World Cup 91 [roleplays]

by **Tumbra** » Tue May 17, 2022 11:18 am

Adab 2-2 Tumbra

TMB (4-2-3-1): 1 - Barker; 2 - Hughes (18 - Moss, 71'), 4 - Kerr, 5 - Henderson (20 - Moore, 85'), 3 - Harris; 6 - Harrison, 8 - Hicks (15 - McGrath, 78'), 10 - Cole; 7 - Hilton, 9 - Vaughn; 11 - Riordan

TMB scorers: Stephen Kerr (18'), Nick Riordan (33')

Player of the Match: Emma Arthur (ADB)
Tumbra 0-0 Eshialand

TMB (4-2-3-1): 1 - Barker; 18 - Moss, 4 - Kerr, 32 - Paterson, 19 - Carter; 6 - Harrison, 8 - Hicks (16 - Fisher, 74'), 10 - Cole (23 - Monaghan, 74'); 17 - Wells, 9 - Vaughn (21 - Crossley, 83'); 11 - Riordan

TMB scorers: Nil

Player of the Match: Trudy Harrison (TMB)

PREVIOUSLY ON DEFENDER MEETS MIDFIELDER

Intrepid defender Stephen Kerr and his world-class midfielder team-mate (and also girlfriend) Trudy Harrison, on a routine trip back to Tumbra for a national squad call-up, were seemingly kidnapped outside Kingsbury International Airport by several black cars. Turns out that said cars belong to one Charles Harrison, media magnate and the second richest man in Tumbra. Oh, and as the surname suggests, he's Trudy's estranged father, too. Why did he bring both of them (okay, just one — Trudy had to drag Stephen into the car before they allowed him to come) to his palatial mansion in northern Georgia? What does he want with Trudy Harrison? Will the two of them be able to get their time in Tumbra back on track?

Link to previous part | Link to arc home
defender meets midfielder: season 6, part 3
the house of the harrisons

Gleneagles Hall, Georgia

"Father."

"Trudy, it is so wonderful to see you again after all this time. And...Stephen, is it? Stephen Kerr, the up-and-coming defender for the Tumbran national team? Amazing. I have seen and heard so much of your performances. After all, the news is my business, and I have to be on top of it all. I wasn't expecting you to be here with my daughter, of course, but it is such a pleasure," beamed Charles Harrison. Here he was, the second-richest man in Tumbra; and Stephen Kerr was standing face-to-face with him.

Stephen smiled in response, perhaps more easily than expected, though by no means comfortably. He wasn't expecting the man to lavish such praise on him the moment he'd met him. His impression of Charles was that of a demanding, ruthless businessman; who had little to no emotional capacity and neither the will nor wish to deal with them. Austere, cold, distant; all of those words had been bandied about in whispers, when Trudy worked up the courage to talk to Stephen about him. But here he'd been greeted — the rough beginning with the other butler notwithstanding, of course — with warmth. And respect.

Would a Thank you suffice? What should I say? Nothing at all?

"It's...good to meet...you...too," the words tumbled out of Stephen's mouth. Charles laughed. Stephen half expected him to turn into some kind of demon.

"Have a seat. Tea was just served, dear boy, and I don't think you'll want to miss this. I've just received a fresh shipment of caviar from Aboveland. Combine this with Kyrasian foie gras, and good old Georgian bread, and I think you'll have a culinary experience for the ages. And it's only afternoon!" Charles gently motioned towards the table, where the food had been laid out beforehand. There lay the inky black caviar, freshly un-canned; and several pieces of brown bread lay arranged alongside it. Then, of course, on a plate next to it, the flesh-coloured lump that could really only be the foie gras.

Charles pulled a chair at the far side of the table out for Stephen, and Stephen sat. Somehow he felt like he was on rails; being controlled by strings. Everything in his brain was actively telling him that there was something wrong, and yet every muscle in his body was telling him to go with what was happening.

Trudy sat down, nonplussed, opposite Stephen; while Charles re-took his old place at the head of the table.

"Well, now that we're all here, let's eat. Stephen, you've never eaten anything like this before, have you?"

"No."

"Well, don't take too much of the two ingredients, now; too much and you'll overwhelm your taste buds. Go on," he said, eagerly jabbing his tableknife in the general direction of the foie gras. "Slice just a bit off; you'll be surprised at just how much there is on this. Ye-e-es, just that much." he mumbled, seemingly approvingly. Stephen could do nothing except meekly follow Charles' instructions, and missed Trudy turning away from the whole scene and rolling her eyes at just how stupid Stephen was being.

"Then the caviar; yes, that's about right, go on, spread that on the bread as well, and there you have it." A brief sip of tea followed. "Would you like a cup? From the highlands in...Tayakam, I think it was. It's good tea. You must try it." A cup was poured, and served in a cup that looked about a hundred years old. Stephen gave a brief nod of thanks to the butler, while smiling uncomfortably. He glanced over at Trudy, who was just silently eating the bread. Without foie gras. Or caviar. And also staring darkly at the table knife in front of her.

Stephen took a bite into the bread. God, the taste was rich. And salty. But it tasted...good. It was certainly a foreign sensation to his tongue. The way the individual eggs rolled around in his mouth, before he bit down and the little bit of liquid within spurted onto his tongue, confusing his poor taste buds even more. But he somehow came out of it wanting...a bit more. He looked over at Charles, who was positively beaming at Stephen.

"Now. Tell me a bit more about yourself."

An Indeterminate Amount Of Minutes (That Feels Like Sixty But Is Probably Closer To Ten) Later

"It was very, very interesting hearing about you, Stephen. With luck, maybe you shall become a regular guest at my place whenever you visit Tumbra. I am sure you will enjoy the rest of your time here; thank you for joining us. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a few things I have to discuss with Trudy—"

"Actually, I'd like for him to stay."

"Really, Trudy? I'm not sure if it's appropriate for him to sit in on our...family matters. After all, I haven't properly seen my daughter in so many years. Surely I can get some alone time with her?"

"N-n-no, I'd like for Stephen to stay. He is a guest and a g-good friend, after all," she stuttered, staring daggers at Stephen.

"I'd like to stay, yeah..." he mumbled, relatively unconvincingly.

Charles turned to Stephen. "Stephen, you've been amazing, though I must ask you to respect our privacy. I will get Walter to show you around — perhaps there might be something of interest in the house, and he'll show you some of the activities that you'll be able to enjoy in the time you're still here. I think you'd enjoy it, wouldn't you?" Another warm smile, though this one distinctly felt a bit less genuine and had a bit of — steel? venom? — in it. This was not a request. This was a command.

Stephen glanced back at Trudy, who let out a visible sigh and looked downwards. His heart sank; he'd basically allowed himself to be strong-armed into following whatever Charles had said. And he'd let Trudy down in the process.

"I...uh..."

There was no response from the defeated Trudy. Stephen allowed himself to be escorted out by the same people that had brought him in. The massive double doors out to the balcony closed behind him with a massive thunk, and he was gone. Face to face with Walter.

"Mr. Kerr. How was your meeting with Mr. Harrison?" the elderly butler asked, with a slight smile of cordiality betraying nothing more.

"It went, uh, fine, I guess? I don't know. I really want to be back there, with Trud—"

"Unfortunately, that will not be possible. I shall bring you on a tour of the house; we can talk more then."

Stephen resigned himself to having to be away from Trudy even more than he needed to be. Leaving her alone with the one man she feared the most. "Fine," he conceded. "Let's go."

Back On The Balcony

There she was. Again. Back in the home she'd left. Alone. With her father. Stephen could be anywhere now, though the only saving grace was that he was with Walter; who'd probably fill him in on the bits of the story he was missing out on. Still, though, she swore at him in her mind; Stephen, the dumbo, had allowed himself to be manipulated by her father without him even lifting a single finger —

"Trudy," he said, sitting down where Stephen had previously sat. A napkin was proffered by another butler; he took it and dabbed the corners of his mouth with it. The warm smile had disappeared; there was only the cold, steely eyes that Trudy knew so well. "You probably do not believe a single word I say —"

"Right. You're right. I don't."

Charles sighed. "But I do mean it when I say it's good to see you."

Trudy steeled herself. You cannot trust him. You cannot trust anything he says. Even if he is your father.

"This is a meeting I would rather have avoided. At all. The only reason why I'm here is because —"

"Yes, your grandmother. But I also thought now might be a good time to discuss your future. You've been gone for several years, now. Made your own name. Playtime's about over, don't you think?" Charles nonchalantly grabbed a piece of bread and spread foie gras on it, then scooped up the caviar and dumped it on the foie gras almost casually. Trudy noticed this — Stephen had held the food like it was gold. Here, though, her father was engaging in excesses she didn't know possible.

"I've got a career of my own, and I'm not about to give it up."

"And what about afterwards? Will you finally take your place by my side? I've come to the conclusion that so long as you join me, it doesn't really matter. If anything, your experience as a footballer's a selling point. People lap that up."

"My career is not meant to become just another bullet point on my resume, some unique selling point to make myself more marketable. I don't want to go into the media industry, Father; I don't wish to join the business of peddling lies and half-baked truths. We haven't talked in such a long time, but I haven't changed."

"Evidently not. Still as stubborn, obstinate, headstrong, wayward, as ever," Charles grumbled. The genteel, refined edge to Charles' accent had nearly disappeared; replaced with a harsher tone.

"Just like my mother, then."

"Young lady, don't bring your own mother into this." Another bite of the bread. A sharp inhale. "I thought allowing you to spend some time away would get your head straight. That pursuing football for a few years would get that dream of yours out of your system. I was wrong."

"I don't know what you expected. I mean, I'm me. Your daughter. I was always like this."

"Maybe so. Perhaps I was too foolish, too naïve, too blind; allowing my...my own familial relationships to get in the way of objective decision making. It seems that has been my downfall. All I wished was for my daughter to carry on my family business, keep the family fortune as is. Now I'll have to labour till the day I die. Unless..."

"Unless?" Trudy did not like that word. She hadn't been taught by her father in the ways of business for so long, now, but her instincts still didn't betray here. He wasn't thinking about —

A sly grin, one more malicious than the one he'd shown Stephen at the beginning of luncheon, emerged onto the 59 year-old's face.

"Interesting fellow, Stephen," Charles mentioned, almost too casually, as he began stirring the tea in his cup. Taking his time, and ensuring that Trudy was now hanging onto his every word, he took a sip. "You two are friends? Just friends, hm?"

Trudy tried her best not to betray what was going on in her mind, but a familiar nauseating sensation began forming in the pit of her stomach. Charles' eyes looked as though they were drilling into her...

Somewhere Else In Gleneagles Hall

"I want to talk to Trudy. We haven't gotten a single private moment since we stepped into this house, and I need to know what's going on," Stephen said, visibly irritated by the maze of corridors Walter was leading him down. "And you're not helping. I thought you were on —"

A shush from Walter. "Just follow me."

"I don't want to go on this house tour, Mr. Walter; I want to see —"

"Mr. Kerr, you know as well as I do that that is very much impossible. If Mr. Harrison wishes to have time alone with his daughter, it would be highly difficult, not to mention risky for all three of us, for us to barge in and go against him. I know what the plan was. I know she wanted you there, but it was simply unfeasible."

"Why did you not just tell her that, then?"

"Because she has already heard enough bad news this day." Walter unlocked a door with a key he produced from one of his pockets. "In. And I will, to the best of my ability, tell you as much as I can."

TUMBRA SQUAD FOR MD11 AND MD12: @ THE HAINAN UNION AND @ DAMUKUNI
Goalkeepers: 12 - Andrew Taylor (Couno Rangers), 13 - George Danvers (Columbia City), 24 - Victoria Jones (Gallant Cross, BRE)
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), 19 - Chris Carter (Lakewood City), 26 - Raymond Perry (Serrapince FC), 31 - Joel Tyler (Couno Rangers)
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: 7 - George Hilton (Serrapince FC), 9 - Robin Vaughn (Lakewood City), 17 - Valerie Wells (Swanguard Athletic, QUE), 29 - Duncan Silverwood (Pyathora Miners, TKT)
Strikers: 11 - Nick Riordan (Sabrefell Moths, NPH), 22 - Nigel Erskine (Anomalies, CMT)

by **Delaclava** » Tue May 17, 2022 11:47 am

Who's your daddy (shark doo doo doo doo doo doo)?

Damian Soto's 73rd-minute goal was all the Delaclava Phoenixes needed despite a fast-paced game to stun Sharktail 1-0 in a critical meeting for the two teams' World Cup qualification campaigns.

Both teams have shown a preference - and capability - of attacking football. Sharktail led Group 1 in scoring with 24 goals while Delaclava brought 18 of its own into the game. And the low score of the game wasn't for a lack of trying, as the ball seemed to move up and down the field with plenty of scoring chances to go around. For that reason, George Ross' third clean sheet of the campaign was easily his most impressive, accruing thirteen saves and preserving the Phoenixes' victory.

"George came up big today," said captain Lukas Meyer. "I know there's been a lot of hype about the young guys and I know they'll be great down the road, but George is still sharp as ever and the top choice for a reason."

On the other end of the field, Soto was a 65th-minute replacement for Mathias Gretler, who came up limping after a hard challenge from Maqri. Manager Boris Ishutin later said Gretler is "day-to-day" and had no ill will over the play, which was "tough but clean". Regardless, Soto provided a much-needed boost for the Phoenixes and got the decisive score himself, heading a soft chip from Martin Bartoš before Maxter could get his hands on the ball. Sharktail tried in vain to salvage a point, with their closest chance, a rebound shot by Azaim off a corner kick, was reflexively stopped by Ross at his feet.

Delaclava and Sharktail entered the game tied for third place - although the Phoenixes with a game in hand. The result puts Delaclava in second place after Nyowani Kitara slipped in a 1-1 draw with Xanneria while Sharktail falls to fifth and in danger of losing touch with the other contenders. The Phoenixes are on a 8-7-1 run in qualifying matches extending back to the previous campaign.

