World Cup 91 [roleplays]

by **Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom** » Sat May 07, 2022 9:09 am

RekanSport
World Cup 91; A Rekan Invasion?
By Xaver Lulling

Six qualifying attempts have seen Zeta Reka on the somber end of qualification. Footballers playing around the world, with many backgrounds and experience levels, will try to create a campaign to remember.

A mix of unproven players and long time Rekan nationals went into the las Campionato Esportiva. With the event happening on Zeta Reka’s continent, a chunk of Rekan league players were added to the side. Sadly for the lot, Zeta Reka finished second in a group which included nearby hosts Ethane. The knockout stages prompted a quick exit for the Rekan eleven. Was it possible Lu Jialan’s “Mantis” playing style hadn’t brought about substantial improvements? For the sake of his contract, Jialan will need to prove doubters wrong and put Zeta Reka in a place never before seen. The goal? Playoffs, realistically speaking, are the goal, but the real finish line will be trips to Farfadillis and Græntfjall.

Roster Stats
By club
Four players
Aleiusia Capital, DD Porto Nowi/ŽFK Porto Nowi, Platinastigrade/ŽFK Platinastigrade
Two players
AFK Imperialismus, Northern Stallions
One player
1830 Cathair, Admiral Storevik, Athletic Saint Elenor, Bohemians Metropolis, Brookford Otters, Clyde Park
Corert Hawks, CSKA Quebec, FK-PRD Ofau, Flying Jellyfish, Frenei Tor, Hadford Hill FC
Hüelhunde FK, Istria City FC, Leichhardt, Lokomotive Jarnstad, Lonngeylin City, Martin Luther
Myana, Parrhesia United, Preo Team, Sanford Der Berg PREMIER FK, Sporting Jaglan, Slaterport Bulls
Sword, Twin Saints, VZRH Matov-Uri, Whitton United, Þingsnitz

By league location
Nineteen players
Zeta Reka
Four players
Nephara
Three players
Brenecia
Two players
Chromatika, Savojarna, Valladares
One player
Audioslavia, Banija, Farfadillis, Flavovespia, Græntfjall, Licentian Isles
Quebec & Shingoryeo, Saint Elenor, Sanford Falls, Squornshelan Remnant States, Tumbra

Ages
Combined Age
1,154 years
Average age
25.64 years
First choice average
26 years
Youngest
“BM” Barto Milosawljewić, 20 years
Oldest
Wukan Ogrovenić, 32 years
Oldest outfielder
Wlad Wlad, 31 years

The line up for Zeta Reka’s next World Cup venture was announced to the press shortly after the regional tournaments. Some names were curious, or interesting for reasons beyond their own play. Didi Wukowić is straddling thirty, and is the first player to have a birthday in the campaign. Didi was signed by S-FPL side Istria City FC, and that seems to be the cause for inclusion. Didi was one of ten players soured from outside the Rekan leagues with ten caps or less on record.

Foreign leagues accounted for the majority of players on the side. Fourteen players played in nine associations with higher IFCF ranks than Zeta Reka. The side had nineteen players in the Rekan League. The remaining twelve played in lower ranked leagues, though Quebec and Brenecia had strong coefficients of their own. Aleiusia Capital are the highest ranked side in the IFCF, a power in Esportiva, one of three teams to send four players, and the only club with a pair of first choice players.

Lukas Skaaland is the most notable player yet to debut, and already in the top twenty three. Olu Osanyinleye is also uncapped. Osanyinleye is additionally the national team’s first black player. The black population in Zeta Reka is notably low, with a high amount of first or second generation black Rekans compared to other demographics. Four women, a campaign record, were chosen by Rekan management. Marka Krušlin, who plays in Nephara and a trio of players from the Rekan Women’s League were added in. With Krušlin’s age and the other three’s inexperience in the mantis system. Dženita Wladmirowić, who appeared in CE 32, was “excited” to cut her teeth in the side again.

The record setting number of minority players on the team was criticized by Wuk Kortman. Kortman, a political pundit and former president of sports club Zrno, said on right wing radio that, “Merit again is defeated by gender politics and man hating.” “The objection is confusing,” Columnist and TV presenter Djoko Weljkowić wrote, “higher ranked associations have higher numbers of female competitors.” A protest by the right wing party The Federation’s Future and persons in a movement known as Men's Representation is scheduled.

The long list would also include some choice names. Captain Bogdan Rawić who’s the most capped player in Rekan history. Rawić is also the top scorer, with a goal ratio of over 60%, and when accounting for assists, Rawić contributes seven times every five matches. “I’m excited for the next few months,” the former Baptism of Fire silver medalist said on social media, “We have a core that is only improving, and we’re as realistic of a qualifying pick as anyone else.” On the very opposite end of the ball is Zlatko Wukowić, who is also an alternate captain.

“We’re all in on the World Cup”
~Rybki Prodanowić

The possibility of Wukowić wearing the armband is low, but not impossible. Wukowić has no competition for the starting role in goal, with his peers either being to different or too young. The other alternate captains are Rekawić and Scwartzhammer, and in a long, active qualifying cycle, the side may not have these players every game. According to official communications, and before then reports published in RekanSport, Jialan and his Rekan brain trust are using all players available.

“We’re all in on the World Cup,” assistant coach Rybki Prodanowić told RekanSport, “Yes, there’s many teams who can qualify from our group… Audioslavia, Drawkland and Squidroidia are higher ranked. No team is invincible.” Zeta Reka received an early bye, and the first opponent is Valladares. Valladares is the home league of two Rekan players. The match will be held at the National Sports Complex, which will likely be putting its roof to good use. Some players may not start until the match against the ever dangerous Drawkland.

RekanSport Top 6:
World Cup 91; A Rekan Invasion? Special Free Article
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Zenith? S-FPL? Most Popular Football League in Zeta Reka Revealed
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Retirement Rumors Swirl in Basketball
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by **Cassadaigua** » Sat May 07, 2022 9:13 am

It’s that time again!
By Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

Writers of the world, unite! It’s time to get busy!

World Cup 91 qualifiers are just around the corner, and with this we will soon be seeing the greatest players in the world try to lead their countries into the World Cup. Some, like Team Cassadaigua, expect to be there. Others are looking to be the spoilers of those with the high expectations, and we have reached a point in the World Cup where a Constitutional Amendment was recently passed that could allow more than 32 tams into a World Cup. That would certainly be something, and while we are not going to have that right now, you have to wonder when we will start seeing bids that suggest bigger fields. This World Cup is officially hosted by Graintfjall and Farfadillis, so expect a lot of unnecessary but witty references to kraken by media markets (including this one) throughout the multiverse! Other than reading about all of the great games that take place about the world, there will be all sorts of military issues and political drama that will be on the minds of some as well. After all, sports play a big part of our lives but are only a distraction from major issues that might be going on at the same time. When reading about all that, sometimes it can be nice to just read a nice multi-part story about well, anything. Fortunately, there is so much going on in the world, that there is plenty of variety in what can be talked about.

In the Concord Heights Times, they don’t pay me to discuss what is going on at the Royal Palace. Thankfully, we have this kind of government, so we don’t have to the same crap that democracies deal with, with all of their political parties. That’s right, no listening to which candidates have been bought by the nation’s biggest corporations to serve as their representatives in some form of legislature. I mean, maybe we are starting to see the lines drawn by Princess Brianna in how she will claim to be the successor to Queen Cassie II over Princess Cassie III. But I won’t be the one covering it. There are no wars that we are involved in at this time. Queen Cassie II did recently declare a higher than expected military budget increase, but you know, gotta keep up with the latest technology.

I’m going to be talking about qualifying, and how Cassadaigua is in Group 5 against some pretty formidable opposition. With this group, the Fillies will have to be on their toes to qualify for the World Cup, but that is the way it is now. There are no weak groups, and fortunately manager Brittany Byers and company knows this. Huayramarca will have to be dealt with, and that will certainly not be easy. Darmen is looking to rebound in this World Cup, and our near-neighbors in Rushmore are certainly prepared for a lot of Cassadagans to make that trip, and vice versa will also be true. That will be a fun contest for the fans. Then, you have Electrum, who will, at the very least, have a media giving us amusing things to read over the course of qualifying. Sarzonia, yes, that Sarzonia is in our group. They did not withdraw from this World Cup, but withdrawals in other ones have hurt their ranking, and thus the pots they get drawn into. Tyskerlund may be a tough one, and of course we have the regulars from Ancherion. This is what World Cup qualifying groups look now. There are no, or very few, weak links, among them. There are fifteen groups, but that does not mean the top two teams per group will qualify. Only group winners will. Second place and third place teams will then play in a playoff to determine the other fifteen. If you are an up and coming nation, you love this format. This is the type of structure that make top nations nervous and those looking to climb the ranks see this as one of their best chances. It’s going to be a great World Cup!

Team Cassadaigua will hope to carry the momentum from winning the Copa Rushmori and using the Eagles Cup as unofficial friendlies. I know that there were many Cassadagans ultimately disappointed with how the Eagles Cup was structured, putting a regional champion in an unofficial qualifying group, while giving a regular spot to an unaccomplished nation like StrayaRoos or even Chartistan. In my opinion, Eagles Cup 13 lost its luster by this decision, straying away from what the intention of the Cup was going to be. The Concord Heights Times was excited to know that it might cover this tournament, but when this structure was first seen, my bosses instead dejectedly suggested that I use the time to go on a pre-World Cup qualifying vacation as a “peaceful and non controversial protest” to the decision. Brittany Byers also stated that the team is playing these games in lieu of playing friendlies. Even she was quoted as saying, “You can’t see the group structure of this, be excited that after your first regional win, that you were going to be respected more, and then end up in a qualifying group, and then still be excited to be there. Yes, we could have used that as a chip on our shoulder, but we will save that for the World Cup. These games are just tune ups for us, now.” Rumors are out there that CASE will campaign to the Eagles Club for one of the automatic spots in Eagles Cup XIV that were given to the likes of StrayaRoos in this one, for being disrespected in Eagles Cup XIII.

If you follow Cassadagan soccer closely, none of the roster decisions should surprise you all that much. Cynthia Kerr now has the opportunity to take the starting job and run with it, after the platoon system was used in World Cup 90 with her and Katie Schnapper. The influence of the Copa Rushmori championship was seen in the decision to start Brianna Ward, Madison Rutland, and Kelsey Werth. Ward is the intriguing one, since the Fillies have lacked the aggressive physical tackler (and occasional cheap shot initiator) that Lupe Enriquez used to be. They’ve had players in that role who played to a pretty good level, but they have not had someone as close to Enriquez as Brianna Ward is. The biggest difference between Ward and Enriquez is that Brianna is not some who will occasionally be cheap and dirty to try and give the team an edge. Enriquez posted on her social media that, “Excited to see Brianna Ward as a starter. Hell yes! We need that! Opposing forwards will not share in my excitement!” Ward plays for Victoriaville South End, which is the same club side as goalkeeper Cynthia Kerr, and that might have helped in the decision. Jessica Tolson, the manager of Victoriaville South End, who has sometimes been an assistant to Byers in the World Cup, said that, “Cynthia has a great understanding of what Brianna will do, which given Brianna’s playing style will really come in handy. This will be good against the elevated competition that the World Cup provides.” Jessica Tolson was reportedly offered an assistant job in this World Cup, but turned it down because she wants to focus on Victoriaville South End’s chances of winning the CSL title. (Which, by the way, I like, but that is the topic for another article!)

Up front, Jenna Frontiera will be back in her starting role after a quiet World Cup 90 qualifying period. The time between qualifying and the World Cup itself really seemed to pay off for her, though, as she stepped up when the team needed it. I am not sure that the team could survive another mediocre qualifying campaign from her, but the team has the reinforcements needed on the bench with Chloe Anderson and Rachel Boldin. Frontiera does appear to have gotten things straightened out after winning the lawsuit against her former agent, which is something I will talk in depth about at another time. Jenna sat out the Copa Rushmori and lamented a little bit at not being a part of a championship roster, but was obviously thrilled by what the rest of the team accomplished. Bayley Stanton will also start. It was Anderson and Boldin, each now 22 years of age, who were the starters for that Copa Rushmori team, and they are only getting better with age. They will see significant playing time as substitutes, and if there is any reason that Frontiera or Stanton can’t play, there is no reason to be concerned about who might step up for them. The depth that Cassadaigua has up front right now really is quite impressive.

I do think, therefore, that we have a great team heading into qualifying, and like I said when we were in the World Cup 90 group of depth: team Cassadaigua can’t look at the group opposition and think, “this is tough”, team Cassadaigua needs to make everyone see us in the group and think, “Oh shit!” We did well with that last time around, and I like the state of the team right now to continue that trend!

by **Valentine Z** » Sat May 07, 2022 9:23 am

Part 1 – Oh shoot, we are back!

“Oh shit, we are back?” And yes, rightfully so! The Valentians debut their “retconned” second season for them, which is to say that this is the second time the Valentian Kittens are setting foot in the scene of Intenational Football. Sure, there were the likes of Valkyrie Valentijn Samantha Constantine, Clarissa Alanis Star Samantha, Gwen Tracer Allison Oxton, and many more from The Sixty, but due to the different jobs and other aspects of life that they have as well, they decided that it would be best to give the civilians of Valentine Z a chance. And thus, the Valentian Kittens were born, just in time for the last season of World Cup 90, and now back into action in World Cup 91. There is also a change in the team captain, the Vice PM Markus of Vostrov (an autonomous region of Valentine Z) taking the reins from Clarissa Alanis Star Samantha, in order to give the latter some chance and breather to let her focus on the aspects of NSSCRA while Markus does all of the football aspects. Going back to World Cup again, where did this pit the Valentians at? As the roster on our webpage has described: “The players will more or less be the same, with familiar names such as Holly Annemiek Gerrieke Van De Hoogte making rounds yet again. In Cup of Harmony 82, however, the Valentians pulled a miracle, far exceeding the expectations of just about everyone, including to the surprise of the team members themselves. They made it as far as the Semi-Finals, playing against the likes of Mercedini, followed by the team of Starblaydia, with the Valentians certainly having the honor and thrill of playing against them, even if they got absolutely dominated as their luck ran out, and their skills more or less being tested harder and harder.” You heard it from us – we managed to play against the big names last season, and for the first season of the Kittens as well! A well-deserved earning, though we might have to chalk that up a little bit to it being a miracle. This season, of course, we might see how it goes for the Valentians, with other teams better than ever!

