Cup of Harmony 82 [rosters/RPs/scores]

[Mercedini]

82nd Cup Of Harmony MD2 Condensed Highlights
Mercedini vs. New Lusitania
@ Gardiner-Stewart Stadium - Abingdon Parish, The Licentian Isles

Good afternoon to you all watching at home wherever you are. Welcome back to Mercedini Sports Daily where the Cup Of Harmony is still going strong. Last time round, Mercedini kicked off their campaign with a comprehensive 4-0 over Alezian Union, with a Christian Armani hattrick proving too much for the Pot 4 side to deal with. That means they will go into today's second game at the top of their group, and they hope to extend their lead here today as they face New Lusitania. Now Mercedinian fans won't find it hard to remeber the last outing between these two sides, where New Lusitania travelled to Mercedini for the Independents Cup, and knocked them out of their own tournament in Zoloroni, beating the Golden Eagles by two goals to nil in a famous victory. Dini will be hoping to avoid a repeat of that and confirm a spot in the knockouts with a win here today. If there ever was a match to watch in Group J, it would be this one.

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0' - So, here we go for round two in the Gardiner-Stewart Stadium. Round one was a clinical knockout for the Golden Eagles, but round two is versus an opponent much closer to their weight class. With all the build-up and hype surrounding these two teams, it's no surprise that it's a full house in Abingdon for this afternoon game. The sun is out, the teams are lined up, and we're all ready for another game of football which will reveal Mercedini's standing as a competitor in this tournament or not. A win will confirm knockout round football, while a draw or loss will leave it all up to the final game versus Acastanha. Talisky will start ahead of Dostalok following his concussion scare from last game, but it remains a strong line-up for this game versus New Lustania.

8' - (MRC 1-0 LUS) - GOAL! Talisky has made an instant impression on the team and the game as he opens the scoring with scrappy goal which counts nonetheless. It's another great ball in from Armani on the near side who curled an out swinging diagonal cross in to the melee of players in the box. Chillotov got a flick on but it was deflected to safety by a Lusitanian leg. That deflection didn't take any speed out of the cross, and bounced awkwardly off of the body of João Cancela. He didn't know too much about it as the ball flew back into the danger area. Talisky was the first to it as he worked the ball from under his feet, and fired a shot towards goal. In a common theme for this move, the ball deflected off the leg of the goalkeeper and into the roof of the net. An awkward finish to cap off a simple move forward for the Golden Eagles. Talisky wheels away and celebrates in front of the Mercedinian fans. 1-0!

19' - (MRC 2-0 LUS) - It's two for Mercedini as they continue their romp in the Group Stages of this tournament. Brindliev gets his name on the scoresheet by latching on to a Di Sansev header from a corner. Garzallo seemed to overhit his corner into the box, forcing the Mercedinian to backtrack to the far side of the box. With no one closing him down, Di Sansev steading himself and sent the ball back in to the mixer using his head. The ball had plenty of air time as players jostled for position. Lopes came out to claim the ball, but a nudge from someone in the melee meant that he was stuck in no man's land as the ball came down. Brindliev rose highest and only needed to get enough on the ball to edge it towards the open net. He did so, and it completes a quick double for Dini before the twenty minute mark.

22' - (MRC 2-1 LUS) - A near instant response from the Lustianians brings them back into this one and it's Silveira who halves the deficit with a simple finish. All of the credit should go to Miguel Pereira and Caldeirão as they scythed the Mercedinian defence apart with two brilliant passes. Pereira released Caldeirao down the wing, with the latter sprinting at full speed to put distance between himself and Dalamai. That distance allowed Calderao to run inside as he reached the by-line and run parallel with it into the box. The move was finished by Caldeirao who squared the ball over to Silveira, who didn't need a second touch to find the net from just outside the six-yard box. No celebration from New Lusitania, they bought the ball back to the half way line and we are already back underway in the first half. 2-1!

45+1' - (MRC 2-2 LUS) - After looking so good early on, the New Lusitania comeback has been completed by Veiga via a free kick that was brilliantly taken by the Lusitanian attacker. The free kick was fair as Brindliev needed to bring down Silveira to stop a dangerous move from developing, but I don't think anyone was expecting the outcome of that foul. Four bodies were put in the way by Wandai as the rest of the team was lined up to stop a potential cross from coming in. The position of the ball had direct shot potential, but Veiga had to do all the work to get it up and down in time. Veiga stepped up, and curled in an absolute beauty to level the scoring just before the half time whistle. Wandai was wrong footed and simply had to watch as the ball flew over the wall and into the top corner. The crimson fans are going berserk in the stands, along with some of the neutrals, while those in blue and black and gone remarkable silent. We're moment away from the half-time whistle, and it's looks like both teams are heading into the tunnel on level pegging.

HALF TIME
Mercedini 2 - 2 New Lusitania
Talisky 8', Brindliev 19' • Silveira 22', Veiga 45+1'

Well, well, well, after being so far head. Dini seem to have let their overconfidence effect their football, as New Lusitania went into the break with all of the momentum. The half-time whistle was a welcome relief to Billic as he hurried his players into the tunnel for his team talk. The players are coming out now, with both sets of fans making noise to lift the sprits of their team. No changes at the break for Mercedini, with all eyes now on Talisky and Chollotov to try and get the team out of this minor pickle. Dini looked very good in attack during the opening exchanges of this game, but went relatively silent one New Lusitania got a foothold on proceedings. Let's see how things pan out, we're level at 2-2 as New Lusitania kick us of for the final forty-five.

61' - (MRC 3-2 LUS) - GOAL! and Dini are back in front through Chillotov who collects his second goal of the tournament. The goal came following an extended period of possession which Mercedini had, as they tried to catch a defender out and exploit a gap in the back line. That never came, but Karlovic showed good vision to spot Talisky making a run, a simple ball over the top found him as he was entering the box. Talisky let the ball run with him as the keeper came out to block any potential shot. In a moment of selflessness, Talisky looked up and pulled it back to Chillotov, who took a touch before sliding the ball over the line to restore Dini's lead in this game. Knockout football beckons, but there is still half-an-hour to hold out, the defences will surely be tested before this game is through.

88' - (MRC 4-2 LUS) - A fourth goal for Dini and that should do it for this one. Dini have put their foot down as this game has drawn to a close and they have capped off a less than complete performance with their second four-goal haul in as many games. Talisky has found his second to bookmark a good day's work for him, with Chillotov returning the favour to his strike partner to set Talisky up with an easy finish. New Lusitania were pushing for an equaliser with the clock running down and simply has to push and threaten to get a point out of this game. Sadly, play broke down outside the box and that was the cue for the attacking duo to break forward and secure the win in this match. Chillotov raced forward with the ball, and looked to give himself three in two games, but the Lajuno striker squared the ball back to Talisky to take out both the one remaining defender and the goalkeeper from the equation. Talisky slotted the ball home and went to celebrate with Chillotov to thank him for the easy goal. Eight goals in four games for Dini, and more could be in the offing in the final game. The three points have been a struggle, but are now finally confirmed in the Mercedinian column.

90+6' - (JER 2-5 MRC) - The referee blows his whistle for the end of what was a closely fought game, even if the score line somewhat alludes it. It's another four goals in the net for Mercedini, taking them to eight, with Talisky bagging a brace which proved to be the difference between the two teams. No clean sheet for the Golden Eagles this time around as a brilliant comeback was completed by New Lusitania in the first half, but that wasn't enough for the Pot 2 side as they risk being eliminated if they don't pick up a result versus Alezian Union. Dini proved too strong in the end, and have now confirmed knockout football once again in the Cup Of Harmony. It has ended here in Abingdon; Mercedini 4, New Lusitania 2.

FULL TIME
Mercedini 4 - 2 New Lusitania
Talisky 8', 88', Brindliev 19', Chillotov 61' • Silveira 22', Veiga 45+1'

Mercedini are seemingly firing on all cylinders as we approach the end of the group stages, six points out of six and with eight goals scored, the Golden Eagles are proving their worth as a Pot 1 team in this group. They will finish their opening three games with a match versus Acastanha which will decide who tops the group and has a better seeding going into the knockouts. A win for Dini will see them go three for three, claiming the top seed in the group as a result. A draw will mean both teams advance as they are with no change in the standings, while a win for Acastanha would mean that the team in red and yellow would stunningly top the group, giving Dini a middle-of-the-road placement when it comes to knockout opponents. Join us for that one, we will be giving you all of the action as it happens in Abingdon. Goodnight!

[Oberour Ar Moro]

Do-or-Die

There were some green shoots of optimism for Oberour Ar Moro's Dragoon as they came out of the half. The Independent Athletes of Quebec, the top seeds in Group L had played excellent football through the first half of their match. But the Oberours had only matched them blow for blow.

Jean-Christophe Babin had opened the scoring for the Grim Reapers, the Dragoons responded right back with a Nycollas Mauranghas strike. Eloise Kweon took an audacious long-range shot that surprised Olliuier le Duc to retake the lead. Then Sebastian Chapuisseur decided that if you want something done right it had to be done by himself and snaked his way up the field and scored on his own.

Going into the half the promise of a match full to the brim with offensive wizardry was coming true. And the Dragoons had seemingly proven they were up to the Quebecois challenge.

And then the bottom fell out.

Mere moments after the second half kickoff, Zinaida Woodcarver scored the third Quebec goal. And then four minutes later, Kweon was fouled in the area and Woodcarver buried the penalty to make the score 4-2. Ten minutes later Vegeta put the cherry on top of the cake with a fifth goal after a corner. It was under an hour into the game, and it was fully out of reach. Any Oberour attempts to climb out of the hole were in vain, and the Grim Reapers were unlucky that the score wasn't even higher.

The positive momentum from the win against Sendhang was gone as dust in the wind. And they had mere days to prepare for a team coming back into form: Kyzhurkistan.

For the very briefest of moments during World Cup qualifying, unranked and unfancied Kyzhurkistan were the leaders in Group 10. They defeated Darmen twice (a team Oberour Ar Moro have never defeated, and they're both in Rushmore), they drew against Jeruselem and Mercedini, and could see a booked trip to Vilita and Baker Park shimmering in the distance.

Unfortunately, this proved only to be a mirage. The Kyzhurks could only defy gravity so long as they went 0-1-3 to finish qualifying, ultimately falling to fourth in their group.

But this is a team that cannot be ignored. After a 1-2 loss to the Independent Athletes from Quebec, they rebounded to defeat Sendhang 2-1, and with a superior goal difference sit second in the group.

What comes next for Oberour Ar Moro is simple. The winner of Kyzhurkistan v Oberour Ar Moro will advance to the Group of 32. A draw only benefits Kyzhurkistan, as that better goal differential means they would finish second in the group.

Only the four best third-place teams in the Cup of Harmony will advance to the Round of 32. No team would want to put their fates in the hands of so many others, and certainly Oberour Ar Moro have no interest in anything but a win. This drama in this final group stage match is already high and will only climb higher.

Cup of Harmony 82 Schedule
WIN | DRAW | LOSS

MD01: Oberour Ar Moro 3 – 1 Sendhang
MD02: Independent Athletes from Quebec 5 - 2 Oberour Ar Moro
MD03: Oberour Ar Moro (1-0-1) v Kyzhurkistan (1-0-1)

[Soldera]

Reality begins to set in for someone approaching their final game, be it as a player or a coach right before the last time they get ready to take part in a game.

That reality was going to be the case for Solderan national football team midfielder and team captain Joey Westway. He knew going into the World Cup 90 cycle that it would be his only one as a player. He was on the wrong side of 30, something that may not necessarily be a problem nowadays with all the advances in medical care and physiology and everything else, but Westway knew his clock was ticking. The wear and tear of 17 years of professional football, not to mention the years leading up to it, was taking its toll on him. He knew he didn't have much left for another run at World Cup qualifying in another four years or two years or however long it was between now and the start of World Cup 91 qualifying.

Westway was aware of the arguments some of the players who tried to talk him into staying made. The team would not be eligible to compete in the Baptism of Fire Cup since Soldera had already made its debut in that competition. They could opt out of the Copa Rushmori. He could assume a part-time role, still retaining the armband for the times he started. But Westway had already made up his mind. He was done. Another round of competition as a player well into his mid-thirties would not serve anyone well, least of all the United Kingdom. He was done.

Davis Perez felt the same way. Granted, he was just now rounding into better form as the unexpected starter in defense following the torn ACL suffered by Eli Bingham. In the early going, he felt the strain of trying to play starter's level minutes after being a reserve, and he felt the strain of the suddenly increased workload on his body. He hoped it would go away, but he also felt as though he had little left in the tank after years of playing football. The results were discouraging, but Perez knew they were to be expected for a newcomer team in the World Cup. He still decided it was time for him to call it quits, even though he'd heard through the grapevine that he would be considered for the captain's armband if he stayed.

Bingham, too, would come to learn the finality of playing his last. Unlike Westway and Perez, both of whom were walking away from their playing days on their own volition, he didn't have a choice in the matter. A torn ACL in itself was no longer a career-ending injury, and with quality health care facilities and competent medical teams, a player could easily return to playing form within a few months (hello, Sarzonia goalkeeper Paolo Gomes), but that wasn't what awaited Bingham. He'd filed a medical malpractice lawsuit after he'd suffered an infection following surgery. The evidence he would mount would result in his being awarded 14 million crowns by a jury. The monetary recompense would be of small comfort to Bingham because he wanted to play, but his leg wouldn't allow him to. He would feel fortunate just having the ability to walk again after his problems with surgery. He wouldn't even feel like he belonged on the pitch with Westway and Perez to receive honours at the team's Cup of Harmony finale against Chartistan. Number one, he'd have to use crutches if he didn't want to be wheeled out in a wheelchair. Number two, both Perez and Westway were able to see the team through their final days as players. They'd truly earned the recognition, which Bingham felt robbed by his opportunity to receive.

Soldera manager Norm Carricker, too, began to feel the weight of finality, as he sat with the three assistant managers to plan for attack-minded Chartistan. He pored over the starting 11 his team would likely face against their musically inclined opponents and sat back with a faraway look in his eyes.

"What's wrong, Norman?"

The manager looked up. The only person in that room who was allowed to call him by his birth name looked at him with concern. It was Larry Carricker, the older brother and assistant manager who asked the question. He'd seen the look in Norm Carricker's eyes and knew something was different. Norm Carricker looked at his brother and realized he couldn't just fake his way past the question.

"It's just," he began, pausing for a moment, then looking at the desk, "it's over, Lawrence. My managerial career."

Larry Carricker nodded. He knew his little brother was proud of all the hard work he'd put into the team, both from the standpoint as a manager preparing a team, but also as someone who was working to build a culture for Solderan football. He wanted to make sure the Snakes were a team Solderans could be proud of. He wanted to make sure the team took on the personality of a team that was going to give it their all. And, more importantly, Larry Carricker knew that his brother's passion helped make a lot of things possible for the Snakes, even though their World Cup 90 cycle would come to an end after the Chartistan match.

"I get it, Norman," Larry said. "One phase of your life is coming to an end, but you're starting another one as technical director. You'll be able to keep your stamp on the team by helping to pick the players and by choosing a manager you know who will be able to keep your vision going."