"We're not buying into our own hype," Meyer insisted, "but we're one of the most in-form teams in the world. The results don't tell us we've made it yet, but they do tell us that we're doing the right things and that the wins will keep coming if we train and prepare and execute just the same."

The match was played at Jayji Stadium in Crystal Lake, just weeks after multiple players criticized the decision to place their match against Sudilia in nearby Salem. Although the Phoenixes would take a dominant 5-1 victory there and earn the Sharktail win, the team wasn't much more thrilled about any future matches in the area.

"The Crystal Lake facilities are a bit nicer," Bartoš conceded. "But the fan energy still left a lot to be desired. When we have these big moments, we want to celebrate them in a Catherina or a Quinnivlle when we know they'll all be celebrating with us and not looking down at their phones."

The Phoenixes are looking at one more match this campaign in what is termed the "New West Coast" - a geographical area that largely excludes more traditional western cities like Quinniville and Farland - when they play Xanneria in Santa Lourdes. Santa Lourdes, arguably the entertainment capital of Delaclava if not Atlantian Oceania, is widely considered the most positively impactful location of modern Delaclava, with a higher quality of facilities and infrastructure, and it remains to be seen if other cities within its sphere of influence - like Crystal Lake and Salem - can learn from its example and transform their degenerate and immoral ways.

by **Ranoria** » Tue May 17, 2022 1:27 pm

As We Predicted, The Collapse Was Inevitable: But Hey, We're Still Floating!

Team Quick Stats
Record: 3-4-2
-Home: 1-2-1
-Away: 2-2-1
Goals F/A: 9/8
-Home: 4/4
-Away: 5/4

So after a 2-1-0 start, we have to admit that we were feeling pretty good. But we did exactly what we always do at this stage - we had a bit of a letdown. After taking two straight losses to the Commonwealth of Baker Park and Trolleborg (both of which were expected mind you) the team played its opponent to a draw in three straight games with a combined two goals scored from either team in those three contests. Hey, no one can say the defense isn't doing their job - that was two shutouts!

And hell, that defense has only conceded 8 goals through 9 contests so far, three coming to the Commonwealth of Baker Park, so that's no surprise. Between the young talent on the wings, Kris Reinhardt stalwart at centerback, and Vincent Emilia athletic as ever at goalkeeper, that unit was never in question despite Ranoria's...questionable we'll call it reputation at this stage. It's been the scoring that's slow. Striker Barry Chlorid has put in 6 of the team's 9 scores as the primary producer on that front, but as time goes on it seems he may well be losing a touch of his athleticism. The team scored 25 and 18 goals, respectively, in World Cups 89 and 90, and are currently on pace for just 22.

That looks good on the surface, but this will be the longest World Cup Qualifying run of those three with 20 matches as opposed to the 14 game runs of those two. So how do we solve that? Fortunately, the Snow Cubs have the answer.

Playing in the DBC, the Snow Cubs are Ranoria's U21 soccer team, and their striker, Tatiana Queen, is turning heads domestically because of her highlight-reel scoring, granted at the high school level. If she can deliver on the promise she's showing right now, down the line we just might have a brighter future on the scoring side of things. But for now, two-sport athlete Barry Chlorid is our best option, and while he's not elite, he's far from a poor one.

by **Squidroidia** » Tue May 17, 2022 2:02 pm

Okay, maybe the Elite Eleven were actually elite. Maybe it was because it was an away game for Squidroidia against the best that Sonnel had to offer. Maybe it was due to Margaret wanting to snap the Squids win streak, but Squidroidia left the National Pitch in a place they hadn't been since Soldera - Out of top spot in the group. 2nd place. With 11 games to go, the gap was surely clearable, but here's the thing when it comes to World Cup qualifying. You don't qualify if you lose a bunch of your games. A dogfight for first place in the group, and the automatic berth it presents, while healthy, isn't exactly the blowout-infested win fest that a top team would want. But alas, in Drawkland's 420th game in international football, they ran out there and beat those Squids fair and square. Kinky, as one from Halifax would say.

What wasn't kinky was what Adam Johnson was going through. Only now had he revisited that discussion for the Squidroidian national team captaincy sparked at IAC 15 - Makino Hideo getting the captain's armband before the game at Metropolon. But it seemed like that was too little, too late - And Septimus Xander got his hands on every little Squidroidian ball that was about to cross the goal line. 1-0, Drawkland. Not exactly a rally but still points lost on the board for the Inklings.

What concerned the manager more than anything was the upcoming Leader elections in Squidroidia. Johnson wasn't really a guy who cared about politics interfering with his team, but especially with one of the competitors being a former member of the national team, he got a biiit nervous. Alright, maybe voting during the election is fine, but not publicly discussing the race during team events. You bring in politics to the equation and everything doesn't really fit into place. It's a distraction from the game, and yeah he'd rather save the talks for later.

But by and large, a loss to Drawkland was still a loss. It's a chance to learn from mistakes and rally back, especially when it happens early. The later a loss happens, however, the less likely for a comeback. Metropolon to Inkopolis to end the first 10 matches is one thing. Inkopolis to Duomji, where the final game on Squidroidia's group schedule will be, however, is another. Just one mistimed loss would make everything harder. This wasn't it.

That loss must have happened later to count for anything.

OneSquidroidia Leader Polls
Poll 1, 8 WC matchdays before election

Yoshiro FUJIWARA - 27%
Tatsuya KAMIYA - 23%
Noriko Yūki NISHIMURA - 22%
Sakiko TAMAGUCHI - 13%
Go KYUSHICHI - 11%
OTHER/CAN'T DECIDE - 4%

NOTE: This poll was conducted by SBN and had 10,372 people of voting age respond. This does not represent the entire Squidroidian population.

by **Valanora** » Tue May 17, 2022 2:07 pm

A rare event has come to pass in the Eternal Empire, as one of the clubs in the Elven Premiership has been put up for sale by its owner. It is not just any club however, it is Soldarian FC, which traditionally has been owned by the Soldar family who founded the town of Soldar and the club itself. Yet following the wedding between Lathwen Raynor, owner of Raynor City United, and Faeron Soldarian, owner of Soldarian FC, league regulation forces one of the clubs to be put up for sale. The newly weds have decided that Soldarian FC will be the club to be put up for sale, with it being suggested that it will take a hefty sum to complete the purchase of the club, with estimates suggesting two to three billion $NS, or ten million silver coins in Vanorian currency, which would be a record purchase should it transpire. The Premiership has given Raynor and Soldarian two years to complete the sale of the club and ensure that there is not a conflict of interest with the ownership of the two clubs by a single family, which should allow suitors from both abroad and in the Empire to table their bids for the club.

Soldarian Football Club is considered to be the second biggest club in the entire Eternal Empire, second only to Raynor City United itself, supplanting more of the traditional clubs over the last several decades with the amount of success that they have seen since the UICA era of domestic football has began. The Blades were the first Vanorian club to lift the UICA Champions' Cup and has lifted the trophy on two separate occasions, in the seventh and tenth editions of the tournament, as well as being the runners up in the second editions of the IFCF Champions League. Additionally the Blades have won the UICA Globe Cup on two occasions, the fifteenth and nineteenth editions, while being placing third in the competition another two occasions. While domestically they last won the title less than a decade ago, they do not have the same sort of title credentials that Mar Sara FC and Hondo FC have, despite that stature as the second biggest club in the nation through the vast amount of funds that the Soldars have been able to pour into the coffers of the club.

There will be quite a bit of intrigue to be had with the sale of the club, as foreign ownership is almost completely unheard of in the Empire, due to the cultural and financial systems of the nation compared to many of its contemparies, as well as knowing that it is quite a short list of groups or individuals that are likely to be able to meet the asking price of the Empress and her consort. With corporate ownership seen as something even worse than foreign ownership in the Empire, it will make the selection process all that much more interesting, meaning that it will likely take someone of "old wealth" or someone who has come to wealth through some stroke of ingenuity or inheritance to be able to procure the capital needed to make the purchase. It will be interesting to see if political machinations will also be at play, with a great deal of general mistrust still abound through the Empire with those call themselves Anian, though at the end of the day money does talk and can prove to smooth over many differences with the right amount of coin being exchanged.

by **TJUN-ia** » Tue May 17, 2022 3:31 pm

By Peter Davis

After finally winning two games in a row for the first time in this group stage, the Jaguars of TJUN-ia felt as though maybe, just maybe, they had turned a corner in their quest for a return to the WC. David Seems and LI Xiu Ying liked some things and they didn't like some others in the two wins TJUN-ia produced, with Cardenao showing our best and Guanacasteca showed that work still needed to be done in some aspects. What would Margaret give us this time? Let's see...

Well, up first was actually...our bye week. Yep, no game this time and that gave us an opportunity to rest and think about what we've done and what we need to do. Tikariot and Pasarga are looking good and may end up as the runaway Top 2 of this group, so this battle to get into the Top 3 was undoubtedly getting more important by the Matchday. Bollonich dropped points home against La República at home, so the gap between us would be only a single point when our match went down.

That would be our first game back at another new arena - this time in the tropical setting of Ke Kahua Pāʻani o Pua Aloalo in Kepu Manu as the UO Zone played host this time around. The Manufano Islands had its moment in the spotlight at last...but unfortunately for them, the crowd would not see a fun game at all. TJUN-ia did take an early lead in the contest through Carlos Pique in the 7th minute...but from there, the form wasn't as good. Bollonich came back hard and they would show no mercy as both Dennis Perry and Linden Hayes would become our terrorisers as they combined for three goals, Perry in the 34th and 87th and Hayes in the 54th. 3-1 is the final score for the visitors, now 4 points ahead with a bye in hand.

Where is it that we go wrong? What is it that causes us to have difficulties against opponents many think we should be beating? Is it a mentality thing? Is it something deeper than that? What could it be? That'll be something we have to figure out as we cross over into the 2nd half with back to back road games in Muralos and Kyhun. Please...can we try for 6 points? Please? GO JAGS!

SCHEDULE (Group 9)
MD1: vs Kyhun (310) - Salam Liljamie Stadium, Al Kalifa W 3-1 (T-2nd)
MD2: @Pasarga (15) - Stade de Torgos, somewhere in Pasarga L 0-3 (7th)
-----------------Boot It!-----------------
MD3: vs Barunia (55) - Tiankong Stadium, Tiankong W 4-1 (4th)
MD4: @Tikariot (40) - Citadel of the North, Fort Viljan L 2-3 (4th)
-----------------Boot It!-----------------
MD5: vs Schima Bas (89) - Zebra Stadium, Toropo W 2-1 (4th)
MD6: @Ziwana (232) - Ziwanicell National Stadium, Birnin-Likulu L 1-2 (4th)
-----------------Boot It!-----------------
MD7: vs Cardenao (277) - Tallawah Stadium, Port Town W 5-1 (4th)
MD8: @República Guanacasteca (137) W 4-3 (4th)
-----------------Boot It!-----------------
MD9: BYE
MD10: vs Bollonich (85) - Ke Kahua Pāʻani o Pua Aloalo, Kepu Manu L 1-3 (4th)
-----------------Boot It!-----------------
MD11: @Muralos (117)
MD12: @Kyhun (310)
-----------------Boot It!-----------------
MD13: vs Pasarga (15) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City
MD14: @Barunia (55) - Memorial Stadium, Edwardton, Marion
-----------------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 **Krytenia** » Tue May 17, 2022 3:41 pm

Kryties Four, Kitties One
By Rami Niblick in Linford

NINE games in to their tenure, and BXE has done wonders to restore national pride. Fresh from sweeping aside the malaise the side had suffered under Richard Valens, Krytenia decided to exorcise some demons from a previous boss. Paul Davis had nightmares about the Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison after a drab 0-0 draw during his reign as manager; no such worries here, though, as the CRC was well and truly broken at Brecklands.

Following the silent disco that was the Dragons' three-one win in Fort McKinley, simply playing in front of their own (infamously loud) fans was a blessed relief, and it showed in their performance. Scott Stringer may have been absent - spraining his ankle in training - but Niall Monaghan slotted in well enough, and Savannah Quinn was absolutely on fire. Her beautifully curled free-kick opened the scoring inside the first ten minutes, and when Alexander Devereux added a second halfway through the first half, the match was as good as over as a contest. Devereux would make it three shortly into the second half, latching onto a loose ball after Cande Montalban had half-intercepted a poor defensive pass and slotting past the CRC 'keeper. This was BXE's cue to give his striker a rest, and despite Jubatus grabbing a consolation for the visitors, substitute Remy Seydoux pounced on the Cheetahs to thump home a fourth.

Krytenia finish the first half of qualifying with a relatively short hop west to the Ochre Islands. Visiting fans are reminded to consider the time difference and on arrival in Bellflower are advised to set their watches back thirty years.

In all seriousness, though, Richard Valens will be looking to show up the Krytenians with his new charges in the way a jealous ex is wont to do. The Dragons' job is to not give him the satisfaction and beat the Ochres into last week - though this being the Krytenian last week, they'll be in the future as far as they're concerned. Me? I'll just be happy to beat the queues at Crazy Craig's Krytenian Takeaway and High Consulate so I can tuck into a pre-match spinach and potato diablo burger. Onward!

KRYTENIA - 4
Quinn 9
Devereux 23, 49
Seydoux 83

CHEETAHS AND REPTILES COALISON - 1
Jubatus 70

by **Chartistan** » Tue May 17, 2022 3:53 pm

Reeeeeaaaammmmmmm...

WOOOSH!

