40th World Lacrosse Championships- Everything Thread

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Normal Service Resumed in H-City
by Jeff Wallace, Sports Desk
The Western Observer

Sisonke, Banija--The National Lacrosse Team got back on track in their second Group B game against The 14 Stars with a 19-4 victory that was a result of a more focused, nearly error free lineup, relative to the group that dropped game 1 in Istria.

Head Coach Shannon Fries said afterwards that she stressed to the squad ahead of the match at Kizza I Field that patient, disciplined play was the cure for for whatever potentially was ailing the 3rd ranked Elks; she also reminded them to respect the Starsian side as an opponent regardless of their novice status.

"We talked a bit about how this was essentially a club team, who probably had some grounding in the fundamentals of the sport and wanted to represent their country as best as they could. They come out for their very first international match and it's against one of the famous names of the sport, St Saratoga. And they win, first time out. We played Wrexwic in our first ever game, who were the defending runners-up and would go on to win in 29 and only lost by a goal, which we thought was a fantastic result. That's why I told our side to go and speak to them at the end and give them encouragement."

BP led 6-0 after the first quarter and 14-2 at halftime, concentrating in the second half on possession, midfield transition and defense; two of their final 5 tallies came with the advantage after penalties, literally on the only shot attempted during each attack.

Here in Sisonke, the Elks will take on Bendicion, who had a matchday 1 bye and dropped a 13-11 decision to the previously mentioned St Saratoga on their debut; a well known face in these parts as well as in the Commonwealth, recently retired NT star and current Kitara AA player Junior Ngoba dropped in to practice to wish the team good luck and try his hand with a crosse in front of goal.

"Bit tougher than what we face on (the BPNT)! But I wanted to come around and say hey to the squad, I'm sure they know they have a good following here among the ex-pats and we're proud that Baker Park is near the top of the sport and are hoping we can finally get that first trophy here."

[Abanhfleft]

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ABANHFLEFT
NATIONAL LACROSSE TEAM

This will be Abanhfleft's seventeenth time participating in the World Lacrosse Championship. Seventeen times Abanhfleft has taken part in the WLC, and in six of those times they have emerged as champions. For reasons that can be simply summed up as "it's the best thing we've done in a while," the Democratic Republic sent forth their women's national lacrosse team for their first seven appearances in the competition. The women's team, led by the "Fearsome Threesome" of Menan Alrisheb, Fatima Alsambis, and Cecilia Cuvimi, managed to win third place in their first ever tournament WLC XIX, beating the Serbian Empire to nab the bronze from under the veteran nation's noses. They went on to win back-to-back titles in WLC 22 and WLC 23 before a miserable performance in WLC 24 saw them eliminated in the group stage, but they have come back to win it all once again in WLC 25 to set history as the first nation to win three titles in four attempts. It was then decided that it was time to switch things up, and so for the first time in WLC history, Abanhfleft sent forth a mixed team of men and women to play international lacrosse in WLC 30. And they came close, but were still unable to snag the ultimate prize, losing to the eventual winners Wrexwic in the final. Eventually, finally, Abanhfleft did pick up another title on home soil in WLC 32; unfortunately they were unable to defend it in WLC 33, and were only able to collect the bronze in Jeckland. Victory was achieved yet again in WLC 35, and the objective of becoming a six-time lacrosse champion was achieved immediately afterwards, in WLC 36. Abanhfleft couldn't stop Sarzonia from picking up title number six in Baker Park, and then the repercussions of the Ripperidone scandal affected the team during WLC 38, forcing them out at an earlier time than usual. The team came close to bowing out of the group stage in Cassadaigua, but a late surge saw the Amazons sneak into the playoffs, only for Banija to finally get one over their eternal lacrosse rivals in the semifinals. Now Abanhfleft heads right back into the lion's den with a new coach and new team captain to attempt to put an end to Sarzonia's resurgent dominance.

The history of lacrosse in Abanhfleft is both long and short, in that it has been in the country for a long time, but a concise summary of said history can be written down in just ten to fifteen sentences or maybe more. Lacross was introduced in Abanhfleft by vacationing Canadian college students and expatriates who missed playing the game. The first truly Fleftic lacrosse players came from association football and field hockey backgrounds, and these players played in seasonal lacrosse clubs to augment their salaries during their respective sports' offseasons. The first national lacrosse league in Abanhfleft was established in 1929, and was composed of 7 teams coming from the Capital Islands. The Fleftic national lacrosse league system adopted its current franchise format in 2001, with the National League (now called the Lacrosse League of Abanhfleft) separating itself from the pyramid and becoming an independent organization of its own right. The Fleftic Lacrosse Federation (Samahang Lakros ng Abanhfleft or SLA) was established in 1930 to manage the leagues, and to see to the creation of a national team. The Abanhfleft men's national lacrosse team played its first game in 1931, where they lost 1-0 to a team of Montreal college players.

1963 saw the first attempts to introduce women's lacrosse into Abanhfleft. Women's lacrosse had vastly different rules from men's lacrosse, and while these programs saw some success in the mid-sixties, Fleftic women decided that the rules of women's lacrosse were "too soft," and simply adopted the rules of men's lacrosse. When the women's national lacrosse team played its first games in 1969, they surprised many other teams with their extremely aggressive style of play, the likes of which were more usually seen in men's lacrosse games. This led to many incidents of broken legs, broken arms, broken ribs, broken jaws, and so on and so forth. Eventually, the SLA established another women's team, this one focusing on women's lacrosse rules. Teams playing Abanhfleft are well-advised to treat the women like men because the girls will certainly treat their opponents like Fleftic men.

They have won six World Lacrosse Championships, winning in WLC 22, 23, 25, 32, 35 and 36. Starting in WLC 26, the team entered a rebuilding stage in which it maintained its ranking in the multiverse as much as possible without really challenging for the title. But in WLC 30, the SLA declared the rebuilding done, and the national team backed up this announcement with a deep playoff run that went all the way to the final, where they were unfortunately stopped by Wrexwic. Abanhfleft fell in the Round of 12 against hosts Baker Park in WLC 31, but the Amazons would come out on top of the lacrosse world once again after winning the championship on their home soil in WLC 32. Fortunes have been up and down in more recent times though; while the team crashed out of the quarterfinals in WLC 33, they were able to collect a third place finish in WLC 34. The team plowed through the tough schedule created by the Casaran format in WLC 35, proving the adage that "you can only beat the teams in front of you" true. One of those teams would be Vangaziland, a fellow serial winner in the competition, and in a final sure to go down as a classic, Abanhfleft emerged as 9-6 winners to lift their record-equaling fifth title. In WLC 36, the objective was to break the record and snatch it from Sarzonia, who were also planning to do the same. The Amazons defeated the Stars in the quarterfinals of WLC 36, and the team beat such giants as Banija and Cassadaigua to lift the World Lacrosse Championship for the sixth time. Now, the mission is simple: seven in 37.

STARTING X
GK - Goalkeeper
DF - Defender
MF - Midfielder
AT - Attacker

GK - #1 Valery Hickman (30, female) (vice captain)
DF - #2 Carlos Silva (26, male)
DF - #3 Kate Graves (27, female)
DF - #4 Reina Sosa (32, female)
MF - #5 Selina Keller (32, female)
MF - #6 Kianna Kirby (30, female)
MF - #7 Robyn Williamson (25, female)
AT - #8 Vanessa Kim (27, female)
AT - #9 Dennis Koizumi (30, male)
AT - #10 Reagan Lucero (29, female) (captain)

RESERVES
GK - #11 Jarred Pigram (33, male)
DF - #12 Vincent Ordoñez (24. male)
DF - #13 Blaine Black (25, male)
DF - #14 Garry Powell (28, male)
MF - #15 Lynette Welch (26, female)
MF - #16 Darcy Garza (34, female)
MF - #17 Liana McLaughlin (32, female)
AT - #18 Alejandro Santos Norris (26, male)
AT - #19 Makaila Neilsen (31, female)
AT - #20 Helga Schuberth (23, female)

STAFF
Head Coach: Armand Silverado (44, male)

Assistant Coach - Tactics: Burt Loza (61, male)

Assistant Coach - Training: Sabine Olesson (43, female)

Additional information
Nickname: The Amazons
Colors: All white with blue, orange, and green stripes on the waistline and yellow numbers in a red circle (home kit); all red with yellow letters and numbers (away kit)
Style: Abanhfleft is an attacking team. The legacy of football and hockey players dabbling in lacrosse in its early days in Abanhfleft has resulted in a playing style that emphasizes getting the ball up front for chances to score. This, however, leaves the defense a bit thin, as at least two midfielders join the attackers in forays up to the goal, leaving behind only the defenders and the keeper. The midfield makes up for this by rushing back to their positions as soon as the opponents have acquired the ball.

RP Permissions:
Everything except killing my players is fair game.

[Banija]

The third cutoff of the 40th WLCs! Let the river run.

For the rest of the group stage, I will be offering a small prompt. These prompts are not required and there is no extra bonus for doing them compared with doing a match report or any other type of RP; they’re simply there because, with a long group stage format and many tournaments competing for attention, inspiration may be running thin. Feel free to respond in whatever format you like – or ignore them entirely.

Today's prompt is about transfers of power in your nation. How do political transfers of power happen on a national level? Are your heads of state/Government elected? Is power hereditary? Is it through an explicitly defined, written-down constitutional process, or is it much more of a chaotic process?

