2  16   663  703  −40    18
13 Suraja                   26    8   1  17   682  707  −25    17
14 Tolmud                   26    5   4  17   649  701  −52    14

PLAY OFF

3TH PLACE GAME - two games winn

Kings Star Katanija 25–24 Dormatisi

Dormatisi 29–29 Kings Star Katanija

Kings Star Katanija 31–25 Dormatisi

---

[Raspotochje]

The Raspotochje team failed to win in the first part of the competition. Consequently, our team failed to qualify for the second round of the competition for the playoffs for medals.
Raspotochje had only one draw and two defeats in three games.

MD1: Qasden 24–24 Raspotochje

MD2: Kannap 27–22 Raspotochje

MD3: Raspotochje 15–28 Sarzonia

  Atlantian Oceania group                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Kannap                                        3   3  0  0   88  77 +11    6
2 Sarzonia                                      3   2  0  1   84  70 +14    4
3 Qasden                                        3   0  1  2   75  82  −7    1
4 Raspotochje                                   3   0  1  2   61  79 −18    1

Although the defense was very good and received only 79 goals, the first-placed team in our group received 77, the attack was bad and ineffective.
The ineffectiveness of the attack is actually a bad side of our national team and more will definitely have to be done on that in the future to improve the attack.
However, in order to have better players in the national team, we must have a far better league.
A session of the Raspotochje Handball Federation, session on the promotion of the handball league is scheduled after the end of this competition.

Consolation stage

However, our national team has not finished its competition yet. Our team is in the consolation stage.

Bull Group
Sajnur
Natanians and Nosts
Pius Desurongcrandis
Raspotochje

We hope that our team will play this part of the competition better.

[Kriegiersien]

The Moon
True news for the people

Kriegiersien 24–20 Venmere

Kriegiesien is Champion of the Independent Nations!!!!



Now the race for the World Cup title goes on. Here a preview of the 3 teams who are the next opponents in Group eagle.


Sarzonia

The number 1 ranked is of course a major opponent in every sport, being in the international scene longer than Kriegiersien, who mainly appeared in the Olympics. Because of that, outside of the Olympics wins against Sarzonia are rare. But a must to be able to add a further World Championship title to the trophy cabinet.

But to qualify for the next round, a win against the two underdogs in the group are decisive:


Muralos

Has taken out rival Abanhfleft, who has destroyed the dream of a medal for Kriegiersien in multiple competitions.
Normally an unranked team shouldn’t be a problem, but that is what Abanhfleft obviously thought too.
The hawks in a group eagle are better not to underestimate.

Octapolis

A team of robots from a megacity in a spaceship. Good that we don't have an away game there. Now, this should be an interesting match, the time Kriegiersien used Robots in sport is a little while ago, except in 7ball.
So even just analysing these robotic beings for further research could be interesting.

[Sajnur]

Hattmark, Graintfjall

Ella sat in front of the TV in her hotel room, recovering from her flight into Graintfjall from Zelena Planina. Two days earlier, the Sajnuran handball team lost 30-22 to Srednjaci, the ragtag group of semi-professionals and university students now technically the worst team in the competition, but widely recognised as having been handed a tough group. Regardless, they now had a consolation stage to play through, an opportunity to gain some international experience against more beatable opponents. On the TV, though, was news of the recently signed Varakoula Accords.

The resort in nearby Tikariot had hosted major Rushmori nations, and Banija, for negotiations to deal with the aftermath of the war in also nearby Nyowani Kitara. The KPWC was forced to agree to free and fair elections, and the DFLK got a referendum for independence as a consolation prize. For Ella, this was great news. Having sold both parties literal tons of weapons, the establishment of democracy was a great outcome from the masses of bloodshed she had contributed to. Most importantly, the one party she didn't sell arms to, the right wing KFF, got dissolved outright, which was a delight to nearly all Sajnurans, and really everyone not tied to Banija or Yuezhou. Of course, this didn't stop Ella from keeping in contact with her clients. After all, there was always the risk of conflict reigniting if the KPWC tried to backslide, or if some KFF splinter group picked up arms. The potential for six million people crossing Lake Viljan in the event of the Kitaran Republic of Osterland seeing the light of day was also a concern, but not one that gave much opportunity for more arms sales, nor one that made Osterland independence unpalatable to Ella.

Overall, Ella's first day in Graintfjall went quite well. The capital was a nicer place than the brutalism of Zelena Planina, and back court teammate Sigurd Tjangeval received news that Srednjaci handball scouts had marked him for potential recruitment. His seven goals last game have clearly done some good, then. Now to get some sleep before she faces Raspotochje.

[Sylestone]

SYLESTONE HANDBALL INTRANATIONAL TOURNAMENT



Season Two - Matchdays 7-12


Matchday Seven

Kirton Cavaliers 28–31 Dunkirk Daredevils
Chamberley Crocodiles 24–24 Dodle Mountaineers
Cleorough Thorns 22–33 Sentient Sapients
Chamberley Snakes 21–29 Betham Sunrisers
Avondale Avengers 32–29 Halpenley Scorchers
Avondale Stars 22–28 Pesfield Poopers

Game of the Round: Chamberley Crocodiles vs Dodle Mountaineers
To think that this match between last season’s champions and wooden-spooners respectively was a single goal away from being titled “upset of the round” simply shows just how good this game was. The Crocodiles didn’t even play badly, but the Mountaineers continued to live up to their status as giant killers, never giving up in a game they should have lost soundly. But at various points throughout the match, they were able to equalise and even lead, pushing the defending champions to their very limits. And it worked, as both sides had to settle for a point apiece in arguably the match of the season thus far.

Upset of the Round:
No notable upsets.

Matchday Eight

Dunkirk Daredevils 29–23 Pesfield Poopers
Halpenley Scorchers 25–29 Avondale Stars
Betham Sunrisers 23–26 Avondale Avengers
Sentient Sapients 27–19 Chamberley Snakes
Dodle Mountaineers 22–29 Cleorough Thorns
Kirton Cavaliers 24–31 Chamberley Crocodiles

Game of the Round: Betham Sunrisers vs Avondale Avengers
Whenever there’s a derby or a match between two members of the “big four”, that game almost always is a shoo-in for the game of the round. And this one was no different, with the Betham Sunrisers and Avondale Avengers fighting out an intriguing match at the Seaside Arena, including some of the nation’s top handballers. The game was rather topsy-turvy, with both sides leading significantly at separate points, but somehow, the club in deficit managed to find their way back into the game. The scores were tied 22-22 with a little over five minutes left on the clock, the home Betham fans all holding their breath and hoping their side could bring it home from here. And unfortunately for them, the Sunrisers could not as the Avengers racked up their sixth win in seven starts. And (hopefully) without giving away the result of another game, it propelled them back into first place.

Upset of the Round: Dunkirk Daredevils vs Pesfield Poopers
Yes, that’s right. The Poopers lost. After their first six matches, you could be forgiven if you didn’t think that was possible, but here is proof. And it wasn’t even that much of a close match, either. Right from the whistle, the Dunkirk Daredevils dominated and the Poopers had no answers. Sure, the sheer quality of their squad kept them in the game for the majority of the match, but the Daredevils were simply too good, compiling their best performance of the season. And it was enough, scoring 29 goals compared to Pesfield’s 23 and all of a sudden, they had two wins in a row. Finally, the results were coming for this hard-working Dunkirk side.

Matchday Nine

Chamberley Crocodiles 25–24 Dunkirk Daredevils
Cleorough Thorns 24–29 Kirton Cavaliers
Chamberley Snakes 24–26 Dodle Mountaineers
Avondale Avengers 20–27 Sentient Sapients
Avondale Stars 24/b]–19 Betham Sunrisers
[b]Pesfield Poopers 27–25 Halpenley Scorchers

Game of the Round: Chamberley Crocodiles vs Dunkirk Daredevils
There were multiple candidates for game of the round this week, but in the end, only one could take the cake. Sure, the way the Halpenley Scorchers managed to hold off the Pesfield Poopers for as long as they did was simply astounding, as was the defensive slugfest between the Avondale Stars and the Betham Sunrisers. Even the Dodle Mountaineers’ determined triumph over the Chamberley Snakes was a gem of a game. But no, fresh off producing arguably the all-time biggest upset in the SHIT with a 29-23 victory over the Poopers, the Dunkirk Daredevils nearly provided their second massive win over a big four side, only falling a single goal short of the Chamberley Crocodiles in a topsy-turvy match that could have gone anyone’s way. However, it proved to be a big match as the Crocodiles completed the leap into fourth place, equal with the Sentient Sapients (3rd) and the Avondale Stars (5th) on twelve points. Finally, they were back on the way up.

Upset of the Round: Avondale Avengers vs Sentient Sapients
Talk about mercuriality. On any given day, you just cannot know what this Sapient side will provide. But for them, they seem to be hitting their straps with their third consecutive win. And boy, what a win it was, too, defeating the second-placed Avondale Avengers by a solid 27 goals to 20. Throughout the entire game, the WCHC third-placers appeared to have no answers and got lucky to only be defeated by seven goals. And to make matters worse for the Avengers, left-back Maya Windeyer injured her ACL during the game, putting her out until the very back end of the season. With the Devices, Crocodiles and Stars all a win off them in second place, the Avengers and even the Poopers no longer look solid at the head of the table. A change seemed imminent.