"Man, all this traveling has made me EXHAUSTED!" Miss Alice Wonderworld stumbled onto the grass of Billboard after what seemed like eleventy million dimensions crossed through on this day alone (To be more precise, Alice went through 15 dimensions, a personal record for herself) with no energy left to cross another one. She thought some rest in Billboard would do for tonight before lighting up the portal and continuing her adventures to everywhere BUT the Dreamed Realm and Shayol. Getting up slowly yet surely, she rubbed her head as her vision came into view. The portal closed behind her as she glanced her eyes at the familar sight of Old Toen Powk... Wait what? That isn't the name of the famed Chartistan stadium that has played host to the Chartistan national team for what seems like forever! She glanced around at the surroundings of the stadium, and everything felt... Off? Was something wrong with the place she called home?

Suddenly, a voice was heard behind her. "ALICE! You NEED to stop this!"

She turned around and noticed national team manager... That Other Guy With The Hat? That obsessed tinfoil man that had never been in the Chartistan team in the first place and NOT Doctor Lucas? Yeah, something was desperately wrong over here in her home dimension. The guy grabbed Alice's hand and dragged her to the office of the Chartistan FA, into a room meant for interrogating criminals way back in the day. Slumped onto the chair, That Other Guy With The Hat sat down before... Turning back into Doctor Lucas Combbrush. Huh.

"Alice, we've received word that your little dimension hopping escapades are causing... Uhm... Shenanigans involving reality perception warping. And it's BAD. When the Holy Empire FA are getting on your ass it's like-" He then turns back to That Other Guy With The Hat. "...A government conspiracy like the cancel culture that persists in normie left's brains."

"U-um... I can't help myself! It's so fun traveling across dimensions w-when-"

"Shut up, lib." Then he was back to Doctor Lucas. You need to stop this shenanigans before our entire perception of the universe gets muddled up into a trillion timelines! Please for heaven's sake!"

"P-please, I thought it was a fun thing to do, why do I have to deal with all of this stuff...!!"

"Look, if you stop, nothing will happen. If you don't, you'll make-" He was back to the hat guy again. "all those poor nuts so angry they might break a TV!"

Alice, terrified by the conflicting personalities, one the actual manager and the other some scrub from Cana pretending to be from mainline Billboard himself, tried to open a portal. No dice. She was stuck. They kept screaming at her to kick the habit, and with the entirety of everything on the line. she gave it up.

"C-combrush... I'm sorry man. It's just a habit... I promise to not do it again... Okay?"

Doctor Lucas sighed and reached his hand out to Alice. "Fine. This is going to take a lot of time to fix."

And so with a shake of the hand, Alice gave up her dimension traveling and stayed in Billboard, vowing never to step foot in another dimension again.

by **Cardenao** » Tue May 17, 2022 4:57 pm

The sun rose, as it did every day, over the high altitude San Gabriel mountain range forming the eastern edge of Cardenao’s borders, before basking the rest of the nation in its warm light and today it was exceptionally warm. Even in the colder, upland grassland of Eastern Cardenao (sitting in the shade of the San Gabriel mountains) the warmth could be felt, in the already warm Monrovia Isles sitting to the north of Western Cardenao somehow felt even warmer today, in the normally temperate capital city New Cardonia the sun especially was beating down.

No, the country hadn’t tilted closer to the sun, yes the sun was bearing down more so than normal, but the reason why Cardonian’s were feeling the heat as they woke up this morning? Two words, fifth place.

Yes, despite all the odds, despite crashing out in horrifying fashion from the Baptism of Fire, somehow Cardenao, the 277th team in the world, was sitting in 5th place with 12 points in their World Cup qualifying group. Even the most optimistic pre-tournament projections capped Cardenao at six, maybe eight points with some luck, so everyone in the country was equally surprised and purely ecstatic to be sitting so close to the qualifying zone in our maiden World Cup venture.

To be clear, there were no illusions for the Cardonians, they know this won’t last. After all, Pasarga lies in wait to smash us into oblivion and lord knows we are bound to stop overperforming at some point. 22 goals scored, 22 goals conceded, at least the team was nice and balanced 9 matches into the qualifying campaign.

Part of why Cardenao was feeling so hot today was due to the remarkable back-to-back victories for the national team in most recent matches against Muralos and Kyhun. The match against Muralos wouldn’t be forgotten any time soon as the Cardonian national football team came roaring out of the blocks against the #117 team in the world. Harritz Larrainzar linked up with Juanma Saez yet again for an early goal to send the Blue and Golds up 1-0 within the first ten minutes with a 48th minute strike from Acosta-Vargas sealing a 2-1 for Cardenao. The match against Kyhun was a drawn out affair, with both teams playing defensively, unwilling to open themselves up to a fatal blow. It took the combined brilliance of midfield maestro Jayful Archer and the supersub wonderkid Chimo Ventura to set Chimoooooo up for an 89 minute winner, collecting a delicate through ball and deftly sliding it past the keeper.

Back to back victories in a World Cup qualifying campaign is a wonderful moment and an ecstatic feeling for any team, triply so when you’re ranked 277th in the world and were written off before the tournament even started. Which is totally fair in honesty, Cardenao is fairly bad and its rabib supporters know that the upcoming second half of the campaign is sure to bring them back to reality. Reality starting next match when we face-off against Pasarga, the #15 footballing nation in the world, but who knows? Maybe we’ll win! Hah.

But damn is this double victory feeling very nice while it lasts!

With all that being said, there was one man in Cardenao feeling the heat more than everyone else and he was totally unrelated to the national football team’s current temporary successful state. No, for President Mihaly Otamendi, he was feeling the heat of the international variety.

Turns out nations are paying attention to what’s going on in the world, watching global developments and looking for opportunities to further increase their power, so when Mihaly had sent out an open invitation into the great beyond opening up Cardenao’s borders to foreign nations and entities the response had been immediate.

Mihaly leaned back in his leather chair and put one hand behind his head while he rubbed his eyes with the other. It had been the right thing to do, opening up his country to the greater international world, he knew that to be true and was confident in the course of action he had taken. But damn if it hadn’t opened up quite the can of worms for his administration to handle, opening up delicate discussions with three foreign nations.

The first was that of Cardenao’s long time ally, friend, and somewhat loose exploiter the Kingdom of Banija. The relationship between the two nations had long been pleasant and based around the Banijans owning and operating the extensive ferry network that linked all of Cardenao together, as well as the Anaian nation taking in plenty of lower-income Banijan families over the decades. It had been a great relationship but, as President Mihaly thought to himself, definitely had bred a mentality he felt could be described as entitled to Cardenao and wanting to softly dictate the extent of the Cardonian’s foreign involvement. Mihaly could understand how that would come to be, and he also understood how Cardenao could negotiate its way out of that arrangement and into clear-standing with the greater multiverse community as a whole, with that being done then the doors to Cardenao were really open and the time to modernize the nation and enter to current day would have arrived. And so he had called the meeting with the Banijan Ambassador Okafor and the Regional Transit Corporation local attache.

The purpose of the meeting had been to establish, in no uncertain terms, Cardenao’s right to do whatever the hell it wanted on the international stage. New allies, new foreign investments, new technologies, whatever. The right to self-determination was inarguable for any nation Mihaly had argued, and Ambassador Okafor was all too keen to agree with this statement, perhaps sensing that for all the chest pounding the President was doing (as one must in these situations) Mihaly very much wanted to keep and cultivate the special relationship between Cardenao and Banija and had a plan to do that. And, of course, he did.

What was the material basis for their special relationship, Mihaly had asked, with Okafor correctly responding that it was the elaborate ferry system the Banijan Regional Transit Corporation operated within Cardenao. Yes, Mihaly pushed on, so why not build on that and expand, why not make a historical impact and give RTC (and by extension Banija) a contract to modernize all public transit infrastructure throughout Cardenao? By the way Ambassador Okafor leaned forward eagerly, President Mihaly knew that this meeting was going to go exactly how he wanted it to.

And so, after much back and forth and with various diplomatic underlings helping to structure the deal, a tentative arraignment was reached. Cardenao was free to operate in the global arena with no interjection from Banija in exchange for the Regional Transit Corporation taking the lead on public transit infrastructure reform in what would go down in Cardonian history as one of the pivotal moments in the nation's history and one of President Mihaly’s most iconic diplomatic moments as he single handedly ushered in a brand new era for Cardenao.

Mihaly’s mind came back to the present, sitting in his chair in his quiet office as he wasn’t in the main presidential office where he had received Ambassador Okafor. That was a glamorous open room where he sat at a large, flat desk flanked by ceremonial armor (modernized to deal with small-arms fire of course) wearing bodyguards standing in front of a row of tall pillars holding the dome of the Prescium (the Presidential Palace) up. That was a very official place where he felt the weight of the office and the country, he preferred to handle official business there only when necessary, preferring a small corner office where he could focus his mind, and focus it did, settling back on issues of foreign affairs. Of course, the Banijan’s weren’t the only nation knocking on the door. There was also the matters of Cardenao’s neighbors, the Republic and Community of the Ochre Islands, and an evolving…‘situation’, Mihaly wasn’t quite sure how to describe it, with fellow Anaian nation The Halcyon Archipelago of Ko-oren.

The first matter to tend to had been that of the neighboring Ochre Islands who sat a mere 123 miles to the north of West Cardenao. Naturally, building a strong relationship with them was an immediate foreign affairs priority for President Mihaly and he had sought after a way to tastefully initiate a conversation between the two nations. And so he had sent word through the usual backchannels these sort of things operate through and before too long, a series of unofficial talks between Cardonian and Ochren diplomats had begun.

The foundation of many great international friendships stems from trade and all the wonderful things that come with it. The flow of goods and money between nations creates goodwill, cultures become shared, national interests are picked up by the other country, and just like that you have integrated people’s and allies for life, so it seemed like the logical place to start. And when word came through those diplomatic channels that the Ochren Foreign Secretary, an ambitious man named Byron Leifox, was willing to put up some older naval patrol boats up in a trade, negotiations with the Ochre Islands suddenly became a top priority for the administration.

Surrounded by water on most sides and with 12 islands under her flag, creating a viable Navy to serve as a coastal defense force was a clear and pressing need for the Republic of Cardenao. There was still very much a stain on the national consciousness, courtesy of the traumatizing 100 year period as a slave state to the Republic of Eshan, and creating a robust military force was a national priorty to ensure Cardenao was never subjected to a fate like that again. Having an effective naval force is the first step in that, especially when so much of the nation is accessible by water, so defensive application of these Ochren boats was mostly the intention. There were also two islands in the Cardonian island chain that had historically been vehemently against being a member of the public, perhaps these boats could be used for certain pacification procedures. At any rate, these secondhand ships would be the start of a new national Navy, the beginning of a historic armament project for Cardenao.

The question became what could Cardenao possibly provide in a trade for these ships when our greatest national export was fish. Fish for advanced military hardware seemed a tough sell, so the negotiations seemed like they might stall out as the Mihaly administration pondered what Cardenao could realistically put up in this trade. Fortunately, the solution came to them.

It would seem the Foreign Secretary Leifox was rather obsessed with flax, or maybe it was a national obsession, the Cardonian diplomatic team wasn’t quite sure but either way the deal was green-light provided Cardenao was able to provide a copious amount of flax. Flax was the foundation for linens n’ things and it would seem the Ochre Islands needed it and needed it badly. Fortunately East Cardenao was the perfect growing environment for high-quality flax cultivation and the almost-official word out of the Ochre Islands was simple.

Flax4Navy. What a deal.

And with that, Mihaly put together an official proposal pledging a certain amount of flax for the available naval ships and sent it over to Foreign Secretary Leifox to review and, hopefully, sign into existence.

That was the second foreign affairs headache of the day President Mihaly had had to resolve and by that point the sun that had risen so warmly in the east was slowly starting to set over West Cardenao, bathing the Prescium in the capital city New Cardonia in a beautiful pink and orange light. An aide knocked on the door of Mihaly’s small office and entered with his approval.

“Alright sir, been a busy one but this is the last item on the agenda,” the aide said as he put down an informational packet for the President to review, and so he did, picking it up and thumbing it over.

“Ko-oren?”

“Yes sir, Ko-oren.”

“I’m…I’m not sure I’m familiar with them.”

“Yes sir, they’re…well they’re in Anaia.”

“Whereabouts in Anaia?”

“Well sir you see that’s a bit of an issue, we’re having trouble zooming in on the map without it being too pixelated.”

“Why not just use a regular paper map?”

“That’s…we’re still acquiring one sir.”

“You’re still…wait, we don't have any paper maps?”

“No sir.”

“I………okay. What’s the problem with Ko-oren, I wasn’t aware we were even dealing with them?”

“Yes sir, well you see sir, there’s no problem per say sir—” the aide was cut off by Mihaly waving his hand.

“John I swear if you say sir again in this sentence I will freak out.”

“Yes sir, sorry si—(ahem) there is no problem with Ko-oren, at least as far as we’re able to tell. It seems they are more…nervous than anything else about the extent of Banija’s influence in our nation.”

“Oh, well that’s not very bad then as it’s not like we have reason to particularly care about their worries or am I totally missing something here?”

“Well no you’re not missing anything sir, like I said we’re still not entirely sure where they’re at on the map, but either way this could be a good opportunity to further solidify Cardenao’s position within Anaia.”

“I had a feeling that’s where this is going.”

“Yes sir as we knew you knew. If we were to make a public declaration to Ko-oren and Anaia as a whole, something saying that we are not beholden to Banija, we wouldn’t say it that obviously just phrase it as ‘foreign regional influences’ and that Cardenao wants nothing more than to build a flourishing relationship between herself and Ko-oren.”

“That’s not half bad.”

“Thank you sir I’ve been practicing for about 45 minutes before we spoke.”

“John, that's just insane, why would you do that?”

“I just wanted it to be perfect sir!”

“John…(sigh) I appreciate that John–”

“Thank you sir.”

“I wasn’t finished John. I like your idea, get an official communique and send it over to their government. Make it clear we’re just trying to get our nation out into the international sphere and we’re not beholden to anyone except the best interests of our own country. And also that we’d be interested in opening up trade negotiations or something to that effect.”