Matchday 3

Group A
The Cordian Isles 12–10 Vangaziland
Delaclava 16–9 Sudilia
Hannasea 4–10 Great Orange

Group A                       Pld  W  L   GF  GA  GD 
1 Delaclava                    3   3  0   33  16 +17
2 Great Orange                 3   2  1   22  21  +1
3 Banija                       2   2  0   35   7 +28
4 The Cordian Isles            3   2  1   26  26   0
5 Hannasea                     2   0  2    8  15  −7
6 Sudilia                      3   0  3   21  33 −12
7 Vangaziland                  2   0  2   12  39 −27

Group B
Baker Park 20–8 Bendicion
Abanhfleft 9–8 The 14 Stars
Natanians and Nosts 8–9 Qasden

  Group B                     Pld  W  L   GF  GA  GD 
1 Abanhfleft                   3   3  0   43  21 +22
2 Qasden                       3   2  1   23  37 −14
3 Baker Park                   3   2  1   48  22 +26
4 The 14 Stars                 3   1  2   21  36 −15
5 St. Saratoga                 2   1  1   21  20  +1
6 Natanians and Nosts          2   0  2   17  23  −6
7 Bendicion                    2   0  2   19  33 −14

Group C
HUElavia 9–7 StrayaRoos
Arjunnagar 9–10 South Jeolerina
Cassadaigua 7–7 Ranoria (10–9 OT)

  Group C                     Pld  W  L   GF  GA  GD 
1 South Jeolerina              3   3  0   36  28  +8
2 HUElavia                     3   2  1   28  28   0
3 Ranoria                      3   1  2   34  34   0
4 Arjunnagar                   3   1  2   37  39  −2
5 Cassadaigua                  2   1  1   24  27  −3
6 Republic of Ludwigsburg      2   1  1   23  18  +5
7 StrayaRoos                   2   0  2   10  18  −8

Group D
Sarzonia 23–4 Quebec & Shingoryeo
Geektopia 8–15 Bollonich
Kriegiersien 9–16 Soldera

  Group D                     Pld  W  L   GF  GA  GD 
1 Sarzonia                     3   3  0   49  19 +30
2 Kyhun                        2   2  0   32  22 +10
3 Soldera                      3   2  1   39  32  +7
4 Kriegiersien                 2   1  1   22  19  +3
5 Bollonich                    3   1  2   32  38  −6
6 Geektopia                    3   0  3   21  41 −20
7 Quebec & Shingoryeo          2   0  2   14  38 −24

[Sarzonia]

Each of the four first place sides in the WLC won their matches on Matchday 3 to improve to 3-0.

That much was pretty much a given. After all, Group A leaders Delaclava were facing an unranked Sudilla side that has since dropped to 0-3 following the Phoenixes' 16-9 win. Abanhfleft had more trouble than expected against The 14 Stars, another unranked side, sneaking past them 9-8 to also improve the former world champions to 3-0. Speaking of one-goal triumphs over unranked opponents, same thing for South Jeolinera, which won their match over Arjunnagar 10-9.

In Group D, Sarzonia were the only team facing a ranked opponent in No. 17 Quebec and Shingoryeo. The geopolitical intrigue was potentially a larger storyline than the action on the pitch as Sarzonia's Senior Vice President for External Affairs Tam Carter invited their Quebecois counterpart to watch the match in the executive suites and potentially open the door to warmer relations between the longstanding Atlantian Oceania nation in Sarzonia and the Anaian nation Quebec and Shingoryeo. The action on the pitch wasn't expected to take centre stage, not with Sarzonia expecting to have a more difficult time against Quebec and Shingoryeo than the other first place sides had against their unranked foes.

Instead, Sarzonia played on the pitch like a team with something to prove. They played like a team that wanted to show their No. 1 ranking, their three consecutive WLC crowns and eight titles overall were not a fluke. If there were any doubters before the match, they were certainly silenced in a big way to the tune of a 23-4 slaughter where Sarzonia asserted the disparity in rankings points between it and No. 2 Banija should be considered an underestimate. The Stars not only controlled the action from the opening faceoff, but the competitive portion of the contest was over after the first quarter saw the Stars leading 9-2. They held the Grim Reapers off the scoresheet in the second quarter and only allowed single tallies in the third and fourth quarters. Meanwhile, Sarzonia didn't let its foot off the petrol until they'd already scored their 20th goal of the match.

"We felt like we wanted to make a statement that we're still the best in lacrosse," attack Colin Grassley said after he scored four goals in the first half. He sat out the second half as did fellow attack Nick Loewen, who notched three goals of his own as the Stars raced to a 13-2 halftime advantage. The win kept alive Sarzonia's record WLC match win streak at 31 matches and asserted the team's status as a favourite to complete an unprecedented four-peat. They will face fellow Group D unbeatens Kyhun, who were idle. Soldera improved their mark to 2-1 with a 16-9 upset win over No. 7 Kriegiersien, giving the collection of beer leaguers and amateurs a suddenly favourable position to possibly advance to the knockout rounds. They will get a badly needed matchday off after the surprisingly easy victory, which coach Matt Chastain said the team will use to work on conditioning.

For Stars manager Jordan Helms, it's unclear what he needs to do to motivate his team as they seem to be extremely well motivated to further separate themselves as the creme of the lacrosse-playing crop.

"We're after a legacy," he said. "It's still unfinished and will be until these players and this coaching staff decide it's time."

[Soldera]

Soldera winning one match at the World Lacrosse Championships in Banija was one thing.

Matt Chastain and his bunch figured they might have a chance to pull off a win against one of the three unranked sides in Group D, which they did against Geektopia despite being forced to play overtime. They figured if they were going to have any chance to make even the slightest impact on the tournament, they would have to hold serve against unranked sides and hope to perhaps pull off an upset against one of the ranked teams.

They figured their best chance might be defeating 17th ranked Quebec and Shingoryeo as the lowest ranked of the four teams that brought ranks into WLC Group D. They already lost to No. 1 Sarzonia. They also had No. 7 Kriegiersien up next and No. 14 Bollonich looming in the distance. Fellow unranked Kyhun were looking like worldbeaters, although their mettle would be tested on Matchday 4 against Sarzonia. But any prognosticator worth their salt was likely to pencil in their match against Kriegiersien as a loss.

That's why they don't play the matches on paper. Soldera came in and looked like a team that was not only rounding into lacrosse form, but they scarcely resembled a team struggling to get into basic athletic shape with a stunning 16-9 victory that brought them to within a half game of Kyhun and one game behind a Stars team that killed off the Grim Reapers by a 23-4 margin.

The fact that Soldera's victory didn't even send the most shockwaves from Group D wasn't lost on Chastain, who said his team's victory coupled with Sarzonia's sweeping wins over two of the highest ranked teams showed that his team was better than he had a right to expect.

"Look, we've played well our past two matches, and we fought hard against Sarzonia," he said. "The way that Sarzonia's playing right now, they're demolishing some of the best teams in this competition right now. If I'm Jordan Helms, I'm hoping they aren't peaking too early."

If the WLC group stage ended now, both Kyhun and Soldera would join the Stars and Kriegiersien in the knockout rounds from Group D. It's a position Chastain certainly didn't expect his charges to be in, but he noticed with pride that his team's conditioning was markedly improved from its outing against Geektopia, which fell to 0-3 with a 15-8 loss to Bollonich.

"The boys needed to get some rest and work on conditioning," Chastain said. "We also wanted to do mental reps to be ready for what Kriegiersien was going to throw against us."

The Snakes (2-1) will get a well-deserved break and plan to watch Sarzonia and Kyhun take each other on for Group D supremacy. As for which team the Snakes are rooting for, Chastain had no answer.

"We just want this to be a great match," he said. "We plan to learn from both teams."

[Delaclava]

Points 4 and 5 in the below article are somewhat a response to the previous prompt, if you're curious

Rock Paper Scissors

Fast Five: A quick roundup of what you missed

1. Delaclava controlled the action from start to finish and showed the value of their experience against Sudilia. The Phoenixes stuck to a gameplan, played physically, and got star performances from Grigor Padun (seven goals), Lauri Teunissen (20 of 26 faceoffs won) and David Wallin (13 saves) in a 16-9 victory over the debutants. Delaclava never trailed and set the tone by leading 6-2 after one quarter.

"There's not a lot to say about every game," veteran attacker Michael Querrey said. "We went out as the better team and took care of business. We're in a good position to know we have games where we can do that."

The game was especially a timely emergence for Wallin. Perhaps he faced more pressure to stand tall in a tight defensive game like that against Hannasea, but by pure magnitude of shots on goal and quality of play, Sudilia was the first team to really challenge him in the late stages of the game, but he held firm, made several key saves in the fourth quarter to tamp down hopes of a comeback, and transformed himself from a mere presence to a real aaset of this team that's hoping to make the late stages of this Championship for the first time in the modern era.

2. The victory puts Delaclava atop the table in Group A. With a generous knockout cutoff for this tournament - a Round of 16 in a field of 28 - the Phoenixes only have needed to play solidly to advance that far. but the hope was that Delaclava could at least mix it up with defending runners-up and hosts Banija, and the Cordian Isles. But The Cordian Isles slipped on Day 1, and an off-day for the hosts means that Delaclava got to be first to three wins all by themselves and temporarily sit atop the table.

The Phoenixes have played the easy half of their schedule, and now must take on Vangaziland, Banija, and The Cordian Isles in order. Vangaziland is still smarting from a devastating opening loss to Banija (27-2) and could not adequately recovery against The Cordian Isles, losing 12-10, but the one-time champions and former perennial contenders remain a threat on the right day. Meanwhile, even if the Phoenixes are very near clinching a spot in the Round of 16, poor performances to close off the preliminary stage could spell doom in the win-or-die games.

