Independents Cup 15- EVERYTHING THREAD

by **Sannyamathland** » Fri Apr 01, 2022 10:33 am

Soviet Times

Javcherenko Becomes Sannyamathland's Most Capped Player

By Yuri Popalov

Javcherenko on his way towards scoring a goal

Sannyamathland: 4 - Hebitaka: 3

Veteran defender Savreck Javcherenko becomes the most capped international player in Sannyamathland's history as the Lions edge past Hebitaka to confirm their place in the Round of 24 matches. Javcherenko starred in his 166th match for his national team, thus overtaking the record of 165 international caps held by Mikhail Kerzakhov who retired in 2006. At the same time, Sannyamathland's victory hard fought victory against the Kingdom of Hebitaka ensured that the Lions get another chance towards qualifying for the Round of 16 of IAC 15.

Javcherenko made his special day even more memorable as he was one of the 3 persons who scored a goal for Sannyamathland. The other two goal scorers were Ivan Sandiev, who found the back of the net twice and Sergey Tymchenko, who came on as a 56th minute substitute for Lev Petrosian and scored a goal. The Lions suffered a shaky start to this very important match. Conceeding back to back goals in the 25th and 32nd minute, it appeared that Sannyamathland's chances of going past the group stages were dashed. Ivan Sandiev scored the first goal in the 43rd minute, as his long range shot proved to be too fast for the Hebitakan keeper. As the second half began, the Lions began playing much more attacking football and were rewarded in the 58th minute, when captain V.I. Mount was pulled down in the penalty area. Ivan Sandiev made no mistake, and converted the penalty into a goal. Sannyamathland got a lead in the 67th minute, as Javcherenko scored a brilliant goal after a missed corner. The Hebitakan side were quick to equalise, as the Hebitakan captain scored a goal from a short range free kick in the 72nd minute. 19 year old youngstar Sergey Tymchenko, who came on as a 56th minute subsitute for Lev Petrosian scored the winning goal for the Lions.

Javcherenko emerged as Sannyamathland's hero even in his record breaking match. In a career spanning almost 18 years, Javcherenko has left several memorable performances for both his club and the national team. He is a one club man, having spent his entire professional career with East Rowling FC. The son of a factory worker and a teacher, Javcherenko debuted for the club in 2004, and for his national side in 2006 and has since then been a permanent fixture for both his club and the Sannyamathland national team. He is the current captain of the East Rowling FC, and had served in that position since 2015, becoming the longest serving captain in the club's history. He had previously also served as the captain of the Sannyamathland national football team from 2016 to 2020. He has made 504 professional appearances for East Rowling FC, which is once again a club record. In his long career, Javcherenko has won several individual and team awards. He led his club to a SPL title last year, which was the club's first League title in over 30 years. He has also won the Soviet Cup with East Rowling FC thrice and has finished in the Top Ten of Ballon D'Or once. He has also won the Soviet Footballer Of the Year award 4 times, the most recent being last year, which also made him the oldest player to win the award. He enjoys a legendary status in the city of Rowling for his services to the club and country. He was also made a Merited Master of Sport in 2020, following his League victory with East Rowling.

In spite of achieving almost everything that is there to achieve, the 36 year old legend has no plans of stopping anytime soon. In his post match conference, when asked about his retirement, he jokingly replied: "Why are people so worried about my retirement? Sure, I may have lost a hair or two but that does not mean I am too old to play football." On being asked about his future ambitions, he replied that reaching a world cup finals remains his only dream. When asked on what keeps him fit at this age, Javcherenko once again revealed his humourous side and replied: "My wife and my vodka."

by **Zwangzug** » Fri Apr 01, 2022 1:56 pm

The Bassabook Baritone

Some say that all good things must come to an end. Depending on your particular theological leanings, you may disagree. However, in the mostly-mundane world of international sports, it is statistically demonstrated that streaks both lucky and unlucky will resolve in regression toward the mean.

Such was the case for the heretofore spectacular defense of the Picksall Islands football side, which posted shutouts for four consecutive games before experiencing a rude awakening in Indusse. The matchup was quite a tactical clash; the Picksall team plays a (1)-6-3-1, while Indusse have three defenders, two midfielders, three forwards, the indominatable Goblin Grundjee who can play anywhere vaguely up front, and apparently have declined to designate a tenth outfield starter. Nevertheless, it would be Grundjee's form that first broke through, eighteen minutes into the game off a pass from all-around athlete Djetson Hazle. And when it rains, it pours; Bechun Butea assisted Baskar Kumar three minutes later.

Halftime seemed to reset the islanders. With a place in the playoff stages already guaranteed, it was time to stop worrying about statistical bragging rights and work on enduring against the world's--or at least the Independents'--elite. The second half was a much more evenly matched contest; after Kumar's header in minute 54 made it 3-0, Wōkēnd Kufind was able to set up Hefid Ūmogo just after the hour mark.

Indusse, as group champions, have a bye to the round of 16. The Picksall Islands will face i leoni of Macbon, who are playing in their first international tournament.

Sentence of the day:

Fipefo pōēgabindi būnum dugokab dūmaf. The blue fans watch the green man.

by **Sajnur** » Fri Apr 01, 2022 11:32 pm

Sajnur 2-5 Kriegiersien; Sajnur to play Togonistan in Wild Card Round

Ah, Kriegiersien. The country of mandatory nudity. While Sajnur has some infamously laissez-faire attitudes toward clothing, the country and its citizens have an equally infamous disdain for personal mandates. Clearly, our opponents have a different mindset, since they seem to wear as little as possible out of a sense of national duty rather than adherence to climactic conditions, and clothing is outright illegal in their home country. Thus their sporting uniforms more resemble black sponsored bikinis than actual football jerseys and shorts. This can be rather disconcerting when you consider that most of Kriegiersien's players are men. Then again, it's rumoured their current supreme leader, Tim Krieg, named the country after himself, so what can you really expect from this country? Maybe Mr Krieg just really likes some dick swinging.

Of course, Group F has already been quite peculiar, with several matches play in literal Space, and every team not involved in this fixture, including the team representing Space, failing to win any of their first four matches. Of course, an advantage of playing in space is that far fewer laws apply to the grounds upon which the match is played. As such, the Sajnuran Football Association gifted Kriegiersien a set of black jockstraps, with just enough coverage to display names, numbers, and a sponsor, and invited the team to play shirtless, which they duly accepted. Thus it was that tens of thousands of spectators rich enough to go to a stadium in Space, and hundreds of millions of television viewers throughout the universes, saw eleven footballers in red and purple walk out side by side with eleven footballers as naked as could be without violating visual broadcasting laws.

Regardless of their choice of attire, or lack thereof, the Kriegiersien football team is actually quite good. Apparently their domestic league isn't that good, and the players haven't had much match fitness against good teams, but this is Kriegiersien, and apparently that doesn't matter, as they've quickly re-established themselves as one of the best teams outside the big four sporting associations, and duly dominated Sajnur to take a place in the Round of 16. It actually took them 24 whole minutes to get on the scoreboard, but after Xian Cheung took the lead, it was only another four before Daniel Werner doubled it. The half ended 2-0, but Cheung scored his second just four minutes into the second. Sajnur actually scored a couple during a period which Kriegiersien were probably dealing with wedgies, with Jessica Siafik dribbling sixty metres down field to score in the 58th minute, and celebrating by swinging her shirt around and running around the pitch in her sports bra, and Andre Naulo capping off a 27 pass combination with a backheel past Che Lopera. The black jockstraps, however, were soon adjusted back into their proper positions and Cheung scored in the 80th and 88th minutes to cap off a convincing 5-2 victory to take the #1 seed into the Round of 16. Sajnur, meanwhile, will face a Togonistan team that has scored just three goals but conceded just two. Unlike most Sajnur games, this one does not promise to be a barnstormer.

Sajnur 3-2 United Adaikes

Sajnur

Goals
Siafik: 20' (Jorse)
Naulo: 51' (Latvala)
Taylor: 89' (Siafik)

Lineup
GK: Laghiev
CB: Raglan
CB: Verjez
CB: Murje [83']
CDM: Latvala
RM: Jorse
LM: Isarghie [Pavlov 84']
CAM: Siafik (c)
RW: Taylor
ST: Naulo [Parci 84']
LW: Ciuru [Valera 70']

United Adaikes

Goals
Gaines: 33' (Maddox), 84' (p)

Lineup
GK: Hussain
RB: Fisher
CB: Knight
CB: Cobb
LB: Burgess
CDM: Sweeney
RM: Jordan (c) [Bush 75']
LM: Ross
CAM: Gaines
ST: Dale [Laurence 75']
ST: Maddox

Sajnur 4-3 Space

Sajnur

Goals
Hasan: 33' (Haji)
Valera: 45' (Levici), 78' (Jorse), 90+3' (Isarghie)

Lineup
GK: Khadur (c)
CB: Raglan
CB: Verjez
CB: Pracia [Parjazu 85']
RM: Haji [Jorse 68']
CM: Hasan
CM: Levici [Pavlov 78']
LM: Isarghie
RW: Taylor
ST: Maktar
LW: Valera

Space

Goals
Saturnia: 6' (Pluto), 19' (Polaris)
Mars: 67' (Pluto)

Lineup
GK: Milky Way
RB: Orion's Belt
CB: Outpost Beta
CB: Mars
LB: Alpha Centauri
CDM: Polaris
CDM: Ursa Minor
CAM: Pluto
CAM: Bootes
ST: Pinwheel Galaxy
ST: Saturnia

Sajnur 2-5 Kriegiersien

Sajnur

Goals
Siafik: 56'
Naulo: 64' (Ciuru)

Lineup
GK: Khadur
CB: Raglan
CB: Latvala
CB: Murje
RM: Haji
CM: Hasan [Pavlov 71']
CM: Siafik (c)
LM: Isarghie
CF: Valera [Parjazu 80']
CF: Ciuru
ST: Naulo [Maktar 80']