“Yes sir.”

“Yes John.”

“Will that be it sir?”

“Yes John.”

“Yes sir.”

The sun finished setting over Cardenao and another day was over.

by **Zwangzug** » Tue May 17, 2022 6:52 pm

The Bassabook Baritone

After ten matchdays, Zwangzug remains undefeated--but its hitherto superlative defense has well and truly regressed towards the mean, conceding twice against both Ceni and Adab. Zwangzug pulled out the victory at Cenial Halcyon National Stadium thanks to a Valerie Waugh winner, only to blow a halftime lead at the ZS^3.

Both Ceni and Adab feature more attacking styles than Zwangzug, and Kate DiMarini's side at first responded by absorbing the pressure, content if the opposition controlled possession and trusting in Kausalya Vizirani and Meghna Imomenba at the back to stifle any attacks. (Vizirani admired the green technology on display at the CHNS and elsewhere in the capital, high praise coming from a Guariday resident.) This approach paid off in the eighteenth minute, with Kirsten Jackson breaking forward against the run of play to score her first goal for the national team.

Ceni responded by having Nova Kymeri fall back to join the main defensive trio, counting on their wide positioning to control the midfield. This led to the equalizer, when Marc-André Onasi sent a long cross to the far post that Ben Lorennion was there to head home.

After halftime, the always-exciting Esther Axelrod-Conway found herself booked for a rough foul on Adrián del Toro. She protested, and quickly came off for Corey Richardson, whose erratic streaks seem to have calmed down. When Allison Swan was booked for a bad tackle on Aimee Ginoud-Sachs, Farrokh Sokhi took the free kick, and Kayla Haugen was able to convert it, putting Zwangzug ahead 2-1.

Not to be outdone, the home side swapped wunderkind Zane Kirchner on for Jasper Valaran. His fresh legs revitalized the midfield, and this led to Onasi going on a long dribbling run of his own, beating Helen Pimbura to equalize.

Waugh in fact had a couple beautiful opportunities in the final twenty minutes, but both of her early attempts were offside. In minute 86, however, she beat Liam Lorechian's trap just in time for a Kayla Haugen pass to find her. 3-2 the final, and visiting fans were free to enjoy the theater, even if most of them were too timid to try some of the diverse foodstuffs and drinks on display.

Zwangzug returned to the capital, whose fans emphatically are not thinking about Ceni's time-travel woes, to take on Adab. The first half went well; Sokhi caught Satchit Chandrasekar stargazing at the far post and blasted in the opening goal for the hosts. While Tansu Altun and Shania Enmerkar worked well together to deny Quincy Dulk-Fough from distance, Zwangzug again fell back and waited for an opening in momentum, and Hanna Suzuki sent a looping shot out of Enmerkar's range.

So when the second half began, it seemed like it would be more of the same, Zwangzug content to defend their lead. However, Saad Kaykali's patience with Ephraim Orlev and Enlilbani Yargab--who have a combined age of 78--was not infinite. They gave way to Naram-Sin Samanu and Nadje Barzani, and youth was truly served when Samanu's pass to Barzani set her up for a goal in minute 65. After that, Adab pressed forward in their familiar "Christmas tree" formation. (Some local pundits were confused, noting that most evergreens are taller than they are wide and that there are a lot more mathematically interesting ways to talk about equilateral triangles--no one ever accused us of being a football-savvy country.)

Tactics aside, the momentum was all with Adab at that point, and when Rebekah Yissakar got possession in minute 74, she unselfishly made space for the spryer Kastiliasu Akaptaha to equalize, and the comeback was on.

It actually didn't get any further, though not for lack of trying. While Amara Emmita prevented the home midfielders from connecting up, Cynthia Fairfax-Hazy entered for a tried-looking Imomenba on defense. Zwangzug were too timid and shaken to effectively park the metaphorical bus, train, or any other public transit contrivance, but the defense survived the remaining sixteen minutes of regulation and three minutes of stoppage time to escape with a draw.

Zwangzug travel to Eshialand to finish out the first half, and from there, visit the Hainan Union, who held them to a draw at Wayr Stadium.

by **Milchama** » Tue May 17, 2022 8:00 pm

"Why do we suck?"

"We don't suck, we're mediocre"

"We're in 9th place in our group, second to last place in the AOQC and clearly out of the running for the World Cup. Why do we suck?"

"We over-performed last time so it makes sense that we would take a step back"

"Sure but take a step back means finish as a mid-table obscurity not lose to a team that nobody knows anything about"

"We drew them"

"Whatever, we still suck"

"I mean fair"

"So why do we suck?"

"Well I think we over performed last time and under performed this time so we should be good. Also, this should be the last 32 team cup so that's good also"

"Oh so we have a chance at qualifying next time?"

"Exactly"

"Nice"

"So then what to do now?"

"See how the AOQC is going"

"How is it going?"

"We're in second to last place"

"Are you going to do a table?"

"Too much work right now"

"Why?"

"Because Efnakia had this nice table but I tried to convert it and failed and don't feel like trying some more"

"Oh ok"

"So it goes"

"Just like qualifying"

"Yep, so it goes"

"Oh so it goes"

"So it goes with everything"

"Watch till you fall"

"Listen to it fade away"

"Stop quoting song lyrics"

"Oh the pelephone rings"

"Seriously stop it"

"It hasn't been two weeks since you looked at me"

"Just because you're combining Bound Stems and Barenaked Ladies does not change that you're still quoting"

"Fair enough"

"So we're good then"

"Yep"

"Another failed qualifying campaign"

"Another failed campaign"

"Come on You Warriors!"

"Let's Go Milchama!"

by **Chromatika** » Tue May 17, 2022 10:39 pm

Matchday 9: Chromatika 4-0 Stresia @ Hawks' Nest, Lanar, Rainbow District, Chromatika (Cap. 112,000; 44,200 Seats)
Goals: Phoen '4, Kruetzberg '22, Killian '52, Wen '71
Starting XI: (4-2-3-1) - Begley; De Saint-Pierre - Régine - Ansov - Aimée; Si - Armageddon (C); Kruetzberg - Phoen - Fillar, E.; Killian.
Substitutes: Xhose -> Kruetzberg ('69), Anbient -> Ansov ('72), Zuniga -> Si ('75)
MVP for Chromatika: AM Alissar Pheon
Summary: Chromatika continues to take care of business at home, shutting out low ranked Stresia behind a one-goal, two-assist performance from Alissar Pheon. The Chromatik Attacking Midfielder who plays in Savojarna had his best game of the qualifying campaign, getting the early goal and then assisting on two corners to Kruetzberg and Wen. With their home form, hope begins to rise about the Anomalies' performance in the second half of qualifying against HUElavia and Pemecutan.
Matchday 10: Kimi-Suomi 1-2 Chromatika
Goals: Fillar, E. '26, Kruetzberg '55
Starting XI: (4-2-3-1) - Begley; De Saint-Pierre - Régine - Ansov - Aimée; Si - Armageddon (C); Kruetzberg - Phoen - Fillar, E.; Killian.
Substitutes: Ighv -> Aimée ('62), Larriet-Cortes -> Si ('71), Gainsbourg -> Killian ('77)
MVP for Chromatika: LW Edith Fillar
Summary: Last of the games on this half for Edith Fillar to truly shine, scoring once and assisting on the other. After an expected 1-1-1 start, the Anomalies have really truly recovered.
Matchday 11 vs. (116) Al Qurija @ United Center, Urrheddiao, Urrhed Island, Chromatika (Cap. 120,000; 28,000 Seats) and Matchday 12 vs. (45) HUElavia @ The Tidal Wave, Tihon, Urrhed Island, Chromatika (Cap. 95,210; 25,000 Seats)
Predicted Starting XI: (4-1-4-1) - Fillar, J.; Fillar, G. - de Aea - Anbient - Ighv; Zuniga; Wen - Hauser - Fillar, B. - Kuznetsov; Gainsbourg.
Reserves: GK Kathie Begley, GK Lorée Bautista, RB Victoire De St. Pierre, CB Damon Ingram, CB Giles Ken, LB Ipati Aimée, RW Emilie Kruetzberg, DM Kara Larriet-Cortes, DM Mare Si, AM Alissar Pheon, LW Edith Fillar, ST Paskal Toussaint.

The Interlude - The Alphabet - Part 1

By: Joyce McAdams

A is for ambition. What drives every Chromatik player when they step onto the pitch. The drive to carry Chromatika to the next level, to make history, to be the next generation of players that carry the nation forward. That ambition is what will carry Chromatika to the promised land once again, back to relevance and perhaps to that title that the nation so greatly desires.

B is for Battle-worn. This team has been through everything. From being exiled to being heralded a hero to being the disappointment of the nation to now being the kind of team that can be counted on to go through thick and thin without imploding, this team has seen its fair share of trials and triumphs and it's made it stronger than ever.

C is for Courage. Time and time again, this team has spoken up for things that it believes in, whether it be justice, equality, or going against the government. Time and time again, its alumni have become even more after their career. When players wear the uniform, they know what they are signing up for, and what kind of legacy that are joining.

D is for Determination. Whenever things get hard, Chromatik players don't shirk away. No, they put their head down and drive harder than ever before. Animosity, resentment, and hardship has been in the way of Chromatika from the beginning days of the sport, and are familiar company. What gets past all that is the dogged determination to make things work.

E is for Eternity. The Chromatik national team will be put down in Chromatik history for all time. The nation has grown to rely on its sports stars when it comes to both lifting the nation's spirits as well as being the nation's role model. It may not be the best of conclusions to make, but whether for good or ill, to be a part of the Chromatik National Team is to be a part of the Chromatik culture and identity.

F is for Family. The Andisoris. The Ilyas. The Aarts. The Larriet-Corteses. The Fillars. The Kellys. Numerous families have contributed more than one person to the Chromatik effort, and they've all been very important or remain very important to not only the sport but for the psyche of the nation as a whole. Not everyone can wear that kind of crown, but these individuals do it well, and are very much needed for Chromatik society to remain united and prosper.

G is for Generations. There are now multiple generations of Chromatik footballers, and there are those who might say that the original Golden Generation has come and gone, as the team hasn't reached the Quarterfinals in a long while. Hopefully, with the four Fillars, Hauser, Kuznetsov, and Larriet-Cortes, this squad will reach a new Golden Generation that will carry them to newer and better heights.

H is for Honor. To be a Chromatik Anomaly is to be a figure of honor. Everyone and anyone knows this, and to ignore it is to face the consequences. Enigma Armageddon forgot this for a second, and paid the price - is still paying the price. The microscope that gets placed on the players' lives may be considered to be a bit too much, but they also get the fame and the notoriety that comes with it, which isn't all that bad. Right?

I is for Individuals. Football is a team sport, but there are individual stars. Keira Andisori, Vasiliy Marten Kuznetsov, Gabriella Antonio. Henri de Aea. Chromatika has always had footballing stars that have been recognized by the international community at large. These stars have put Chromatika on the map, and have been instrumental in putting together everything that defines what it means to be a Chromatik.

Next interlude, J-R!

World Cup 81/82/83/84

Baker Park [Gibson 48'] 1-0 Trolleborg
BBP National Stadium--72,851
BP: Vickers; Brooks (Allen 59'), Rasanamira (C), Bauer; Grimaldi, Wiley, Buxton (Myers 63'), Aguilar; Vuckovic; Gibson (Diaz 67'), Harris

Possession: B-58 T-42
Shots (on goal): B-5 (3) T-4 (1)
Fouls: B-9 T-8
Corners: B-4 T-2
Yellow Cards: B-Bauer 55' T-none

Acastanha [Kalchankar 30'] 1-1 Baker Park [Mack 73']
Estádio Estadual de Pálidas--42,000
BP: Rossi; Edmonds, Onikambe (C), Harrison; Ryan, Logan (Vetter 80'), Milton, Boyle; McDavid; Cassell (Bruce 80'), Mack

Possession: A-47 B-53
Shots (on goal): A-7 (4) B-6 (3)
Fouls: A-11 B-12
Corners: A-3 B-3
Yellow Cards: none

BPNT ready to flip calendar for second half
Scott McCrae
The Daily Mail Chief Soccer Writer

The Commonwealth National Team will close out the first half qualifying when they host surprise side Gortolekua at Collins Park on Matchday 11 looking to continue their run of form since the MD 2 defeat at Jeruselem.

Manager Jennifer Prescott continues to build matchday lineups by combining "units" of three or four players from the positions, then rotating in some wild cards among veterans and the less experienced squad players; while this has provided a great deal of improved understanding across the divide between the "main pool" and the up & coming generation, it's also resulted in few uneven performances through the first nine fixtures.

"We've moved beyond the 'split squad' approach that we used in qualifying during Trevor, Pam and Tuzzio's tenures, which I don't think anyone can say wasn't beneficial across the board for whole of the national team. After the 89 cycle we started to re-think how to make the entire international schedule into a way to mix & match for evaluating the senior pool. I'm feeling pretty good that we maybe stumbled onto something with that approach". (laughter)

While the record of 34 wins and 10 draws in the 57 matches played during that period--from the loss to Pemecutin in WC 89 until the first match of the current competition--doesn't sound impressive, the National Team have recorded four classified finishes over that span (five if you count the Cocoa-bo Challenge Trophy Third place finish). Five different managers have utilized over 85 players in that time, allowing the staff to build evaluations for use in selection and tactical decisions.

The start of return fixtures will find the Bees hosting Britonisea for the second international fixture at the CONAGCO Stadium, where Lainey Wadsworth will be the Captain on the day in recognition of her 100th cap as she becomes the ninth player to reach the century mark (ed. note--read Scott McCrae's exclusive interview with Wadsworth in the The Mail on Sunday).

