World Cup 91 [roleplays]

by **Nyowani Kitara** » Tue May 24, 2022 2:40 pm

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5 (Written by Yuezhou)
Part 6
Part 7 Written by Yuezhou)

Note: This government owned media source is the most biased media sources in the entire country, so read this media source, especially the other news section, with a critical eye. Foreign media observers would call it a KPWC propaganda outlet, a charge that they would most certainly deny. They routinely charge the Free Press with straight up fabrications, something the newspaper rigorously denies. With recent legalization of opposition outlets within the country, its reach will inevitably decline, but in response it is doubling down on its loyalty to the President, and particularly, the party. Obviously, everything is strictly IC.

The Kitara People's Free Press
The voice for the working people of Nyowani Kitara

FOREIGN AFFAIRS OP-ED: Why Rushmore's various monarchial succession crises show the superiority of the Socialism Model
The below is written by a KPWC candidate for a seat in the National Assembly in Port Viljan

As Nyowani Kitara's election approaches, the eyes of the world rest on Rushmore once again. Not necessarily on this part of Rushmore- thanks to the stellar leadership of President Akongo, Nyowani Kitara is a peaceful land once again. She did not ask to be a warrior, she did not ask to fight, she did not ask for that war- but alas, it was brought to her, and the Kitaran people were made to suffer the price. Suits from distance places like Hattmark, the UR, and as far away as Busukuma conspired to overthrow the legitimate government of this Democratic Republic, and President Akongo, who was just a teenager when she came into Office, was able to fight all of them off. Every generation has to shed blood, unfortunately, to protect the revolution. The greed of the capitalists is unending. Just as General Zelotes Akongo defeated the capitalist threat nearly 35 years ago, Nafuna Akongo, once she wins this election, will finish it off for good.

One of the beauties of the Socialist Revolution, of course, is the ability, for a republic, for the best person to come forward for the job. That is what has happened in this country. But the trouble with monarchy, of course, is what you see going on right now. Uncertain succession in Pasarga, and a situation that could get absolutely disastrous in Cassadaigua. You have Banijan royals making fools of themselves (although that's what they always do, right?) trying to wade into what is a strictly Rushmori affair. Banijans aside, the world is looking at this, seeing all sorts of things going on. All of Rushmore seems to be either neutral, or closing in on one side or another. Princess Brianna has been supported by the rest of Pavola, and the opposition, led by Muhoozi Kulan, has joined our Pavolan neighbors to support Princess Brianna's foolish claim to the throne. Other nations have lined up behind her, like Astograth.

With troops being deployed, we have seen ridiculousness! Princess Cassie supported by Banija, Princess Brianna supported by Muhoozi Kulan and his band of fools. Who is there to support? The President is smart enough to not worry about the succession battles of monarchies. If it becomes violent, we can worry about it then- otherwise, we'll let Cassadagan lawyers do their jobs. We'll work with whoever is in power. But it goes to show. In this country, the well of the people is expressed through the party, the KPWC. But in such a country like Cassadaigua- Birth being the only determinor on whether you will succeed to power or not? There is a reason that Monarchies should be in the past. We'll work with who we must, of course. Monarchies with legitimate power, should be a thing of history. Nephara's attitude towards these bloody Monarchs is correct. Cassadaigua's succession battle is not our worry, not our problem, and we shouldn't have politicians worried about the palace intrigue of who gets to wear a crown in Cassadaigua.

SPORTS HEADLINES
- Nyowani Kitara had a 6 point Qualification window. They went crazy on offense in their visit to Southwest Eastnorth, scoring a stunning 6 goals to bury the hosts and earn three more points. "It was a great way to respond to a one point window." Said the manager, Liang Wei. "People thought we were slipping- but every single World Cup Qualification campaign will have its ups and downs. And that includes our own. We love the position we're in right now as we hit the stretch run."
- Nyowani Kitara built on that position with a relatively easy 3-1 win over former world champions, Equestria. Angonga scored twice as Nyowani Kitara continued their own march to the playoff. "I'm looking forward towards this bye coming up." Angonga said. "A chance to rest up, and power up, before the end of Qualifying."
- Nyowani Kitara has 5 games remaining. Three away games, and two home games, including welcoming top seeded Ko-oren into town. This upcoming window, however, they travel to last place Football Tiger, after their bye. "Our match against Football Tiger is what plenty would call a classic 'trap game'." Said the manager, Liang Wei. "We've got to come out thunderously against them, and get the three points. We know with Ko-oren coming next, it'll always be tough, but Football Tiger can definitely beat us on a given day. We just have to make sure that this is not that day."

NYK Cabinet meeting, after the Yue Foreign Policy Leak

President Nafuna Akongo was holding a copy of the most recent leak from the Yue Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "Are we sure this is legit?" The President asked, as the cabinet had hastily assembled after the leak had come through the presses.

"Positive." Her chief of staff replied. "While I can't back this up, personally, I think the leak was intentional- try to gauge somebody's public reaction." The Chief of Staff finished. President Akongo slammed the paper onto the table, in frustration. The YPA attack had damaged her electoral prospects. The airwaves were covered with opposition party ads- that the war isn't over for the President, that the President will ensure the war can never end, that Nafuna Akongo is not capable, or fit, to lead the nation in peacetime. The narrative had been turned in this election, and now, a slim lead that Nafuna Akongo had held through a beginning of the early period had turned into a slim deficit, with election day coming into full focus. Just a couple of weeks from what would be the first truly free and fair multi-party general election that the country had ever had.

"Man." The President said. "How did we miss this?" Her own intelligence operative, the domestic ones, had thrown out mixed theories on the attacks. There was one that said that he could not find a 'shred' of evidence that Lin Long had been anything other than a lone wolf, and that obviously she hadn't been working with anyone in the country, either other YPA soldiers or anyone related to Nyowani Kitara, either the party or the state. Some were saying this could have been planned with other YPA sympathizers in Yuezhou, others were saying that potentially other YPA soldiers in-country could've helped her. Maybe even a rogue agent, low on the rungs or state or party? But nobody had any evidence to back anything up, just theories.

It would be a dead-end. Obviously the Democratic Republic hadn't offered to cooperate with the UR Government on this issue, for obvious reasons. It was really putting the President in a bind. She knew what her father, President Boaz Akongo, had always taught her. There was nothing more important in Government, than showing loyalty to those who were loyal to you. "Obviously, in a system like ours, you must keep people on their toes." Her Father had told her before his untimely passing. "But you have to show loyalty to those who show loyalty to you. You are at the absolute top of the state. You are to the state what the mitochondria is to a cell- its powerhouse. You are the absolute source of power in this country. People will dedicate their lives to you. You must reward them. It shows others who are loyal to you that it is good, and the carrot, many times, is a more powerful inducement than the stick."

Of course, frankly, her Father's advice may not apply. Neither her father nor her Great Uncle had competed even in a faux election. They didn't even bother. Maybe none of her Father's advice was useful. What would he say about Gustav Isaksson being allowed to rot away in a Græntfjaller prison? Maybe allowed to was the wrong word- she had tried her best to break him out when he was in prison in Port Viljan, but she had failed. It was nearly an absolutely fatal error for her. She had come a long way since then though. She had grown up in power, Learning how to conduct politics, particularly electoral politics. Ensuring how to not take things personally. How to be a legitimate diplomat, how to represent her own country on the world stage.

How would one define loyalty in a democracy? "These YPA soldiers... They're good people." The Chief of Staff said to the President. "But you've seen what the UR is saying. You may have to work with the United Republics Government."

"Work with the UR??" The President said. "Are you mad??"

"Well, we may not have any other choice than to work with the UR." The Chief of Staff replied. "Look, they suffered a terrorist attack on their own soil. 5 people dead. They have a legitimate ask here."

"Absolutely not." The President said. She had been adept at handling some of the old hardliners in her own country- getting rid of the Central Military Commission, getting rid of plenty of oldliners who were simply friends with her Father, and making sure that everybody was friends with her instead. She had almost completed re-making the state in her image- but she'd need an electoral mandate to finish the job. But of course... This was something that still hit home.

"I mean, they haven't asked anything yet." Said her campaign manager. Her own campaign manager, of course, was not exactly an unbiased party- she was actually dating an ex-YPA member. Funny how those things work, eh? "This is just what it is- a leak. We don't have to respond at all."

"But we should." Argued the Chief of staff. They argued until the President told them to be quiet.

"My friends, this is a stressful, delicate situation. My plan was to ensure everybody got citizenship as a thank you for their service in the war." She stopped, and then continued. "What kind of person would I be if I just allowed the UR to investigate them, in my country, especially if they are to be banned from their homelands? They literally risked life and limb for this country, more than quite a few people can say. Ren Qiang gave us these soldiers as he was facing annihilation- and now is somewhere at the bottom of the Xandrian Sea, may he rest in peace. He knew how important it was to be loyal to those who were loyal to you. He understood the risks- took them anyways, and suffered the consequences."

"But you don't want us to suffer his consequences, do you?" Said the Chief of Staff.

"Well, times are different here." President Akongo said. "We are not going to end up at the bottom of a lake."

"Yes, but if Muhoozi Kulan gets into power, there's an outside chance we'll be spending the rest of our lives in a 12x8 cell...." The Chief of Staff trailed off. Her words hung in the air for a minute.

President Akongo dismissed everybody in the room. She was faced with what she felt was an impossible dilemma. Disavow the YPA, and she could probably soar back into first place, prove herself as a candidate worthy of peacetime, and win the election. But at what cost? A twisted decision, some may think, considering how easy she waged war on the opposition to hold power in this country, and how cruel the KRF were, in the beginning stages at least, to enemy combatants. But yet, she would consider this an ultimate betrayal of Ren Qiang from beyond the grave. Boaz Akongo did his absolute best to save Ren Qiang, literally saving him when he was chased out of Yuezhou. Did that mean that Ren Qiang was paying his debt to her Father through her? Were they all settled?

Or did she owe Ren Qiang a debt that might never be paid... But could be honored through the YPA soldiers? She ended up deciding against public acknowledgement of the leak. Buying herself time. She sent out word to all of her diplomats, and her press officers. If anybody asks about the leak, say that Nyowani Kitara doesn't respond to leaks- the UR did not send out any official communication to her Government, and therefore, there is nothing to respond to. She had the dilemma that could make-or-break her chances at holding on to the Presidency- save those who risked life to save her, or abandon them with the glittering prospect of electoral power well within reach?

by **Turori** » Tue May 24, 2022 3:13 pm

Continued from: The Worst Best Team in History...

The Best Worst Team in History Part 1

Nebuchadnezzar Grounds, New Babylon, Milchama :: When the Turori National Team's World Cup 26 Qualifying Campaign came to an end, many were in absolute shock. Not just within the Island Emirate but throughout the sporting multiverse. Never before in what was considered the modern era had a Top Seeded team finished World Cup Qualifying last placed in their group In fact, so extraordinarily improbable was the magnitude of Turori's ineptitude, that from World Cup 26 through 65 cycles into the present day, not only have no top-seeded nations finished dead last in their World Cup Qualifying group, but none have even managed to finish outside the Top 4 places in their group. It really serves to emphasize how clearly the title of Worst Best Team in History was bestowed upon Turori's World Cup 26 National Team squad.

Sometimes, however, the line between Despair and Destiny can be extremely thin. In the Case of the Turori National Team that line took the form of approximately three short paragraphs in the Turori National, the Island Emirate's leading daily news publication. The article tried to explain the reasons for Turori's terrible form at the World Cup 26 Qualifying - including the low standard of playing ground at new nations such as Hiiraan including at least one game where Turori were forced to play on a pitch that was completely covered in Ice. At the same time, the Turori National questioned the outspoken words of the Rejistania Orange-Blues coaching staff who had already declared one of the co-host nations of World Cup 26 to be the Worst Host Ever, despite the fact that not a match had yet been played of the World Cup 26 Finals.

While the Turori National Team had already been mathematically eliminated from the World Cup Finals with one game to play in the Qualifiers, the Turori National publication indicated that Group 6's bottom side would be willing to toss their name in the ring for the Cup of Harmony, a second chance of sorts for the Best of the Worst in the World Cup Qualifying campaign to come together and feel like they accomplished something in spite of entirely missing out on qualifying for the tournament they had entered.

And so, for the first time in ten cycles, the Turori National Team was headed to the Cup of Harmony. The tournament would be hosted in the nations of Schiavonia and Milchama in what would be the first ever World Cup Committee sanctioned tournament in either nation, although Druida had twice previously hosted the World Cup Finals. The geographic proximity and the short trip to Milchama for their group stage matches was probably the first thing that had gone right for the Turori National Team all cycle long.

The first game of the Cup of Harmony for Turori would be at the Nebuchadnezzar Grounds in New Bablyon, Milchama where they would take on a team called Palacetonia. It was the first cycle of competition for Palacetonia who, much like the Turori National Team, struggled in World Cup Qualifying with just one victory across the twelve game campaign. Following the 26th World Cup Cycle, Palacetonia would compete in just one more World Cup Cycle - World Cup 27 Qualifying, where they would establish a short lived rivalry with Hyprocria - their most numerous foe whom they would play four times over two cycles with a 1-1-2 record. The history of another nation which Turori started their World Cup history during Cycle 15 would also cross with Palacetonia, as Krytenia would hand the Palacians their largest ever defeat by a 7-0 scoreline during World Cup 27 Qualifying.

Before then, however, Turori and Palacetonia had a match to play. With Group 8 of the Cup of Harmony for World Cup 26 containing Turori, Legalese, Spaam and Palacetonia there was no surprise that the debut side was not favored to go through. For the Turori National Team, they would start off the Cup of Harmony much in the same way they started off World Cup Qualifying - with a comfortable multi-goal victory as they secured a 3-0 triumph over Palacetonia to get things started in Milchama. From there, things would get worse for the Eels - again much like they had during World Cup 26 Qualifying - just much worse, much faster. Turori would lose their second game of the Cup of Harmony Group Stage by a 3-2 scoreline to former World Cup Runners Up Spaam. As such, the Eels fate in the 26th Cup of Harmony would come down to one match - Their final group stage match against Legalese. It was a game that the Eels needed to win in order to advance and they did so just narrowly, a goal veteran substitute Dave Wilmette would make the difference as Turori would win the game 1-0 to not only advance, but advance as Group 8 winners on Goal Differential thanks to their 3-0 opening matchday victory against Palacetonia and the use of Goal Differential, not Head-to-Head results as the first tiebreaker in the competition.

Turori's first knockout round matchup would be against the nation of Kericia. It would be the first of many meetings between the two nations. After making their debut in the World Cup's 23rd Cycle, Kericia would go on to participate in 19 World Cup Campaigns across 45 Cycles being drawn against the Turori National Team in three of those cycles including each of Kericia's final two World Cup Cycles - Cycle 67 and Cycle 68. Of course, it is unfortunate for the team from the Island Emirate that the Kercian's no longer participate in World Cup Qualifying as it is one of the rare sustained rivalries in the sport that Turori clearly have the upper hand.

While pundits from all over the multiverse were projecting a lopsided victory for Turori - such as Nedalia's 8-1 victory over Pastorville that was recorded in one of the other Second Round matchups - the Eels who were just starting to experiment with their Adaptation of System Turori, derived from the popular defensive System Karela Tactic - would record their second consecutive 1-0 victory. It would be the first of seven consecutive victories over Kericia for the Turori National Team who boast a 7-0-0 all time known record against the team although this was their only knockout round clash. The prize for Turori would be a Quarter Finals matchup with The Archregimancy who knocked out host nation Milchama in the Second Round.

Unlike their all-time record against Kericia, Turori's record against their World Cup 26 Cup of Harmony Quarter Final opponents: The Archregimancy, is not good. Since the 26th World Cup Cycle, Turori have played The Archregimancy three times in either the World Cup or World Cup Qualifying and failed to win any of those matches. Luckily for the Eels, their record against The Archregimancy in the Cup of Harmony is much better and it all started back during the Cup of Harmony in Milchama and Schiavonia. Pundits were split as to whether Turori or The Archregimancy would emerge victorious from the clash. While they agreed that Turori seemed the better team on paper, some argued that The Archregimancy seemed destined for a "higher calling" and would leverage that status to emerge victorious. Within 10 minutes of the opening kick off, however, the Turori National Team found their way onto the scoreboard taking a 1-0 lead through Koiba Uviava to take early control of the match before getting a second goal just before half time from leading goalscorer Jutar Ranaso.

In the second half, Turori held strong with Ebbow Dakin punching aside or swallowing up any Archregimancy shot on goal. Raso Moore, Restiia Rlain and 20 year old Lennie Lavine each came in to maintain fresh legs for Turori who would hold on to win the Quarter Final matchup 2-0 - Turori's first World Cup Committee Sanctioned Senior International Quarter Final victory.

It would set up an all-Atlantian Oceania Semi Final showdown with Andossa Se Mitrin Vega and Bettia in one match, and Turori v. Nedalia in the other. The Eels would be triumphant over Nedalia with an identical 2-0 scoreline in the Semi-Final, setting up a 4th-wall rivalry matchup between Turori and Bettia - two future World Cup Hall of Fame Nations that to that point had nothing more on their resumes than a Baptism of Fire Cup Trophy. One of these two future Giants of the Sport would be picking up their first Ranked Internationstal WCC Sanctioned Trophy.

...To Be Continued..