Matchday Ten

Dunkirk Daredevils 22–23 Halpenley Scorchers
Betham Sunrisers 23–28 Pesfield Poopers
Sentient Sapients 27–30 Avondale Stars
Dodle Mountaineers 25–31 Avondale Avengers
Kirton Cavaliers 24–35 Chamberley Snakes
Chamberley Crocodiles 32–24 Cleorough Thorns

Game of the Round: Sentient Sapients vs Avondale Stars
With both of these sides equal on twelve points, the impact this match had on the table was just enough to pip the game between big four sides Betham Sunrisers and Pesfield Poopers, of which the latter won away from home to keep themselves ahead of the pack at the top of the table. But this game… to put things into perspective, the Sapients seemed destined to be headed for a fourth-straight triumph at the halfway mark, where they led 16-12 over the Stars. But the Stars, led by Skopjan winger Venijamin Atanasov, proceeded to make an astonishing comeback. When youngster Zane Ecuyer held his nerve to put two goals past the Television in the final minute to ensure his side completed an extraordinary victory in Kirkham by three goals. In an extraordinary second half, the Stars had scored a whopping 18 goals, to the Sapients’ eleven. And with that, they were also back in fourth place.

Upset of the Round: Dunkirk Daredevils vs Halipenley Scorchers
It might be a bit of a stretch to put this down as an upset, but considering the form of both sides, I reckon it counts. Before last round, the Daredevils had won two games in a row - 31-28 against the Kirton Cavaliers and an all-important 29-23 victory over the Pesfield Poopers. They then proceeded to be beaten by the Chamberley Crocodiles in the latest match multiple weeks ago, but even so, that was only by a single goal. So to be defeated - once again by a single goal - by the struggling Halpenley Scorchers was not ideal, nor expected. It was their first win and their first points since round two against the Dodle Mountaineers. Finally, they were on the board.

Matchday Eleven

Cleorough Thorns 27–23 Dunkirk Daredevils
Chamberley Snakes 21–27 Chamberley Crocodiles
Avondale Avengers 29–22 Kirton Cavaliers
Avondale Stars 27–21 Dodle Mountaineers
Pesfield Poopers 21–27 Sentient Sapients
Halpenley Scorchers 21–28 Betham Sunrisers

Game of the Round: Chamberley Snakes vs Chamberley Crocodiles
At the Collaroy Centre of Excellence in Chamberley’s east, a capacity crowd of 5,200 handball fans crammed into the arena in anticipation of one of the city’s biggest sporting events - the Chamberley derby. Unfortunately for the home crowd, their side was unable to pull off an upset, but it was still a good game, nevertheless. The sheer quality of the Crocodiles, who extended their undefeated streak to nine games, was too much for the hosts, who had to be satisfied with a 27-21 loss to their cross-town rivals. Fortunately for them, though, the result didn’t impact their position on the table, as they remained in seventh place with ten points, two behind sixth and four behind fifth. A little better than where they were predicted to be after playing everyone once.

Upset of the Round: Pesfield Poopers vs Sentient Sapients
Well, this result has really made things interesting. The Sapients, fresh off a disappointing loss at the hands of the Avondale Stars, have bounced back with an emphatic win over the ladder leaders. The 27-21 result, led by a brilliant performance from the Sentient defence line, meant that the Poopers were toppled from the top of the table in the game marking the end of the first round of the season. However, it wasn’t entirely unexpected, for, since their loss to the Daredevils, Pesfield has not looked like the team they were in the first few months of the season. However, they are still only one point behind the Avengers in first place, and will not be giving their position up easily.

Matchday Twelve

Dunkirk Daredevils 24–29 Betham Sunrisers
Halpenley Scorchers 23–27 Sentient Sapients
Pesfield Poopers 30–21 Dodle Mountaineers
Avondale Stars 28–24 Kirton Cavaliers
Avondale Avengers 21–24 Chamberley Crocodiles
Chamberley Snakes 29–28 Cleorough Thorns

Well, what a spicy-looking table we have. It’s a shame that we’re only barely over a third of the way into the season, rather than at the back end. Thus far, no team has appeared utterly invincible and top spot looks like it could be anyone’s within the top five or six. Currently holding that position, though, are the Pesfield Poopers, after dropping it following their loss to the mercurial Sentient Sapients. They are on nineteen points, with nine wins and a draw to go along with their two losses. Over the last few rounds, they have allowed the likes of the Avondale Avengers and others to catch up with them, and have even dropped first place to the aforementioned Avondale franchise several times after defeating them on matchday six. However, it is not the Avengers in second place, with the defending champions, the Chamberley Crocodiles, continuing their rise up the table after dropping their opening two matches to the Avondale clubs. They are on 18 points, along with the Avengers and Avondale Stars, who appear to be a vastly-improved outfit from the inaugural season and might actually push for a WCHC berth.

In fifth place, the mercurial Sentient Sapients will be looking to jump back up to the top four, while the Betham Sunrisers appear to be far from their best, on only fourteen points. However, the season is far from over for them and being a member of the so-called “big four”, they still have a very good chance of jumping up the two places required to earn their second WCHC appearance. Below them are the Chamberley Snakes, in seventh place with a 6-0-6 record - something they will take considering they were predicted to finish ninth. But beneath them in the table come the struggling franchises, with the eighth-placed Dodle Mountaineers two full wins behind the Snakes. In ninth place, though, are the supremely unlucky Dunkirk Daredevils, who seem to be performing well but only actually getting results against the supremely weak or top teams. The Cleorough Thorns are equal with the Daredevils on six points, struggling to get going despite having one of the better squads last season. To fully emphasise this, even the Kirton Cavaliers, arguably the weakest side in the SHIT, managed to soundly defeat them. Speaking of, the Cavaliers are also equal with the Daredevils and Thorns on six points, with wins against the Scorchers, Mountaineers and Thorns under their belt.

And that leaves us with the current wooden-spooners, Halpenley Scorchers. Twelve games in, it has been a season to forget for the desert franchise, with only a win over the Dunkirk Daredevils and a draw to the Dodle Mountaineers to their name. It has been a sorry display from the side, and are lucky that they still have a strong fanbase behind them. Simply, none of their good players have been able to stand up, and neither have their youngsters or overseas player, Bollonischian Sharlene Yap. If they want to get off the bottom of the SHIT table, then that’s going to have to change. Now.

Current Table

*  SHIT                      Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Pesfield Poopers           12    9   1   2   326  289  +37    19
 2 Chamberley Crocodiles      12    8   2   2   322  285  +37    18
 3 Avondale Avengers          12    9   0   3   330  298  +32    18
 4 Avondale Stars             12    9   0   3   321  295  +26    18
 5 Sentient Sapients          12    8   0   4   332  294  +38    16
 6 Betham Sunrisers           12    7   0   5   317  292  +25    14
 7 Chamberley Snakes          12    6   0   6   305  317  −12    12
 8 Dodle Mountaineers         12    3   2   7   281  326  −45     8
 9 Dunkirk Daredevils         12    3   0   9   304  316  −12     6
10 Cleorough Thorns           12    3   0   9   302  323  −21     6
11 Kirton Cavaliers           12    3   0   9   298  351  −53     6
12 Halpenley Scorchers        12    1   1  10   287  339  −52     3

---

Sylestone vs Natanians and Nosts: A Recap

Sylestone Starting VII: Dumaresq; Bailey - McCartney (c) - Younger; Radcliffe - Barnsley - McKean

Natanians and Nosts Starting VII: Unknown

Cards:

Sylestone:
16’: Ellie McKean ▮
35’: Amber James ▮
54’: Lole Strezlecki ▮
60’: Zachary Radcliffe ▮

Natanians and Nosts:
Unknown

Goals:

Sylestone:
Zachary Radcliffe - 9
Patrick Barnsley - 8
Lachlan Fosbrook - 6
Ellie McKean - 2
Isabella Bailey - 1
Lole Strezlecki - 1

Natanians and Nosts:
Unknown

Starting Lineup vs Srednjaci @ College of Lovers’ Athletic Arena, Griesberg, Græntfjall

Dumaresq; Bailey - McCartney (c) - Strezlecki; Radcliffe - James - Fosbrook

Schedule:

GS 1 MD1: Sylestone 24-16 Eshialand @ Friendship Arena, Yamera, Ha'Yarok
GS 1 MD2 Sylestone 29-21 Gatchingerrak Union @ Friendship Arena, Yamera, Ha'Yarok
GS 1 MD3: Natanians and Nosts 28-27 Sylestone @ Friendship Arena, Yamera, Ha'Yarok
GS 2 MD1: Sylestone - Srednjaci @ College of Lovers’ Athletic Arena, Griesberg, Græntfjall
GS 2 MD2: Sylestone - Varmennia @ College of Lovers’ Athletic Arena, Griesberg, Græntfjall
GS 2 MD3: Quebec and Shingoryeo - Sylestone @ College of Lovers’ Athletic Arena, Griesberg, Græntfjall

[Octapolis]

To: Dr. Behai
From: "Chancellor" M01 C9F190H21

To the esteemed Dr. Behai,

Greetings and salutations from the Basalt-Ani enclave of the Megacity of Octapolis. We have had the unique distinction of addressing you twice before in the past, though it would be permissible if you were to not recall, given that the memory of the other species of Octapolis have limitations that we do not.

As the Chancellor of the Basalt-Ani people and a member of the Council, it has come to my attention that the M21 project is going very well. With such advanced personality programs, an aptitude for independent thinking, and the capacity to work in the same space as other more common two-legged beings, the M21 project has given the Basalt-Ani people a new life in getting to be a part of the experience that is Octapolis.

When you return, we would like to discuss in further detail the success of your program and how to institute the M21s to be a valuable part of the Basalt-Ani population.