Norm looked up at his brother. He knew Larry wasn't lobbying to take over his brother's job. Larry figured to be in his mid-to-late 50s when the next World Cup cycle began. Larry Carricker also turned down the job and suggested Norm for it because Larry didn't feel he had the patience to deal with the assorted growing pains of a team that was just dipping its toes into international competition outside the bounds of Rushmore. Even though it was Norm who'd already laid the foundations and put the walls up, the elements of filling the walls and actually finishing construction of the house still required the sort of patience Larry just didn't have. Perhaps if he weren't so old, relatively speaking, and the Snakes had already established their football pyramid and the player pool, he'd be willing to take on the team at least for one or two World Cups. But now? He was content to remain as an assistant manager and let someone else call the shots.

At the team's final training session before getting ready for the Chartistan match, everyone gathered in a circle around delivery pizza and sheet cakes commemorating the careers of four Solderans who'd sacrificed so much of themselves for the greater good of building a program from the ground up. It would be a small celebration, but it would still allow the players, coaches, and support staff to enjoy one final moment with each other without having to deal with substitutions and offside calls and the like. It would be one final moment to gather as a team before careers came to an end.

It would truly be Soldera's last dance and their last chance together. They were determined to make it count.

[Eshialand]

A Waste of the World's Time
Poafmersia 1-0 Eshialand

On a boat off the shore of Eshialand City...

"What the..."

The fisherman reels in his line, only to find a cell phone on his hook. "Is that a... uPhone 14?" he asks, bewildered as to how he managed to snag it.

RIING! RIING!

"Wait, this thing still works? How long has it been underwater?"

RIING! RIING!

As the fisherman takes the phone off of his hook, he hears a "hello?". "Wait, did I accidentally answer the call..." he thinks to himself, before instinctively saying "Hello!"

A crackling voice at the other end of the line says "Is that you, Gregorius?". The fisherman tries to reply "no", but the man at the other end apparently couldn't hear it... or maybe he thought he said "yes"?

"Anyway, that idea you had? Where we put the benchwarmers and the nobodies in the Starting XI? That didn't work AT ALL! Granted, it wasn't as bad as that Sendhang match back in 2021, but it was still utter dogshit and we're heading for another one point CoH!"

The fisherman was wondering what the heck this man was saying. He could guess that this man on the phone probably represented the national soccer team, but how could he possibly advise him as to what to do? The last time he had played soccer was in third grade, and he hadn't even watched the team at all, only hearing about it from news reports...

"Um... do whatever you want then?"

Coach Morgan, the man who was on the other end of the line, was stunned. This clearly couldn't be Gregorius Moffré, at least not the one he knew... so what was he supposed to do?

"I'm sorry, what is your name?"

"Rylen McShane! And yours?"

"Kenneth Morgan... hold on a sec."

Well, if he couldn't contact Gregorius, and the team was flopping harder than a freshly-caught fish trying to escape for dear life... what was he supposed to do?

"Okay, I'll just do what I want then. Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you too Mr. Morgan!"

After hanging up the phone, Coach mutters under his breath "and if Moffré wants to have my ass for this, then so be it..."

Poafmersia - 1 (Tuft 27')
Eshialand - 0

[The Licentian Isles]

Here is your cutoff for the final day of the Cup of Harmony 82 group stages! Expect results soon, and seedings and knockout fixtures not long after.

[New Lusitania and the Algarves]

MD3: ALL OR NOTHING
Mercedini 4-2 New Lusitania

The Gardnier-Stewart Stadium, in Abingdon, would be the host of what was arguably the biggest fixture in the group – Mercedini against New Lusitania – in front of a packed crowd. Valentim and the rest of the team knew they needed a result here today to have a safer chance of qualifying, but the Golden Eagles wouldn’t, of course, make it any easier. One change only as Ferradura is joined by Domingues, instead of Mendonça in the starting line-up.

Hopes were still high, albeit unsure, but the Mercedini clearly got off the mark better than the Lusitanians. Talisky, which had been a new entry in their adversaries’ line-up, was quick to prove why he should be retained for the third match, scoring the opener in the first eight minutes of play. Cancela still blocked a first shot (somehow it might be added), but the defence weren’t as quick for the second shot and so the Mercedinians put themselves in front for the first time in the match. Just before twenty minutes struck, it was already a 2-0 lead as Lopes gets caught out while trying to recover the ball, di Sansev rising higher than the rest to head the ball into what looked like a comfortable lead.
The Selecção most weeks would likely feel demoralised by now, but attempted to recover fairly well, almost immediately. Pereira and Caldeirão, two of the team’s younger and more promising players pulled off a great play to get within goal, releasing it over to the usual target man, Silveira who would finish it off with flair. 2-1. Before half-time, for once it would be the New Lusitanians that would catch someone slightly distracted instead of the opposite – Veiga, who was feeling particularly confident as he was started over Fernando, stepped up to take a free-kick awarded after a messy foul, curling it to perfection into the back of the net. It was certainly a moralising way to go back into the dressing rooms, with everything square at the half-way stage. Galvanising would certainly occur inside, before coming back out for the latter fifty percent of the game.

By the hour mark, Mercedini had reined the game back in within their grasp – Chillotov casually collected his second contribution to the score sheet, after the Lusitanians had failed to get the ball back for a slightly longer period. Their opponents didn’t need to be told twice and took their opportunity and did so well, it might be said. New Lusitania still had some belief and later on Guerra hit the bar from long distance to the frustration of the Selecção fans over how close it had been. “Dini”, however, pretty much closed the book on the match in the 88th minute, just two plays after a great counter-attack spurred on by Cancela and Palhagueira. Talisky, who is easily one of the more prominent figures of the day, a counter in the opposite direction shelved the game with 4-2 with very little time to do much about it.
A well contested match, of which the Mercedini press themselves say it was “a closely fought game”, citing “a brilliant comeback from New Lusitania in the first half”, despite that 4-2 scoreline not showing it as much as it could. Valentim though, has a lot of work to do now in preparation for the Alezian Union match which ensures their progression, or lack thereof, in the tournament. Their opponents have been known for showcasing some promise, despite leaving some question marks – hopefully the queries are answered in a way that favours the Selecção nicely.

[The Licentian Isles]

Group H
Nyowani Kitara 2–0 Valentine Z
Brookstation 2–2 HUElavia

  Group H                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Nyowani Kitara                     3   2  1  0    3   0  +3    7   Q
2 Valentine Z                        3   1  1  1    5   6  −1    4   Q
3 HUElavia                           3   0  2  1    4   5  −1    2
4 Brookstation                       3   0  2  1    4   5  −1    2

Tie between HUElavia and Brookstation broken by IC coin flip.

Group I
Eraman 1–1 The Cordian Isles
Astograth 0–1 Trolleborg

  Group I                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Trolleborg                         3   2  0  1    4   4   0    6   Q
2 Astograth                          3   1  1  1    7   6  +1    4   Q
3 Eraman                             3   1  1  1    7   7   0    4   Q
4 The Cordian Isles                  3   0  2  1    4   5  −1    2

Group J
New Lusitania 0–1 Alezian Union
Acastanha 1–0 Mercedini

  Group J                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Acastanha                          3   2  1  0    6   4  +2    7   Q
2 Mercedini                          3   2  0  1    8   3  +5    6   Q
3 Alezian Union                      3   1  0  2    3   7  −4    3
4 New Lusitania                      3   0  1  2    4   7  −3    1

Group K
Eshialand 2–1 República Guanacasteca
Legalese 1–3 Poafmersia

  Group K                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Poafmersia                         3   3  0  0    5   1  +4    9   Q
2 Eshialand                          3   1  1  1    3   3   0    4   Q
3 Legalese                           3   1  1  1    3   4  −1    4
4 República Guanacasteca             3   0  0  3    1   4  −3    0

Group L
Oberour Ar Moro 1–0 Kyzhurkistan
Sendhang 1–1 Independent Athletes from Quebec

  Group L                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Independent Athletes from Quebec   3   2  1  0    8   4  +4    7   Q
2 Oberour Ar Moro                    3   2  0  1    6   6   0    6   Q
3 Kyzhurkistan                       3   1  0  2    3   4  −1    3
4 Sendhang                           3   0  1  2    3   6  −3    1

Group M
Valladares 3–3 Wreckeria
Pluvia and the Saxean Isles 1–2 Omerica

  Group M                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
1 Wreckeria                          3   1  2  0    9   8  +1    5   Q
2 Omerica                            3   1  2  0    6   5  +1    5   Q
3 Pluvia and the Saxean Isles        3   1  0  2    7   7   0    3
4 Valladares                         3   0  2  1    6   8  −2    2

Tie between Wreckeria and Omerica broken by IC coin flip.

Group N
Barunia 3–0 Kimi-Suomi
Schima Bas 3–5 South Newlandia

  Group N                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Barunia                            3   2  0  1    7   5  +2    6   Q
2 Kimi-Suomi                         3   2  0  1    6   7  −1    6   Q
3 South Newlandia                    3   1  0  2    7   7   0    3
4 Schima Bas                         3   1  0  2   10  11  −1    3

[Montana Verde]

Grupo A
Geektopia 3–5 Muralos
Cabo Azure 2–1 Tikariot

  Grupo A                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cabo Azure                     3   2  0  1    8   6  +2    6
2 Tikariot                       3   1  1  1    7   5  +2    4
3 Muralos                        3   1  1  1    7   7   0    4
4 Geektopia                      3   1  0  2    9  13  −4    3

Grupo B
Chartistan 1–2 Soldera
Flavovespia 2–3 Savojarna

  Grupo B                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Savojarna                      3   3  0  0    7   2  +5    9
2 Flavovespia                    3   2  0  1    6   5  +1    6
3 Soldera                        3   1  0  2    3   4  −1    3
4 Chartistan                     3   0  0  3    2   7  −5    0

Grupo C
Zeta Reka and Hügeltaldom 5–2 Delaclava
Saint Eleanor 0–2 Starblaydia

  Grupo C                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Starblaydia                    3   2  1  0   10   4  +6    7
2 Zeta Reka and Hügeltaldom      3   2  1  0    8   4  +4    7
3 Saint Eleanor                  3   1  0  2    2   4  −2    3
4 Delaclava                      3   0  0  3    5  13  −8    0

Grupo D
Drawkland 2–2 The 14 Stars
Qasden 0–1 Chromatika

  Grupo D                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Chromatika                     3   2  1  0    4   2  +2    7
2 Qasden                         3   1  1  1    4   2  +2    4
3 The 14 Stars                   3   0  2  1    4   5  −1    2
4 Drawkland                      3   0  2  1    3   6  −3    2

Grupo E
Yuezhou 6–2 Saterun
Mertagne 1–3 Savigliane

  Grupo E                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Yuezhou                        3   2  1  0   10   5  +5    7
2 Savigliane                     3   2  0  1    9   5  +4    6
3 Mertagne                       3   0  2  1    4   6  −2    2
4 Saterun                        3   0  1  2    5  12  −7    1

Grupo F
Sarzonia 3–0 Southwest Eastnorth
Indusse 3–4 Electrum

  Grupo F                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Electrum                       3   2  0  1    9   8  +1    6
2 Southwest Eastnorth            3   2  0  1    6   6   0    6
3 Sarzonia                       3   1  1  1    5   3  +2    4
4 Indusse                        3   0  1  2    4   7  −3    1

Grupo G
Abanhfleft 3–4 Estorvipa and Estorpiva
Gyatso-kai 2–1 Krytenia

  Grupo G                      Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Krytenia                       3   2  0  1    8   4  +4    6
2 Gyatso-kai                     3   2  0  1    4   2  +2    6
3 Estorvipa and Estorpiva        3   2  0  1    5   4  +1    6
4 Abanhfleft                     3   0  0  3    5  12  −7    0

Automatic qualifiers
Best 3rd place finishers

---

RP bonus info

Both hosts are grading all RPs to produce an average score. For the purposes of these stats, multiple RPs by one participant within a cutoff window are treated as one combined RP.

35 participants earned RP bonus.
10 participants earned max RP bonus.
The mean RP earned 88% of max bonus.
The median RP earned 90% of max bonus.

[Montana Verde]

Playoff Bracket

All games in The Licentian Isles


All games in Montaña Verde

Only tie was flipped to avoid a group-stage repeat (Electrum v Southwest Eastnorth/Trolleborg v Oberour Ar Moro).

[Sarzonia]

When the Sarzonian national football team lost their second match of the Cup of Harmony group phase, it felt in many circles as though the prospect of qualifying for the knockout rounds would be a pipe dream.

Even though Sarzonia were facing the Pot 4 side in Grupo F, it was a Southwest Eastnorth side that had already won its first two matches of the group stage and already had their place in the Round of 32 secured. The prospect of being able to deliver a fatal blow to the Stars and potentially lead to the Incorporated Football Federation Board of Governors questioning the future employment of manager Nathan Hanifer seemed like it would be too tempting a target for Southwest Eastnorth to pass up. Besides, they were still in somewhat of a dogfight with Electrum for the top position in the group. Clearly, they had something to play for.

That may very well have been, but it was Sarzonia who played inspired football, getting two goals from Jake Campos and a spectacular bicycle kick off the right boot of Holly Cambrio to not only steal away a 3-0 victory that would level their record to .500 at 1-1-1, but the other results from the 56-team field would give Sarzonia one of the four knockout stage berths reserved for third place finishers. They would squeak into the knockout rounds as the No. 30 seed with the victory.

Their opponent? Get ready for all the intrigue imaginable. It's Starblaydia, a longtime regional rival who flounced off to join the breakaway Anaia region along with countries such as Krytenia, Quebec and Shingoryeo, Audioslavia and others. Tensions between Woodstock and Jhanna, in particular seemed destined to edge toward open shooting and beyond merely warm war status. Whereas halting efforts toward reestablishing ties between Emberton and Woodstock have already begun, and Quebec and Shingoryeo and Sarzonia have reached some level of equilibrium, the relationship between Sarzonia and Starblaydia remains tense.

None of that is of any concern to Hanifer, who said his focus is on preparing the Stars for the match against the Purple Peril.

"We've got enough of a challenge on our hands with a team ranked 10th in the multiverse right now," he said. "Not to mention the top ranked team of those playing here. Playing a top-10 side is much more of a consideration for us than any of the geopolitical bullshit going on."

Perhaps the Stars manager might not be considering the political ramifications of yet another Sarzonia-Starblaydia match, but would the players. Midfielder and captain Clayton Wilson answered emphatically.

"No way," he said. "No fucking way. Our task here is to win a football match and advance to the Round of 16. We don't want to talk about distractions, and the status of Atlantian Oceania-Anaia relations counts as a massive distraction. Let the diplomats and the admirals deal with that shit. We just wanna play football."

The last time the Stars played Starblaydia was in the Purple Peril's final AOCAF, during which Sarzonia ejected them out of the airlock with a 1-0 victory in the quarterfinals of AOCAF LII. This contest, between the team ranked 10th in the multiverse coming in, though projected to sink to the 23rd rank after failing to advance to the World Cup proper and a team that entered the cycle ranked 73rd and began the Cup of Harmony ranked 59th, still shapes up as a rivalry where the two opponents could easily throw out the records.

"We don't like them and they don't like us," Campos said.