After Losing Group 14 Lead, Eels Hang on with Forbidden Foursome

Eels Park, Eelandii, Turori :: The Turori National Team has been unable to get the help it needs from other match results in order to be able to climb back to the Top of Group 14 and remains in the thick of a four-way battle for just 1 Automatic Qualification Place and 2 Playoff places in Group 14, with at least one team guaranteed to miss out entirely from the bunch. The Holy Empire of Juvencus has the upper hand in Group 14 holding on to the top spot in the Group as they continue a top-tier campaign that has seen them wildly over-perform expectations in a group that many would have projected to see them finish outside the playoff places. For their part, Turori are just narrowly ahead of the challenge from Wreckeria - a team who the Eels were defeated by in the first half of World Cup Qualification, and Flavovespia - the fourth wheel looking to crash the party late on and go home with all the favors - or at the very least a berth in the World Cup Playoffs.

At this point in the campaign, matches against low ranked opposition are seen more as potential banana peel matches than they are as opportunities and the Turori National Team was taking no chances with an experienced lineup against the lowly Forbidden Territories. The Eels had the lead just two minutes into the match after Lati'ala Giaoka converted an audacious shot from a narrow angle after spriting up the right hand side of the pitch. The Eels would hold onto that lead through half time where head coach Tarek Edgeli would make one change - introducing Tulaki Tauogba in place of Moumounti Verre'elali. Twenty minutes into the second half, Turori would make a second and rather unexpected tactical adjustment. Looking to sure up the three points, Tarek Edgeli removed attacker Loala INkabu from the match and put in defensive player Planio'o Nrujsa reverting the Turori National Team to an ultra defensive 5-4-1 formation.

The move shut down any Forbidden Territories attacking momentum and actually offered Turori some counter attack opportunities of their own. Just over five minutes from the change and Turori was back on the board through Turaki Diijelhma who doubled the Eels advantage. Another ten minutes and the Eels had a third through Jungle Strike FC attacker Nua'oma Aikiki who had only come onto the pitch as a substitue less than two minutes before the goal. It appeared the match would end 3-0 until stoppage time when Lati'ala Giaoka, scorer of Turori's first goal, fired off a hopeful looking shot in the 91st minute that managed to dip just under the bar from distance, stunning and delighting the energetic crowd at Eel's Park and giving Nigel's Army one more gift before they headed back out on the road.

 Turori 4 - 0 Forbidden Territories	
	Turori Goals:	:: 2' Lati'ala Giaoka:: 71' Turakia Diijelhma:: 81' Nua'oma Aikiki:: 91' Lati'ala Giaoka           
	Stats :: Turori 	:: Possession: 55%:: Shots: 9:: Corners: 12 :: Forbidden Territories :: Possession: 45%:: Shots: 4:: Corners: 7
	Turori Lineup :: 	Derizi Amatopa, Amakli Inuro'o, Biliki Rona'atu'i, Moumouni Verre'elali (Tulaki Rauogba 45'), Karek Edgeli, Daliora Toru'u (Nua'oma Aikiki 80'), Naraiza Ruaplal, Kinabo Telioa, Lati'ala Giaoka, Loala Inkabu (Planio’o Nrujsa 65'), Turakia Diijelhma

by **Tikariot** » Tue May 24, 2022 3:18 pm

-- The Tikariot Premier League is covered by Simon Nighthorse and Sakari Pernfors --

While the Tikariot Second League has always been a highly competitive place in its battle for positions in the Tikariot Premier League, even more eyes were on it this season, for several reasons. For starters, last season had only seen two teams go up in the first step of the TPL's contraction from 24 to 22 teams, while four were relegated, then the surprise promotion for the Emerald Coast Raiders alongside the immediately re-promoted Avanaroch White Wings meant that Nagoush FC, Fort Viljan Northern FC and Morannon Athletic FC all were left stranded, chomping at the bits for a second chance to return to the TPL and finally the second step of contraction from 22 to 20 teams meaning another season of only two promoted teams meant that adding the Anhedron Wanderers, Veriasod Wolves, Meriador FC and The Zhelmagor Society to the mix would create a stunning line-up of clubs and a hopefully even more intense season than usual.

But the TPL's contraction also had another premise for excitement at the other end of the table, where five teams would face relegation to the Tikariot National League 1 to compensate for the influx from above, making it a tough time for newly promoted Saevaroy Town, Leriagog Blackhearts, Tovaca Thunder and Viathyn Park to maintain their second-tier status. And on both ends of the table, the TSL kept their promise and then some in making this a season to remember for many clubs and fans alike.

As so often, relegated teams face the fate of seeing their rosters gutted by TPL teams cherry-picking the best players for relatively cheap, so it is not surprising that especially Anhedron and Veriasod saw a lot of players remain in the first division, while Meriador had several of theirs move abroad, which left them with the difficult task of not just shifting their attention to a fierce battle for promotion, but also completely rebuilding their squads. On the other hand the teams that had failed to gain promotion last season already had step one of their rebuilds done and were able to hit the ground running. While the beginning of the year saw the usual up and down effect of any league until things settled down, it was essentially ten teams that were in contention for these precious two positions until very late in the season and ended up with these clubs being just ten points apart in total and the actual promotion being decided by a mere two goals.

But let's start at the bottom of the league and have a look first at who did not make it, before getting to the main course of promotion. Two teams finished rock bottom, nine points off the next best team and in the end 14 away from avoiding the drop into the third-tier, with Tovaca Thunder and surprisingly the Samreach Dragons, both of which former TPL teams, who were out of contention for a save spot several match rounds before the end of the season. Ahead of them, though, it was as tight of a race as ever, with eight other teams finishing just five points from each other in a continually changing list of clubs sitting in the red zone. While Nar Morghir United had seen their hopes dashed on match day 44, it came down to the Leriagog Blackhearts, Grahel Islanders, Saevaroy Town, Viathyn Park AFC and the Cape Shetma Falcons on match day 46, where all of them still could face the dreaded doom of demotion, especially with Viathyn Park playing in Leriagog and Cape Shetma hosting Grahel, while Saevaroy were facing Fort Cafragilis FC, who had secured their spot in the TSL just the weekend before.

The table situation before the final match day was as follows:

17 Saevaroy Town FC              45  14  11  20  54  76  -22  53
 18 Cape Shetma Falcons FC        45  11  18  16  38  43   -5  51
 19 Grahel Islanders FC           45  13  12  20  48  61  -13  51
-----------------------------------------------------------------
 20 Viathyn Park AFC              45  15   6  24  43  66  -23  51
 21 Leriagog Blackhearts FC       45  13  12  20  46  70  -24  51

Despite their bad goal difference, Saevaroy were almost guaranteed to stay up, with one point in their game sufficient to guarantee them a TSL spot for next season, but behind them the four teams playing each other were level at points, with Cape Shetma with the best goal difference by far. By half-time Saevaroy was up 2-1, making their league status for next season pretty much a guarantee, the other two matches were somewhat of a different situation, though, with Cape Shetma and Grahel goalless and Leriagog up 2-0 over Viathyn Park, seeing Leriagog safe as well at the time.

17 Saevaroy Town FC              46  15  11  20  56  77  -21  56
 18 Leriagog Blackhearts FC       46  14  12  20  48  70  -22  54
 19 Cape Shetma Falcons FC        46  11  19  16  38  43   -5  52
-----------------------------------------------------------------
 20 Grahel Islanders FC           46  13  13  20  48  61  -13  52
 21 Viathyn Park AFC              46  15   6  26  43  68  -25  51

The second half, however, turned into a nailbiter when Viathyn Park at first scored their first goal and shortly after Cape Shetma went ahead as well, putting the Falcons in the safe 18th position. Fort Cafragilis scoring the equalizer after 72 minutes in Saevaroy then meant that Town suddenly found themselves fully embroiled in the battle for survival again. All eyes shifted to Leriagog, however, when Viathyn Park equalized in the 78th minute, ringing in a frantic end to the season. Three minutes later Viathyn Park took the lead for the first time, lifting them out of the red zone at Leriagog's expense, but in the 85th minute the Blackhearts pulled even again. In the third minute of added time the Tikariot City based visitors then scored their fourth goal of the game, but almost immediately after a freekick for Leriagog hit the crossbar and then the goal line, almost making it 4-4. The following counter attack was then executed with lethal precision, making it 5-3 Viathyn Park and sealing the deal, securing the TSL membership for Cape Shetma, Viathyn Park and Saevaroy for next season, while Grahel and Leriagog have to make the bitter trip down into the third tier.

17 Cape Shetma Falcons FC        46  12  18  16  39  43   -4  54
 18 Viathyn Park AFC              46  16   6  24  48  69  -21  54
 19 Saevaroy Town FC              46  14  12  20  56  78  -22  54
-----------------------------------------------------------------
 20 Grahel Islanders FC           46  13  12  21  48  62  -14  51
 21 Leriagog Blackhearts FC       46  13  12  21  49  75  -26  51
 22 Nar Morghir United FC         46  13  10  23  69  84  -15  49
 23 Samreach Dragons FC           46   9  13  24  43  55  -12  40
 24 Tovaca Thunder FC             46   9  13  24  34  59  -25  40

Between Saevaroy and Viathyn Park, ten TPL titles have managed to retain second-tier status, something that had given many football fans across Tikariot reasons to follow even the nether regions of the league, even outside of Soharr and the Dhaencunori capital, as many feel that some of these great names in football history would deserve to see the spotlight of the TPL again.

by **Squornshelan Remnant States** » Tue May 24, 2022 3:20 pm

Catching Up with our Catching Up
Salwan Mynhier

Since the debacle surrounding the Lumbinipur match, concerns about which went unaddressed by the World Cup Committee at large, the Black-and-Reds have been playing somewhat better. Not nearly well enough to feel comfortable in securing a playoff spot yet, let alone enough to challenge Banija for the group lead, but definitely better. The team’s play has, for the most part, been driven by strong midfield play and a prolific attack. The defense, unfortunately, has continued to be occasionally suspect, though in this case some of that might be a result of some lineup experimentation on the part of Groothuis. Buczvarov is once again out of vogue at least for the moment, mercurial of form as she is. The real concern is that the duo who for so long have provided the coolest of heads and timeliest of boots as the right half of the defense for both club and country are both seemingly off form. Walda Harkhan and Taisiya Achthoven have both looked distinctly imperfect for the first time in recent memory, and the true extent to which the team depended on their excellence has been exposed as a result.

This deficiency was highlighted in particular by a number of botched connections between midfield and defense as well as some bad execution on set piece opportunities against Sargossa, costing the Black-and-Reds full points and spoiling Damnagoras’s two-goal performance. Since then though, the attackers have managed to outscore the opposition on all but one occasion. Shootouts against Brookstation and Eraman bookended a narrow win over Mon Sold in Han Dold. Allowing six goals in those three matches showed that the defensive issues were not simply a passing dip in form, but something that Groothuis needed to address, quickly. Unfortunately, the problem still persisted as the Black-and-Reds boarded their flght to Banija, and the result was all too predictable.

To face off against Quakmybush, Groothuis settled on a lineup of Nyberg, Yarlut, Galdra, and Malgos across the back, with Anthonsson in net, spelling an overworked Shimski. It seemed to do the trick, with the Black-and-Reds strong in their defensive shape and quick to move the ball up through midfield and back onto the front foot. Shimski returned against Milchama, and while the result was two goals conceded to follow up the clean sheet against Quakmybush, one ought to note first that the Warriors are a much, much better side than the Quaks.

And so, all right, we lost to Banija but things are looking up lately. Apart from that expected setback at the Stadium of the Restoration, the Black-and-Reds have won 5 of their past 6 matches, and have six remaining to defend, and potentially improve their current playoff position. By far the two largest-looming fixtures on the remaining schedule will come one after the other. Sargossa, who currently sit three points behind us in fifth will welcome the Black-and-Reds to the cavernous Estadio Generalissimo Joaquín Delgado for matchday 20, after which our side will return home to Vassilian for their penultimate match against Brookstation, who currently sit one point ahead of us in second.

Next up though, it’s the Baptism of Fire twins again, Aleirave and Efnakia. Efnakia will likely find traffic arrangements in Syneca quite a bit easier to navigate than back at home. Incidentally, in the absence of any real apology from the Efnakia federation, the SCFA has seen fit to compensate those Confederate fans who were unable to attend the away match with tickets to next matchday’s meeting in Syneca, so there should be no shortage of noise for the visitors to deal with. That will almost certainly not be true of matchday 18’s game in Aleirave, which is apparently due to be contested in an empty field which can accommodate barely 100 spectators. This is really a disappointing lack of effort from a Baptism of Fire champion. Even Belnegau managed to put together better venues than that.

Schedule and Results:

FRND: SRS 2–4 TKT @ Albrechtsson Park (cap. 65,400), Damogran, Algolia, SRS
FRND: SVG 3–2 SRS @ Stadio del Piero, Acqui Bollente, SVG

MD1:  ERM 1-1 SRS @ Daulapura Stadium (cap. 40,000), Daulapura, Daula, ERM
MD2:  SRS 3-5 BNJ @ Radlov Arena (cap. 76,800), Brantisvogan, Megabrantis, SRS
MD3:  QUK 2-1 SRS @ TBA
MD4:      BYE
MD5:  SRS 4-1 MIL @ Overburg Arena (cap. 46,222), Damogran, Algolia, SRS
MD6:  EFK 1-2 SRS @ Lake Dal Stadium (cap. 55,900), Kebmot', Ssedbam, EFK
MD7:  SRS 3-1 ALR @ Eichlen Stadium (cap. 37,500), Rudlit, West Flania, SRS
MD8:  LMB 3-2 SRS @ TBA
MD9:  SRS 3-3 SRG @ Civic Arena (cap. 58, 300), Viltvodle, Megabrantis, SRS
MD10: BRO 2-5 SRS @ TBA
MD11: SRS 2-1 MNS @ Killough Grove (cap. 31,400), Han Wavel, Han Dold, SRS
MD12: SRS 4-3 ERM @ Striterax Cybernetics Arena (cap. 64,325), Striterax, Isle of Squornshelous, SRS
MD13: BNJ 3-0 SRS @ The Stadium of the Restoration (cap. 91,835), Busukuma, National Capitol Region, BNJ
MD14: SRS 3-0 QUK @ Zenith Stadium (cap. 58,400), Stavromula, Isle of Squornshelous, SRS
MD15:     BYE
MD16: MIL 2-4 SRS @ TBA
MD17: SRS  v  EFK @ Synesoft Arena (cap. 46,950), Syneca, Sivolvia, SRS
MD18: ALR  v  SRS @ A field (cap. 100), Lahaira, ALV
MD19: SRS  v  LMB @ Smolak Systemy Stadion (cap. 31,200), Sjerezo, Molvania, SRS
MD20: SRG  v  SRS @ Estadio Generalissimo Joaquín Delgado (cap. 108,879), Soluca, SRG
MD21: SRS  v  BRO @ Emerald Coast Colliseum (cap. 31,200), Vassilian, Algolia, SRS
MD22: MNS  v  SRS @ TBA

World Come Undone
...will return next time
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

by **Mytanija** » Tue May 24, 2022 3:23 pm

EPISODE 1: DIRTY OLD TOWN
EPISODE 2: START AGAIN
EPISODE 3: BEYOND THE SEA
EPISODE 4: STEP ON
EPISODE 5: I’M FEELING IT (IN THE AIR)
EPISODE 6: BLUE MOON

The title music begins to play and a video montage of footballers playing on muddy pitches whirs across the screen. The camera images are grainy, these are clearly some old-timey footballers, the programme is clearly set at some undefined point in the future looking back on the past. Images of the Mytanar port city of Severyan are interspersed between the football, along with street scenes from Severyan and the supporters of the only football club in the city, Ararat. Above all there is a focus on the legendary manager, Misel Ravnjak, he can often be seen drinking or smoking or even on a television chat show. Finally, the montage settles on the title image.

EPISODE 7: DON’T STOP

”Ararat have been outfought and outthought here! Misel Ravnjak’s team look out of their depth. Perhaps IFCF Champions’ League football was a step too far for them this season. They are on the end of a 5-0 hammering at the hands of Turori’s Cednia Beach AFC and it’s going to be a long trip back to Severyan for that group of players.” A commentator laments as the red-shirted Ararat team trudge off the pitch, disconsolate at the heavy beating they had just taken at the hands of a supremely organised Cednia Beach team who would likely qualify out of the group stage. The old footage changes to the television studio where a presenter and two pundits are sat.

“A bad day at the office for Ararat?” The presenter ventures.

“Absolutely, it might just be a bridge too far for this group. They’re competing against sides with much larger budgets, Ravnjak has done well to get his team here, beating Gunzlach on penalties to qualify for the group stage was impressive enough. The money will make a huge difference for the club, but he’s fighting with sticks whilst some of these teams have metaphorical rocket launchers. It’s a real struggle.”

The footage fast-forwards, Ararat are on the end of another defeat, this time 2-1 at home to Cednia Beach. Then to a defeat at home to Crystopolis City and, finally, a defeat on the road at Nepharan side AFC Treason. The matches aren’t necessarily in chronological order, but have been arranged as such to emphasise the difficulty Ararat faced in international competitions. It was quite a step up for a provincial side from Mytanija’s poorest region who play primarily defensive football. But then the music becomes more upbeat, signalling better times, perhaps? The footage agrees, changing to a pair of victories.