With exuberance,

Chancellor

[Savojarna]

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
Trip to Graintfjall presents Savojars with difficult opposition

By Argeir Stefansson

Following a victory over Bollonich, Savojarna managed to come third in the group nonetheless as Srednjaci beat Sajnur to set all three teams that are not named Sajnur to four points. Suffering in the goal differential department, the Northlights had to slot in in third place, but were at the very least the highest-ranked third placed team, still earning them a finals slot. They even managed to beat some second placed teams, which means the Northlights secured a third-pot position for the finals proper; the team around Halldor Laurison will face hosts Graintfjall, Lisander from the second pot, and from the fourth pot, our old friends from football Juvencus.

The opener will be played tonight against the hosts, Graintfjall. They are the clear favourites in that duel, having won all three of their group stage matches, although Muralos (the weakest second-placed team with just two points), a weakened Abanhfleft, and the Sevens Federation are not necessarily the biggest test of ability so far. Still, they are also the fourth-ranked team in the world and managed to reach the quarterfinals last time around, losing to Bollonich in their confrontation. Jack Jockisson plays in Quebec and Shingoryeo, as does goalkeeper Samuele Henriksson; they are coupled with a number of players from the domestic league. Graintfjall are also one of the few teams where we expect the Savojars to be a bit disadvantaged physically, with almost all of them being over 1.90 and a solid amount of players over 2 metres. The Northlights won’t have to hide, and perhaps can use the speed and agility of Gislason and Hrafnar Gylfison to their advantage.

Up second will be a crucial game against second seed and 10th ranked Lisander. The teams have met before back when Savojarna were the leading handball nation of the world, and the Savojars were clearly taking the better outcome back then, but the game has grown again globally since these days, whereas the Savojar federation’s internal issues have gravely harmed its quality in Savojarna, meaning that there is no certainty we will be able to beat them at all. However it will be crucial to do so if the Northlights want to reach the quarterfinal. Whether they do so will likely be determined in the final matchup with Juvencus. Ranked seventh in the world, the Sonnel side struggled in the group stage, only securing themselves the 13th seed. Their matchup with Savojarna will be highly anticipated, as the nations have history in football, where their meeting during World Cup Qualifiers 77 led to a lot of bad blood due to political differences. While these have significantly cooled down, it is also likely to be an explosive game on the pitch, with qualification potentially on the line and both sides showing some strong handball and some powerful action at the front in particular.

Despite being only the third seed, Savojarna have justified hopes to advance through this group and can probably beat all three teams in it. However, a lot of this perception relies on the Northlights’ history of success before the Big Chaos. Now, they are playing with a fresh team, none of whom have played internationally before; the Savojars are likely to come second rather than first in the group. A loss to Graintfjall need not concern anyone, but as we go down the seeding list, any loss of points will hurt, and potentially spell the end of the campaign in the group stage.

[Bollonich]

Drawn with last edition’s semifinalists and AO group winners

The Bollonischian Handball team suffered their very first setback in the last matchday of the initial group stage. Playing against three times champions Savojarna, we were expecting to win as the defending champions. However a team like Svojarna is always prepared to conjure their magic which allowed them to reach the very peak of the game in the past and they hold the potential to do it time and again. The match was a close encounter between both sides as the battle was hard and gruelling. The score was fairly equal up to almost the last moments of the game when the Savojar players managed to pull a two goal lead and seal the victory.
Despite this minor hiccup, we still finished first in our group comfortably making the second group stage in Græntfjall. We have been subsequently drawn into the Elk Group, with teams such as Kannap and Gatchingerrak Union, whom have been quite successful in this edition and past editions of the HWC. Located in Atlantan Oceania, Kannap is a new side to the international handball scene however they have gone off the ground absolutely running as they defeated Sarzonia in the group stage to bag first place and have a perfect group stage. Winning a group with teams such as Sarzonia and Qasden is no minor feat for a team who are participating in their very first Handball World Cup. Kannap could very well be a competitor for qualification to the quarterfinals and even pose us serious problems if the issues outlined by Savojarna’s victory against us are not addressed. Gatchingerrak Union on the other hand, some might remember from our glorious HWC victory last cycle itself as we faced them in the semifinals on our road to the total. They found themselves a part of the Esportiva group, fighting against strong sides such as Sylestone and Natanians and Nosts however they registered two wins out of their three matches tying on points with Sylestone to qualify. They similarly to Kannap could pose a threat to qualification from our group with their skill and experience. Despite the packed state of the groups with good teams, we are expected to make it quite comfortably as the defending champions looking to make the knockouts once again.
The team will be battling it out against Kannap on the first matchday of the second group stage in Græntfjall. The team is expected to receive enormous amounts of support given the rather easy crossing of the Western border into Græntfjall for sports fans and supporters. Speaking ahead of the match the Head Coach of the national team, Trix Joseph said, “Well, we have prepared accordingly of course. The loss against Savojarna is not bothering us much. We are just looking ahead and we are glad to once again have some players available to us who had slight niggles following a long domestic season. The group handed to us is obviously competitive but nothing we have not seen before. I am confident that we will get the best results possible out of our matches.”

[Graintfjall]

RP cutoff for MD4.

---

Bear Group
Savojarna 22–32 Græntfjall
Lisander 26–29 Juvencus

Eagle Group
Octapolis 22–28 Muralos
Sarzonia 26–23 Kriegiersien

Elk Group
Kannap 28–32 Bollonich
HUElavia 24–23 Gatchingerrak Union

Wolf Group
Sylestone 29–27 Srednjaci
Varmennia 28–29 Quebec and Shingoryeo

Bull Group
Sajnur 31–28 Raspotochje
Natanians and Nosts 25–24 Pius Desurongcrandis

Owl Group
Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland 23–27 Atheara
The Sevens Federation 29–32 Qasden

Spider Group
Venmere 24–29 StrayaRoos
Abanhfleft 29–26 Eshialand

[Sarzonia]

On the pitch, the matchup between the Sarzonian national team handball side and Kriegiersien went down to the wire. Sarzonia led it by two goals, but goalkeeper Pat Agnew weathered a desperate effort by their opponents, and benefited from right back George Wompers retrieving possession and starting a counter attack. His assist provided the final margin as the Stars edged Kriegiersien 26-23. The result gave the Stars a 1-0 record in the second group stage, though they would occupy the runner's up position in the Eagle Group table thanks to a six-point victory by Muralos over Octapolis, who will be Sarzonia's next opponents.

The Sarzonia dressing room was rife with cheering, alcohol, and music wafting through the air as the players celebrated their victory and the modest three-match winning streak over their rivals. Sure, it was a far cry from the much-ballyhooed 23-match winning streak that included Sarzonia's championship in HWC 23, but the pressure of maintaining that streak was long gone. It would allow the players to concentrate on beating Octapolis in what was effectively an eight v. nine matchup even though it was the second group stage. A victory here likely would punch Sarzonia's ticket into the quarterfinals and a loss would add pressure to the next outing against Muralos.

Far away from the ebullient mood of that Sarzonia dressing room, Vivianne Taylor was sitting at a local bar, dejected. She'd just watched her former mates close out the tough match against Kriegiersien with a victory. George Wompers was making people forget about Taylor on the pitch, and the players seemed to be thriving without her from her perspective as a television viewer. She looked up at the full-time result once more. There was nothing she could do to reverse the numbers that said Sarzonia 26-23 Kriegiersien. There was nothing she could do about the feeling of disgust as she saw her nemesis Agnew in the midst of the celebration. There was nothing she could do about the welling up of resentment she felt at watching Joyce Rodham shaking hands with Flavia Flöt, her counterpart from Kriegiersien.

She reached into her purse and pulled out three $20 bills and threw them down onto the bar. She stood up, walked into the restroom and sat down on the loo in one of the stalls. After she flushed the toilet, she sat back down and started to cry. It was frustration, anger, resentment, disgust all bubbling up to the surface and finally boiling over. She thought about it all: Her hatred of Agnew, her resentment of Rodham, her feelings about a job offer that got rescinded because she allowed too much booze to lower her guard too much. She thought about the look one male bartender gave her and thought, he probably thinks I'm transphobic or enbyphobic. She had no way of knowing he was straight. He hadn't mentioned to her, at least not within earshot, that he had a nonbinary sibling or that he had a couple of transgender friends he was close to. She just knew he recognised Taylor from her intemperate remarks that ended up costing her a colour commentary role, and, while he was professional and polite to her, she could tell he wasn't the same gregarious sort with her that he was to just about everyone else sitting at the bar.

She gathered her purse and herself, dried her eyes on the bathroom tissue and flushed it down the toilet, then walked to the sink to wash her hands. After she dried them off, she left the restroom and the bar. On her way home, she turned onto Brockton Avenue and saw a sign up ahead for a gun shop. She smiled slightly and decided there was something she could do about it after all. She decided she would go to the shop, buy a gun, and she would then be able to solve a lot of her problems. The thought that her future actions would create problems for her didn't enter her mind, nor did the country's strict gun ownership laws.

Long story short: Anyone looking to buy a handgun in Sarzonia couldn't simply walk into a shop and buy one. Anyone looking to inherit a gun from a parent or a friend couldn't do so. First thing was first: They had to submit a written request to obtain a license. That license could only be obtained after undergoing mandatory training and subjecting to a psychological evaluation. Should anyone pass those two steps, then there was the field acuity test. And only after all of that could the powers that be even consider the request to grant a license. Taylor could certainly drive to the shop and attempt to buy a handgun, but there were several steps along the way that would make her task impossible. For one thing, the psychological evaluation would be a no-go for her, and her flimsy justification for purchasing a handgun would never fly with the review board.

Had this taken place in the now-defunct country Sarzonia declared its independence from a mere 18 years ago, there was little telling what kind of tragedy that would have befallen Taylor or anyone affiliated with Sarzonia Handball. But since this was Sarzonia with its far stricter gun control legislation, the law would prevent her from doing what she wanted. It would reduce her options greatly to one that would even leave her one-time adversary saddened.