"They're a bunch of haughty posers," defender Charlie King said, making clear he wanted to speak on record and say that, despite the prospect of it providing Starblaydia with bulletin board material.

Goalkeeper Carlton Sandt agreed with the above, but added that the Stars' objective was very simple.

"We want to win, period," he said.

[Soldera]

The only objective remaining for the already eliminated Solderan and Chartistani national football teams was to play for pride. Neither team wanted to walk out of the Cup of Harmony without so much as a draw for their trouble of playing three additional matches after their respective World Cup qualifying dreams ended.

It would be Soldera who would get the otherwise meaningless victory and leaving Chartistan playing the sour note of defeat, getting a 2-1 victory as midfielder and team captain Joey Westway capped his career with the game-winning goal in the 86th minute after he assisted on a tally by skillful speedster Matt Conley in the 56th minute. The two goals prevented the 36th minute marker by Anna Delphine from being the winner and allowed Soldera to emerge from the group stage and return home with a 1-0-2 record.

The victory also marked the final match of Norm Carricker's career as Snakes manager before he takes over as technical director for Dahvid Leib. Leib will assume the role as commissioner of the Solderan Elite League.

"It was great for us to get a result in our final match," Carricker said. "I feel especially proud of the effort Joey put out there and Davis [Perez, the defender who was also playing his final match for the Snakes]. They both left everything out on the pitch."

When Westway came off the pitch in the 90th minute as Soldera opted to play with nine field players to give Westway an opportunity to earn a standing ovation from Solderan supporters, several of the depth players embraced him just before he sat down on the bench, sobbing. Perez also got a chance to be subbed out for nicely in the 69th minute, and he got a warm ovation from the Snakes supporters. Defender Eli Bingham received a round of applause, which he acknowledged from the suites on the mezzanine level at the stadium.

"I didn't feel like I belonged on that pitch before the match," Bingham said, pointing both to his knee not responding well to treatment and to his pending malpractice suit against the doctors who performed surgery on his torn ACL. "Besides that, my knee didn't feel up to making the trip out to the pitch." For his part, Perez said he was proud of the team's response to both Bingham's injury and his own emergence as a starter afterwards.

"I was happy to get out there and I was especially pleased that this team rallied the way it did, even if we didn't get as far as we wanted," he said. "I think Solderan football is heading in the right direction and I hope that stays true even without Carricker managing." Or without a Carricker? Assistant manager Larry Carricker, Norm Carricker's older brother, denied interest in becoming the next manager.

"I'll be 58 at the next World Cup," Carricker said. "I don't think I have the stamina or the patience to manage this team. Norm does, or did. He did a great job in my book."

As for Westway, he stayed seated in front of his locker long after the rest of the team dressed and departed the venue. He looked around and finally stood up to get dressed and leave after reflecting on the journey.

"It's really starting to hit me now," he said. "This part of the journey's over."

[Kimi-Suomi]

TK: Baruninen 3-0 Kimi-Suomi (Moorhouse 23', 67', 88')

Yeah. Ei varmasti paras pelimme.

We were certainly lucky that South Newlandia won today to send us through in 2nd, but today certainly showed that we certainly ain't perfect at this wonderful sport.

Sara Moorhouse was the brightest star for the Barunia Suns today, a threat that our back five and poor Kauko Loukamaa couldn't handle at all today.

But many here feel that after the highs of beating both SNL and Schima Bas here in The Licentian Isles, this team needed a wake-up call to tell them that they aren't immortal and still need to put all their effort into their play.

That is the hope at least entering the Round of 32, our 2nd playoff stage in history, as we travel from Licenlainen Saaret to Moñtana Vihreä. Montana Verde is certainly a different environment to play in and many will hope to acclimatise quickly as well look to knock off an unexpected group winner. We call them "Kap Sininen", but everyone else calls them Cabo Azure, and Las Maçaricas beat Tikariot on the final day to book their ticket to this game. Paulinho's side also runs a 5-3-2 formation and also have a neutral game style. We're both pretty similar, but only one can overcome the other. We certainly hope to be on the right side of history in a few days' time. NOSTA KUIN HUUHKAJAT!

[Starblaydia]

Episode 10 - The Comeback
S01 | E01 | E02 | E03 | E04 | E05 | E06 | E07 | E08 | E09

As environmentalism turns the whole country
green, the team will need to find an endless
source of renewable energy to keep going.

Leandro Perheira, Captain & Defender
during World Cup 41

Narrator: Four years after co-hosting the World Cup for the second time, the Starblaydia national football team had transitioned to a new coach, and an unfamiliar new colour. The black kits of World Cup 40, ones that had signified mourning of the loss of a hero, were refreshed anew with the purple replaced by green, the reflection of a new rebirth and a fresh perspective, one that surged throughout the entire nation and was personified in the look of the national team itself.

'Green Starblaydia' they called it, that wave of environmentalism that swept the nation around that time. The dream was solar panels on every roof, a ground source heat pump below every basement, insulation in every wall and rain water collection from every gutter. For the most part, it actually happened. The Stadii Di Bradini is the shining paragon of this idea, a carbon negative structure that benefits the world from just existing. Out went the old ways of doing things, and in came the new ones.

For the national team, that meant Betanii Marrones was out, and in came forty-seven year old Lex Panarii. He was the man who'd captained the return in the 38th edition, the man who was almost too late to even begin his international career after the hiatus, but who's amazing ability to read the game, coupled with a tenacious tackling style that belied his rather more soft-seeming exterior, meant he was one of the first names on the team sheet back then. He took that ability to see the grander picture, that quality of the architect about him that came from being a Professor of history at Jhanna Praetoran University, and fully applied it to the coaching of football at the absolute highest level. When Betanii Marrones retured after her World Cup 40 experience, it was down to Lex to take the team forward. Oh boy, did he ever.

It was under Panarii that Starblaydia almost immediately won their sixth regional title in Atlantian Oceania. They'd crossed over to West Starblaydia on the opposite side of the Bekk and absolutely demolished the competition, scoring 26 goals in ust 6 matches, including a 7-0 over Oceaniaus and the all-time record 9-0 over Kosovoe that stands even today. Though they lost a five-goal thriller to Pacitalia, that great name in Atlantian Oceania, they swept Lamoni aside 3-0, and beat West Starblaydia - the once and future Krytenia, of course - on penalties after a 3-3 draw for the ages. The original home of the Baza Burger, Bazalonia, could then barely stand in their way in the final, as another 3-0 win secured the title. It was absolutely fabulous.

With fifteen minutes to go, Lubii raced away from the defence, latched on to a through ball from Nakamura and used the outside of her right foot to delicately chip the ball past the onrushing Bazalonian goalie. She raced away with her arms out, having just broken an individual record for the most number of goals scored by a Starblaydi player in an AOCAF. The new record now stands at ten, achieved in just six games.

The Iskara Daii strike partnership of Callind and Lubii was proving itself a force to be reckoned with on the international stage, and Lex Panarii wasted no thoughts whatsoever on keeping them in the attack. As much as this resulting World Cup squad had a domestic feeling, there was a whole host of internationally-based players bringing their experience to all areas of the pitch, from some of the best leagues in the multiverse. Just looking at the clubs was a who's who of talent. Marquez-Onwere FC in Candelaria And Marquez, Raynor City and Soldarian FC in Valanora, Seoan Gukjei in Daehanjeiguk, Cafundó do Juta and Petardos S/A in Cafundéu. Vephrall, Yafor 2, Septentrionia and even Bostopia were also represented in this team.

Qualifying had been efficient, if not exactly stellar. Losses home and away to Tynelia settled the fate of the top two in the group, as Starblaydia beat everyone else by a couple of goals, barring two three-all draws against Magnus Valerius and Nire and Nire. Second spot was just fine to qualify in for the side ranked 22nd in the world. All was going well. The Finals themselves, however, did not go Starblaydia's way at all to begin with.

1-1 against Casari, the fifth best team in the world. 3-3 against Ad'ihan, the co-hosts, followed by a 1-1 against Krytenia - finally called Krytenia again after they didn't fancy being West Starblaydia all that much. Three matches, three draws, three points. Usually, three points would be the bittersweet result that would send a team crashing out of the group stage, but this time, thanks to the odd results where only one of the six group matches actually saw a victor, Starblaydia progressed over their noisy neighbours on goals scored.

World Cup 41
Group E               P  W  D  L GF GA GD Pts
1 Ad’ihan             3  1  2  0  7  5  2  5
2 Starblaydia         3  0  3  0  5  5  0  3 *_
3 West Starblaydia    3  0  3  0  4  4  0  3*
4 Casari              3  0  2  1  4  6 -2  2

*STB placed over WST on GF (H2H 1-1, GD=0)

The reward for Panarii's side was to face Zwangzug, the 10th-ranked side who had dominated Group G and had the best record of any team in the World Cup Group Stage, with 8 goals scored and 3 conceded in their group games. To make matters worse, they'd have to do without their right winger Fenchurch Bentley, who'd been the subject of a "triple-X rated tackle" in the West Starblaydia match from Chris Worvell, chipping her ankle bone. The numbers didn't lie, and they spelled disaster for Starblaydia at the Stade des Îles. But it didn't happen. It was a hard-fought game, but Starblaydia were outclassing Zwangzug, and Lex Panarii's side eventually managed the only breakthrough in the game, with Lubii scoring what would prove to be the winner.

Narrator: Starblaydia's luck would hold, defeating Qazox in the Quarter-Finals by a goal to nil, scored by Lubii's clubmate and strike partner Daymon Callind. It occurred to many that each player was reaching their individual peak at precisely the same time, in precisely the right moment.

Lubii was in her prime form, Daymon Callind was supporting her excellently. Batou Nakamura had the run of the midfield, pulling all the strings, and young Jaime Kuu was selling out the Raynor City club shop of the letter U, so many Vanorian fans wanted his shirt.The captain, Leandro Perheira, played his hundredth game against Zwangzug, Starblaydia's first centurion. The glamour girl Jae Chang-hwa at right back, a Di Bradini at left back, and a defensive rock of Jack Stafador in front of Arkady Kaneda was just so hard to beat in open play. You could say the one weak link was probably the goalie, Nikolaidis, but he was still experienced enough to edge out young Caleb Westwood between the sticks. Individually the team had some excellent players, and they were proving to the world that they belonged on this stage. They just kept getting that magic ingredient - the fifty-fifty ball going their way, the fortuitous bounce and the marginal all. They were getting luck.

Narrator: Luck is the most fickle of all footballing qualities, but it was one they'd certainly need. Their Semi-Final match would come against the team that had beaten them 7-1 just eight years earlier: Valanora.

Just one look at the Starblaydi roster and you are left star-struck with names like Kuu, Di Angelo, Perheira, and Nakumura. It is a collection of great individuals who are among the best in their positions, it is them that our good side shall be vying with for a trip to the Final. To make the match even more exciting, it is the second time in three tournaments that these two sides will meet in the knockouts, the last coming in World Cup 39, where we handed the Starblaydi their worst ever defeat in the quarterfinals.

Starblaydia would go two-nil down in the first half, and when you're facing Scott Soldarian and Kiso Night, that's certainly not out of the ordinary whatsoever. In the second half, however, they pulled a goal back with a classic Jaime Kuu counter-attack, assisted by Carlito Di Bradini. It all seemed for nothing as Espy va Drake re-established a two goal cushion five minutes later for Valanora, but Lex Panarii was not giving up that easily.

Panarii switches up his tactics, on comes Bazrador Drakkiborgo and young Diamontii Di Bradini, it was an absolutely massive gamble, real passion-merchant stuff, but by gods if it didn't work. They switched to a 3-4-3 and suddenly were laying siege to the goal of the best team in the world. Batou Nakamura scores with less than half an hour to go, and then scores again in the last minute of the match to make it 3-3. Rowell in the Vanorian goal was having an absolute nightmare, and he made it worse in Extra Time as he flapped at a free kickm letting Leandro Perheira head home the winner. That unforgettable image, Perheira in the green shirt running towards the corner flag, celebrating towards the fans behind the goal in that double fist-pump pose. Absolutely fabulous. World Cup Final, here we come.

In the Protectorate Stadium, named appropriately enough, of Ad'ihan, Starblaydia had well and truly joined the elite of footballing history as they competed in the World Cup Final for the fourth time. The stadium had been well and truly sold out, with 184,500 souls jam packed to the rafters of the traditionally-built stadium, where Starblaydia had already played before - drawing three-three with the host nation.

The problem with the Final was that it was against the number two side in the world: Capitalizt SLANI. They'd absolutely annihilated Kura-Pelland in the other Semi-Final, 6 goals to 2. It didn't take a numerologist to look at the differences and realise that Starblaydia were definitely the underdog. They'd been the underdog before, though, back in World Cup 25. It was a bit weird, really, as most fans were not familiar with the concept of not-a-nation state like Capitalizt SLANI was.

Capitalizt SLANI are not a national team, as such, though they incorporate the Commerce Heightsian and Bedistani nations under their Football Association's banner. The Unified Capitalizt States are, to the best knowledge of the outside world, a sort of coalition of disinterested cutthroat CEOs united under some form of government that in itself is a business. They have no national loyalties, as such, and this can appeal to many wandering football fans around the world, particularly the rich ones who can afford the over-priced replica shirts every four years. Capitalizt SLANI are the direct successors to the Commerce Heights Footballing and Soccer Federation, who won the first of SLANI's two championships in the fifteenth edition of the World Cup (1974 by the Starblaydi calendar) which is, funnily enough, precisely when Starblaydia first began their path of adventure on the international footballing stage. A fair few inside - but none outside - the UCS lay claim over Bedistan's four titles, all of which were won in and around the time that Starblaydia were making their big splash on the international stage.

The gulf in class between SLANI and Valanora and the rest of the world is an obvious one, and everyone had expected a Final between those two sides, the most recent two World Champions. But, instead, Starblaydia had defeated the best-in-the-world Vanorians after Extra Time in the Semi-Finals and gone on to meet this SLANI side.

Playing what is effectively a corporation the size of a nation state is pretty off-putting for some, whether you're one of those who thinks that money is the root of all evil or not, they were just this enormous corporate machine, and they'd been grinding out the wins with a ruthless kid of efficiency, one that made for amazing personal sponsorships. What's worse, is that the SLANI players were experienced on the grandest stage of them all. They weren't the only ones with a still-shining trophy in the cabinet, however.

SLANI were in their first choice navy kits, with Starblaydia in their white with environmentally green trim, their first choice also. It was evident from the outset that SLANI were out to crush Starblaydia as soon as possible, putting their natural talent and game plan into practice - one that had won them a World Title eight years before. Eleven of this SLANI side were former World Champions, five of them on the starting eleven. Of the Starblaydi side, seventeen of them had won the AOCAF in the previous year, nine of them in the starting eleven. This was a match with pedigree, no doubt.

As good as these Starblaydi players were proving to be, they'd overcome three incredibly intense challenges already in their run to the final - could they overcome this ultimate challenge, too? They were absolutely battered by SLANI in the opening stages, just these big and powerful athletes continually charging forward with slick passing and great team movement. It was an absolute onslaught from the team from the UCS.