Kriegiersien

Goals
Cheung: 24' (Zimmerman), 49' (Wannemaker), 80' (Vorontsov-Dashkov), 88' (Wannemaker)
Werner: 28'

Lineup
GK: Lopera
RB: Cheung
CB: Faust
CB: Schneider
LB: Le Bone
CM: Basmajian
CM: Owomoyela
CAM: Werner
RW: Zimmerman
ST: Vorontsov-Dashkov
LW: Wannemaker

by **Indusse** » Sat Apr 02, 2022 2:53 am

IFA NEWS NETWORK
Towards the Finals

With the group stage ending, Indusse became the second best placed team of this edition and got a direct ticket to the round of sixteen with Kriegiersien, HUElavia, TJUN-ia, Squidroidia, Poafmersia, Almuzahara and Eshialand. The players has got some time for taking rest as well as train for the upcoming matches. The Round of Twenty four or the Wild card round would decide who Indusse would face in the Round of Sixteen. The Wildcard matches are all interesting ones which also include the current champions from Adab and the Second ranked Trolleborg. Experienced and consistent teams from Drawkland and Sajnur as well as newcomers like United Adaikes and StrayaRoos Barrier Islands are part of the wildcard round. The Wild Card Round between Trolleborg and United Adaikes would happen in Aditya Varma Kulashekara International Stadium, New Hind City, Indusse. It's been reported that all tickets for the match has been brought and the stadium authorities have decided to setup Big screens in the Stadium compound so those who weren't able to buy tickets would be able to see the matches. The Stadium complex also contains the National Fan Park, which hosts various events and also contains big screens for the national team fans to experience.

Every matchday, the city and its streets get submerged in the color of blue. Let it be the stadium complex or a rural village, fans are the same with support throughout the season. E-Soccer tournaments are conducted at various fan parks and grassroot level training is given to the young fans every weekend at the respective ground of functioning. The Darbar Avenue Stadium is one of the major venue of the Grassroot Level Programs when the New Hind City FC is not having any home matches. The fanbase is currently growing due to the consistent quality perfomance in the Independents Cup Tournaments with a Championship in its Thirteenth edition, a semifinal match in its fourteenth edition and now in the Round of Sixteen in the Fifteenth edition. It's something to note that the new Baker Park Coach is here to make history and be the best coach the nation had after Joseph Moteudi. Shane Newman, who's currently happy with his and his team's perfomance is finding the experience in Indusse wonderful! Whereas, former coach Moteudi has found Bollonich to be his new assignment as is trying hard to make some noice. Moteudi and his squad had a "not so bad" perfomance in the recent edition of the Copa Rushmori.

by **The 14 Stars** » Sat Apr 02, 2022 4:20 am

Runners up, gonna keep running

Today we saw the Starsian team finish as runners up in their respective group after HUElavia who are pot 1 team, it was according to the expectations and now it is up to the team itself how far we'll go.
Our next opponent is Octapolis or something and the players are heading to United Adaikes for their next match and honestly the team is in quite high spirits for the upcoming match due to their fairly good form.

Holly Moonlight has proven to be a very effective forward just like Flare used to be before her and also we have seen Amanda Forsberg and Becky Ray battle it out for the midfield spot they both so desire.
Lastly we also have seen the interview with Alan White and Holly Moonlight which was generally viewed very positively and they both seemed to be very happy with the current squad and hope to go far with them.
Most importantly for the next match is to not underestimate our opponent, yes we are a decent team but we also know when it comes to the world cup we do not stand a chance against countries of great size.

Their domestic league started inbetween the matches allowing them to stay in shape with the matches they play but also for new players to show themselves in preparation to world cup 91 and its qualifications.
Landry and Young have been also joined in for an interview today to discuss the current Eshian soccer and team and give their views on the achievements of their homeland.

Interview

Interviewer: ''Good afternoon Mr. Landry and Mr. Young we are glad you have found time to join us today, its the first time there is actually an in depth interview since you two became Starsian coaches.''

Landry: ''Yes that is true but i am honestly glad we can do that now, we are soon gonna prepare for the next world cup qualifiers after the IAC has concluded and this will be with the new members.''

Interviewer: ''So there will be any new members in the Starsian squad for next world cup, interesting to know! its also an honor to have you here Mr. Young as no manager can do without a trustful friend on their side.''

Young: ''That is really well said yeah, i am glad to work with Landry on this project and we both have overtime fallen in love with this great country and its people who are as varied as they come.''

Interviewer: ''Nice to hear, i can say for one we as Starsian country are very grateful to have you here aswell, we never had any foreign coaches until you and Landry came to our country to start on this huge project.
But what i am curious to is, why did you two even want to take on this project in the first place, what made you decide to come here.''

Landry: ''I got the offer on a quiet sunday morning and it really surprised me, i never had heard of the Starsian team before since Eshialand's media doesn't cover the minor teams often if they do at all.
We knew your team existed but thats it, we had completely zero knowledge about it, but once i heard the story about how everything went i decided that i should do it, both to help the 14 Stars forward aswell as to seach for a challenge beyond our borders.''

Interviewer: ''Interesting, there aren't alot of Eshians playing beyond the border, i am not sure why that is but do you think this is good for Eshian football or do you think they should try their hand in diffrent leagues?''

Landry: ''I am one to talk on that but i would say they can learn alot of things that they can't in our own country and with that i mean diffrent playstyles, tactics and game dynamics that might be unknown at home.
Also some countries are technologically on a diffrent level aswell, here the Starsian for example are slightly more modern then we are but there are also countries that seem to be stuck in entirely diffrent era's.''

Interviewer: ''These are some wise words there, also what do you think of the current state of Eshialand's national team?''

Landry: ''Hmm tough question, on one side i wanna say they are very good in what they do but on the other hand i feel like they all have alot to learn still and some of them limit the growth of the team still.
Starsian teams are known to be bold, they dare to make radical changes and even sub in an 20 year old rookie during a world cup qualifier and just try out new things as much as they possibly can.
I feel that kind of boldness and innovation is lacking in Eshialand but the Eshian players specialize themselves very well in certain areas where Starsian generally tend to be very allround people.''

Interviewer: ''Quite some diffrences between us i see, if you had to choose any Starsian player to add to the Eshian team who would it be and why would they suit the Eshian team very well?''

Landry: ''Interesting question, if i really had to choose i would say its interesting to see how someone Princeton or Diam would do in our team for a few probably very obvious reasons.
They are loud players who let themselves be heard, motivate and carry their team through the matches and have a very good view and grasp of what happens both on and off the field making them players who can be dynamic, creative and innovative and bring in new ideas in a team that seems very stuck in its old ideals that it tries to pursue.''

Interviewer: ''Hmm yeah they certainly are, would you want to coach Eshialand if they reached out to you?''

Landry: ''I certainly would be willing to see what i can do for my country, ofcourse i would want Young to once again go with me since we are now known as a golden duo and i'd like to keep it like that.
Everyone would want to, its a dream to coach your own country and i feel with my foreign experience from here i can bring a valuable breath of fresh air in the team if i were to become its coach someday.
However lets not forget Kenneth Morgan is a very capable leader aswell.''

Interviewer: ''Alright that is quite obvious ofcourse, last question for you, what would you like to say to the Eshian players?''

Landry: ''I would like to say to them, be yourself on the field and develop a new you everyday.
Do not let yourself being held down, if you feel the need to seek challenge beyond our borders do so, do not be afraid of innovations and a new way of playing the game we always have loved so much with all of us.
Just make the most out of every minute you are standing on that field, because as you've seen with Valerian sadly every minute it can be taken as quick as this blessing has been granted.''

Interviewer: ''Great words, i think we should keep it here''

Landry: ''Yes certainly, thank you for your time''

Iterviewer: ''you too''

by **HUElavia** » Sat Apr 02, 2022 5:18 am

Tonight, the true IAC begins. With 24 teams remaining, only 8 will advance further into the Round-of-16.
Do you feel confident that you can easily take down your opponent?
Do you feel motivated to pull off an upset?

Only time will tell to see what glory awaits your team.

Welcome to the Round-of-24, the Wild Card Round.

Trolleborg 1–0 United Adaikes
Aditya Varma Kulashekara International Stadium, Hind City, Indusse

Drawkland 1–0 Garifunya
1st December Stadium, Trolleborg City, Trolleborg

Adab 0–1 Tjorl
National Stadium, TJUN-ia City, TJUN-ia

Picksail Islands 0–1 Macbon
Kanyo Pitch, Kayo, Drawkland

Sajnur 0–1 Togonistan
Libira National Stadium, Fiskadaha City, Poafmersia

Sannyamathland 7–1 Freeport Isles
Stadium Strata, Telm City, Britonisea

The 14 Stars 0–0 Octapolis (0–0 AET) (16–15 pen.)
New Thraproy Sports Complex Main Stadium, Adaik's C'ntral, United Adaikes

Forbidden Territories 1–1 StrayaRoos Barrier Islands (1–1 AET) (4–5 pen.)
Estadio Nacional, Curumba, HUElavia

Round-of-16 Matches:

Kriegiersien vs Tjorl
Inkopolis City Stadium, Inkopolis, Squidroidia

Eshialand vs Trolleborg
Estadio Metropolitano Máximo Encarnación, Santa Margarita, Montana Verde

TJUN-ia vs StrayaRoos Barrier Islands
New National Stadium, Duomji, StrayaRoos Barrier Islands

Squidroidia vs The 14 Stars
Adam Antwerp Stadium, Daxler, Saterun

Indusse vs Macbon
Castle Street, Jaglan, SRS

Almuzahara vs Drawkland
SM Bank Field, Manchbury, Sudilia

HUElavia vs Togonistan
Extaterestrial Dome of Sport, Space

Poafmersia vs Sannyamathland
Stadium of the Vanguard, Al-Fayit, Almuzahara

by **Squidroidia** » Sat Apr 02, 2022 6:01 am

Note: This was released before the IAC 15 Round of 24. It only took us this long to post it here!