[Octapolis]

Three Things to Remember When Repairing a Basalt-Ani

1. They're fully machines, but have feelings. You can't treat them like humans, but you can't treat them like pieces of metal, either. In fact, the personality of the individual Basalt-Ani should dictate how you approach them for repairs. Ignore the intricacies and you might cause irreparable damage to the Basalt-Ani in question. This is why most choose to spend some time with the Basalt-Ani before committing to any actual treatments in order to see exactly what that model is like. This is standard practice for a reason.

2. Don't do any more than the repair that is needed. Seriously, don't. Do you like people poking around your arm when it's your foot that's bothering you/ It's worse for Basalt-Ani - they can feel anything happening to their system at any time. More than one potential mechanic has been killed by their patient because they tried to do more than what was needed. If you see something that could be of concern, bring it up to them, but in no way should you actually commit to a course of treatment that they didn't sign off on.

3. Thank them for the honor. Seriously, this is the most important. Basalt-Ani normally repair other Basalt-Ani; to trust an outsider to do work on their interface is a profound honor that should not be taken lightly. The way to show appreciation is by polishing them, with a secondary one to take the time to talk to them about the experience afterwards. Provide suggestions, talk in detail about their passions. Treat them like you treat any organic being, but keep in mind how different they are.

If you do any or all of these things, you'll be a successful Basalt-Ani mechanic and perhaps live to tell the tale.

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

This unnamed storyline is a spin-off story about handballer Jin Hyeong-Mi and Henry Lundrigan, the eventual second Earl Lundrigan. As a story of two persons with their love of handball (and eventually each other), it will (slowly) be written over the next few HWCs. Until HWC 31, it will be written from the scenes of future, meaning that while there will be plenty of time to cover the stories, there may be occasionally outdated aspects/lines/details that may get overwritten every now and then.

The very nitpicky details, of course, aren't the ones to really live for, as both Hyeong-Mi and Henry come from the universe of both Jin Chang-Wook's Adventure of Lifetime (15th Summer Olympic series about Jin Chang-Wook, volleyball setter whose legends begin in Bunjil) and TWGS Megaseries (Vol. 1 and eventual Vol. 3). There's a bigger picture to look into when analysing how they tie into everything, so it can either be super-fun reading all of the 'Asherverse' or not at all.

So really, just enjoy it for fun and nothing much - hopefully I'll be able to cover more about handball and other forms of this beautiful sport over next while.

---

Part 1.
Part 2.
Part 3.
Part 4.
Part 5.

From the Future-Time (mid-2067 / 13 years from now)

But Hyeong-Mi wasn't sure if she was ready to really check it. Not only was she uncertain about what was inside the package, but she also didn't want to bungle up its handling in case something went wrong with it. So she waited and waited until her elder brother, Hyeong-Woo, came home after his club practice.

'Okay, so what is this?' asked the 16-year old Hyeong-Woo, sitting in the chair of Hyeong-Mi's room as Hyeong-Mi turned on the television set. Son of a dear friend of Tatiana from their junior gymnastics days and her fiancé who had both perished on a freak accident when Hyeong-Woo was a baby, he didn't really look like his sister or parents. Brown haired, skinny and lot taller than his mum or sister, Hyeong-Woo definitely felt like the odd one in the family.

'Not sure oppa. This Henry Lundrigan asked to pass it on, and apparently it's something important for me to have,' answered Hyeong-Mi, as she tried to figure out the video player. 'Something handball, or maybe mum and dad.'

Fortunately enough, Hyeong-Woo didn't necessarily felt down about it. Having arrived at Tatiana and her parents' place in northeastern city of St. John's, the only household he really remembered much were that of the Jin-Kondrayuk family, whose father was often away playing in Bollonich and mother someone everybody adored whenever he and his sister were out shopping or travelling with Tatiana. Still, truthful words had to be told, and after many failed attempts, Hyeong-Woo would find out bits and bits from her mother about her actual birth parents. It wasn't something that wasn't easy for him to initially understand, but he eventually came to accept that he was bound to be with his parents and sister, and moved on.

Tuk tuk, tuk tuk. He grabbed the box and shook it back and forth, before hearing a couple of bulky metal objects shaking inside. The siblings briefly closed their eyes to think before realising what it was.

'Maybe a couple of videos?' suggested Hyeong-Woo, raising both his eyebrows. 'Maybe some super old clips that you can't find them anymore. You know...footages that simply got old with time and are just lying about in some archives.' He slowly took the tape off the box.

'Alright, let's see.' Hyeong-Mi stepped back. She finally figured out the television, now an old-relic in Quebec of year 2067, and now they could try to wastch a video. With the look of excitement, Hyeong-Mi helped her brother take the tape off the box. 'Well here we go...now we could open it....'

The Jin siblings then opened the box in gee. What they saw were two new video tapes. One, which was coloured blue, was named 'For the future Seven Stars rightback', while the other, coloured red, had 'For the Grim Reapers centreback.' A nice, contrasting pair of videotapes, it seemed to Hyeong-Mi.

'Shall we watch the blue one first?' she asked her brother. Her brother gave a nod.

[Srednjaci]

HWC25-Graeintfjall, wolf group- FIRST ROUND

DESPITE AN INJURY OF THEIR CAPTAIN HAWTHORNS STILL BETTER THAN MASTERS BEARS

by Ana Buneta

Wolf Group
Sylestone 29–27 Srednjaci

As expected, the match between Sylestone and Srednjaci aroused great interest of the handball public. Sylestone is one of the greatest handball nations in the history of this competition. A nation with a long handball tradition. On the other hand, our country is making a good handball rising road.
These two teams have already had one meeting in the past, right at HWC and then Sylestone was convincing 27-21.
This match went very well. Our players are more experienced and handball maturity can be seen in our ranks. The defense works, the attack works and the tactics are good. The match was very even at begining.
But then a few reckless errors by our players and Sylestone makes a big difference in counterattacks.
Uncertainty has crept into our ranks and the Hawthorns are going to a high advantage 24-17.
But then the shock for the Sylestone team, the injury of the team captain, Isla McCartney. McCartny tried to pass our pivot Marina Prgomet in one attack, but she was injured in that action. Although the injury seemed more serious at first glance, McCartney got up without medical help. Everything seemed to be fine with this 33-year-old player but then she felt pain again and for her the game was over. Our players feel weakness in the ranks of Sylestone, Master Bears attack and reduce the score gap. But there was no more time any more for better resul.
Victory for Sylestone.

---

NEW MEMBER OF MASTER LEAGUE - NORTH SLAVONIJA

From the first league North comes a new club to our highest class competition. ŽRK Northern Slavonija is a club from the capital of the region of the same name, Podgora. The club has a lot of young and talented players, they literally swept the competition in the league. The ratio of 17 wins from 18 games speaks for itself. By far the best defense in the league with 436 goals and the average age of winter is 20.3 years. It is not surprising that big clubs have started flying around players from Northern Slavonija.

HERE IS MORE INFORMATION ABOUT LEAGUE -FIRST LEAGUE - SEASON 2
LIDIJA HRNETKO - 17y.- Left wing
MARIJA FRANKOVIĆ - 19 y. -Right wing
BRANKICA GOLUBIĆ - 19 y. - Center back
GORDANA HUNJAK - 18 y - Right back
PAULA VERTIĆ - 22Y- Left Back (c)
MAGDALENA DUTANKOVIĆ - 19 y. - Pivot
NADIA ZJOLKOVSKA - 20 Yy. - Goalkeeper

BENCH : Zlatka Ilović 19 y (LW), Klaudija Elić 20 y.( RW) , Edita Rakutić 20y. (CB), Tatjana Možnik 22y. (GK), Julija Greta Sultić 18y. ( LB), Olga Vankova 18y. ( RB),Vera Pašković 18 y. (Pivot)
COACH : Ludmila Ostova

*  FIRST LEAGUE NORTH           Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 ŽRK Sjeverna Slavonija        18   17   0   1   512  435  +77    34 Q
 2 ŽRK Silver Wings Taru         18   12   1   5   515  466  +49    25 PO
 3 ŽRK Podravina                 18   11   2   5   497  453  +44    24
 4 ŽRK Lijek Pharma Vitreja      18   11   0   7   498  476  +22    22
 5 ŽRK Slavija                   18   10   0   8   484  486   −2    20
 6 ŽRK Optimus - Dormatisi       18    8   1   9   471  479   −8    17
 7 ŽRK Dugograd                  18    6   1  11   449  499  −50    13
 8 ŽRK Federbunig                18    4   1  13   470  508  −38     9
 9 ŽRK Kombinat Taru             18    4   1  13   440  478  −38     9
10 ŽRK Badel                     18    3   1  14   429  485  −56     7

---

KINGS STAR KATANIJA SENT OFFER FOR Sigurd Tjangeval

The official website of the club states that negotiations between the club and the player from Sajnur, Sigurd Tjangeval, have begun. This 18-year-old talented player caught the eye of club leaders during the HWC competition.
He proved himself primarily in the game against Master Bears when he scored 7 goals and thus opened the door to the world of top handball game.
We don't yet have information on whether the negotiations are progressing and at what pace. But RK Kings Star Katanija wants to secure the best possible position in the new players for the next handball season.