Coach Lachlan Morris didn't feign ignorance on these matters. "We know what the table looks like. Our goal is always to win the next game, but anyone who says they don't pay attention to what's going on in the draw is lying or delusional. We're glad to be 3-0, but we know what kind of target that puts on us. We're about to find out how well we handle that."

3. The ball-bashing - at least for now - has come to an end. The Phoenixes didn't exactly make waves with their first performance in Herzegovina City, a gritty 5-4 victory over Hannasea, but they managed to cause quite the kerfuffle after several players blamed the anemic offense and low scoring - in all of the Group A games - quality of the balls used for the day. To their credit, the Delaclav staff and the Banijan organizers were generally diplomatic in handling the issue, and the problems didn't persist.

It was Group B's turn to take the field in Herzegovina City, and Abanhfleft and Baker Park managed to pour in on their hapless victims, scoring 20 and 19 goals. Meanwhile, Group A made its way to Istria and saw marked improvement, with the Phoenixes putting up 12 goals in a lockdown of Great Orange and Banija obliterating Vangaziland 27-2. The offense continued to flow at more respectable levels yesterday in Mynda, with the six teams tallying 61 goals total - 69% greater than Day 1. (Nice!)

In the words of Lachlan Morris, "I don't have a conclusion on whether anything changed or what different. But I do want to thank the members of the Banijan Olympic Committee who took our concerns seriously and investigated the issue. Everyone in that organization who didn't already should follow their lead."

And as new captain Grigor Padun pointed out, "It's not a competitive fairness issue. We're dealing with the same situation as the other tea, right? It's just good for the legitimacy of the sport that everything is done properly." But asked about the balls used in Days 2 and 3, "Yes, there absolutely was a change they made. It was a completely different ball game. They must have done it in Herzegovina City too - and right on them."

Whatever happened, it seems like a moo point now.

4. Lacrosse is hot in the streets now... Lacrosse has historically been a fringe sport in Delaclava, always far from the popularity of tennis, athletics, and gridiron, and eternally left behind by the likes of basketball and hockey. Any sort of momentum the sport picked up from a lax-loving counterculture and a runner-up finish in the 16th Championship was quickly vanquished at the onset of the isolation era. And the sport took a big reputational hit amid the dominance of the Pussonne Serpents and the subsequent revelations of competitive misconduct, threatening the very existence of ULTimate after just a few years.

But the sport has recovered from a more exciting and evenly matched league, as well as inspired performances against Abanhfleft and Taxonomic Kingdoms in the previous edition of the Championship. And the news came yesterday that DSGN is investing in the sport of lacrosse, inking a TV and subscription deal with ULTimate for the next five years. The league therefore makes its move from the web-based platform ULTivision to the big show, and the hope is that the network will invest in the sport, market the league to its subscribers, and make this deal more than worth its while.

If you're hoping to get started right away, this deal unfortunately does not include the rights to WLC 40... unless the Phoenixes make it to the quarterfinals. Actually, DSGN will be carrying the last three rounds of this Championship regardless of who plays, so it's a great deal whether you're a hardcore fan or a casual who will only watch the purple and gold.

5. ...and so is Grigor Padun. Some of the sport's new popularity has to be credited to the younger, more likable star power. The Karajans and the rest of the Serpents were talented but never exactly approachable. Perhaps the likes of Michael Querrey and Frankie Joseph garnered admiration and optimism for their teams, but like the Eastfield Lodge soccer team or any Drawkland national team, it's hard to hold on through an utter dearth of success.

A revamped league needed fresh faces, and Grigor Padun has been a godsend. Young, talented to boot - the MVP of the champion Kalinin WInterwolves - amicable with the right splash of competitive fire, attractive with blond hair and blue eyes - Padun is practically a sports marketer's dream. And Padun himself has cashed in on that opportunity. Early graphics and promotions indicate that the 26-year-old will be the face of the DSGN deal, but Padun has reportedly inked lucrative sponsorship deals with athletic clothing brand Slic (pronounced "sleek"), cologne maker Le Faucon, and occasional panel appearances on the TV show Match Game.

Perhaps initially, he may seem to the masses like one of those guys who's "famous for being famous", but you figure at some point, plugging his name in a search engine is going to bring up videos of what he's capable of on a lacrosse pitch, and that can only be good for the game.

[Banija]

"We're here for a good time, and a long time"- how Banijan players feel about a WLC on home soil

BUSUKUMA, NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION- For Matchday 3, and the few days leading up to it, the Banijan national lacrosse team scattered across the country, going home to visit their families and hometowns and what not. The Head Coach had given them that time off with their bye- "crucial" time off, according to the manager. "Everybody needs to recuperate every once in a while." He told reporters. "It was fortunate that our bye came in the middle of the group stage. A much easier time to send everyone home, rather than towards the beginning where we are simply trying to gain our bearings and a foothold." One of those benefits of playing at home.

There has been plenty of lacrosse played in Banija over the years, as this is the third WLCs that are held on home soil. The first, however, since WLC 29- nearly 36 years ago. We talked to a few players, to get their quotes and opinions on how they feel about playing in a tournament on home soil.

Goaltender Samba Uster.

- "There are tremendous advantages to playing at home. The ability to go home, for at least two days, in the midst of a tournament, is absolutely something that I would call a blessing. They were great days to just get away from the stress, and simply relax. I was able to see my son in his elementary school production of Cats even! Now, we've gotten back together, and everybody is both rejuvenated and excited to take on The Cordian Isles in our nation's capitol city."

Defender Alansana Gaye.

- "The fan support that we've received in the Moravica Region so far throughout this tournament has been tremendous. You've all heard the crowds. They've been engaged and ferocious, as people have come out with all sorts of energy to get behind the green and orange. We know that support is going to extend across the entirety of the country. The crowd support really helps us on the field- it keeps us engaged, energized, and focused, and provides that extra boost of motivation when we may not necessarily be able to get it ourselves."

Middy and Captain Birta Tiyana.

- "As the national team captain, I can see what the beauty of a home WLC can do for the growth of the game in Banija. The growth of the game in so many different ways- among youth, and among fans, and among the general consciousness. I've seen more coverage of the sport, on television, over the past week and a half or so than I've ever seen in Banija. Seeing so many jerseys being worn, you're seeing numbers about television ratings, fan attendance, etc... It's just all fantastic. Hopefully we can really engage the populace with a knockout stage run here on home soil."

Attacker Lula Bullo.

- "Having this tournament in Banija is absolutely going to help, especially when we get to those big games. Delaclava on Matchday 5? There's quite a chance that we have a pair of unbeaten teams, going for an unassailable advantage in Group A. Home field is absolutely going to make a difference in such a game against the Phoenixes, who are a regional rival. And that's going to be amplified even further for the knockout stages. I know what they say- we've hosted this tournament twice, and we've never won a knockout stage game in Banija. That streak is going to end this year. And we hope we can win a few more than a singular knockout stage contest."

Attacker Bango Sene.

- "Getting to tour the entire country, in such a format, is absolutely a treat. We're able to see the lacrosse passion throughout so many different cities in this nation. I'm born and bred in Hoima, and I play for the Gators. Is it fairly disappointing that we won't hit Hoima, but I'm going to all these various cities, finally, as a home player. Istria fans, Herzegovina City fans, Busukuma fans, etc... Places where I'd usually get booed, I'm getting cheered. It is the beauty of the national team- and playing on home soil really gets you to see how, despite our very serious club rivalries, how the country unites behind the national team when the WLCs come around. That is important for us to do as players, and when the fans set such a good example, how can you not go all-in?"

[Banija]

The fourth cutoff of the 40th WLCs! In the eye of a hurricane, there is quiet.

For the rest of the group stage, I will be offering a small prompt. These prompts are not required and there is no extra bonus for doing them compared with doing a match report or any other type of RP; they’re simply there because, with a long group stage format and many tournaments competing for attention, inspiration may be running thin. Feel free to respond in whatever format you like – or ignore them entirely.

Today's prompt is about sports consumption in your country. How are your lacrosse fans watching this tournament? Is it primarily through television? Are there radio options? Or are they streaming on the internet? Or, of course, are fans VPNing the tourney? Is it some combination thereof, or something I haven't mentioned? Are any networks/streamers/radio stations running ad campaigns for the tournament? Are they using stars from other walks of life(celebrities, politicians, athletes from other sports, etc...) to promote their coverage?