“Oh that is sensational!” A commentator screeches. “Vido Mehic getting on the end of Lindse Kvasina’s devilish cross and turning it into the AFC Treason net! It might be enough to win the match! The roof has come off here at Korecky Road! Ararat have found it difficult during the Champions’ League group stage but this would be a really famous result if they can hold on for the final five minutes or so.” And hold on they did, the players collapse upon the final whistle, exhausted from their efforts. They might mean little in the context of the group, but it was a famous win for Ararat Severyan. Then they go one better, beating the group winners Crystopolis City in their own backyard.

“A short pass across the back four, between the centre-backs, oh! He’s slipped! Kvasina is racing onto it! Lindse Kvasina is through for Ararat! 2-1! 2-1! Ararat Severyan are ahead! Lindse Kvasina seizes upon the error at the heart of the Crystopolis defence and she has slipped it under the goalkeeper with ease! A fine finish! Ararat Severyan are ahead here in Crystopolis! Incredible, nobody expected this.”

The players mob Kvasina as the eventual group table for Group E flashes up on the screen:

1 – Crystopolis City – 10 points – Q; 2 – Cednia Beach AFC – 10 points – Q; 3 – AFC Treason – 8 points; 4 – Ararat – 6 points.

“In the end Ararat will take heart from that group stage performance, they don’t drop down into the Challengers’ Cup and that will be disappointing for Misel Ravnjak, but they haven’t embarrassed themselves and two huge results against two famous sides will live long in the memory for Ararat supporters.”

“The supporters would obviously have been happy enough with that showing, but was Misel Ravnjak pleased with it?” The interviewers asks Pedja Kasun, once again sat alongside Mateja Stojkovic, his former teammate and assistant manager.

“I think, apart from the Cednia Beach game where we got absolutely hammered, he was content? Obviously he picked apart what went wrong and we went through that in great depth, but he did that for pretty much every single goal we ever conceded. That’s why we became so good at not doing so… But the other three defeats we were mostly competitive even if we did end up losing them, I think it was a 2-0 loss, a 2-1 and a 1-0? We couldn’t be too disappointed with any of them.” Kasun answers.

“Yeah. I think Pedja’s right and that’s more or less what the gaffer said privately, too.” Mateja Stojkovic confirms. “I don’t want to pretend that the goal was always the Rushmore Copa de Campeones, because it wasn’t, but once it became clear that we were heading out of the Champions’ League it did very much become a fact-finding mission. Mostly about our own team, use these games against top opposition as learning material, we tried out a few different things tactically too. It was very helpful for what was to come later.”

“Those tactical changes, what were they?”

“Usually under Ravnjak, Ararat were known for playing either a 4-4-1-1 with a number ten behind a striker or a 4-1-4-1 with a defensive midfielder shielding the defence. It was quite a rigid system, the wide midfielders would tuck in to either constrict the space in the middle or they would track back to help the full-backs prevent overloads down the sides. That would all really depend on the opposition.” Mateja Stojkovic explains, his tactical eye strong from development under the great man. “But we decided to start trying to leave the wingers high for IFCF matches and prospectively for the Copa de Campeones too.”

“That sounds pretty expansive for a Ravnjak team…”

“Well, Lindse Kvasina would drop in alongside Radovan Pogaenik and Jonatan Rebernik. They would be more of a three and patrol the middle area of the pitch and then we could leave Sjostrom and Vansek high. That allowed us to pin opposition full-backs, or at the very least create a 3 versus 3 if a centre-back decided to go across to cover to free up the full-back on their side.”

“Did it work?”

“Well, it was one thing which worked, we scored the openers in both our group stage wins due to that. We won the ball in our own half, played balls down the sides for Sjostrom and Vansek and then Vido scored the one against Cednia Beach I think and Sjostrom got on the end of the one against Crystopolis City.”

“But then the winner in both games came from us pressing high,” Pedja adds, eager to demonstrate that he too could identify the tactics which had a hand in their victories.

“Yeah, and to be fair to the gaffer we did that in league games sometimes, albeit a bit differently. Usually we would squeeze the pitch with our whole team, two banks of four and then Kvasina blocking any balls into the middle and Mehic closing things down. This was a bit of a braver approach in my view, because if it went wrong then the opponent could bypass your midfield two pretty quickly.” Mateja explains. “We told Lindse to go and push up alongside Mehic, onto the opposition’s pair of central defenders. The wide midfielders would do the same on the full-backs, whilst our back four would move right up to the halfway line.”

“It forced mistakes.”

“It did, Sjostrom won the ball back and put Kvasina to the by-line and she crossed for Mehic to score in the AFC Treason game as you just saw and then Lindse won the ball off one of the centre-halves against Crystopolis City and put it in herself.”

“So the tactical flexibility was almost a lesson learned from what was a difficult group stage?” The interviewer asks.

“Something like that. We had to take the positive from it because we didn’t have too long before the Copa de Campeones started. We had to hit the ground running in that competition.”

“Meanwhile Ararat’s youth team were taking on all comers and defeating them in the Rising Stars Cup.”

“That was genuinely so impressive, to get six wins out of six at youth level can be quite difficult. Teams can lose players to the seniors, coaches generally don’t play lads who are carrying knocks because it can hurt their development. It’s also just a lot more inconsistent at that level too. Our under-19s did so well in that tournament.” Mateja gushes.

“And they eased through the Round of 16 too.” Pedja says. “We actually all went to watch that, it was at Korecky Road and the gaffer thought it would be good for the young lads to have that sort of support. The stadium was packed out too, the most they had ever played in front of and they absolutely smashed it. Ended up 3-1 and the place was rocking.”

“I thought it was a great idea at the time, Slavoj Okec was probably the one furthest along with his development from that squad, a young striker. He’d been with the first team a few times but I think it was even the biggest occasion he had played in, the way the crowd was and all that sort of thing. It was also a huge result, it send them through to the Quarter Finals of the competition and I think we knew we had a special group of young players on our hands once we saw how they coped in that environment.”

“And shortly after it was the First Round of the Copa de Campeones…”

“Yeah, it went from the under-19s getting that sort of support to it being us having to deliver with that backing from the fans.” Pedja says sheepishly. “Suddenly the pressure was on us again.”

“It was against Portelo, an Azurean side, did you expect to beat them?”

“I think most of the team probably did, but everybody knows just how dicey the Copa de Campeones can be too. I think a few teams saw that there was no Atletik or no Liria, 1896 Ebor as the Mytanar representative and they probably smelt blood a little bit. That’s what the gaffer used to motivate us.” Pedja says, seriousness returning.

“Misel Ravnjak was a real expert motivator,” Mateja adds. “He knew what made players tick, especially for a group like ours which wasn’t often fancied. I saw it as a player and then I saw it from the other side as a coach. He just knew how footballers’ brains worked. I tried to pick it up from him but I’m not sure you can, it’s something the best coaches just seem to understand intuitively.”

“I’m sure that first leg laid to rest some of the worries?” The interviewer asks.

“Naturally. I was on the other side of things for the first time in my career, coaching and not playing. So I found it difficult. It was a straight knockout game that we were expected to win, so there was a bit of pressure. It was at home, too, Korecky Road was bouncing. But for the first time I couldn’t affect it other than trying to give some words of encouragement and advice to the lads.” Mateja says.

“I had the armband,” Pedja smiles. “It was exactly the sort of occasion I dreamt of as a kid, growing up as an Ararat fan. A big Rushmori knockout game. I don’t think I ever thought I’d get there, perhaps not as captain anyway, but it’s funny how things work out. And what a performance by the whole team. It allowed us to rest up a bit for the away leg.”

“Ararat and Portelo step out under the night sky here in Severyan and the flares around the Korecky Road pitch burn brightly. Ararat’s support are in a raucous mood and their players will want to make up for a disappointing IFCF Champions’ League campaign too.” A commentator begins. “Portelo won’t be any pushovers, Cabo Azure have caused problems for Mytanija in the Copa Rushmori in recent years, but Ararat will expect a strong performance given the difference in stature between the two countries’ respective leagues.”

Then the goals start.

“Pogaenik, just outside the penalty area, he slips a ball between full-back and centre-half! Sjostrom here, cutting it back, Mehic! Mehic! It’s 1-0 to Ararat and what a delightful start. Only six minutes on the clock and Ararat are a goal ahead!”

“Kvasina standing over the dead ball here, deep in conversation with Radovan Pogaenik. That’s a great pair of set-piece takers, by the way. It’s Kvasina to whip it in, that’s a sensational ball and it’s Koppenol! Chloe Koppenol with her first goal for Ararat Severyan! It’s a few months in coming but the Licentian has turned it into the Portelo net and Ararat are two goals to the good here! This is exactly the start Misel Ravnjak would have wanted from his players!”

“Vasja Vansek wins the ball back high up the pitch, Ararat are swarming forward here, Vansek jinks inside one and he’s found a ball across the box… Sjostrom! It’s 3-0! Ararat Severyan are 3-0 up inside the first half an hour at Korecky Road! Portelo have been blitzed in this first-half. Ravnjak’s side have been so dangerous and so diligent, it really has been quite impressive.”

“Portelo have a corner here, it’s floated to the back post and half-cleared by Susec. Vansek tries to close down the shot, oh! Oh no! It’s 3-1! Portelo have one back! It only looked like a half-chance at the edge of the box but that is a quite brilliant strike! It’s in off the underside of the crossbar, Pedja Kasun didn’t even move.”

“Thanks for that one!” Pedja chuckles, still pained. “I couldn’t even see it coming.”

“The gaffer was absolutely fuming with that one, Vansek didn’t get in front of the shot. He hated to concede goals from set-pieces and whilst that wasn’t directly from one it may as well have been in his eyes.” Mateja Stojkovic smiles. “Pedja didn’t cover himself in glory either though.”

“Oi!”

“Fifteen minutes into the second-half here and it’s Neo Susec down the right-hand side. He plays a ball inside to Rebernik and he’s carried on his run if only Rebernik can find him. Oh! That’s an excellent chipped pass from Rebernik, here’s Susec again, inside to Kvasina. Kvasina! Exceptional! Lindse Kvasina! What a signing she has been for Ararat. An audacious lobbed volley from all of 25 yards! Lindse Kvasina, take a bow. Korecky Road is going wild around me here.”

“Another set-piece for Ararat, they really are racking up the corners here tonight. It’s Pogaenik to cross this one in, to the near post, Yuan! A bullet header from Ararat’s Yue centre-half! He’s been excellent for them over the years and he’s put this game, surely, beyond doubt. It’s a fantastic five for Ararat, 5-1 up over Portelo!”

“A substitution for Ararat and it’s Lindse Kvasina coming off for Petra Hall, the young Tumbran midfielder. Kvasina has the whole of Korecky Road on their feet. A standing ovation for the young Nephara international. Completely deserved, she has been unbelievable for them tonight. A goal and an assist and as good an all-around performance as you are likely to see. Portelo have not been able to cope with her. What a moment for Lindse Kvasina.”

“Ararat come up the pitch once again, Petra Hall driving her team up the pitch. She’s been effective as part of a midfield three since coming on, playing deeper than Kvasina. She’s played it into Vido Mehic’s feet, Mehic holds off the centre-half. Hall has continued her run, oh! That’s excellent from Mehic, a back-heel to send Hall through! Hall! It’s six! 6-1! Hall has dinked the goalkeeper and Ararat are in dreamland. They thought they could win this match but they perhaps didn’t believe it would occur in this fashion! What a performance. Ravnjak’s side are insatiable!”

“Portelo come forward here, down the right-hand side… That’s a tired challenge from Viggo Sjostrom, he’s shrugged off and ohhhh! An unbelievable strike from outside the penalty area! Pedja Kasun can’t reach it! It’s an absolute wonderstrike! 6-2! And as consolation goals go, that might be the best one I have ever seen from Portelo.”

“In fairness, I don’t think you can be blamed for that one,” Mateja says, tongue firmly in cheek.

“I’d like to see you try,” Pedja laughs.

“6-2 though? A great performance.” The interviewer states.

“Yeah, it was comprehensive. The gaffer was still disappointed with the two goals we gave away but I’ve never seen him praise anybody as much straight after a game as he did Lindse and Vido after that. Even later in the tournament, he was very business-like, but after that one he was giving them so much credit.”

“They were two very complete performances,” Mateja says. “He was less pleased with Vansek and Sjostrom for the goals, but I’m not too sure what either of them could have done, two fantastic strikes. Portelo were dangerous in patches and we defended pretty well other than those lapses.”

“And it allowed some rotation for the second leg?”

“Of course, not too much though, Petra Hall probably expected a start but the gaffer didn’t want to put her on from the beginning in case she made an error and her confidence was knocked. She got the second-half though and the rest of the team was rotated a fair bit too. We held them to a 1-1 draw at their place and we were heading through.”

“Drawn against Navel Sharks, how did everybody take that?”

“I don’t think it was the most glamorous draw, but the Whirl Islands had been powerful in regional football at times in the past. A few people wanted one of the big guns, perhaps Iturributa United or CA Paulinthal. But most of the team would take anybody.” Pedja answers.

“And we had the National Cup coming up, too…” Mateja smirks.

by **Kandorith** » Tue May 24, 2022 3:24 pm

Shinonome Kyoai - International

Krytania shines, while Michiyu shows concern

A draw against Krytenia and a confident win against the Ochre Islands is a reason for celebration among fans, but something is not entirely comfortable when it comes to the Kandorese national team. Michiyu has already expressed some concerns regarding the current performance and how to move on from here.
By Natsumi Miyasaki
Sports

^{SHARE THIS:}

 PGroup 10                         Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Kandorith                        15   12   3   0    42   22  +20    39
 2 Saint Eleanor                    14   10   3   1    34   15  +19    33
 3 Krytenia                         14   10   1   3    31   17  +14    31
 4 South Newlandia                  15    9   2   4    39   25  +14    29
 5 Indusse                          15    7   3   5    35   20  +15    24
 6 Ochre Islands                    15    6   2   7    29   30   −1    20
 7 Fort McKinley                    15    5   4   6    24   28   −4    19
 8 Reorganized Portugal             14    3   2   9    13   23  −10    11
 9 Sannyamathland                   14    3   1  10    13   32  −19    10
10 Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison   15    2   1  12    20   43  −23     7
11 Armbruster                       14    1   2  11     9   34  −25     5

With 39 points and zero defeats, the Kandorese stand firmly in the first place in Group 10 after 15 matches, yet there is a certain disappointment noticeable around Kaya Michiyu. While proudly looking at the training grounds, there is something about the nearly legendary manager which seems off, and disappointment was indeed what Michiyu had in store during a short interview.

"It has been a wild ride so far, but I have also said it during halftime multiple times. We’re giving away goals and matches too easily", Michiyu said. "The greatest disappointment is in the fact that we are playing brilliantly and are on track for the World Cup, yet we are leaving some matches in the dirt. I do think that the fans deserve a more organised defence and fewer goals against us.

Against Krytenia, it was obvious again. It was a very tough match, but we had to fight back from a deficit and, in the end, we could and should have, won it. Though we were in the driving seat of the match, we failed to defend against an all-out attack from Krytenia. I do applaud them for their dedication, and I think we can certainly learn a thing or two there. To me, it appears that we have once again defeated or sabotaged ourselves.

"We should be more cautious in the upcoming matches and maybe even make some line-up changes in the coming matches. I do still applaud the team for their prowess and how well they are doing, but I can not help but feel a little bit disappointed at the draws we’ve been facing so far."

The match against Krytenia was an absolute joy for football fans as the game ended in a 3 – 3 draw and saw both teams give their everything to try and win the match. Krytenia however switched their team completely around to pressure the Kandorese in a last effort to draw the score after Matsumoto made it 2 – 3. Eventually, it would be Whitmore who would be the hero of the night as Murayama found himself unable to stop a brilliant attack and left staring at the ball against the back of the net.

When even Ono could not make a proper third attempt at goal as Krytenia found their footing to stop the last Kandorese attack before the final whistle. A beautiful tackle from Vonn and a swift clearance would mean the end of the match. A point apiece, while to the fans at home not disappointing at all, the faces on the field told a different story. Tired and albeit a bit disappointed, the Kandorese thanked their fans and paid their respects to the stalwart Krytenia team.

Next up for Kandorith will be Reorganized Portugal and Armbruster, who were both defeated with large scores in the first match-up, though the Kandorese will now face Reorganized Portugal at home and Armbruster away. These two matches will be vital as after this, only three matches will remain against Indusse, South Newlandia, and lastly, Saint Eleanor. There are 15 more points up for grabs at maximum, and with the Kandorese standing at 39 points, winning the upcoming two matches might be enough to secure the World Cup spot already.

by **Sendhang** » Tue May 24, 2022 3:37 pm

President Paulus Etamba and the Sendhang delegations were the second delegations to arrive in Daulapura after the Pemecutan delegation led by the Patih Agung himself, Ngurah Agung Kusumajaya. The Sendhang delegation arrived in Daulapura a day before the ASEAN Leaders Meeting kick off with its gala dinner.

Just like the Pemecutan delegation, the Sendhang delegations did not go straight to the Daulapura Palace which was supposed to be their official residence for the duration of the meeting. Instead, just like the Pemecutan delegation, they checked into the 7-stars Petara Daulapura Resort.

The president was received by the Bendahara of Eraman, Tun Rendra Usin at the Petara Daulapura Resort where they had lunch before they were joined by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Budi Hartono, and Temenggung of Eraman, Isam Usin for a golf session at the same place. This is the second time the two met in a short space of time after the visit of Tun Rendra Usin to Kambang, the capital city of Sendhang a few months ago where they shocked the whole region by announcing their agreement to change the name of the region.