HERE IS MORE INFORMATION ABOUT Men's First Hanball League

Men's first Handball League  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Plava Laguna               36   25   2   9   992  898  +94    52
 2 Neptun Melarit             36   23   6   7   969  887  +82    52
 3 Raduč Industries           36   23   2  11   977  899  +78    48
 4 Handball Taru              36   22   4  10   973  915  +58    48
 5 King Star Katanija         36   19   2  15   945  925  +20    40
 6 Bistua Nuova IBK Bank      36   12   3  21   921  981  −60    27
 7 Dormatisi Dragons          36   12   2  22   912  972  −60    26
 8 Fly Katanija               36   10   5  21   930  985  −55    25
 9 Vodik                      36   11   2  23   909  989  −80    24
10 Sandel Akademija           36    8   2  26   937 1014  −77    18

---

OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF NATIONAL TEAM

[Bollonich]

A good start to the Elk Group, GGU suffer early setback

The Bollonischian National Handball team as a unit had been already very successful just going into their third ever Handball World Cup, this was fairly unprecedented. This sort of a magnificent rise to glory and at this pace could be called to be unheard of. The team however were not pleased yet, they have come back at the 25th edition in search of more glory and to retain their place as best in the World. Having qualified for the second group stage, these three matches would be of paramount importance as the team will be looking to calculate with a perfect record to sustain some confidence and get a favourable draw something that could play a major role in making it deep in the knockouts.
We “handed” off proceedings in great fashion in the Elk group with a rather tight victory over Kannap who so far have looked exceedingly promising in the Group Stages. With the starting 7 best players being back again, we had all the resources available to seal this game. And it took us some time however eventually we managed to win the game going on a good scoring streak towards the end. This victory was a crucial one to give us that early boost in a short group stage as each and ever victory counts. This could also have an even greater effect as one of our closest competitors perhaps, Gatchingerrak Union suffered a close loss to HUElavia. This could sign a lack of competition in the Elk group as the expectations are now that we will run with it. This could be the case, however the team will still need to be vary facing experienced squads like the Gatchingerrak Union and HUElavia both of whom are definitely capable of handing us disastrous defeats for our goal of victory. In our next match, we will be going up against HUElavia who came into this edition of the HWC ranked 7th in the world which signifies that they shall be no pushovers. HUElavia finished second in the independents group behind Kriegiersien who won all three of their matches. HUElavia have also made their intentions clear with their victory over the Gatchingerrak Union. This game could pose a challenge to us, however a victory here would more or less definitely guarantee us a place in the knockouts.
Here’s what Bollonischian captain and star player Heath Adair had to say about their performance so far and prospects later in the tournament, “Of course, we have had a good run so far. We have managed to win most of our games except one and done so quite convincingly. We are looking to repeat our success of last edition however that’s still some ways off. We need to secure our place in the quarterfinals and more importantly prepare for more difficult matches which will surely come up against Sylestone and Sarzonia. These teams are some of our biggest rivals and a game against them will be enjoyable and challenging.”

[Graintfjall]

RP cutoff for MD5.

---

Bear Group
Græntfjall 25–23 Juvencus
Savojarna 26–24 Lisander

  Bear group                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Græntfjall                                    2   2  0  0   57  45 +12    4
2 Juvencus                                      2   1  0  1   52  51  +1    2
3 Savojarna                                     2   1  0  1   48  56  −8    2
4 Lisander                                      2   0  0  2   50  55  −5    0

Eagle Group
Muralos 24–32 Kriegiersien
Octapolis 23–32 Sarzonia

  Eagle group                                 Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sarzonia                                      2   2  0  0   58  46 +12    4
2 Kriegiersien                                  2   1  0  1   55  50  +5    2
3 Muralos                                       2   1  0  1   52  54  −2    2
4 Octapolis                                     2   0  0  2   45  60 −15    0

Elk Group
Bollonich 27–19 Gatchingerrak Union
Kannap 21–24 HUElavia

  Elk group                                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Bollonich                                     2   2  0  0   59  47 +12    4
2 HUElavia                                      2   2  0  0   48  44  +4    4
3 Kannap                                        2   0  0  2   49  56  −7    0
4 Gatchingerrak Union                           2   0  0  2   42  51  −9    0

Wolf Group
Srednjaci 27–32 Quebec and Shingoryeo
Sylestone 31–22 Varmennia

  Wolf group                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sylestone                                     2   2  0  0   60  49 +11    4
2 Quebec and Shingoryeo                         2   2  0  0   61  55  +6    4
3 Srednjaci                                     2   0  0  2   54  61  −7    0
4 Varmennia                                     2   0  0  2   50  60 −10    0

Bull Group
Raspotochje 32–21 Pius Desurongcrandis
Sajnur 29–27 Natanians and Nosts

  Bull group                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sajnur                                        2   2  0  0   60  55  +5    4
2 Raspotochje                                   2   1  0  1   60  52  +8    2
3 Natanians and Nosts                           2   1  0  1   52  53  −1    2
4 Pius Desurongcrandis                          2   0  0  2   45  57 −12    0

Owl Group
Atheara 28–27 Qasden
Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland 31–29 The Sevens Federation

  Owl group                                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Atheara                                       2   2  0  0   55  50  +5    4
2 Qasden                                        2   1  0  1   59  57  +2    2
3 Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland      2   1  0  1   54  56  −2    2
4 The Sevens Federation                         2   0  0  2   58  63  −5    0

Spider Group
StrayaRoos 22–23 Eshialand
Venmere 28–29 Abanhfleft

  Spider group                                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                                    2   2  0  0   58  54  +4    4
2 Eshialand                                     2   1  0  1   49  51  −2    2
3 StrayaRoos                                    2   1  0  1   51  47  +4    2
4 Venmere                                       2   0  0  2   52  58  −6    0

[Kriegiersien]

The president of whole Kriegiersien is sitting in his chair, watching a handball match on a giant TV Screen. A man comes in.

“Mr. President!”

“You Bastard! Pass, pass, not throwing from there. Yes?”

“We have to talk about the Sea Dividing Contract.”

“Yes, do it”, the president isn’t taking his eyes from the TV.

“It is important that we revaluate it.”

“Do it!”, the President shouts at the screen. “Don’t pass. Throw!”

“Even though we have the same amount of territory under control, we are having less of the whole world to trade and interact with.”

“Ah, shit. We lost. Damned Sarzonia”, the president turns of the TV. He now looks at the intruder.

“What? Who are you?”

“I am your foreign minister.”

“Ah, right, I remember. What is the problem?”

“See, as you know… we divided the whole planet in two spheres of influence with the SDC treaty. One were we could interact and trade with the nations in it and one were the Kriegiersien Privateers could.”

“We did?”

“You signed the contract yourself. Here.”

“Ah...the Pirates. Ok. Maybe. What is the problem?”

“The world is divided 50/50 but sadly most nations, because the biggest landmasses are in sector B, are in the Pirates sector of the world.”

“And that means…”

“We aren’t allowed trade or do anything with these nations.”

“Not even travelling there? For sport events or...”

“We always have to fill out an annoying amount of paperwork for even small exceptions like that. But that mostly works.”

“Oh. Hm...why did we make this contract again?”

“Because you needed the massive Pirate Navy and all their isles around the world as part of our massive nation to house all of the billion people crowding our country.”

“Ok. Was that really my idea? So...where is Sarzonia?”

“Atlantian Oceania. They are in the Pirates Sector”, the minister expands a giant map in front of the desk.

“Who made the lines on this map? Where are we? Zombiestan is our landlocked neighbour and still in the other sector? How is this possible? How do you read this?”

“Painful experience.”

“So we can’t trade with them? Or go to war?”

“Exactly. Well, war is complicated anyway as you know after the Maxlaw…”

“Yeah, yeah...what is with … Muralos?“

„Asian Archipelago. Muralos is in the Pirate Sector.“

„Octapolis?“

„That is an interesting point. They are on a Spaceship flying around the Universe. We haven’t included that. Why?“

The president suddenly gets excited and lifts one finger.
„Just throwing ideas here. We could take our Space Marines and then invade and kidnap Handball players..“

„Sir, the 'no war' problem. No killing etc.“

„Oh well. Then.. what do you want? Why do I care? My main interest is that we get into the play-offs of the Handball World Cup.“

„I need your signature and permission to renegotiate the contract to facilitate further worldwide negotiations.“

„To make the bureaucracy for you easier.“

„In a way.. that as well.“

„Ok, give me a pen to sign. I have a meeting next 'how to hide our doping best' as issue. And if that goes quick I can after that watch the match against Muralos live this time.“

[Sarzonia]

[OOC: TW//suicide]

The news sent shockwaves through the Sarzonian national team handball dressing room during the team's day off between matches.

Even though they never got on with defender Vivianne Taylor, goalkeeper Pat Agnew was at a loss for words when Technical Director Harold Cross walked into the room sombrely to announce it. They hung their head for a moment. Taylor had driven all the way to Woodstock, stopped her car on the shoulder at the highest point on The Overpass, scaled the relatively short distance to a place where she could enact her plan.

Agnew figured they'd have time to mend fences in the future if Taylor were willing. They'd hoped Taylor would eventually want bygones to be bygones. They'd hoped that Taylor could get past whatever animosity she felt toward Agnew, even if it had anything at all to do with being trans- or enbyphobic.

Joyce Rodham, for her part, had a faraway look on her face. It was her decision that set the stage for a cascade of events that would contribute to the death of a 23-year-old who had her whole life in front of her. Even if her future was not on the national team squad representing Sarzonia, she still could have potentially made something of a life for herself, whether it be in the burgeoning domestic league as a player, as a manager, or as a commentator for expanding SSPN coverage. She still could have worked toward healing the rift that reached a crescendo with her expulsion from the national team. She still could have done so much more.