Twenty-five year old Danielle Brown opened the scoring for SLANI as she scooted round Leandro Perheira and lifted a powerful right-foot shot past Kostas Nikolaidis in the Starblaydi goal. It was only the beginning of the match and the favourites were ahead already. Starblaydia knew they were in for a long, hard-fought night and it had just got a lot worse. No Būm-mo went close, Aiden Mason had a shot tipped onto the bar and Ida Armstrong had a goal ruled out for offside. A valiant Starblaydi defensive effort wore thin towards the end of the first half, and Lex Panarii was screaming to make his instructions heard over the noise.

The rolling cauldron of an atmosphere, chants and cheers and just roars of sound from all sides were producing a wonderful backdrop for this match, but for Starblaydia it was a living nightmare as they were on the back foot for almost the entire half, desperately trying to stay in the game. Sure,they'd kept the score at 1-0, and that was an achievement in itself, but surely playing that way they couldn't sustain that for another forty-five minutes? It as only a matter of time before Capitalizt SLANI would be able to get another goal, and then there'd be a mountain to climb. Starblaydia had to change it up; Lex Panarii had to change it up. They'd done it before, come back from two goals down against Valanora twice, but could they do it again?

At half time, Starblaydia's players trudged off, tired from their efforts but please to have kept the score down to just a goal to nil. The SLANI players jogged off to await fresh instructions, new tactical ideas and to fulfill their half time sponsorship commitments. We may never know what was actually said in that dressing room at half time, but we know that Lex has a penchant for stirring half time speeches - just look at the Valanora Semi-Final for inspiration, of course. Could he do it again?

Daymond Callind striking the outside of the post after just three minutes of play was the answer. Revitalised, reinvigorated and ready for the second half, Starblaydia came out all guns blazing. The midfield partnership of Stafador and Tze-Shu was more solid and energetic, winning the ball and starting attack after attack. Now it was a game, now it was exciting for every person in the stadium.

Wen Tze-shu was a twenty-four year old defensive midfielder playing for IYC Uharan in Yafor 2. He'd been brought on in the Krytenia/West Starblaydia match when Fenny Bentley had been injured in that horror tackle, and he'd kept his place ever since. With fellow defensive midfielder Jack Stafador alongside him, they provided a solid double pivot of a base that let Batou Nakamura and Jaime Kuu unleash their talents down the wings. Some minor switches in play, change-ups in positioning and attitude, and the response from the team in white and green began to get more of the ball, was more insistent and much more incisive. Whatever rocket they'd had put up them by Panarii at half time, it was working.

Then Starblaydia scored. A Lubii shot had deflected off Hoŋ ʼIn-ju and gone out for a corner. Early in the second half, Starblaydia's big guns came up from the back, flooding the box with tall bodies: Perheira, Kaneda Callind, Kuu and Tze-Shu. As Nakamura whipped in the cross, Callind made a nuisance of himself with the goalkeeper and Starblaydia charged. It looked messy but was well-organised, and it out-played the SLANI defence. As a sea of white and green surged forward, the ball curled its way into the penalty area and it was headed in by Starblaydia's number eight. Perhaps the most unlikely of goalscorers, the central defender Arkady Kaneda. Sixty-four times he had played for his country before this night, and never before had the V$10M-rated defender scored for his nation. He was mobbed, quite rightly, but his team-mates, and the game was well and truly on.

A central defender never wears eight. That's the shirt for the all-action box to box midfielder, the prowling midfield string-puller who ghosts into the box. It's your typical Alfonso Di Angelo or Batou Nakamura number. But with Jaime Kuu carrying his unusual five shirt at club level into the national team by special request, the starting eleven shirts got mixed around somewhat. Kaneda's first goal for his country could not possibly have come at a better time. Equalising in a World Cup final? If you wrote it you'd say it was too cheesy. What is undeniably was, however, was game on for the final forty minutes or so. It was tough, it was tight, and no one wanted to leave that back door open. There was something in the manner of these two teams, though, that just didn't want to go to Extra Time and penalties.

Both teams new that Extra Time was approaching. Starblaydia had already been through Extra Time once already, taking the best team in the world on and defeating them. That, however, had taken a lot out of them, and neither side would truly welcome another half hour of football, so both pressed for a winner.

It was tense, it was nervy, and the momentum of the match swung back and forth in those final minutes. Desperate defending from one side, suddenly counter-attacking and keeping the ball for a string of play, then kerfuffling in midfield as both teams tried to get their foot on the ball... it wasn't going past at breakneck speed like some finals, but the clock was ticking down inexorably. This was an incredibly engaging end to normal time, it looked as if either team could make their possession and attacks count, but equally both of them were defending heroically against the other, and the breakthrough didn't look like it was truly going to happen for either side as those minutes went by.

As No Būm-mo's shot was saved by Nikoladis, the ball came out to Chang-hwa. Starblaydia's veteran glamour girl immediately played a long ball up to the halfway line where Diamontii Di Bradini, substituted on for Callind, took up the ball and played it out wide to Kuu. The crowd got to its feet, expecting an incredible mazy run but instead Kuu hit a long ball across the floor with a first-time pass towards the middle.

At first glance it looked like an attempt for a huge, driven clearance. Not one of those hoofs high into the night sky that you hope will come down in your favour, but one of those where you hope to just get rid of it, send it down the other end and hope to waste a few more seconds so you can reform a defence and run the clock down just that little bit more to give yourself a breather. But then when you see the replay, you can see that Jae Chang-hwa has this little look up just before she collects the ball. She glances downfield and then just pings this ball halfway down the pitch with pinpoint accuracy. On the halfway line is young Diamontii Di Bradini, and she takes a touch to control it, bring the ball to her feet, and then immediately knocks it sideways as Jaime Kuu is coming down the left on the counter-attack.

The crowd just roars because they can see the acres of space in front of him and they know what to expect, but instead he just drills it, side-footed, this low through-ball that's cutting between the lines and taking the midfielders out of the game, switching the play and aiming for an onrushing white and green shirt. It's a beautiful pass, really, absolutely exquisite. It's because he's spotted the run of Lubii, one final lungbursting surge forward to cut into the SLANI half.

Lubii took the ball in her stride on the edge of the area and jinked to the right, bypassing Jo Doŋ-ā's block tackle. She drew back her right foot and struck the ball, following through as the technique demanded. For what felt like an agonising eternity, the ball sailed through the air.

Lubii just reaches it in time and clips it to her right, going around Doŋ-ā' and into the penalty area. It's now or never, there's no support, no chance of holding it up, a defender closing in, a goalie bearing down on you to close the angles, the last minute of a World Cup Final... absolutely everything is on the line. An entire nation held it's breath. You're already the reigning champions of the greatest sporting region, with this one kick, you can do the Double.

Above all the roaring, cheering and celebrations beginning, for fans watching on television sets across Starblaydia they had the screamed commentary of the Starblaydi team etched into their memories.

"Lubii has won it!"

Narrator: From unranked in the thirty-eighth edition to winners in the forty-first, the journey to becoming World Champions in the space of only four editions of the World Cup set a new record that stands unbroken to this day. Indeed, it is unlikely to ever be broken, given the difficulty of the climb to the top of the mountain. At this moment, however, Starblaydia are three-time World Champions, double winners, and on top of the World. There are several challengers for the crown, however, in their immediate future.

Final score from Protectorate Stadium, Ad'ihan:
_Capitalizt SLANI_ 1-2 _Starblaydia_
_Brown 16_ - _Kaneda 53, Lubii 89_

[Flavovespia]

Flavovespia 2 - 3 Savojarna

Flavovespia’s 2-3 loss to Savojarna will go down as one of the more heartbreaking losses on the pitch, even if the game was between two sides already in the knockout stages. Flavovespia seemed to have got themselves into a great position with under 10 minutes to go, only for a late response by Savojarna to dash Flavovespia’s dream of winning the group or remaining unbeaten.

Despite qualification being assured, Augusto Rinaldi didn’t take this opportunity to rotate the squad, it was almost the same as the one that beat Soldera. Daniel Lansdell in place of Stuart Cookson was the only change. Savojarna had gone the other way, Dmitri Lijushkin keen to use this game to explore the squad that he had available to him.

For a game that on paper had the makings of a potential enthralling encounter, the start by both sides was tentative and not very free flowing. The Savojar players seemed well drilled in defence, able to keep Steven Hall and Jonathan Bagshaw from making any headway down the wings. However they struggled to create much in their own third. Flavovespia were resorting a bit to dumping the ball forward with less skilful technique, although Scott Coleman was almost in on goal on the quarter hour mark from such a move, it took some good awareness from Aleksandra Virulainen to come off her line and sweep the ball away before Coleman got there.

Flavovespia would take the lead in the 21st minute. Steven Hall had the ball in a threatening position just outside the box to the right. He ran forward, before trying to cut the ball back to Scott Coleman. Dmitri Dmitriev got a touch on the ball, but his toe poke only sent the ball straight into the path of Robert Totten. Totten stepped forward and on the first time shot, steered the ball clean past the right of Virulainen and into the net. 1-0 for Flavovespia, the deadlock broken in an otherwise tense game.

The goal for Flavovespia now was to make it to half-time with the lead, but with 5 minutes of the first half to go, their hopes were dashed. On a quick break downfield, Kaisa Gyldenström had the time and space to send in a whipped cross from the right. Daniel Lansdell only got a glancing headed away on it, and the ball fell to Kimi Hartikainen who made no mistake from short range. 1-1 it would be, and at half time the game was all square, with no major chances to end the half.

The second half was a more open affair than the first half, and there was a sense that goals could be coming. Both Steven Hall and Scott Coleman forced good saves out of Virulainen, the Savojar goalkeeper was having a good game. Kieron Player took a shot from long range, that wasn’t too far off troubling Virulainen, and the midfielder was having a strong game. It felt like for a while it’d come down to who could get the next goal to grab victory.

81 minutes in, and it was Flavovespia who would retake the lead. A nice ball by Kieron Player put Scott Coleman close to the box, with only some tiring defenders ahead of him. A quick turn of pace saw Scott Coleman beat them. Virulainen tried to cover the angle, but couldn’t get there quickly enough to stop Scott Coleman shooting hard and low and into the net. 2-1 to Flavovespia, and they weren’t far off the 9 points and one of the top seeds in the knockout stages.

Savojarna were down but not out, and were ready to take the fight back to Flavovespia. It paid off within 5 minutes of going behind. With plenty of bodies going forward, a bit of a scramble in the box saw the ball deflect away into the path of Kimi Hartikainen. Hartikainen took the shot on, and got it just under the bar, Lucky Diamond unable to stretch his hand high enough to keep it out, his reflexes were quick but just not that quick this time. And so it was 2-2, with mere minutes to go.

Then, 2 minutes into injury time, Savojarna finished off the comeback. On the break, Lovisa Tedenby charged forward and got to the box. She played the ball across to Lars Alvesen, under pressure from substitute Alexander Evans. Evans was unable to contain Alvesen, who strafed past him, before shooting on target to beat Lucky Diamond at a relatively close range. 2-3, Savojarna had their 9 points, and Flavovespia had suffered a first defeat of the tournament, in a tough break.

Flavovespia’s 6 points in Group B makes them the 19th seed in the knockout stages. They will face off against 14th seed Wreckeria. Wreckeria won Group M as the Pot 4 side, an impressive feat. They had Omerica, Valladares and Pluvia and the Saxean Isles in their group, and remain undefeated in their 3 games. However, they scored only 5 points in their group, with a 4-3 win against Pluvia and the Saxean Isles their only one of the tournament so far. So an intriguing encounter, with Flavovespia the weaker side by ranking, but on points scored and KPB ranking, technically the higher. Had Flavovespia drawn, they’d be playing Mercedini, a win and Sarzonia would’ve likely been their opponents. Regardless of their opponents, Flavovespia would’ve been pleased to have reached the Round of 32, and will hope to recover some of their CAFA2 knockout form, to make their tournament last beyond their game against Wreckeria.

[Mercedini]

82nd Cup Of Harmony Knockout Preview
@ Gardiner-Stewart Stadium - Abingdon Parish, The Licentian Isles

Good evening everyone and welcome back to Mercedini Sports Daily for more action and reaction from the Cup Of Harmony, this time hosted by Montana Verde and The Licentian Isles. Last time round, Mercedini confirmed knockout football as they beat New Lusitania by four goals to two, leaving it all up to a final day duel versus Acastanha to confirm if they went through as top seed in their group. With eight goals in two games, Dini were riding high on a wave of momentum, but the group wasn't done yet, with Acastanha still fighting for a top two spot, and confirming knockout round football for themselves. In this edition, we will review that game plus what that means for the opening knockout round, plus and prospective route that Dini will have to traverse in order to lift their second title.

80' - (ACA 1-0 MRC) - GOAL! Acastanha have found the net to blow the group wide open and to take the top spot in the group for the moment. The Golden Eagles have huffed and puffed all game long but it is their house has finally been bought down by a Yushankar thunderbolt. We we're just entering into the final ten minutes of the game when Yushankar gathered the ball on the edge of the box. The Dinian defence gave him far too much ground as he slowly worked his way into the danger zone. The Acastanhi striker the cut outside of his marker before blasting low to the far post, which beat the goalkeeper as the ball richocheted off the post and into the net. What a massive goal for the Pot 3 side to score with so little time left in this game. Dini have been stunned, how will they reply? 1-0 Acastanha!

FULL TIME
Acastanha 1 - 0 Mercedini
Yushinkar 80'

It was a goal which few expected, and a result which practically no one predicted, but that goal ten minutes from time gave Acastanha three points and the overall group win against a Mercedinian side which looked in fine form. A largely rotated side saw many of the big names rested, and gave some of the more inexperienced players a chance to stretch their legs and prove to Billic that they deserved another chance to shine. While some impressed, the lack of cohesion between many of the players bought into the squad meant that they simply couldn't put together a meaningful run of chances. Talisky faceted some chances for himself, but without service akin to the previous game, he was always going to be on an island at the top of the pitch. The clock was ticking away on both teams to find the net, and with Mercedinian frustrations coming to a head, that Yushankar goal late into the game was a demoralising way to close out a lacklustre performance in Abingdon.

No credit will be taken away from Acastanha, they fully deserved the victory as they held firm against an onslaught of chances in the first and second half, before finding the net with one of a few big chances in the game. A result which will likely be an historic scalp for them, they came into the group as third seeds and ran out comfortable group winners in the end. For Mercedini, a second place overall finish in the group will be disappointing considering their aspirations for this tournament. It will also mean that they will lose out on an easier draw in the knockouts, coming into the bracket as sixteenth seed out of the thirty two that made it through. While it was a blow to lose their third and final game of the group, it has given Billic valuable information on his squad, and has given some of his star players a well-needed rest before their Round of 32 match tomorrow.

We have seen what has happened in our group, but let's see the result around the groups, and around the grounds. Out of the fourteen teams from Pot 1, only two failed to advance from the group stage, with both going out in rather dramatic style. The second seed in the entire tournament, South Newlandia, will be the biggest scalp taken by the opening three games, as they finished third in a competitive group featuring Barunia and Kimi-Suomi. That was undoubtedly a shock, and even a 5-3 win over Schima Bas on the final day wasn't enough to save one of the big favourites for the entire tournament. The other top seed to go out was HUElavia, who only picked up two points in their three group games to all-but-confirm their elimination despite finishing third in their group. Both finished in third and had the potential to advance based on record, but neither amassed enough points to go through, so some big surprises already happening at the Cup Of Harmony.