Matchday 4

Group A
Sudilia 13–14 Hannasea
Vangaziland 11–6 Delaclava
Banija 21–13 The Cordian Isles

  Group A                     Pld  W  L   GF  GA  GD 
1 Banija                       3   3  0   56  20 +36
2 Delaclava                    4   3  1   39  27 +12
3 Great Orange                 3   2  1   22  21  +1
4 The Cordian Isles            4   2  2   39  47  −8
5 Hannasea                     3   1  2   22  28  −6
6 Vangaziland                  3   1  2   23  45 −22
7 Sudilia                      4   0  4   34  47 −13

Group B
The 14 Stars 19–5 Natanians and Nosts
Bendicion 8–12 Abanhfleft
St. Saratoga 2–18 Baker Park

  Group B                     Pld  W  L   GF  GA  GD 
1 Abanhfleft                   4   4  0   55  29 +26
2 Baker Park                   4   3  1   66  24 +42
3 The 14 Stars                 4   2  2   40  41  −1
4 Qasden                       3   2  1   23  37 −14
5 St. Saratoga                 3   1  2   23  38 −15
6 Bendicion                    3   0  3   27  45 −18
7 Natanians and Nosts          3   0  3   22  42 −20

Group C
South Jeolerina 7–8 Cassadaigua
StrayaRoos 11–12 Arjunnagar
Republic of Ludwigsburg 12–14 HUElavia

  Group C                     Pld  W  L   GF  GA  GD 
1 South Jeolerina              4   3  1   43  36  +7
2 HUElavia                     4   3  1   42  40  +2
3 Arjunnagar                   4   2  2   49  50  −1
4 Cassadaigua                  3   2  1   32  34  −2
5 Republic of Ludwigsburg      3   1  2   35  32  +3
6 Ranoria                      3   1  2   34  34   0
7 StrayaRoos                   3   0  3   21  30  −9

Group D
Bollonich 6–16 Kriegiersien
Quebec & Shingoryeo 11–8 Geektopia
Kyhun 7–12 Sarzonia

Group D                       Pld  W  L   GF  GA  GD 
1 Sarzonia                     4   4  0   61  26 +35
2 Soldera                      3   2  1   39  32  +7
3 Kriegiersien                 3   2  1   38  25 +13
4 Kyhun                        3   2  1   39  34  +5
5 Bollonich                    4   1  3   38  54 −16
6 Quebec & Shingoryeo          3   1  2   25  46 −21
7 Geektopia                    4   0  4   29  52 −23

[Sarzonia]

Even though their first two victories came against ranked opponents, it would have been easy to dismiss unranked Kyhun's success in earning a 2-0 record thus far as merely a fluke.

After all, they earned five-goal victories over both Bollonich, admittedly the 14th ranked team in the lacrosse-playing multiverse and Quebec and Shingoryeo, the 17th ranked team en route to their start. Neither team have been playing particularly well in the early going in Group D of the 40th World Lacrosse Championships with Quebec and Shingoryeo finally winning their first match in a rebound effort from being demolished by top ranked Sarzonia. Granted, the win for the Grim Reapers was a lot closer than it should be against a winless Geektopia, but a win is a win. Also, Bollonich just dropped a 10-goal decision to Kriegiersien, even though they're the seventh ranked team in the multiverse, their 1-3 record with two more matches left suggests that the knockout rounds may not include their participation.

However, Kyhun can only play the teams in front of them. They would get their biggest test so far against the Stars, as the two teams battled it out for Group D supremacy. A win for Kyhun would not only put a screeching halt on Sarzonia's 31-match consecutive WLC win streak, but it would also set them up as a surprising favourite to advance to the knockout rounds in a sport notorious for giving newcomers a chance.

So what happened? Sarzonia broke open a match that was only a one-goal margin at the half and stormed to a 12-7 victory that improved their record in this WLC to 4-0, dropping Kyhun to 2-1 and reasserting their place atop the Group D table. Defensively was where the normally attack-minded Stars shined brightest against Kyhun, limiting the unranked side to one second half goal as Noah Ryanson won seven of the eight faceoffs he took in the second half. After the match, all the talk in the Stars dressing room was how tough the newcomers played them.

"You've gotta give their team credit," goalkeeper Matt Henning (eight saves) said. "They kept battling and forcing us to fire shots sooner than we wanted. They also forced our defence to work a lot harder than I think we expected to have to. This was definitely not an easy match by any stretch of the imagination."

The results leave three teams currently sitting at 2-1 as the Stars are getting set to have their bye. They will watch as the other three teams vying for second, Kriegiersien, Kyhun and Soldera jockey for position in the hopes of securing one of four knockout round berths from Group D. Sarzonia (4-0) haven't wrapped up the group title or a spot in the knockout rounds yet, but it's looking increasingly likely that the Stars will make yet another trip to the knockout rounds. To wit: Sarzonia have only failed to qualify for the knockout rounds four times out of 22 previous WLC qualification efforts, garnering just two losing campaigns and a .500 record once.

However, manager Jordan Helms isn't interested in looking at the past or a future that potentially could see him and his team hoist the WLC championship trophy for the fourth consecutive time. He's only interested in what's in front of him.

"We've got a match against Geektopia after the bye, and I know they're itching to get after us," he said. "Then we close out against Kriegiersien in a match that could still decide the identity of the group winners."

Even if the events of Sarzonia's Matchday Five bye decide where Sarzonia are in terms of their postseason aspirations, one thing is clear about this team. They will keep finding ways to remain motivated regardless of whom and when they play.

"One day at a time," attack Martin Page said. "That's all we can focus on."

[Banija]

Public Television inks 3 tournament WLC deal- will hold exclusive rights to the WLCs through WLC 42

BUSUKUMA, NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION- Before the tournament, Matong Sports Television made a bid for television rights to broadcast the World Lacrosse Championships. But, ever since WLC 21, there has been only one broadcaster in Banija for this tournament- and that has always been Public Television. While Matong Sports Television has gotten rights in all sorts of tournaments, from World Cup Qualifiers, to baseball, to all sorts of other sports, lacrosse authorities in Banija has stuck with their traditional partners at public television. After WLC 39, Matong Sports Television made a bid to try and get the rights to this tournament- trying to make headway among a small, but very passionate, fanbase.

"Banijan Public Television has long been the leading sports broadcaster in this country." The CEO of Public Television told reporters, after making the announcement. "We have long been a friend to lacrosse in this country. Holding the rights to the BCSG national lacrosse playoff tournament, as well as both BLL rights and WLC rights, makes us the exclusive home of high-level across in this country. A WLC on home soil, for obvious reasons, is going to be a boon for the network, which is good both for the sport in this country, and for the taxpayers- whom we are ultimately accountable to, as a network. We expect this to be the highest rated WLC ever in Banija, simply because it is the first tournament happening on home soil in over 35 years."

It is yet another strike in the budding rivalry between Banija's main two sports broadcasters- Matong Sports Television, and Public Television. While Public Television historically had the dominant position for sports broadcasting rights, the formation of Matong Sports Television has turned the sports broadcasting scene in Banija upside down. Matong Sports Television has bought rights to all sorts of media in Banija- from contracts as big as exclusive broadcasting rights for the World Baseball Classic, to splitting rights to tournament like World Cup Qualifying and World Cup Qualifiers. Lacrosse is one of the few sports that they have failed to make any major breakthrough in. While they broadcast regular season games for a number of collegiate conferences, they have always failed to get professional level rights, both at the WLCs, and for the BLL. They were able to broadcast lacrosse as part of the AOlympics, but that is it.

Other News
- Banija, coming out of a bye, rolled through the Cordian Isles in WLC competition, downing them 21-13. With Delaclava's surprising loss to Vangaziland, it put the Banijans in sole possesion of first place in Group A, just over the halfway mark. The biggest game of the group is upcoming on Matchday 5- if Banija defeats Delaclava, it'll give them a stranglehold in the group, while a win for the Phoenixes will give them the advantage to finish atop Group A.

[Banija]

The fifth cutoff of the 40th WLCs! Is it closing time yet?

Matchday 5

Key
Red- Cannot advance to the knockout stages
Green- Clinched top 4 spot in group, and therefore clinched berth in the Round of 16

Group A
Delaclava 10–21 Banija
Hannasea 10–9 Vangaziland
Great Orange 9–7 Sudilia

  Group A                     Pld  W  L   GF  GA  GD 
1 Banija                       4   4  0   77  30 +47
2 Delaclava                    5   3  2   49  48  +1
3 Great Orange                 4   3  1   31  28  +3
4 Hannasea                     4   2  2   32  37  −5
5 The Cordian Isles            4   2  2   39  47  −8
6 Vangaziland                  4   1  3   32  55 −23
7 Sudilia                      5   0  5   41  56 −15

Group B
Abanhfleft 17–12 St. Saratoga
Natanians and Nosts 11–4 Bendicion
Qasden 9–6 The 14 Stars

  Group B                     Pld  W  L   GF  GA  GD 
1 Abanhfleft                   5   5  0   72  41 +31
2 Qasden                       4   3  1   32  43 −11
3 Baker Park                   4   3  1   66  24 +42
4 The 14 Stars                 5   2  3   46  50  −4
5 Natanians and Nosts          4   1  3   33  46 −13
6 St. Saratoga                 4   1  3   35  55 −20
7 Bendicion                    4   0  4   31  56 −25

Group C
Arjunnagar 4–11 Republic of Ludwigsburg
Cassadaigua 13–5 StrayaRoos
Ranoria 12–17 South Jeolerina

Group C                       Pld  W  L   GF  GA  GD 
1 South Jeolerina              5   4  1   60  48 +12
2 Cassadaigua                  4   3  1   45  39  +6
3 HUElavia                     4   3  1   42  40  +2
4 Republic of Ludwigsburg      4   2  2   46  36 +10
5 Arjunnagar                   5   2  3   53  61  −8
6 Ranoria                      4   1  3   46  51  −5
7 StrayaRoos                   4   0  4   26  43 −17

Group D
Geektopia 18–13 Kyhun
Kriegiersien 20–10 Quebec & Shingoryeo
Soldera 9–14 Bollonich

  Group D                     Pld  W  L   GF  GA  GD 
1 Sarzonia                     4   4  0   61  26 +35
2 Kriegiersien                 4   3  1   58  35 +23
3 Kyhun                        4   2  2   52  52   0
4 Bollonich                    5   2  3   52  63 −11
5 Soldera                      4   2  2   48  46  +2
6 Quebec & Shingoryeo          4   1  3   35  66 −31
7 Geektopia                    5   1  4   47  65 −18

[Kriegiersien]

Harry Gummibear was foaming with rage.