Meanwhile, back at home, the arrest of the national team and KS Tapaklaboh midfielder Teuku Hassan Al-Qari spark outrage in Tapaklaboh, the state capital of Putrasia. There was a small-scale protest in the city as the Putrasians made it known that they support Teuku Hassan Al-Qari and opposed the name change. There will be no Putrasian representative at the AMAN Leaders Meeting.

by **South Newlandia** » Tue May 24, 2022 3:47 pm

what do you do when nothing feels elephun anymore

by **Cassadaigua** » Tue May 24, 2022 4:06 pm

There’s so much to talk about,
By Kelsey LeClair, Concord Heights Times, Current Events

There’s so much to talk about right now that even the biggest soccer fans in the country won’t have their minds completely on World Cup qualifying. Maybe that is a good thing as it can get their minds off the Fillies third place position within the group. Let’s get right to it!

First off, the Royal Court is still deliberating over the Princess Brianna’s succession claim. This was not completely unexpected, as the Court handles a lot of other matters, too, so they are not spending every minute of every day talking about this. In fact, there have been days where it has not come up at all. Still, the fact that it was not a slam dunk decision has some wondering if Brianna really will be declared the next Queen. Which would beg an interesting question as to how would Cassie II and Cassie III actually react to that? What I am thinking is that the Court was not prepared to hear about the support from several different nations within Rushmore, so they are going to take their time with it a little more. Might it just be all for show, and that they would delay making a decision just so it would appear that they gave the matter longer consideration than they really care? It could be, but what I sense is that we have the majority of the Court wanting to get this over with and declare Cassie III the next Queen, officially, while a couple of others might actually be trying to find a way to make Brianna the next Queen. What really have not talked about too much is that question I raised a little earlier: What would Cassie III do if this decision did not go her way? I don’t think she has been worried about this, but did post on social media that, “Delaying the inevitable is helping no one.” She also thanked the leadership of places like Banija and Baker Park, each of whom were open in throwing their support behind her, something that she is grateful to hear. She’s mentioned each of those nations as valuable out of region allies in the past, and that they would continue to be long into the future. Meanwhile, Brianna did her own thanking, and it was directed towards Grand Duke Gaxan of Astograth. The Grand Duke is the latest to express support of her claim, though Cassadagan historians are quick to point out the very close similarities with how Gaxan came to power and how Brianna would do so. Therefore, Gaxan would likely see himself in Brianna as major motivator for the support. There is no question that Brianna is also aware of this, and relations between Astograth and Cassadaigua would certainly increase from being neutral towards one another to consider one another to be a trusted ally.

The longer this goes on for in the Court, the more tense things are starting to get amongst opinionated Cassadagan citizens. In Sterling Heights, which is just outside of Concord Heights, a statue of Queen Courtney (Cassie II’s mother) was defaced, with in red spray paint, the message, “You failed Caitlyn! Brianna for Queen!” was written on her front, with “The True Rightful Line is With Caitlyn!” written on the back. Sterling Heights police do not have a suspect, so if anyone may have saw anything, you are asked to contact them. Rallies have continued, some showing support of Brianna and others showing support of Cassie III, and there have not been any significant reports of violence. In Grande Mountain, people were seen on opposite sides of a major street demonstrating for rival Princesses. No violence occurred, but the “chant wars” were said to amusing to passerbys.

For the most part, within Concord Heights, the populace is strong in support of Cassie III. A poll put together by this newspaper in asked people in different major metropolitan areas who they feel the should be the next Queen, based on their interpretation of Cassadagan law and not their personal preference. These were the results, with the

Concord Heights: Cassie III- 80%, Brianna- 16%, Unsure- 4%
Brattleboro: Cassie III- 74%, Brianna- 18%, Unsure- 8%
Winchester: Cassie III- 77%, Brianna- 17%, Unsure- 6%
Starksville: Cassie III- 66%, Brianna- 32%, Unsure- 2%
North Granby: Cassie III- 62%, Brianna- 31%, Unsure- 7%
Northbury: Cassie III- 59%, Brianna- 35%, Unsure- 6%
Rutland: Cassie III- 50%, Brianna- 43%, Unsure- 7%
Victoriaville: Cassie III- 48%, Brianna- 48%, Unsure- 4%
Grande Mountain: Cassie III- 44%, Brianna- 50%, Unsure- 6%
New Lakeland: Cassie III- 36%, Brianna- 61%, Unsure- 3%

There isn’t much that is a surprise here in terms of the regions. We anticipated New Lakeland to be the strongest supporting area of Princess of Brianna, and for Grande Mountain to be close to a split. I was a quite surprised with the response out of Victoriaville. That seemed like it would be a spot much more loyal to Cassie III but to be a statistical tie means one of two things, one being that many more people have moved there from New Lakeland than maybe we realized, or two, that people out West simply feel overlooked by Cassie II and chose Brianna simply because the want something different. Such a large difference between Starksville and Rutland, given they aren’t too far apart was a surprise at first but might be another case of the less wealthy area liking the thought of Brianna I rule. At any rate, we can’t depend on people voting in such a poll in accordance to their interpretation of Cassadagan law, but rather their personal preference as if it were a democratic election.

Oh, and just when you thought I was done, we have a whole new topic of discussion to talk about: The Northern Border.

Cassadagans are well aware of “The Northern Border”. If it wasn’t for *that* border, we would not have to spend all that much on border patrol, at all. The western border has Mavinet, and the eastern border has Sicoutimont. Shush if you think they have ceased to exist, because we see them and they have been great neighbors. Cassadaigua is bordered on the south entirely by water. So, that too does not require much in the ways of patrol. With the Cassadagan navy having several ports along the south, that’s handled just fine. But up north is the great unknown. Chaos. Anarchy. Well, that’s what we think happens there, but it is completely unclaimed land within Rushmore. All kinds of people live there, ranging from people who have fled nearby governments, to people who want a peaceful life outside of government, to people who want to cause trouble without fear of punishment (making it silly for people to go there who want a peaceful life). Cassadagan border patrol has such a strong presence up north that those who have ill intentions know they probably shouldn’t try it. Those who wish to come here and live here are welcome to do so, but it’s not always easy.

Up until last night, Cassadaigua has respected the northern border. That is no longer. The tanks and other foot soliders that were seen moving to East Amherst as well as in the Northbury breached that border last night, and since there is not actually a country there, there was little that anyone could do to stop them. Unorganized resistance was tried, but up to this point they have not been able to prevent our military from having their will. About 30 miles north of Northbury, on what appeared to be a decent size village, a video from Cassadagan troops was seen placing the Cassadagan flag a top some sort of structure. “Onward we go!” the voice in the video declared!

Queen Cassie II had not said anything about this action, giving the appearance that they were just moving some equipment up north to now undertaking a mission to conquer land. We were told by military advisor Rachel LaSalle that, “Several generals are in charge of this mission, depending on where they are stationed, and I am briefed regularly by each to know how things are going. Our troops are going to meet some minor resistance, we don’t feel as though there is much that can stop us from achieving our ultimate goal. We have given these young women and men top notch training, and they will succeed. In no way are we looking to hurt any innocent civilians. The only fighting that will take place will be those pockets of resistance in the larger villages prior to reaching our target. There will be people wondering why we are doing this, but it will make us greater as a nation. We are not stepping foot on any sovereign lands.” LaSalle did not comment on what the ultimate goal is, but said, “All of Rushmore will be glad we did this in the long run. Especially any nation that is located anywhere near us within the region. It’s about time someone has done this.”

Some suggest that LaSalle, or Cassie II, does not want to make public what the target is until we reach there, but we can guess. For as long as we can remember, the river that flows out of Adelaide in Valladares’ Westlands, and serving as the northwestern border of Sicoutimont has ended up in no man’s land. This has led this portion of the river to be widely unused and given the potential for pirates to easily. Given the location of where the troops have set up, we imagine that the nation is searching for a new northern border that may be close to what we see here (the pink line representing the approximate new border to the north):

That would certainly be interesting, and would right away open up the door for new cities to sprout up. You have to think that this plan, at least, includes that. Now, is anything bigger planned?

by **Milchama** » Tue May 24, 2022 4:18 pm

"Mid table obscurity?"

"Yep"

"Not bad"

"Not good either"

"Nope"

"Going to try to do better?"

"Not this cup"

"Should we make changes afterwards?"

"Yes"

"Anything else to add"

"Going to your sister's wedding makes it hard to RP"

"But worth it"

"Totally worth it"

"So what's next?"

"Hopefully the CoH where we continue to be mediocre and then we lose rankings points because we lose the WC bonus. Luckily, when the WC moves to 48 in the next edition or two we will have a better chance of qualifying"

"What makes you think it will be 48?"

"Because two people will bid for a 48 person WC soon and there will be a vote between 48 and 32 and 48 will win because more people can see themselves making the WC in a 48 World Cup. So that'll be the rub and soon 48 will be the standard for the land"

"It's a good thing we started advocating for a 48 person cup in World Cup 51"

"Yeah with Candeleria and Marquez coming back for a brief spell, it seems time to do it"

"So we're going to host?"

"Oh dear god no, we tried that once and it went terribly. Also, xkoronate is annoying and I'd want to build a new scorinator but I literally don't know how to program anything so it would be dice"

"Yep that'll fly"

"Definitely"

"Good to know"

"So we're out with the whole hosting bit"

"Pretty much"

"So who will pick up the torch for us?"

"Whoever is a good masochist. The real problem today with the WC is that there is so much RP it takes a really long time to grade. Then you have the technical sophistication of the models of everything else. It's not the best"

"So Vilita?"

"I think Vilita is committed to the Mountain Games too much and also has hosted or pseudo hosted like the last 4 World Cups"

"Exactly my point"

"I think it's Turori's turn"

"Oh that makes sense, also Vilita likes 32"

"Why not Liventia?"

"They don't do soccer anymore and they like 32"

"Right, ok"

"So we should we keep discussing possibilities?"

"Nah, let's just keep going and hope for the best"

"Sounds good"

"Come on You Warriors!"

"Let's Go Milchama!"

by **Saint Eleanor** » Tue May 24, 2022 4:33 pm

World Cup 91 - fifteenth matchday of qualification
Saint Eleanor 2 (Dekamela weMexala goal 33', Katie O'Donnell goal 78')
Fort McKinley 1 (David Guy Allen goal 63' [BP has my permission to override the goalscorer if he feels like it])

OOC: All future squad interviews will take place in 2000. Here's the schedule for everything up to the end of the WC/CoH cycle, Associations Trophy shenanigans not yet included:

Alice Christopher: "I'm perfectly fine being ornamental for the next year or so, thank you"
Chief Football Correspondent Jamie Rodgers watches on as the national team's most endangered player - by no fault of her own - tries to defend herself
Originally published on Friday 17th December 1999

Alice Christopher may be famous, but she isn't that famous. She, out of all the Eleanorian Baptism of Fire contingent, is one of the least recognised players - despite the fact she's been playing for the nation's biggest club for something coming on a decade. "Well, the most remarkable thing I've ever done is score from 25 yards out - about three times in the space of a few years. Does anybody really care?"

As it turns out, yes. The first to spot her potential as a midfielder was "a group of disinterested friends from primary who I now remember only in the vaguest terms; they saw me do so many things at lunchtime football that they thought I'd be a good fit for the local primary school team. We won the age-grade competition for Central and surrounding districts a couple of times, but fast forward a few years and yeah, this was pretty much the big time we had on our hands!" The Eleanorian Academy could have played Whitehammer CS in the last four of 1987's Charles Trump Shield, but - after the Hammers' shock quarterfinal defeat against Trident - the Academy followed suit shortly afterwards with a hard-fought defeat to the Boys' Preparatory. "We'd won our first game 4-0, although that was against Broadlands before Hiyashi pumped a ton of money into their PE department, while Boys' Prep had scraped past Parkside on penalties and we were feeling pretty confident about our chances. As it turns out, no need: I tried my best, chipped in the opener and - a few days after the match - I was told I was our best player out there, yet it wasn't to be because they scored with thirty minutes left on the clock as the defenders and I were desperately trying to track back, and then with ten to go through absolutely no fault of my own. If you let me bring a VCR next time, I think I can show you exactly where I went wrong and how."

What three games does she believe impacted her playing career the most? First up was Indy's 1-1 draw against Athletic at Whitehammer Road in 1991, which laid the foundations for Christopher's first league title and sowed the seeds of her career. "I'd been called up to the squad but didn't really get serious games until 1991 when Dom Barrett clocked a broken ankle a third of the way into the season. But, I mean... this was the most serious game I'd had up to this point. Unlike the reverse leg right at the end of the season, we went one down pretty rapidly, Katie [O'Donnell] again, but I'd learned a bit about defending in the previous four years and just about prevented her snatching another from a bit of a distance later. We had a couple of outbreaks of bullshit, I'll grant you that much, but it was very much down to the wire again after I pretty much started a move consisting of a few passes that got Aaron Smithers - the best striker we never should have had - a good, clean goal early in the second half. Then it really started: I got booked for body-checking Harriet [Williams] - it was an accident, I promise! Smithers was mouthing off at the ref after being told that no, those couple of good opportunities he had were not legal or valid. I relaxed a bit, kept on consistently winning balls towards the end and pumping them forwards, while we were just focused on making sure the situation didn't get any worse in terms of numbers or players. I think what Phil Farlane said to us over the touchline, not just at half-time, definitely worked. It was pretty much the day I finally put teamwork in its place. From there... to this, I guess."

Her second choice is a surprisingly dramatic 2-0 over Army and Navy in 1994, one which arguably cost her opponents the title. "You thought I was going to choose all the games I scored from 25 yards out? Okay, so this was more like thirty: the deadlock still hadn't been broken after something like seventy minutes, we were on a slow run of form, and both teams were well and truly trying to slug their way through this before the next few games, all of which were quite winnable to some degree. What happened next was I got tripped by Matt[hew] Carson a good way into opposition territory - I'm not sure what he was thinking - and won a free-kick, dead centre, no idea where to bend it but apparently I was trusted with that one. I even asked James Trott to move to the right a bit so I could pass to him, but changed my mind, got my laces under it, confused Brian Tarrant an awful lot and as it turns out, I'd only gone and opened the scoring. I helped set up the other, although that was more of a boring slide-ruler to Henry Green when their back four had inexplicably shut down, and the Soldiers came second to Athletic on goal difference in the end. First lesson learned: don't get desperate or else you'll make your entire team upset and a bit confused. It wasn't like we were in with much of a shout of winning the title, anyway, but I know at least one person appreciated what I did. Second lesson learned: Yes, I actually can be trusted with taking free-kicks full time."

And number three would be the game that won Indy the last of their three consecutive titles in 1997, the 4-3 win over Good Hope Club. "We came into that game level on points with Athletic Saint Eleanor, but they were up against the Soldiers again while we had Good Hope before shit turned to shit. But I thought they had enough quality to win, so we had to win by eight more goals than they did - 9-0, 10-1, whatever - and for just about the only time of Derek Pittam's time here, we were right at those bastards. They snatched the earliest lead possible, 39 seconds, Jack Smith again, but that only hardened our resolve and we pushed everybody up a bit. I didn't score any, sadly, but I pumped another one forward to Henry, David Newcastle got a couple, Sophie Wilton's bullet header was just in off the post, she had another one on the wrong side of the woodwork, I had an effort just over the bar, and I quite honestly think everybody at some point in the first 75 minutes had something resembling an effort on target. I knew it wasn't the way football was supposed to be played, but this was quite honestly what Derek was single-mindedly thinking of doing just so we could win another title. In the end, we ran out of steam a bit, Charlotte Bryant and Fal[areta] Wesevta got one each, the initiative died out, it ended 4-3 and we almost felt terrible for not trying hard enough. We were actually sat in the dressing room for ten minutes after the game before finding out that the Reds had stuttered and the title was yet again ours for the taking."

Christopher makes no secret about her being close friends with Harriet Williams, who she once served under in the Academy's student government. "Of course she's the best friend I have on the national team; come to think about it, the closest friend I've ever had, because I was friends with 75% of my year group at school but those relationships were really shallow. We have Liam West and all the others, certainly, but Harriet's the one I've been having a strong working partnership with for more than a decade, and it's definitely paid off." Don't they play for different clubs? "I said it was a working relationship, but that's a bit inaccurate: she definitely likes going out for a good, actually local pint sometimes, by which I mean quite a bit of the time, plus we have the same tastes in coffee, fashion, literature, general entertainment - and yes, since so many people have complained, football. To some extent, anyway. Most bureaucrats don't normally wear skinny black jeans but she definitely isn't that normal, I can promise you that much." Would she rather join Williams at Athletic or have Williams join her at Independence? "I'd definitely like her to come over here - I know everybody's going to be moaning about a rerun of 1992 but I think I'd work well with her, Layla Grover would too, and as people love to point out, it'll help the Reds get a few younger players in. Look at what Graham Lawton's done off the wing for them this season!"