Nevertheless, football stops for no one, and Mercedini will be playing knockout football tomorrow, so let's see who they will face as the field is cut significantly following tomorrow's action. In one of the more notable fixtures in the Round of 32, Dini will have to marginally punch above their weight to knock out fellow Pot 1 side Savigliane. It will be the sixth tournament seeds versus the seventh tournament seeds to see who will advance and have the privilege of playing either Savojarna or Eraman in the Round of 16. This is definitely going to be a closely fought contest between these two sides, with both having previous experience at the World Cup, and both qualifying for this stage rather comfortably, only to be pipped to the top spot in their group by a single point. This side of the bracket has plenty of big names to contest the spot in the final, but all eyes will be on Tikariot, as they come in as the highest ranked team on paper (5th overall) for this half of the bracket.

CUP OF HARMONY - ROUND OF 32
Mercedini vs. Savigliane

Mercedini's loss in their most recent match will certainly knock the confidence of some of the players, but they had already confirmed their safe passage through to the final thirty-two, so a bit of experimenting was always in the offing for the team. A win against Savigliane would restore that confidence, and make potential future opponents sit up and listen. A loss at this stage would mean that their run would come to an end, with the future of Billic's tenure unclear following an overall mediocre performance this cycle from the national team. More Mercedinians are expected to fill the stands tomorrow when Dini face Savigliane, and we will be delivering all of the action and reaction from a big game in the Cup Of Harmony knockouts. Goodnight and Andiamo!

[Acastanha]

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Result of Surprise

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In the continuation of Cup of Harmony group stage, the last match where Acastanha was facing group leader Mercedini. Playing tightly from the start, they manage to scored a surprise goal near the end of the second half leaving everyone to a surprise. The result catapult the team into the lead and officially advance to knockout stage.

The FFA official social media account is fill with congratulations from the football fans and general citizen throughout the country. The success is even better than reaching semifinal of MAC, the regional football cup. Nevertheless, the country has set themselves as a new rising in the region's football history. The overall satisfaction rate of the team is also increasing.

I'm hoping all the skeptical people that have criticize use right from the start can now turn to have a faith in us. Football is not an instant result. It is a process. A process of failing and winning.

David Gothrado
National Team Captain

Acastanha success is not alone. In the Cup of Harmony, another Melayuan nation is also advancing. Eraman. Despite placing third in their respected Group, the team manage to clench the 4 berth given to best third place. This result mark another record for most Melayuan in knockout stage for an edition. In the knockout stage, Acastanha will meet Qasden the second placed of Group D.

Whoever the opponent is we must stay focus. We also add another lesson in our regular practice schedule. Penalty kick. To anticipate the possibility.

Jorge Garbano
Acastanha National Team Manager

[Wrecker]

The Wreckeria Team Hotel, La Cerida, Santa Margarita, Montaña Verde
Leading to the Round of 32: Wreckeria v. Flavovespia
The mood amongst the Wreckerian National Football Team was that of mixed feelings. Sure, the team was overjoyed to have won their group over in the Licentian Isles, and they were excited to get to Montaña Verde for the Round of 32, where they would start off the knockout rounds by taking on Flavovespia. The hopes were really high that Wreckeria could do something spectacular in these knockout rounds and quite possibly do some giant-killing along the way.

On the other hand, they had watched the situation going on back home in Wreckeria. Officially, Wreckeria didn’t exist anymore. What had been the Reformed Republic of Wreckeria had been consolidated into the Dominion of Hapilopper. They had watched Wreckeria’s President, Arnold Martin, give a stirring farewell address that spoke of the concept of unifying a community, the concept of together we stand, divided we fall. The speech was one of the most memorable in recent times, and some questioned if Arnold was trying to reach beyond the Hapilopper/Wreckeria unification. When people called Arnold to ask, he refused to answer, just saying “think about it.”

The Wreckerian team questioned, as well, what their future would look like. The official word from up top was that the Wreckerian team would continue playing in World Cup cycles in the future, possibly as an organization known as the “Independent Wreckerian Athletes.” Marvin Byrnes, the head of the Wreckerian Association of Soccer, which oversaw the national team, was very cagey when people asked him what was going on with the team.

But the truth was, Marvin was still trying to work things out. He had been informed that Team Hapilopper refused any of the Wreckerian staff or players, and officially, Team Hapilopper had taken the stance that they were opposed to the national squads merging. But, as of that moment, the Wreckerian team was a national team without a nation. Maybe they could work something out where they could play for a people that felt displaced, but it seemed unlikely at that point. As a result, Marvin felt like he had to keep his cards close when people asked him what the Wreckerian team was doing in future World Cup cycles.

All of this had happened so suddenly. Marvin had gotten some idea that Wreckeria, as a nation, was going to be wrapping up around this time, and had, as a result, no plan to keep the national team going. This was going to be a one-off effort, to see if his national team could actually do something spectacular during this one cycle, and that would be it. That would be it for Wreckerian football.

But then, something incredible happened. Wreckeria actually did something spectacular. They knocked off teams such as Kelssek and Omerica and at one point, actually led their World Cup qualifying group. Interest in Wreckerian football hit an all-time high, and for once, the Wreckerians were known for something positive, rather than the usual of death, destruction, poverty and general malaise. When Wreckeria took the lead in their group, it forced Marvin’s hand and he got to work on setting something up for the next World Cup. He got some help from Dom Probst with Team Hapilopper in an effort to court sponsors, and at this point, the team had the sponsorship necessary for World Cup 91.

But Marvin still had to clear some legal hurdles. Could the Wreckerian team continue to exist in some form or fashion although Wreckeria, the nation, did not exist anymore? Could Wreckeria set some sort of precedent, good or bad, in letting a group of independent athletes from one nation represent another? And if so, what would the future World Cups look like? Would national teams be decimated as independent organizations took on the national teams? Could it lead to schisms between these national teams?

Marvin hoped those answers wouldn’t have a negative impact on his plans for future World Cups. He was finalizing sponsorship deals as well as television contracts. H-Sports, the Hapiloppian cable network, was finishing up a deal to broadcast all of Wreckeria’s matches for the qualifying campaign of World Cup 91. And even more importantly, a new stadium was being built for the Wreckerian team.

Not long after Arnold Martin stepped down, the Wreckerian Transitional Government, a government working to transition Wreckerians into Hapiloppian life, had started a program known as the “Wreckerian Progress Administration,” short for WPA. The WPA would put Wreckerians everywhere to work and pay them Hapiloppian dollars, at a Hapiloppian fair-market value, to rebuild their nation and clean up the wreckage.

Tens of thousands of jobs were taken overnight, and one of the most popular WPA projects was the new Wreckerian National Stadium. Thousands of Wreckerians signed up to build a 110,000 seat stadium in the middle of Halsted, a stadium that would, upon completion, be the largest non-racing stadium in either Hapilopper or Wreckeria. And around that stadium, a district of new, modern residential and retail was being built as well, which promised to make the area a new, very vibrant piece of land that Wreckerians could be proud of.

Marvin had heard about that new stadium, and was so excited about the prospect of getting out of the old Patrick Stadium, that dilapidated mess of a building the Wreckerians had been forced to play in. The locker rooms were horrible. The press box had a weird musty smell that everyone hated. There were no luxury boxes. The seats were old steel benches that the fans hated. Even the scoreboard didn’t work, so the fact that Wreckeria was building a new stadium, one that would more than suit the team, that excited him.

The WTG, meanwhile, put a different meaning into that new stadium. Their mindset was that if Wreckeria played as well as they did during the World Cup 90 qualifying effort, they’d have no trouble putting 110,000 fans in a stadium in Halsted. And with that kind of form they put out during that qualifying campaign, there’d be many more victories to come. Hell, Wreckeria might even qualify for a World Cup proper at some point.

The idea excited Marvin, but it also worried him. There was a very real chance that the team would still have to dissolve, simply because a group of independent Wreckerian athletes could set a bad precedent. Marvin would have to find out in the coming days and weeks if such a plan was feasible.

[Chromatika]

Catching Up with the Anomalies: A Review of the CoH Group Stage
How Hard Will the Road to Redemption Be?

It's now a part of the history books, but it's still hard to believe that Chromatika didn't qualify for the World Cup - didn't even make the Playoffs after that embarrassing defeat to Nyowani Kitara at home on the final matchday that saw Enigma Armageddon be the first player in Chromatik history to earn a straight red by committing a non-football move - a direct kick to the head that will remain a stain in Chromatik history for the age to come.

After that poor showing, there was rampant speculation about wholesale changes. Sandra Sybill was on the chopping block, and the people wanted her blood; many of the veterans on the squad that had been there just for show were shown the door, and Viktor Karras, Jr., the charismatic chairman of the CFF, had a huge decision to make. Given Sybill's status as a member of Chromatika's glory days, as well as the chaos that would ensue by having two changes in a span of just one cycle, Mr. Karras chose to give Sandra Sybill an ultimatum: Lead the Anomalies to the Quarterfinals of the Cup of Harmony - Chromatika hasn't made the Quarterfinals of any World Cup sanctioned event in a long time - or be sacked and remembered as one of the worst Managers in Chromatik history.

What a squad that ended up going, too. Four Fillars - two starting, two substitutes, Hauser, Zuniga, Larriet-Cortes, Si, Kuznetsov, Ighv, Aimée, Phoen, Wen, de Aea, Régine, Anbient, Ansov, Chapman, Begley, Descombes, Gainsbourg, Killian, Kruetzberg. Juxon Fillar as the Captain, only three players at thirty years of age or older. The core of who will be leading Chromatika in the games to come.

So, how did they do in Montaña Verde?

1. The Narrow Victory: Chromatika 2-1 The 14 Stars
The 14 Stars gave Chromatika all that they could handle, but it would be the Anomalies that had the last laugh, Edith Fillar's header being the go-ahead goal in the sixty-eighth minute after Haley Hauser had opened the scoring in the fourteenth minute. Besides the one bad stretch of play that led to the only goal conceded, Chromatika held the ball for 71% of the time, leading to some concerns over the lack of goals scored. Understandably, the team played with a bit more caution and lack of energy, as this is not the tournament that they wanted to be in; however, when they needed to, they got their play together, and escaped what could've been a disastrous draw with all three points. Player of the game goes to Haley Hauser, who got the first goal of the game while also assisting on the second. Not the confidence-boosting win that the Chromatik faithful were hoping for, but you take narrow wins when you get them.

2. An Expected Draw: Chromatika 1-1 Drawkland
When Chromatika plays Drawkland at any sport, explosive things happen. It's a bit of a stretch to call a 1-1 result explosive, but this game was high-intensity and packed with key moments. Juxon Fillar stopped three shots in the first seven minutes as Drawkland dominated with their height, but the Anomalies came back with speed, quickness, and the "small ball" play that gave them the time of possession needed. In fact, it was Alicia Gainsbourg's tap-in from a Vasily Marten Kuznetsov cross that opened the scoring, with Drawkland managing to equalize just before halftime off a gorgeous set piece. The second half would see a total of eleven shots taken between the two sides, but neither Juxon nor his counterpart would concede; this result, combined with Qasden drawing with The 14 Stars, left everything up for grabs in the third match. For her solid defensive play in helping stymie the Drawkish attack, Kateryna Zuniga got the nod as the player of the game.

3. A Necessary Step: Qasden 0-1 Chromatika
One game left to try to prove that there is a future for the Chromatik squad, and Qasden being the side that had defeated Drawkland in the first matchday. It would be the Vans that dominated pace early, Juxon and his defense being stretched to the very limit, but a pair of acrobatic saves kept the game tied at halftime, where Sandra Sybill made her move. Substituting Mare Si for Baillaire Fillar and giving VMK a well-earned break, Chromatika leaned on the four Fillars' wealth of knowledge in playing with each other to get the victory. Juxon's save of a direct shot on goal led to him dishing the ball out to Grayson, who made a one-touch pass to Baillaire. The speedy attacking midfielder juked around one player, split between two more, and found their youngest, Edith, making a run at the goal. The resulting pass found Edith's head and into the goal past Tommy Waluigi's hands, leading to the sole goal of the game and putting the Chromatiks into the knockout rounds. This was by far the best game of the tournament for Juxon Fillar, who made a number of key saves down the stretch.

Recap: Saving Face - Part 1 Completed
Would they have liked all nine points? Absolutely. Are they going to be shy about celebrating getting first in the group? Only because this is the wrong tournament to succeed in. However, this squad is starting to gel in the face of adversity and circumstance, and the way that they were able to put together a complete game against Qasden shows that the best days are still ahead for the Anomalies. Sybill and Hellion have led the squad past the first step to redemption - with two more steps to go as a requirement, and ultimately the goal being the trophy overall. With the variable that four third placed teams would make the knockout rounds, there were no guaranteed halves of the bracket; which teams would the Anomalies have to face if they were to accomplish their goal?

Playoff Bracket Preview
Quartile 1: Savojarna vs. Eraman, Mercedini vs. Savigliane, Acastanha vs. Qasden, Krytenia vs. Tikariot
Quartile 2: Yuezhou vs. Estorvipa and Estorpiva, Trolleborg vs. Southwest Eastnorth, Independent Athletes from Quebec vs. Valentine Z, Electrum vs. Oberour Ar Moro
Quartile 3: Poafmersia vs. Muralos, Zeta Reka and Hügeltaldom vs. Gyatso-Kai, Chromatika vs. Astograth, Barunia vs. Omerica
Quartile 4: Starblaydia vs. Sarzonia, Wreckeria vs. Flavovespia, Nyowani Kitara vs. Eshialand, Cabo Azure vs. Kimi-Suomi

On paper, Chromatika avoided the most difficult Quartiles. Quartiles 1 and 4 look to be the most dangerous. Not that the Chromatik potential opponents are pushovers, mind - the Anomalies will have to defeat Astograth and then either a rematch of old against Barunia or a new opponent in Omerica to make the requirement of reaching the Quarterfinals. If they get there, they'll get likely one of Poafmersia or Zeta Reka for a berth to the Semifinals, not an easy task at all. However, would you rather deal with Savigliane, Mercedeni, Savojarna, Qasden, Krytenia, or Tikariot in Quartile 1? Hoa bout Starblaydia, Sarzonia, Flavovespia, Nyowania Kitara, or Cabo Azure from Quartile 4 (Cabo Azure took points off both Banija and Brenedia, you know!)? No, no; Chromatika is fine being where it is.

Round of Thirty-Two Preview: Astograth

For all their long and varied history, Chromatika has never faced the Grand Duchy of Astograth. Once a footballing power in the world like the Anomalies, Astograth has fallen on comparatively rougher times, being ranked sixty-ninth in the world and not having made the finals since World Cup 87. Going 1-1-1 in the Group Stage - losing to Trolleborg, which isn't a bad look - Astograth scored seven goals and conceded six, resulting in a +1 goal differential. A team with experience and a few positions of youth, with many of the starting XI competing in both the S-FPL and the Audioslavian National League, Astograth is a team that commands respect, regardless of what the year is. Aire Epherra will pose an interesting kind of challenge for the Chromatik back four, while Vasiliy Marten Kuznetsov will have to try to get by one Oxarra Peira, a regular of the Euraleague that is well-versed in strenuous tactics. This is a team that doesn't go all-out on offense nor flair, and understands the importance of fundamentally sound football - something that Chromatik fans can appreciate and respect.