The Inkopolis Times

SPORTS

SQUIDROIDIA NUMBER 5

Johnson and the Inklings weigh in on Squidroidia's chances to win IAC 15

With business handled, albeit in a messy way, against Muralos to wrap up group play, the Squidroidia Inklings can now rest up in preparation for their upcoming Round of 16 tie, whether it be in Inkopolis or elsewhere. With the Inklings winning all of their games and finishing with a perfect 15 points, one would think that the national team would have a top 3 seed and maybe even a crack at the top overall seed heading to the knockout stage and the Road to Curumba. However they are the worst seeded 5-0-0 team, 5th overall behind impressive runs from TJUN-ia, HUElavia, Indusse and number 1 seed Kriegiersien, looking to have a difficult challenge ahead of them once they ultimately get back for the do-or-die knockout stage. The Inkopolis Times has chatted with not only national team boss Adam Johnson, but key members of the Squidroidian national team, on what they expect for the knockout stage of the 15th Independent Associations Championship.

With 5 games gone, some Squidroidia fans have been wanting this team, a pot 2 team and all, to get a seed higher than number 5. What do you say to them?
Makino Hideo: Maybe if me and Sho actually scored more goals than we actually did, we'd be a 3 seed, aha.
Kaede Akiyama: It comes down to how the backline operated. If they created more opportunities for the midfield, maybe we'd get somewhere.
Adam Johnson: At the end of the day, it comes down to tactics. Captainless worked out very well for us, but it's always our defensive strategy that doesn't get us the goals needed to climb up the seeding latter. Nevertheless, we have a lot of energy in this team that we will take to the knockouts.

Who do you think will be the biggest shock of the knockouts?
Henriette Brooks: Tjorl to get past Poafmersia. There's always a time and a place for huge upsets!
Yogi Korin: Eh, as long as HUElavia doesn't make the Final, the game that they get knocked out at will be an upset.
Adam Johnson: Upsets? We're trying to win a football tournament, not worrying about if Garifunya will fluke their way to the title!

What team in your opinion is a team that is way too overlooked?
Sho Itō: No way Kriegiersien makes it to the Semis. They played their games at the Extraterrestrial Dome of Sport, as soon as they get out of there they won't even blink.
Florianne Meeuwessen: Poafmersia. Like what we did against New Lusitania in IAC 12, having the most goals scored in a group stage won't mean anything.
Adam Johnson: Everybody's looking at Picksail Islands like they had a winning formula. 3 1-0 wins, a 0-0 draw and an expected yet shocking 3-1 loss to Indusse. They're Ko-oren without the Ko-oren, and they're bowing out in record time.

Where do you think Squidroidia will finish in the knockouts?
Kaede Akiyama: Semi-Finals, easy.
Shiba Tetsuo: Um... Whenever we get knocked out?
Adam Johnson: I'd love it if we made the Final or even WON IT ALL, but let's face it, we're going to the Quarter-Finals. It's always what our floor is, discounting that terrible IAC 14, and we'll be back there again.

Who do you think will win it all?
Makino Hideo: HUElavia. They're playing with house money and all, so once they reach the final, I think they aren't letting up a smidge.
Florianne Meeuwessen: Indusse baby! 2 times in 3 editions, an incredible team only playing with 10 players by last check, if they had 11 players they would've won the World Cup already... GO INDUSSE!
Kabuto Tadataka: Kriegiersien. Gotta bet on the #1 seed.
Adam Johnson: Watch it be Drawkland or Poafmersia again for the millionth time. I'm not kidding.

Around the Dominion
SPORTS: Squidroidia Sepak Takraw Champions to return after extended hiatus, new format proposed
INKOPOLIS: Inkopolis bracing for Round of 16 impact
TRAVEL: A Football Lover's Road to Curumba
BUSINESS: Every Seat a Bleacher: Inkopolis City Stadium in numbers
IAC 15: Matchday 5 Recap: Poafmersia break single-edition group stage goals record, Tjori, United Adaikes barely squeak in

by **HUElavia** » Sat Apr 02, 2022 3:40 pm

Complicate and Advance!

HUElavia gets a cimplicated victory over Sudilia and sweep Group C in a direct run to the Round-of-16!

HUElavia 2-1 Sudilia 
(Balderas 10', Lopes 90+2' | Lyle 5')
(Estadio Nacional, Curumba, HUElavia)

XI vs Togonistan:
1 Lettmann, 4 Vargas, 2 Lavezzi, 3 Higashi, 5 Mitarte, 6 Font, 8 Brousseau, 10 Navarro-Hamada, 7 Honda (C), 11 Chanca, 9 Nascimento
Home Uniform will be worn

Entering Matchday 5, HUElavia had secured Group C all to themselves. With the head-to-head result favoring them over The 14 Stars, Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos had the final game to peacefully start their B-Team (while wearing the Home Alternative Uniforms) and take it easy. Taking on the other Group Host, debutants Sudilia, Estadio Nacional (100,000) was sold out again, with the fans hoping for an easy win. The crowd welcomed the teams with a big cheer, the anthems were sung, the coin toss was done, and the ball rolled to end the matches for Group C.

Despite what looked to be an easy romp for HUElavia, the match was further from that. Sudilia were on the attack, showing they were not afraid to be on the attack and the ball. The opening goal came in the 5th minute, when a corner was taken by Carbonneau, where it curved into the box, which Lyle won the header over Pillpe and headed the ball past Petit's fingertips into the goal, making it 0-1. The Sudilians cheered in great joy, with Lyle being mobbed by his teammates for the early goal, all while the HUElavians were stunned at conceding such an early goal. HUElavia began to attack, showing their strength and skill. In the 10th minute, a cross by Duarte was put into the box, where Balderas won a headed over R. Grant and looped over the reach of P. Grant to dive into the goal, making it 1-1. The crowd erupted in cheers, making the stadium rumble in celebration, while Balderas ran to the corner flag to dance in celebration, leaving the Sudilians stunned and upset at conceding the goal. Despite chances from both teams, saves and blocks by Grant and Petit kept the score 1-1 at the half.

The second half was more of the same, with both teams taking shots, but Grant and Petit continued their work, while the defenses began to wake up and make blocks themselves. Time was ticking away, and it seemed that the match was heading towards a draw, especially with the time reaching to the 90th minute. In the 90+2nd minute, Olson tried to clear the ball when it took a deflection over Noffke, which bounced to the feet of Lopes, who took a point-blank shot past P. Grant into the goal, making it 2-1. The crowd jumped up in joy and cheered to make the stadium rumble once more, while the Sudilians were calling for an offside. Replay was shown and it showed that Beaton played Lopes onside by a foot, allowing the HUElavian to score the goal in the final minute. Shortly after, the match ended, and HUElavia took a lucky victory in what felt like a meaningless game. The HUElavians and Sudilians gave pats and hugs, with the Sudilians dejected from being eliminated, but the HUElavians gave them encouragement for their efforts and for making it a close game.

In the other Group C matches, The Republic of Dansen upset The 14 Stars, 2-1, while Freeport Isles pulled a historic upset over Abanhfleft, 4-3. Thus, HUElavia swept Group C with 15 Points (5-0-0), followed by The 14 Stars in 2nd Place with 9 Points (3-0-2), and Freeport Isles in 3rd Place with 9 Points (3-0-2). Abanhfleft finished in 4th place with 4 Points (1-1-3), followed by The Republic of Dansen in 5th Place with 4 Points (1-1-3), and Sudilia in 6th Place with 3 Points (1-0-4). Thus, HUElavia advanced directly into the Round-of-16 as the #3 Seed for the knockouts, while The 14 Stars was the #15 Seed and Freeport Isles was the #19 Seed, both in the Round-of-24/Wild Card round. The Round-of-24/Wild Card had plenty of upsets, including Togonistan defeating Sajnur, Macbon defeating Picksail Islands, and most notably being Tjorl upsetting the reigning champions Adab. With the reshuffling of seeds done, HUElavia will play against Togonistan in the Round-of-16 for a spot in the Quarter-Finals. The team is training well and studying film, as they know they cannot take this game so lightly. The upset four years ago in Belnegau to Eshialand is on the minds of these players and they know they have the expectation to go all-in for the victory. The team will travel for the first time in this tournament, where they will be blasting off into outer Space, playing at Extaterestrial Dome of Sport (43,000). There is the expectation of a strong HUElavian crowd traveling to outer space in order to root for the team, and Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos hope that they can give them a great result and advance. Now is the true beginning of the IAC, where it is win-or-go-home for these 16 teams. With the shocking upsets that have occurred up to now, nobody is safe from an upset.

Here's to the victory and the advance.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **Tjorl** » Sun Apr 03, 2022 10:09 am

NS-verse Tjorl Lore

Tjorl's Primary Online Sports Commmunity

Tjorl stuns Adab in IAC 15, moves on to the Round of 16
By Nicolina Dahlin

After Tjorl reached the Round of 24 with super sub Jackie Lenz' goal in the 85th minute against Belnegau, it seems that De Frostkjemper have pulled a rabbit out of the hat again, as another late goal against reigning champions Adab sent Tjorl to the next round in IAC 15. The wild card match-up was held at the National Stadium in TJUN-ia City, TJUN-ia. Many predicted that the reigning champions would dominate the unranked debutants, and they were right about that but were wrong about the outcome. As anticipated, the Adabians' gegenpressing put a lot of pressure on the Tjorlish defense. Tjorlish goalkeeper Stefan Johanssen was left on his own a couple times, which he handled admirably. Tjorl were definitely happy that they haven't conceded a goal by halftime. However, it seems that manager Viktor Mandel was still not happy, and Tjorl came out of the locker rooms playing much better than they did at halftime. With five minutes remaining and still locked at nil-nil, both sides started to attack with more force. In the 88th minute, a deflected Artur Paulsen shot gave a corner to Tjorl. With time winding down, Hans Beringer's corner flew right towards Franz Kaufer, who headed the ball to snatch the win.

De Frostkjemper is set to meet Kriegiersien, who cruised through the group stage, at the Inkopolis City Stadium in Squidroidia, and will again try their best to stay alive and keep the run going.