Some argue that James Trott being exiled from the Eleanorian national team after opposing Priscilla Evans would have opened more doors for her in the national team, but she was also quickly pushed aside for Steve Pilchard. "Steve's a good bloke - don't get me wrong, he isn't the chattiest, but he's definitely dedicated on improving his game and the way he plays every day. James leaving the club opened the door for Layla, too; I'd say she can be a bit annoying both on and off the pitch but she has definitely been working on calming herself down, not making as many silly mistakes, and getting extraordinarily regular games. She makes her own case for being called up to the Tikariotian nationals next time, I'd argue." Christopher - who has only played once this cycle, in the 1-0 win over Armbruster - is seen by many as being on her way out, although for slightly less ignominous reasons. "I think everybody knows about Sylvia [Hollenberg] by now. What's important is that the national team keeps on developing to meet its goals in the best way it can, and if that means I don't have a part to play, so be it. I'm perfectly fine being ornamental for the next year or so, thank you - that was the word I think you used to describe Darren [Batchelor], anyway. It's surprisingly appropriate in my case."

Alice Christopher is a refined player, certainly, but perhaps not refined enough. Those who argue that she resembles Williams' play too much have something approaching a point: both are fairly fluid on and off the ball, good with the right kind of setpieces and always willing to set up attacks otherwise. But, with new arrivals on both fronts, her defensive qualities - arguably better than her long-time friend's - appear to have been neglected. So, too, has her value as a player, for the most part. Whatever she does next, I sincerely wish her the best of luck; she might well need it.

by **Ceni** » Tue May 24, 2022 5:02 pm

Terranean Broadcasting Company

Six things to know about Ceni's World Cup campaign with six remaining matchdays to go

By Elsa Volante
TBC Sport in Cenial, Ceni

After emerging from the Sonnel-Rushmore portal twenty-two years after a routine friendly with Drawkland, Ceni has reentered the World Cup with hopes of qualifying for the final tournament in Farfadillis and Graintfjall, or at least contending for a playoff spot. Here are six points to get you up to speed on how the campaign stands with 14 matches already in the books.

1. Ceni's momentum has shifted after a loss to the Hainan Union.
While Ceni had previously beaten group leaders Adab 2-0 in the away game, taking away from their buffer at the group's high altitudes, their campaign has recently suffered what could be a mortal blow against group minnows The Hainan Union, which Ceni had creamed at home in the first half. But traveling to a country without so much as a functioning government apparently took its toll on the Tir Snakes, with at least one player reporting being robbed on the way to the stadium. Although it had many more chances to score than its opponent, Ceni never really could get into the offensive mindset, while a lucky strike from Hainan saw Ceni lose a tough three points. With harder opponents to come, that loss will certainly eat at the Tir Snakes' mental game, which has always hindered them in the past.

2. On the heels of that loss, Ceni will face top seeds Tumbra and Zwangzug in two matchdays.
If the loss against The Hainan Union caused mental issues on the Cenian team, well, they're going to have to get over those issues quite quickly as they host Tumbra and travel to Zwangzug: two key matches that must be won if Ceni has a chance at making the playoffs this cycle (point six). If Ceni had won against The Hainan Union, then perhaps this analysis would be a little more favorable to the Tir Snakes. When Ceni hosted Zwangzug in the last half, it proved capable of penetrating a defense that few nations had before penetrated, to the chagrin of the Bassabook Baritone, but with home advantage now on Zwangzug's side -- in addition to Ceni's offensive struggles against Hainan Union -- it seems likely that Ceni will not repeat that feat. And Tumbra: Well, Tumbra seems indomitable at this point, but Ceni has traditionally done well at the Cenial Halcyon National Stadium, and a draw could be very well in the cards, even against a much superior opponent at this stage.

3. But the match against Sendhang may be more immediately pressing.
Rumor has it that the Sendhang national team has been beset by internal ethnic divisions amidst a simmering irredentist movement and attempted regional Melayan diplomacy to resolve the conflict, which could reduce their home advantage coming up. Indeed, Sendhang national media have blamed those divisions on their 1-0 loss to Ceni at home. While it seems like Luke Longstar and his managing staff have largely overlooked Sendhang as a contender in this group, the momentum-changing loss at Hainan Union combined with Sendhang's recent surge above Ceni in the table mean that Ceni's coaching staff will ignore this upcoming away game only at their own peril.

4. Physical issues from the time travel have not really affected the national team so far...
Ceni's national team was pretty much in its prime when it departed for Drawkland, and fortunately, the time travel has not significantly impaired Ceni's performance so far. Of course, Andrew Arrowsword has declined somewhat from his prime, but his newfound immortality has put the spring back in his step somewhat. It's certainly pleasing to see that, so far, Ceni has kept pace with opponents, maintained a positive goal difference, and overall has not suffered too significantly in terms of physical fitness and goalscoring ability (with exceptions like The Hainan Union).

5. ... but mental health has certainly emerged as a major issue in Cenian football circles.
Mental issues have always affected the Cenian national team, perhaps more so than other national teams, and many a time, the Tir Snakes have crumpled under too much pressure from their own fans, even before a portal malfunction catapulted them 22 years into the future. Now, since many players have lost family members and friends, struggled to adapt to today's new technology, and literally saw time pass them by, that mental component has received new significance. Ceni has not really addressed the mental aspect of football that much, but it seems like poor decisions relating to "brain fog," so to speak, have disproportionately impacted Ceni's football more than physical issues (see point 4).

6. Above all, Ceni will need other results to go its way to have a chance at making the playoffs.
While the three nations currently in the playoff spot have been jockeying amongst each other for the automatic qualification out of Group 3, Ceni is currently eight points behind a playoff spot. It definitely has the potential to have a surprising surge in the next few matches, but the math will not work if it drops a significant number of points to Sendhang, Zwangzug, or Tumbra: and, on top of that, it will need one of Tumbra, Adab, or Zwangzug to go on a losing streak of their own to have a real chance. At this point, Ceni may be a mathematically viable contender for the playoff spots, it doesn't seem that way practically.

And for a cycle where Ceni has absolutely no seeding protections or KPB rank whatsoever, a fourth or fifth place finish will honestly seem pretty swell.

by **Zwangzug** » Tue May 24, 2022 5:32 pm

In Hypread District, in the northeast, near Paddock Park--which hosted several games in the recent fifty-fourth World Baseball Classic, including Quebec and Shingoryeo's victory over Kriegiersien in the third-place playoff--and nearer still to the extremely uncreatively-named City Athletic Venue--the Arlington Collective was observing. The Collective, as a rule, was not given to extremes of emotional expression, any more than the rest of Zwangzug; they confined their outward communication to such perfunctory updates as the latest unofficial Silicon Boot reports, and had not even gotten around to tallying those for the previous World Cup. But they were people, too, prone to anger and bitterness and long-held, silent grudges; to grief and melancholy and self-loathing at their human vulnerability to such emotions arousing from trivial stimuli; to passion and joy and giddiness that did not, perhaps, squelch their rational sides so much as infuse them with hope and wonder.

This is not their story. That was just a fakeout.

This story resumes in Spenson (technically Fulpog), where the Stelladome is located, and which would host Legalese on matchday eighteen. That doesn't really have anything to do with the story, either, that's just a fun fact. The Stelladome is a venerable old stadium and a fitting arena to host such a venerable side as Legalese.

The building in which Neha entered to continue her investigations was a split-level house in what one might call a suburban neighborhood even by the standards of less densely-populated countries. The fences that separated its yard from the adjoining properties were more brownish than white, but qualified as pickets. The yard itself, front and back, was deeper than it was wide, well-suited to setting up a makeshift football pitch, less well-suited to a baseball diamond. Whoever lived here had some wealth, possibly familial.

And when the gathering began, Neha quickly came to understand that their host, Stacey (of the Glorious Seraphim), was in fact an accomplished aerospace engineer. Perhaps she worked on the modern satellites that continued to launch from Spenson. She was, it was clear, a woman of science. She could not only tell you about the trajectory required to launch a probe into the outer solar system and the gravity flybys they would need to perform along the way, but assure you that it would not be disrupted by any teapots along its route. Neha knew better than to assume a simple dichotomy between science and faith--such messaging had been attempted, to some success in the short term but long-term failure, by the Liberal Conservative Party in the early 2000's, another story that this one is not--but she found herself curious, not in a private-eye way but just a curious way, as to how Stacey had crossed paths with the Glorious Seraphim, or vice versa. She got a clue a little later on, when Qiang (of the Worshipful Cherubim), responded to a comment about said outer solar system trajectories by teasing that, back in his day, there had been nine planets.

Stacey, who had been a gracious host, frowned. "Pluto was never a planet."

"It was," said Jess of the Glorious Seraphim. "We learned about them in class, I can sing you a little--"

"No!" said Stacey, with more fervor than she had expressed when declaiming on the subject of wumfish. "We called it a planet, but that definition was wrong. Useless. Purge it from your minds."

"It's not like Pluto's gonna get offended or anything," Qiang pointed out. "I mean, it's like, a rock."

"I think maybe they had robots or something," said Harvey of the Worshipful Cherubim. "Good at hockey." This is another story that we are not telling right now.

"Any real scientist would be embarrassed by you," Stacey sneered. "If you don't understand that words change, how can you try to study atoms or galaxies or phenomena you can't directly observe?"

Neha wanted to say, If words change, how can you be so sure you have the right ones now? What if other exoplanets or exo-asteroids or whatever give future generations another idea for categorization? What would they say about you? But Santosh would be undercover. Would, like Einar, nod and smile and go along.

She glanced out the window to the house next door, built along similar lines. Another brownish picket fence, another football-shaped yard, another split-level with staircases leading up and down.

Only then did it occur to her that it was highly unlikely Brave-Stripe had ever entered this residence. Non-anthropomorphic zebras are really not good at climbing stairs.

by **Saterun** » Tue May 24, 2022 5:34 pm

The Promised Land: A Journey Through Saterun Football
By Kalvin Hsemer

Part 2, Chapter 2: A League Takes Shape

Rairnes's task was far from over. You see, the SFF were slightly aggravated at Rairnes's power play. They could play this game too. The SFF wasn't totally against the league, but wanted to make sure it truly was the best thing for Saterun's domestic scene. Because of this, the A Liga encountered many SFF roadblocks. It took 3 years for it to even reach the team selection phase. Of course, Rairnes already had a list of the 16 teams that had signed up, but the SFF needed to make sure that these teams would be capable of going through with this. Serious financial and managerial investigations were made into the teams, and three of them were outruled by the SFF. Rairnes realized that he would have to cooperate.

Despite all of this, he was still confident in his ability to make this work. He got three more teams on board to replace the outruled ones. He showed the SFF that he wasn't going to stop. Gradually, he got more and more traction behind his idea. Clubs upgraded their stadiums in anticipation for the upcoming season. Club representatives were, to quote a few, "very excited about this opportunity", "in complete favor of Rairnes and his idea", and "ready to get this thing the hell off the ground." But this support wasn't universal. The smaller clubs worried about several things. First, they wouldn't have the revenue from playing the big teams anymore. A lot of gate receipts came from these games. Second, they were worried that the A Liga would take any interest away from their games. The SFF left Rairnes on his own to figure out how to deal with this.

He solved this problem by doing what he did best: calling meetings.

Rairnes didn't have to call these meetings with the smaller clubs. But he did it because he knew it would be easier to accept if it were explained. So he started explaining. According to him, he scheduled 23 meetings, some of which had representatives from multiple clubs. He was able to convince enough of them that having a top league in Saterun would be good for them. First, if they ever managed to break into that top league, they could earn the benefits. Second, they could market their young players to a whole host of eager superclubs. Third, they could set up a new image. The top clubs would be more bandwagon. But the smaller teams would have a real sense of connection with their fans. These reason were enough. The SFF couldn't come up with any other issues. They duly gave the go-ahead. But there was still more to do. I won't bore you with the details, but there was a lot of paper-signing, deal negotiating, and schedule-changing. Rairnes also had to start hiring people to help manage the league.

Sadly, Raymond Rairnes would die of stroke five weeks after the SFF approval. He never got to know his final project.

But other people would carry on his dream. Greg Jellson, who I spoke to personally, was Rairnes's successor. It was he who finished the A Liga. After years of hard work from Rairnes and Jellson and so many other people, the A Liga finally finalized on November 17th. The first matchday would be May 1st of the next year. Jellson started immediately working on the opening week. The schedule for all the teams had been set, so he couldn't change anything there, but he was able to schedule some other spectacles. Along with the clubs, he managed to coincide 8 concerts to be held on the opening day. The eight games would all kick off at the same time.

He sat at his desk on April 30th. The A Liga openers were a day away. Greg wanted to take it in. He had still not gotten over the loss of Rairnes, but he saw the A Liga as the way to carry on his mentor's dream. At least, that's what he told me. I had managed to get in a small chat with the A Liga's director, and the meeting quickly took an emotional turn. It wasn't Greg's fault; he had completed his most important goal, but it was bittersweet due to the reminder of Rairnes. "He was like a father to me, he really was. And I'll tell you something. You can use this for your book. He never would have given up. Never. Raymond Rairnes was a fighter." Quite the homage. On Rairnes birthday, later down the league schedule at August 5th, every game flew a banner paying due to him. He was recognized for what he had done. Unfortunately, he never got to see it. But Rairnes still lives on, in the A Liga.

The next day, Greg was nervous. But all told, it went rather smoothly. I remember being in the stands for Ias Club Football's home opener, against Futsworth United. The national anthem was played in all eight stadiums, and, at least in Ias, three planes, each spouting red, white, or green, flew overhead. It was truly magical. Nobody knew what would happen in the first season. Well, we in Ias had a decent idea after Futsworth thrashed us 4-0. It revealed the inequalities in the league. But that's a topic for later down the book. In the next chapter, I'll review the first half of the season, and how it forever shaped Saterun football.

*******

"GOOOOAAAALL!!!! Coiro secures the game! The door has shut on Raspotochje. There's no coming back now." The commentator's voice rang through the AAA. Abbas ran down the sidelines, joining the group celebration around Andrei. Although Saterun had not managed to keep up their win streak against Pemecutan, they had tied, and this win meant 8 games without a loss. The Claws were unstoppable. The AAA was completely behind them. Abbas had another reason to celebrate. In light of the team's recent success in such a tricky group, the SFF had extended his contract another tournament. He would also be managing the Claws in cycle 92. But he should focus on the present. And the present was celebrating with the team. Eventually, they had to walk back out onto the field. A few minutes later, the ref called the game. Abbas hurriedly checked the live standings. And he couldn't believe what he saw. Because of Saterun string of wins and outstanding defense, the Claws were in third on goal difference. They were actually in a spot where qualifying for the World Cup was possible! It was all too much to take in.

The fans stayed late after that game too. The whole country was behind its team. It was pressure, but a good kind. Abbas felt he was really making a difference through football, something he had always wanted to do. As tough as the game against Pemecutan had been, the real challenge would be CHromatika. Last time, they shut out Saterun 0-3. It was going to be tough, but, if the recent results said anything about the future, the Claws could do it. Winning would close the five-point gap between the teams into just a 2-point gap. There was still a long way to go for auto-qualifying (ten points), but finishing second would offer a favorable draw. After the disappointment of last cycle, things were finally looking up.

by **Oberour Ar Moro** » Tue May 24, 2022 5:44 pm

Eloise de Saint-Seine entered into the conference room where the so-called Task Force 15M met and was shocked by what she found.

"You better watch out, Charles," she told the room's inhabitant. "Anthelme is very particular about how he wants his papers to be disorganized."

Charles d'Aaci had clearly been hard at work ordering the disorganized loose leaves of paper across the conference table and along the walls. He looked up as he started to tap a just gathered collection of paper into a cohesive pile. "I am more than willing to let him throw papers around," Charles noted. "I just wanted to look at everything on my own, and I got frustrated seeing the same copy ten discrete times. Plus the task force is basically my full time job, I feel like I should have some authority here."

Eloise walked around and sat opposite Charles. She looked past Charles to the wall. "I like the map."

Charles clearly puffed up his chest with the recognition of his work. He turned around to take in the large map of the Dominion of Oberour Ar Moro that he had taped to the wall. "The whole dominion and every one of missing persons laid out, and the order of their disappearance from 1 to 47. So we can easily review what evidence we have for each one in our binders. Which I reorganized as well."

Eloise put her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands. "It really shows how random these disappearances are," she said in a soft voice. "Four from Cyrene but one from Regium while two were from Bécherel. The youngest is 13, the oldest is 74. A little over half are men. No discernable patterns at all."

The two looked the map briefly in silence. Charles broke the silence. "Do you need a coffee or a water or anything?"

Eloise softly hummed as she thought. "A coffee, if you would."

Charles went to the corner to turn on the coffee maker. "I'm kind of surprised to see you so early today," he noted.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs isn't going to miss me for a bit. Everyone is either trying to figure out a way to insert themselves in the Cassadaigua succession crisis, or prepping for the Hofvinger Conflict Peace Conference. It gave me an opportunity to sneak away."

Charles popped in a single-serve pod into the coffee maker and pressed start, and the machine started to make a loud hum. "How did you end up in the Task Force, anyways?" he asked.

Eloise turned her attention back to the map. "One of the missing, number 42, is a Mertagnian citizen. Oihan Salvoch Zameza, a 28-year old visitor. His disappearance was a bit of a incident, and while I tried to figure out what had happened I kept running into brick walls, before being threatened for investigating. Roland keeps his eyes out for people like that, so he recruited me."