"We lost against Soldera, an unranked team. Amateurs. Who play the sport a bit in their free time. They beat you!"

He looked around in sad faces.

"Look at you. Do you remember the beginning, the first Championships? When you were... hunters and fishermen and what ever you lot did at that time."

"Looting and raiding", said one of the orcs.

"Yeah, that. You were proud warriors, you were fighting. You were like these guys. Hungry. Brutal."

"I am still brutal."

"Shut up, Warok. Look at you now. You get good money and are doing nothing else than playing Lacrosse. But you got sloppy. Satisfied. Fat.."
He needed a while before he found a player with a basic beginning of a belly to point at.

"... slow, arrogant...comfortable... Next thing you suddenly want to have real jerseys."

Most players looked at him confused. Many of them, especially the Xvarts still didn't talk the language good enough to understand all the words.

"You want to win the World Cup? You want to become famous? Then go out there and destroy these guys from Bollonich. Show them who you are. Woha!"

The players looked at him, still confused.

Chieftain Umbalumba stood up slowly, said some words to the Xvarts in their language. He ended with a 'Woha!' what sounded much less enthusiastic than Harry had shouted it, but now all of the team answered, first the Xvarts, then the rest of the players.

"WOHA!"

They rushed out onto the field to crush Bollonich.

[Delaclava]

Rock Paper Scissors

Free-falling Phoenixes in must-win situation

It all came apart so fast.

The Delaclava national lacrosse team was on a roll, winning its first three games in a World Championship for the first time since its inspired silver medal run in the Licentian Isles. They were well on their way to the second half of the 40th championship in Banija as a surprise new contender... until they weren't.

It was the offense that collapsed first, the offense that had finally found its form with 16 goals against Sudilia. But when they ran into the defense of Vangaziland that not long ago allowed twenty-seven goals to Banija, the Phoenixes played nothing like the Lions - and nothing like themselves. They were hurried and impatient, and it only grew worse as a stingy and chippy (dirty?) team continued to lock them down. Delaclava left the field with its first defeat by an 11-6 scoreline, but the worst was yet to come.

Facing Banija on their own ground was never going to be an easy task, but you figure a capable team like the Phoenixes would have enough momentum from their previous wins to make it a close one. No such luck. Almost completely unbothered by the downpour, the Lions obliterated the Phoenixes, blitzing them from the get-go and sloshing around the pitch faster than the Phoenixes could keep up. Bango Sene was presenting an awful matchup problem for Jake Lilly, overwhelming the veteran defender with his speed and strength and leading one to think, those four years between the two of them must be four rough years. Grigor Padun and Michael Querrey were more than respectful in the offensive zone - they just were never there. The Lions held possession for much of the game and at times scored at will, leading 12-4 at the half.

"It was rough out there," Padun said. "We practically felt like we were watching the game. They didn't give us a chance."

The result leaves Delaclava with a must-win situation against another regional foe, The Cordian Isles. In the mechanics of the competition, it's not necessary. With plenty of teams able to settle around 3 or 4 wins in Group A, there are many ways the Phoenixes can pass through to the Round of 16 without one more win.

It certainly helps, of course. Delaclava will clinch a spot with a win, and enter the crucial phase of the tournament on a one-game winning streak over a top-10 team.

If they lose, Delaclava are out; or they are in, after waiting for the rest of the dust on the final two days to settle, but will likely have to contend with a Sarzonia, Abanhfleft, or Baker Park, while riding a three-game losing streak.

Coach Lachlan Morris is well aware of the situation - but admits he's at a loss to handle it. "This is a new situation for all of us. We're used to trying to battle back from adversity, but never this had-it-and-lost-it. I wish I had more than just taking it one game at a time..."

"We've had some very good play thus far. We need to get out of our own way and find it again."

Let's hope it's fast - otherwise, one way or another, the Phoenixes will be once again packing up.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Fleftics await following MD 5 off-day
by Jeff Wallace, Sports Desk
The Western Observer

Busukuma, Banija--The National Lacrosse Team spent their bye here in the National Capital District ahead of their game against Group B leaders Abanhfleft at the Mugisha III Memorial Stadium, and had their final practice ahead of the match at the venue; Head Coach Shannon Fries talked to the team about her recollections of the last BPNLT visit to Busukuma, the 24-3 loss to Qasden in the Playoff Round of WLC 29.

The Elks and Amazons will meet for the ninth time in history, with the Flefts holding a 5-3 edge in the series having won the two most previous encounters; having already clinched a berth in the knockout round and having a bye on MD 7, it remains to be seen if they will look to keep their perfect record intact or rest some of their starters to be ready for the playoffs.

"I think they'll want to establish their position as one of the group winners with an eye on overtaking us in the rankings (BP are 3rd and Abanhfleft are 5th) as well as earning the number one seed overall. That's how we're going to approach it, as must win to get past the Vans in the table. We've looked sharp during our practices here and the rest has allowed everyone to get over the niggles and bumps that build up over a short schedule."

Baker Park currently have the best defense among the 28 teams in WLC 40, allowing just 6 goals per game, and the second best goal difference behind hosts Banija, having outscored their last three opponents 57-14; Fries believes that a tight defensive struggle will play out against the Amazons, who have won their previous three matches by a total of 10 goals.

"We've not had the close results that they've overcome, but I feel as though we're reaching our optimal performance level, and that will be reflected in how well we slow down the attack. We've talked about discipline and not committing silly fouls to put us in short handed situations, so if we can stay relatively clean, I really like our chances."

[Banija]

The sixth cutoff of the 40th WLCs! Let me photograph you in this group stage light!

Reminder, the next cutoff isn't until at least 72 hours from now, according to the schedule. See you Monday bright and early!

Matchday 6

Key
Red- Cannot advance to the knockout stages
Green- Clinched top 4 spot in group, and therefore clinched berth in the Round of 16

Group A
Vangaziland 13–14 Great Orange
Banija 13–5 Hannasea
The Cordian Isles 0–6 Delaclava

  Group A                     Pld  W  L   GF  GA  GD 
1 Banija                       5   5  0   90  35 +55
2 Delaclava                    6   4  2   55  48  +7
3 Great Orange                 5   4  1   45  41  +4
4 Hannasea                     5   2  3   37  50 −13
5 The Cordian Isles            5   2  3   39  53 −14
6 Vangaziland                  5   1  4   45  69 −24
7 Sudilia                      5   0  5   41  56 −15

Group B
Bendicion 5–4 Qasden
St. Saratoga 9–15 Natanians and Nosts
Baker Park 13–16 Abanhfleft

  Group B                     Pld  W  L   GF  GA  GD 
1 Abanhfleft                   6   6  0   88  54 +34
2 Qasden                       5   3  2   36  48 −12
3 Baker Park                   5   3  2   79  40 +39
4 The 14 Stars                 5   2  3   46  50  −4
5 Natanians and Nosts          5   2  3   48  55  −7
6 St. Saratoga                 5   1  4   44  70 −26
7 Bendicion                    5   1  4   36  60 −24

Group C
StrayaRoos 8–9 Ranoria
Republic of Ludwigsburg 9–8 Cassadaigua
HUElavia 9–9 Arjunnagar (12–11 OT)

Group C                       Pld  W  L   GF  GA  GD 
1 South Jeolerina              5   4  1   60  48 +12
2 HUElavia                     5   4  1   54  51  +3
3 Republic of Ludwigsburg      5   3  2   55  44 +11
4 Cassadaigua                  5   3  2   53  48  +5
5 Ranoria                      5   2  3   55  59  −4
6 Arjunnagar                   6   2  4   64  73  −9
7 StrayaRoos                   5   0  5   34  52 −18

Group D
Quebec & Shingoryeo 12–13 Soldera
Kyhun 9–8 Kriegiersien
Sarzonia 17–7 Geektopia

  Group D                     Pld  W  L   GF  GA  GD 
1 Sarzonia                     5   5  0   78  33 +45
2 Soldera                      5   3  2   61  58  +3
3 Kyhun                        5   3  2   61  60  +1
4 Kriegiersien                 5   3  2   66  44 +22
5 Bollonich                    5   2  3   52  63 −11
6 Quebec & Shingoryeo          5   1  4   47  79 −32
7 Geektopia                    6   1  5   54  82 −28

[Delaclava]

David Wallin jogged back to his bench as the Cordian Isles coach called a timeout with about six minutes remaining in the second half. Not for the first time, it was a tough, gritty war of attrition (and not one they could blame on the balls), but one that the Phoenixes were at least winning 2-0. The defense was absolutely shutting it down so far, although Wallin was doing his own part with four saves.

As assistant coach Jackson Preston gave the offense some pointers, trying to get the attackers to break through, Otis Keller - one of the benchwarmers and Wallin's teammate on the Kalinin Winterwolves - leaned over and muttered, "You going for the shutout today, Davey?"

Wallin chuckled quietly. "Yeah, right."

"I'm just saying, man... just keep doing your thing back there. You got this."

Wallin nodded, listening back in to the coaches' advice. There wasn't much else for the defense: Keep up the intensity. Don't forget to move your feet. Keep making them work for it. They broke and headed back to their spots. Wallin was still amused at that shutout comment, but lo and behold, the minutes ticked by. and two soft saves later, it was halftime and Cordian Isles still had scored zero goals.