So, the line-up first. Who will we be playing against? Thanks to the technical prowess and helpful nature of the WC officials and sites dedicated to tracking all of these metrics and other aspects, here are the playoffs and schedule:

Matchday 1		Tjorl (a)
Matchday 2		United Adaikes (h)
Matchday 3		Kamisato Ayaka Nation (a)
Matchday 5		Mercedini (h)
Matchday 6		Nephara (a)
Matchday 7		The Gothanita Isles (h)
Matchday 8		Oberour Ar Moro (a)
Matchday 9		Pluvia and the Saxean Isles (h)
Matchday 10		North and South Vietnam (a)
Matchday 11		Yuezhou (h)
Matchday 12		Tjorl (h)
Matchday 13		United Adaikes (a)
Matchday 14		Kamisato Ayaka Nation (h)
Matchday 16		Mercedini (a)
Matchday 17		Nephara (h)
Matchday 18		The Gothanita Isles (a)
Matchday 19		Oberour Ar Moro (h)
Matchday 20		Pluvia and the Saxean Isles (a)
Matchday 21		North and South Vietnam (h)
Matchday 22		Yuezhou (a)

Both the familiar and new teams playing against us, as we so thought to ourselves. First things first, you will see that Matchdays 4 and 15 are missing for us, which means that we will not be playing for those matchdays, due to the number of teams in the group. Moving on, there are familiar names such as Mercedini and Tjorl (contrary to what some might think, we have never played against their team in WC; that was IBC. No Mandela Effect here, we are hoping), and a lot of new names. By new, we didn’t mean that they are new players, oh no. It was more of the Valentian Kittens playing against them for the first time. Mercedini is definitely going to give us a difficult challenge if the last season was anything to go by. Nephara is also very well-known, with a formidable team to boot, a lot of elite players either homegrown, or from other countries. 624 wins - 114 draws - 141 losses, with 2059 scored - 1035 conceded. That is such a record, and a very big one! No way we are just going to waltz in, and we certainly are not expecting big results and scores. To clarify and to prevent misunderstandings, all we are saying is that we are up against big players, and we can only hope that the Valentians will put up a fight of their own! It will be a spectacle for us, regardless of whether we win or not. Though of course, a few of the Valentian Kittens were a little eager to get past the Qualifications, perhaps wanting to make a big, large Valentian history – if the Valentians are going to get past the qualifications, this would be the first time they ever did so in the history of International Football for Valentine Z. As of the time being, all of the efforts were concentrated on simply playing their best, and with talk of Valentians recruiting more members for the club. With a paltry number of 2 goalkeepers, it would certainly be hard. That would perhaps be for another time, or even during the middle of the World Cup. The Valentian Kittens, and Markus in turn, would see to this, of course. In the meantime, there is much to talk about our home.

Fate Stadium – Naypyithaw, Burma, territory of Valentine Z. And more information for tourists and players alike.

Contrary to what people might think, everything in Valentine Z are not exactly that large. It’s mostly people and the buildings that have gotten the enlargement treatment, while the natural flora and fauna, as well as the animals, remain the same. So, don’t worry too much about being maimed by a very large cat, or strangled by a 30 meter large python – we definitely don’t have those! Though for the former, Maine Coon cats are still around if that is your favourite cat breed! Anyway, Valentine Z – an Earth in another dimension and universe, is a home to approximately 14 billion Valentians averaging 16 feet in height, and are very, very friendly. Valentine Z.is a two-planet power consisting of Earth (except for Australia and New Zealand, which belongs to Vidunderlige Nye Verden), and Mars which was terraformed around 5 to 6 decades after the founding of Valentine Z. Please feel free to look at the guide.

Now for the information regarding the stadium 0 – Fate Stadium, located in the large and vast city of Naypyithaw, Burma, which is one of the countries under Valentine Z instead of being an autonomous region (such as Brazil being under the fair and happy rule of Clarissa Alanis Star Samantha). The Valentians always have had stadiums all over their world as decades go by, with the first few stadiums being established in the 2030s as a result of economic and societal stability after the nuclear war has ended the Pre-Valentian Era. Even then, none would have been as large as the aptly named Fate Stadium that was build back in the 2060s, home to many of the domestic sports that were played in Valentine Z - from the commonly known Olympics, to even Mesoamerican Ball Game known as Pitz which was dated to be played as early as 1650 BCE. Only difference is that we never sacrificed the winning or the losing team (nor the captains or managers) because, well, we don’t do sacrifices! Anyway, since then, the Fate Stadium has been subjected to many changes along the way, most in the form of improvements.

2035: The Stadium was first established and revealed to the public.
2037: Completion of the Fate Stadium.
2040: First Valentian Olympics held.
2041: First Pitz game organized and played. Also the very first time the stadium is changed for renovation and for a change of sports.
2050: More seats added.
2055: Addition of the far-viewers for the audience. (More details on this below.)
2088: Blown into pieces due to the Multiversal War. The Valentians lost a lot of Earth and Mars back then, though thankfully the causalities were kept to a minimum.
2093: Rebuilt after re-terraforming, then used for various sports and events, notably one for home matches of Valentine Z.

Fate Stadium boasts good acoustics, as well as large seats that were meant for Valentians. Fun fact: Discounting the cybernetic enhancements, oversized exoskeletons, Hollywood-style radiation mutations, and the like, the average height of a Valentian is 493.19 cm / 16' 2". In other words, international guests and folks will find it extremely comfortable and no longer will be doing balancing acts on their seats as they try their best to hold onto their props and snacks whilst still cheering for their favorite team. The seats will have more than enough space for an average human visitor (~ 6 ft), with plenty of legroom to spare. You certainly won’t feel like a little child on a very large and oversized adult seat, we will reassure you that. The Fate Stadium also has a seating capacity of 333,000 people, measuring a staggering and impressive 1120 meters by 934 meters, and possibly occupying a LOT of space. To offset the carbon footprint of such a place, the stadium has a lot of green spaces and was built using materials from sustainable sources. It took 3.5 months to build, mostly thanks to Valentijn being a good construction worker that doubles as a large crane. This is along with many other Valentians who have used their own powers to build the stadium, negating the need for a large number of paid workers, let alone unpaid workers.

Each seat and audience member is also provided with a decently-sized portable monitor upon being admitted into the stadium, we have built to IP69K, as well as bragging a 8K resolution. Each of these screens were then linked and connected to the array of overhead cameras all over the football field that would, in essence, present a 360-degree view of the field and the players alike. The arrays of camera are also powerful enough to see every single action in impeccable detail, and those who missed the action can rewind up to 30 minutes of playback from their respective screens. If you would like these gadgets, alongside other merchandise, the Fate Stadium also has room for such a thing. We Valentians sell our very own merchandise. There is plenty of purchasing options for everyone, with discounts to boot, with all proceeds going to charities or on improving the public infrastructure of Valentine Z. Additionally, we have up to 40 vacant stalls (out of the 150) if there are budding sellers who would like to sell their items in Valentine Z for our matchday. Simply approach Head Secretary Jamie Izabella Maxie Clara “The Elegant and Magnificent Mathematician” Pernella Ellie Natie Lexie Marie Valerie Ruby Æstriðr Fni. Clementine Millicent Lizbeth Alex Cass Eirian (Jamie Izabella Alex Cass Eirian) for details and contracts that you may need to sign.

The Valentian Kitten Mascot.

The Orange Tabby. Mew. Loves pets, just don’t give belly rubs. A little anxious when there are a lot of people around, and likes to be around with the Valentians more often.

About the Team’s Captain.

Name: Vice Premier Ministre Markus Tom Lincoln Schillinger Lewis Joyelle Wei Jaiden X. “Hraður Og Banvænn” Nordmann M. Geoff Julius Wyatt Junius Mar Sigfastur H. Vix Svanmundur Gunnarsson
Height:

515.62 centimeters (16 ft. 11 in.) (Height Enhancements)
257.81 centimeters (8 ft. 5 1 / 2 in.) (Valentian Era)
196.85 centimeters (6 ft. 5 1 / 2 in.) (Pre-Valentian Era)

Year of Birth: 1974
Nation of origin / Nationality / Ethnicity / Race: Icelandic

"Sometimes I do wonder if my luck certainly has ran out. And most days, with the people I love around me, I am reassured that it certainly has not. That, and the old world is dead, anyway. That is certainly one way to look at it."

Introduction and Early Life

Part of The Sixty, Vice Prime Minister Markus runs Vostrov together with Prime Minister Kendrick, and manages the day-to-day issues that pops up within the autonomous parts of Valentine Z. Born to the Icelandic parents in 1974 in Reykjanesbær – a municipality on the Southern Peninsula (Suðurnes) in Iceland – Markus is a quick-witted fast-talker, being able to get through most of the situations and problems through the power of words alone. He lead a relatively normal and simple life and childhood – as much as it could be normal in a war-scared Iceland in the late 1970s and the 1980s, with most of his school time and classes having been peppered often times with the news and developments of the world around him. It also did not help as much that his parents were also part of the military force, one that is working together with the Icelandic Coast Guard in order to bolster its defensive powers and capabilities should the world go into a turmoil. As a result of these strings of events, Markus (by that time, a 6 year old with a nanny to help him out), was usually seen alone and were away from his parents. Still, despite all of this hardship, he was able to hang on, and managed to even bond with his parents as much as he could whenever they would come back home on the break days. Throughout the years, he went on through the academic structure uneventfully, showing a slightly-above average performance in school, being able to do relatively better in subjects such as Linguistics, English, and Icelandic, while not enjoying his time in the classes such as Bio-Chemistry.

Come the time in a university, Markus – with the help of his parents – attempted to get into the undergraduate program for Linguistics, a subject and topic that he has a fond interest and love towards. The attempt was a breeze, perhaps owing to the fact that given the state of the world, not a lot of people have a need for a linguist, perhaps save for being a war-time translator should the need arise. "I weighed and evaluated my choices, and I suppose that night, I told my parents that I wanted to be there," Markus remarked, "They were a bit hesitant at first, but since they also were involved in military duties, perhaps they didn't feel right to deny me of the possibility of being on the battlefield when they also were being exposed to it on a daily basis." And with that, he lived free of trouble in the university's campus, though preferring to live in his home for the most parts due to the distance, as well as citing the want to live with his parents more often should they come back home. As the years went and passed by, Markus cited the burnout that he was getting from the work and studies that he was doing. Even with the help of his quick-witted demeanour, he was not able to collaborate well and team up with his schoolmates for his group projects, and thus hurting his grade even more. Nonetheless, he made it through and through, with a few more years to go and chug through, before his school life is coming to a conclusion, and that he might get something out of this whole thing eventually. However, a sudden disruption would then take him on an adventure, a militaristic one.

[Story trimmed to keep it semi-relevant for World Cup. To read more, simply click on the link as provided here. It will take you to Markus’ full life and biography.]

Later Life – An Honorary Valentian.

Markus lived peacefully with his dad during the dawn of the Valentian Era, having faced a handful of trouble and hardship just like the other Valentians, due to the fact that the country has been more or less established, and that the terraforming has only made the land habitable, and the Valentians would need to rebuild. It would have been physically hard and difficult, but emotionally, it was a breath of fresh air and a new page for everyone. The people that were saved no longer has any grudge towards one another, and that the old world has long seized to be, to be replaced by a large international country known as Valentine Z. It sounded like the beginning of a dictatorship which forced the people to be happy, but it was fortunately not that, as the people were able to believe, practice, and do whatever they wanted, so long as it isn’t seen as a crime even to the most tolerant of the Valentians. Going back to Markus’ and his family member, his father eventually passed due to natural causes, unable to live it through for the synthetic bodies that would have guaranteed him more of a life. He accepted the natural death, citing that “It was much better than him dying for no apparent reason. I hope him and my mom are together in the Heavens above,” Markus cited, to which he continued onto his linguistics studies, then travelling back to Iceland (now under Victoriaans Nederlands) to live together with his new Icelandic people, as well as the many other Valentians that resided in this international and multicultural world. “It certainly is different, in a good way,” he cited, blissful.

Further down the line, he also went to apply for the office and politics of Valentine Z, perhaps also indirectly proving the point that it is not always Valentijn’s close friends who got into the office (i.e. nepotism). With Kendrick at his side, he worked up the political ladder, eventually getting into the power of a Vice Prime Minister of Vostrov (encompassing Japan, China, and Korea of Valentine Z’s world), while Kendrick became the Prime Minister of Vostrov via his own means. “Vice PM is a good gig too,” he remarked, “Wouldn’t want myself too much power and to be quite honest, I am happy with where I am at that point.” He along with Kendrick would then work on Valentine Z’s aspects, including but not limited to linguistics (collaborating and creating the Valkyrie Sprak), along with focusing on the humanities and the cultural aspects of the education system of Valentine Z as a whole, while also researching about the languages as per his interest. As a form of self-defense and part of The Sixty as the active personnel of Valentian Defense Forces, Markus also equipped himself with a variety of weapons and abilities.

by **Ko-oren** » Sat May 07, 2022 10:14 am

NS World Cup Fantasy Qualification

Sign up and play now!

It's back! Picks open until after MD3. As always, feel free to make multiple picks (For example: different IC personalities for those RP hot takes)

Schedule
Xanneria (a)
Sudilia (h) - Katashi - Suzumebachi Stadium (25000) - home to Katashi-Kanatsu.
Poafmersia (a)
Delaclava (h) - Schemerdrecht - Orange Bowl (54000) - home to Schemerdrecht SVV (and the Schemerdrecht Admirals).
Sharktail (a)
Southwest Eastnorth (h) - Étouille - Stade Amandine (30000) - home to Tanques AOE (and the Etouille Vultures).
Equestria (a)
Nyowani Kitara (h) - Greencaster - Golhampton Grounds (25000) - home to lower league Langward.
Football Tiger (a)
Prosaic Union (h) - Aevanna - Northern Arena (32000) - home to university team 'Aevanna Ecologiske Universitet'.
Xanneria (h) - Aminey - Stade sur la Baie (70000) - home to Aminey CS (and the Aminey Caspians, Aminey Buffaloes, and Aminey Owls).
Sudilia (a)
Poafmersia (h) - Maethoru - Rikalathen Arena (39000) - home to Maethoru SC (and Mayara Wanderers-Vulpecula).
Delaclava (a)
Sharktail (h) - Santa Teresa - Estádio Marítimo (28000) - home to Branvon CD.
Southwest Eastnorth (a)
Equestria (h) - Willowbourne - Willowbowl (55000) - home to the Willowbourne Saints and Foxes (gridiron, rugby union respectively).
Nyowani Kitara (a)
Football Tiger (h) - Maynard - Armskirk Municipal Ground (26000) - home to Maynard AFC.
Prosaic Union (a)

The big name among our group mates is... well, that depends on what you look for.