Lineup vs Gortolekua:

Johnston; Flowers, Wiseman, Hughes; Eichorn, D'Amico, Nolan (C), Reynolds; Craig; Pryor, West

Lineup vs Britonisea:

Callaway; Hutchins, Freeman, S.Knight; Rizzo, Vetter, Syzmanski, Altman; Moorman; Wadsworth (C), Harris

by **Pemecutan** » Tue May 17, 2022 11:44 pm

Part 4.1 | Part 4.2 | Part 4.3 | Part 4.4

Part 4.5

'No moves detected,' informed a man with an ordinary clothes. He lean on the huge palm tree on the side of the road. He often check on his phone and pretend to write something as if he is waiting for someone. In fact, he is watching the house in front of him. A two-storey house with minimum lights. In a glance, no one will notice that there is someone living in that house. But that man have watching the house for several days. He is waiting for something.

'That's strange. There's no movements in the past few days. What do they plan?' ask a voice that faintly heard on his ear. There's a small earphone there.
'Do you think we end the investigation?' ask the man while he smoke a cigarette on his hand.
'Wait for an hour more,' instruct the voice on his ear.
He chuckles and throw the half lighten cigarette. 'Another useless night,' he murmured.

Just when he turn his attention from the house, a motorcycle suddenly appear. He immediately take his phone and pretend to make a call. He speak loudly as if he is piss of a friend to late to pick him up. While on the corner of his eyes, he watch as the motorcycle enter the empty-looking house. He frowned. He tap the earphone on his right ear.

'Someone's coming.'

A Tale of Two Neighbors

A fine looking man walk silently to a room full of books placed in a luxury bookcases made of mahogany tree. He is wearing his night suit. Inside the room, there is another man who is sits with his back to the door. The fine looking man slowly put his hands around the man's eyes. A glimpse of smile arise on the face of the seated man.

'I thought you already asleep,' say the seated man while opening the other man's hands.
'I can't sleep when you're not around,' answer the fine looking man while sitting next to the already seated man.
The seated man put up another smile while caressing the fine man's cheek. 'What's the matter?' he ask.

He knows that something's wrong with his man. But the fine looking man never mention anything nor does he dare to ask him. And now, it's maybe the time.

'What if I'm stepping down?' ask the fine looking man with a serious tone.
'What do you mean?' the other man ask in reverse.
A heavy sigh left from the thin lips of the fine man. The other man grasp his hand. As if he is afraid of what will coming after the heavy sigh.
'I'm thinking to abdicate and give this monarchy to my uncle or cousin. Let them rule the country,' reveal the fine looking man.
The other man look surprise. He suddenly hug the fine looking man as if he doesn't want to let him go.

A knock on the door take Partayasa's attention away. His secretary is standing at the door.
'Sorry to interrupt you, Sir. But Mr. Minister Salawi is on the teleconference. He wants to speak to you,' informed the secretary.
'Oh, okay. Connect me with him,' ask Partayasa.
Suddenly the small monitor in front of him is turn on. And the face of Mr. Salawi can be seen clearly.
'Good morning, Mr. Partayasa,' greet Salawi.
'Good morning. What's the news we have here?' ask Partayasa strike to the point.
'I hope that my mail is faster than a speed of light,' say Salawi.
'Oh. Sorry, Mr. Salawi. I haven't check my e-mail yet,' informed Partayasa.
'It's okay. No worries. Then it is a good idea that I call you first thing in the morning,' say Salawi with a happy voice.
'What's the matter?' ask Partayasa who is become curious.
'I want to informed you that the logistics for the referendum is done. We can proceed it on shcedule. So this weekend is when the referendum will take place,' explain Salawi.
'Ah. That's a good news,' Partayasa looks relieve. 'Is that your supposed mail is about?' ask Partayasa.
'Hahaha. Yes, it is. And also an official invitation for Pemecutan government to become an observer during the referendum process,' informed Salawi.
'I will gladly accept that,' answer Partayasa. Salawi smile in relieve. 'Who else is being invited?'
'Several NGOs for neutral perspective. And also representatives from Toluiwa, Rarungan and maybe Kencana,' say Salawi. 'And I also wants to apologize to you and your country, Mr. Partayasa,' add Salawi.
'Wait? Why? What for?' Partayasa is confused.
'About the incident earlier. The consulate office in Selaparang have been functioning again. And there's already no protest in Pemecutan embassy and consulate office,' answer Salawi.
'It's good to hear. I have been informed by the ambassador too. It is a relieve that the demonstration is subside,' Partayasa feel relieve.
'Indeed, Sir. Oh and one thing,' say Salawi which makes Partayasa alert. 'After the referendum, there will be a snap election or general election. The parliament ask for a fresh start after the referendum,' informed him.
'Oh, that's great. I wish everything's run smoothly. We all want a peaceful transition,' answer Partayasa.

After the call, Partayasa informed his secretary to call Anggayudha. He feel suspicious about something.
'Yes, Mr. Minister?' greet Anggayudha.
'Sorry to bother you,' say Partayasa.
'No worries. What's the matter?' ask Anggayudha a little bit confuse.
'I just want to know if the any suspicious moves in Cakranegara lately?' ask Partayasa.
'Nothing that we aware of. The extremist movement have been in their lowest level lately. Nothing's to be worry about,' explain Anggayudha.
Partayasa exhale deeply.
'Is there something that bothering you?' ask Anggayudha who feels there is something hidden from Partayasa sudden call.
'I was just informed by Mr. Salawi that they will held a general election after the referendum,' answer Partayasa.
'And?' Anggayudha seems to be unsatisfy.
'To be honest, I don't know. It's just that I feel so odd about it,' explain Partayasa.
Anggayudha exhale deeply. 'You and your intuition. But that's okay. We will check on it immediately,' say Anggayudha.
'Thank you.'

Partayasa hang the phone. His mind is full of any circumstances about the referendum and election. 'Do they try to play pretty?' he thoughts.

The morning is so bright and mid-70s women with an elegant features is sitting gracefully at the patio of the east wing of Karsi Palace in the heart of Soracana Islands. She is sipping her tea. An oolong tea.

'King Karsiyuha II is here, Your Majesty,' informed the guard. The women, who is none other than the Queen Mother nodded slowly.

A fine looking man walk into the room which is connected to the patio where the Queen Mother is enjoying her morning.
'Mother,' greet King Karsiyuha II who is standing next to her. They hug for a moment before Karsiyuha II take the seat in front of her. The maid then pour him the same tea before the Queen Mother ask them to leave. She knows that her son will say something important when he came without informing her first.

'What do you want to talk about?' ask the Queen Mother after taking another sip of her tea.
'Mother,' Karsiyuha call her name again but now with a different tone. As if he is avoiding it.
'I know my son clearly even though he is now the king of the country. You won't come to me early in the morning after your long vacation without any important things to talk about,' open the Queen Mother.
Karsiyuha II chuckles. 'You know me so well, Mother.'
'Then what is it? Are you planning to marry him? You know it can't happen, right?' say the Queen Mother.
Karsiyuha II sigh heavily. The Queen Mother look at him with a confuse face. Karsiyuha II stand up and walk to the railing. He look at the scenery outside this patio. So green and colorful.
'Son?' ask the Queen Mother now with concern.
'What if I'm just an ordinary men, Mother?' ask Karsiyuha II while still looking outside the patio.
The Queen Mother suddenly stand up from her seat. She looks shock and surprise.

'What are you thinking, Son? We have the privilege in this country. We were given the privilege from our ancestors, the Jamrakarsi Dynasty. To rule Soracana Islands. And you are destine to continue the privilege. You are the King,' remind her.
'But this privilege have succumb me, Mother,' say Karsiyuha II with a trembling voice.
'Son?' call the Queen Mother.
'I want to give this privilege to someone else,' he say while he turn and face his mother.

The Queen Mother is shock by the news. Her hands trembles. She feels a little dizzy as she fall to the chair. She see her son once again but she can't say a word. Her world is shattered.

by **Fort McKinley** » Wed May 18, 2022 2:05 am

David Guy Allen led the Fort McKinley National Team out from the tunnel alongside the visiting Krytenian side who were largely unfazed by the atmosphere of diffidence that the 37,000 spectators at the People's Revolution Stadium in Shiloh Springs were awkwardly attempting to produce; there was little concern among the Anians over the targeted animosity that the host nation's leadership had directed at now extinct ancestors of these players in the light blue kit.

David had thought a bit about what he was going to say to the opposing captain, Cande Montelban, ahead of the coin toss; he knew he wouldn't have much time, so economy of words was paramount.

The anthems proceeded as expected, with cat-calls drowning out the music of the visiting nation and boisterous singing of "Hymn of the People's Republic", followed by the quick display of sportsmanship between the starting lineups.

As Montalban and David met to exchange the traditional miniature pennants, the number 10 in red grasped his counterpart's hand firmly.
"I'm not part of this ignorant display, I have no quarrel with you." As the two men greeted the officials, David continued. "They want us to play dirty against you, but we will not."
At conclusion when all were exchanging quick good luck handshakes, David finished his speech.
"This is a shitty country run by shitty people. But some of us are above all of that".

The match offered no surprises, as the third seeded team easily handled the Mackies, although the final scoreline of 3-1 would almost certainly be spun by The Party as an epic struggle against the "pig-dogs". Dave set up the only score for the home side, and after the final whistle, Montalban, who had remained silent during the pre-match activities sought Guy Allen out. "We only vaguely understand what all of this was about, but thanks for being a gentleman and a fair competitor. See you again on the return."
They exchanged another handshake and although he never felt good after a loss, he was sure that the result was the right one, and that at least one person understood what he was trying to do.

The scoreless draw against Reorganized Portugal was a massive disappointment to the team, as they felt they'd thrown away two points that were there for the taking. Now there was only the home fixture against Armbruster remaining in the first half of group play, and David knew that nothing less than a win would satisfy the FMFA or The Party.

by **Acastanha** » Wed May 18, 2022 5:12 am

We Stay Neutral

In the past few days, the region is shaken by the statement made by Eraman Prime Minister, Tun Rendra Usin who propose a change of the region name. So far only Sendhang President who is reacted with the statement. While government of Acastanha seems to be refrain to make such statement. But with the build up of the issue, the government finally address their position.

We are remain neutral with the issue of changing the region name. We encourage AMAN to step forward to resolve the issue. As this is not affected one or two countries but the whole region. AMAN as the regional association has the obligation to do so. It is the time the association use their power to function.

The statement made by the government suddenly make the issue become a heated topic in Acastanha. Some argue that the statement is weak and stated that the government fear to take side. Some say that the statement is a good resemble of a wise government. The mention of AMAN is also noted because after its establishment, the association never had any breakthrough in the region. "Maybe it is time the association become active again and resolve an important issue in the region," said Acastanhada political expert, Bruno Draviol.

The issue also change the country's atmosphere which is heated by partition issue. Daviol also said that the government give the statement in a perfect time so the people immediately divert their attention to another issue. Although it is a brief change of view as the partition issue is still a big part of the country.

by **Turori** » Wed May 18, 2022 5:13 am

Eels get Wrecked in Wr... Hapilopper

Unification Stadium, Halsted, Hapilopper :: Just one cycle prior there were questions as to whether Wreckeria would even exist - not just as a team participating in World Cup Qualifying, but as a national entity altogether. Now, with Unification behind them, a new more confident Wreckeria have emerged a more competitive and worthy foe for the teams of the multiverse. Pushed on by the success if their larger union partners Hapilopper who managed to qualify for their first ever World Cup during World Cup 90, the Wreckerians got off to a hot start in Group 14 of World Cup 91 Qualifying at times even holding the top spot in the group.

The Bulldogs hot start was also partially associated with having avoided some of the top teams in the group within the first eight games of qualifying but that would change when Wreckeria hosted the top seeded team in Group 14 - the Turori National Team on Matchday 9. After playing the Eels things would not get much easier for Wreckeria who would have to move on to a road game against Flavovespia. For the Bulldogs to have any realistic chance of finishing the first half of World Cup 91 Qualifying inside the Top three places in the group they would need points against at least one of Turori or Flavovespia.

For Tarek Edgeli and the Turori National Team it would be a first ever trip to play Wreckeria in... Hapilopper. While the two nations weren't exactly geographical neighbors they were close enough in distance that news of the ongoing unification process regularly snuck its way into mainstream Turorian media. Of course, natural comparisons were drawn up at times between Wreckeria and Turori itself with the occasional column wondering if Turori itself could one day go the way of Wreckeria, re-unified with colonial neighbors Vilita and losing its status as an independent entity.

Despite being just the 6th seed in Group 14, Wreckeria was a nation punching above their weight. A Big victory over Savojarna on Matchday 8 coupled with not dropping points with any teams below them in the rankings had left Wreckeria in third position in the Group 14 table as they prepared for their second major home match of the campaign. The first of their big hosted matches during the first half of qualifying did not go particularly well for the Bulldogs who fell 4-2 to five-time World Cup Champion nation Starblaydia for one of just two defeats they had suffered thus far in the campaign. Perhaps, however, the match had given Wreckeria a different motivation - a motivation to do one better. Welcoming Turori to the Unification stadium as the next home game after their defeat to Starblaydia, Wreckeria were looking to avoid dropping two consecutive home games for the first time in the campaign.

The Unification stadium was hoping and the unique on field color combination of Wreckeria's Orange and Black with Turori's Eelskin Brown and Nigel Green was appealing to only the most drab of color enthusiasts. The Nation had rallied around the Bulldogs during a time of uncertainty within their homeland and now their fans were repaying the effort that the Wreckeria National Team had put forth during World Cup 90 Qualifying by supporting their team en masse for big matches during the World Cup 91 Qualifying Campaign.