Charles returned to the table with a cup of coffee in each hand. He carefully put a cup in front of Eloise before sitting down with his own. He then reached over to the much neatened pile close by. "Look at this," he said, opening a folder and offering it to Eloise. She reached over and took it, turning it to her to see a familiar looking print-out. A copy of the Sqwire database for the generic name of Pierre-Paul de Machin-Chose."

So I took a Sqwire training," Charles started by way of explanation. Eloise's eyes raised slightly. "You can see my certification if you'd like," Charles added defensively before continuing. "While I was taking the classes I experimented with the database. It turns out if you follow the steps to create a new file and merge it with an old personnel file and delete everything, you get a different code on the new file than our missing persons. The code in our missings persons cases come from the system doing those steps automatically."

Eloise almost looked impressed. "So the question is how did those files automatically occur?"

Charles pointed at Eloise. "Precisely the question I had."

by **Vilita** » Tue May 24, 2022 5:53 pm

Rotropii Stuns Fans, Opponents with Secret Empire Battleground

Secret Rebel Base, Somewhere Cold and Unexpected, Vilita :: Ever since the Vilitan National Team was utterly embarrassed by The Holy Empire in the Dreamed Realm on the opening matchday of World Cup 91 Qualifying, the fans of the Jungle Rebels had circled the rematch - set to be played in Vilita, as one of the most important games of the second half of qualifying. As time ticked on and the match got closer, however, fans began to notice something strange. No tickets had been placed on sale for the match against The Holy Empire. No Venue had been announced. The obvious venues for the game would have been either the Lonngeylin Coliseum, home of Jungle Strike FC, or Lunar Park in Seraai, home of Eastal Lunar FC and site of the World Cup 90 Final. Of course, the fact that The Holy Empire had just played and won the World Cup Final at Lunar Park might have taken it off the list in the eyes of the Vilitan Footsport Association, but it was still a rumored venue nonetheless.

As the match drew nearer, rumblings started to speculate maybe the game would be held at an alternate venue. The Vilitan Footsport Association had already demonstrated a commitment to results during the World Cup 91 Cycle. For a National Team that had such a successful campaign from World Cup 81 through World Cup 84, they weren't reliant on the ticket sales of a full stadium during World Cup Qualifying to pay the bills. Vilita National Team head coach Endur Rotropii would get to pick the venue, no matter what it might be, and thats where the game would be played. Whatever the team needed.

It is for that reason that Vilita's second home game of the campaign would be played at the Rebel Base Academy in the old Tivali Jungle. It is why Vilita would later play a game at the undersized Jilnal Cove Stadium - a venue that hadn't hosted the National Team since World Cup 60 Qualifying Matchday 2 against the Lavonian Islands - a game which the Vilitan National Team would lose in a stunning upset resulting in the stadium being written off the National Team Calendar.

Endur Rotropii didn't care what happened in World Cup 60 and didn't care how many fans were in attendance to watch the team play. "They can all follow along on twii.tur or VSPN or some pirate blog somewhere on the interwebs, thats where most of them were going to watch anyway!" - Rotropii was quoted as saying regarding the minimal allocation of tickets for the Jungle Rebels match earlier in the campaign at the Rebel Academy against Chartistan.

All Endur Rotropii cared about was giving the Vilitan National Team the best chance to win. That was the foundation of Rotropii's strategy for the big rematch with the Holy Empire, even if they path to getting there was largely unconventional. As we now know, Rotropii's plan had been in work for weeks. The Jungle Cats Home/Away/Home/Away alternating schedule provided a perfect cover for Rotropii's strategy which would take the multiverse and... more importantly, Vilita's opponents by shock.

High up in the Vilitan Mountains - just west of Terrarokka, exists a place barely traveled by citizens of the Vilitan Cove. Virtually inaccessible without the aid of advanced transportation methods, the Wamtaun Peak is one of the coldest environments in the entire Vilitan Cove - particularly this time of year when upper atmospheric currents from Northern Atlantian Oceania drive freezing wind and snowfall to the Peak. As revealed only hours before kickoff between Vilita and The Holy Empire, this is where Endur Rotropii decided the Vilitan National Team would square off against The Holy Empire. It was truly a territory that most would be advised to avoid. Dubbed by some as the land of "Fire and Ice", those who have ventured to the peak have brought back stories and photos of mini lava towers peaking out through the ice floor and at times lava tunnels can be visible from a distance as they melt their way through the peaks frozen protective layer.

Leading up to the match, the Holy Empire suffered its first defeat of the World Cup 91 Qualifying Campaign against Aut-Ves-Nat. This forced the Empire to concede the UWC Belt and with it removed any additional baggage from the matchup between the Jungle Rebels and the Empire. It would just be a straight up battle between two opposing footsport powers with three points and a whole lot of pride on the line. Rotropii knew that with no permanent Vilitan Stadium at such elevations or environments, the Holy Empire was likely preparing for a temperate or even tropical match somewhere such as Lonngeylin and would have no expectation of the requirement to bring long underwear and an untold supply of gloves depending on just how many arms sprouted from the bodies of the totally normal and not at all supernatural players of The Holy Empire over the course of a match. Of course, Rotropii knew the plan and prepared the Jungle Rebels well.

From the moment the final whistle blew in Vilita's 1-0 victory over Chartistan on Matchday 4, the entire focus of the team shifted to this match. Preparing to play in what seemed untenable cold conditions of the like that most of the Jungle Rebels never even realized could possibly exist on the Vilitan Island. After every home match, the Jungle Rebels would appear as if they were departing early for their next away game but instead they would travel to the PROJECT HOTHI'ICEI grounds to start acclimating themselves to playing footsport in the snow - something most of the Rebels had never done before. After a day or two training at Wamtaun Peak the Jungle Rebels would head off to their away game then, once that game was over, return immediately to work on their progress for Project Hothi'icei. After a couple of days in the cold, they would return to the Rebel Academy to prepare for their next home game and then repeat the cycle once more.

Rotropii had worked with in secret with smaller Vilitan based design and athletic wear company 3WD to make up a special uniform for the team to wear both for the match and while training. Prior to matchday, the Jungle Rebels were training in a simple white and tan variant of the uniforms designed specifically by 3WD for the harsh climate on Wamtaun Peak. Even if the Holy Empire's totally normal players would find a way to adapt themselves to the climate, it would at least - in hope - provide them some discomfort to adjust to while Rotropii's Jungle Rebels were prepared and comfortable not only in the climate but in their special custom uniforms. The matchday versions, only to be brought out on the day of the game itself, would resemble the Jungle Rebels primary kit that they have worn throughout World Cup 91 in their primary colors with a Jungle Teal overlayer providing warmth and providing a view of the players name and number on the back but with an added built in hood for extra warmth during breaks in the action. The orange sleeves are full arms length and attach directly to the players gloves to ensure no exposed skin area. While some of the Vilitan players were disappointed at the draw they were held to at the Jlinal Cove Stadium by the Autonomous Vessel Nation, the majority were undeterred. They knew what the mission was, and it had nothing to do with a Boat. The Empire was inbound and the Rebels had to be on High Alert.

by **Huayramarca** » Tue May 24, 2022 5:54 pm

Public Servant

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7

Part 8 – Do We Have What It Takes to Lead?

Palacio del Altiplano, Huayramarca D.M. September 18^th, 1985

The day has arrived for Marta and colleagues at the Ñucanchi Ñan bench, the time to present the “Bill for Economic Stimulus and Regional Equality” to the plenary is now and the mood of people was reflecting said circumstance. After some days of exhausting meetings that lasted until midnight, random debate sessions between students performing volunteering duties and random dreams with the Penthesilean equivalent of persuasion, the time to put the hamster to work and demonstrate leadership capabilities created an atmosphere of nerves in some and calmness in others. As usual in an Assembly, there were lots of moods and this could cause some friction at certain points of the debating process, be it on definitions or key passages of the bill.

“Rule number one: be honest; two: be frank and elaborate your points; third: resume your stances and procure to solve questions and needs of the counterpart.” Said Marta while reading a final slide she prepared as a reminder to the MPs of Ñucanchi Ñan, as they were trying to adapt themselves to a new model of debating that hasn’t been really used before. Huayramarca has transitioned from lack of a legislative assembly or an equivalent to a successful, ongoing forum that is both open and highly functional, even if it may suffer time lapses where debates can be physical as an ice-hockey match but with an important exception, no referees nor neutral parts trying to calm down the heat. So, they mentalised themselves to be calm through any potential scrutiny or attempt from some other parties trying to deviate the conversation from a civilised issue to a chirp-filled physical affair.

The rest of parties, in the other hand, they already knew what was going on, since there were some documents and parts of the proposal that were sent to them first for analysis purposes. Conjectures, affirmations and even accusations could’ve been prepared in their intervention repertoire for the journey, one that will be exclusively designated to talk about this topic. The conversations that the parties had included some considerations to moderate the language, as they were understanding that there’s need to solve through dialogue and not violence, as the dark shadow of Hugo Mina and his violence was still lurking around the minds of Huayramarcans. Hence, any kind of reminiscence to that hatred past should be kept away from any discourse or action if they wanted to keep their public image as tidy as possible.

The Ñucanchi Ñan MPs and Marta entered one by one, as normal and were taking their positions into the hemicycle of the Túpac Amaru Hall in the Palacio del Altiplano, then the speaker noticed that the place was already crowded, hence it was time to start with quorum confirmation. One by one, the 200 MPs were pressing the buttons in their consoles; 198 were present and only 2 absent due to emergency situations, nothing bad for a usual day in the assembly. Marta arrived to the podium to start her intervention by defining three principal aspects from the bill “Economic stimulus may be considered as a method where the Huayramarcan Government will provide supports and leeway for enterprises if they decide to invest in specific zones of Huayramarca that could need employment or betterment of socioeconomic conditions.” “Regional Equality can be measurable by indicators such as the Human Development Index that the Huayramarcan Institute of Statistics elaborates each year, also by purchasing parity index and the productivity output of the departments.”

She continued with the definitions until she was asked a point of information from William Mamani-Hastings, leader of the Conservative Party, as he said “Is this another attempt to cannibalise local industries by allowing foreigners to settle in, in detriment of our industries?” Marta simply answered “Let me present the content of the bill, your question will be replied with the information that will be presented later for you.” Marta knew that she had to be quite biting (with affirmations) in order to explain her idea in the most integral way possible, hence she continued explaining “There will be a series of actions that will be needed to be implemented if we want to forge out a brighter future for Huayramarca in economic terms.”

As the time moved forward, Marta used some slides in order to show her key ideas to the MPs present, especially those ones focused on betterment of the business environment in Huayramarca “We have a lot of red tape coming from bureaucrats that, quite often, tend to ask for bribes in order to get things done when inscribing a business into the National Commerce Registry or with the Ministry of Treasure. Efficiency is the key to make those deals a reality, a gamechanger that can help those Huayramarcans in need by creating employments on which they are qualified or could receive some training to get used to their position at the corporation; think about how many families could get rid of the yoke of poverty and build a future for them and their families. By adding efficiency to process, we will increase the rate of successful business made in Huayramarca.” Then, a Christian Values Party MP asked “There’s a plan on setting minimum standards when it comes to dignified labour, conditions and rights of the employees?” Marta said “We have guaranteed that in this bill, how? By adding conditions such as a revised minimum wage, setting a hard cap in the number of hours worked per week, health and safety regulations that will be a must if a corporation will retain its right to be given benefits.”

Another MP, this time from the Conservative Party asked “How can we make sure that the corporations are held accountable? How can we guarantee that corporations won’t be rushed away by audits?” Marta managed to decipher that the MP, in his attempt to question her, managed to bring a self-response, hence she said “I’m glad that you’ve read the bill, you responded yourself by saying ‘audits’. That’ll be our method to make sure that companies are committed to abide to the laws that will be set in exchange of their fiscal benefits. Audits will be done by the Ministry of Labour and will be firm by adhering to what will be stablished in this law, nothing more nothing less.” The MPs chuckled as usual by the answer, then she continued “We will allow different kind of businesses to be settled in Huayramarcan territory, including: technologies, services, manufacturing and some special ones such as oil and fisheries which will have to follow a separate process which includes an Environmental Impact Assessment.”

When she said oil, the eyes of some Sechuran MPs were wide-open as they soon became interested in the prospect of exploiting the black ore from their soil, a possibility that have been so far extremely limited due to lack of interest and fears of falling into processes that could be unpopular among environmentalist groups. Sechura has an interesting history with oil, as people has always suspected that there’s a enormous reserve underneath the outskirts of the department capital, far from natural reservations, this has caused some speculations about the future of the whole zone as in case of proving the existence of oil reserves, both Sechura and Huayramarca will enter into an inflection point in terms of economic potential. Granted, there was need to ensure that it will be properly managed and not diverted into corrupt schemes that will leave society without receiving any kind of impact from said natural resource.

Ricardo Flores, the Conservative Party head and contender for the past Presidential Election, asked Marta “Will this promise for exploration and exploitation of oil and its derivates be real or, as usual, another joke right in the face of the people of Sechura?” Marta said “If it’s here, it’s because it could be possible. It depends on your inputs or availability to provide feedback if it will be a reality or another disappointment that Sechurans will feel due to your lack of initiative.” Flores, which tends to use inflammatory language, managed to exasperate the always calm and moderate mood of Marta by assuming that she was joking at people; he went forward and vehemently told the speaker “Could you please moderate this…?” The speaker said “Excuse me, Mr. Flores, please respect people.” Flores was calmed by a Ñucanchi Ñan MP who arrived in order to stop a potential fight, but Flores punched said MP and tried to ragdoll him but failed, instead, more MPs from the Conservative Party arrived to calm Flores and ask him to go back to his bench. Then the speaker said “We will follow the disciplinary procedures to address this situation. According to the rules, Mr. Flores, you’re expelled from this session with immediate effect.” Police escorts took out Flores in order to resume the session.

Marta continued and said “That’s why we should adhere to etiquette and be able to debate in a civilised way… Huayramarca isn’t anymore the anarchy that it was before, we need to educate ourselves if we want to progress as a country.” After more in-depth explanation from the bill, it was suggested by a Conservative Party member to be carried out for Party Analysis. For starters in Huayramarcan politics, it’s a moment where political parties decide to debate internally a set of objections or proposals that could be considered into the bill, also this means that there’s an implicit moment of cross-bench negotiation in order to secure votes and approval of the draft. Contrary to other democracies, Huayramarca usually combines both processes at once, so decisions can be taken quickly and with enough consensus.

Out of 200 MPs, 185 accepted the motion, meaning that it’ll be a one-hour break and then an analysis session in order to set the bill to voting. Marta was confident, as she noticed that some Sechuran MPs, which tend to be the most influential ones in the Conservative Party were satisfied with the idea of oil being considered into discussion, but she knew that there was some calm in the Cocoamarcan MPs, which are usually concerned by their capability to export the cocoa that the region produces, which tend to be a stronghold in the economic portfolio of said place, that’s why she approached to the Cocoamarcan MPs in order to talk with them during the break. Marta asked some Ñucanchi Ñan MPs in order to eat with their departmental colleagues and set common ground.

Cocoamarcans started by saying “Will a Free Trade Agreement consider cocoa production and settle new opportunities for us?” Marta said “It will consider, it’s part of the bill and we will grant you our support, as we know that the cocoa industry in the region is significative.” Another MP said “Any list of nations that could be open to this idea?” Martha replied “Québec will go for sure, the Ochre Islands and Krytenia could accept. Depending on the needs of each nation, the contents can vary, but cocoa can be a common topic across all the agreements, so we ensure that prosperity can arrive to each region.”

The Cocoamarcans looked convinced after more chatter, the MPs would talk with party colleagues in order to make their thoughts be known by the rest of party members and, with this, settle some ground to negotiate the support that could be needed in order to let the bill pass comfortably through the vote threshold. Now, the Ñucanchi Ñan MPs and Marta had to relax for some minutes, as the moment of truth is about to begin, the moment of negotiating and guaranteeing the interests of the involved parties and those who are represented through their ideals and premisses. Nobody said that it’d be easy to be a president, Marta knew it and Túpac also warned her about the difficulties… “Never settle when it comes to ideals and dignity” said Amaru…

by **Saint Eleanor** » Tue May 24, 2022 5:57 pm

World Cup 91 - sixteenth matchday of qualification
the Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison 2 (Reptile goal 19', Cheetah goal 72')
Saint Eleanor 4 (Melcheta Pazorzal goals 13' and 35', Jessica Martin goal 57', Cathy Winchester goal 86')

Laura Brown: "I've repeatedly told everyone I don't deserve to be here"
Chief Football Correspondent Jamie Rodgers presses Laura Brown (but not too high up the pitch) on how much of a future she sees for herself
Originally published on Sunday 9th January 2000

Trident, perhaps more than any other district, has its institutions. One of them is the Port of Saint Eleanor, where Gary Brown works. Another is the Eleanorian Health Systems, whose accident and emergency department for the Dockside Cluster is located here, although Tania Surlees is only a GP for the local hospital. Another still is the Good Hope Club, where their daughter, Laura, plays. "And for some reason, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

Of course, she went to school in yet another one, Trident CS, "possibly the single best part about the Eleanorian working-class. It's ironic that I went to school with people like Pete[r Simpson] and Falareta [Wesevta] and both of them are at Good Hope now. Actually, it isn't - Trident were, and still are, quite good at this whole football thing. I consider those two my best friends, anyway: nice people, always down for a coffee or two after school, didn't let their sports compromise their studying, could have gone to the Uni or the Poly or the docks if they wanted but liked this place so much they wouldn't leave." All three of them were members of Trident's "Back in those days, Trident were serial quarterfinalists. That year was no exception. The games were by no means easy - the last sixteen tie against Saint Benedict's Catholic in particular was possibly the worst time I ever had at school, but we fought back from two goals down twice and won on penalties. That was tense, while the 3-0 loss to Whitehammer in the quarters was just disappointing, but I'd say it was where I picked up the annoying habit of not going into tackles too hard and not just mindlessly humping the ball down the pitch."