Still, no one seemed to be taking it too seriously. He kept telling himself, They'll score. They always score. No big deal. And coach Lachlan Morris didn't seem to have much for the goaltender at halftime. "David, solid stuff back there. Keep talking to your guys, stand your ground back there. Don't get your head out of whack if things start getting chippy." Connor Clarkson, the goaltender coach for both the Winterwolves and the Phoenixes, stayed up with the coaches, leaving Wallin his space.

The thing was, the third quarter trudged on in a similar manner, with the Phoenixes extending their lead to 4-0, but the shutout was still there, and now everybody knew it - David, his teammates, his coaches, his opponents. The Cordian Isles, the tenth-ranked team in the world, thought they were battling to get a crucial win for the knockout hunt - now they were battling to score, and that's not one they wanted to lose.

In the team huddle before the fourth quarter, the veteran Michael Querrey took charge and shouted, "Alright, you see the scoreboard? Fifteen minutes, we are locking this shit up and getting that shutout. No excuses. Let's go!"

It was a good incentive for the Phoenixes to keep possession as long as they could, and despite the low scoring output, they were showing how well they could move the ball around despite the Cordian physicality. And their defense was making mistakes and picking up penalties, desperate to get the ball back in their hands and start to mount a challenge. It allowed Delaclava to notch two man-up goals early on, making the score in Jinja City 6-0. Now their opponents were really just playing for a shred of dignity.

They wouldn't get it. They tried, they really did. Wallin had seven saves in the quarter, a few desperation shots but a few hard shots and difficult saves, testing Wallin, who was by now feeling a little shaky and jittery. After each successful clear, Jake Lilly would turn back to him and shout, "Attaboy Dave! Keep it going!"

Thirty seconds left. The Cordian attackers charged down the field one last time. Wallin dug his heels in as an attacker with a head of steam wound up, whipping the stick around his shoulder and down, flinging the ball as hard as he good.

Wallin didn't see the ball. He just knew where it was, pushed his own stick out and felt the ball pound the pocket of the net. Fifteen seconds left. Wallin took a deep breath and a few steps, then hurled the ball upfield to Patrice Vidal. Ten seconds. Vidal caught the ball and spun around a charging midfielder before jogging into the offensive zone. Five, four, three, two, one...

The whistle sounded and the Phoenixes poured onto the field to mob Wallin, who looked stunned. They were so excited for their goalie that they weren't even celebrating that they'd clinched a spot in the Round of 16, their first knockout spot in the modern era. Then they realized that too, and the triumphant yelling and jumping around started all over again.

They'd rest, regroup, and watch with interest to see if they'd end up second or third in the group - but it was one of those games where the mechanics of the competition give way to something rare and special happening in real time.

[Kriegiersien]

Ghosts of Lacrosse



Nightmarish loss against unknown Kyhun leaves many questions about holey Kriegiersien game and its future

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Must-win for Laxxers on final day
by Jeff Wallace, Sports Desk
The Western Observer

Jinja City, Banija--The Baker Park National Lacrosse Team head into their final Group B contest knowing that in order to ensure that they are one of the sixteen teams in the knockout rounds, a victory over number 11 Natanians & Nosts would clinch the deal outright while a loss would possibly throw the table into tiebreaking.

Qasden have beaten Park, the 14 Stars and N&N, so even a final day loss to St Saratoga will put them no worse than 3rd in the group; the Elks defeated the TFS by a 19-4 score, and then the Stars turned that goal difference around by beating Natanians 19-5, so they sit at 1-1 with just a -1 H2H deficit. An N&N win over BP would leave all three sides having won and lost against the others, but that fifteen goal edge the Elks hold would be a nearly insurmountable obstacle; additionally, in every other tiebreaking scenario in the tournament at present the odds in their favor, as they remain the third best side among the 28 entrants in scoring, goals allowed and overall goal difference.

The BCEL Stadium will should give the players a bit of "home feel" advantage, as they noted the familiar branding all around them during their final workout ahead of the game.

"You see all these signs for Chappy (Cola) and Pitt (Pittmans, another soft drink line) and you have to stop and think 'where am I?'", BP's leading scorer Danielle Grimaldi said at the media conference with a laugh.
"I think it's been fantastic we've gotten to experience a bit of Banija's major cities while we've been here, but everyone says that the real beauty and adventure is out away from the metro areas. And of course the people have been fantastic to us...we're not directly against the home side yet, so if it comes to that I'm sure it'll be a bit different (laughs)."

Jacob Kohl was asked how this second time around as the first male in history to be NT captain has been different from WLC 39.

"Practically, not any different at all. The majority of the squad have been together for a few cycles, the novelty of men in the national team wore off fairly quickly. For me personally, on an intellectual & emotional level, a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I've had the strongest support from Day 1 of Gigi (Grace Greene, his co-captain) and Shannon, who made the decision to appoint me. I feel lucky to have been able to get a chance to talk to Sam Harrison (the BPNT soccer stalwart who was captain of the first mixed-gender squad at the Under-18 World Cup) who told me that the team will come around if the boss (coach) and your partner (captain) back you unconditionally. That's how things have played out for the team since we started in Cassadaigua (WLC 39)."

[Banija]

Top seed within grasp as Banija reaches the end of the knockout stages at the WLCs

SISONKE, KITARA- The Banijans came into WLC 40 with one goal in mind- trophy hunting. "We've 'almost' won this trophy more than enough times now." Said the Head Coach, Allen Budaye. "Two straight second place finishes at this tournament, we've got 9 all-time medals at the WLC, and still no trophy. Not that there's been any excuses before, but now that we're playing on home soil, we're upping the ante a little bit. There has been great fan support throughout the entire tournament, but of course, with that comes the pressure of expectation. We know who the best team in the sport is. Our goal is to reach that level, and exceed it, enough to triumph over them on this green turf. I firmly believe that we are capable of doing so. But these things take steps, don't they? And obviously we've reached the knockout stages. The first step from this point forward, of course, would be to finish the group stages with an unbeaten record, and take the #1 seed for the knockout stages in the process."

That much is firmly possible for this lacrosse team. On Matchday 6, they were paired against a tough Hannasea squad who had everything to play for. It was a game with a very tight, low scoring, and competitive first half. Hannasea were physical and really getting after it on defense, trying to throw off the offensive rhythm that we've built throughout this tournament so far. Fortunately, we were able to match them on the back end, but on the front end, we could not handle much of it. Hannasea led 2-0 after the first quarter, and it was all we could do to ensure that the game was tied 3-3 at halftime. Everybody was struggling for the first half, it seemed. Our middys could not dictate the rhythm and pace of the game, which changed the game flow and how everything worked for the team going forward. With only three goals in the first half for both teams, everything was on the table. Hannasea was on the verge of a massive upset, that would say a number of things about the direction of Group A. And more than just a statement- it would certainly make them clear favorites for the group 's fourth knockout stage berth.

But Budaye made his adjustments at halftime, and the Banijans punched through. We exploded in the third quarter, outscoring Hannasea 6-0 in the quarter- that burst of offensive firepower being more than enough to put Hannasea away. "We really were much more effective at getting spacing in the third quarter, and that allowed us to do what we do best- get into those spaces to both stretch and stress the defense, which allow us to hit upon their vulnerabilities to score all sorts of goals." And that, of course, was shown by the suddenly insanely strong showing of Banija on the power play. Banija's power plays were absolutely exquisite in the third quarter, as the team went 3/3 on the power play in the quarter. Kudos to them- taking advantage of their man-up situations, and then using those to parlay momentum into goal scoring opportunities when they were at full strength.

Banija's last group stage matchup is against the Great Orange, who entered the tournament unranked. However, they have been punching well above their weight. They sit at 4-1 in the group, just one game behind Banija in the Group A standings. "Clearly, Great Orange have came ready to play at this tournament, winning 4 games in 5 to kick it off." Said The Head Coach. "That means we're going to have a spectacular game to finish off group play. It's a coin flip- either team could win. But I know that Orange Sky Park is going to show out for us in massive numbers, here on Matchday 7." Banija open as favorites, due to their pedigree and home field advantage, but Great Orange will obviously be hunting for a win here. Wouldn't it be epic for them to get a win here? It'd send shockwaves throughout the sport. Beating the host, who are also ranked #2 in the world, in a game that would also cause them to win the group?

There will be fireworks for sure in Sisonke. What a game on our plates, eh?

[Banija]

The final group stage cutoff of the 40th WLCs! Which means this is the Final Countdown until the knockout stages!