Comments
- velvetia
WHAT

- Josef T.
Watched the game, definitely did not expect THAT!

- mailmilkwahoo10
surprised by this. i respect adab a lot too, they did control most of the game.

by **Trolleborg** » Sun Apr 03, 2022 1:57 pm

Greetings, compatriots!
It’s TTV from Indusse.
After a colorless game with East Slavona, which ended in a goalless draw, our team lost coveted first place in the group and got into the play-in, so instead of having a victory, which everyone was waiting for, to rest on the eve of the playoffs, our players went to an additional game in Indusse. The United Adaikes team became the opponent. This season they played at the group stage at home, like we are, and were on the verge of elimination. Although they showed good football and made the favorites run for their money – they levelled the score with Sajnur twice and conceded decisive goal at the last moment – but after three games they have only one point, namely as a result of a draw in an fascinating game with Football Tiger, which ended with a score of 5-5. Before the last matchday in group F, four teams have a chances to the last ticket to the playoffs. Our opponents defeated Reginalida, moving them from a passing place and taking it themselves. For a team that is only participating in the tournament for the second time, this is more than a worthy result.

Our lads have already met with this team in their history - in the last IAC, and won the game not without difficulty thanks to the skill of Morten Troll, who then scored the only goal from a free kick. Compared to the last meeting, the changes in the line-up are quantitatively minimal, just three or so people have changed, but they are significant if taken qualitatively: the main goalkeeper Dexter Marsh retired due to the advanced age, and another experienced veteran, Jude Hussain, play as number one. He is covered by four very experienced defenders, mostly over the age of 30, the highly experienced Duncan, who previously acted as a defensive midfielder / anchor, was replaced by a younger player, then there are midfielders from football players 25-26 years old plus experienced Billy Jordan and ahead of them two experienced forwards, in the prime of life, interacting well with each other, because they play together in the same team. It is noteworthy that 10 out of 11 players from two clubs, and one delegated the head coach, the second assistant manager. The backbone of the defense is made up of older players, and Morten Trogil tried to play on this, delegating forward players who are capable of acting quickly and known for their endurance. But it cannot be said that he benefited greatly from this, in general. Our lads did not manage to “torment” the veterans in the hot Indusse climate, although the winning goal, perhaps, was partly the result of fatigue and the resulting loss of concentration among the United Adaikes players – Berglund was ahead of everyone when serving corner, and, as it turns, brought victory to the team.

In other matches of the round, Drawkland, who played at our home stadium with crowded stands, enthusiastically cheering for both teams at once, won against Garifunya. It was very curious to see how the fans supported at first, for example, the attack of one of the teams, and then applauded the successful action of the defenders of the other. Our group mates, the stubborn brave guys from Tjorl, suddenly defeated the defending champions Adab, Sannyamathland crushed Freeport Isles 7-1, 14 Stars booked a ticket to the playoffs in a brutal penalty shootout, 16-15, and our other old acquaintances, Straya Ross Barrier Islands, got their pass too in the penalty shootout, albeit much less spectacular. In two more games, Togonistan and Macbon passed with a minimum score. In the first round, our players will have to go to Monte Verde, to the stadium where they in the last WCQ barely achieved a draw with the hosts, although according to experts they are heavy favourites. And they will fight there again with Eshialand, who had extra time to rest and therefore became even more difficult opponent. We remind you that the match will not be broadcast in 3D, as opponents object to the use of new technologies of this kind. But we urge all fans not to neglect the regular broadcast as well – our players need the maximum possible support.

by **TJUN-ia** » Sun Apr 03, 2022 2:34 pm

By Peter Davis

After a brilliant 3-0 win over Britonisea saw our qualification secured, the Jaguars of TJUN-ia were certainly getting more and more into the New Age era as they moved from game to game of this IAC - and the home support certainly helped with the transition. David Seems and Li Xiu Ying were certainly having fun seeing their team get better and better as this IAC went on and in this final group game at the National Stadium, they knew everyone wanted one thing and one thing only from this contest...all 3 points to make it a 5-0 group stage.

Our opponents in this group stage swansong would be debutants Macbon, who entered the contest 2nd in the group and certainly within a shout of qualifying depending on what happened in the other games. Bernard Dieudonné had certainly built a great team of players for a debut tournament and the fact they had 7 points on the board on debut was certainly a good achievement in itself - heck, they even took the lead early in this game through Gionata Mariani. But after that setback, the Jaguars didn't flinch and would certainly get back into this contest and dominated to the final whistle. Archer Andrews tied things up, Manu Kepelewako managed to take the lead and it would be extended by an unlikely face in Hwang Syong-ya from a corner. It was as simple as that...but luckily for Macbon, both Britonisea and Hebitaka lost, so they would join us and Sannyamathland in the next round on debut.

As group winners, we received a bye into the Round of 16 while the group runners up and 3rds duked it out for survival. Some big teams fell out of contention during this stage - UA, Garifunya, Sajnur and even defending champions Adab...meaning that when the final goes down in HUElavia, someone else will get to wear the crown. As for us, we now go to the Round of 16 with a peculiar test...against the debutant StrayaRoos Barrier Islands in SBI. Yes, we're off to the New National Stadium in Duomji for an IAC Knockout game against a team who somehow made it this far. While many might say this is an easy win, nothing is assured in the IAC - we've been burned before - and playing a team with nothing to lose on THEIR turf should be taken into consideration. Let's see if we can survive in SBI. GO JAGS!

SCHEDULE (Group E, all matches at National Stadium, TJUN-ia City, TJUN-ia)
MD1: vs Hebitaka (46) W 2-0 (1st)
MD2: vs Sannyamathland (10) W 4-3 (1st)
MD3: vs Valkyriah (UR) W 3-2 (1st)
MD4: vs Britonisea (28) W 3-0 (1st/Clinched)
MD5: vs Macbon (UR) W 3-1 (1st/5-0/12pts/+9GD)
----------------------------------------------
Ro16: vs StrayaRoos Barrier Islands (UR/D3) - New National Stadium, Duomji, SBI

by **Togonistan** » Sun Apr 03, 2022 5:10 pm

Togonistan is ready for a difficult match against HUElavia at IAC Round of 16

Togonistan has announced their starting 11 for match against HUElavia.

Following the 1-0 victory against Sajnur, Togonistan has advanced to round of 16 at the 15th Independents Cup, where the island nation will be facing HUElavia. Entering the tournament as a debutant, Togonistan had a difficult start to the tournament, with the team failing to score a single goal in it's first two group stage matches and despite fighting out a 1-1 draw against Drawkland, ended up sitting at the bottom of the group after the third matchday. However, that all changed with Togonistan fighting out 1-0 victories over Kencana and Hopal, allowing the team to finish 3rd in group G and advance to the next round, where they took a surprise win over Sajnur.

With Mercedini's absence and Britonisea ending their competition in the group stages, Togonistan is the only Novapax nation to remain in the tournament and is now preparing to face the 5-time IAC runner-ups in round of 16. While a few weeks ago it would've seemed like an easy victory for HUElavia, with Togonistan having caused a bit of an uproar in the tournament so far, HUElavian media reports that their team is preparing heavily and that HUElavia ''cannot take the upcoming match against Togonistan lightly.''

According to Toma Maiava, head coach of the Togonistani side, they are doing the same. ''It is clear that the upcoming match will be very difficult, but we are ready. The team has been working really hard to get to this stage and it would be foolish to give up now. I have faith in our defense line and we will make it very hard for HUElavia to break it,'' Maiava commented during yesterday's press conference.

Looking at Togonistani game plan, the team seems to stay true to their defensive playstyle, which has proved successful in the past. Judging by the announced line-up, Togonistan will likely be playing deep defensive line, with options to build their play via Elisara Fa'amoe at the centre midfield, with active defensive wing players James Lantana and Ri ''Ryu'' Si-U ready to help out on the midfield when necessary. With Karol Niue and Darius Orhan at forward, Togonistan is expected to bet on long forward passes via defense or midfield, as well as counter-attacks to open scoring opportunities. While the line-up seems heavily focused on defense, HUElavia will definitely need to keep their eye on Togonistan's right wing, should Ryu go on one of his signature long dribbling runs, one of which we already witnessed during match against Drawkland, where Ryu's sudden breakaway followed by a pass to Orhan allowed the latter to score an equalizer during the 83rd minute.

While the odds are heavily stacked against Togonistan's favour in the upcoming match, none if has stopped loyal fans from showing their support. Various fan clubs have announced they will be travelling to the Extraterrestrial Dome of Sport to support the Yellow Warriors and flights to nearby nations offering space travel are booked full. Tushlark Airways, the national flagship carrier airline, even posted a picture of their supposed newest addition to their airplane park to allow fans travel to the match. Sadly, that statement was nothing but a little joke.

Even though getting to a match at the outer space can be a little bit difficult, all the fans with a working TV set can still enjoy the game as Ultrasports 1 will be broadcasting the match against HUElavia LIVE and Tgsports will be keeping a live blog of the match.

READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS:
Togonistan advances at IAC after 1-0 victory over Sajnur!
Toma Maiava: The national team is more united than ever!
TNFA announces Togonistan's participation in the 91st World Cup.

by **Eshialand** » Mon Apr 04, 2022 7:19 am

Into the Knockouts
Eshialand 5-1 Magnecia

Josh Seametzle wrote:The rankings would suggest that they'd make it to the Round of 16, get smashed by... wait, who's the second seed again? Bloody hell Charlie, where were those rankings again? ...well then, I guess it's Trolleborg, what luck there, and go home.

Well I really jinxed it, didn't I?

That's right, Eshialand's 5-1 dispatching of Magnecia gave them the bye to the Round of 16 thanks to Trolleborg failing to score against East Slavona, but the Trolls' victory over the United Adaikes have set up this rematch. Eshialand vs. Trolleborg... again. The Owls got their miracle once, but getting it again would be a tall order, to say the least. However, what can happen once can always happen again, right?