For his part, George Wompers felt a need to remain silent. He didn't like Taylor, not because she was ahead of him in the depth chart for a while, but because he knew the history between her and Agnew. If the war between Taylor and Agnew had extended to a Twii.tur front, he would have been #TeamAgnew for sure. He and Agnew weren't particularly close at the time of his sudden promotion to the starting seven, but they became friends later. Even so, he was firmly on Agnew's side essentially from Day One. He didn't give a rat's arse about Agnew being gender non-conforming. He didn't care if they were trans or nonbinary or whatever on the massive spectrum of gender and sexuality. He just cared that they were a good player and a better person. His time as a starter gave him more of an opportunity to observe Agnew and decide she fit both bills.

The team began to discuss how they wanted to pay tribute to Taylor's memory before the upcoming match against Octapolis. Wearing a patch with Taylor's No. 16 or one bearing the initials VT was quickly shot down. Dedicating their match against Octapolis or the remainder of their participation in Handball World Cup 25 to her was a non-starter. Unfurling a banner to pay tribute to her memory was also out of the question. Finally, Rodham told the team she hoped to contact arena officials to ask for a moment of silence. That got the approval of the team. They could mark her loss as a former mate and as someone who took her own life without an outward display to honour someone who was far from the most popular player on the team.

The Stars may not have chosen to dedicate their match against Octapolis to Taylor's memory, but they certainly played like a team inspired. They won decisively 32-23 to stretch their winning streak to four matches and take one step closer to ensuring a trip to the quarterfinals. Because Kriegiersien defeated Sarzonia's next opponents Muralos by an eight-goal margin, there was still an outside chance that the Stars could be sent packing if they lost to Muralos. The starters would have to play against Muralos, although Rodham knew she could start substituting freely if the match became out of reach.

Following the match, no one wanted to go on record about Taylor except for Agnew, and all they said was they simply wanted to play a strong match and they weren't thinking at all of Taylor.

Even though Agnew knew they were lying through their teeth.

[Sylestone]

The Sylestonean > Sport > Handball > HWC 24

McCARTNEY INJURY HAMPERS HAWTHORNS IN INTENSE TRIUMPH

Sylestone vs Srednjaci @ College of Lovers’ Athletic Arena, Griesberg

Sylestone Starting VII: Dumaresq; Bailey - McCartney (c) - Strezlecki; Radcliffe - James - Fosbrook

Srednjaci Starting VII: Musić; Ružić - Udvarić - Vidović; Konjuh - Prgomet - Udovčić

GRIESBERG, GRÆNTFJALL - An injury to 33-year-old skipper Isla McCartney has seen the Hawthorns nearly lose a game from what appeared to be an infallible position partway through the second half. The score was 24-17 with roughly fifteen minutes left of play when McCartney moved to intercept a pass from Srednjaci pivot Marina Prgomet. She appeared destined to steal the ball back when, in a flash, she slipped and allowed it to go through to Viktorija Udovčić. Oscar Dumaresq saved the resulting shot at goal, but when it was noticed that McCartney had not got on with it, concerns began to increase.

Despite writhing on the floor for several seconds after the injury, McCartney appeared fine, eventually picking herself up and gesturing the team doctor off, alleviating concerns. But it was only a matter of seconds before she fell to the floor again, holding her quadriceps and appearing in even more pain than last time. This time, she could not reject the help of the support staff as they helped her off the court and into the dressing rooms, where she would sit with her head in her hands for the next five minutes, before they escorted her to the closest hospital to assess the damage. Unfortunately for her, scans showed a torn quad, putting her out for the remainder of the tournament and roughly ten rounds of the Sylestone Handball Intranational Tournament, where her side, the Avondale Avengers, are currently sitting in third place on 18 points from 12 games. Without her, they would be nowhere near as strong.

Back at the game, the loss of their captain appeared to distract the Hawthorns as Srednjaci managed to claw their way back into the game. Goal by goal they fought back, and with only a minute to spare, Sylestone led by a mere one point, 28 goals to 27. But with forty seconds on the clock, Oscar Dumaresq made arguably the most important save of his career, the 20-year-old sticking out a hand to prevent a certain goal from Prgomet, succumbing to the pressure with a far slower shot than anyone could have expected.

Inspired by youngster’s save, the Hawthorns proceeded to catch the Srednjaci defence off guard with a counter-attack, Ellie McKean applying the finishing touches with a powerful throw into the bottom right-hand corner of the net, scoring her side’s 29th goal of the match and effectively sealing it with less than twenty seconds remaining on the clock. When the final whistle was blown, all seven Srednjaci players dropped to their knees in despair, knowing how close they had come. From 24-17 down, taking the game to the final minute was a seriously impressive feat from the Rushmoris, but much to their frustration, they had not been able to finish it off.

Meanwhile, the Hawthorns simply appeared relieved. They knew that their performance in the final quarter of the match was simply not up to scratch and although their final goal was classic of their training drills, one moment rarely defines a match. With tough matches up against Varmennia and Anaian powerhouses Quebec and Shingoryeo up next, they would have to improve if they wanted to go deep. For their captain would not be coming back, and the rest of the team would have to step up in her stead.

Could they do it?


Cards:

Sylestone:
14’: Isla McCartney ▮
35’: Lachlan Fosbrook ▮
50’: Flynn Strange ▮

Srednjaci:
28’: Golub ▮
39’: Ružić ▮
43’: Vidović ▮
55’: Konjuh ▮

Goals:

Sylestone:
Zachary Radcliffe - 7
Amber James - 5
Patrick Barnsley - 4
Ellie McKean - 4
Lachlan Fosbrook - 3
Samantha Hussey - 2
Claire Raven - 2
Isla McCartney - 1
Lole Strezlecki - 1

Srednjaci:
Prgomet - 10
Konjuh - 6
Udovčić - 6
Ružić - 2
Golub - 1
Pandžić - 1
Udvarić - 1

Starting Lineup vs Quebec and Shingoryeo @ College of Lovers’ Athletic Arena, Griesberg, Græntfjall

Gotch; Strange - Hussey - Younger; Radcliffe - Barnsley - Fosbrook (c)

Schedule:

GS 1 MD1: Sylestone 24-16 Eshialand @ Friendship Arena, Yamera, Ha'Yarok
GS 1 MD2 Sylestone 29-21 Gatchingerrak Union @ Friendship Arena, Yamera, Ha'Yarok
GS 1 MD3: Natanians and Nosts 28-27 Sylestone @ Friendship Arena, Yamera, Ha'Yarok
GS 2 MD1: Sylestone 29-27 Srednjaci @ College of Lovers’ Athletic Arena, Griesberg, Græntfjall
GS 2 MD2: Sylestone 31-22 Varmennia @ College of Lovers’ Athletic Arena, Griesberg, Græntfjall
GS 2 MD3: Quebec and Shingoryeo - Sylestone @ College of Lovers’ Athletic Arena, Griesberg, Græntfjall

[Graintfjall]

RP cutoff for MD6.

---

Bear Group
Lisander 30–27 Græntfjall
Juvencus 26–28 Savojarna

  Bear group                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Græntfjall                                    3   2  0  1   84  75  +9    4
2 Savojarna                                     3   2  0  1   76  82  −6    4
3 Juvencus                                      3   1  0  2   78  79  −1    2
4 Lisander                                      3   1  0  2   80  82  −2    2

Eagle Group
Sarzonia 34–21 Muralos
Kriegiersien 28–23 Octapolis

  Eagle group                                 Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sarzonia                                      3   3  0  0   92  67 +25    6
2 Kriegiersien                                  3   2  0  1   83  73 +10    4
3 Muralos                                       3   1  0  2   73  88 −15    2
4 Octapolis                                     3   0  0  3   68  88 −20    0

Elk Group
HUElavia 24–32 Bollonich
Gatchingerrak Union 28–24 Kannap

  Elk group                                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Bollonich                                     3   3  0  0   91  71 +20    6
2 HUElavia                                      3   2  0  1   72  76  −4    4
3 Gatchingerrak Union                           3   1  0  2   70  75  −5    2
4 Kannap                                        3   0  0  3   73  84 −11    0

Wolf Group
Varmennia 23–24 Srednjaci
Quebec and Shingoryeo 27–29 Sylestone

  Wolf group                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sylestone                                     3   3  0  0   89  76 +13    6
2 Quebec and Shingoryeo                         3   2  0  1   88  84  +4    4
3 Srednjaci                                     3   1  0  2   78  84  −6    2
4 Varmennia                                     3   0  0  3   73  84 −11    0

Bull Group
Natanians and Nosts 24–29 Raspotochje
Pius Desurongcrandis 24–26 Sajnur

  Bull group                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sajnur                                        3   3  0  0   86  79  +7    6
2 Raspotochje                                   3   2  0  1   89  76 +13    4
3 Natanians and Nosts                           3   1  0  2   76  82  −6    2
4 Pius Desurongcrandis                          3   0  0  3   69  83 −14    0

Owl Group
The Sevens Federation 23–27 Atheara
Qasden 28–27 Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland

  Owl group                                   Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Atheara                                       3   3  0  0   82  73  +9    6
2 Qasden                                        3   2  0  1   87  84  +3    4
3 Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland      3   1  0  2   81  84  −3    2
4 The Sevens Federation                         3   0  0  3   81  90  −9    0

Spider Group
Abanhfleft 35–21 StrayaRoos
Eshialand 29–29 Venmere

  Spider group                                Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                                    3   3  0  0   93  75 +18    6
2 Eshialand                                     3   1  1  1   78  80  −2    3
3 StrayaRoos                                    3   1  0  2   72  82 −10    2
4 Venmere                                       3   0  1  2   81  87  −6    1

---

Playoff Brackets

Championship Bracket

(1) Sarzonia v Savojarna (8) @ Grander International Arena, Háttmark
(2) Bollonich v Quebec and Shingoryeo (6)* @ Royal & Imperial Recreation Club Arena, Háttmark
(3) Sylestone v HUElavia (7)* @ Kyrkdorf MSK Arena
(4) Græntfjall v Kriegiersien (5) @ Big Cup Sports Park, Waltenberg

* Swapped to avoid Bollonich/HUElavia group stage repeat.