Two wins are what is required for the CFF to consider this season "saved from unsalvageable disaster". Astograth is the next obstacle on the way. Will the Chromatiks be able to get one step closer? Will Sandra Sybill approach her breakthrough?

[Yue Zhou]

YFA Finalizing Innovative CR41 Host Bid
Huang Wei, the Nanhai Daily, SPORTS

NANGANG -- The Yue Football Association is reportedly in the final steps of proposing a bid to host Copa Rushmori 41, sources from inside the YFA are reporting. YFA chairman Guo Haishi has yet to confirm or deny such statements, only suggesting that Yuezhou was unlikely to bid for CR40 in the past. However, with National Union winning the most recent elections, and Wu Zhongsheng being elected to a second term, the official announcement is likely now imminent.

Reports indicate that the YFA is likely to propose a "North v South Showdown" format, whereby the group stage and bracket are set in a way that is more likely to pit subregional rivals against each other. Such a format saw success at the sixtieth iteration of the AOCAF, hosted by the south-western Farfadillis and the north-eastern Krytenia, who has since moved to Anaia. With certain current events placing the concepts of "Pavola" and "Terranea" back into the forefront of Yueren's minds, the bid concept is certainly topical. However, it is unclear whether the combination of an unproven international host and a novel Rushmori format will be immediately accepted by rival FAs within the region.

It is unclear whether Yuezhou will be proposing a solo bid; if they do have a partner, it is still unknown to our sources. However, early speculation has suggested that they are likely to pursue bidding with a partner due to the split nature of the proposed format. Additionally, while Yuezhou has already made attempts to bolster its regional reputation, successfully holding the recent Copa de Campeones final in The Meridian in Jiangdong, a more established partner might convince more voters to support the novel format.

The move, and National Union's pushing of international football in general, manifests Wu Zhongsheng's desire to raise Yuezhou's soft power in a bid for more legitimacy. In addition to a strong showing at the Varakoula Accords, and with reports of Nepharan and Euran recognition on the horizon (even if CRC accession may be delayed), a successfully ran CR would mark a coming-out party for the new United Republics government. Yue players and businesses have already made their mark in a number of other Rushmori leagues - YFA sources indicate that the CR would hopefully continue this trend and establish the Super! League, already lagging behind in engagement after a handful of seasons, as a legitimate contender on the regional stage.

CoH82 MD3: Yuezhou 6 – 2 Saterun
Starting Lineup: Zhao; Jiawei (Lu 74), Li JG, Zhu, Dong; Li J (C) (Fang 81), Wan, Tao; Luo, Zheng, Huang (Jiang 55)
Goals: Zheng 11, Luo 34, Tao 45+2, Sarabola 48, Mitzinho 54, Jiang 62, Zheng 74, Dong 88

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With four impressive points out of their first two matches and only Saterun left to play, Ken Hayabusa elected to rotate the team slightly, most notably giving goalkeeping phenom Zhao Deliang his first-ever cap (it...could've been worse), but also reintroducing Dong Xiaowang, Tao Beiliang, and Zheng Yuanjun to the starting lineup. But as Saterun would quickly find out, the so-called "B" team was just as dangerous as Hayabusa's first choices. Zheng Yuanjun in particular was incredible, the Fiskadaha attacker scoring a brace and assisting Luo Dan's first-half goal en route to a 3-0 first half lead. Saterun fought back hard to start the second half - clearly, Martin Freeberg threw a water bottle or two - but Jiang Jieren's goal all but shut down their momentum, and Yuezhou cruised to a dominant 2-1-0 group performance.

Ro32 Lineup to face Estorvipa and Estorpiva: Lu; Jiawei, Li JG, Yuan, Reeve; Li J (C), Wan, Wen; Luo, Liu, Huang

[Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom]

RekanSport
Cup Of Harmony 82; Into The Knockouts
By Xaver Lulling

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Zeta Reka had a single point safety net for the Cup's knockout stages. Zeta Reka cleared up any tension in Group C by playing sharply against their last opponent. Now, Zeta Reka go into the next phase of the Cup with a mix of cynical trepidation, and a new identity. The opposition is a Bision, but is that enough to go against a mantis family?

The last games of Group 3 in Cotata were according to conventional wisdom a safe bet. The top team, Starblaydia, faced a team one point out of advancing in Saint Eleanor. Zeta Reka couldn't rest however, as if Saint Eleanor won, Zeta Reka would need to win too. Delaclava were eliminated from the competition. The Phoenixes would do their best to take Zeta Reka down, or die trying, and they were already dead.

Zeta Reka for their part had to make due without their captain, who's ACL couldn't be healthy in time for any matches. The team then called on a humble Stani Gröss, the former armband bearer, to retake his place in the side. Cards and fatigue were piling up too. The side coming into the match wasn't full strength. Sometimes a new core can light up a game though, and they certainly did this time.

RekanSport Statbox

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Cup of Harmony 82, Group C, Match 2
Zeta Reka and Hügeltaldom 5-2 Delaclava

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ZRH: Scwartzhammer 8'/40'/69', Rekawić 33', Igorić 75'
DEL: Meyer 20', Lindblad 53'

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Zeta Reka and Hügeltaldom
Starters: Wukowić — Djordjewić, Hafner, Iwanić, Gabrielstein, Kewić — Gröss (C), Rekawić, Zup — Kazi, Scwartzhammer
Substitutes: Kewić -> Igorić (61'), Scwartzhammer -> Krstowić (71'), Hafner -> Milosawljewić (75')

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Delaclava
Starters: Van der Beek — Meñica, Zhusupov, Torres — Bartoš, Romeijn, Lindblad, Martin, Kovalev — Ingram, Meyer
Substitutes: Kovalev -> Mikines (45'), Ingram -> Soto (45'), Romeijn -> Girardi (62')

Zeta Reka's good day started early when Scwartzhammer scored with his foot. Delaclava equalized with a strong individual game and functioning combinational tactics. “Interim coach Tim Landers may exit this game with some pride!” RekaTV's commentators noted. The attacking style of the Phoenixes made Zeta Reka have to earn the ball. Perhaps Delaclava's attack was too heavy handed a times. Zeta Reka had chances to score via their counter attacking style. A lot of areal balls were attempted to take advantage of Fenstermacher Schwartzhammer being bulkier than Rahmonberdi Zhusupov, and having a larger name.

A pivotal play came just after the half hour. Minotauro Meñica stepped up for a corner. Yousef Iwanić got in with his head and deflected the ball away. The diminutive yet always instinctual Stanimir Rekawić was in the ball's zone, got control, and ran swiftly. A breakaway goal filled out an amazing group stage stat sheet for one of Zeta Reka's top superstars. Spilling second blood on a counter goal must've rocked Delaclava, and the side seemed off of their game plan for opening half's final phases. Scwartzhammer took advantage by scoring a second goal, this time from a Yuri Kewić cross.

The second half began with Delaclava reinvigorated. Two substitutions were made in an attempt to revive Delaclava's short term image. One midfielders was changed to keep the team's heart running as freshly, while regular Damian Soto was sent in to score. The nation lived up the the phoenix moniker by scoring a second goal within ten minutes of play resuming. Soto wasn't a scorer, but his presence changed the back line of Zeta Reka. Soto was fast and big, Delaclava's own Scwartzhammer. The defense contained him, but overcompensated. The shifting lines gave Kent Lindblad room for a goal from moderate distance. Now the match was again a true competition.

The score was close and both sides worked hard. Zeta Reka's eleven it seemed could not give up a third goal and were determined not to do so. The Rekans could not extend a lead either. Yuri Kewić picked was booked for playing rough against his opposite on the line. Fouls from Kewić, of which multiple were seen during the match, all appeared tactical to RekaTV's commenters. Kewić was subbed out after collecting his yellow card. “I had two certain players on the field,” Lu Jialan explained “The men were Kazi and Yuri. Both men had cards in the group stage, plus Wlad Wlad and Ulrich have one too. I did not want Yuri suspended for any amount of time via a second card. I placed Igorić on the field after the card, and I'm glad I did.” Zaur-Luka Igorić was a player looking to reassert his place in Rekan football. Shortly after the Rekan's began changing players Delaclava made their final substitution.

Scwartzhammer's path lead him to score a third goal in the match. “I'm the happiest man on earth,” Scwartzhammer said after the game, “An f-ing schoolboy I am. I'm gonna go back to the gym after this.” The hat trick goal was assisted by an areal pass from Stani Gröss. As a reward for faithful service, and perhaps to avoid anaother injured starter, Jakow Krstowić was subbed in for Scwartzhammer. Much like Soto, the new forward did not get on the scoring sheet. Igorić cut inside for a huge goal of his own. “The bottom corner of the box,” analyst Djoko Weljkowić said on the air, “That land is where Igorić is exotically deadly for a fullback.”

After getting eve further ahead, Barto Milosawljewić was given his Cup of Harmony debut. The teenager was skilled in his limited time. The lead was realistically insurmountable, the other group game's result meant Zeta Reka was always safe, but it seemed like Zeta Reka wanted to make a statement. Zeta Reka was going to finish ahead, and perhaps by as many goals as Sarblaydia did. The race was now on, and it seemed like Zeta Reka had thrown caution to the wind in search of the sixth goal. Zlatko Wukowić had to work had as well, since now Delaclava's attack was less contained. Ultimately, the tension at the end of the match burned out, and the game ended 5-2 according to the scoreboard. Yuri Kewić expressed condolences to his teammate Van Der Beek after the game on social media via a tear bearing eye emoticon.

RekanSport Minibox

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Cup of Harmony 82, Group C

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MD1: Starblaydia 6-2 Delaclava — ZR&H 1-0 St. Eleanor
MD2: Delaclava 1-2 St. Eleanor — Starblaydia 2-2 ZR&H
MD3: ZR&H 5-2 Delaclava — St. Eleanor 0-2 Starblaydia

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Nation         GP  W  D  L  GF GA GD PT
1 Starblaydia   3  2  1  0  10  4 +6  7
2 ZR&H          3  2  1  0   8  4 +1  7
3 St. Eleanor   3  1  0  2   2  4 -2  3
4 Delaclava     3  0  0  3   5 13 -8  0

“I am completely satisfied,” head coach Lu Jialan said at the beginning of his press conference, “The opposition could have won, the first half was competitive. But once we had a solid lead, they could not catch us.” Jialan continued to speak on his side's performance, “We are not equal in all areas of the pitch. Sometimes the defense is heavy, other times it can be shoved and broken. We deflect direct attacks, and we hit back quickly. We remove their defense, and we add our attack, like a Mantis.” The Rekan press, and the public, have since gone all in on the invocation of nature. RekaSport's Alek Reljić wrote that, “With a single description of the side, Jialan just encapsulated Zeta Reka's identity under his tenure… We have been living in the Years of the Mantis, and perhaps those years are now looking up.”

The athletes were exuberant after the game. Player of the match Fen Scwartzhammer's interview was already discussed. Stani Gröss had an interview as the temporary captain, “We dedicated the win to Rawić,” he said, “We went all out. Maybe we could have lost if we were too relaxed. Some teams go from second to third all the time, we didn't know if Starblaydia would win.” Gröss also commented on returning to skipper his country, “I am honored to have another chance, though this should not last forever. Bogdan is a member of our side we all value, and hopefully he will come back to this team in perfect strength and health.”

Knockout Matches in The Licentian Isles

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Team A         Chance*    Team B
Savojarna      84%-16%    Eraman
Mercedini      46%-54%    Savigliane
Acastanha      61%-39%    Qasden
Krytenia       48%-52%    Tikariot
Yuezhou        83%-17%    E&E
Trolleborg     66%-34%    SouWstEstNor
IA Quebec      80%-20%    Valentine Z
Electrum       51%-49%    OAM

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Knockout Matches in Montaña Verde

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Team A         Chance*    Team B
Poafmersia     89%-11%    Muralos
ZR&H           68%-32%    Gaytso-Kai
Chromatika     65%-35%    Astograth
Barunia        65%-35%    Omerica
Starblaydia    69%-31%    Sarzonia
Wreckeria      42%-58%    Flavovespia
Nyowani Kitara 60%-40%    Eshialand
Cabo Azure     72%-28%    Kimi-Sumoi

*As predicted by RekanSport Readers' Poll

Zeta Reka secured qualification into the knockout stages once again, having only faltered in group in the nation's first CoH adventure. “We are not a team to be ignored,” Wukowić said to RekanSport, “We're in the top half of the bracket, we're by no means the biggest or smallest side left in the event, and with our record we're a team to watch.”

The first opponent for the knockout stages is Gaytso-Kai. While Zeta Reka are the higher seed, early group stage matches are a stumbling block for the nation. Zeta Reka only two quarter finals or better and a silver medal to its name. Will things be different for these mantises? Only the next few days in Montaña Verde can tell us.

The Bisons of Atlantian Oceania, Gyatso-kai play on paper with a 4-5-1. The midfield is an offbeat five man attack. Guanyu Jun looks like a winger, playing out wide, but loves moving the ball through the middle. Yu Shichiro is similar, but also scores headers and takes long range shots. The attacking midfielders have a lot of potential variance in positioning, and for Zeta Reka that could be a handful.

The distinctions in Gaytso-Kai's set up continue from there. Takahashi and Ma act as a double pivot, while veteran Hisakawa Si Woo is a box to box threat. Striker Dag'da Skirata has found favor with Bision's management, and has speed not unlike Rekan Bogdan Rawić. The defense will be hard to wreck thanks to hard nosed defender Hashimoto Isamiru and the fiery young goalie Hamada Roshi.

“I'm unsure of the how the game will go,” Djoko Weljkowić told the nation, this time in print, “The side is going to be forced out wide. Out wide is where in past games we were outnumbered, and it's not different against Gaytso-Kai… The central attack of the Bisions has to be accounted for too, and I predict they will fight hard for the middle. If they fight well, all Rekan people will need to pray for a big counter attack.” The general public is more than confident, with a sixty eight percent majority in RekanSport's poll siding with their nation in the interregional battle.

“I can't promise wins,” Stani Gröss said, “But I'd rather get clobbered fighting than lose on my laurels.”

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RekanSport Top 6:

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• Cup Of Harmony 82; Into The Knockouts Special Free Article
• Qasden-Quebec Semi Final? Chromatika or Astograth? Bracket Guru Speaks! Special Free Article
• Sporting Polymath Passes Away At 63
• KK Aleiusia Apologizes; Tempers Tense
• Cashflow Is Moving To Stadiums, Is A Tournament Bid The Source?
• New Baseball League Trademark Appears

Free Articles remaining this month: 5

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[Savigliane]

three hours before the SVG - MRC match

Ichi Tuzzio had been reviewing his notes when he heard a knock at the door.