If you're among the not insignificant part of the political spectrum that thinks we should still have been in Atlantian Oceania - the big name is obviously Equestria, a team that still makes us go 'oh no' if they're drawn with us, based on their World Cup titles and multiple AOCAF clashes.

If you keep picking teams for fantasy that you think 'are going to be so dangerous in three months time' - the big name is Xanneria. Little do you know: they skipped last cycle and have dropped to 160th on the KPB ranking. Your big name could also be SWEN, in which case, they didn't skip last cycle and they're 115th right now. Somewhat more dangerous, for sure.

Delaclava (108) is another team that could upset us. A storied history, including some games against us. Two teams that should be six guaranteed points are Football Tiger (despite the squad's enthusiasm) and Prosaic Union, but then you remember how well the Dragonflies have been in 'guaranteed wins' and you remember that there's 100% going to be at least a loss in here. Add to that the fact that we face them later in the cycle, at which point anything can happen.

Poafmersia (31st), Nyowani Kitara (44th) and Sharktail (62nd) are the dangerous teams KPB-wise. Poafmersia have been knocking on the door for a while, but the stat-off between their and our statistics departments will be one for the ages. Getting them early in the cycle should give our established core a better chance while they are hopefully still figuring one or two things out. Nyowani Kitara came out of nowhere to shoot up to 44th, including that tumultuous cycle (more domestic and political than sportive). Sharktail is a name we've not seen for a while, so we're curious what they're bringing to the table. We get some time between these three teams, so we can have everyone at full strength every time we play one of these three.

by **Tjorl** » Sat May 07, 2022 10:51 am

Tjorl at the World Cup Qualifiers

After what was a pretty damn good debut appearance in the IAC and a Baptism of Fire appearance to forget, the Tjorlish national football will start their World Cup Qualifiers today. Due to crashing out in the group stages of BoF 78, Tjorl jumped up to only 277th. This also meant that they were seeded into Pot 10. They were then drawn with Oberour Ar Moro, Pluvia and the Saxean Isles, North and South Vietnam, Yuezhou, United Adaikes, Kamisato Ayaka Nation, Valentine Z, Mercedini, Nephara, and The Gothanita Isles into Group 2.

Among the nine stadiums that were on the shortlist to host Tjorl's qualifying matches, only three were picked: the Morsteinstadion, the Havnstadion, and the Traerstadion. The Morsteinstadion and Havnstadion will host four home games each, while Traerstadion will only host two home games. Their upcoming match today is up against 82nd-ranked Valentine Z at the Morsteinstadion, where they will hope that the passionate Tjorlish fans can bring them luck once again. Group 2 also has other familiar names that Tjorl has competed against before in other sporting competitions, such as Valentine Z and Oberour Ar Moro.

The squad continues the tradition of having little to no changes to the lineup whatsoever, as coach Viktor Mandel restated that he believes the current team has the most firepower it can have. Attacking philosophy will most likely remain the same: attack-leaning play characterized by smart passing and organized build-up. Defensively, the squad will most likely execute high and tight pressing, which might sometimes lead to conceded goals due to lobbed passes. However, Mandel will definitely have some thoughts regarding the usage of risky defensive scheme on a number of way better offenses.

SCHEDULE

Matchday 1		v Valentine Z     [Morsteinstadion]
Matchday 2		@ Mercedini
Matchday 3		v Nephara     [Havnstadion]
Matchday 4		@ The Gothanita Isles
Matchday 5		v Oberour Ar Moro     [Traerstadion]
Matchday 6		@ Pluvia and the Saxean Isles
Matchday 7		v North and South Vietnam     [Morsteinstadion]
Matchday 8		@ Yuezhou
Matchday 9		bye
Matchday 10		v United Adaikes     [Havnstadion]
Matchday 11		@ Kamisato Ayaka Nation
Matchday 12		@ Valentine Z
Matchday 13		v Mercedini     [Traerstadion]
Matchday 14		@ Nephara
Matchday 15		v The Gothanita Isles     [Morsteinstadion]
Matchday 16		@ Oberour Ar Moro
Matchday 17		v Pluvia and the Saxean Isles     [Havnstadion]
Matchday 18		@ North and South Vietnam
Matchday 19		v Yuezhou     [Havnstadion]
Matchday 20		bye
Matchday 21		@ United Adaikes
Matchday 22		v Kamisato Ayaka Nation     [Morsteinstadion]

by **Eshialand** » Sat May 07, 2022 12:23 pm

Today's Dreams, Tomorrow's Memories
Part V: Catching Up with Years Lost
Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV

OOC: This is a continuation of a series I was planning to RP for the World Baseball Classic, but IRL intervened and I couldn't keep RPing that competition. So, it continues on in the WCQ. I'd highly recommend reading the previous parts if you haven't already, or else this may not make too much sense.

Where is she... Lucas thought to himself as he waited in Lucy's Diner. He had called Bianca a half hour earlier to let him know that he'd be going on lunch break, and he wanted to hear all about what had changed with her -- and the world -- since he left the land now known as Eshialand.

"Lucas? Lucas?" Bianca said as she barged into the diner. She knew she was late, but it wasn't really her fault; Alana Markai had caused another "incident" at the Eshialand City Journal. She was contractually obligated not to mention what exactly that meant.

"Don't worry Bianca, it's okay, I'm here. So, what's up? What's been going on with you?"
"Well... honestly, not much. My job at the Journal isn't great, but it's okay... I haven't met anyone special, bit I have a fair few friends here... everything's just been decent. Yeah, that's the word for it... decent."
"Okay... but what about the world? All the new people, all the new cultures and languages... you told me you could explain a little bit about it?"
"Oh, yeah..." Bianca replied. "Well... it's a bit hard to explain. Some nations are... how do I put this... 'awakened'. They know about the world beyond their own planet..."
"Beyond their own planet? So... aliens?"
"Well, no, not really aliens... just... different planes of existence? I really don't know how to describe it. Time and space just stop making sense when talking about other nations in the multiverse."
"Uhhhhhh..."
"Canada never knew about these other nations, but Eshialand does. Eshialand is special, the only nation on our planet to be 'awakened', or whatever you wanna call it. Our world is larger than our world."
"Has that ever caused issues?"
"Ehh, not really... we've never like, gone to war or anything, but some nations are friendlier than others, I'll just say that. The multiverse is certainly a funny one."
"Okay... so, the world -- er, multiverse -- is a lot bigger than we ever knew?"

"Of course, I've said that like three times. But even we're only five years or so into discovering what it truly means... there's so much we don't know about the multiverse, so much we may never know... but everything seems to be working out okay. Heck, there's even a tropical island we can visit sometime without needing a passport!"

"Colonialism??"
"Colonialism by vote. And it makes for a great vacation destination!"

Everything Bianca was telling Lucas made him want to stay in Eshialand, and heck, discover this whole new multiverse, even more than before. However, perhaps this was not meant to last...

"Everyone, this is urgent!!" A crazed man yells as he bursts through the diner doors. "There's going to be a war over Aleirave!!"

by **TJUN-ia** » Sat May 07, 2022 1:35 pm

After another undefeated run in a tournament was ended by Drawkland (this time in the IAC), the Jaguars of TJUN-ia felt more confident about this New Age they found themselves in even despite another Drawkish trip-up at IAC15 - in our home stadium, no less! Speaking of stadiums, what's going on with them? Well, TJUN-ia's qualification for WC90 was certainly a glorious occasion for the entire International Community and as such, the FA-TJUN-ia has decided to reward everyone with a special WCQ run - where all 10 regions of the nation will host matches, 7 for the very first time. Yes, we're coming (yes, we're coming) to your city (to your city).

This new system was certainly greeted well by David Seems and Li Xiu Ying, as expanding to new horizons is certainly one way of providing inspiration for a WC comeback. With the difficult decision taken to halt time for the U21 side for the first time ever, there will be no new players in the squad for the WC run. Whether or not that is a good thing is up for debate, but at least both the current Jaguars and Young Jags will get opportunities to do their own thing this time around. The aim is simple: get back to the big time no matter what. The group winner qualifies automatically with 2nds and 3rd duking it out for the other 15 spots - plenty of opportunities await on the horizon and TJUN-ia will be hoping to be up there once more.

Now then, onto business...here are the 10 Stadiums that will host our WC91 campaign and the 10 teams that we will face in this group of 11!

Stadiums and Opponents
Stadium: National Stadium
Location: TJUN-ia City, JB TJUN-ia
Capacity: 74,000

The hallowed halls of TJUN-ian football have always tried to be a fortress for the Blue and Orange, but it was only recently that this revered place became that way. The National Stadium in TJUN-ia City was built to accommodate as many outdoor sporting events as possible and while the football layout can be a bit shallow at times, that doesn't stop 74,000 spectators from repping their WC Team with pride. They are quite welcoming to any and all opposition who play here until foul play emerges in one way or another. This place is the main stadium for both the JagBase and TJUN-ia and many aren't sure if they want to see another Playoff game in this place, the mad celebrations of two years ago and co-hosting IAC15 have certainly made this place feel more respected in the TJUN-ian football world...

Opponents: Pasarga (15/Pot 1) - MD 2 (Away) and MD 13 (Home)
Anyone from Pot 1 is always going to be a tough team to play and so getting a fellow WC team in the Wanderers from Pasarga maybe be seen as a reprieve from the big boys, but still a tough opponent nonetheless. Kurtis Rakeruth's side was 3rd in their Finals group last time out and a run to the Quarters of a Copa Rushmori they hosted, so expect them to certainly be up there in the battle for the top spot.

Stadium: Beregozera Stadium
Location: Szensky, CSTO Zone
Capacity: 81,000

The largest stadium in use for football for many WCs, "The Lakeside" Stadium is mostly known for Krasnaya Stena, an ultra-like group of supporters who take the game very seriously and who try their best to make the main stadium of the CSTO the hardest place to play in all of TJUN-ia. The national team failed to perform to their expectations when this circus finally came to Szensky during WC85, but better tournaments since have seen a change in opinion from KS, who certainly want their turf to be the fortress of the Jags no matter the opposition. To anyone who must play us in this 81,000-capacity dome of noise, I can only give you one piece of advice: Удачи тебе (Udachi tebe). Good luck to you.

Opponents: Tikariot (40/Pot 3) - MD 4 (Away) and MD 15 (Home)
While the Jags are in Pot 2, Pot 3 was stacked with great footballing nations and any one of them would've been a great rival in this group. In this instance, we get an old foe in the form of the Snowy Owls - the team we drew with in that WC86 "Playoff Semifinal" to make those playoffs. Last time, Tikariot failed to make the Top 2 by a single point and then lost out in the CoH to Krytenia, though Brian McAllister remains in charge. His team only lost out to Cassadaigua in the Copa Rushmori in extra time and with that in mind, we can certainly expect these 2 rematches (after 10 years, no less) to be just as tantalising as the last time.

Stadium: Tiankong Stadium
Location: Tiankong, CEA Zone
Capacity: 57,000

Built for the CEA Games and nicknamed by many as "the People's Stadium", Tiankong Stadium has seen a lot of wins for the national team on home soil since it debuted. In fact, this is so obvious that many in the CEA capital like to troll their JB or CSTO friends with jokes about how good this team is whenever they play in front of the smallest crowd out of the original three. 57,000 may not sound like a lot, but the people of Tiankong certainly make up for it all with just how loud they can be and with the team playing great whenever they come here, who knows if this magic can ever run out?!

Opponents: Barunia (55/Pot 4) - MD 3 (Home) and MD 14 (Away)
Now then, what about the Barunia Suns? Right in the middle of the pack in Pot 4, Barunia finished 5th in their WCQ group before exiting CoH against Omerica. They haven't played since then, so how different this team is compared to two years prior remains to be seen - but no matter if they have new players or a new manager or whatever, they are still the Pot 4 team...so don't underestimate these Suns.

Stadium: Ke Kahua Pāʻani o Pua Aloalo
Location: Kepu Manu, UO Zone
Capacity: 50,000

The seven new stadiums were all chosen in a random order in terms of who gets to host who, and up first is what is known as Pua Aloalo Stadium in English but shall be referred to by its Hawaiian name - Ke Kahua Pāʻani o Pua Aloalo (or KKPPA). KKPPA is the principal stadium of the UO and of the Manufano Islands and it can change its configuration with ease to accommodate multiple sports. In terms of football, this place can get a bit rowdy at times as both locals and tourists from other parts of the country come out to watch but if you love that sort of thing, then KKPPA is for you.

Opponents: Bollonich (85/Pot 5) - MD 10 (Home) and MD 21 (Away)
Getting the (on paper) worst side from Pot 5 will certainly be a bit of an advantage, but Bollonich certainly ain't a side to underestimate at all. They, like Barunia, finished 5th in their WCQ group and while they opted to skip the CoH, they failed to advance from their Copa Rushmori group by 2 points. Still, Joseph Moteudi's side is interesting and that will certainly be enough to just make sure we don't slip up.

Stadium: Zebra Stadium
Location: Toropo/Almadinat, AU Zone
Capacity: 41,000

It may be small and it may not be the main stadium of the AU Zone, but Zebra Stadium is still a cracking venue and one that certainly will be happy to host WC Football. This stadium was built for sports like football and rugby, so it's much closer to the pitch for the fans who come here. And remember, this is the AU - where fan culture is certainly very vibrant - so while it may be small, the crowd factor is certainly going to help this venue feel bigger than it is.

Opponents: Schima Bas (89/Pot 6) - MD 5 (Home) and MD 16 (Away)
When the team in Pot 6 finished higher in their group than the teams from Pots 4 and 5, then you know that this team is on the rise. The Golden Crescent of Schima Bas finished 4th in their WCQ group and were only 2 points off 3rd, so Gaio Grieco certainly did a good job there. They failed to make it out of the groups in the AOCAF, so no one really knows what this team is like right now. Still, one to watch for sure.