Matchday 7

Key
Green- Finished top 4 spot in group, and therefore clinched berth in the Round of 16

Group A
Hannasea 12–7 The Cordian Isles
Great Orange 2–22 Banija
Sudilia 14–13 Vangaziland

Group A                       Pld  W  L   GF  GA  GD 
1 Banija                       6   6  0  112  37 +75
2 Delaclava                    6   4  2   55  48  +7*
3 Great Orange                 6   4  2   47  63 −16*
4 Hannasea                     6   3  3   49  57  −8
5 The Cordian Isles            6   2  4   46  65 −19
6 Sudilia                      6   1  5   55  69 −14
7 Vangaziland                  6   1  5   58  83 −25

*= Delaclava finishes ahead of Great Orange due to a 12-3 Delaclava win over Great Orange on Matchday 2

Group B
Natanians and Nosts 3–12 Baker Park
Qasden 11–5 St. Saratoga
The 14 Stars 7–13 Bendicion

Group B                       Pld  W  L   GF  GA  GD 
1 Abanhfleft                   6   6  0   88  54 +34
2 Qasden                       6   4  2   47  53  −6*
3 Baker Park                   6   4  2   91  43 +48*
4 The 14 Stars                 6   2  4   53  63 −10
5 Bendicion                    6   2  4   49  67 −18
6 Natanians and Nosts          6   2  4   51  67 −16
7 St. Saratoga                 6   1  5   49  81 −32

*= Qasden finishes ahead of Baker Park due to 10-9 Qasden victory over Baker Park on Matchday 1

The 14 Stars 19–5 Natanians and Nosts (Matchday 4)
Natanians and Nosts 11–4 Bendicion (Matchday 5)
The 14 Stars 7–13 Bendicion (Matchday 7)

Fourth Place             Pld   W   L    GF   GA   GD 
1 The 14 Stars            2    1   1    26   18   +8
2 Bendicion               2    1   1    17   18   −1
3 Natanians and Nosts     2    1   1    16   23   −7

Group C
Cassadaigua 7–9 HUElavia
Ranoria 10–15 Republic of Ludwigsburg
South Jeolerina 17–15 StrayaRoos

Group C                       Pld  W  L   GF  GA  GD 
1 South Jeolerina              6   5  1   77  63 +14*
2 HUElavia                     6   5  1   63  58  +5*
3 Republic of Ludwigsburg      6   4  2   70  54 +16
4 Cassadaigua                  6   3  3   60  57  +3
5 Ranoria                      6   2  4   65  74  −9
6 Arjunnagar                   6   2  4   64  73  −9
7 StrayaRoos                   6   0  6   49  69 −20

*= South Jeolerina finishes ahead of HUElavia due to a 11-5 South Jeolerina win over HUElavia on Matchday 2

Group D
Kriegiersien 5–11 Sarzonia
Soldera 16–3 Kyhun
Bollonich 5–9 Quebec & Shingoryeo

Group D                       Pld  W  L   GF  GA  GD 
1 Sarzonia                     6   6  0   89  38 +51
2 Soldera                      6   4  2   77  61 +16
3 Kyhun                        6   3  3   64  76 −12*
4 Kriegiersien                 6   3  3   71  55 +16*
5 Quebec & Shingoryeo          6   2  4   56  84 −28
6 Bollonich                    6   2  4   57  72 −15
7 Geektopia                    6   1  5   54  82 −28

*= Kyhun finishes ahead of Kriegiersien due to 9-8 Kyhun win over Kriegiersien on Matchday 6

---

Key is group letter, group finish- overall finish. So A1- 1= 1st place in Group A & #1 overall seed

Knockout Stage Seeding             Pld  W  L   GF  GA  GD 
A1- 1  Banija                       6   6  0  112  37 +75
D1- 2  Sarzonia                     6   6  0   89  38 +51
B1- 3  Abanhfleft                   6   6  0   88  54 +34
C1- 4  South Jeolerina              6   5  1   77  63 +14
C2- 5  HUElavia                     6   5  1   63  58  +5
D2- 6  Soldera                      6   4  2   77  61 +16
A2- 7  Delaclava                    6   4  2   55  48  +7
B2- 8  Qasden                       6   4  2   47  53  −6
C3- 9 Republic of Ludwigsburg       6   4  2   70  54 +16*
B3- 10  Baker Park                  6   4  2   91  43 +48*
A3- 11 Great Orange                 6   4  2   47  63 −16
D3- 12 Kyhun                        6   3  3   64  76 −12
D4- 13 Kriegiersien                 6   3  3   71  55 +16
A4- 14 Hannasea                     6   3  3   49  57  −8
C4- 15 Cassadaigua                  6   3  3   60  57  +3
B4- 16 The 14 Stars                 6   2  4   53  63 −10

*= Baker Park actually ahead of Republic of Ludwigsburg, but the teams are switched to avoid Group B rematch between Baker Park and Ludwigsburg in the first round of the playoffs

Round of 16 Matchups

#1 Banija v. #16 The 14 Stars @ Electra Stadium(cap. 47,000) in Mynda, Aksum

#8 Qasden v. #9 Republic of Ludwigsburg @ Electra Stadium(cap. 47,000) in Mynda, Aksum

Above two winners play in quarterfinal match at Kabonero III Field(cap. 48,000) in Istria, Moravica

#4 South Jeolerina v. #13 Kriegiersien @ BCEL Stadium(cap. 52,400) in Jinja City, Hangaza

#5 HUElavia v. #12 Kyhun @ BCEL Stadium(cap. 52,400) in Jinja City, Hangaza

Above two winners play in quarterfinal match at Kabonero III Field(cap. 48,000) in Istria, Moravica

#3 Abanhfleft v. #14 Hannasea @ Orange Sky Park(cap. 34,000) in Sisonke, Kitara

#6 Soldera v. #11 Great Orange @ Orange Sky Park(cap. 34,000) in Sisonke, Kitara

Above two winners play in quarterfinal match at the Eagle's Club(cap. 48,600) in Dodoma, Bunyoro

#7 Delaclava v. #10 Baker Park @ Mugisha III Memorial Stadium(cap. 49,000) in Busukuma, National Capitol Region

#2 Sarzonia v. #15 Cassadaigua @ Mugisha III Memorial Stadium(cap. 49,000) in Busukuma, National Capitol Region

Above two winners play in quarterfinal match at the Eagle's Club(cap. 48,600) in Dodoma, Bunyoro

[Sarzonia]

At halftime of the highly anticipated Group D finale between the No. 1 ranked Sarzonian national lacrosse team and No. 7 Kriegiersien, the Stars were facing a one-goal deficit. Kriegiersien stymied the Sarzonian attack and left Colin Grassley, Gio Guardio and company frustrated. Media outlets were running graphics pointing out the last time the Stars lost a WLC match, which was in the WLC 36 quarterfinals against Abanhfleft.

However, manager Jordan Helms didn't lead his team to that impressive WLC match winning streak without being able to made adjustments as necessary. He gave primary faceoff specialist Noah Ryanson a breather and sent in Jeremy Harper, whose relative lack of size would be a change of pace for the Stars. Harper may not have the size of Ryanson or third team FOGO Stephane Rideau, but he added a lot of scrap. He won nine of his 11 faceoffs and scored the first goal of the second half to draw the match level. That began a run of five consecutive goals to open the period and Sarzonia throttled Kriegiersien 11-5 to finish group play undefeated at 6-0.

The Stars will be joined by two unranked sides and Kriegiersien as newcomers Soldera and Kyhun both advanced despite Soldera crushing Kyhun 16-3 in their group stage finale. The collection of beer leaguers and inexperienced amateurs playing for Soldera finished group play with a 4-2 record and head to the knockouts as the sixth seeds. Soldera will take on 11th seeded Great Orange out of Group A. Both teams are 4-2, but Soldera has a plus-16 goal differential thanks in part to its curbstomping of Kyhun. Great Orange have a winning record in Group A in spite of a minus-16 goal differential. Unranked Kyhun finished 3-3, ahead of Kriegiersien on the basis of head-to-head results and enter the Round of 16 as the No. 12 seeds. They will face fifth seeded onetime champions HUElavia, who went 5-1 with a plus-five goal differential. Kriegiersien, the No. 13 seeds in spite of having a plus-16 point differential, will face Group C-winning South Jeolinera, who also went 5-1 with a plus-14 point differential.

Sarzonia finished group play with their current WLC winning streak at 34 matches. They will come in as the No. 2 seeds and face 15th seeded Cassadaigua, who went 3-3 and had a plus-three goal differential. Are the Stars worried about being the two-seed behind Banija, which went 6-0 with the best offence in WLC play (112 goals) and the best defence (37)?

Nope.

"Our focus is on Cassadaigua," Helms said. "They're a strong team and we know they're a team that's capable of beating anyone in this competition. We've got to not only match their intensity, but we've also got to remain focused and play Sarzonian lacrosse." Helms said the Stars weren't looking ahead to a potential quarterfinals matchup with lacrosse powers Baker Park or multi-sport archrivals -- and WLC 16 finals opponents -- Delaclava.

"If we don't take care of business against Cassadaigua, none of that's going to happen," goalkeeper Matt Henning said. "Cassadaigua is a tough enough opponent. We can't afford to look past them."

[Delaclava]

Rock Paper Scissors

Phoenixes looking to turn heel against Baker Park

Baker Park is unquestionably one of the blue bloods of the sport of lacrosse. Although they are still seeking their first appearance in a WLC final, they have been a consistent presence at the top of the sport - ranked third in the world, third place at WLC 38, twice the hosts of the competition. And they have a remarkable run of ten consecutive quarterfinal berths.

Delaclava's only goal now is to stop that streak from going to eleven.

The two Atlantian Oceania rivals will square off in a Round of 16 match at Mugisha III Memorial Stadium in Busukuma, Banija. Delaclava is the higher (#7) seed in the tournament, although Baker Park (#10 seed) has opened as a -450 favorite in most Delaclav sportsbooks.

"We're looking forward to this matchup a lot," said captain and attacker Grigor Padun. "We play very different brands of lacrosse and it should be a fun clash. They'll be tough, but that's what you expect when you get far enough in the competition. It's a privilege to have this challenge."

And referring to Baker Park's quarterfinal streak, Padun added, "We don't care. I know there's a reason they have that streak, but we're going to walk in there and take everything they've worked for. Our plan is to make them start over next year."

The two teams have taken rather different paths to this point of the competition despite identical 4-2 records. Delaclava has largely put together hard-fought and low-scoring victories over their foes, including allowing four goals from Hannasea, just three from Great Orange, and shutting out The Cordian Isles to close off the group stage. But they suffered a difficult loss to Vangaziland - the former champion's only victory - and looked completely overwhelmed against second-ranked Banija. In total, the Phoenixes have outscored their opponents by just seven goals. However, their 4-2 record was good for second place in Group A thanks to the result over Great Orange, also at 4-2.