It had been a solid, if not perfect, first group stage with the Swans. The loss to Yuezhou had been unfortunate, of course - they'd been dominant in the first half, but had made two critical defensive errors to allow the Rushmoris to steal the three points at the death. But it wasn't indicative of any long-term problems, merely what had been a back two shifting to accommodate the presence of Gianmarco Dutto. And the other two matches in the group had been dominant. Saterun were relatively new to the Cup of Harmony, but Mertagne had had their share of glory in their heyday, so 4-1 and 3-1 victories had been more than enough to satisfy the Farfish manager. The draw against Mercedini had been unfortunate - two top-30 teams was more of a quarterfinal than a Ro32 in this caliber of competition. But there was reason to believe in Savigliane this competition.

"Come in," he said presently; into the office stepped none other than Bonagiunta Rossi. "Bona," he said evenly, "ready for the match?"

"Even if I am, I know you aren't starting me," the winger replied flippantly.

"Well, Anne-Marie will probably get the start, yes. But everyone must be prepared in case they're needed."

Bonagiunta sighed. "I just want to know why, boss. You've seen me in the Red League?"

"Yes."

"I'm a Tor legend! Goals from everywhere - Farves like that, yeah? And I was doing fine in qualifiers - I could've done better against the islanders, but who couldn't? I wanna know, like, the tactics behind it."

"You'd like to know, tactically, why Anne-Marie is a better fit than you?"

He smiled. "Yes! Tell me what I need to work on."

"Alright. But shut the door, will you?" the winger stood and did so, then sat back down with anticipation. Ichi cleared his throat.

"You're not starting because you're an asshole," he said.

"Sorry," Rossi replied with a nervous laugh, "what?"

"You're narcissistic, entitled. You shoot and dribble when you need to pass. You view your teammates as competition," Ichi replied, as if reading off of a menu.

"What the fuck?"

He shrugged. "You asked what you needed to work on. This. You need to work on this before you can be re-integrated into the starting lineup. There's nothing tactical about it - you're a talented footballer with a great touch. But I will not tolerate your lack of discipline. There's a reason I'm managing here, and not domestically."

Rossi stood. "You can't talk to me like this!"

"Why not? I'm a World Cup Champion. You avoided relegation one time in the Red League. I'm not here to babysit you, I'm here to win the Cup of Harmony and give your country some consolation after your fuckups. Now get back to training."

ten minutes into the SVG - MRC match

The Round of 32 against Mercedini was off to a cracking start. Sam Billic's men played a style almost as attacking as the Swans, and the opening ten minutes had seen the sort of end-to-end action that neutral fans loved. The wings had been especially dynamic - with Palomer and Roux on one flank, and Vitale and Toscani on the other, the bulk of Savigliane's threats had come from direct play up the flanks.

Anne-Marie Roux had just received another through ball and begun to turn when Di Sansev went flying into the young winger. The Zoloroni City fullback emerged slightly sheepish from the challenge, fully aware of the yellow card in his near future. Roux wasn't as lucky.

"You alright, Anne-Marie?" Tuzzio shouted from the touchline.

Anne-Marie winced as she grabbed her ankle. She gave a weak thumbs-up while attempting to hobble to her feet, then quickly pulled it back to brace her fall. With the crowd shocked, and the Swans clearly frustrated as they surrounded their teammate, horror dawned upon Ichi Tuzzio as he quickly realized he had one other option at left wing.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," he muttered under his breath, then turned to Friekder Dandalleion. "Get Rossi warmed up."

[Gyatso-kai]

BISONS OVER DRAGONS!!! GYATSO-KAI ADVANCES!!!

ONLINE EDITION

13 FEBRUARY 2022.1

TOURNAMENT - CUP OF HARMONY (Multi-Verse)

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Written by TORO Nobuda

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MONTAÑA VERDE --- For only the fourth time in seventeen tournaments since The Silence, the Bisons have advanced out of the Qualifying Stage, winning 2-1 and advancing to the Quarterfinals of the Montana Verde Group in the Eighty-Second Cup of Harmony.

Facing off against a former regional neighbor is never an easy game to go into, and yet the Bisons went head first, garnishing the first goal of the match within the first ten minutes, and then taking the lead shortly before the half. The Dragons of Krytenia would rally too late, scoring the lone goal of the match for the team in extra time, but the clock would run out before they could mount another. Though luckily for the Anaian side, a stronger Goal Differential would see them finish the group stage atop a three-way-points tie between Gyatso-kai, Kyrtenia, and Estorvipa and Estorpiva. Following behind the Dragons were the Bisons at +2, with the Estorian team coming out at +1.

A bit too close for comfort, but nonetheless, the Bisons have advanced.

Looking over this, the seventeenth campaign in Avatarian history, we have seen quite the successful run for the current Interim Head Coach of the Bisons, Wong Haru. With a mediocre World Cup result sandwiched between a quarterfinal achievement in the AO Cup and now a quarterfinal achievement in nation’s fourth Cup of Harmony, one has to wonder when Director Vhett Boba will pull the trigger and either promote Wong to a full-time and official Head Coach position, or take him out of the position and begin the search again for a new coach to steer the team.

”The Council has not yet made a decision,” Director Vhett said in an interview shortly before the Cup of Harmony began, ”On the Head Coach Position for the national team. While we are content with the success and achievements [Wong Haru] has made since taking over during the 2021.3 Campaign, we have not been able to justify such a commitment at this time.”

While there are many in the National Sports community, including members of the Council who have spoken on terms of anonymity for, as they have said, they are not authorized to speak on the subject, that have said Vhett has been in talks with both the Governor of the National Team, Xing Jishao, as well as with Wong himself, on making the jump to Head Coach. The only thing standing in the way, from our sources, is that Wong hasn’t broken out of the initial Proper Stage. Sure the team has broken into the quarterfinals, but we have yet to push beyond that. In the last AOCAF, the Bisons managed to get out of the group stage, and take an impressive Kimi-Suomi side to 2-2 regulation, before an impressive workover that saw Kimi-Suomi falter twice for Gyatso-kai to come out 4-2 in Extra Time. Unfortunately, when Gyatso-kai made it to the quarterfinals, it was Demot who brought the game to 3-all, with both sides scoring a goal in Extra Time, and the match going to penalty kicks.

And with Hashimoto missing the seventh penalty shot, the Bisons went home to prepare for the World Cup.

The World Cup was a bit of a disappointment for the Bisons, both as a team and on a personal level, with famed Avatarian goalkeeper Armok Hikari falling from grace and passing the starting keeper position to the young Hamada Roshi from Concord Dusk AFC. Amassing a 4-1-1 record on his first starts of the campaign, Hamada would carry that energy into the Cup of Harmony, and unfortunately, as many of the teams in Group G had done, he would earn a 2-0-1 record, with no sight of Armok getting back between the poles any time soon.

Perhaps that is better for the Bisons…

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THE NEXT MATCH

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vs Zeta Reka and Hügeltaldom₂₄
Style: -2.0
Colors: RED // GOLD
CoH 82 Record: 2-1-0 (7pts), 2nd Group C

Facing off against a team that stood before the behemoth of Starbladyia, only to emerge at an even two goals and have the strength to take Atlantian Oceanian neighbor Delaclava down 5-2 on the final match day… It is not a good look for the Bisons. Especially a team that runs an incredibly devoted Defensive minded style of 2-2-6. While the Bisons are much more offensively-orientated team, we have historically struggled against teams that run powerhouse defences and manage to keep high-tempo games with a focus on bringing the ball forward when – and only when – a goal is guaranteed.

Also of note, the entire team from ZR&H play for a diverse eight national leagues. Something that has been talked about within the National Sports Council is the fact that Avatarian players are only developed and tested in the Republic Premier Football League. This lack of diversity has often been quoted as something the Bisons are lacking greatly over other national teams.

Should we see Bisons playing in Farfadillis, Vilitia, or even the likes of Quebec? With the hopes of becoming better all-around players? I think so...

Either way... Expect the game to go one of three ways. Either it will be a glorious day for the Bisons, a boring afternoon of football with low goals and minimal excitement, or it will be yet another return of the National Team with their heads hung low and their tails between their legs.

I’m hoping for the first outcome…

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Copyright 2022.1 Avatarian Sports Programming Network. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.aspn.com.gk/articles/coh/01268841
© 2022 Avatarian Sports Programming Network

[Qasden]

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HQ Made Graphics, So I Have to Do My Job

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By Tomathan Hammerland

They got their Cup of Harmony report, why do I need to keep going? Because Qasden happens to still exist in this tournament? Fine, whatever, give me 5 minutes to knock back whatever airport energy drink I found in Montaña Verde and I'll do a quartile knockout report.

I have no idea what flavor that was, but it's doing wonders to me the likes of which I've never experienced. Now where were we?

Qasden! Return from a 10-tourney hiatus! Bees?! The Vans arrived in Rocalaro as one of Group D's "underdogs", despite never desiring to be associated with such animal. A so-called 'Group of Death', the cattle-cornered battleground kicked off hotter than a steak on a grill, with our friends in the River's End shooting our recent group-mates, Drawkland, point-blank 3-0 in a charitable effort to apply salt to the wound. Quite the hospitality, if I say so myself. The electricity was enough to ground all the beef nearby, but it'd be a lie to say the night's sequels would be anything but a little mundane.

A collection of 14 Stars were next up for Qasden, coming fresh off a loss to the soon-to-be-revealed top cat of the corral. The Storm Wolves, despite their tendency to play puppy, had some reputable dubs in their recent qualifier campaign, beating the likes of youthfully unstoppable Tumbra and forever cursed Flavovespia. How well this would add up to our match will forever be a mystery, much like the chaos they're willing to commit due to Eshians leading the managerial duties. The whistles came and went, I was at one of the ranches nearby, definitely not failing to cow tip, so all I could get out of it was a mere sports app result. 1-1, a stunningly uncomfortable sight for the Vans; which says something, considering the horrors I saw from those cows. Yeah, the result was less than optimal, giving our last match a smidge of delectable 'Do-or-Die'-ism, fit for any social gathering! A win or draw would keep us on top of the group, but a loss would endanger the run as a whole. You can see where this is going, can't you. Yeah, you have that sports app everyone's talking about, too. Don't even have to name it, that's how popular it is.

4 points with 1 match left, the fate of the Blue-Reds and Darsten's dream of reuniting with the big shiny thing now resided in a game against the kings of all things through the prism. Chromatika, a greatly feared squad since failing to qualify, now readily contested Qasden for the good cheese. The win against a fortnight's worth of celestial objects proved beneficial for the Anomalies, but like most things in life, good things come to an end when the Sonnelians show up. Another 1-1 at the other stadium, 90 minutes of pure tv static would've been more entertaining. Credit needing to be given, however, to Drawkland for allowing us to keep an even fight with an Anaian madhouse. It was the chromatically-calm versus the calico-concerned. Neck versus throat, spaghetti versus rigatoni. Damn, now I'm hungry, conveniently the same thought I had in the press box before skipping the entire match for a meal at the concession stand. Good stuff going in, at least. What wasn't good? Tommy Waluigi bent to the country that employs and adores him, the defenders failing to stop this heresy further escalating the benefactor in Chromatika's lone nipping against a battleborn Van squad. 0-1, this is exactly why we stan Sanar in this household.

4 points in 3 matches is a very morally gray region. It's just enough to get through in some cases, but just as equally enough to gently push you our to sea. Thankfully, a draw between The 14 Stars and Drawkland would shut both of them out from challenging our now-official 2nd Place. It's not great, but Qasden's known for 2nd place. Look at the damn crest, the stars are from the 2nd biggest tournament in the WCC! Tangents aside, 2nd place meant advancement for Darsten, a key goal in the former captain's plan to rebuild the team on the multiversal scale. The next plan: win a knockout match, which may be easier said than done now. 4 points was great 2 matches in, but once that hits 3, you're getting into territory that's less than savory. Of the 32 squads that survived the initial purge, a mere 25th would garner the acclaim of the Blue-Reds ambitions. Fantastic, really. On one hand, it's not too bad of an area, meaning our first knockout would be contested against the 8-seed, good ol' [REDACTED]. On the other, far uglier hand, is the quartile as a whole in which we play: housing the #1 seed of the entire group stage, [ALSO REDACTED]. This, as you can expect, is not ideal; as is the case, Qads reacted in a mild manner: angrily posting to social media about the failures of unrelated politicians from opposing parties as them. Still, we've faced worst, but as the big wigs at QADAN want me to, I must do a mini report on each of the matches in our quartile of the HexadecaFinals. It won't be completely in order, as that adds to dramatic effect towards Qasden's, but we'll get there when we do.

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That [ALSO REDACTED] didn't need to last long, as first up is this doombringers themselves, #1 Savojarna. The pillars of Group B entered the cup thanks to a shockingly awful qualifier campaign, forcing them to compete for a lowly silver star against the equally unfortunate. Despite the setback, the mildly fantastical Savojar led the charge of accusations towards the team's sandbagging claims from the 3 Qads actually disgruntled with this, dominating their group with flying colors, ending it with a cataclysmic showdown against Flavovespia. In the end, the blue-crossed squad prevailed triumphantly, earning the honor of personally being a source of anxiety to the other 31 teams here. First on their chopping block: #32 Eraman. With 1's across the board and a GD of 0, these balanced Melayuans narrowly scraped into the knockouts with a draw against the Cordian Isles, joining an elite club of 3rd-Placers to survive the 3rd night. While the Monkey King(s?) are very much so the underdog in this fight, a recent win against Trolleborg may spur a case for them to pull the unlikely upset. Not doing predictions this time, however, since last time I did anything of the like, all of them were wrong.

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For the honors of getting potentially smashed by Savojarna, the closest-seeded game of the Hexadeca belongs to #16 Mercedini and #17 Savigliane. Stating the closeness of their ranks would be an understatement here, given how the duo are 28th and 27th in the Mid-Cycle rankings, 7th and 6th in the pre-knockout seedings, and tied in both points and finishing placement in their groups. I don't know how they can even pull this off, but my word, do I not care to elaborate more of it on, for the sake of my waning sanity. Thankfully, a difference does show up when it comes to how each finished 2nd in their groups: the former losing their last game, their latter winning. Is this a sign? Who knows, but both are absolutely perceived threats in the long run, especially when considering our own history with one of em.

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This one was below ours in the bracket, but whatever, you can't end a bracket report with 2 countries that aren't Qasden, that's just wrong. Instead, we have the closest-seeded match to our own: #9 Krytenia vs #24 Tikariot. Don't let the seedings fool you, though, both of these squads can be killer against some Qads. The Krytenians have been nothing but chaos since winning their Cup of Harmony some time ago, being so much so that they came back to give it a friend. The club's 300 year run last left off with a sour against Gyatso-Kai, but a 6-point group title at hand. As for the owltastic Tikariot, the 5th-seed co-hosts of World Cup 89 find themselves running rampant in a deadly Group A, just rampant enough to survive the group by the teeth of their beak. That's not a good mental image, but you get it, the fearful black and maroon crushed an unsuspecting Geektopia before losing the group to Cabo Azure, now occupying the seed directly above us due to having more goals. Neither of these two are ones we want to face, but one of these two we'll need to beat in order to reach the quarterfinal we left off on 10 cycles ago.