Well, there's a bit of disagreement in the Eshian sports community about this one. Granted, the Eshian sports community seems to disagree about everything, so it's not like this is outside the norm. While some believe that lightning can strike twice against the same team, others have accepted that the writing on the wall reads "Well, we're screwed". On the other hand, believers have pointed out IAC 14, which saw Eshialand in a knockout match against the second ranked team in that tournament, HUElavia, which the Owls managed to win... somehow? The fans point to both this and the win against Trolleborg, with full faith in the fact that the Owls could do it again.

As for me? Well, I believe that sometimes, dreams can come true.

by **PotatoFarmers** » Mon Apr 04, 2022 8:43 am

Poafmersia 4–3 Octapolis
Goalscorers: Janelle Frederick 18', 70' (assisted by Seet); Jordan Huerta 43' (assisted by Frederick); Leontiy Seet 60' (assisted by Berg)
Lineup (4-3-3): Nicole Potts (c); Mac Rojas, Huangdi MacRae, Ali Berger, Natalia Abbott; Michael Jackson, Min Berg, Magreta Rym; Janelle Frederick, Jordan Huerta, Leontiy Seet
Substitutes: None

Saterun 3–5 Poafmersia
Goalscorers: Janelle Frederick 9' (assisted by Rym), 18' (assisted by Tamura), 40' (assisted by Jackson); Jordan Huerta 55', 70' (assisted by Tamura)
Lineup (4-3-3): Nicole Potts (c); Mac Rojas, Huangdi MacRae, Ali Berger, Natalia Abbott; Michael Jackson, Min Berg, Magreta Rym; Janelle Frederick, Jordan Huerta, Bolívar Tamura
Substitutes: Aapeli Shea (Rym 68'); Zak Kaloyanov (Abbott 83'); Tessa Bjarnesen (Frederick 86')

Goals galore as Poafmersia begins travel of the "Independent sphere"
As reported by Sporting Daily
Janelle Frederick and Jordan Huerta continue their tip top forms with a total of 8 goals and 1 assist in the past 2 games, allowing the side to maintain their unbeaten record going into the knockout stages.

With Adnan Suliaha not having high hopes on this squad producing the nation's record 3rd IAC title, the team gave many Poafmers and neutral fans a good look at the Red Panjias' fast flowing attacking football, presenting goals galore throughout the group stage. With Suliaha trying a high-line defense during the group stage, it was quite natural for games to get rather high scoring. In the eyes of neutrals and critics, this may be a sign of poor defence. But with this group of attack-oriented defenders, it may not be quite the case. Especially looking at the match highlights, replays, and statistics. The defence did reduce the number of chances given to the opponents, and given that Nicole Potts is better at her passes and goal kicks than her catches, these results are probably more reflective of the team's play style.

Mac Rojas, who became the first choice left back following the injury to Mitchel Rosales on opening day, said that the defence does have to be a bit more careful in the upcoming matches. "Sometimes we tend to overextend and let opponents hit us on the counterattack. It was very clear against Octapolis, who got the opportunity to equalise twice in the game through really fast paced counterattacks. Getting the ball back and forth, the players back and forth, and it started became a little tiring for the first choice players. If we could control a little bit on the aggressiveness on our team, and it makes the defense better, I think it would be something fans would definitely prefer." The notion of finding a balance between defence and aggressiveness was echoed by captain Nicole Potts, who cautioned the team ahead of their trips to various locations. "The next few games will certainly be more difficult. During training, we discussed about the issue of balancing defence and attack, but we didn't really have one 'satisfactory' outcome thus far. Maybe against Adab on opening day, that was okay, but the rest of the games could have been much better handled."

Looking forward, the Red Panjias managed to get a bye into the Round of 16, avoiding the dreaded Round of 24. The Round of 24 was an absolute madness, with Sannyamathland handing Freeport Isles a 7-1 trashing, Sajnur suffering a shock loss in Poafmersia against Togonistan, and defending champions Adab crashing out in TJUN-ia against debutants Tjorl. The 14 Stars also played out a really thrilling penalty shoot out against Octapolis, with the score ending 16-15. With the Round of 24 done and dusted, Poafmersia will now head to Almuzahara to face Sannyamathland for the Round of 16, with a possible fixture against HUElavia to come in the quarterfinals. Almuzahara is a familiar nation for the Red Panjias, with the former having hosted the 12th Independents Associations Championship. With the opponents bouncing off a really huge victory, Poafmersia would be extremely wary of a side looking to ride the waves of their previous result, and steady the ship to secure the victory. A game against HUElavia or Togonistan awaits the side in the quarters, with the former being the favourites to win the fixture. A game against HUElavia is bound to be the biggest match in the Quarters, with both sides having a really long history in the IAC.

by **The 14 Stars** » Mon Apr 04, 2022 11:01 am

Do or die

Today is do or die for the Starsian team,

They will once again play in the round of 16, they will now play squidroidia who has been a former opponent where they lost against last time in the group stages before getting knocked out by Adab.
This time though they hope to advance with Landry stating that this ''Could become a memorable moment in the history of Starsian sports'' as they look forward to playing in the regional tournament.

Being the only team from the Free Nations Region they always had to play on their own and the IAC is a good opportunity to play against other like-minded countries who have no opposition in their region.
Also is the IAC usually a try out for the world cup for the Starsians, if you play very well here the chance of you making the world cup squad is alot higher then when you would be on the bench all matches.

They traveled to United Adaikes for their match a country where they had never been, it was a nice country when they arrived and still is as they were friendly received there and the fans actually look forward to the game.
They see it as a bit of entertainment and most importantly ofcourse its good for their economy as the Starsians are very rich usually and spend alot of money everywhere no matter where they go its just a given.

Landry announced the same team as always will start and that he and Young hope that there will be a surprise.

by **Drawkland** » Mon Apr 04, 2022 12:48 pm

E X P E D I T I O N . . .

For once, the long TiSoFaH night went by without any small crises occurring. Everybody ended up waking early, before the sun was even starting to rise. Most of them decided to stay in their rooms for a bit, since they'd decided the night before that they'd meet in front of the inn at sunrise. A few, however, decided to check out early and spend a little time outside the inn.

By a few, I mean Jaxon Madison and Nicole Warren. The two sat on crates outside the building, talking softly and wishing they had some coffee or something.

"I feel like our circadian rhythms are gonna get messed up. Y'know?" Nicole asked, leaning back against the outer wall of the inn.

"Yeah, it starts feeling like jet lag." Jaxon rubbed his chin. "If you're here long enough you start to adjust, waking up and going to sleep when the sun rises and sets, but you start feeling tired all the time."

"How do you know? Have you spent a lot of time here?" Nicole narrowed her eyes.

"No, not exactly." Jaxon waved his hand. "It's just what I've heard from people who travel here a lot."

"How many people do you know that travel here often?"

"A fair amount. I see them every decade or so." Jaxon turned to Nicole suddenly. "You do know about The Club, right?"

"What club?" Nicole asked. "What do you-"

"Hey guys!" Cam walked out of the inn suddenly. "Sorry I slept in a bit, but I heard you guys came out here so I came to join."

"Hi there Cam, come take a seat here." Nicole patted a open spot on the crate she was sitting on. "Really though, Jaxon, what club are you talking about?"

"Did Iarocav not tell you?" Jaxon raised an eyebrow. "The Immortal's Accord. It's like a club for all the immortal beings who take residence in Drawkland."

"He did not tell me about that!" Nicole replied, a little too loudly.

"What are you guys talking about?" asked Cam.

"Well, I guess that makes sense. Now that I think of it, he didn't tell us about it until after we came back." Jaxon leaned back on his crate and looked to the sky in thought.

"So what do you do? Just hang out every once in awhile?" Nicole started looking for her notebook from her pack.

"It's a whole thing." Jaxon leaned forward. "Essentially, by joining the Accord, you're given some special advantages for living in Drawkland while agreeing to help defend it in case of some crazy emergency or war. Every decade or so we have a get-together, the mood of which is anywhere from a conference to a full blown rager. We held a meeting at the Complex one time, that was a couple hundred years ago I think."

"So I imagine one of the advantages is that they keep your identity secret?" Nicole started jotting things on an empty page at the back of her notebook.

"Yeah. The whole Accord is a secret. In fact, I don't think I'm allowed to be telling you guys all this right now, but at this point you're in too deep to pull out anyway."

"How many people are in it?" Cam asked, scooching a little closer to Jaxon.

"There's probably about a hundred or so at each meeting, but there's a few more than that. Not everybody comes to the meetings when they're not mandatory. Which is sad, because there's some pretty cool people that I almost never see."

"I feel like almost everybody who's become immortal is going to be pretty interesting though, right?" Cam said. "Just because you have so much more time to travel and experience things."

"You'd be surprised. On one end, you have these stuffy wizard types. They're so boring because all they do is sit in their wizard tower or whatever and study. They became immortal in the pursuit of knowledge, or something dull like that." Jaxon spread his hands apart, as if visualizing a ruler. "Then on the other hand you have someone like Ellzidan. But she's one of the ones that skips all the meetings. I haven't even seen her since the last time I was in TiSoF-" he trailed off suddenly, looking at the ground.

"Wait, the Elf was here when you were in TiSoFaH?" Nicole asked, incredulous. "You said you barely talked to her! And that eventually she kicked you out of Elstrund when you asked for advice and training."

"Yeah, I don't think that adds up." Cam nodded at Nicole. "You said it was just you and the other members of the Elite. Everybody in the Eleven said the same thing."

"Well yeah," Jaxon was avoiding eye contact and grimacing. "Listen, this is a story for another time. You guys need to focus on the maze and the task ahead."

"That's bullshit!" Cam and Nicole said at the same time. "What's the deal with Ellzidan?" Nicole reiterated.

"I'm not telling you now. Ask me when you're on the other side of the maze." Jaxon stood up, looking at the slowly brightening sky. "Let's get everybody up. It's time to go soon." He quickly strode back into the inn, leaving the two girls alone outside.

"What was all that about?" Cam asked Nicole.

"I don't know, but I really need to get to the bottom of that." Nicole placed the notebook back in her pack.