Stadium: Estádio do Pacífico
Location: Rio Pacífico, UAS Zone
Capacity: 47,000

The Estádio do Pacífico is the principal stadium here in the UAS Zone, which certainly explains the Latin flair many will feel when they turn up for a game. While yes, it does have an athletics track and it may feel a bit bare, it has hosted football games quite comfortably and you certainly will expect the fans to bring the atmosphere come game time. Football is almost considered a religion in many parts of the UAS, so the long wait for the Jags to come here won't have a negative effect at all...

Opponents: Muralos (117/Pot 7) - MD 11 (Away) and MD22 (Home)
The opponents we will face on the final day, the Hawks from Muralos have been around for a little while now and while they are improving, they certainly have a few kinks that need to be ironed out. They finished 7th in WCQ, fell to Poafmersia on pens in the CoH and then finished 5th out of 6 in their IAC group. Still, they are a ranked team and should be treated as such.

Stadium: Stade de la Victoire
Location: Roi Ville, NAU Zone
Capacity: 81,000

As you would expect, football is very big over in the NAU Zone and there were countless available options for who would host the NAU's game. But, the FA-TJUN-ia opted for Stade de la Victoire in Roi Ville for two key factors - its size and its fans. It's not the main stadium of the region, certainly not, but this place is certainly big enough and 81,000 is certainly a good marker for this team (tied with Beregozera for capacity). But the fans here in Roi Ville have been known to BRING IT when the time comes and when the time comes, they will be ready.

Opponents: República Guanacasteca (137/Pot 8 ) - MD 8 (Away) and MD19 (Home)
Ah yes, La República Guanacasteca - a nation that has a long name and is certainly going to try its best no matter what. Sure, it finished 7th in WCQ and failed to make it out of the groups in both CoH and Copa Rushmori, but Los Cerdos is considered more of a project right now and Ruoyang Han will hope that the 2nd time around is better than the first.

Stadium: Estadio Universidad Carlandas
Location: Carlandas, UAC Zone
Capacity: 69,000

Located on the campus of UNCA, a university more familiar to those in the NSCAA, EUC is not the main stadium of the UAC Zone, but it certainly fits the bill of a TJUN-ian host. 69,000 is certainly big enough despite being an old stadium, but that history means a different feel once game day arrives. Fans in these parts are also well known for their passion and dedication to the game, so this old stadium will certainly be rocking when the time comes to welcome the Jags

Opponents: Ziwana (232/Pot 9) - MD 6 (Away) and MD 17 (Home)
When TJUN-ian fans hear the name Ziwana, a nostalgic hit comes over them. Ziwana is from the same Baptism of Fire class as us, way back in the WC84 days, and heck, they even beat us in the knockout rounds. They walked away from the sport after WC88 and we didn't think we would ever have an opportunity to play them again...but they made their comeback in the MAC and now, after all this time, we finally get our rematches with the Akambuku - the Leopards. Jean Ndimvera Wilder should lead them out but whatever happens...this will be a contest that highlights just how different TJUN-ia and Ziwana are from that BoF.

Stadium: Tallawah Stadium
Location: Port Town/Portuaria, CU Zone
Capacity: 35,000

One of the many stadiums in the CU Zone that doesn't specialise in Cricket, Tallawah Stadium is a modestly-sized arena that will certainly befit hosting games for CU. Sure, it certainly isn't the biggest stadium in the region, but it certainly works for football and that's good enough for the FA. Fans here in the CU love to bring the party no matter what and so, expect the crowd to bring the flavour of the region to the contest here.

Opponents: Cardenao (277/Pot 10) - MD 7 (Home) and MD 18 (Away)
You never know what to expect from a team from the Baptism of Fire, and we have two such teams to deal with this around. Up first is Cardenao, who was only eliminated in the group on goal differential. Hailing from Anaia, they are managed by Scooter McNash and simply call themselves the "Blue and Golds".

Stadium: Salam Liljamie Stadium
Location: Al Kalifa, ArU Zone
Capacity: 26,000

The smallest stadium out of the 10 in use, Salam Liljamie means "Peace For All" in Arabic and that will sum up the mood here in the ArU when it hosts the first game of the campaign. Many might expect the atmosphere here in Al Kalifa to be less passionate, as the ArU is a more conservative area than most others in TJUN-ia, but that won't be the case. Football is just as big here as anywhere else and the passion these fans can bring can certainly be a surprise to those not in the know.

Opponents: Kyhun (310/Pot 11) - MD 1 (Home) and MD 12 (Away)
And finally, we have the team we will open our WC91 journey against - a team that we have no idea about, in terms of who they are and what tactics they play. All we know is that they hail from Kyhun and they went 0-3 in the Baptism of Fire. That's it.

SCHEDULE (Group 9)
MD1: vs Kyhun (310) - Salam Liljamie Stadium, Al Kalifa
MD2: @Pasarga (15) - Stade de Torgos, somewhere in Pasarga
-----------------Boot It!-----------------
MD3: vs Barunia (55) - Tiankong Stadium, Tiankong
MD4: @Tikariot (40)
-----------------Boot It!-----------------
MD5: vs Schima Bas (89) - Zebra Stadium, Toropo
MD6: @Ziwana (232)
-----------------Boot It!-----------------
MD7: vs Cardenao (277) - Tallawah Stadium, Port Town
MD8: @República Guanacasteca (137)
-----------------Boot It!-----------------
MD9: BYE
MD10: vs Bollonich (85) - Ke Kahua Pāʻani o Pua Aloalo, Kepu Manu
-----------------Boot It!-----------------
MD11: @Muralos (117)
MD12: @Kyhun (310)
-----------------Boot It!-----------------
MD13: vs Pasarga (15) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City
MD14: @Barunia (55)
-----------------Boot It!-----------------
MD15: vs Tikariot (40) - Beregozera Stadium, Szensky
MD16: @Schima Bas (89)
-----------------Boot It!-----------------
MD17: vs Ziwana (232) - Estadio Universidad Carlandas, Carlandas
MD18: @Cardenao (277)
-----------------Boot It!-----------------
MD19: vs República Guanacasteca (137) - Stade de la Victoire, Roi Ville
MD20: BYE
-----------------Boot It!-----------------
MD21: @Bollonich (85)
MD22: vs Muralos (117) - Estádio do Pacífico, Rio Pacífico

by **Cabo Azure** » Sat May 07, 2022 1:40 pm

Paulinho Announces 23-man Roster for September Qualifiers
Paulinho, the venerated coach of the Azurean national football team, has announced which twenty-three players will be called up for the team’s September World Cup qualifying window. The roster represents only a slight deviation from the team seen at the Copa Rushmori this summer, specifically with the additions of Joel Silvestre and Nelson Camara, both of whom receive their first call-ups this window. The number of defenders on the roster supports that Paulinho will keep the same 5-3-2 formation, though with so many talented forwards, that could easily shift to a 4-3-3.

Fans should expect to see an “A” team against Kimi-Suomi, whom the Macaricas narrowly beat in the first knockout round of Cup of Harmony 82 last year. Paulinho may rotate against Al Qurija, or he may go for the full points on the theory that the next two matches this window, against HUElavia and Saltstead, may not go his way no matter what team he puts forward.

Goalkeepers	Defenders	Midfielders	Forwards
Antunes		Branco		Barbosa		Cardoso
Gomez		Brandao D	Ferreira	Corte-Real
Valente		Brandao K	Lobo		Dantas
		Câmara		Maciel		Galma
 		Carneiro	Rathbone	Gouveia
 		Costa		Silvestre J	Silveira (C)
 		Medeiro	
 		Moniz

by **Thibaea** » Sat May 07, 2022 1:41 pm

--- Mistake ---

by **Savigliane** » Sat May 07, 2022 2:58 pm

"I'm Nico Toccata!"

"And I'm Jean-Baptiste Fugue."

"And this is the Toccata and Fugue Football Podcast. Today - we look into Ichi Tuzzio's squad of thirty-four for World Cup 91 Qualifiers, and whether or not i cigni can qualify out of a group with Valanora! -Kelssek! -and Abanhfleft. Jean-Baptiste! What's your initial take."

"Ehhh."

"Couldn't agree more, JB! Ichi Tuzzio has the pedigree, of course. A serial winner with Farfadillis and Baker Park with a distinctive attacking style, he was almost the perfect fit to replace Tlanx-Nulzk Hal. But the results haven't been so hot! An early exit at the Cup of Harmony! An early exit at home in the CAFA! And with such a tough group, is it possible that he finally walks away from a job empty-handed?"

"My sources have suggested that he might head elsewhere if he can't bring Savigliane to the World Cup. And you don't blame him - I'd also be trying to break Gethin Ramsey's record and looking for one last bit of glory as my career winds down, and if I can't get it here, I'll get it somewhere else."

"Tactically, though, there's not much desperation - he seems to be sticking the course with his starting core from the Cup of Harmony! Does that surprise you?"

"Well, he's pretty steadfast tactically, and we saw that he was more than willing to sit more talented players who weren't quite as good fits. Some managers can be overly deferential to talent, but he has a system and guys like Bonagiunta Rossi who don't fit? Well, they don't play."

"Good one, JB! But yes - we've got guys like Gianni Dutto, Fede Arnaudo, and even Roman Palomer joining the starting lineup, all of whom played pretty well during the last few tournaments! And of course, they're young guys who are thriving in their domestic careers, so it's hard to say anyone should be clearly playing over them!"

"It's not a young team, either, but there's definitely the inklings of the next generation coming through. With Chastain, Palomer, and Arnaudo starting, the likes of Valerién Tibère waiting in the wings...even if Tuzzio leaves, he'll be blooding some young guys and that will create a great foundation for whoever takes over the Swans next."

"Ugh, again with the Tibère talk! People have put a lot of money and time into a guy who's flopped at 1830 and who has never proven himself at an international level."

"He's just special, Nico. Watch him play - at age 21 - and you'll see that he's a future starter at the bare minimum."

"Anyways, let's take it by position! Starting with the keepers - JB, thoughts on Nico D'Ambrosio?"

"I think he's clearly the starter until either Rousseau, Bernard, or Giglio prove ready to step up. But I'm skeptical that he's really an elite, international-level goalkeeper."

"Again with the Ligurie bias, JB! Unioneers are a great Gold League club, and he's proven a capable starter at that level."

"Sure, but can you name a big save he's had with the Swans? Not everyone's club performance translates over, especially given how attacking our system is. And even his distribution doesn't seem to fit into what Tuzzio wants out of a keeper."

"Like it or not, he's a fantastic shot-stopper - and the job of a keeper is to keep shots out of the back of the net! And sure, he can't distribute, but Tuzzio's system doesn't need that out of him in the way Tlanxball did! I just don't see Rousseau stepping up quite yet. Moving on to defense...Garcia, Dutto, and Blanco starting with Onio and Tibère in the wings?"

"It's a fantastic starting trio, they're all international quality, and the depth at center-back is absurd. You've got to feel for the likes of Rémy LeClerc, who a decade or two ago might be a nailed-on starter but has struggled to ever break into anyone's starting eleven. But it's just part of the internationalization of our national team, where not even a guy who won Stade-Ferre two titles is in serious consideration for that."

"It's not that LeClerc is underrated - who's in front of him is just too good! And how about Gianmarco Dutto! His distribution has been incredibly valuable out of the roaming center-back role, and Garcia and Blanco really compensate for his lack of burst!"

"I like Dutto, but I'm hoping Alexandre Onio grows more into his role in Mytanija - if we're running 3atb and especially 4atb, we'll want someone more mobile in that role, and he's the only other guy with the class to do it."

"You said it! How about Palomer and Vitale on the wings!"

"I'm not sold on Vitale playing heavy minutes there at age thirty-two. It's a very physically demanding position, especially in this system, where you have to do a lot of running up and down the touchlines. And I'm concerned - her recent domestic performances suggest that the pace is starting to go, and she's always been dependent on her pace."

"She's a winner, JB! You need that kind of experience in your back line. Palomer's great - pacy, tricky dribbler, crossing savant - but you need some stability and experience to hold things over."

"Sure, but they've got the center-backs for that. Cambiaso is stable and Sauvageon has a lot of big-game experience - I think you'll see both of them featuring more as Vitale's legs start to go."

"She's just thirty-two! Why do you hate Savigliano fullbacks like that? Why does this country - they dropped Bertrand Marchetti when he was thirty-one! That's not normal, and I think the perception of fullbacks as losing pace starts to dominate the reality of picking the best players and adjusting the system to compensate in this country."

"It's because these transition-based attacking systems need pace. They demand physicality from their fullbacks to support the wingers and the midfield. Marchetti and Vitale can still be international-caliber players - well, I'm not convinced Vitale is skilled enough, but-"

"Not skilled enough? There's like a billion dribbling highlight videos on the tubes-"

"-sure, because she's fast and can blow by defenders. But once that's gone...we'll see what happens."

"Ugh. Moving on! Chastain and Arnaudo is a bit of a left-field pairing, but Ichi seems to love it! Are you on his side, or do you want to see the likes of Buva or Bella back?"

"I'm not going to lie, I'm not sure if the statistics back it up. Arnaudo's not suited to the sort of takilante role that Tuzzio's trying to groom him for just yet, and if Tuzzio spends two years on this before leaving...I'm worried it'll mess up his development. I love Chastain, though. She's been just so...composed and silky in a way that I never expected from her. In a weird way, going to Farfadillis really matured her?"

"I think Arnaudo's just such a versatile guy that it's easy for new managers to see what they want in him! Tlanx-Nulzk did it too by putting him in a more engine-room-type role, Tuzzio wants him to go takilante...I'm not worried about his development though because I think this kind of utility-knife midfielder is what he'll mature into. And you need guys like that if you want to win silverware!"

"Yeah, but Adrian Toscani is right there if he wants a takilante type. He may not be as athletic or energetic, but he's way more skilled and could do some serious damage as a takilante or even a floating #10."

"Sure, but he's been great on the wing anyways! And if Arnaudo isn't working out, well, you've got a lot of guys in the wings - Buvalelli strikes me as someone who might play the big games if Tuzzio wants to solidify the defense a little, of course he has that Shamrock experience...but that Toscani mention takes us to the attack! Roux, Squarciafichi, and Toscani - thoughts, JB? Because I've loved that front three in their roles."