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The #25 Qasden Vans have fought tooth and nail to get back to the Cup of Harmony knockouts, but the road to a 3rd title would be one paved sharply uphill. To breach this summit, the Blue-Reds need to fight a fierce underdog like themselves, a group champion in #8 Acastanha. Pretty sure we've played them at some point in history, but anything past yesterday is mad fuzzy. Still these lads are a menace in our own run, starting before we even met: by beating Mercedini for Group J's high seed. Besides the qualifier shortcomings, the best nation of the Melayu Archipelago clearly found new successes in the Cup of Harmony. Yet, with that, it comes to a matter of wills to determine whether or not the Red and Yellow and stop the Blue and Red.

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Well, ya boy is tired as hell. Can Icarus Darsten and the Vans achieve their predetermined goal of reaching the Octos? Or will Jorge Garbano's all-male squad prove to be too much for the rookie manager? I just realized I never mentioned we travelled over to the Licentian Isles in Esportiva for this, so if you want to hear more about that, stay tuned, stay updated, and stay alert for future reports, live from the location changes of CoH 82!

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[Montana Verde]

Playoff locations (Verdean bracket)

Round of 32

9: Poafmersia v Muralos @ Estadio Deportivo Cyprien Portillo Serrato, Rocalaro
10: Zeta Reka and Hügeltaldom v Gyatso-kai @ Estadio Monumental Nara Mesa Rolón, Yaririo
11: Chromatika v Astograth @ Estadio Polideportivo Presentación Acuna Archuleta, Cotata
12: Barunia v Omerica @ Estadio Olímpico Salvador Pozo Brito, Valerigua
13: Starblaydia v Sarzonia @ Estadio Metropolitano Máximo Encarnación, Tamramerín
14: Wreckeria v Flavovespia @ Estadio Revolución Verde, Valerigua
15: Nyowani Kitara v Eshialand @ Estadio Indio Merlina Zamudio Solan, Yaririo
16: Cabo-Azure v Kimi-Suomi @ Nuevo Estadio Dulcinea Espinal Fajardo, Tamramerín

Round of 16

21: 9 v 10 @ Estadio Monumental Nara Mesa Rolón, Yaririo
22: 11 v 12 @ Estadio Departamental Patricio Ordóñez Berganza, Medemenia
23: 13 v 14 @ Estadio Deportivo Cyprien Portillo Serrato, Rocalaro
24: 15 v 16 @ Estadio Olímpico Salvador Pozo Brito, Valerigua

Quarterfinals

27: 21 v 22 @ Estadio Metropolitano Máximo Encarnación, Tamramerín
28: 23 v 24 @ Estadio Deportivo Cyprien Portillo Serrato, Rocalaro

Semifinal

30: 27 v 28 @ Estadio Monumental Nara Mesa Rolón, Yaririo

3PPO

32: loser 29 v loser 30 @ Estadio Olímpico Salvador Pozo Brito, Valerigua

[Cabo Azure]

Doctor Fonseca, pt 4
Sao Simone, present day
Franck Rosenshield left the Azurean island of Sao Vicente the day after his father-in-law’s funeral, along with his wife, the Azurean Princess Alexandra and her younger sister, Princess Veronica, known to her family as “Ronnie.” Alex’s elder brother, King Manuel, remained behind another day to attend to royal business on Sao Vicente. Despite the circumstances, Franck felt a pang as they boarded the little boat; for the past twenty-four hours, he’d been enjoying the slow pace of life in Sao Vicente, and he was in no rush to get back to blandly capitalist Sao Simone en route to frenetic, post-industrial Montreal.

Alex sat beside him on a little bench in the boat’s pilothouse while Ronnie stayed outside, wrapped tightly in her duck cotton coat, surveying the horizon as if she expected Sao Simone to appear out of the mist at any moment. For his part, Franck looked backward, observing the little harbor town of Sao Vicente as it disappeared from view. Most of King Manuel’s security detail had stayed with him, leaving only one man in black fatigues, who now stood at the entrance to the pilothouse.

“I’m sorry the first time you’re seeing Cabo Azure is like this,” Alex said. Franck wished she’d quit apologizing for things. “It’s really quite nice in places. If we had more time, I’d take you to Portelo and show you the royal palace and Maritime University.”

“I’m happy to have seen it,” Franck assured her. “And Sao Vicente is beautiful. So quiet and rustic.”

“Don’t romanticize it.” There was an edge to Alex’s voice that hadn’t been there, as if he had touched a nerve. “You might not wax poetic if you knew the problems that place has.”

Franck wanted to protest that appreciating a place’s virtues wasn’t tantamount to romanticizing it, but he sensed it would be futile. Instead he dug deeper. “What sorts of problems?”

“Drugs,” Alex answered curtly, “And all the problems they bring: low literacy, high unemployment, corruption. The last burial at that cemetery before my dad was a kid Ronnie’s age, somebody she and Luis used to run around with. Poor girl was hooked before she was eighteen and died with a needle in her arm.”

“And the police?”

“Range from overworked to inept to outright corrupt. Like most professions, anyone with a modicum of competence moves to one of the bigger islands the first chance they get. The Gang of Seven tried to crack down, but they were so ham-fisted that they made the drug dealers into martyrs. Even now people protect the hoods out of some sense of patriotic duty. It’s the same on most of the outlying islands.”

Franck had heard some of this before, from Alex and from reading about Cabo Azure. The official literature painted the nation as an emerging economy making gains in metrics across the board, fueled by foreign investment and liberalization. The real picture, however, was complicated by the gap that separated Aho and Portelo from the rest of the islands and by a persistent brain drain to those two islands from the rest of Cabo Azure, and from Cabo Azure to the rest of Rushmore. When doctors and artisans fled for greener pastures, they took quality of life with them, which further incentivized anyone who had the means to leave.

The part Alex had said about the Gang of Seven was new to Franck, however. As a rule, Azureans didn’t like to talk about the regime that had ruled them for over thirty years before the restoration of the monarchy. Many acted as if Queen Abigail had succeeded her half-brother directly, and O Interregno had been nothing more than a collective nightmare. He had a vague sense of cronyism, incompetence, and the occasional brutal crackdown that set neighbor against neighbor, but few concrete details about those dark decades.

She broke his pensive silence with another apology. “I’m sorry,” she said. “Like I said, Cabo has some lovely places. It’s just-”

“Quit-please quit apologizing, Alex. I want to know more about your country, just like I want to know more about you. Good and bad.”

“There’s plenty of both to be had,” Alex mused. “There’s an old joke that Azureans are better at leaving Cabo Azure than anything else. I don’t guess I’m any different.”

“Leaving to go to school isn’t the same as leaving for good,” Franck reminded her. “If what you’re describing is true, Cabo Azure needs doctors.”

–

They had a day to kill in Sao Simone before their flight to Brinemouth. Flights to and from Nephara were limited to one per day by the perennial political tension between that country’s egalitarian government and the staunchly monarchist Azureans. Only by virtue of Alex being a royal could they hope to get a seat on short notice, but it was still the most direct way back to Anaia. Once the republican resistance had courted Nephara as a patron in its attempts to remove the Portelo Dynasty once and for all, but they proved too brittle a tool for the delicate task of regime change and the monarchy was restored on the back of the failed Gang of Seven.

Alex hugged Ronnie goodbye by the waterfront and hailed a taxi. Despite her royal status, Alex lived overseas and was hardly a public figure in Cabo Azure. The image of her with which the public was most familiar was from the Quebecois royal wedding, when she’d been nineteen and wearing a dress the color of her brother’s crown. Years of medical school and now residency had worn down the sharp edges of her chin and neck that had made her stand out in that dress. She was now a full-figured Azurean woman, hair pulled back in a practical bun, wearing a minimal amount of makeup compared to the full face Stefan had done for her on that day.
The taxi deposited them at the base of an apartment building built in the style that had been popular late in the reign of Reinaldo I; perfectly rectangular, red brick construction with rows of tall, identical windows. Franck knew, again from his reading, that the interior likely contained a courtyard with green trees in tall brick planters and picnic benches. Above the door, set into the brick, was the carved coat of arms of the Knights of St. Simon, the chivalric order which had founded Cabo Azure and given its name to Sao Simone.

Inside, a man in his early thirties sat behind a worn desk doing some kind of word puzzle in a newspaper. He wore khaki pants smartly creased with brown dress shoes and a steel blue shirt with epaulets bearing the same symbol as was above the door. His hair was a bit shaggy around his ears, but he stood up straight when he saw Alex and offered a crisp bow.

“Your Highness,” he said, then to Franck, “Dr. Rosenshield. A pleasure. So glad you could make it, even under the circumstances. Shall I let Dona Carlotta know you’re here?”

“Yes, please.”

Alex took a seat in an overstuffed armchair in the lobby next to a coffee maker that looked like it didn’t see much use. Franck couldn’t help himself taking in every detail of the room. Widow’s lodges, as they were called, were a uniquely Azurean construction, dating back to the days when the Knights of St. Simon were still actively crusading. The lodges were established after the knights began to have families, to ensure the widows of fallen brothers would be cared for; they provided basic lodging, food, and medical care in perpetuity, paid for by the order itself.

Over the centuries, widow’s lodges came to accept divorcees and women deemed mentally incompetent as well as widows, and these days they were little more than almshouses, but they formed a significant portion of the social safety net in Cabo Azure. Unmarried women could apply to the Knights, which these days was an endowed non-profit, and upon approval, they would be granted room and board for the rest of their lives provided they didn’t marry. Under the Gang of Seven, the houses had taken in few new residents, and consolidated into fewer and fewer houses as their old residents died.

Reduced stigma around divorce and especially remarriage had also removed some of the need for the lodges, but those that remained were still going strong, staffed by lay members of the Knights such as the man who’d greeted them. The endowment provided the funding for day-to-day operations, and one of King Manuel’s first acts as king had been to renew the Knights’ royal charter, which dated back to the twelfth century, when his and Alex’s ancestor Sebastien di Portelo, then the military leader of the Knights, had declared himself to be the first king of the Azurean Islands.

Alex’s maternal grandmother, the woman formerly known as Queen Carlotta, occupied a one-bedroom apartment on the third floor of the building, on the outside so it overlooked the street, not the courtyard. As Alex and Franck climbed the steps, Franck suddenly realized he had no idea how to address Alex’s grandmother, nor what courtesy to show her. Alex stopped on the landing between the second and third floors, her face pensive.

“You may address her as Dona,” she said at length, “It’s a title for nobility, sort of like ‘lord’ in Quebec, though we no longer have a formal peerage in Cabo Azure. There’s no need to bow or offer any formal greeting; just speak to her as you would anyone of higher station.” It piqued Franck a little that he knew exactly what she meant, but he supposed that was what you got for marrying royalty.

“Did you ever have a peerage?” Franck asked, intrigued. He’d been learning about Azurean society through the bits and pieces Alex explained to him in passing, and every morsel he learned left him wanting more. He couldn’t account for how much of his infatuation with Cabo Azure was organic and how much was derivative of his infatuation with Alex, but he figured if you’re going to be married to the princess of a country, you ought to learn as much as you can.

“Years ago,” Alex answered vaguely. “Like a century or more. It never really went away, just sort of became obsolete over time. Some families still hold their ancestral seats and use the old titles, like the Silvas in Sao Simone, but anymore they’re basically like anyone else. Dona Carlotta is a Silva on her mother’s side, though she doesn’t have anything to do with the family anymore.”

Dona Carlotta’s apartment was cozy, but the decorations were chic enough to belong anywhere. A flat-screen TV was mounted to a wall opposite a sectional couch, and a new-looking laptop was open on the small kitchen table. For a moment Franck felt sure they’d entered the wrong apartment (Alex had let herself in), but then Carlotta emerged from the bedroom. She was short, but not frail, her gray hair in a pixie cut, pushed back by a pair of oversized black sunglasses mounted on the crown of her head. Her gray joggers and trainers wouldn’t have been out of place at any gym in Montreal, and she paired them with a pink sweatshirt stitched with the phrase “Del Sol” across the front. The overall impression Franck got was of a woman well aware of her age and refusing to be hindered by it.

“Alexandra!” Carlotta exclaimed, “I am so glad you could make it.” She paused thoughtfully, an affectation that startled Franck in how it reminded him of Alex. “I am sorry to hear about Luis.” Her English was excellent, though a little stilted, with a trace of a Terranean accent that was probably attributable to watching Electrumite television. Franck realized she was speaking in English for his benefit and was immediately grateful.

“Thank you, Grandma,” Alex answered. “This is my husband, Franck.”

“I know very well who this is,” Carlotta chided. “Good day, Dr. Rosenshield. I hope you’re finding Cabo Azure to your liking.”

“It’s beautiful,” Franck told her earnestly.

“Senta-se, por favor.” In her Portuguese, Franck could hear the commanding voice of a woman who’d once been queen. He and Alex arranged themselves in the chairs by the little table. Carlotta produced a clear pitcher of aranciata and filled three juice glasses to bring to the table. Oranges weren’t Franck’s favorite fruit, but he knew from Alex that aranciata was as ubiquitous in Cabo Azure as cola was in other places and that it would be rude to refuse.

“How is your schooling going, my dear?” Carlotta asked as Alex and Franck took their first sips. Franck wanted to protest that medical residency was training, not school, but he suspected that even if it were appropriate to correct his wife’s grandmother who was once queen, the nuance might be lost in translation.

“It’s going well,” Alex answered. “One more year left, as you know. I’ll be on labor and delivery when I get back, and I’ll finish my residency in June. Hoping to take my board exams in the summer and then come home.”

“Remind me what you are studying?”

“I’m in a residency program for obstetrics and gynecology.” Alex answered in Portuguese. Carlotta’s face lit up with a mischievous grin, and she started to say something, but stopped herself.

Alex caught her grandmother up on “the plan” after residency, and though the conversation was in a mix of English and Portuguese, Franck had heard it explained enough times to fill in the gaps. Alex wanted to return home to work at the Royal Hospital on Portelo, which had the largest and most advanced birthing ward in Cabo Azure, as well as the only neonatal intensive care unit. Most of the arrangements had already been made; Franck had a job on offer in the surgery department, and the hospital seemed genuinely thrilled by the possibility of having a princess on staff.

“That’s a fine plan, honey,” Carlotta told her when it was done. They were back to speaking English, and even through her accent and formality, Franck could tell she didn’t really like Alex’s plan. He wondered what she found wrong with it; would the former queen prefer her granddaughter to be a full-time princess, with her medical degree just another jewel in a sparkly crown?

“But?” Alex was always blunt. It was something Franck loved about her.

“But the hospital in Portelo will never hurt for doctors,” Carlotta said. “Everyone who returns from Nephara or Quebec or Cassadaigua hopes to live in Sao Simone or Portelo. As you said, it has the best facilities and the best doctors already.”

“So?” Franck asked, more quickly than he’d intended. “That makes it a good place to work.”

“It does,” Carlotta conceded, “But it also means you’d bring nothing to the table beyond being another doctor. You’re a princess, Alexandra. You bring prestige and pomp just by showing up. Why not bring it to a place that can use it?”

“What, like Sao Vicente?” Now it was Alex’s turn to outburst.

“Why not?” Carlotta asked. “Sao Vicente, Dulce Muerte. Anywhere than can use the boost that comes from having a princess on board.”