That was the potted, early summary - but what about the main course? When asked about what three matches shaped her playing career the most, the first would be 1992's curtain-raiser, away to the Golden Unicorn. "Mary Kirkport was, to say the least, a legend - not to mention a good, solid centre-back who you couldn't possibly find a bad word about because she was just so consistent. I'm told Exandra [Davies] and Charlotte [Bryant] even named their pet tortoise after her. Unfortunately, a couple of weeks before the season began, she got ran over by a car, broke a few bones - nothing too life-changing, thank goodness - and I just got the captaincy from her. I told Lydia Sharp this story - she became Independence 1975's captain five years previously because the manager just gave her the armband without a second thought - and she was really rather astonished. I was, as well, although I tried my best to perk up my teammates, get them to listen and really just follow by example; I was new in the job so I had a lot of pressure, not least due to the circumstances. This was the Unicorn's last good attacking lineup and Melcheta Pazorzal and Wayne Crawshaw were almost coming out guns blazing, but Dennis Jonas - the new guy - and I definitely worked hard to stop them, no fouls, no funny stuff, just good old fashioned defending. The final result was 0-0 and everybody, to say the least, was proud of me; we came sixth that season and I don't think it's really gotten better since then."

She follows on by recounting 1994's 2-2 draw against Grand Beach, much like Davies and Sam Newbridge did. "Seasiders vs Dolphins - massive. Absolutely, definitely massive. As far as I'm concerned, the three biggest dates on the calendar are 23rd June and whenever we play each other. Everybody who's anybody remembers this one, however, because it is almost the archetypal Coastal Derby. Of course, this is a game focused more on defence than attack and Sam Newbridge, one of the oppo centrebacks, was lucky enough to get himself a free trip to the Albion Road showers within the first ten minutes. What I'd really like to talk about are my struggles with Patrick Budd, 28 years old, a striker in his prime, surely would have been up for the Eleanorian national team if it existed then. All of our energy was focused towards him because he was the big attacking threat, and I closed him down a couple of times with success, but unfortunately I got booked for tripping him - Exandra was a bit later, too - and he scored the resulting free kick from a really close range. The goal that put them in the lead was no better, as he won the ball off me in an excellent position and I tried to slide his shot away from the goal but unfortunately it went in and all hope was lost. Then five minutes to go, Exandra benefits from some ridiculous position off a corner to level the match and that's that. Almost - I headed one of his last-ditch efforts out! The focus on Pat definitely paid off, despite the setbacks, and keeping the target in your mind is always a good idea if you're a defender - never more so than here."

Brown closes her account with 1997's goalless draw against Occidental Olympic. "Did we cost them an IFCF place? Probably, but they made the Champions' League last year and they're in the Challengers' Cup again this year, so I'd say they've definitely made an impression since then. Exandra was with them by now, they had a good nucleus - better than ours, I'd say - and although it was an away day, you'd have fancied them to make a mark. This was worse, much, much worse, than Melly and Wayne all those years ago, because the front three players in the centre were constantly switching around and trying to confuse us. Millie Carter thankfully knew what was up - one of the rare occasions she did - and just told Charlotte 'I have a 5-4-1 lined up because of the opposition threat and you will be one of the 5 in defence, don't complain or you won't be starting' - and she just nodded a bit. More players should be like that. Anyway, she had a really good day, but it was the best possible way to ensure man-marking, given the circumstances. I ended up drawing Adam Denby: you couldn't really read him, he was versatile, liked shifting the ball, but also had a lot of shots on him whenever he felt like it, and you just couldn't stop him from dribbling past you if he had a good day and you didn't. Fortunately, I knew what I had to do, ignored his silly tricks, got stuck in when necessary, pushed forwards on the few occasions we got respite and almost scored a couple of times. In summary, I stopped him from having any serious efforts and the other defenders did their part, as well, which is really good for morale and the kind of thing I want to see from Good Hope in 2000. I blame the coffee - it's almost our national religion."

Brown is apparently unimpressed with how the past two years have gone, and makes her feelings as clear as just about any Eleanorian would: "I am, to say the least, ridiculously glad that Mary's gone from playing straight into management now. From the few years I spent actually playing with her, she was both very much a taskmaster and a problem solver, good at knowing what needs to be done and perhaps even doing it. I know she's doing a lot of hard work in sorting out the amazing toxicity that Millie turned a blind eye to." Some have criticised her play as being too attacking for a centreback, especially with Good Hope's recent performances, but "I'm good at defending, too! If I wasn't, I'd have just swapped places with Charlotte: same height as me, much bubblier personality, also pretty neat in defence - as I said she was against Olympic! Between her, Bridget [Coombe], Alex [Martins] and Chris[tine Terrence], I'd say a lot of midfielders over here like playing centreback if they want to or have to. It goes the other way sometimes, as well, and nobody sees a problem with that. I'll just pull out the old canard and say it's just a typical team's-not-paying-attention thing."

Nor has she ever been a regular starter with the national team, having only started a handful of games against lower seeds in the World Cup qualifiers. "Liam West is... indispensible, let's just say, but I'd argue that Paul Ferry's been really flaky and Sam Newbridge isn't exactly the cleanest guy either. That's where I sometimes come in, cleaning up, doing what needs to be done, and so on. I've repeatedly told everyone I don't deserve to be here - there are probably better options even in this team, Luke Elliott's a regular starter for Indy and all that - but for whatever reason, they have to not listen!" Has she made much in the way of friendships or is she only there for the ride? "No, I really like a lot of people there, although I haven't really connected with some of the new arrivals for whatever reason. Exandra's really nice and I remember her from my Good Hope days, Liam and Luke are also good. Alice Christopher, too: does she like talking or hate talking? I've heard different teammates say different things but really, it doesn't matter, there are times she just feels more up to it and I've felt that a lot. And I just can't leave out Katie O'Donnell, the second freest spirit in the team, loves football almost as much as she loves herself and it's really been paying off."

Laura Brown is far from the best centreback Saint Eleanor has available, but - for whatever reason - she is one of only a handful that Priscilla Evans can rely upon at this desperate hour. Few would count on her remaining for much longer. Many more, however, would rely on her to keep the Good Hope Stadium clean, safe, tidy, and generally in a much better state this century than last, and all with her uniquely forwards-minded brand of defence. She may be disappearing, but don't think she's going away any time soon.

by **Eura** » Tue May 24, 2022 6:01 pm

WORLD CUP 91 QUALIFYING – GROUP 8 MATCHDAY 14
Brenecia 0–1 Eura
Scorers:
Robshaw 45+1
Lineup:
1. E Palmer
2. A Mason
4. J Menard
19. A Coles
5. T Green
3. L Almwood
6. S Erskine (sub Gates 67)
8. V Robshaw
7. M Woakes (sub Marshall 60)
10. C Atkinson (sub Bowman 58)
9. S Robson

WORLD CUP 91 QUALIFYING – GROUP 8 MATCHDAY 15
Eura 4–1 Maphidon
Scorers:
Malone 12, Robson 35, Sharp 39, Singh 65
Lineup:
13. T Hammond
15. K Sherwood
25. Q Phillips
27. J Byrd (sub Green 78)
16. O Vincent
8. V Robshaw
11. B Malone (sub James 62)
18. D Bowman
12. A Woodman
14. S Singh
9. S Robson (sub Sharp 45)

His advisor could see the stress behind his eyes, and how the ever-increasing pile of crises was threatening to hold back yet another Euran leader.
Something had to be done. They went away and made a very important call.

Mytanija – a long time ago

On a beach sitting astride Mytanija’s picturesque…no, let’s be honest, grim autumn coastline, two men stand looking out to sea, gripping tightly their first generation assault rifles with wooden stocks and clickety-clack firing sounds. The works.
‘Hey, Mojmir.’
‘Yeah?’
‘You ever wonder why we’re here?’
‘Huh?’
‘Like…what it all means? Maybe there’s some-‘
‘Shut the fuck up Mirko.’
‘Right. Sorry.’
Two men on the edge of their homeland.
‘Mate, that game was something wasn’t it.’
‘Yessss! Wow, I knew Samebans were shite, but 4-0?’
‘I wish we could play them every week. As long as the regiment doesn’t make us play those fucking firefighters again…’

A gunshot rang off in the background, along with an innocent-sounding scream. Neither man batted an eyelid.
‘Hey, can you see something?’
‘Mmm?’ Mojmir squinted out to sea. Nothing. ‘Nah. You’re losing your head comrade.’
‘I could swear I-‘
‘Its clear. Now-‘
More gunshots to the rear.
‘-calm yourself and just keep the focus on the front, and let’s pretend what’s going on in the back isn’t…well, isn’t going on.’
‘Huh. Fine.’
‘Honestly, you had better not be this jumpy if Natella ever inspects one of our parades. I’m not getting shot because you’re sweatier than a gangster in a church.’
‘Ok, ok! Point received.’

Two men-
‘Just a thought...’
‘Fuck me!’
‘…doesn’t this feel a little weird to you?’
‘How so? I feel weird every time I’m forced to spend time with you.’
‘-but-‘
‘As in, I feel violence building inside me. You understand, yes? That it’s a miracle someone as annoying as you remains un-killed.’
‘-shut up a minute! Think about it. Of all the things we could choose to talk about in the world, what do we go for? Where we are. What we do. When it is. And there is always politics or football, or a bit of both.’
thud-thud-thud-thud-thud
‘So?’
‘That’s fucking weird mate. Quite profoundly strange.’
thud-thud-thud-thud-thud

‘Ok, well, you feel free to feel…weird. I’m going to get on with my day. I just hope our glorious leader doesn’t show up for our next parade.’
‘There! You repeated yourself!’
thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud
‘What?’
‘Its like…its like we’re compelled to set conversational scenery! Why do we just talk about the context of what’s going on around us?’
thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud
‘Is it possible, and I say this with kindness, that you received a bump on the head as a boy. Let’s just consider it for a moment.’
‘Stop making fun of me! Quick, talk to me about something that isn’t contextual. Erm. Tits! I love tits!’
THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD

‘You…what?’
‘Yeah!’
‘I mean, technically that is context. You’re telling us a bit about yourself – oh yeah hold on, we do talk in an odd way don’t we?’
THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD
‘I’m fuckin’ freaking out, seriously. I don’t like it. Why can’t we just have a normal conversation? How is your mother?’
‘Dead. Thanks to those bastard MB, who I swear I will avenge oh my god. Oh. Oh god, I can’t stop.’
‘SEE!’
THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD
Dun-nun-nun-nun-nun-nun
Dun-nun-nun-nun-nun-nun
Bwaww-waawww
Bwaww-waawww

‘Ok, let’s stay calm. If we ignore it, everything might return to normal.’
‘I don’t think that’s going to work! Its like someone is writing out some kind of script, and our mouths just follow it! This is some existential shit, man!’
THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD
Dun-nun-nun-nun-nun-nun
Dun-nun-nun-nun-nun-nun
Bwaww-waawww
Bwaww-waawww
Bwaww-waawww
BAW-WAAW….
Mirko let out an involuntary scream as his brain told him to say something about how he’d heard some girl called Elena or something was ruining everything, before realising he had no idea who the hell that was and why every word he thought and said seemed to be accompanied by the sound of a keyboard tapping in his mind.
Mojmir, finally losing his patience, grabbed Mirko by the shoulders. ‘That’s enough! We are fine! Everything is fine! We are ourselves, and its just an ordinary autumn day, and…that’s just it! That’s all it is.’

Mojmir started laughing, brushing it off.
‘I mean, come on, what do you think this is, some shitty exercise in storytelling, foisted upon us by a cruel, pasty, Anglophone God?’
‘Wait – when did we start speaking Terranean English?’
THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD
Dun-nun-nun-nun-nun-nun
Dun-nun-nun-nun-nun-nun
‘Who knows Mirko. Who cares? All I know is, we are real, and there is no chance in hell this is all part of some elaborate shoehorned reference to Vietnam War movies about to swoop in and drop some napalm up in here, yes sirree.’
Bwaww-waawww
Bwaww-waawww…
‘W-what? What’s a Vietnam?’
‘I don’t know. Hey wait a minute…’
…Bwaww-waawww
BAW-WAAW….

Mirko and Mojmir realised that, while they distracted themselves with their existential crisis, a terrifying horde of helicopters was bearing down on them, skimming the waves at low level. Music blared from speakers strapped to them. Their door miniguns spooled up. Hanging off the side, Euran Marines, here to save the motherfucking day, obviously.
Mojmir sighed and shook his head, turned to Mirko, and expressed his dissapointment the only way he knew how.
‘I can’t believe you’ve done this-‘
ppHHHHHHEEEYYYYWWWWWWW!
‘…is that a sound effect or am I imagin-‘
And then they were dead.
The helicopters swooped in above what was left of them.
Rockets, bullets and flaming oil rained down on Natella’s butchers, conscripts, and a smattering of innocent civilians who had unhelpfully got in the way. At least they died free, right?
One after another, several of the “birds” touched down on the pebble strewn beach and dozens of Marines poured out, firing as they went. But they were not alone. Stepping out onto Mytanar soil was a middle-aged man in suit trousers, white shirt and a navy-blue tie. A senior intelligence officer of some kind. The grimace on his face suggested he didn’t really want to be here and might not last long either.
And yet…

…skip forward, oh, I don’t know, thirty-five years? Give or take a few.
Prime Minister Barnham’s adviser sat patiently in the waiting room, looking up at a photograph of some gangly-looking Euran troops sat atop a charred tank, with fir trees and some godforsaken muddy landscape behind them. Mytanija. Had to be.
This advisor had been around long enough to hear the stories. Euran special forces on the ground, spies among them too, helping the brave (read: strategically useful) freedom fighters (read: least genocidal faction). He had heard of the legendary Colonel Doyley, who – allegedly, of course – had been the face of the Euran intervention on the ground. Now, he was the kind of guy Barnham should get hold of and send in to sort shit out around the world.
That was not going to happen. Doyley was retired to the best of this advisor’s knowledge – and intended to stay that way.
But…was that such a bad thing? Doyley was an OSI chief later, sure, and he was good at it. But he wasn’t what Barnham needed. Barnham didn’t need a freedom fighter, or a noble patriot, or even just a good soldier.
He needed a bastard.

The adviser had told the PM that quite explicitly, before making an alternative suggestion that had made him apoplectic.
‘No! No fucking way, the man should be in prison. Its only because he knows so much that we let him have that bloody condo in Falourr. If I’d been in office…’
‘Well, you weren’t sir, and so we are where we are. Let me ask – what does the moral core of this individual matter to you?’
‘Everything. I’m a social democrat. I’m supposed to be an advocate for democracy, human rights, the rule of law. Giving that man a job would contradict all of my principles.’
‘Maybe if you put him in charge of all those things, sure. But you won’t. We can put a cordon sanitaire around him, and employ him to do the nasty little jobs this country needs someone to do. And why not him?’
‘Because he’s fucking evil. And, I presume, quite old?’
‘Oh, ancient. The mind, though, well…’ The adviser gave a self-satisfied smirk. ‘…I checked, and it’s all there still.’
Silently, the Prime Minister relented and did the unthinkable.

Which led us here. The waiting room. And the adviser, er, waiting.
Finally, through the door came an elderly gentleman, wearing a suit, with the same tie he wore on that beach all those years ago. It was a tie he had worn on many occasions.
Greeting multiple Prime Ministers, including the last one from the Social Party.
Taking on Eura’s enemies.
Taking on its friends.
And don’t forget the people too…
‘Hello young man’ spoke the Ticker. ‘Its good to be back.’

by **Guanacasteca** » Tue May 24, 2022 6:05 pm

Servicio Guanacasteco de Noticias

World Cup 91 - Pigs on The Track

Camilo Gutiérrez, on coverage of the 91^st World Cup Qualifiers.

The República Guanacasteca still continues battling in this long road called World Cup Qualifiers, to the surprise of many who thought that this nation would be quickly eliminated or sent to the very rock bottom of the group. Despite all circumstances, Linton, Monterroza, González and the rest of Han Ruoyang pupils continue their quest to grab more experience that could be useful for them in future World Cup Qualifiers. We must be aware that this is a process that will last for long and our players need to be well prepared for anything they might face when the moment of truth arrives upon them, the moment where we could be in conditions to fight for a ticket straight to the World Cup Finals.

Meanwhile, the defensive level of this team has certainly improved as they have allowed less goals during this couple of matches than they did in the first MDs of the Qualifier. Despite that improvement in defense, the team has also managed to keep consistent when it comes to attacking, by having some good results against Schima Bas and more teams, even by being able to put some fight against Tikariot and Pasarga, teams that everyone out there expected that would annihilate us with ease. We are finally growing, and it’s noticeable, we aren’t anymore the ugly duck of each group, we are now transforming, slowly, into what many people label as “uncomfortable rival” those visits to Estelí and Tibás are costing more than simple effort for those teams who are visiting us, our home record has demonstrated it with solid wins.