"No, I agree that Tuzzio has really figured out how to make the most of the attack. You can criticize how he's handled Bonagiunta Rossi, but Roux and Toscani with those inside-forward roles flanking Squarciafichi, who can just focus on poaching and pressing, is a really great fit. You get all that creativity and skill on the wide positions and the pure goalscoring prowess of Thea in the middle? Beautiful."

"I couldn't agree more. Sure, Tuzzio didn't handle Rossi well, but he was a notorious asshole and bad teammate! And as solid as Rinaldi and Barthelemy have been, they've never quite been starting-quality."

"But that kind of brings it back to how important the fullback positions are, and why we need Sauvageon or Cambiaso there. Because if your inside forwards are both creative types instead of direct, crossing types, you need a lot of support on the underlap. And unless you just want Vitale floating at midfield and not covering any defensive duty, she's not going to have the burst to provide that kind of support for Toscani. The right wing is just too slow right now."

"That's why you have a back three, yeah? You seriously don't think Chiara Blanco can cover for her?"

"Against most teams, sure. But Tuzzio shouldn't just be setting up to beat teams that are worse than us. Against the likes of Valanora, Kelssek, and a prospective playoff or group stage opponent, the right side is going to be a huge weakness, and Blanco will be worked to the bone. And I don't think Gianmarco Dutto can cover enough for her to compensate for what is ultimately Gigi Vitale's clear defensive weakness."

"We'll see! I mean, I'm not going to argue with you if it turns out Vitale can't cover right-back! But Sauvageon doesn't have the pedigree, and Cambiaso isn't a great attacking fit either - he's going to give Toscani nothing on the underlap, like you said!"

"Sure. Well, you're right on one point - we will see."

"One last thing. Thoughts on the group? We've got Valanora and Kelssek top two, and the likes of Abanhfleft, new regionmates EOT, and Hapilopper."

"Absolute hell. Third would be a win."

"I'm not so sure I agree! We've beaten Kelssek, and on paper we're stronger than pots 4-6. Maybe winning the group over Valanora is overly optimistic-"

"-it's delusional, frankly."

"-but I'm confident we can be in the playoffs. And don't underrate the advantage of finishing second over third in this playoff format! Who we draw could have a huge impact."

"Yeah, like when you were celebrating after we drew the Ochre Islands?"

"...moving on, we look domestic - who's the favorite to win the next SavigLega? But first, a word from our sponsors..."

by **Ochre Islands** » Sat May 07, 2022 4:04 pm

Page 64

DONTELL IN DANGER?

Jody Dontell, Ochre Island manager

Before qualifying for World Cup 91 has even started, rumours are flying inside OIFA headquarters that Jody Dontell has been told that the Ochres must do suitably well during this qualifying run or he will be out of work come the end of it. The Ochre Islands, who were defending CAFA champions going into the last tournament, ended up winning none of their group games and haven't won a competitive fixture since their 1 – 0 playoff victory in Savigliane which sent them to World Cup 90.

Whilst Dontell has won 52% of his games, losing 44% leaves his with a fine margin to work with going into the next set of fixtures, game numbers 62 to 81 by official records for the Ochre squad. Qualifying for World Cup 91 would be an incredible achievement, but at a press conference yesterday Dontell accepted that the Ochres were under a bit of pressure from tougher opposition and more competition for playoff places.

'Well there are 10 teams other than ourselves vying for three places that would give you a chance of qualifying. Of course first goes through but second and third will be hotly contested for sure. On paper we're the fourth best team in the group which should give us a fighting chance but anything can happen on the pitch. CAFA3 proved to us that going into anything as 'the best team' doesn't mean anything when it actually comes down to getting a bit of luck.' When questioned whether being beat 6 – 3 by Starblaydia was just 'unlucky', Dontell refused to answer the question, saying he'd gone over it at the time, which seemed to draw the ire of OIFA officials.

Page 63

Our opposition in World Cup 91.

Reorganized Portugal – Coached by Fernando Santos, the fledling 'Navegadores' will be hoping for a good start. Not played before by the Ochres, though host us on Matchday 1.
Armbruster – Nothing known about them yet, will hopefully visit the Ochres on the 2nd matchday.
Indusse – The Flocking Blues were defeated Semi Finalists in the 15th Independents Cup and will prove a tough match for the Ochres. Manager Shane Newman is keeping his cards close to his chest with regard to their tactics. Will come to the Ochres on Matchday 14.
Kandorith – No roster just yet. Coming to us for our 4th match.
South Newlandia – They're not bad are they? Visiting Bellflower on Matchday 16.
Saint Eleanor – Anaian neighbours, knocked us out of the Baptism of Fire's prior to World Cup 89 in the Round of 16, a 2 – 1 victory in Bollonich's National Sports Stadium. Not played them in CAFA, so the two games in WC91 qualis. will hopefully give us a chance to flip the losing record against them around.
Sannyamathland – No roster announced for WC91 qualis. yet, visit us on Matchday 18.
Fort McKinley – No roster at the time of printing, our 8th game of qualifying
Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison – Our opponents on our last home game of qualifying.
Krytenia – Cyan. Taking us back to the scene of our CAFA2 victory for the final game of qualifying is an interesting choice, but the most appropriate stadium to play this Anaian derby in. WC91 qualifying will mark our first two games against Krytenia.

by **South Newlandia** » Sat May 07, 2022 4:13 pm

by **New Eestiball** » Sat May 07, 2022 6:01 pm

Group:
(304) Unpleasant
(109) Darkmania
(Unknown) Star United States
(125) Garifunya
(134) Aut-Ves-Nat
(1) The Holy Empire
(30) Vilita
(48) Geektopia
(239) New Eestiball
(65) Chartistan
(70) Astograth
Stadiums:
Tallinn Stadium (60,000) the only major one
Used for: The Holy Empire, Vilita, Chartistan, Darkmania, Aut-Ves-Nat
Independence Stadium (25,000), Narva
Used for: Geektopia, Garifunya, Astograth
Parnu Stadium (15,000)
Used for: Star United States
Tartu Stadium: (15,000)
Used for: Unpleasant

Now, a breakdown of all the matches, best-ranked opponent to worst-ranked opponent.
(1) The Holy Empire
If New Eestiball can pull off a draw here, it will be amazing. This is only their second tournament and they're playing the #1 team in the world. They are an extremely skilled team, something that cannot be said for the doorknobs.
(30) Vilita
5-time champion. That's all I need to say.
(48) Geektopia
i'm sure at least 30,000 fans will come to Independence Stadium to avoid that long trip to Tallinn.
(65) Chartistan
This will be the first matchup with a >5% chance of win. Granted, it's 6%, but still.
(70) Astograth
Again, big matchup for the fans out in the East.
(109) Darkmania, (134) Aut-Ves-Nat
At home, we have a chance!
(125) Garifunya
This could possibly be a win...
(304) Unpleasant and (Unknown) Star United States
These are the only matches in the less populated West and South apiece, so huge crowds will come to these games where New Eestiball is a favorite.

by **Kimi-Suomi** » Sat May 07, 2022 6:09 pm

Sen aika on taas kerran. The time has finally arrived for Kimi-Suomi's 3rd bite of the WC kirsikka and everyone back home was certainly starting to feel better and better about our international sporting integration. The NSSCRA program is getting off to a good start, momentum certainly kick-started by the love KS has shown to Jalkapallo over the past few years...and now, some are even starting to dream. Dream that one day, Kimi-Suomi could break all barriers and make a Maailmancup. That may seem far away now but the better we play, the closer it gets...so let's see who Huuhkajat and Esko Laaksonen shall play this time.

Pot 1 - Pemecutan (4) - MD7 Away, MD18 Home
Pemecutan was the story of the last WC, making it all the way to the final before coming undone at the hand of The Holy Empire. Jalak Putih is coached by Surya Agung Pramana and plays in a 4-3-3 with +3.17 on the attacking scale. This team is very dangerous and must be taken seriously. Ole valmiina!

Pot 2 - Chromatika (26) - MD10 Home, MD21 Away
The Anomalies are always a perennial challenger for the WC places and they certainly ansaitsee their Pot 2 status. They are managed by Sandra Sybill and run either a 4-2-3-1 or 4-1-4-1, both +4 on the scale. Just like Pemecutan, this team will be dangerous and any points taken from them will be considered a major success.

Pot 3 - HUElavia (45) - MD5 Away, MD16 Home
HUElavia finally rikkoivat kirouksensa at IAC15 by beating Drawkmaa on penalties and now, they're looking to build on that feat. Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos are managed by Cristiano Aveiro Lima and operate in a 4-1-2-1-2 with a +2 on the scale. Pot 3 was always going to be tough, but HUElavia will certainly be a test.

Pot 4 - Suolahevonen [Saltstead] (58) - MD6 Home, MD17 Away
Suolahevonen, or Saltstead to everyone else, are good friends of Omerikka and are known for just doing their own thing. We don't have an updated squad as of writing but sikäli kun tiedämme, the Stallions are managed by Christiane van Åupħen and run a 4-5-1 system with the style of ə (-2.72). All in all, an interesting team and we hope we can fight across this group.

Pot 5 - Sininen Niemi [Cabo Azure] (72) - MD1 Home, MD12 Away
The Blue Cape, Cabo Azure, Sininen Niemi - whatever you call them, this was the side that knocked us out of the Harmonian Kuppi last time out and we want kosto! Las Maçaricas are still managed by Paulinho, still play in a 4-3-3 and still use the +2 style and as we play them first...I guess we'll find out how much difference two years have made.

Pot 6 - Kimi-Suomi (97) - Bye Weeks: MD3 and MD14
Ah, täällä me olemme! A Top 100 team ready to fight it out amongst the very best. We made the CoH knockouts last time out and we hope we can do that again at the very least. Ainoa suunta on ylöspäin!

Pot 7 - Al Qurija (116) - MD4 Home and MD15 Away
One of the older nations here who only recently came back, The Broken were certainly The Secret Champs of one of the UWC Belts until they marked their return to play. Pau Porras is the Main Coach of a side that runs a 4-3-3 formation and a hyvin ilmeistä +5 style, so taking these guys on will certainly require defensive stability.

Pot 8 - Saterun (130) - MD11 Away, MD22 Home
The team we will face on the final day at home, Saterun is the best team in Pot 8 and a team nousussa to most in the WCC. The Claws (epic name, by the way) are managed by Abbas Yousafali, who opts for a 4-4-2 with +1.5 style, so expect some interesting play when they come up against us.

Pot 9 - Raspotochje (218) - MD8 Home, MD19 Away
Raspotochje, which is a name that is certainly difficult to spell, is one of those teams where kolme pistettä voidaan odottaa. Filip Jurički is the manager of this side, who runs a slightly-conventional 4-3-1-2 with +2 style.

Pot 10 - Stresinen [Stresia] (294) - MD2 Away, MD13 Home
The only team in this group from the Tulikaste, Stresinen (or Stresia) are a team that no one really knows about...at all. No teamsheet, no players knew, just a 1-0 win in the BoF and that's that.

Pot 11 - Thibaea (UR) - MD9 Away, MD20 Home
And finally, we have Thibaea - a team that is classified as 'rankaamaton', but that doesn't tell the whole story. The Warlocks previously took part in both '81 and '87 and after all that time, the team is ready to take on everyone - with Yvon Labelle as manager, a 5-3-2 lineup and a +3 style. They certainly are similar to use, so don't let their UR status fool you.

by **Ceni** » Sat May 07, 2022 10:16 pm

Wibbly Wobbly, Timey Wimey

Chapter 1: Schrodinger's Cat

Luke Longstar usually felt queasy passing through the portal between Sonnel and Rushmore. He didn't know how the portal worked, he didn't want to know how the portal worked, but some way, some how, the portal always made him feel queasy.

After heading back through the portal from Ceni's friendly against Drawkland at the Seven Stars Stadium - which Ceni had won two goals to one, courtesy of bringing a full-force team to bear - Luke felt queasier than usual, positively on the wamble. Not even pennyroyal could cure his stomach, even though the ancients had promised its salving effects.

The chartered Air Terranea flight started to push its way through the portal's subdued lighting, and Luke looked out the window to see the portal rippling as if a young boy had skipped a large stone violently across the water. Suddenly, the portal transfixed him, his senses shifting away from the physical sight lying in front of him to a strangely repetitive sound.

Luke heard a stone skipping through a pool. He heard rain mixing with the stone's ripples. The rain got louder and louder. Suddenly, a group of elephants started to stampede towards the pool, perhaps a cavalcade of horses with trumpeters. Luke heard an ominous piano tune. He heard drums beating in the distance, getting louder and louder with their crescendo. If a composer had written this tune, he would have written it with three effs: fortississimo, triple forte.

And then it all went silent.

***

Jaina Ende-Dogor sat at her office at the University of New Oxford with an increasingly large pit in her stomach, like a copper mine had set up shop in there and started extracting ore with a gung-ho esprit de corps. She got up to look out her window and sat back down again. She paced around her office. She got up and sat down again. She opened her door and slammed it shut. She opened and slammed the door again. She even did a few push-ups, right there on the office floor. But nothing could calm her nervous energy.

The door caught the attention of her colleague, who came over to ask about Jaina's mental state. Jaina could offer only a few curse words. "The portal malfunctioned," she said, "and there are people stuck inside."

"Fuck," said her colleague.

"Fuck is right," replied Jaina. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck."

***

Twenty-two years later, Jaina greeted Air Terranea flight 7093 at the Stratosphere City airport. She watched as Luke Longstar and the Cenian national team that had gone off to Drawkland all those years ago stumbled off the plane into an unfamiliar world. After everybody disembarked, she went over to Longstar and recounted, in hushed tones, the last 22 years' events, and how they all got there.

Of course, Jaina Ende-Dogor had unraveled the biggest puzzle in modern science, a puzzle that had captured not only the scientific journals and the ivory tower but also tabloids and the football publications. Indeed, Jaina knew exactly when to make her way to the portal's threshold to greet AT7093.

Jaina would later receive celebrity status, an endowed professorship, an apartment with a view over Lake Cenial for her work, but she hadn't always known the answer. Indeed, she hadn't always known what she wanted to do with her life: She went to school to teach music, taught music, waitressed on the side, quit teaching, worked in a nail salon for a year, tried nature photography, failed nature photography.