In contrast, Baker Park has outscored their foes by 48 goals total and have looked unstoppable against the less formidable teams, but close and painful defeats to Abanhfleft and Qasden have shunted them down to third place in Group C. But as the higher-ranked, more pedigreed - and arguably more in-form - team, the Phoenixes are expecting a lot of fire from their opponents.

"They've shown a lot of strength," acknowledged Patrice Vidal, "and the close defeats they've suffered will be very motivating, I'm sure. They're one of the best teams in the world and I imagine they'd love to show it against a team who's in somewhat uncharted territory."

Notably, Delaclava and Baker Park have previously faced off in the semifinal of the 3rd AO Lacrosse Championship - with the Phoenixes springing a 19-11 upset. The Phoenixes have therefore reached a WLC (16) and an AOLC final, while the Baker Park team, for all their consistency, are 2-8 in WLC quarterfinals and have never made a world or a regional final. This perhaps exposes a fundamental weakness in Baker Park's performance in clutch situations, and Vidal wasn't afraid to call that out.

"They're choke artists, plain and simple. They're very good until the get to the big games and they look for a way out. This is a bit earlier in the competition, but we can still expose them, push them to their limit and make them quit."

And Padun believes the Phoenixes' defense has shown the power to throttle opponents and take over games.

"We've shown what we're capable of at our best. The Cordian Isles is a top-tier team and we smothered them. We've been inconsistent - but we're only playing this team one time. We only need to beat them once and that's exactly what we plan on doing."

[Soldera]

If you'd told Solderan national lacrosse team coach Matt Chastain at the beginning of World Lacrosse Championships qualifying that he would guide his team, a collection of overweight, out of shape beer leaguers and young amateurs who have no business being on a national team that he would not only guide his team to a 4-2 record and second place in Group D, but would enter the knockout rounds as the No. 6 seeds, he would have laughed in your face.

And yet, when the final whistle sounded in Soldera's shocking 16-3 victory over fellow unranked Kyhun, he saw his team not only advance to the knockout rounds, but emerge as a slight favorite in the Round of 16 match against Great Orange. Both teams may be 4-2, but they took drastically different routes to get to that record. Great George goes into the Round of 16 with a minus-16 goal differential largely due to being on the wrong end of a 22-2 curbstomping by top seeds Banija, which is gunning for its third consecutive trip to the WLC final. Meanwhile, Soldera finished with a plus-16 goal differential despite being in the same qualifying group as top ranked, No. 2 seeds and three-time defending champions Sarzonia.

If one chose to use an eye test to determine which of the two unranked teams would be favored to win the Round of 16 contest in their first meeting in WLC play, Soldera's match with WLC royalty resulted in a three-goal defeat to Sarzonia in the closest match the champions have had in this campaign. Sarzonia's other two single-digit margins came against unranked Kyhun (12-7), seventh ranked Kriegiersien (11-5) and No. 14 Bollonich (13-5). Even though Banija leads the field in total goals scored (112, the only team with over 100 goals) and fewest goals conceded (37) compared to Sarzonia's 89 goals (third behind Banija and Baker Park, who had 91) and 38 goals conceded (second), the Stars have made it a habit of peaking in the knockout rounds, rolling past Banija 13-6 in the WLC 38 final and defeating them 13-10 in the WLC 39 final. For Soldera to remain competitive throughout the match against the Stars and then to upset Kriegiersien and demolish Kyhun suggests the Snakes are also peaking at just the right time.

For the time being, the Snakes are heading to Orange Sky Park in Sisonke, Kitara for their match against Great Orange. If the Snakes win their match against Great Orange, they will face the winner of the Abanhfleft-Hannasea matchup at the Eagle's Club in Dodoma, Bunyoro. It's not a position the Snakes expected to be in, even though the WLC has been friendly to well-coached unranked teams in competitions past. However, Chastain said he was pleased with how his team has rounded into both lacrosse shape and into athletic shape in general.

"We've come a long way from those first scrimmages," he said. "I think we did a great job of finding our legs." Not to mention chemistry, as he noted "we're working very well together."

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

AO-K? Elks-Phoenixes, Stars-Fillies in Busukuma battle
by Jeff Wallace, Sports Desk
The Western Observer

Busukuma, Banija--The Baker Park National Lacrosse Team returned from Jinja City following their 12-3 win over Nantians & Nosts which clinched their place in the knockout stage, to the National Capital District with a different overall group vibe than they've displayed throughout the tournament so far.

Head Coach Shannon Fries elected to not work out at the Mugisha III Stadium ahead of the First Round playoff against Delaclava, opting to practice at a local secondary school; commenting later she explained that there was no purpose to working out at venue as they'd just played there.

"We know everything necessary as to how go into the next game, there is no reason for us work out there again. I want the team to have the memory of the last time they were on that pitch fresh in their mind."

That memory would be the 16-13 defeat to Abanhfleft on the penultimate matchday, a tight contest that finally tilted in the Amazon's favor in the fourth quarter. Fries talked about how the circumstances thus far have changed the outlook of the team and the staff.

"You know the saying 'the numbers never lie'? We're at a point where it's difficult to say whether that's true or not for Baker Park. Once again, we've been among the best scoring and best defensive sides in this tournament yet we only are the 9th best team in the playoffs (Baker Park finished ahead of Group C third placed side Ludwigsburg, but the teams were switched to avoid a BP-Qasden matchup). Other teams see us as flat track bullies, good enough to roll through group stages but exposed in knockouts as not talented enough, not mentally tough enough. They call us chokers, lightweights, highly ranked but not serious contenders. I told the team earlier it's time we stand up and prove ourselves, to go beyond where we've come from at the start (WLC 29) and answer the critics."

Three time defending champions Sarzonia will square off against Cassadaigua in the other match in Busukuma, with the winner to face the survivor of the BP-Delaclava battle in the quarterfinals. An eleventh straight appearance among the last eight for the Elks will depend on whether they can carry over the effort from their four Group B wins into the must win matchup.

[Banija]

Knockout Stages Arrive as the WLCs turn into single elimination- "Now's when it all gets real"

MYNDA, AKSUM- The Banijans went into their final group stage matchup against the Great Orange, certainly as favorites, but not necessarily overwhelming favorites. Despite Great Orange being 4-1 entering the game, they were still an unranked team, a team with loads of inexperience compared to these battle-tested Banijans, who were playing on home soil, no less. There was a talent and experience gap between the two that was used to simply overwhelm and drown Great Orange, and Banija had possibly their best game of the tournament. In a battle between two teams with first place Group A on the line, Banija were utterly dominant from the get-go. Everybody was in sync, and the Banijans dominated from beginning to end. Up 7-0 after one quarter, and up a stunning 15-0 at halftime, the Banijans, especially on offense could simply do no wrong in their final group stage tuneup before the knockout stages get going.

"It's like association football, in a way- you need to be deadly and ruthless in front of goal." Said the Banijan Head Coach, Allen Budaye. "This team managed to do that in this game, putting the game far beyond doubt before we even got to halftime. You've got to credit the attackers- sometimes, it's about winning the individual matchups. Across the board, when the game was still in doubt, this team consistently won those individual matchups, which afforded us plenty of open opportunities in front of goal- which we would take. Israel Mesfin would repeatedly blow by guys covering him, as some Great Orange defenders struggled to keep up with the pace of these Banijans. Lula Bullo used his superior frame to simply bully defenders in front of net, utilizing his size and strength to simply muscle his way open. You simply couldn't have asked for a better half of lacrosse from this team.

But now, the knockout stages begin. Single elimination. Banija has navigated our way to back-to-back WLC Finals, and with the knockout stages at hand, the expectation is clear- make a third in a row. "We've got to take things a day at a time." Allen Budaye said. "This is no longer the group stages- you can't afford to overlook anybody. Everybody who has gotten to this stage has earned their way here, through quality play on the field, and defeating their opponents. Anyone's got a chance to beat anybody on any given day, and just because we have home field advantage, it doesn't mean that anything is guaranteed or promised to us." Banija's opening opponent is The 14 Stars. A team that sits at 2-4, they are big underdogs, but Budaye says there is plenty of things to fear about them. "On the right days, they are certainly capable of an offensive explosion. They've proven it in the group stage. I think our midfield is going to have their hands full, trying to keep possession and possession on our side."

The seven Banijan stadia that hosted group stage games, will all host knockout stage games. The four stadia chosen to host matches in the Round of 16 will each host a pair of matches in the same round, set up so potential quarterfinal opponents are all playing in the same stadiums. "This will help teams cut down costs at the tournament, after naturally ensuring that they got to travel the entire country during the group stages." Said a Host Committee Organizer. "Ensures that your scouts for your potential next opponent can be with your team, rather than having to be flown off to another part of the country." The two stadia hosting Quarterfinal matchups will have a similar setup, where potential semifinal opponents are all at the same stadium. And then, Kizza I Field, Banija's primary lacrosse-specific stadium, will host both the semifinals, third place match, and the Final.

Banija's rivals in this sport have all landed on the other side of the bracket. Baker Park, Delaclava, Sarzonia, and Abanhfleft have all landed on the opposite side of the bracket from Banija, ensuring that none of those matchups can happen during the knockout stages. But they'll all be playing each other- with Cassadaigua and even Soldera on that side of the bracket, there are some mouth-watering matchups on that side, highlighted by Delaclava's first round matchup against the Commonwealth of Baker Park.