Placement Bracket

(9) Juvencus v Octapolis (16) @ Hagejoki Play Park
(10) Gatchingerrak Union v Varmennia (14=) @ Central National University Arena, Háttmark
(11) Srednjaci v Kannap (14=) @ WhaleWhileUGo Arena, Háttmark
(12) Muralos v Lisander (13) @ Grand National Arena, Háttmark

President's Cup Bracket

(17) Abanhfleft v Natanians and Nosts (24) @ TeleGræ Arena, Háttmark
(18) Atheara v Eshialand (22)* @ ArchWANK Arena, Háttmark
(19) Sajnur v Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland (23)* @ Arena of November 21st, Háttmark
(20) Rastopochje v Qasden (21) @ BQZ 9-Bank Arena, Háttmark

* Swapped to avoid Atheara/Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland group stage repeat.

Placement Bracket

(25) StrayaRoos v Pius Desurongcrandis (28) @ North Wolf Bay Park, Hofvinger
(26) Venmere v The Sevens Federation (27) @ College of Lovers’ Athletic Arena, Griesberg

---

From now on there will be 48 hours per round.

First Round: 19 Feb
Second Round: 21 Feb
Final Round: 23 Feb

[Sarzonia]

The Sarzonian national team handball side's mood after losing their opener to unranked Kannap could be described in multiple ways. Shocked. Stunned. Sombre. But also furious. Motivated. Determined.

Sarzonia didn't exactly set the world on fire in their next two matches, but they did enough to qualify for the second group phase and a chance to play for their second championship in three Handball World Cup cycles. They also had a close call against a quality Kriegiersien side to open the second group phase, but still did enough to earn a result. The next two matches have lit a fire under the Stars. They played an inspired match to earn a nine-point victory over Octapolis and were facing Muralos, who still had a chance to qualify for the knockouts. In fact, if a few things didn't bounce Sarzonia's way, there was a chance the Stars would be shunted off to the Placement Bracket.

The Stars saved their best effort of the second group stage for last, routing Muralos 34-21 to not only capture the Eagle Group title with a 3-0-0 record, but they also returned to familiar territory with the No. 1 overall seed in the championship bracket. They finished the second group stage with 92 goals, just one behind President's Cup-bound Abanhfleft for the highest total among teams qualifying for the second group stage. The 67 goals Sarzonia conceded in the three-match group stage were the lowest total by any of the 28 teams who advanced that far. Host nation Græntfjall dropped their final group stage match against Placement Bracket-bound Lisander 30-27 to end their undefeated run through the World Cup at 5-0-1. Sylestone also ended Quebec and Shingoryeo's undefeated string, beating them 29-27.

If combined results from both the qualifying stage and the second group stage were taken into account, Sarzonia would still be the No. 1 overall seed with the best goal differential of any team remaining in the competition at plus-39 across both phases of the competition. Defending champions Bollonich would be the No. 2 seed with a plus-31 goal differential, followed by hosts Græntfjall at plus-29 and defending runners up Sylestone at plus-28. Only Sarzonia's next opponent Savojarna have a negative goal differential of the eight teams vying for the Handball World Cup 25 title at minus-one across both stages.

Statistically speaking, Sarzonia's victory marks the fifth consecutive win for Sarzonia after their 32-27 loss to unranked Kannap to open the qualifying stage. Manager Joyce Rodham also acknowledged that the Stars have seemingly peaked at the right time and have played progressively better as the tournament has worn on.

"We've been very focused, which I appreciate," he said. "This is a team that has worked hard for what it's gotten and it's nice to see a team of self-starters and a team that has had very little drama this time around." When asked if that was throwing shade at the late Vivianne Taylor, she demurred.

"I'm just stating facts," she said. "The team have gotten on fabulously. We're a much stronger, more united side than any I've had prior to this."

As for the pressure of maintaining a lengthy winning streak, that ended with Sylestone's 33-32 overtime defeat of the Stars in the semifinals of Handball World Cup 24. With only a five-match streak, the Stars are focused on their next contest against Savojarna, which qualified for the championship bracket with a 28-26 win over Juvencus. Savojarna are riding a more modest two-match winning streak after they opened the second group stage with a 10-point loss to Græntfjall. Rodham warned against taking Savojarna lightly in spite of their having the lowest goal differential of any of the remaining championship bracket teams.

"They defeated Bollonich," goalkeeper Pat Agnew said, referring to Savojarna's 24-22 win over Bollonich. "We can't afford to take anyone lightly right now."

As for a possible tribute to Taylor, Handball Sarzonia announced the team would wear black patches with Taylor's No. 16 on their kits. They also had the option to wear patches bearing the initials VT, but Agnew and defender George Wompers indicated they would not wear the latter patches.

COMBINED RECORDS OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET SEEDS (please note this is not a re-seeding)
1. Sarzonia 5-0-1, 176 GF; 137 GA (+39)
2. Bollonich 5-0-1, 172 GF; 141 GA (+31)
3. Sylestone 5-0-1, 169 GF; 141 GA (+28)
4. Græntfjall 5-0-1, 171 GF; 142 GA (+29)
5. Kriegiersien 5-0-1, 166 GF; 140 GA (+26)
6. Quebec and Shingoryeo 5-0-1, 186 GF; 171 GA (+15)
7. HUElavia 4-0-2, 165 GF; 147 GA (+18)
8. Savojarna 4-0-2, 158 GF; 159 GA (-1)

If the seeds were redone to account for combined records, they would be the following:
1. Sarzonia
2. Bollonich
3. Græntfjall
4. Sylestone
5. Kriegiersien
6. Quebec and Shingoryeo
7. HUElavia
8. Savojarna

[Savojarna]

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
Arni Stefan Gunnarsson mixing up the SHL

By Argeir Stefansson

Following a hard-fought 26-28 victory over Juvencus, the Savojar National Handball Team has reached the quarterfinals of the Handball World Cup, where they will face off against world number one Sarzonia. A difficult draw for sure, but not an impossible one as Savojarna have been playing well and have beaten the reigning world champions Bollonich before. The Northlights were only truly outmatched once, when facing an absolutely unleashed Graintfjall in the first group match of the final event. Besides their loss to the hosts, Savojarna noted four victories and a narrow loss to Srednjaci, which leaves them with chances against Sarzonia.

Amidst this preparation for the knockouts, focus is not only on the national team as a whole and its upcoming results, but also on the young goalkeeper Arni Stefan Gunnarsson of EU Storevik. Amongst the three Savojar goalkeepers that mostly share playtime equally between each other, the youngster has stood out through spectacular play and a calmness that belies his young age. He has also been voted Playoff MVP in the past SHL season when EU Storevik surprisingly won the title ahead of behemoth BHK Kjefla, whom they beat in the finals. Ever since then, Arni has been touted as a future star of Savojarna, and the call-up to the national team as well as his good play in the white and blue appears to have supported that idea. This means that now, the question of his club choice is not only watched by him and his fans, but by the nation as a whole, hoping to get a strong player on the back of the national team - but there are now questions if he will take the right decision.

Neither of the major sides - ESK Storevik and BHK Kjefla - are currently looking for goalkeepers, although some fans requested the signing of Arni over Rjurik Magnusson to push Kjefla a step forward. The more likely outcome, however, is that he will do one of three things: Move to SK Cuprum, who are looking for a thing that will push them that one bit forward to truly establish themselves as a threat to the Ejanan Big Two, move to PT Hovikkära as the third best side and the only top team that is likely to sign a goalie, or stay at his EU Storevik for another season. People from Arni’s surroundings expect that the last option will be a very likely option, since he is a player that likes his surroundings and is sensitive to changes, as well as a risk of developing too quickly and not managing to keep up. However, youth coach and scout Arnulfr Sigthorsson was more critical of this idea: “There’s a lot of talent especially in Ejana that stuck too long in comfortable positions, and didn’t dare going to a bigger club, especially if it means leaving Ejana. Arni is risking that his course will fall fast if he doesn’t have another good season, and that might make the difference between legend and a flash in the pan”, he said.

In Graintfjall, Arni Stefan Gunnarsson declined any sort of comment on his future. “My agent and my club are in talks with teams, that is true; I am focusing on my play in the national team and will not comment on transfer questions”, was all he was willing to say in an interview. The game against Sarzonia might once more increase his stock if he plays the game, and plays it well. If he doesn’t, his prospects may well take a hit - along with the prospects of Savojarna reaching the semifinals.

[Kriegiersien]

Handball World Cup

Kriegiersien 28–23 Octapolis

The players of Kriegiersien played with a black ribbon to commemorate Vivianne Taylor, the former Sarzonian handball player who had been reported to be dead from stopping to be alive some days before.
After a moment of silence the team started focused from the beginning, leading with 1-0 and continuing to play the match with a good defense and calm, not letting their artificial opponents getting control of the game.
After the match the scouts of the “Technical Sports Squad” who had observed the Basalt-Ani machines, came to the conclusion that from the combination of dangerous free will and skill level shown, the artificial players program was of no interest for the Kriegiersien Sports Committee to obtain.

“This was a good match. It was important we forgot the circumstances and what happens around us in the world while playing. We won, we are in the next round. But we now have to focus and bring our best game. It is crunch time”, said the Coach.