Soon the group of eleven was up and ready to go. As the sun's beating rays began to shine over the mountains in the north, they were walking out of the small town's gates. Rather than continuing on the beaten path to the next settlement, Jaxon stopped the group next to a small trail leading into the ugly brown forest they saw the day before.

"This trail leads deeper into this dead forest." Jaxon pointed into the mass of trees. "Eventually the trail fades away but we'll keep going that general direction. I believe there should be a river or something where we can make camp by sundown."

With that, the group followed his lead into the trees, talking among themselves as they had the previous days.

A lot of this journey is filled with hours of slogging through ugly and slightly strange terrain. Frankly, one of the obstacles every mortal must face on their journey to become immortal this way is the large stretch of boredom once you diverge from the main routes of TiSoFaH. Perhaps it would be different if the environment of TiSoFaH wasn't so drab and ugly. After all, you can convince people to hike for six months straight if the views are nice enough, and the sense of adventure is there. For this trek, though, it simply isn't the case. When you add on the slight feeling of dread or unease from the unfamiliarity of the flora and fauna, it adds another layer of difficulty.

Thankfully for our party, they came in a large enough group that they need not fear from isolation, and had enough novelty to break up the monotony of walking for many miles. By now, pretty much all of the athletes were feeling sore. The previous days of hiking (and combat for some) were starting to take their toll. They were all professional athletes, but none of them were endurance runners, that's for sure.

The first day tromping through the forest went by fine, and as Jaxon predicted, they made camp by a slow-moving river cutting through the trees. The second day, they came to the end of the trail, and had to start roughing it through the backwoods purely by natural navigation. The forest covered the slopes of some of the mountains, the same range the group had been walking alongside since they arrived. They camped in the foothills that night.

Nicole said it would take about a day just to figure out how to hike up the mountain effectively, aiming to cross over the range in a small gap nearby. That ended up taking a day and a half. There was an easier way to hike back down the other side, so they hiked along the range for the rest of that day until they came to the area where it would be easy to come down. From the place where they camped, there was a small gap in the trees where they could see for many miles. It was a flatter plain forming a sort of valley, which was was almost entirely covered in trees. It was not going to get any easier.

The group had hiked down into the valley the next day, and camped at the foot of the mountain. The next day was spent going deeper into the valley. Given the dead or dying state of the land, you'd expect it to create an eerie atmosphere. Instead, the dryness of the climate and now days spent hiking had just made the surroundings mundane.

As the group was making camp at the end of that day, Jaxon conferred with Nicole, her notebook, and his little notecard. As he had the previous week or so (they were starting to lose track), Jaxon announced to the group what the next day would look like.

"We're solidly in this valley now, which is good. If we can find the stream that we're looking for soon, we can be at the maze entrance in less than three days. We're so close, I promise. Now let's get ready to eat."

The dinner crew that night had already gotten a fire going, and they cooked a bit of the meat they had obtained in the last town. Everybody huddled around and got their food, and then split into little groups to eat as they usually did. This time, Andrew and Liam decided to sit with Jaxon, which they hadn't done yet.

"So, Jaxon," Andrew said, curiosity brimming. "When I went to the Drawkionel's Museum, I remember it said they wandered the TiSoFaH wilderness for months before they entered the maze. Why is it only taking us two weeks?"

"The thing is, we're really late to the party." Jaxon spoke between bites. "When the Drawkionels came here, they just had a vague idea of where to go. Think of all the information Nicole has in her little notebook. They had maybe a page's worth of that stuff when they arrived in TiSoFaH. All this knowledge we take for granted, they had to figure out for themselves by finding the right locals and piecing together what to do."

"It seems like we're not even that far from where we came in. What are the odds of the dimensional portal being only a couple week's travel from the maze entrance?" Liam asked.

"I guess that's just blind luck." Jaxon shrugged. "The difficulty with finding the entrance is that it's hidden in miles of undeveloped wilderness. Not enough people do this to have made a lasting trail here, and the locals are too few to develop into this land. Again, this journey is so short because we know what we're looking for. When the Drawkionels came, they just knew it was north of the mountains, so they followed the public route through the mountains which goes way out of the way from here. That alone added probably a month to their journey, not to mention that they had no maps to go from when they came here."

"They weren't the first to do this, were they?" Liam looked at Andrew to see if he knew.

"No, but it was really sparse before them, right?" Andrew replied, looking back at Jaxon.

"Correct. They truly were trailblazers because I think they were the first to actually keep the information and pass it along to others. I doubt they were supposed to do that, but hey. It benefits us, and the maze is an insanely difficult challenge anyway, so I guess it balances out."

"That makes sense. Thanks for humoring me," Andrew dipped his head in thanks.

"No problem. I have to go check with Nicole for something, I'll see you two later." Jaxon stood up and walked off.

Another night and day went past, with our heroes beginning to truly tire from the task. Jaxon continued to encourage them all, however. They eventually found the stream he was speaking of.

"This stream leads us to the area of the valley that the entrance is located. When we reach the falls, in about a day or so, we'll split off due north, and it'll be there after another day's travel.

And so, with just a little more grumbling and complaining than usual, they set off along the banks of the creek. The most difficult part of the journey was drawing ever closer.

by **StrayaRoos Barrier Islands** » Mon Apr 04, 2022 1:33 pm

EMUS

!
EMUS

!
GO EMUS!
We are the emus,super emus from the Lane and Tonight,TJUN-Ia come to New National Stadium,and we will get to the quarter finals!

by **HUElavia** » Mon Apr 04, 2022 3:16 pm

Tonight, the journey across the multiverse continues.

16 dreams will become 8 after this round.

If there is one thing this tournament has displayed, it is that nobody is safe from what one would think is an "easy match."

So, arm yourself with the best players you can put out there and go for the win and advance.

Best of luck to you all and may your journey continue.

Welcome to the Round-of-16.

Round-of-16

Kriegiersien 2–2 Tjorl (2–3 AET)
Inkopolis City Stadium, Inkopolis, Squidroidia

Eshialand 0–3 Trolleborg
Estadio Metropolitano Máximo Encarnación, Santa Margarita, Montana Verde

TJUN-ia 4–3 StrayaRoos Barrier Islands
New National Stadium, Duomji, StrayaRoos Barrier Islands

Squidroidia 2–2 The 14 Stars (4–2 AET)
Adam Antwerp Stadium, Daxler, Saterun

Indusse 5–2 Macbon
Castle Street, Jaglan, SRS

Almuzahara 2–5 Drawkland
SM Bank Field, Manchbury, Sudilia

HUElavia 0-0 Togonistan (1-0 AET)
Extaterestrial Dome of Sport, Space
(Scorinated by Graintfjall)

Poafmersia 3–5 Sannyamathland
Stadium of the Vanguard, Al-Fayit, Almuzahara

Quarter-Finals Matches

Indusse vs Tjorl
Libira National Stadium, Fiskadaha City, Poafmersia

Squidroidia vs Trolleborg
Stadium Strata, Telm City, Britonisea

HUElavia vs Sannyamathland
New Thraproy Sports Complex Main Stadium, Adaik's C'ntral, United Adaikes

TJUN-ia vs Drawkland
National Stadium, TJUN-ia City, TJUN-ia

by **Squidroidia** » Tue Apr 05, 2022 2:14 pm

The Inkopolis Times

SPORTS

QUARTER-FINALS AGAIN

Inklings win in extra time over 14 Stars, set up Trolleborg in the last 8

In their first IAC game away from the confines of Inkopolis City Stadium, Squidroidia and fellow competitor The 14 Stars gave the Adam Antwerp Stadium in Saterun a show during the Round of 16, as the Inklings won an extra time thriller against the Storm Wolves to make their 5th IAC Quarter-Final and the first since their knockout no-show in IAC 14.

The Inklings and Storm Wolves had faced each other before, in fact they played each other in IAC 14, which many fans of Squidroidia's national team may call a "tournament to forget" due to backfiring tactic and player decisions, but nevertheless ended up beating The 14 Stars and securing 3, albeit worthless, points in that group stage. This, however, was different: Starsian manager James Landry said that it could be a historic moment in the history of football in this country if they won, and they gave the Squidroidians one hell of a fight.

For a good chunk of the game, The 14 Stars were actually leading this crucial matchup - Kira Blade got in a wonderful volley that just got past the fingertips of Kaede Akiyama in the 17th minute for the Storm Wolves to lead 1-0. Their 4-3-3 system held up the Inklings for a good chunk of the match, with the team in blue and white only able to get off 5 shots total in the first half, and just one shot on target - Calvin Princeton saving Shiba Tetsuo's 38th minute strike.

But Squidroidia was able to rally back and put themselves in front of the tango quickly in the 2nd half. Young starlet Tomomi Hamasaki came on to replace the aging Uda Haruko and ended up setting up a header for Henriette Brooks to cleanly pass through the net and tie the game at 1-1 in the 61st. 12 minutes later, and Makino Hideo went past the Starsian defense to lift Squidroidia to the lead. It was all for naught however - In the 86th, substitute Hannah Wellington was caught in the open and tied the game at 2-2, sending Adam Johnson's men and squids into extra time.

From first ET whistle to the signal to end the game, Squidroidia went strength to strength and ended up getting 2 goals to send them through, both from Shiba Tetsuo and both from free kick positions. He would be elected the game's Man of the Match for his game-sealing performance in extra time.

With the victory, Squidroidia move on to their 4th IAC Quarter-Finals appearance and are set to face Trolleborg, a team with experience on their side. Adam Johnson said that they are a "Very well rounded team that could very well beat us", but has warned that Squidroidia ain't going easy.

"We took The 14 Stars to extra time and we can do it again with the Trolls. Experience is an afterthought when it comes to tournament knockout stages, and I know they won a Cup of Harmony and all, but you can't be throwing Britonisea some shade and expect to be through to the Semis."