But there’s a topic we need to improve and that one is when it comes to visiting rivals, we’re still shy and inconsistent in that, as we are feeling intimidated even in atmospheres that are less noisy or hostile compared to the ones set up in our nation, we aren’t still used to our tactics of scaring by fan pressure, we need to get used to that kind of circumstances and be able to turn back that. When we realize that doing so is easy, we will truly jump when it comes to performance, we will able to battle seriously with top ranked teams. We have to keep on mind that qualifiers aren’t only a matter of receiving teams in our soil, we need to pay back those visits too!

I hope that our performance can be good enough to see our team called to some decent competition after the Qualifiers, so we can consolidate ourselves to compete at higher levels and get used to how the play and things are there, we need more and more of that kind of experience in order to grow up in experience, quality and talent to overcome difficult situations. Mentality is a key, and our players will improve as they remove their innocence from their mindset and become into earnest professionals capable to face any kind of situation in the field.

by **Zwangzug** » Tue May 24, 2022 6:06 pm

Currently
Users
Typing
Ought to
Finish
Football narratives promptly

Soccer
Countries
Outcomes
Really
Excellent
Stylistic formatting thanks to Vilita's spreadsheet thing

by **Tjorl** » Tue May 24, 2022 6:27 pm

THE FINAL STRETCH

It's quite surprising how Group 2 has stayed this close through 16 matchdays. With third position still up for grabs, the teams who couldn't build up momentum in previous games must try their best to gain a lot of it in the closing phase of the Qualifiers' group stage, when it is most likely the key to qualification for the playoffs. Tjorl is one of the teams still in the fight, currently sitting at seventh place with 20 points, only three points behind current third placers Mercedini. However, Oberour Ar Moro and Kamisato Ayaka Nation can overtake Tjorl if they win their game-in-hand. In their last five matches, De Frostkjemper struggled, only winning six points. The two nations up next on Tjorl's schedule are Pluvia & the Saxean Isles and North & South Vietnam. Let's see what Tjorl must aim for against these squads. What do you predict about the results in Group 2? Willl Tjorl somehow sneak in? Will they crumble and finish in the bottom three?

PLUVIA AND THE SAXEAN ISLES
In their previous meeting, Tjorl did not have a good time, losing 4-1. Throughout the whole match, De Frostkjemper defense just seemed to simply be unable to catch up with the Magpies' attacking unit. Ten matchdays later, Tjorl's main concern might again be how to properly cover up and lock down their flank, a problem they dealt with in their first match-up, after Rory Goldberg led the Magpies to victory. Coach Viktor Mandel might opt for a quicker and more versatile line-up, with full-backs Paul Mathiasen and Martha Sieger replacing Harald Giehl and Karoline Steinssen in the starting 11. Unlike last time, De Frostkjemper is expected to favor the long ball instead of high pressing and rapid counterattacking. Another, forward Artur Paulsen may switch places with Martin Breiner, at least for this game. While either a win or a draw seems far out of reach after their last match-up, Tjorl still must aim for at least a point to stay in contention.

NORTH AND SOUTH VIETNAM
The last time these two squads faced off, neither could get a goal. While getting a point isn't the worst that could happen, Mandel was understandably pissed. For this game, Mandel is expected to field the typical eleven. Despite the previous match outcomes, Nikolaj Eriksen is in good form—with five goals in the previous five games, so he will once again definitely start at the front. Tjorlish midfield maestro Johan Kalbfleisch will be another that is going to be hard to contain, thanks to his dribbling and passing skills. As for offensive tactics, De Frostkjemper will most likely use gradual build-up and smart passing to create and convert chances. Meanwhile, Tjorl can risk moving far up the field on the press and rapid trapping, quickly capitalizing on mistakes from the opponent. Whatever happens against Pluvia and the Saxean Isles, it is CRUCIAL that Tjorl takes this game to hopefully gain enough momentum against Yuezhou, the United Adaikes, and Kamisato Ayaka Nation.

Soon...
Interdimensional Portal discovered by Tjorlish scientists?

by **PotatoFarmers** » Tue May 24, 2022 6:44 pm

Box scores will have to come later, I am still on RL works so this time I used a piece that I wrote previously

Time: Present Day
Youth Development is a Mindset
Commentary by Senior Sports Editor Kelvin Keditaf, Sporting Daily

The recent results of the Red Panjias is certainly not a set of results that Poafmers should be satisfied with, especially given the group dynamics of this particular qualification group. And it is an important issue that we need to work with going into the tail end of this qualification season, where the Red Panjias really need to find a way into the World Cip once again.

For all the problems that this team is facing, I probably can look through each and every one of them in order to provide suggestions. However, my target here is simple, I would like to talk about the youth development like that the Football Association has been pushing. I will describe how youth development shouldn't be something the PFFA be actively looking out for, but a mindset that they will passively push for in the next few years.

First of all, you must understand this - that clubs for a long while have been prioritising foreign players with strong skills and talents over in-house talents. While in one aspect, that improves the league quality, on the other hand, it does nothing to improve our football ecosystem in the long run. It is, of course, understandable that clubs would want to purchase foreigners to help the club, especially since the local football pool isn't as huge today as compared to 12 years ago, when we first started the national team. There are lesser players around now, as seen by the merging and closing of the academies in the PDL. Yet with less players, it is very possible that the gems would shine more brightly, and that allows us to pick them out easily. It also allows us to review the entire batch of players more easily, allowing us to really spend less time to find the youth we want, and yet, be able to get the same quality, if not better, of youths as before. With the ease of finding the necessary players in-house, clubs should find it easier to look indoors for players.

If clubs are actually willing and able to present the players opportunities to develop themselves, especially from a young age, then that is how we are going to improve our youth development. Players of that quality would then flow through to the national team, which brings me to my second point - youth development should be done by the clubs, the national team should just provide the different opportunities. If there is no need to force a player into the starting lineup for a big game, than why would the national team force the player in? Not only does it affect the team's performance, it lowers the player's morale especially since it results in the player feeling he isn't up to par and contributed to the poor result. National Teams should therefore continue to prioritise the team's performance as a whole, rather than trying to squeeze in youth players. Of course, if the player has the competency to start every game, that would be the best-case, but we don't always get those players.

So what should Adnan Suliaha do? He can continue to add in youth players to replace ageing veterans who are nowhere near their peak. However, quality of the team needs to be maintain regardless, and there is no harm keeping a rather-fixed starting 11 if that is the quality of the squad. And get the team to better places so the team as a whole gain the better opportunities. And this, really, should be how youth development is done, rather than forcing a few players in the lineup or substitue bench every game.

by **Gortolekua** » Tue May 24, 2022 6:58 pm

previously.
Alvarez looked at his four newest Project Members in QZ inside a room with a glass pane that split the floorplan in two. There was no way in or out of that part of the room, at least from normal entrance points. But Alvarez carried a box that would change all that.

"Put these Kelloturrekos on," he said, handing these devices to the four Recruits. "They look just like wristwatches but, as you've seen in the few moments you've been here with us, they're more than just wristwatches."

"What should we know about them?" René asked with curiosity. "Will they harm us or cause any sort of damage to our insides in some way? I've seen a lot of those things happen in the movies."

"Luckily, you're in the real world, so no need to worry" Alvarez said. "But to answer your question: That's a maybe. The technology is still pretty new, but we're hoping that minimal genetic damage will come about from what is bound to be a revolutionary way to travel."

Everyone strapped their devices on. Kelloturrekos were turned on one at a time, each of them recognizing the wearer immediately. A brief "Thank you for serving your country and the greater advances of science" message popped up in Gortolan, Oleki, and the common language to the wearer. "Like I need to be thanked for serving you all," Cash told the room, smirking as words finished coming out. "This is bullshit,

"You shouldn't be the first to speak, Recruit Delgado," Alvarez retorted. "You were set to go to prison, weren't you? Smuggling would have kept you in bars forever—or worse—but a new government came in and saved you. The new Government, did it not?"

Cash shut up. He finagled with the Kelloturreko a bit to confirm all the settings. Track location at all times, send push notifications, et cetera. "Fine. I'm ready now."

"You're going to need this," the boss said, handing a photo of the part of the room they were in now. "If you lose this, you're never going to be able to get back to this side of the room."

The rebellious Recruit rolled his eyes at Alvarez, tapping the device's touch screen to prepare him for what he was about to do. He gave the picture of the other side of the room to Margarida and Catharina to hold up and started sprinting. A light blue aura surrounded his body as he got closer to the image and when he ran into it, he disappeared.

A loud thud into a wall could be heard into the other side of the glass. On the pane's other side was Cash, laying on his back and seeing stars from running into a wall in the direction the photo was taken.

"Holy shit it worked?" Catharina said, stunned at what just unfolded. "It fucking worked?!"

"These are the national security secrets we as a country working to keep classified for a good reason," Alvarez calmly replied with. "We know how much of a game-changer this can be for our Government's interests."

"So what is the whole point of this photography technology? It seems too good to be true because it is too good to be true," Margarida asked. "So what's the actual, non-'National Security' reason you've got?"

"Well, whenever there are threats to the country that could undermine its structural integrity or the security of its people, we can use this technology to get ahead in ways we never could have gotten ahead before," their Trainer replied. "It's going to better and improve our national interests, which are everyone's interests, after all. We want to maintain an ethereal attitude in our nation—we are the Ethereal Republic for a reason."

"I get that, I really do, but there's got to be concerns given our country's past," Margarida replied. "There would be riots on the street if people found out about this."

"Listen, our past Governments were not the best. My family has its own horror stories from the country's dark days," he replied. "But with a guy like Perry Salonen promising—and delivering—real change to the nation, this is a new era for us as people." There was a twinge of uncomfortableness that Alvarez had as he uttered those final words that Margarida caught onto. "Maybe it's tough for me to say these things because I was so used to not seeing change, but things do feel different on here."

"Huh," Catharina chimed in with. "Maybe everything out here will actually be announced to the public one day."

"I wouldn't bet on that just yet," Alvarez replied with. "It still might be too soon for that."

Cash, meanwhile, was barely starting to get up after being winded and nearly knocked-out from the tumble he had. "See y'all," he said in between gasps for air. "It didn't work at all. It's a stupid little sci-fi dream."

Right as he got up, Cash turned around to see a glass pane between him and the rest of the group. "Oh shit," he mumbled.

"Where's your picture, Recruit Delgado? You should still have it," Alvarez told him from the other side.

"I...I don't have it on me. I didn't think it would work," he replied.

Alvarez sighed in disappointment. He motioned to Margarida to go save Cash from his own brashness, carrying the picture of the other side of the pane with her this time. She went through the motions on her Kelloturreko to get her set up to transport, ran into the image and set it up so that Cash and her could rejoin the rest of the group in a natural, quick fluid set of motions.

"You sure seem like a pro at this, Recruit Karjalainen," Alvarez said in awe. "Maybe we gotta get you four rolling with your first proper mission. Who knows: If y'all do well on this one, becoming a full-fledged Ranger will be sooner than you think."

Three of the four, bar Cash, were excited at the prospect.

"Come with me to the debriefing room. There's a lot to go into and not much time to explain it in detail."

And the five were off.

by **Independent Athletes from Quebec** » Tue May 24, 2022 7:30 pm

Avalon

PART 7 - Open

The first week's dream came in the form of a young man colliding into a woman.

It was in middle of a cafe in middle of the Capitol's purple rain.

The second week's dream came in the form of the same couple.

A young man kissing his lover in middle of a busy, circular cross of Songak.
He then said to her that they were never meant to be each other before turning his back on her, both of them crying in the rain.

Then the third week's dream arrived, this time featuring a middle-aged man and his daughter. (OOC: this has not yet arrived or written, check back mid-2024 aka. Season 15.)

The man, lying on his deathbed, said that he was never meant to make those mistakes, but that it was best for her.
The daughter, a beautiful woman resembling the second woman, asked her father to stop saying those words.
And then the father said to her 'Do not lose the hold to it all', before passing into eternity..

It was indeed true that times were unusual for His Royal Highness Alexandre. Not just because of unusual times in the country he happened to reside in, but because of something well above and beyond the mortal realms. Night after night, Alexandre was immersed into the mild fever that had emerged every night he slept inside his dormitory room in Royal School, Concord Heights. Usually he, being a half-Dagan, would ignore something like that.

But Alexandre, who has yet to be appointed Prince of Abitibi as a crown prince (and wouldn't be until age 18), had his own questions about them. While he never reached to the last of the episodical occurrences of these visions -- perhaps for his own best in fear of his young mind not being capable to handle them under current capacity -- Alexandre knew that a part of the responsibilities being a Quebecois monarch involved religious responsibilities as a Lord/Lady High Spiritual. Indeed, that position and the duties required of it were not exactly what he was capable of, so Alexandre had a feeling that this could be what his mother the Queen and grandmother, Queen Mother Elisabeth (Elizaveta), had implied back home.

Alexandre was only turning ten, but looked more like a twelve or thirteen years old. This was partly because of his height and build, already over six feet tall and with strong fillings of marrow within his bones, but also because of his all-aware, calm demeanour, that came in the form of his brushstroke brows, ability to reason with himself or a colleague, and ability to conjure up specific lines or words from old texts something that would have been translated better in his native Quebecois soil than in Concord Heights.

The occasional episodes of his time at the Royal School came in various threads comparable to modern RLStates or YourNewWorld Sports forums, but those generally consisted of the stereotypical illusions of grandeur and pride that had come with the nations. Armed with wealth and prestige expected from the so-called 'Gakushuin of the Portal's Otherside', there would be intellectual debates sought out by the aged philosophy teachers, the drama and musical theatre practices following the traditionals of Dagan theatre scenes in the capitol, both areas that Alexandre held firm interests towards and stayed active within the school's extracurricular clubs.

There would also be political debates that involved the Dagan Succession Crisis and the Petition of Princess Brianna, not to mention the ethics of the Dagan expansion into the unchartered north of the land and into the upstreams of Valladar Westlands' Rivers. Alexandre, being a foreign male whose relatives were involved on both sides of the saga, found those matters challenging to handle as he was neither his mother, a woman who would be able to entirely view it from the third person's perspective, or his father, a man logical and scientific enough to the point where it would cost points in the Joongyeongian High Society. He had enough of logic and rationale, certainly well beyond his years, and ability to at least control the narrative, but was he really in a position to say his thoughts? Not exactly. At least not while he's a first-year student, and fifth-oldest of Courtney I's great-granchildren.

The Absurd happens when there is uncertainty, was what he would also say a lot, and that would reflect his thoughts about all of this. My father's country and therefore mine, but am a foreigner. All of this comes close and afar.

Of course, being a boarding student of the Concord Height's Royal School, whose student population of the rich and the privilege had boarded, had meant that he, as most students would, had to register whatever the meetings he had outside the school hours. Sometimes they came in form of visiting his maternal family, including the elderly grandmother the Cassie II, at The Palace, while other times they came in parents of known Quebecois names in the Cassadagan society.

While this was less of an issue with his family members, who no doubt were in middle of a very complicated situation he was observing from distance, but stayed well out of the way, but it was slightly more challenging to socialise with those around his Quebecois peers. They had varied from the famous - legendary third-baseman Heo Myeong-Shin of the Royals fame being one - to a couple of investors, military manufacturers and professors - but no matter how every occasion, especially with his audience, went well, he felt bored and predictable with the usual circles.

So, at that age, understanding of love, or even a sense of yearning, was not something that was on his mind. He of course knew them in concepts and there was no doubt that childhood affection was what defined the young child, however regal or princely, of the concept. Christine the Second and HRH Caspian gave their three children exactly that. Unfortunately, the Queen was usually occupied, the Consort awkward enough, and the Prince was away on the other side of the ocean that separated Anaia and Atlantian Oceania from Rushmore. This had meant that Alexandre, who had come home three to four months a year, had only understood what his mates would rah-rah about as 'ideas'.

Thus, the most unexpected surprise of the year happened to Alexandre when Alexandre woke up from the same old nightmare of his one Maytime evening. God, not another one again...the one where the poor girl's crying before his dying father, thought he as he lit the candles on the coffee table located right next to his bed. He looked out to the small window of his room, only to see that the moon was still in middle of the sky, likely indicating that he should go back to sleep.

Right... thought he, his eyes turning back to the bed. The phone didn't blink a light or two, so nothing urgent (or redundant, coming from sport league or newswire apps) enough for him to check. Maybe just nothing.

But there was another light source, one that's warmer in colour, that he had noticed on the actual desk. But that's not nothing. Not with the way things work in this family back home,said Alexandre, as he walked out of his bed and towards the desk. What he saw was a photograph, previously dark and empty, being filled with an image. Image of a girl his age, whose eyes spoke the opal-like depth and smile hiding the marvelous depth of the Blood Sea on the eastern shores between Quebec and its eastly neighbours of Anaia and Atlantian Oceania. Her brown hair, messy as they were, were draped like palace carpets, and she was smiling back at him.

'My heavens,' was what the Crown Prince said, as he watched the image completed from the state of nothingness. He knew it wasn't somebody within his family, or anybody in the Royal School or those he's seen on television or social media. He simply had no recollections or memories of this girl.

But, in any case, what Alexandre knew was that the photograph must not be seen by anybody. It has to be hidden.
He didn't know where - Maybe in his pockets. Maybe his wallet.
But maybe it didn't matter after all. All he knew was that it had to be hidden until he's going to meet this girl.

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