With Græntfjall the host is now awaiting in another quarter final.

“This is maybe the hardest draw. But we have a chance, we can win this”, was the coach convinced.

Together with World and Men's Olympic Champion Bollonich, World Cup Finalist Sylestone and Sarzonia, who know have to cope with the tragedy in their ranks, the host is a favourite for the title.

[Sylestone]

The Sylestonean > Sport > Handball > HWC 25

SYLESTONE MAKE IT THREE IN A ROW, FACE HUELAVIA IN QUARTERFINAL

Sylestone vs Quebec and Shingoryeo @ College of Lovers’ Athletic Arena, Griesberg

Sylestone Starting VII: Gotch; Strange - Hussey - Younger; Radcliffe - Barnsley - Fosbrook (c)

Quebec and Shingoryeo Starting VII: Ahn; Stankić - Lavarini - Byeon-Nadon; Bruneau - Goh-Lewis - Petitpa

GRIESBERG, GRÆNTFJALL - Following the game against Srednjaci where Isla McCartney, the Sylestonean captain, tore her quad, the Hawthorns appeared to be in disarray. At training the following day, all thirteen members of the squad were as scratchy as ever, none playing their best handball and all looking like they’d just come out of their local junior leagues. When Lauren Prior rounded them all up at the end of the session, she was completely lost for words, blurting something about improving for tomorrow’s game against Varmennia before sending them off to the dressing rooms, where they sat in silence. They all knew that the injury of one player should not affect them like that… but it was. And at the rate they were going, a loss to the Varmennians the following day seemed a certainty.

But during the first half of the match the following afternoon, the Hawthorns managed to take a slender lead and somehow, hold on to it. As Isla McCartney and the team staff watched on from the sidelines, it was clear that neither side was nowhere near their best - which allowed the favourites to build that lead before the half-time break. With neither nation’s defence performing up to their standards, the Hawthorns led 14-12 at the break and despite the intensity that was building, neither side seemed happy as they walked back into their respective dressing rooms. And rightfully so, too.

But when the Sylestoneans, in all their blue-and-orange glory, re-entered the stadium, just the way in which they carried themselves displayed that they were eager to turn things around. Whatever Isla McCartney, Lauren Prior and the remaining coaching staff had told them, something appeared to have clicked. And any avid follower of handball - or any other sport, for that matter - could tell that this Hawthorn side was determined to take both points out of this game in convincing fashion.

And that’s exactly what happened. In the second thirty minutes of the match, the Varmennians had next to no answers. The experience of Amber James and Lachlan Fosbrook led the onslaught, the two of them scoring twelve goals between them, exactly two-thirds of the goals scored by the island nation during that half. In response, Varmennia could only put eleven past goalkeeper Bianca Gotch, Sylestone finding their feet once again heading into a crucial match against Quebec and Shingoryeo, despite both sides having already qualified for the quarterfinals, having each beaten Srednjaci and Varmennia. And on the sidelines, grinning from ear to ear, was Isla McCartney. Whatever she had said during that half-time break, it had paid its dividends.

Now, for the game we all want to hear more about. Sylestone versus Quebec and Shingoryeo. A powerhouse from aeons past versus an upcoming supergiant. In the previous edition of the Handball World Cup, the two associations had joined together to host a tournament in which the Esportivans had finished second, behind the even-newer Bollonischians. In that tournament, the Quebecois had barely even shown up, knocked out in the second group stage. But having co-hosted a tournament, a healthy rivalry was beginning to brew.

So when the Hawthorns managed to hold onto a mere two-point lead in the final minutes of the game, the resulting cheer from the Sylestonean section of the capacity crowd at the College of Lovers’ Athletic Arena was nigh on deafening. The match itself was as topsy-turvy as it could be, and for a lot of the time, one of the two sides was leading by a solitary point. At the half-time break, both sides were tied, 15-all, and from that point onwards, it was destined to be a thriller.

Eventually, a two-point difference between the two sides was probably too big. But a momentary lapse from the Grim Reapers with roughly ten minutes remaining allowed the Hawthorns to build a three-point lead, and from there, the Quebecois could not bring it back again. Sure, at various points, they came within a point of the Hawthorns’ score, but the Esportivans held on, keeping the opposition forward line of Mark Eller, Joo-Ha Gye and Henri Petitpa at bay in a nerve-racking end. But when the referee blew the final whistle when the sixtieth minute finished, the Hawthorns was the side ahead, 29 goals to 27. Thus, it marked their third win in a row. They were back, and the final eight had to be wary.


Cards:

Sylestone:
6’: Lachlan Fosbrook ▮
19’: Isabella Bailey ▮
24’: Flynn Strange ▮
46’: Patrick Barnsley ▮

Quebec and Shingoryeo:
36’: Isaiah Goh-Lewis ▮
57’: Joo-ha Gye ▮

Goals:

Sylestone:
Amber James - 12
Lachlan Fosbrook - 8
Zachary Radcliffe - 4
Claire Raven - 2
Patrick Barnsley - 1
Lole Strezlecki - 1
Samantha Hussey - 1

Quebec and Shingoryeo:
Henri Petitpa - 8
Joo-Ha Gye - 5
Isaiah Goh-Lewis - 4
Sylvie-Jeanne Bruneau - 4
Elodie Byeon-Nadon - 2
Enza Lavarini - 2
Bernadette Degas-Knutsen - 1
Mark Eller - 1

Quarterfinal Starting Lineup vs HUElavia @ Kyrkdorf MSK Arena, Kyrkdorf, Græntfjall

Dumaresq; Strange - Hussey - Strezlecki; Radcliffe - Barnsley - Fosbrook (c)

Schedule:

GS 1 MD1: Sylestone 24-16 Eshialand @ Friendship Arena, Yamera, Ha'Yarok
GS 1 MD2 Sylestone 29-21 Gatchingerrak Union @ Friendship Arena, Yamera, Ha'Yarok
GS 1 MD3: Natanians and Nosts 28-27 Sylestone @ Friendship Arena, Yamera, Ha'Yarok
GS 2 MD1: Sylestone 29-27 Srednjaci @ College of Lovers’ Athletic Arena, Griesberg, Græntfjall
GS 2 MD2: Sylestone 31-22 Varmennia @ College of Lovers’ Athletic Arena, Griesberg, Græntfjall
GS 2 MD3: Quebec and Shingoryeo 27-29 Sylestone @ College of Lovers’ Athletic Arena, Griesberg, Græntfjall
Quarterfinal: Sylestone - HUElavia @ Kyrkdorf MSK Arena, Kyrkdorf, Græntfjall

[Bollonich]

Another edition, Another quarterfinal

This is the third consecutive time that the Bollonischian national Handball team have made the quarterfinals of the Handball World Cup following a brilliant run of form, winning all the matches in our second group stage setting us up for a difficult title defense. In our latest second group stage match, we came up against quite strong foes in HUElavia however we managed to dispatch of them quite comfortably once again showing our handball strength. We had looked somewhat invincible so far with the only scratch in our perfect run was the loss against Savojarna which the team had by now put very far behind them. All eyes were on the future and what the team could hope to achieve from this Handball World Cup with the competition becoming harder with time. The region of Rushmore has a strong showing in this HWC with three teams from the region being present in the Quarterfinals, the Independents are also fairly represented with two nations with one each from Atlantian Oceania, Anaia and Esportiva. The level of handball seen and displayed in this competition has by far been some of the best in the recent years with new teams rising to the occasion.
We however have reached a point where experience will be ever important. In the knockouts there is no second opportunity and teams who have been here before hold a slim advantage. These players know what this very stage feels like. That is however not to understate the might and capabilities of other sides who too have been greatly successful in this field of sport such as Savojarna, Quebec and Shingoryeo, etc. The Bollonischian National team will be facing Quebec and Shingoryeo in our quarterfinal, due to a bracket switch around which otherwise would result in a group stage rematch. This could have slightly reduced our chances of reaching the semifinals as the Quebecois are quite capable at the sport holding a good ranking prior to this edition of the tournament. This will be a tight game between two teams very eager to make some advancements in the sport with us seeking our second title while Quebec is in search of their first. We will be looking to however move on without having to spend a lot of energy in the particular match which could keep the players fresher for the more intense and difficult semifinals and finals to come. The other quarterfinal fixtures will also be very interesting to look at and see how our closest competitors fair in their matches.

Sarzonia vs Savojarna @ Grander International Arena, Háttmark
The three times champions with a vivid legacy in the sport up against the current number one in the world and Handball World Cup 23 winners. This game will definitely be a treat to watch as it could be aptly described as the historical giants vs the new leaders of the pack. While this game has a very rich backstory from both sides and also with both sides being capable of winning it, we feel Sarzonia will be ones moving on into the semifinals.

Sylestone vs HUElavia @ Kyrkdorf MSK Arena
This is a big one, the Sylestoneans are out for revenge and don’t have that same huge winning streak however have looked very good this tournament despite a few issues and injuries here and there. Their encounter against HUElavia should not cause them much trouble qualification to the semifinals wise however they will be looking to win in commanding fashion to reignite that fire and also give them crucial confidence. A win for Sylestone here and a win for us against Quebec and Shingoryeo would see a rematch of the 24th HWC finals in the semifinals of the 25th HWC.

Græntfjall vs Kriegiersien @ Big Cup Sports Park, Waltenberg
Now we come to the hosts and possibly the match which will be the hardest to decide a winner for. While both teams have had a splendid run in the tournament neither have been faced with quite a lot of competition on the other hand. The Græntfjallers have the advantage of playing at home and the fans largely supporting them, however whether that will be enough to win is an entirely different question which is why we are not gonna give you a prediction for this match.