A Squidroidia win will mean that they are likely to play Indusse in the Semi-Finals, but that is if they get past a tricky Tjorl team that beat Kriegiersien in extra time in Inkopolis City Stadium. If they lose to Tjorl and the other top seeds win, they will once again play HUElavia, a rematch of the IAC 10 Semi-Finals in which the HUElavians won 1-0.

Around the Dominion
SPORTS: Opinions on IFCF Associations Trophy "mixed" from Squidroidian clubs
INKOPOLIS: Tjorl's upset win over Kriegiersien hot with locals
TRAVEL: Visiting Britonisea: What you need to know
BUSINESS: Squidroidian highway system to revamp mile markers
IAC 15: Round of 16 Recap: Tjorl score "Miracle of Inkopolis", HUElavia through in extra time

by **TJUN-ia** » Tue Apr 05, 2022 5:02 pm

By Peter Davis

After a 3-1 win over Macbon secured a 2nd IAC in a row with a perfect group stage, the Jaguars of TJUN-ia finally left the National Stadium in TJUN-ia City with about as much confidence and as much love for the game as you can get after 5 varying wins on home soil in an IAC. Having the capital host games was certainly a roaring success thus far and both David Seems and Li Xiu Ying could certainly feel grateful that the home crowd were there to get these New Age Jaguars into shape and fast. That has certainly worked to an effect in the group stage thus far, but the playoffs are a different beast entirely and even a game perceived as easy could come and bite you in the end. Playing the StrayaRood Barrier Islands on a normal day may be easy...but this would be an IAC Playoff Game in Duomji and the New National Stadium at that. We were the higher seeds but SBI had home court.

This game would certainly be one of the wackiest you may ever expect from TJUN-ia @SBI and it would all be about which was more important: experience or knowledge of the playing conditions: Three times in this contest, SBI took an unexpected lead - through Yugimo in the 23rd, Lucas Samuels in the 40th and Emu #4 in the 67th - only for the Jaguars to somehow use their quick thinking to equalise only a few minutes later - through Carlos Pique in the 26th, Kelo Ngwemanagawa in the 43rd and Jackson Smith-Scott in the 70th. This game would need a winner however and someone had to provide it...and that would end up being Captain Prince Carter with a superb strike in the 84th minute to ultimately win this game. SBI had nothing to lose and were fine opponents, but TJUN-ia's experience and never-give-up attitude won out in the end.

After that...it's time to head home for one final time. Drawkland, the Elite Eleven, is coming to town and you better believe we will be ready to warmly welcome these immortal goofballs to our pitch, to our stadium and to our TJUN-ia. GO JAGS!

SCHEDULE (Group E, all matches at National Stadium, TJUN-ia City, TJUN-ia)
MD1: vs Hebitaka (46) W 2-0 (1st)
MD2: vs Sannyamathland (10) W 4-3 (1st)
MD3: vs Valkyriah (UR) W 3-2 (1st)
MD4: vs Britonisea (28) W 3-0 (1st/Clinched)
MD5: vs Macbon (UR) W 3-1 (1st/5-0/12pts/+9GD)
----------------------------------------------
Ro16: vs StrayaRoos Barrier Islands (UR/D3) - New National Stadium, Duomji, SBI W 4-3
QF: vs Drawkland (14/G2) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City

by **Indusse** » Wed Apr 06, 2022 6:46 am

IFA NEWS NETWORK
Chance for War? Political Instability?

With the Independents Cup going at once side, Indusse as a nation is facing chance of a civil war at the other hand. Why is there a chance of a civil war? Is it due to the decision of joining the Greater Indian Union? The answer would be yes and a no. The Decision made by the government to form union with the neighbouring nation of Marvellia triggered a group of non politically affiliate citizens who spread a lot of lies and unrealistic opinions sending the rest of the citizens to protest. The decision was made by the government after careful assessment and discussion with all represented political entities and religious leaders. Legal questions were filed in the court and was proceeded there after. The Mass protests staged by these non politically affiliate citizens who call themselves "Azad Dal" or the Force for Freedom has caused massive havoc and has resulted in issues that makes it hard for the smooth functioning of the nation. The Azad Dal members burn vehicles belonging to the police, tries to break into the government organisation and take away important documents and even tried to rob a bank saying it belonged to the Union Sympathizer Government. With the Azad Dal causing issues all over the nation forming groups and spreading lies, this situation has been regarded to be a national emergency. Who adds more salt to this wound? Ofcourse the rebels or terrorists! When the Azad Dal causes havoc in a national scale, there's local armed rebels rising up and causing issues.

The rebels aren't just from a single locality but is spread allover the nation and is funded by the Azad Dal. There's a rebel group in the south across the sea, one in the south mainland, another to the north-northeast and one to the west. Reports also talk about another rebel group in the central regions. First on the list would be those who started it first. The People's Liberation Group (PLG) is what we're talking about! Formed with the erstwhile members of Neo Keralan Ultra-Communists and Arashan Terrorist Group they rose again into activity with the internal conflicts. They setup their base in Padatharippu acting like they were villagers. With the national police forces and army busy fighting the rebels and Azad Dal members in the mainland, the PLG decided to attack the army from their base. Planning to take over the Jaffna Provincure, they fought from all the villages and towns finally taking over the whole of Jaffna. The PLG who aims to take over the whole of Lanka is still trying to move forward. The army currently is fighting them through land, air and water and has cut off their connection with the rest of the mainland and Lanka. The Government has send the best of the Warships towards Port Jaffna and take over the PLG Rebels and establish peace.

Another group on the list would be the "Aikya Kongu Nadu Sena" (AKNS) or Kongu Nadu Liberation Force (KNLF). The Aikya Kongu Nadu Sena aims to create a seperate nation for the people belonging to the geographical region of Kongu Nadu. Kongu Nadu consists of the Koyamputhur Province (Also known as Coimbatore, Kovanadu), Nilagiri Province, Selanadu Province (Salem-Erode) and parts of Madurai Province. They were formerly active and was crushed by the army since they decided to bomb the town of Kovanadu which was literally the capital of Koyamputhur Province. They currently haven't come out to the main stage but intelligence reports regarding their minimal activity exists.

by **HUElavia** » Wed Apr 06, 2022 7:12 am

To Extra Time... And Beyond!

HUElavia survives Togonistan with a goal in extra time to return to the Quarter-Finals!

HUElavia 1-0 aet Togonistan
(Navarro-Hamada 107')
(Extaterrestrial Dome of Sport, Space)

XI vs Sannyamathland:
1 Lettmann, 4 Vargas, 2 Lavezzi, 3 Higashi, 5 Mitarte, 6 Font, 8 Brousseau, 10 Navarro-Hamada, 7 Honda (C), 11 Chanca, 9 Nascimento
Home Uniform will be worn

After a dominant Group Stage, HUElavia advanced to the Round-of-16 as the #3 Seed for the knockouts, having a bye into the round as the Group C winner. After the surprising games in the Round-of-24/Wild Card Round, HUElavia was drawn with Togonistan, who was coming off an upset over favorites Sajnur, 1-0. Now, HUElavia was travelling abroad for the first time in the tournament, this time being a travel to Space, as the match was set to be played at Extraterrestrial Dome of Sport (43,000). Thanks to HUElavia's strong and dominant Space Program, the country was tasked with sending not only the two teams, but the fans visiting to the match. Once there, the teams and fans came off the spaceships the stadium filled up, the players did warmups, came back out to a great cheer from the fans, the anthems were played, the coin toss was tossed, and the ball rolled to kick off the match!

If there is one thing HUElavia as a country dislikes severely, it is ultra-defensive teams. Even more so with teams playing with 5 in the back. This was the case with Togonistan, who was playing very defensively and with 5 defenders, making it a frustrating game for Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos. Attacks by Navarro-Hamada, Honda, Chanca and Nascimento were stopped by the likes of Togonistan's backline for the majority of the game. On the few chances HUElavia can get past the backline and go on goal, Ahoeito would makes saves to block shots and keep the scoreline at 0-0. Niue, Orhan, Tue, and Ryu would get some chances to shoot and score, but Lettmann would make saves and block shots to prevent any upset from Togonistan. Time ticked away, substitutions were made and there was still no score at the end of regulation, meaning 30 minutes of extra time was upon the teams.

The first half of extra time was filled with attacks from HUElavia, where they took pass and shot in order to try to break the Togonistan defense, but they defended hard and well, and were seeking to go for the lottery that is a penalty shootout. The small halftime break came, and Conavacio was seen passionately giving orders and motivation to the players, who were exhausted but determined to go for the victory. In the 107th minute, this opportunity would come, as Regnard (in for Larrangoz) would send a cross into the box, where Yom (in for Chanca) would win the ball from Faleta and give a header towards goal, where it hit the crossbar, only for Navarro-Hamada to tap the ball into the goal past Ahoeito, making it 1-0. The HUElavians supporters jumped and cheered with passion while Navarro-Hamada was mobbed by his teammates and the bench for what seemed to be the winning goal. Substitutions were made on both teams and Togonistan began to attack some more, wanting to get shots in, but the HUElavian defense held strong, and gave long balls to send the balls out and waste time. Ultimately, the referee blew her whistle and the bench came onto the pitch to celebrate the victory. The players gave condolences for the Togonistan players for their great run and then waved and celebrated with the HUElavian supporters, as the stadium gave off signs giving thanks to Space for hosting their matches.