She first stumbled across quantum physics while working in a used bookshop. One day, a patron brought in a book called "Schrodinger's Cat," with a lazily drawn kitten gracing the cover. Jaina thought it was a kid's book about cats, so naturally, she started leafing through it. Naturally, though, it covered quantum physics and that famous thought experiment in which a cat sits in a box and is (possibly) poisoned, neither alive nor dead until actually observed. And so Jaina raided every single book in the bookstore, and then Ceni's National Library, and then in the library of the University of New Oxford for her doctorate after doing her master's over in Eura.

And her doctoral dissertation? Disproving the Schrodinger's Cat thought experiment in its entirety.

(To cross the fourth well, if I may: this author knows nothing about quantum mechanics, so you may take anything they say with a grain of salt, and excuse the lack of specificity in the chapters that follow.)

Jaina settled in to the University of New Oxford, Ceni's scientific hub, and did her research and her thought experiments, winning some promotions but losing others, winning a few grants here and there but none big enough to fund massive experimental research and certainly losing the vast majority that she applied for. That status quo did not change until Drawkland installed the portal connecting Rushmore and Sonnel. Nobody really understood how it worked, especially on the Rushmore side, and Jaina knew a few people from the other side. The grant money finally came, and when it rained, it poured. Jaina could fund a lab, hire undergraduate research assistants, and establish herself as a leading expert on the portal.

At least she could pass herself off as a leading expert, since many of the leading experts, well, they didn't know much either.

And so she received the eventful call when the portal attendants in Stratosphere City got weird baryon readings in the portal just as AT7093 passed through the portal, and just like that, the plane vanished into time. Nothing emerged from the portal, and the baryon levels continued to skyrocket like skyscrapers in developing Cenial.

Jaina would set herself to understanding the problem; she resolved that she would work on figuring out what happened to AT7093 until her dying breath, even if she died a very old, decrepit, lonely woman, slumped over in front of a computer screen in her lab.

The portal's future hung in the balance; the passengers' presents hung in the balance too.

***

AT7093 touched onto solid ground in Stratosphere City, and Luke breathed a sigh of relief. His anxiety and paranoia flew out of him like a sirocco out of a coastal desert, and he started to chitchat with the players and staff on the plane.

Normally, the portal dispatched several inspectors to greet each flight after a successful transit, and Luke paid no heed to either the captain's announcements or the official-looking posse striding up to the plane with a woman in a lab coat at the head. Everybody started to disembark, and Luke simply went off with the crowd. Perhaps the inspectors just wanted autographs, he thought.

"Are you Luke Longstar?" asked the woman. "My name is Jaina Ende-Dogor, and I have some news for you. You're twenty-two years into the future."

by **Star United States** » Sat May 07, 2022 10:20 pm

A Better Tomorrow (Pt. 3)

Summary of Part 1: For over a century, Star United States found itself in ruins of a second civil war and isolated from its region and beyond. After decades for reconstruction, the Starian people had elected their first president since before the civil war, Reya Zalava. With the power to develop a government however she desires due to the overwhelming political influence and popular support, she is leading the way in ending the isolation period and reintroducing the country to the region and beyond.

Summary of Part 2: At the first meeting of the Assembly of Delegates, President Zalava has the opportunity to get crucial legislature approved. Another political figure takes the scene, Karam Foster, elected, much to his discontent, as the Chair of the Assembly of Delegates. Conducting a census, developing a tax system, and establishing governmental departments were the first three bills discussed by the floor of the Assembly of Delegates. The last bill, a cornerstone in the presidential campaign of Zalava, was brought before the floor with the intent to allow President Zalava to submit an application to join the Esportivan Union. Some would prefer if Star United Sates refrain from meddling in the political affairs of the region.

Part 3

President Zalava fixed her jacket as the conversation about the Esportivan Union started on the floor of the Assembly of Delegates. If it was up to her, this bill would not be something to debate, but should have been included in the foundational document of the rebirth of Star United States. Nevertheless, what people don’t know are the conversations that happened before closed doors. To the people, unity had been presented all along as the country rebuilt and prepared to end its isolation, but the Union had been a place of deep division since it was brought up. So, how do you keep a nation from dividing before it even has the chance to have its rebirth? You compromise. President Zalava began to think back about the conversations of whether to restore the name of the country, or use another one. She hated that idea — how would they dare to betray those who had come before, to ensure survival, to ensure peace during the war?

As Foster prepared to acknowledge the first speaker on the topic, the lights flickered. Everyone looked up, and with a loud explosion-like sound, the lights went out. Security rushed everyone out the Chamber of Leadership, as the bright, white, emergency lights filled the hallways.

“Madam President,” reported an aide as he gasped for air, “electrical quadrant failure due to an issue with the Northern Dam. He paused, hoping to regain his breath, continuing, “The cause of the issue has yet to be identified, but it is being worked on. Blocks across the city are without power.”

President Zalava nodded, and the aide tucked out of the room without missing a beat. She thought to herself, looking out the window. The colossal buildings of downtown City of Star, half of them glimmering with lights, the others sitting in darkness, yet all full of life. “The irony,” she whispered to herself, “there’s just something about this that all’s too familiar.” Might it have been the remembrance of the ruins of the city, where there was no hope and no light?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the the flickering of the lights. Everything back online. “Very well,” she said out loud. The Delegates had been ushered back to continue their conversations, but President Zalava excused herself, and decided to take a walk around the city.

Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. Her footsteps echoed down the hallway, as she sneaked out the back door with one of her guards. If it were up to her, she wouldn’t have a guard with her, but it is what it is when you’re the president. Plus, her young children would appreciate it.

She approached downtown, bustling with life. She watched people walk in and other of downtown shops, heard as they laughed around the table of the local restaurants. The smell of the freshly brewed coffee allured her into of the oldest buildings in the city. For some odd reason, this building remained untouched by the war and was carefully preserved and turned into coffee shop, library. The door creaked as she entered and ordered her coffee. To her surprise, no one in the shop was shocked by her presence, and maybe, it’s that they didn’t even know her face. The unbothered teenager across the counter poured her coffee to her specifications, and handed it over, saying, “have a good night, miss.”

As she walked towards the exit, a matte light blue book cover caught her eyes. She moved towards the rustic bookshelves, pulling the book out. She held the book in her hands, slid her fingers on the bent corners of the well-loved book. She took it out to the patio, and open to the first page, when she heard the sound of music blaring through the speakers. She looked up, and she could see the Star Arena, full of lights. The city was preparing to host the first qualifier for the 91st World Cup, as the Starian team was set to play against Chartistan. She sipped her coffee, smiled, and looked down and started to read.

In the meantime, delegates debated on the floor whether or not the country should join the Esportivan Union. It was quite unusual for Zalava to be disconnected from the conversation, considering she was invested in ensuring that this bill passed the Senate floor. Yet, she found herself a few blocks from the Chamber of Leadership, enjoying the night with a good cup of coffee and a well-loved book.

“It’s the simple things,” she thought to herself, “life is so fast-paced.” She took a deep breath and let our a sigh. Life had been so fast-paced for her in the last few years, with development of foundational documents for Star United States, her campaign and election, and now, her first few months as the first president that the country has seen in over a hundred years. The weight and burden of responsibility did not dwell lightly on her soul, but she just couldn’t help but to think to herself, “did it have to be this way?”

She’s missed out on a lot — birthdays, anniversaries, school graduations, bicycle rides, family dinners. Yet, at this very moment, it felt as life took a moment to catch up to her. Without a worry in the world, she finished her coffee, stood up, put the book back on the shelf. She made eye contact with a mother who sat with who appeared to be her teenage son, and smiled. She smiled back.

“Time to get back to work,” she whispered to her guard as they made their way back to the Chambers of Leadership. She walked into an empty hall, except for Delegate Foster, who stood over his desk, gathering his things.

“Good evening, Madam President,” he remarked as he noticed her presence, “you missed out on quite the ordeal.”

She laughed.

“Congrats on getting your bill passed,” he stated, “there are some concerns. I’ll have an aid deliver them some time this week.”

She was shocked, as if something deep inside her didn’t believe that the bill would pass. With a sigh, she replied, “thank you, friend.”

“We’re not friends anymore,” he replied, “we’re here to do our jobs.” She hadn’t realized that the word “friend” had slipped out of her mouth.

“My apologies, Delegate Foster,” she quickly replied, “have a goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” he said as he walked out the door. She took a deep breath, remembering the friendship that she once had with Karam Foster. They were childhood best friends, but life happened. She shook her head. She smiled to herself as she walked out of the room, proud that her bill had passed.

by **Fort McKinley** » Sat May 07, 2022 10:23 pm

This will be carryover from the BOF, you can view the background info here:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

The Fort McKinley Armed Forces (FMAF) passenger jet carrying the National Team to their first ever World Cup Qualifying match in Indusse was about 90 minutes into the flight, everyone settled in to pass the time their own way.
David Guy Allen had brought along a book to read--a mystery novel that was an approved selection from the Party--and gotten comfortable in his window seat.

The Republic Party had been quite pleased with the results in the BOF; although the official story was once again attributed to a conspiracy, the reality was more optimistic--the squad had shown an enormous improvement from the first match in the regional tournament--and the coaching staff and team were told that they would be retained for the World Cup. For now was the unspoken aside.

The coaching staff had a special dispensation to gather information from the internet on opponents via unapproved sites; occasionally they would forget to close the temporary VPN that the national security service, the pleasantly named Party Information Council (better known by most citizens as PAIN-CO) would provide and Dave would take advantage to download hundreds of megabytes onto a thumb drive which he would then take home and distill the information.

Inside the book David was engrossed in for over an hour were sheets that were slightly smaller than the actual page size, upon which he'd printed information about nation they were visiting.
Indusse was a previous winner of the IAC tournament and were a pretty strong side--relative to Fort McKinley, obviously--and the nation was about as different from the People's Republic as Dave could imagine. He closed the tome and began to visualize how the rest of the trip would play out.

(OOC--the starting lineup from the roster will be consistent from cutoff to cutoff...I will make clear in a post if there is a major shakeup. As for subs, feel free to use anyone listed)

by **Astograth** » Sat May 07, 2022 10:36 pm

Previously

It had been an errant thought that spiralled into obsession.

Aire Epherra, the Astograthian striker, would become Boldheart. He had to. Epherra now realised it was his destiny to star in his favourite historical-fantasy-action film franchise. In football he had nothing left to prove. His dream of becoming the national team’s all-time top scorer, yesterday all-consuming, was today crumpled and cast to the wind, that it may find another owner.

He quit the national team immediately after they lost on penalties to Pasarga at the Copa Rushmori. Epherra hadn’t taken one; he’d been subbed off for Erdokiain. He was blameless, unbesmirched, his legacy untainted. 122 caps, 68 goals, all in the run from World Cup 86 to World Cup 90 and Copa Rushmori 40. Astograth’s second all-time top scorer, and a significantly higher goals-per-match ratio than anyone else who mattered. A titan of the game.

Not that he cared about any of it anymore. It was done. Epherra could have kept going, he felt physically fine even at 37, but he just didn’t care anymore. Only one thing could be on his mind at any one time, and that was no longer his national team record nor even football. He’d even wanted to quit his job at Rülândéá Kôstä, but manager Fêrm Égéré and his own football-turned-film agent talked him into staying on for just one more season. Epherra was loathe to accept. Surely it would make producing the Boldheart reboot much more difficult if not impossible, if he had to be in (The Lands Formerly Known As) Farfadillis playing league football while the movie was being shot in Astograth. Under those conditions he’d never even get the role.

It turned out Epherra’s agent was even better at movies than at football. Former child actor Anko Udondo, who’d turned to bodybuilding for his starring role as Berlasko the Bold, was a household name in Astograth – but Aire Epherra was an even bigger name. Udondo got the boot and Epherra got the role. He would be Berlasko the Bold, Boldheart, in… Boldheart. The reboot was just called Boldheart, which would now make it a pain to refer to the original Boldheart from 660, but so goes marketing.

Solving the issue of Epherra still being an active football player under contract to Rülândéá Kôstä was also easier than expected: the entire film production simply moved to Ruland. The amount spent on taxes, which is to say protection money paid to local gangs and warlords, was much lower than it would have been in Astograth. More importantly, Rulandese crew and extras were obscenely cheap to hire, lacked any labour rights, could quickly learn Astograthian, and one of the producers had to be stopped from making them actually fight to the death on film. For shooting most scenes, a cheap but massive green screen studio was put up in Lìbêrêtê, while a second unit filmed background footage back in Astograth. A green-screened Epherra as Berlasko could thus be rotoscoped and composited onto a visual-effects recreation of Gesterlake Castle, laid on top of the actual Castle Hill filmed on-location. This required an inordinate amount of labour but, again, these were Rulandese rates. It got to the point where Epherra – nor anybody else, for that matter – even needed to have makeup, wardrobe, lighting, direction, or lines, since those things could simply be added in post. Visionary director-writer-producer Marz Rekaldi could be spotted around set raving about the enormous potential of ‘Rulandywood’.

Yet, despite this new job and the new surroundings of this nascent film industry, Epherra could not escape his past. Like in an old-school Eastern, where the erstwhile cattle-rustler can never escape the long arm of the duke’s law delivered via six-shooter, Epherra could not escape the pleas. He’d done the unthinkable to his Farfadillis-based buddies Alarabi Labeaga and Baraxil Muhaburu, abandoning the team when they’d all vowed to stick together, all-for-one and one-for-all. Epherra thought Muhaburu might never talk to him again, even if they still played together at Rülândéá Kôstä, but he was mistaken. Instead of the cold shoulder he got incessant pleas. That Erdokiain was still too green, that Galdiano was a nobody, that Erke was a disaster. To manager Piarres Erke’s credit, he never once bothered Epherra – it was Muhaburu and the rest. Labeaga, too, called him up, and old friends from the national team and Urbizania Wanderers like Gentza Bedigax and Urre Remondegi as well. ‘We need you’, ‘come back’. He’d been sent some online petition that had gathered thousands – millions? – of signatures for him to go back to the national team, to keep going for the record. No.

No. Aire Epherra would not return to the national team. Aire Epherra was dead.

The man on set was Berlasko the Bold, King of Gesterlake, riding his black steed Lerdena through the forests on the warpath to Arexa. He would wrestle the Brazen Lion and crush Asier, his cursed nephew, below the gates of Okerruri. His boiling blood would set fire to the Araxes and no serpent queen or witch-man could stop him forging the Black Chain that binds all people of the land. Thus was foretold below the moonlit banner: the future was a memory that came in a dream; all will happen again.

by **Jeruselem** » Sun May 08, 2022 12:06 am

Princess Katherine Annabelle Dallas (aka Princess Kate) and Jeruselem World Cup manager Kate Dallas ...