Tarek Edgeli would field a strong lineup for the Turori National Team with Eura League all-star Derizi Amatopa back in net and an all-experienced starting 11 spearheaded by the attack of Jungle Strike FC attacker Nua'oma Aikiki. Unfortunately for the Eels, this game would ultimately be more about their ability to defend than their ability to attack. In what was largely an even match from start to finish - possession roughly equal, quality goal scoring opportunities about the same - Wreckeria looked to feed off their home supporters to give them that extra boost to pull off an upset over Group 14's top seeded team. They would find that moment of inspiration in the 39th minute when Sig Justice got the fans on their feet with a series of impressive movements of the ball at their feet. Then, when the Wreckerian Captain appeared to be winding up for a shot from distance drawing in the coverage of Karek Edgeli, Justice cheekily poked the ball across to a now un-marked David Marlin who took one step with the ball the fired it just out of the range of Amatopa to give Wreckeria a 1-0 lead. Some 60,000+ inside the stadium plus scores more on the outside roared to life when the ball hit the back of the netting - the first goal the Turori National Team had conceded in three matches.

At half time the Eels would make just one change - replacing Karek Edgeli who got suckered in on the play that lead to Wreckeria's goal with veteran defender Cusaram Sakeri of Euran side Carsby. As the second half went on and Turori continued to be unable to break through the Wreckerian back line, Edgeli and the Turorian coaching staff would start making more attack minded substitutions eventually loading up the top by introducing forward Kinabo Telioa in place of defender Amakli Inuro'o. Ultimately it was not enough as Turori were held off the scoresheet for the first time during World Cup 91 Qualifying, first time in all competition since the opening matchday of the Cup of Champions against Pemecutan and the first time in World Cup Qualifying since matchday seven of World Cup 90 Qualifying when the Eels suffered a shock 0-3 defeat to Drawkland.

 Turori 0 - 1 Wreckeria	
	Turori Goals: None
	Stats :: Turori	:: Possession: 53%:: Shots: 3:: Corners: 6 :: Wreckeria :: Possession: 47%:: Shots: 4:: Corners: 5
	Turori Lineup ::	Derizi Amatopa, Moumouni Verre'elali, Amakli Inuro'o (Kinabo Telioa 77'), Karek Edgeli (Cusaram Sakeri 45'), Biliki Rona'atu'i, Cuoabaza Orani’aoa (Naraiza Ruaplal 65'), Daliora Toru'u, Lati'ala Giaoka, Kiidallen Aeroluzzi, Turakia Diijelhma, Nua'oma Aikiki

Iobabao Legendary Park, Mliona, Turori :: Though the Turori National Team had just suffered their first defeat of the campaign, there was little time to dwell on the result as Tarek Edgeli's side were headed back home to Turori for another important match against the 14 Stars. It would be the first match of the campaign for the Eels at Iobabao Legendary Park, home of one of Turori's biggest clubs, Mliona-Lpaka AFC. Home to two of Turori's biggest internationstatal corporations - twii.tur and Cocoa-bo, there would be no shortage of entertainment and activities for fans in attendance at the Park.

Edgeli and the Turori National coaching staff would make a handful of changes to the side who lost 0-1 in the previous match against Wreckeria, most notably moving defenders Karek Edgeli and Biliiki Rona'atu'i to the bench in favor of Planio'o Nrujsa and youngster H'munao Cagomia. Veteran midfielder Daliora Toru'u would also be left out of the starting lineup in favor of Tulaki Rauogba while up top it would be Loala Inkabu partnering with Nua'oma Aikiki instead of Turakia Diijehlma.

Unlike their previous match against Wreckeria, the Turori National Team would largely control the play against The 14 Stars, dominating the possession and having the better of the opportunities throughout the match. Unfortunately for Edgeli and the Eels they were unable to find a way onto the scoresheet in the first half. The best opportunity in the opening forty-five minutes came when Nua'oma Aikiki dispossessed Bryan Steeler who had been put in a difficult position with a back pass from Hannah Wellington. Aikiki stepped into the area with the ball and took the shot from a sharp angle but Starsian goalkeeper Calvin Princeton was able to stay firm footed and deny Aikiki the games opening goal.

At half time the Turori National Team would make just one change with young Sokattack Mliona based midfielder Lumlao Noauryua coming on in place of Amakli Inuro'o. Noauryua would look to make a quick impact in the match and they would do just that, collecting a yellow card just five minutes into the second half for fouling Holly Moonlight. The resulting free kick would be in a dangerous position and well taken by Kira Blade who fired around the wall in a well placed shot that Derizi Amatopa was just able to turn around the post for a corner kick. It would ultimately be the only quality goal scoring opportunity and corner kick of the match for the 14 Stars.

Despite having the better of the play, the Turori National Team was still not on the scoresheet as the match was looking more and more like it was headed for a goalless draw. The pace of the game would change in the 67th minute when Edgeli introduced Lutara Makakio in place of Tulaki Rauogba, setting the young Jungle Strike FC forward in just behind the forwards as a third attacking threat. The 14 Stars struggled to deal with the new pace of the well rested Makakio and the second generation attacker generated multiple opportunities for the Eels within minutes of their introduction onto the pitch. The deciding moment would come ten minutes from time when Makakio - who now commanded double-marking from the Starsian defense - was able to dish the ball off to Cuoabaza Orani'aoa before being surrounded by three players in blue. With space, Orani'aoa was able to pick their placement and fire past Calvin Princeton to break the deadlock and put the Eels in front for the first time on the day.

The onslaught from the Eels would continue and less than five minutes later, with the fans still cheering from Orani'aoa's opener, Makakio would get a goal of their own breaking through the defense and chipping an out-rushing Calvin Princeton to double the Turorian advantage and secure all three points for the Eels. For the Turori National Team, it was a critical response to their first defeat of the campaign and allowed the Eels to retain the top spot in Group 14.

 Turori 2 - 0 The 14 Stars	
	Turori Goals:	:: 80' Cuoabaza Orani’aoa:: 84' Lutara Makakio             
	Stats :: Turori	:: Possession: 59%:: Shots: 5:: Corners: 4 :: The 14 Stars :: Possession: 41%:: Shots: 1:: Corners: 1
	Turori Lineup ::	Derizi Amatopa, Moumouni Verre'elali, Amakli Inuro'o (Lumlao Noauryua 45'), Planio’o Nrujsa, H’munao Cagomia, Cuoabaza Orani’aoa, Naraiza Ruaplal, Kiidallen Aeroluzzi, Tulaki Rauogba (Lutara Makakio 67'), Nua'oma Aikiki, Loala Inkabu

While Turori's 2-0 victory over the 14 stars ensured that the Eels would be the leaders of Group 14 at the halfway point of World Cup 91 Qualifying, their potentially toughest match was still yet to come as the Turori National Team would hit the road travelling to Juvencus for a top of the table clash to mark the halfway point of the campaign. Turori's advantage at the top of Group 14 could be cut to as little as two points if they are unable to take care of business against the groups over-achieving fifth-seeded nation. Tarek Edgeli and the Turori National Coaching staff are likely to take no shortcuts in their preparation against Juvencus, a team who had already defeated Flavovespia and Wreckeria earlier in the campaign.

Regardless of the result against Juvencus, the Turori National Team will take their status as Group 14 leaders with them on an extended road trip - the first consecutive two-game sequence away from home of the campaign for the Eels. Luckily for Turori their second opponent on their extended road trip will be Group 14's last-placed nation Gadria who have yet to win in their 9 games played having conceded a group-high 22 goals in those matches. The Turori National Team had a nervy start to their World Cup 91 Qualifying campaign at the Almintora National Stadium, falling behind 1-0 to Gadria in the first half before recovering with goals from Planio'o Nrujsa and Loala Inkabu in the second half to avoid embarassment at the opener.

Through 9 matches of play just one player had appeared in each of Turori's 9 matches - Marine Coast United midfielder Cuoabaza Orani'aoa. Orani'aoa was also second in goals scored on the campaign for the Eels, behind only Jungle Strike FC's Lutara Makakio who has impressed off the bench with four goals in just four appearances. Cednia Beach AFC attacker Turakia Diijelhma, with two goals, is the only other player with multiple goals scored thus far. 23 players have made at least one appearance for the Eels thus far in World Cup 91 Qualifying with youngsters Trenian Omalizo and Tsinuzpa Rana'aiao of the Eelandii Academy among those who have traveled with the team but failed to make an appearance on the pitch.

TURORI NATIONAL ✓

@TuroriNat
A Clash for supremacy in #Group14 of World Cup 91 Qualifying as the Turori #Eels will travel to Juvencus for a top-of the table clash marking the mid-way point of the campaign. Follow the Story Here...

#WC91Q - #TURvJUE - #Group14

by **Juvencus** » Wed May 18, 2022 5:24 am

The Second Great War of Unification(1876-1892)

Foreign intervention in the Second Great War of Unification was not unheard of, as exhibited by the willingness of the Quebecois to fight by the side of the Unionists, albeit mostly as retribution to attacks against their stationed fleet. The interests of another important nation in the area were also at hand. That nation was the Grand Duchy of Oscioru, which had unified itself a century prior and gotten rid of its last anti-Osci rebels by the early 1830s. Oscioru has had prior history in the area of the Sud, as irredentists in their attempt to consolidate a distinct Osci identity to the Juven had considered it part of a Greater Oscioru for quite some time now and their catastrophic defeat at the Osci-Sud War of 1847-1848 had been quite the sore wound for them. As war would break down in the area, Osci involvement would be inevitable, sometimes on the side of the Independententists, but mostly within the scope of their own interests.

La battaile, painting by Giuseppe Delacroix

Chapter 13: Battle of La Savanne(October 4th, 1879)
"Betrayal is to see your own brother, which you so dearly love, fight for a lost cause against you." ~Luca Stabbone, writter in his book "The Burn" ~circa 1920

La Savanne is a very wide region in itself consisting not of just savannah but other biomes, like deserts and tropical forests. In its majority however, it is correct. It stretches from occupied Alagoineiro in the northwest, to Aguajú in the southeast. Aguajú and its surrounding area, however, were the part of La Savanne in the interests of Oscioru. It is considered the borderlands of the medieval Kingdom of Poma, from which the Osci hailed sole ancestry from to distinguish themselves from the Juven mainland. La Savanne is also an important agricultural hub that the Osci wanted to exploit. Seeing as their attempts at the Osci-Sud War in 1847-48 had failed, alongside with the failure to convince the population to unite peacefully right after the massacres following the Great Attempt of 1865, war was the last solution.

Osci Grand Duke Julianus II declared war on the Sud on September 27th, 1879, following news that war and panic was erupting everywhere once again in the Confederation and knowing that the battle of Melposa the year prior had led to nowhere. Breaking the stalemate would give a legitimate chance to both the Independentists(Mostly the Tiscanodemenese, who were fighting in two fronts, allowing them to focus against the Pacglarese for the time being) and the Osci at beating the Sud clean. The following week, large-scale mobilisation had led part of the 3rd Osci Army at La Savanne. The 1st Army of the Sud was also prepared and dispersed all around villages and towns at La Savanne, all overlooking the hot savannah of the region, which was deemed to be a perfect battlefield.

Following the set up of the armies, a double push by the Osci towards the villages of Saracena and Santo Nicolo commenced. In Saracena, which is known for its important tower, shots were exchanged as the Osci fighters pushed even deeper in Saracena. The streets would be major melee battlefields and houses would be makeshit cover, as were dragging barrels and other objects in the streets for lined up battles. Bodies were laying left, right and center. However at the village plaza the Sud fighters would have to capitulate in Saracena. The Osci, being more benevolent with their prisoners, did not execute anyone at this early stage of the conflict, but made sure to ridicule their prisoners for capitulating, as was customary in Oscioru at the time. Surrendering was considered beyond ridiculous to do.

In Santo Nicolo, however, the Osci push was not going very well. Upon reaching the village, the Sud inflicted heavy casualties onto the Osci, who had to back down in fear of losing more men this early in the war. A cavalry unit of the Sud, the Chasseurs was rushed onto the battlefield to chase any Osci soldiers escaping from combat. As such, a new stage of the battle started in the hot savannah. With all troops dispersed, shots were random as were the melee fights that ensued that same day. Loads of people fell dead as both sides decided to reorganise themselves before diving into combat once again. This time, an Osci cavalry unit, i Ragacavallo fought with valor against the Chasseurs of Sud, however they would be outperformed and forced to back down, giving a strategic victory to the Sud in Santo Nicolo.

With the battle's outcome being inconclusive, many questioned if this was the right choice for Julianus II to make, however the morale of his soldiers remained high, as Saracena and its tower were in Osci control, providing them with a vantage point that would give the Osci a good view of any Sud movements in the area.

Battle Outcome: Inconclusive: Strategic Osci victory!

by **Kelssek** » Wed May 18, 2022 6:09 am

KELSSEK'S SPORTS LEADER

Football > World Cup qualifying
Road to World Cup gets steeper for Kelssek

One point from a bruising pair of matches in World Cup qualifying has Kelssek’s chances of reaching the finals fading fast. Defeat to Valanora and a draw against Baggieland have left Kelssek far adrift, in fourth place and 11 points behind group leaders Hapilopper.

The fates have seen fit to ensure that Valanora is Kelssek’s most frequent opponent of the present era, and this is no help as Kelssek has never beaten them in the six times they’ve been pit against the Marauders since the 81st cycle. And Kelssek showed precious few signs of being able to change that in Kirkenes, when they lost to Valanora for the seventh straight time.

If the plan was to crowd the midfield as the starting eleven suggested, it’s hard to say why Heike Schoß given far too much space to measure and fire a shot from just outside the penalty area that beat Sébastian Saint-Gerlais from 20 yards. Kelssek found themselves two goals down at the hour mark as Jutta Palminger was tripped in the box by Damien Halliger, leaving Lothas Ludwig to convert the penalty.

Trying to chase the game, Kelssek put up a credible effort towards the end and Julius Miljeteig twice had to make the saves to keep Loïc Maçon-Petrault off the score sheet. But in pressing for a goal they were hit on the counter repeatedly and it was only a matter of time before Valanora got it right as Laborious Hawk applied the final blow.