In other notable matches in the Round-of-16, Tjorl upset the #1 Seeded Kriegiersien with a 0-1 victory, TJUN-ia survive SBI with a 4-3 thriller, Squidroidia take out The 14 Stars in extra time with a 4-2 score, and Sannyamathland take out Poafmersia 3-5. It is Sannyamathland who HUElavia will play against next in the Quarter-Finals, where the team knows that they cannot take this opponent for granted. The match is set to be played at New Thraproy Sports Complex Main Stadium (70,000), in Adaik's C'ntral, United Adaikes, where thousands of HUElavians are expected to travel to the country to support the team for the match. The team continues to practice well and study film, looking to understand their opponents well and put together a great gameplan for the match. At this point, there is no easy game left and Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos are fully aware of this. Here's to hoping we can win against a strong opponent and advance to the Semi-Finals.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **Tjorl** » Wed Apr 06, 2022 9:42 am

NS-verse Tjorl Lore

Tjorl's Primary Online Sports Commmunity

Tjorl advance to the quarterfinals after another surprise victory
By Nicolina Dahlin

De Frostkjemper's Cinderella run goes on after defeating Kriegiersien 2-3 after extra time at the Inkopolis City Stadium in Squidroidia. The game started off hotly contested between both sides, leading to an early goal for Kriegriersien by Eetu Peerson. This lead would not last, however, as Nikolaj Eriksen came to Tjorl's rescue once again with a signature curling finish. The rest of the first half would see constant assaults on both nets, without much success. After halftime, Tjorl's Elisabet Kruse gave the underdogs the lead after she converted a rebound off a shot from Kevin Olssen that hit the post. However, this lead will also not last as Ernest Le Bone's goal pulled the match back to where it began. Both teams were inseparable after 90 minutes, which meant they would go into extra time. The fatigue seemed to have caught on in extra time, as both offenses cooled down in the first period of extra time. Despite battling against exhaustion, Eriksen dribbled past much of Kriegiersien's defense to score Tjorl's third goal magnificently. This would prove to be the match winner, as Kriegiersien couldn't chalk up an equalizer. The players were quick to rush to the stands to celebrate with Die Kald Block after the win. Even current president Svante Carlsson joined in the fun, rushing down from his viewing balcony to celebrate with fans and players alike.

After what fans call the "Miracle of Inkopolis", Tjorl's next challenge will be powerhouse Indusse, currently ranked the best team in IAC's rankings, and has a ton of experience in competitions such as IAC. Will the underdogs prevail again, or would Indusse end De Frostkjemper's run?

Comments
- velvetia
NO F-ING WAY WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT

- Kristina R.
Love that win!

- distiania32
woooo boy, thought we were gonna lose

by **Trolleborg** » Wed Apr 06, 2022 1:56 pm

Greetings, compatriots!
It’s TTV from the green fields of the world. Our beloved football team bring us all reason to rejoice. For how long we do not know, but there was a solid reason. In the first round of the IAC-15 playoffs, our lads had to play in the distant Montana Verde against Eshialand - the team that plunged our entire country into such gloom just recently, having won the first match of the tournament. All of us then hoped for a football holiday and a victory in the opening match, but, as in the case of the Wonder Cup, the team was defeated in the first match at home.

It can be said without exaggeration that passions were running high in our society, voices are already well heard questioning the wisdom of participating in international sports, but this time, fortunately, our team played well. This time the opponents played again in their own style, diligently and attentively, but now Morten Trogil managed to pick up a combination to their lock, Morten Troll showed the game that is expected of him, and perfectly conducted the attacks, the defenders also played confidently, not giving too much space to opponents . Eshialand, however, created at least two good chances to score, but in both cases, our goalkeeper played at the required level.

Torben Kranforde opened the score in the 15th minute, using his talent to appear out of nowhere - a pass that seemed to go nowhere, somehow miraculously ended with the delivery of the ball right under his shooting leg, and our striker shot into the near upper corner powerfully. For a long time our players failed to build on their success, the scales easily could swing back and forth. Questions were mostly removed by Morten Troll in the 81st minute. He choosing the moment and made a clever shot through the palisade of the legs of the players of both teams right into the farther corner. Goalkeeper nevertheless reacted to the ball, but just missed it by razor blade. And almost immediately Kroonquist set the final score - after a corner kick ball was sent to the near post, Kranforde was the first to have the ball and cleverly moved it along the goal line to the far post, where our second forward was quickest of all and pushed the ball into the net. 3-0, our fans are delighted - although questions about the game that our team played remain.

Now our footballers and crowd of fans are relocating to Britonsea, for which “Trolleborg Wings” has mobilized their fleet of long-range aircraft. And, since our guys in aviation have done their best, the players will have significant support in the stadium. As opponents we have Squidroidia team, which at the world football rankings took a place much closer at the top than ours, systematically made a good runs at the world championships. They are met with our lads only once, at the IAC-11 that was so unsuccessful for Trolleborg. In the first round of the playoffs they won 1:0. Let's see how today's match will turn out, and, of course, we wish our team good luck, hoping for the best.

by **Drawkland** » Wed Apr 06, 2022 3:29 pm

DRAWKLAND VS TJUN-ia: NEW RIVALS ?
Written By: Riley Neonis and Chris Angeline

Kick Corps IAC 15 Results
MD1: Almuzahara 2–3 Drawkland
MD2: Drawkland 2–3 Hopal
MD3: Togonistan 1–1 Drawkland
MD4: Drawkland 6–2 Sixty-ninE X
MD5: Kencana 1–3 Drawkland
Ro24: Drawkland 1–0 Garifunya
Ro16: Almuzahara 2–5 Drawkland

So far, the Independents Cup has gone as most fans expected for Drawkland. Make it through the group stage with a little discomfort, come away with a playoff win, but don't make any big splashes. The Elite Eleven have had this middling performance down to a science since they took over the reigns for the Kick Corps starting in IAC-8.

We have to admit, the Elite Eleven did surprise us a bit when they made it to the quarterfinals. Not only did they beat Almuzahara (for the second time this cycle), they did it in blowout fashion. The game was tied 2-2 at halftime, similar to the MD1 matchup between the Sonnelian soccer powers. While the Panthers hoped they could replicate the first game by only allowing one goal in the second half on defense, but add a couple goals of their own, this would fall out quickly. Mike Rodney would score the go-ahead goal eight minutes into the second half, and from there the Elite Eleven put pedal to the medal and continued their onslaught for the remainder of the half to secure passage to the quarterfinals.

The only issue with this win over Almuzahara is that now, sadly, we are the only Sonnel nation still left in the competition. Now, in the quarterfinals, we must face an increasingly familiar foe ... TJUNia.

HISTORY WITH TJUN-ia
The Jaguars (in most sports) of TJUN-ia have become a force to be reckoned with in sports across the multiverse. It's easy to think of them as a newer nation to the sporting world, but TJUN-ia have been around the block for many cycles now. As nations continue to participate year after year, you butt heads with them more and more often. This is especially true if both teams are good, as you begin to see a lot more of each other in playoffs and the like.

Over the past few cycles, we've been becoming quite well acquainted with TJUN-ia. With every meeting, the Corps and the Jags draw ever closer to becoming true rivals. The same could be said with Drawkland against Banija, or Chromatika. To commemorate this budding rivalry, we've drawn up a quick history of major Drawkland vs TJUN-ia matchups.

Interestingly, the first-ever meeting between Drawkland and TJUN-ia was in the Independents Cup itself. In IAC-11, hosted by Havynwilde, the Kick Corps and Jaguars took each other on in the Round of 16. Predictable for Elite Eleven performances in the IAC playoffs, they laid down and died in a 2-7 loss. TJUN-ia wouldn't go on to get a podium spot in the tournament, and obviously a Drawkland team losing by 5 goals in the first round wouldn't be making a deep run. Still, getting blown out in that fashion is never good. Things wouldn't always turn TJUN-ia's way, though.

A big matchup between Drawkland and TJUN-ia was in World Bowl XLII, where a coasting Drawkland squad went against a TJUN-ian outfit with some promise in the Round of 16. Many predicted this to be an upset in the Jags' favor, but instead the Grid Corps shut them down, 20-9. The defense strangled the Jags all game, and Drawkland went on to do nothing impressive in those playoffs, while TJUN-ia might have, if they'd had a different first-round opponent.

The most recent clash between these teams came a cycle later in World Bowl XLIII. Once again, TJUN-ia were looking strong as ever. They'd just come off an undefeated group stage, grabbing the #2 seed in the playoffs, and a first round bye to boot. Drawkland had struggled through the groups and whipped Abanhfleft (not much of an accomplishment for the Grid Corps) in the first round of the playoffs. Everybody expected TJUN-ia to roll right through this shitty iteration of the Grid Corps on their way to their first World Bowl semifinal berth. Instead ... an eerily similar game unfolded, with the Drawkian defense suffocated the Jags' offensive attack en route to a 9-23 victory. Drawkland would go on to upset Chromatika in a blowout and get destroyed by Ranoria in the championship, but the damage had been done to TJUN-ia.

While these aren't the only places our nations have clashed, they're certainly the most major ones, being in playoffs of major tournaments with big ramifications. This coming quarterfinal match is just the next iteration of such a phenomenon.

MATCH PREDICTION
This game against TJUN-ia means a lot. The Jaguars still have yet to grab a podium position in any IAC, while Drawkland and the Elite Eleven haven't done anything major in this tournament since we hosted it in IAC-7. Both squads are surging right now, and a win here would mean a coveted semifinal spot. It's impossible to overstate the importance of this game.

There's just one small issue for us Drawkland fans, though. The game isn't being hosted by HUElavia, the organizers of the tournament. It isn't hosted in a neutral indie venue, either. It's being hosted in National Stadium, in TJUN-ia. That's right, this quarterfinal match is being hosted IN TJUN-ia. It's literally home field advantage, as this is the very stadium that TJUN-ia plays all of their home national team matches in. The crowd will obviously be heavily favoring the Jags, and they will have the comforts of home leading up to the game.

In a vacuum, I'd say this is a very even game. Either nation could come out victorious, considering their pedigree and recent performances ... but with the literal home field advantage, it's impossible to say that TJUN-ia doesn't have the edge. The Elite Eleven, who have historically dialed in the IAC, are now faced with a difficult tilt to keep the silverware hopes alive. I think we all know where this is going, but for charity's sake I'm not going to say what we're all thinking.

No matter what though, we're all Drawkland fans. No matter the result here, no matter how we feel about the Elite Eleven at this point, there's just one thing to say. On Corps.

Independents Cup 15- EVERYTHING THREAD

Boot It!: Onwards We Go To The SBI

Expedition, Episode 10

Boot It!: An Unexpected Classic In Duomji!

Drawkland vs TJUN-ia: New Rivals?

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