P: This is Princess Katherine Annabella Dallas for Naked News Jeruselem, and continuing the coverage of the World Cup 91. I'm with the new manager of the team, Kate Dallas! Her full name is Katherine Annabelle Dallas, just like me. But that was an accident apparently.
K: Hello everyone, yes I have the same name as her ... other than the Princess title.
P: She's no stranger to the World Cup having played in last four cups before retiring as a player
K: As you know being a Mum and being away from home for long periods of time, it's not easy.
P: Just like me, she's got kids as well. Same amount as me too. We're also about the same age!
K: Except you got girls, I just get boys ... can we swap?

P: You have a big job ahead, with Pekora Dancer getting us into the quarters of the World Cup. You have expections which are hard to fulfill.
K: She's set a high benchmark, and I guess it does make things more difficult. Before qualifying as the main aim but getting out of the group stage is expected now.
P: But we have solid foundation now, with us regularly qualifying
K: I guess that's the minimum now, qualifying is expected.
P: Group 4, two huge names Baker Park and Trolleborg. And a bunch of teams we have no idea about.
K: There's always a bolter out there from those Cup of Harmony teams, we have a huge amount of them in our group.

P: So you learnt the names of all our opponents
K: Seriously, you couldn't get a group with most annoying team names like ours.
P: I guess you won't be home much now for this cup
K: Everyone will be fine, they are used to it. They put up with it for 4 world cups, 5 now.
P: Of course I'm not going to be roving report, we have new one.
K: Oh yes, her. I know her, don't worry. She was in the same school as me and you.

P: Us Dallas girls all go the same school
K: We pretty much own that school anyway.
P: What are your expections for the first few games.
K: We'll be a bit rusty, but I just worried about the 3rd and 4th qualifying games. Those are ones against the big boys.
P: This time round we have byes again with odd numbered team sizes, we don't have bye last round.
K: Yeah, that sucks. Having zero control over your own destiny especially in a tightly contested group.

P: So, what's your style of management? Are you a micromanager?
K: Me? I'm too lazy to be a micromanager. Anyway micromanaging everything is time vampire. Let people manage themselves.
P: So put competent people in the right places and they'll manage for you
K: You don't want to have to manage a group of loyal people who can't think for themselves. You want people who can do their job without your interference.
P: If you have to tell them how to do their job, why are you even employing them when you can do it yourself properly.
K: Exactly

P: Pekora Dancer had a funny way of dressing, like a human bunny rabbit. You'll be just be ... normal?
K: I won't be using carrots as hairpins, doesn't work for my hair anyway. I'll be pretty boring.
P: For some reason, some people still mix up you and me. Yes we're both middle aged women from the same family with kids and almost the same name but we're very different people.
K: You're a a Princess and you tend not wear clothes anyway. I can't see why they mix us up, and I'm just boring even for a Dallas. You behave like a schoolgirl, I'm more grumpy mum.
P: Well that's it from Kate, and ... Kate! See you all later and get ready for the first games of the World Cup 91.
K: Err yeah, I have to be ready ...

by **Aleirave** » Sun May 08, 2022 1:28 am

OOC: This series is continued from my series in the Baptism of Fire. Unlike my series with Eshialand, I knew from the get-go that this was going to continue into the WCQ. Go ahead and read the previous parts for context if you haven't already. Or don't, it's up to you.

Kilavi, Klysevia

"Okay, I think everything is ready now."
"The port in Bestairitza can support our landing?"
"All signs point to yes. I think it's time to ready the ships and get the army ready."

This conversation at the port in Kilavi was definitely a sign of things to come. Time was running out for the isle of Aleirave and its peaceful, Eshian-led government. The Klysevians would come, allies from the Council of Oceanic Nations in tow, and install Nikita Annedov as the new Supreme Leader of Aleirave, the true successor to the Tereyev line, which was previously assumed to be extinct. Or... so the Klysevians thought.

You see, the Klysevian military had no clue of what Mikhail Tadafirov had told his cousin Igor in Aleirave. Major Klessekin knew that Mikhail had his worries about the invasion, but he didn't know anything of what Igor knew, and nobody higher-up than him knew anything at all, at least, should Mikhail's continuing existence be any indication. However, Igor did know the full truth of the invasion, and from him, word spread to Governor Adari'ena and King William of the Eshian Aleirave government. Knowledge is power, and the knowledge that the Eshian government now had could be used to save the island... at least, as long as the king didn't screw things up...

Eshialand City, Eshialand

"Okay everybody, calm down please, let's keep things quiet..."

King William and Prime Minister David Peterson were making their best attempts to keep things civil in the House of Parliament, but apparently they had just learned the hard way that you don't exactly announce an impending invasion by a foreign power without ruffling a few feathers and causing a spoonful of panic.

"Obviously, this isn't how we wanted things to go..." King William said, "but after we first incorporated Aleirave into the Kingdom, knowing a bit who the Klysevians were and how hostile they could be to the thought of us taking an island formerly allied to them, I had the Minister of Defense draft up a few strategies we could use to handle the threat..."

"I sense there's a 'but' coming." A young woman in the front suspected.

"...but we're not entirely sure of their capabilities, so we can't be sure of which strategy would be the best to handle the issue."

"There we go." the same young woman said.

"What are the main options?" the Prime Minister asked the king.

"Well, they range from the 'just send a couple troops in to handle this' route to the 'all-out war' route. If we go overboard, the people will lose faith in us, knowing that we risked unnecessary lives and wasted unnecessary money. If we go too weak... Aleirave will be lost."

"So we must go all-out, right?" Peterson asked. "We can afford a popularity dip, we can't afford to lose Aleirave's freedom..."

"Err... Governor Adari'ena?" the king asked. "Do you have any thoughts about this? Perhaps you may know a bit more about Klysevia's capabilities than we?"

"Spare no expense." He replied. "Nobody knows what they may send in, but we need to have the upper hand no matter what."

"Okay then..." the king said with a reluctant tone of voice. "It's time to... call in a full-scale defense of the island..."

by **Nephara** » Sun May 08, 2022 3:19 am

She had not been the most charismatic or memorable of keynote speakers. She was not the firebrand that the organisers had expected, booking a Nephar who had taken a key hand in the Varakoula Accords. Yet Medina Klose was doing what she had always done: speaking her mind, firmly, crisply, with an efficiency of language that would ensure she did not overstay her welcome.
She had, after all, already overstayed her welcome in Nepharan politics. After her victory at Varakoula had come the expectation of reward, that she would be able to make good on her ambitions. Instead, she was kept squarely in line by the whip, her challenge had gone down in flames, and she had decided to step down just before the election and find a new port of call. In her absence, her Starling seat flipped to the upstart Wakes ("Wake the Sleeping Giant"), Nephara's new and only unapologetically pro-business party.
So now she was a keynote speaker.
"In summation," she said, and a few buttery men in suits perked up. Klose tried to hide her scorn. "Esportiva is no longer the wild frontier of civilisation, its land no longer a free-for-all, for all the actions of the Tumbran government would deny this. The Esportivan Union was strident in saying all the right things when it came to a conflict outwith their region, where they had no stakes, yet the current incident in the Northlands should be considered a challenge. They will have to confront granular reality, and perhaps examine their own ranks. Even now, a member nation in Brenecia..." She took a moment to drink some water, letting the name linger in the air. "Flexes its muscles, seeing what authoritarian excesses it can get away with, using the Northlands as cover. One is left to ask: how long can they fly under the radar?"

She got back to her hotel late, by her own standards. People had not been punctual. There had been a relaxed atmosphere, which had set her on edge. Time mattered to Klose, though she supposed in this semi-retirement it only meant as much as she made it. Still, for the sake of discipline, she tried to make it matter a lot.
She kicked off her shoes and faceplanted into the bed, twisting her neck just enough to get a look at the TV screen. She grunted, fumbling around for the remote, flicking over a few channels. Football started playing. Another grunt. It'd do.
Tomorrow was a rest day, then she had an appearance at a university scheduled. She'd tell some well-heeled heirs pretty much all the same things she'd told the suits, but shorter. Maybe she'd get some questions. Maybe she'd get some passion. Maybe she'd get some sense that anyone was paying attention to her, and that she was here for some purpose, not just a name booked to pick up a paycheck.
God, Klose missed politics.
But that bridge had been well and truly burned, now. In the moment, she'd caved to the chief whip, said she'd back their man, Pavel Chambers. She'd meant it, too, right up until the last moment came and she realised it was her shot at being Margravine. The only one she'd ever get, most likely. And so she'd cleared her throat and raised her hand and everyone had stared...
Of 206 members of the Assembly, sixty-one backed her. It was an astonishing show of loyalty. People lost a lot backing the losing horse. But the orthodoxy held, and Klose was out on her ear. Bridges burned. Seat gone...
She had regrets, but only because she'd lost. She wasn't sure she could have lived with backing that oaf, Chambers, anyway. And he got massacred in the election. So better not to die wondering, yeah.
Yeah, she'd tell herself that.
...
. . .
Her phone rang and she practically leapt on it, not even checking the number before putting it to her ear. "You've reached Medina Klose."
"Dina?" Stefan Garrick, a friend from across the floor. A nobody backbencher until recently, but now the Minister for Public Transport. It was a start. "Good to hear your voice."
"Stefi?" Klose rolled on her back, phone to her ear. "How's cabinet life treating you?"
"It's... stress, but it's good stress. I'm not sure how you handled this for a decade*."
"I'm not sure, either." Klose smiled, tightly. "The hope of something better, I guess. So why the call?"
"All business, I see."
"I crave business. I've kept myself busy as I can, but..."
"Not enjoying retirement?"
"That's possible? Anyway. Look, I'd love to chat, but maybe next time I'm in Corvistone..."
Garrick scoffed. "Please. Nobody comes to Corvistone unless they're made to."
"True."
"But you might be. If you pick this up."
She blinked. "Stop fucking around and tell me."
"We need a new Ambassador to Brenecia. The current one... well, he can't take the current climate, bluntly, he's stepping down and being shipped off to Ceynes. We need someone tough, with credibility, used to hard, high-stakes diplomacy. You're on top of the situation there, aren't you?"
"Uhm." Her mind raced. "Yeah, you could say that. Yeah, no, I'm well abreast of it." A job! A proper job. "And you'll be appointing a former National frontbencher?"
"Bluntly, you did us a favour in the election."
"That's... true, and I deserved that, but fuck you all the same." Still, they were both chuckling.
"It's not a cushy gig, you know. Not now, with that madman in charge--"
"I know. I know. That makes it all the more appealing. It's just..." Guiltily, she thought back to earlier in the night. All that talk about Brenecia being the rabid dog of Esportiva, in need of being put down... if talk of that was to get back, somehow...
"Just? Just what?" An eager man, Garrick, with a fish on the hook.
"... Nothing. It's fine. I'll be there." She put down the phone, and tried to sleep with her head racing with possibilities.

* For obscure reasons, the phrase 'decade' in Nephara often refers to a rounded-up period of nine years.

NEPHARAN NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION - FORTNIGHT 1
Goalkeepers: 1 - Aranea Provost (Spartangrad, EUR), 12 - Medusa Strand (Chromatik, CMT), 20 - Tanith Arrowsmith (Dynamo Sjoedrhavn, SVJ)
Defenders: 2 - Ophelia Schrader (AFC Treason), 3 - Radeka Lind (Jinja City FC, BNJ), 5 - Reniira Clevinger (Herzegovina City FC, BNJ), 6 - Anaximander Scales (Brinemouth), 17 - August Kovac (Aries Chariots), 18 - Sven Copperhead (Crisisbless), 22 - Kyri Levering (Aries Chariots)
Midfielders: 4 - Demeter Constantine (Crisisbless), 7 - Tambra Matalin (Revolutionaries, EUR), 8 - Renate March (Herzegovina City FC, BNJ), 11 - Lili Marinca (Chromatik, CMT), 13 - Severine Reed (Raynor City United, VAL), 14 - Thalassa Fletcher (La Nueva Avenida, FFD), 15 - Tamara Ulmer (Algolia SC, SRS), 16 - Ana Crowcombe (Avenida Leal, FFD), 23 - Lindse Kvasina (Istria City FC, BNJ)
Forwards: 9 - Davor Kurtishi (AFC Corvistone), 10 - Bravura Harper (Ulsa, EUR), 21 - Latona Basilisk (Mâ Âlâmëómë, FFD)

SCHEDULE
North and South Vietnam vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Yuezhou
Tjorl vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. United Adaikes
Kamisato Ayaka Nation vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Valentine Z
Mercedini vs. Nephara
BYE
Nephara vs. The Gothanita Isles
Oberour Ar Moro vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Pluvia and the Saxean Isles
Nephara vs. North and South Vietnam
Yuezhou vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Tjorl
United Adaikes vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Kamisato Ayaka Nation
Valentine Z vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Mercedini
BYE
The Gothanita Isles vs. Nephara
Nephara vs. Oberour Ar Moro
Pluvia and the Saxean Isles vs. Nephara

by **Brenecia** » Sun May 08, 2022 4:08 am

It must have been a good day. There was a ribbon to cut and everything. People were excited for it.
It was many flavours of auspicious, if you didn't dig beneath the surface. Brenecia was finally getting a national stadium. Auspiciously timed, too; it was the fiftieth anniversary of Brenecia's arrival in the WCC. Approximately. More precisely, its fifty-second, but who was really counting?
Even the sceptics had to admit that Crown Row looked beautiful. Or at least expensive. Bands of silver locked into a curtain that surrounded the pitch in something that the press had dubbed 'a dome with commitment issues'. But it checked every state-of-the-art box. Unlike Kingsgarden, it had enough toilets, proper corporate boxes, seats that were Brenecia blue instead of faded, peeling Kingsgrove purple. And it was all to themselves! All this for one annual Cup final and like eight to ten qualifiers every other year.
Worth... it... ?
There were issues. Not least the expense. It had been given an exorbitant budget, and overrun it vastly in an attempt to get it up and running in time for the qualifying cycle. Placement was also an issue. Kingsgarden was a delapidated shithole, but it was right in the heart of the wealthy side of Rozelle, at the heart of a CBD. Truth be told, Rozelle was rife with stadia, and pretty thickly-developed in general. Crown Row, consequently, was kind of out in the middle of nowhere, rammed into the northern sprawl, far from anything. That was without even getting into the whole deal with the contractor being the cousin of the wife of...
Oh, and the fact that to cope with that budget, it wasn't... actually going to be called Crown Row. That was the name the WCC was going to use, but in all material they could get away with, the Ashburn™ Patriots would be playing at Naming Rights™ Row. Whose naming rights? It could be you!
So, built through blatant corruption using a shedload of money in the middle of nowhere only to get cemented in the public imagination as 'the Naming Rights' or 'the Hubris Dome'; was it really worth it?
Yes, thought Prime Minister Randall Kearney. It was. Because more important than any of that was the fact that he looked good holding the scissors in front of the big blue ribbon, and the fact that people cheered when he cut it. It was a big win at a time he needed it. And he needed it because of the urgent rumblings around the treasury.
They were badly in debt, and the system was crumbling under ill-conceived austerity measures. Wages were stagnant, the price of living skyrocketing. Unemployment was bloating as foreign companies sidled out to more stable landscapes.
Whisper it. Don't speak too loud, lest you bring it into being. But a spectre loomed, and its name was: recession.
But it must have been worth it, because people were cheering.