This was not necessarily fatal to Kelssek’s qualification hopes, as manager Jorge Guardia suggested when he said after the match that “you can’t have a plan that relies on winning aganist Valanora.” The draw against Baggieland that followed, however, could turn out to be the real problem.

All seemed to be going to plan when Loïc Maçon-Petrault eluded his marker to finish a well-worked move down the left wing and give Kelssek the lead in Hawthorn. But Kelssek then sat back and allowed the hosts to come at them. Baggieland slowly took control of the match and were the better team in the second half.

With the pressure the hosts were applying on Kelssek all they needed was something to go their way. They soon got it as Curtis Holman was coping well at right back but an unfortunate slip gave Ray Brunt a free run into the box. The winger still had much to do and benefited from a deflection as Joseline Fourtin ended up making things worse by trying to block.

“It’s just football, alright. It’s not going our way at the moment. We have to really come together and find ourselves. It’s just not there right now. We need to be a team and play with more invention, more movement. First thing is we have to start believing in ourselves that we can do this.” said Kelssek captain Colm Ó Tuathail.

Danielle Maradroga rattled the crossbar with a late effort from range, but the lack of attacking threat in the circumstances will leave Jorge Guardia with a headache as he now has to find a way to salvage this qualifying run that could see Kelssek miss the World Cup for the first time in seven cycles.

KELSSEK 0
St-Gerlais, Buené, Halliger, Auiloquet, Lozic, Douglass (Hartpoach 78’), Lapierre (Ducharne 81’), dí Völará, Ó Tuathail (Lafrenière 71’), Taleb, Maçon-Petrault
VALANORA 3 – Schoß (22’), Ludwig (pen. 58’), Hawk (84’)
Exhibition Place, Kirkenes (attendance 38,113)

BAGGIELAND 1 – Brunt (73’)
KELSSEK 1 – Maçon-Petrault (34’)
Salinas, Buené, Auiloquet, Fourtin, Holman, Ducharne (Lapierre 78’), Lafrenière, Ó Tuathail, Hartpoach, Taleb (Maradrogba 83’), Maçon-Petrault (Wylten 64’)
Dartmouth Hill, Hawthorn (attendance 87,442)

by **Aut-Ves-Nat** » Wed May 18, 2022 6:36 am

Aut-Ves-Nat Education & Programming Proposal Ar-3^2-Ó; Official Exonyms for The Holy Empire

The Holy Empire's name in the AVN Knowledge Database, or AVNKD was brought into question at the fortnightly meeting. A commitee was formed and within eighteen clock cycles recommended these names;

The Hoely Backline
The Holy Enchilada
The Archregimancy
The Former Unofficial World Cup Champions
Steven

Development of ... ...... will be effected, as the AVNKD must be reprogrammed. Older versions of the AVNKD will continue to reference the older term because no modifications will be made to the archives.

Grand/High Admiral J.J.M. will decide the fate of this bill when it reaches his desk, an official ruling is expected by the ending of World Cup Qualification Match #20.

Relevant complains from ......... ........, migrant residents, or tourists can be lobbied to wise authorities. Seafarers are advised that any use of the link mentioned in relation to the AVN question may cause the vessel to be sunk by a [purple] computer sysop.

by **The Cordian Isles** » Wed May 18, 2022 6:50 am

6th minute, Cordia @ Qasden, 0-0
Kristin Bergstrin readied herself for the penalty. Fucking Redvin. Nice enough guy off the pitch but every time he stepped onto the grass he seemed to have this sudden urge to do damage. He would’ve made a great hockey player. This time had been like most of the others; that Qasden striker letting off a shot she could save easily, Redvin taking the guy’s feet out from under him. She’d lost count of how many times she’d told him not to take those risks, that those shots really weren’t that tricky to save, but he never listened, even though they played almost every match on the same team.

She watched the shooter for Qasden run up, the stadium silent in anticipation as the home fans watched with anticipation, hoping for an early lead. She dove right; he shot right. The ball hit her hands and bounced away, saved. The small Cordian contingent cheered as the local Qasden fans groaned in disappointment.

15th minute, Cordia @ Qasden, 0-0
Qasden was on the attack again, the crowd noise slowly building. Ada Baan still had a hard time getting used to the bigger crowds like these, especially the hostile ones. The Southeast Maple Center only held 10,000 fans. The bigger stadiums back in Cordia rarely filled anywhere near capacity; the Castle had a hard time reaching 30,000 when it was just Danvirk playing, while much of the noise at the Cordasfjord Colosseum was lost to bad acoustics. The Castle at home as the national team was still loud, but she hadn’t actually played in any of those matches. The Castle was saved for the big-name sides, and the subs didn’t play against big-name sides. She’d barely been allowed to play in this one.

A Qasden midfielder sprinted by her, but Fred stepped up and stole it away. Nice. He sent it up to her, and she ran for a bit before sending it forward to Anton, who went down the field to set up the Cordian attack.

18th minute, Cordia @ Qasden, 0-0
Sebastian Voll watched Rasmus set up the ball on the corner mark. These balls generally went over most of the players, over to Nick on Sebastian’s left, the far side of the net. He readied himself for that possibility, preparing to take the pass from Nick. He looked to his left, nodded to the midfielder. He looked back right and started, noticing the ball heading right his way. He corralled it, but not fast enough. One of those Qasden backs got in his way. Damn.

30th minute, Cordia @ Qasden, 0-0
Eric Johnson blasted a pass out to Henry. He was putting a little more on every touch he got today; it was his first start since losing the starting slot at LB to Lucia. Not that he begrudged her the position, as the two were friendly and treated it as a sort of friendly competition to see who could get the best views of Redvin’s spectacular fouls. But getting dropped to sub status still stung a little bit as a commentary on his play, which had been sub-par throughout the last set of WCQs. Hannah moved up, advancing the ball and setting up another Cordian attack. Eric liked how the team was playing today. Kristin’s save on that penalty had given them a lot of energy; they were now moving the ball pretty quickly and putting a lot of pressure on Qasden.

As Eric watched the attack from behind, Sebastian fired a shot. A beautiful one, it curved around the Qasden keeper and in. That was the lead! But no, the offside flag was out. Apparently Sebastian had stepped over as he received a through ball from Nick. Fuck. That one hurt.

45th minute +4, Cordia @ Qasden, 0-0
Redvin breathed a sigh of relief as the whistle blew for the end of the half. It’d been a hectic end to the half as Qasden kept up pressure for a stupid amount of time. Did those people ever get tired? His breaths came in gasps as he bent over for a moment, hands on knees, before heading over to the sideline. Diandra waved him over, obviously with something to say. The Nepharan was running a tight ship now that she was seeing results out of the North Stars she’d managed almost since the beginning.

“You should know that the only reason I didn’t pull you off six minutes in was because it would have killed morale.”
“Yeah, I’m really sorry about that one.”
“Not enough for me. This has been an issue for far too long, and we’re very lucky to be sitting scoreless right now. That penalty could have cost us massively. Milani’s going in for you in the second half.”

Redvin didn’t argue, just nodded. It didn’t help that he kind of agreed with the decision.

46th minute, Cordia @ Qasden, 0-0
Milani ran out onto the field before kickoff. She wasn’t new to this, with seventeen caps under her belt. But it was a rare moment when one of the team’s best players was pulled off, especially when you’re the one replacing them. Milani had big shoes to fill in the forty-five minutes remaining in the match. But that didn’t faze her. She moved the ball like the best of them in the early minutes of the second half, and never showed any signs of cracking under the pressure. During a break in the play as Nick went to take a corner, Milani looked over to the sideline. Diandra gave her the nod.

57th minute, Cordia @ Qasden, 0-0
Hannah wanted a goal. Not for herself, but for the team. They’d been on the attack almost constantly since the second half began, and it was beginning to wear on all of them that they hadn’t managed to convert any of the many chances they’d had. Hannah sent a pass over to Ada, then sprinted forward to take advantage of a gap, receiving the pass back. She faked a pass over to Anton and got a defender to move that way, taking the shot herself. Clang. Off the crossbar. Sighs of relief could be heard from the home crowd as Hannah sighed herself, out of despair.

73rd minute, Cordia @ Qasden, 0-0
Kristin was honestly amazed that nobody had scored yet. Since that penalty back in the 6th, she’d just assumed that the North Stars were living on borrowed time. But a look up at the scoreboard showed the truth: neither side had put the ball into the net, legally at least. Sebastian had been fuming a bit about the offside call at halftime, but being the captain he was wise enough to not make it obvious lest he damage morale. Even since then, though, the Cordians had been putting on a lot of pressure but just hadn’t been able to convert. Lost in her thoughts, Kristin almost missed seeing the Qasden side begin advancing the ball. But when the Vans reached her side of the field, she was ready. But she wouldn’t be needed, as Milani made a nice tackle to send the ball out to Nick. She’s a pretty solid player. Pity Redvin’s in front of her, but she’ll get a lot more time if he keeps getting into foul trouble.

86th minute, Cordia @ Qasden, 0-0
It was now or never, but the Cordian sideline maintained the belief that somebody would score, at least. They hadn’t had a draw yet. A corner from Rasmus was headed away by a Van, all the way out to Frederick, who took possession. He stepped in and tried for a shot, but stopped as a Qasden midfielder stepped in to block it. He sent the ball over to Milani.

87th minute, Cordia @ Qasden, 0-0
Milani corralled the pass from Frederick. A glance up at the net, then she struck. A high, arcing shot. The Qasden keeper misjudged it, and the ball flew over his hands to bury itself in the netting. Goal. Goal? Goal! The referees didn’t wave it off, and the stadium fell silent as Milani received high-fives and hugs from her teammates.

90th minute +1, Cordia @ Qasden, 1-0
Kristin saw it coming from a mile away, and was confused as to how Frederick didn’t. The Van forward sidestepped him and launched a shot. The North Stars all looked back, watching its path with wide eyes, figuring the lead to be lost and the game to be drawn. Until Kristin punched the ball away. She shook her head. The shot had almost been right to her. It really hadn’t been that close to going in.

by **Nephara** » Wed May 18, 2022 6:52 am

Nephara 1 - 0 Gothanita Isles
(4-2-3-1) 1 - Provost; 2 - Schrader (17 - Meadows 79'), 5 - Clevinger, 6 - Scales, 3 - Lind; 4 - Constantine (19 - Tapper 79'), 8 - March; 13 - Reed (7 - Matalin 67'), 23 - Kvasina, 16 - Crowcombe; 10 - Harper
Goal: March 61'

Oberour Ar Moro 0 - 4 Nephara
(4-2-3-1) 1 - Provost; 2 - Schrader, 5 - Clevinger, 6 - Scales, 3 - Lind (22 - Levering 68'); 4 - Constantine, 8 - March (15 - Ulmer 58'); 13 - Reed, 23 - Kvasina, 11 - Marinca; 10 - Harper (9 - Kurtishi 76')
Goals: Harper 7', Scales 19', Levering 85'

THE HERALD
19-YEAR OLD VETIVER HEADLINES ADDITIONS FOR EXPERIMENTAL SQUAD
Sisi Sharpe Football Correspondent

It has been the non-story of recent months. Nephara is not a country that has gone in particularly for superstar wunderkinder, but Felixe Vetiver has captured the national imagination. A natural goalscorer, two-footed, agile and ruthless, Vetiver lead the line for her hometown club at 18 and has clawed her way into one of football's greatest teams, and yet Elaine Koeller has always to date poured cold water on any prospect of her being fast-tracked to the national setup.

And yet, at last, an injury to Davor Kurtishi and a decision to rest the veteran Latona Basilisk have contrived to mean a first callup for Vetiver, along with the Admiral Storevik striker Tryphon Archer. While Archer enjoyed a successful Eagles Cup, Koeller was insistent that Vetiver would be best-placed with age group football, where she scored four goals in six games at the U20 CRJ. Vetiver has shown no signs of impatience with the policy, and is considered by those close to her to be a withdrawn, professional and focused young woman.

Her fellow Cormorants have come out quickly in support of the young striker. Captain Radeka Lind, who has been rested for the window, has twiied 'Great news; I've never met her but we've all known Felixe is the most exciting talent in the game coming up. First of many :triumph:'. Bravura Harper, Nephara's first-choice striker, greeted the news with 'Look forward to keeping you on the bench as long as I can ..... you always want to be competing with the best in the game and I've had that privilege both older and now younger'.

Fans have also noted the - likely coincidental - symbolism of Vetiver being given the #21 shirt, which has in recent decades become symbolic of mercurial talent. Basilisk being rested left it vacant, but other prominent wearers have included Chimera Moxham - arguably the greatest playmaker in Cormorants history - Konrad Gosforth and Penumbra Amokachi.

Vetiver becomes the first teenager capped for the national team since Estrella Hawke, who went on to score 91 goals for the Cormorants, a tally that will surely never be overtaken. Yet while Hawke was undoubtedly an excellent striker, she was never quite considered to be a true 10/10 player, never quite the best of her generation. Vetiver, merely by dint of her excellence at such an age, may well be in that conversation in five years' time, and at this stage it would be a surprise not to see her come good on at least much of her promise.

Along with Basilisk, Lind and Kurtishi, the midfielders Reed, Marinca and Tapper, defenders Schrader and Clevinger and #1 Aranea Provost have all been rested, with replacements largely being drafted from the EC squad. While some are expected to get minutes - dynamic Crisisbless winger Kestrel Anharbour seen as particularly likely to stake a valid claim - mostly it is being used as an opportunity to blood the direct backups and rest the mainstays in a long, gruelling campaign. If Vetiver does get a run-out, it will likely be an NSV side that have earned just a solitary point thus far, while a respectable Pluvia side constitute a legitimate challenge fresh off beating Mercedini. The Cormorants are in a commanding position atop their group, but difficult visits to Valentine Z and Yuezhou await in the second leg of qualifying.