During all this, the news that Nephara was appointing Medina Klose as the new ambassador barely factored. Truth be told, Kearney did not even recognise the name.

BRENECIAN NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION - FORTNIGHT 1
Goalkeepers: 1 - Anthea Finnan (Holdenberg City, EUR), 12 - Sorcha Tanner (Southern Star), 20 - Cairbre Dundalk (North Laithland, NPH)
Defenders: 2 - Clovette Bravender (Ulsa, EUR), 3 - Mynah Seeler (Southern Star), 5 - Athelney Shrine (Southern Star), 6 - Casey Giltanan (Workers Union, EUR), 17 - Esther Sidle (SC Montfort, TLI), 18 - Iucharba Killen (North Laithland, NPH), 22 - Nimue Culpepper (Rozelle)
Midfielders: 4 - Ronan Schofield (Raynor City United, VAL), 8 - Iseult Conway (Northern Union, c), 11 - Lienke Covolan (Vermillion Rage), 13 - Consaidin Garrard (FK Metropola Borograd, STL), 19 - Kurtis Mikoliunas (Mâ Âlâmëómë, FFD), 23 - Kestutis Garrett (Northern Stallions)
Forwards: 7 - Kendra Carpenter (Wirr Tsi, CMT), 9 - Cantwell Lamorak (Twin Saints), 10 - Katua Byrne (KT Itzalovalle, AUD), 14 - Danand Tristram (Northern Stallions), 15 - Maerhen Wake (1830 Cathair, AUD), 16 - Sylvia Marusak (North Hall), 21 - Jadwiga Lofthouse (Northern Union)

SCHEDULE
Brenecia vs. Kuraita
Natanians and Nosts vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Arjunnagar
Eura vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Srednjaci
Mertagne vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Gyatso-kai
Polkopia vs. Brenecia
BYE
Brenecia vs. Maphidon
Omerica vs. Brenecia
Kuraita vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Natanians and Nosts
Arjunnagar vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Eura
Srednjaci vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Mertagne
Gyatso-kai vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Polkopia
BYE
Maphidon vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Omerica

by **Banija** » Sun May 08, 2022 5:50 am

- OOC Snip Delee: Accidentally posted roster to Roleplay thread. Sorry!

by **Tumbra** » Sun May 08, 2022 6:18 am

resistance.
resistance. /rɪˈzɪs.təns/. noun. the act of fighting against something that is attacking you, or refusing to accept something.

Blackthorn

"More developments on the Northlands today as Prime Minister Michael Kirkland announced a plan for three non-voting delegates and two shadow Senators to be allocated to the Northlands at the upcoming general election. These non-voting delegates and shadow Senators, the Prime Minister announced, would be granted the full allowance of any Member of Parliament, and be able to be heard on the same terms as other Members of Parliament — but they would be unable to vote on any legislation brought before either house of the Federal Parliament."

"Ach, turn that piss off, Claire, I don't wantae hear what any of those tosspots have to say."

"Turn it off yourself, you're closer to the remote."

"No, keep it on," a deeper, hoarse voice grunted. "This is important, even if it means we have to listen to him. I call."

"I call, too."

"You've got nothing beneath those cards, Claire MacGill. You've got nothing."

"Piss off, won't ye, Ian? Make yer choice. Call, fold, whatever."

Ian MacKellar glanced at his cards again, sighed deeply and placed his cards down on the table. "I call."

"Right," said Bernard MacBride, reaching out towards the cards on the table. Flip. Eight of spades. Flip. Ten of hearts. Flip. Two of diamonds.

Claire MacGill inhaled sharply. Bernard shot a dirty look over. "Listen, girl, you want to be a proper fighter, you've got to learn not to display every emotion that crosses your mind. I don't know what those Mytanars taught you, but they sure did a bang-up job if you came out of their country like this."

"Ach, you know, Bernard, it's these MacGills and all..."

"Piss off, Ian, I'll fucking murder you. You know, for all your big words, you're a real smarmy git, you are —"

"Enough. Raise, call or fold. This is not the time to start up conflicts again."

"...we believe that the introduction of democracy to the Northlands will hasten its integration into Tumbra. When the Northlands eventually ascends as our 26th state, we will re-look and revisit the apportionmnent of the Northlands — and, of course, as we have previously set out, the criteria we have ascertained have not been met yet..."

"Can you believe it? They're giving this place fake MPs."

"I think they'll be interested in this, though. Try and get someone who's somewhat sympathetic towards our fight elected. Better a git representing us in Parliament than someone calling for our deaths. I raise."

"Call."

"Raise."

"Getting bold, aren't ye? Call."

"Call."

Five of clubs.

"Where's Jaime, anyway? Said she'd be back by ten. It's ten-thirty."

"Maybe she's casing the place. She did spend so much time trying to convince you that the town hall was a better target than the post office. Makes sense she'd spend more time putting the work in."

"It's not about the work she's putting in, it's about her safety. Agh. Shouldn't have let her join. She's only twenty-three —"

"I'm twenty-six and you don't care as much about me."

"Oh, be quiet. I know you can take care of yourself."

"Hahahaha. Yeah, Bernard, and the sun's green. Where's your brother?" Ian asked, quizzically. "Haven't seen him since he came back from the store. He just down there tinkering with those bombs, then?"

"Probably, yeah," Claire replied somewhat dismissively.

"Seems a bit obsessed with them, don't you think?"

"He is. Loves them. Tried to convince him to go to Mytanija with me. Said no, he wanted to make a living in bombs. So off to Burgburgh he went. Taught him well, they did." She jabbed a finger towards the several bags of fertiliser in the corner. "Pity about that, though. Christ, when we received the delivery..."

"I can hear what you're saying, you know!" came the faint voice of Colt MacGill from the basement. The other three shared a laugh.

So there they were, the five of them — Bernard, the cell leader; Ian, his deputy, Claire and Colt — the two siblings, one a fighter, the other an engineer — and Jaime, the young gun. All loyalists of the newly founded United Clans. Looking to try and engage in some resistance — recruitment would be less of a possibility, since Blackthorn was essentially full of Tumbrans who'd migrated to get in on the riches of their homeland before the rest of the country got in. There was no sympathy. These people, by taking part in the imperial project of Tumbra, were colonialists; and they were fair game. Especially with what they were intending to do.

Flynn Harper had come to the Northlands in search of a better life. The Ministry propoganda had worked; and the journey was free. He was even given a bit of money to settle in; he owned — owned! — a small flat in an apartment complex in a decent location. Sure, the work he did at the town hall was menial, but everything was a lot cheaper here. Life was simpler. There were still pubs and such around; there were most of the comforts of modern life. Sure, it was hard to get out of the burgeoning city — everything was hived off due to security concerns, and the airfield really only did flights to Ridgewell — but Flynn was here more to carve out a new life for himself than to enjoy life.

Then he'd met Jaime. Well, he wouldn't exactly say met; it was more of a distance-based thing. He was a secretary; she was a Northlander who'd made the jump, and begun working for Tumbra in the hopes that one day she'd get Tumbran citizenship. She'd do menial jobs around the town hall; and more than once Flynn wondered whether if he'd ever be able to work up the courage to talk to her.

But eventually, he did; and she was surprisingly receptive. They'd gone out on several dates, but nothing ever more than that. But slowly, she'd started talking about politics; but he'd found himself gradually coming around to her point of view. Eventually, he'd told her his views had changed — and that he wasn't clear what to do with himself now.

So she'd given him a choice. Flynn and Jaime would meet at a designated street corner. She'd bring him somewhere, and he'd get the chance to decide whether he wanted to go through with it or what. What it was, he didn't know; but she seemed genuinely excited by the prospect of getting to do it.

After about ten minutes of waiting under a dim yellow streetlight, she'd approached him with a giant smile on her face — and a blindfold.

TUMBRAN SQUAD FOR WORLD CUP 91 QUALIFIERS, MD1 AND MD2: vs DAMUKUNI and @ SENDHANG
Goalkeepers: 1 - Nick Barker (FC Inter Nantwich), 12 - Andrew Taylor (Couno Rangers), 13 - George Danvers (Columbia City)
Defenders: 2 - Ryan Hughes (Lakewood City), 3 - Nigel Harris (Lakewood United) 4 - Stephen Kerr (Chromatik, CMT), 5 - Harry Henderson (Aleuisia Capital, ZRH), 14 - Ian Ashburn (Lakewood City), 18 - Nicholas Moss (Miruan City), 31 - Joel Tyler (Couno Rangers), 35 - Mike Sheppard (Kingston FC, QUE)
Midfielders: 6 - Trudy Harrison (Chromatik, CMT), 8 - Vincent Hicks (FK Metropola Borograd, STL), 10 - Phil Cole (Osarese Marcadia, AUD), 16 - Andrew Fisher
(FC Inter Nantwich), 23 - Susan Monaghan (Northern Stallions, BRE) 37 - Mark Finnemore (Couno Rangers)
Wingers: 9 - Robin Vaughn (Lakewood City), 17 - Valerie Wells (Swanguard Athletic, QUE), 21 - Lynne Crossley (Strathcona Intl's, KSK), 30 - Neil Fraser (Lakewood City)
Strikers: 11 - Nick Riordan (Sabrefell Moths, NPH), 22 - Nigel Erskine (Anomalies, CMT)

by **United Adaikes** » Sun May 08, 2022 7:15 am

With the World Cup 91 (WC91) Qualifiers (WC91Q) on the horizon, seven (7) Adaikesian national team players that played in the World Cup 90 (WC90) Qualifiers (WC90Q) are retiring. Of these seven (7), four (4) are male players retiring fully from competitive football. On the other hand, the three (3) female players are not yet ready to hang up their boots as they believe they still have something in them and will continue playing domestic football.

Retiring players:

Aaron Duncan - MF, M, 41, retiring from competitive football
Aveline Everill - FW, F, 37, retiring from international football
Dexter Marsh - GK, M, 42, retiring from competitive football
Benson Schroeder - DF, M, 40, retiring from competitive football
Makenna Emmet - MF, F, 38, retiring from international football
Cody Harrison - MF, M, 39, retiring from competitive football
Sparrow Loyola - DF, F, 37, retiring from international football

Players in bold are starting players in the national team. Ages are at the time of the start of the WC91Q.

There are also players seen to be the future of Adaikesian football as the Football Association expects them to play at least two (2) to three (3) more WCQ matches after WC90Q, three (3) of which are starters in the national team.

Star prospects of Adaikesian football:

Lorainne Kennard - DF, F, 29
Joanne Lane - MF, F, 31
Collin Maddox - FW, M, 30
Cameron Ross - MF, M, 28
Kolton Dale - FW, M, 29
Raelyn Weston - FW, F, 27
Leta Delgado - DF, F, 26
Lora Barnet - GK, F, 30

Players in bold are starting players in the national team since WC90Q. Italicized players are starting players in the national team by WC91Q. Ages are at the time of the start of the WC91Q.

Sure, Kennard, Lane, and Maddox have shown their skills in their matches. But a name came to the spotlight when MF Billy Jordan (nicknamed the Eternal Captain by fans and local pundits) shared in an interview the player he wants to be the next Captain of the national team when and if he retires. Many pundits are still undecided if Jordan's retirement will be before, by, or after WC92Q. But what shocked many pundits the most was the name Jordan bared in that interview: Cameron Ross. Before Jordan's declaration, many names were already put in the mix when Jordan also shared that he might take an early sabbatical from the international competition to focus more on the domestic premier league.

Kennard, another name thrown into the hat to take a captaincy position, is already assured of the vice-captaincy. GK Abby Kidd revealed her choice in an interview days before Jordan's declaration. Kidd knew that Jordan's decision would significantly influence who the team and the whole Football Association would select for the captaincy when Jordan decided to retire from the international competition. Kidd wants Kennard to take over because she knows about Kennard's ethics on and off the court and how she saw Kennard leading the younger players, both in the national and domestic teams.

Ross, who knows how to play in all midfield positions, is highly regarded by Jordan, also a flexible player in the midfield. Ross's skill influences Coach Dylan Burke's tactical decisions as Ross is the first midfielder to be substituted in all games. Even as a substitute, Ross played significant minutes in the WC90Q. From the 14 matchdays in the Qualifiers, Ross played 303 minutes, getting five shots (with one shot on target), ten fouls drawn, 12 crosses, 14 tackles won, and four interceptions. The stats show how aggressive Ross can be on both sides of the field. With Burke putting Ross in the starting position previously played by Duncan, pundits are expecting better performance from him in the WC91Q.

United Adaikes will start its campaign on the World Cup 91 Qualifiers with a home game against Kamisato Ayaka Nation, ranked 198th. They finished 4th in the latest Baptism of Fire (BoF), BoF78, which shows that they are no pushovers. The match will be played in the Main Stadium of the New Thraproy Sports Complex in Steskia, expecting about 70 000 fans.

Their second match in the Qualifiers looks tough as they visit Valentine Z, ranked 82nd. The two teams will play this match in the Fate Stadium in Burma, a territory of Valentine Z.

World Cup 91 [roleplays]

Boot It!: The Jags Will Come TO YOU!

Back On The WC Trail

A Better Tomorrow (Pt. 3)

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