NEPHARAN NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION - FORTNIGHT 6
Goalkeepers: 1 - Toxothea Sebring (Crisisbless), 12 - Medusa Strand (Chromatik, CMT), 20 - Tanith Arrowsmith (Dynamo Sjoedrhavn, SVJ)
Defenders: 2 - August Kovac (Aries Chariots), 3 - Caracal Page (Starling), 5 - Reina Turnbull (Kingsgrove), 6 - Anaximander Scales (Brinemouth), 17 - Tosca Meadows (Brinemouth), 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 - Isolde Reader (Myana, CMT), 13 - Kestrel Anharbour (Crisisbless), 14 - Thalassa Fletcher (La Nueva Avenida, FFD), 15 - Tamara Ulmer (Algolia SC, SRS), 16 - Ana Crowcombe (Avenida Leal, FFD), 19 - Sonya Belltower (Sabrefell Athletic), 23 - Lindse Kvasina (Istria City FC, BNJ)
Forwards: 9 - Tryphon Archer (Admiral Storevik, SVJ), 10 - Bravura Harper (Ulsa, EUR), 21 - Felixe Vetiver (1830 Cathair, AUD)

North and South Vietnam 0 - 2 Nephara
Nephara 2 - 0 Yuezhou @ Farham Arena, Sabrefell
Tjorl 3 - 3 Nephara
Nephara 3 - 2 United Adaikes @ Eagle's Club, Brinemouth
Kamisato Ayaka Nation 4 - 4 Nephara
Nephara 4 - 3 Valentine Z @ Godswatch, Crisisbless
Mercedini 0 - 1 Nephara
BYE
Nephara 1 - 0 The Gothanita Isles
Oberour Ar Moro 0 - 4 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 **HUElavia** » Wed May 18, 2022 7:06 am

Permecutan 4-3 HUElavia
(Olivando 18', 54', Karyadi 35', Wijaya 88' | Honda 22', Nascimento 43', 69')
Tegeh Kori National Stadium, Pemecutan Puri Federal City, Permecutan

HUElavia 4–0 Raspotochje
(Lian 5', Yom 40', 78', Simangan-Bayona 60')
Estadio Sino, Bagnano, HUElavia

XI at Thibaea:
Folliero, Arroyo, Herzberg, Lacerda, Kok, Brousseau (C), Leupold, Aveiro, Bellerose, Yakovich, Quesada
Special Uniform will be worn.

XI at Chromatika:
1 Lettmann, 4 Vargas, 2 Lavezzi, 3 Higashi, 5 Mitarte, 6 Font, 8 Brousseau, 10 Navarro-Hamada, 11 Chanca, 7 Honda (C), 9 Nascimento
Away Alternative will be Worn

A Chef's Voyage

Intricacies of Itio

"Hi, my name's Antoine Brousseau. For several years, I've been a chef, working in various restaurants throughout HUElavia. The sights and smells of cuisine have been a part of my life since I was very young. But now, it's time for a new change in my life. It's time to travel throughout the country and sample the various dishes this country has to offer. I don't know what's ahead for me, but I got the appetite to find out."

"This is A Chef's Voyage."

On the easternmost part of HUElavia, lies a region that is truly unique to the rest of the country. The state of Estaolia is home to basically a majority of Eskadi-HUElavians, whom also originally came with the Astellians during the colonization period. The cities are with Astellian architecture, but the signage isn't just in Spanish: It's also in Basque. These people are very proud of their unique heritage compared to the rest of the country, and I've come to learn about them in the state capital, Itio. 15.9 Million HUElavians live here, where the culture makes them one of the most proudest of the country, being in their own corner of the country. I'm visiting my old Sous-Chef, Amelia Andicoechea, who will be taking me around the town to try out the food of the Eskadi.

"Welcome to Itio Antoine!" "Thank you Amelia! It's a real pleasure to be here. To ask, what brought you back here?" "Well, it's where my parents originally come from, and after spending years working at San Rafael, I wanted to work and live here once more." "I see. What do you have planned for our visits today?" "I have some places we will visit for you to try traditional Eskadi dishes." "Sounds great, let's get to it!" First up, we visit Amelia's restaurant by the name of Rincón de Iker, named after her father. I'm sat down by the bar counter, where she comes out with a few plates. "What's the first meal here?" "You'll be having these snacks as a starter." She hands me a plate of Pintxo. They're the Eskadi version of Astellian Tapas, very popular in restaurants and bars in Astelia, as well as in eastern HUElavia. Time for some nice bites. *Takes bite* "Mmmmmm... This is very declicious! What's this one?" "It's toasted bread with Jamón Serrano with a green olive stuffed with Pimentón." "You can taste the savory flavor of the ham and the saltiness of the olive. Very delicious Pintxo here. What's the next one?" "Mackerel with Pimentón on the bread." *Takes bite* "Mmmmm, this is also great! You can really taste the white meat of the mackerel and it tastes so fresh and similar to tuna or salmon. Very delicious Pintxo as well." "Glad to see you're loving it!"

Amelia comes back with a steaming hot bowl of Marmitako. It's a simple, traditional dish with tuna, potatoes, onions, peppers, and tomatoes. *Takes bite and sip* "Mmmm, it's very delicious!" "What do you think of the ingredients?" "The tuna for starters has a fresh and salty taste to it. The onions have a nice, strong taste that really shows up with each bite. The peppers really add a kick to the flavor, peaking on your tongue. The potatoes are hearty and soft to eat, breaks down easily while eating it. And the tomatoes are soft with the taste it has that adds to the dish as a whole. The broth also has the nice mix of the saltiness of the tuna and the peppers to add to it." "Glad you're enjoying this dish, it's very popular here in the region, especially in the coast."

Afterwards, we go about the town, visiting street performers singing traditional Eskadi songs, visited San Ignatius to admire the sporting history of Athletic Club Itio, the main team of the city, and admired the coast of the area. Finally, we stop by a bakery and buy Goxua. It consists of a base of whipped cream, one layer of sponge cake and a layer of caramelized custard. *Takes bite* "Well?" "Mmmmm! Oh God, it's so great!" "Right? It's delicious isn't it?" "It surely is! The whipped cream is soft and foamy that melts in your mouth, the caramel is sweet that warms up quick in your mouth, and the sponge cake is soft and very sweet to enjoy. Man, I really ought to learn to make this, very amazing dessert!" "I'm glad you're enjoying this. For me, it's a guilty pleasure to make or buy this, depending on how I feel, after a long day."

Our day ends with us visiting the beach, having a few drinks reminiscing on our time we spent working together and the crazy stories we had working in a kitchen in San Rafael in our early 20s. Itio may seem a fairly secluded coastal city in the east of HUElavia that is a world's different to the country, but just as they're proud of their heritage just as they're proud of being HUElavian. You can see the Eskadi flag right next to the HUElavian flag across different buildings, people here will gladly welcome the national team any day of the week and come out to support them. They add a unique flavor and place to an area that has such a diaspora of them. Itio is a nice place to visit and it's worth to see Eskadi culture and make some great memories with the Eskadi-HUElavians.

by **PotatoFarmers** » Wed May 18, 2022 8:23 am

Poafmersia 2–2 Delaclava
Poafmersian Goalscorers: Jordan Huerta 27', Aapeli Shea 90+1' (assisted by Lesia Astrauskas)
Poafmersian Lineup (4-4-2): Nicole Potts (c); Mitchel Rosales, Diamond Byan, Kelefe Hans, Mac Rojas; Leonora Hall, Magreta Rym, Lesia Astruskas, Valentin Gotti; Jordan Huerta, Agapito Murphy
Poafmersian Substitutes: Onesimos Jain (Murphy 73'), Zak Kaloyanov (Rosales 79'), Aapeli Shea (Rym 82')

Sharktail 2–2 Poafmersia
Poafmersian Goalscorers: Janelle Frederick 50' (assisted by Leonara Hall), Liina Williamson 88' (assisted by Sartini)
Poafmersian Lineup (4-4-2): Nicole Potts (c); Mitchel Rosales, Diamond Byan, Ali Berger, Mac Rojas; Leonora Hall, Aapeli Shea, Michael Jackson, Valentin Gotti; Jordan Huerta, Agapito Murphy
Poafmersian Substitutes: Liina Williamson (Huerta 67'), Erle Sartini (Jackson 80')

Poafmersia 1–0 Southwest Eastnorth
Poafmersian Goalscorers: Jordan Huerta 90+3'
Poafmersian Lineup (4-3-3): Shirou Amatore; Jimmy Couch, Diamond Byan, Nacro Astro, Jacqi Equine; Michael Jackson, Min Berg, Aapeli Shea; Janelle Frederick, Jordan Huerta (c), Onesimos Jain
Poafmersian Substitutes: Bolívar Tamura (Jain 80'), Magreta Rym (Shea 86'), Taliah Alcock (Frederick 88')

Editor's note: In this series on youth football in Poafmersia, there could possibly be some tear in the time fabric. Changes about the Poafmersian youth football happened in the IFCF 10 season, which happens around 2-3 years prior to the current World Cup Qualifiers. Since then, the PDL is only onto its 2nd league season, following the cancellation of the 14th season of the PDL which happened alongside IFCF9. Every section of the RP, separated by a horizontal line, will indicate to you when it was published, to facilitate movements in the time fabric.

Time: Present Day

PDL: Mix of Old and New as Poafmersia gets 5 from a difficult run of 3 games
Report by Poafmer Times

Fiskadaha - 2 difficult games against Sharktail and Delaclava meant that Poafmersia was in an extremely precarious position going into the game against Southwest Eastnorth. It was obvious for the Red Panjias - a win will be crucial in pushing the momentum going into Matchday 11 and 12. And the Red Panjias really left it late to score that 3 crucial points - that is, a late goal from Jordan Huerta was all it took. But it was a really painful game for the Red Panjias as as a whole, as they were unable to break the defense of attack-first Southwest Eastnorth.

These games were a rather tough one for the newer players in the squad, though there were a few bright stars that shone. Aapeli Shea and Lesia Astrauskas were the heros of the first game against Delaclava, saving a really rocky game where Delaclava well deserved to grab all 3 points. Against Sharktail, it was Liina WIlliamson and Erle Sartini, who worked together to grab the equaliser. Against Southwest Eastnorth, even though Jordan Huerta scored the winner, it was Jimmy Couch and Jacqi Equine who did well in defence to hold the clean sheet against the opposition. With the new players stepping up, more experienced ones shared their experience to help the team work better. For instance, it was Min Berg who showed Nacro Astro and Diamond Byan the ropes on how to mark the opposition one-on-one, making a bunch of insane tackles to prevent Southwest Eastnorth from taking an early win. Vice-captain Jordan Huerta was helping the strikers to aim better, providing feedback after every goal attempt by his junior partner. Mac Rojas was there to replace the injured Natalia Abbott, playing on the right side, a side that was relatively unfamiliar with.

Head Coach Adnan Suliaha has confirmed that he will be making some changes to the squad of 35-players, putting more newer and younger players up in the main squad. He says that the squad will likely start to take shape over the next 2 weeks, especially with away trips to Ko-oren and Nyowani Kitara on the horizon. "Those games would allow us to re-evaluate our chances for the World Cup proper, and we will make a decision on the actual player list after that." He raises the possibility of many Under-21 players appearing in the squad for the remainder of the World Cup Qualifiers, adding that it is important to focus on squad renewal at the current stage.

by **Xanneria** » Wed May 18, 2022 8:39 am

Maroons secure lonesome three points controversial draw against Kitarans
excerpt from http://www.xtrasports.xan

ALEXANDRIA - While not a phyrric victory, the win over Equestria was not phyrric, but it felt like it was. No injuries or issues that caused any harm to either team, but my lord it was a very shallow and hollow win for the Maroons. Equestria had long been a thorn in the side of Xanneria's flesh, have drubbed the team multiple times including 5-2 at one point. So for many a 5-2 victory should have felt great. But it didn't, Equestria has been in a real slide as of late and their team has suffered greatly due to some form of issues within either the team or the FA. But a win over Equestria helps as the sting of that four game stretch of zero points. 5-2 also helps in the Goal Differential as Xanneria slowly climbs back up the ladder.

As many know, with this being the 25th anniversary of Xanneria's international debut, FAX has given the teams several home games outside of the National Stadium in Dominica City. One such game was Nyowani Kitara. The Rushmori nation had recently gone through a massive Civil War, and to some extent indirectly effected the outcome of the 2042 Xannerian elections. Many people say that Libertarians suffered at the polls due to their unwillingness to intervene in such a horrible tragedy that befell the Nyowani people.

Nyowani on the other hand had also gained multiple players from Yue Zhou, Wang Jiahui being the most prominent. Jiahui was also the one who scored the lone goal for Nyowani Kitara as his penalty kick in the 52' minute gave the lead to the Kitarans. But no one will be talking about the goal but rather what happened afterwards. You see, Commendant Pillar of Xanneria was in attendance at this game in a skybox. Juahui a known supporter of the old regime in Yuezhou, knew that he was a supporter of the capitalists in power at Yuezhou and thus the naturalized Yuezhou native made a cutthroat gesture at Pillar's skybox. A controversial act and several in the media are asking for something to be done. But for now the act was left untouched. Jiahui did get a bit of karma later though as when Allison Burns scored the game drawing goal, she did so after Jiahui fell over on his ass trying to defend her.

(Uknown 17' 84' ) Equestria 2 -5 Xanneria (Burns 18' 55' McKenna 27' 70' Bryse 30')

(Jiahui 52') Nyowani Kitara 1-1 Xanneria (Burnes 83')

World Cup 91 [roleplays]

Boot It!: Where Do We Go From Here?

WC91Q MD9/10 v. Wreckeria / The 14 Stars

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