World Cup 91 [roleplays]

[Farfadillis]

Cut-offsies.

[Delte]

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Serdtgyu 1–6 Delte
Player-Reporter Kim Samrodd in Mayara-Gehrenna-Maethoru-Senoren, Ko-oren for Up The Reps Football Fanzine

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It was a long way to go for a ruling on an abandoned football match, but I have to say I thought the NSWCEWCC office served excellent coffee and delightful cookies, as they call them out in the world (biscuits, to my fellow Delts). I came as part of the representative party from the All-Week Super Ultra Premier Football Association back in Delte having been recognised as 'Most Literate Player' on the team, while Aleard Sullenden was with me as he knew the way to Ko-oren, and coach Clentin came because, well, he's the coach. Anyway the nice chaps of the Executive Committee decided we could have a 6-1 walkover win against the recently disappeared Serdtgyu nation. I think this was based on our 5-1 win against them in the Baptism of Fire plus a little extra for good behaviour, and it was enough to secure fifth place in the group which was nice. What actually happened to the nation that seemed to be named for a poorly chosen rack of scrabble letters (+1, I know) nobody is quite sure, but the World Assembly have announced the letters have been popped back into the bag and will be available again in 4 years 355 days.

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Delte 5–1 Magnecia
Sports Correspondent Polka Lunn At Ildemorton Road for the Oswark Parish Advertiser

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I won't dwell overly long on the finer details of this match, but certainly mention should be made of the team lap of honour at the end of an impressive sign-off against Magnecia. Although The Representatives failed to win the world cup at the first attempt as hoped, they nevertheless came away with some silverware in their debut tournament and this was paraded at the end to a hearty round of applause from the 73 people who hadn't left early 'to avoid the traffic'. While player-reporter Kim Samrodd received his fair share of appreciation for displaying his late-arriving Baptism of Fire Boom! Best Rightback of The Tournament medal, it was captain Eremo Olde, proud as punch, who carried the real trophy of the cycle for the all-greens: The Nation of The Commonwealth of Baker Park Over-Achiever's Prize For Ninth Seeds. Whatever happens in the future, no-one will ever be able to take that away from The Representatives.

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Ready Player 6: Aleard Sullenden
Vignettes of The Representatives

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Centrehalf, age 41, for Brewery Social FC; brewery technician - Sometime last year Aleard had been on the brewery quality control shift (the ‘QC’) for a full fortnight and that was double the usual length of the shift because someone had to fill in for the inveterate lead-swinger Naliss, who was off again with yet another bout of the sheepdip. It meant a big bonus in the paypacket but it was always the hardest shift for his family - even after a week on the QC and the obligatory heavy drinking, determinedly making sure all the cask ales were consistently delicious and drinkable in adequate quantities, Aleard would turn into a useless lump of a father and a spent force as a husband. To do a double shift was worse than double consequences, it was more like an exponential problem. It would take him three weeks, maybe a month, to recover sufficiently for Vi Sullenden to let him out of the spare room where he was forced to sleep after a long stint on the QC, and the hard glares might take a bit longer again. The children became querulous. Vi would get her mother in to help out with that, but it sure didn’t help Aleard much. “It’s alright Vi,” he said, with a headache and a slur, “we’ll take a trip to the far far away on the bunce money.” Fair enough, thought Vi, I’ll hold him to that. She did too. They got the mainline express train to some distant population centre and then took a flight to as far far away as they could afford. It was a good bonus, so it was a pretty far far far away, full of adventurous experiences and peculiar foreign customs. That’s how Aleard came home with a sign-up sheet for the World Cup. Most nobody in the valley had ever heard of the World Cup, or at least if they had, it was only some half believable rumour. He got a place on the team for his efforts even though he was probably too old to be playing football by now, but his enthusiasm never wavered (unless he was on his QC rotation).

[Tumbra]

Eshialand 0-2 Tumbra

TMB (4-2-3-1): 1 - Barker; 18 - Moss, 5 - Henderson, 26 - Perry (31 - Tyler, 64'), 3 - Harris; 37 - Finnemore, 16 - Fisher (43 - Burnet, 75'), 23 - Monaghan; 30 - Fraser, 9 - Vaughn (29 - Silverwood, 83'); 11 - Riordan

TMB scorers: Neil Fraser (25'), Susan Monaghan (84')

Player of the Match: Neil Fraser (TMB)

---

Tumbra 2-0 The Hainan Union

TMB (4-2-3-1): 1 - Barker; 2 - Hughes (18 - Moss, 77'), 4 - Kerr, 31 - Tyler, 19 - Carter (3 - Harris, 85'); 6 - Harrison, 43 - Burnet, 10 - Cole; 30 - Fraser, 9 - Vaughn (29 - Silverwood, 85'); 22 - Erskine

TMB scorers: Nigel Erskine (61', 77')

Player of the Match: Nigel Erskine (TMB)

PREVIOUSLY ON DEFENDER MEETS MIDFIELDER

Intrepid defender Stephen Kerr and his world-class midfielder team-mate (and also girlfriend) Trudy Harrison, on a routine trip back to Tumbra for a national squad call-up, were seemingly kidnapped outside Kingsbury International Airport by several black cars. Turns out that said cars belong to one Charles Harrison, Trudy's dad, media magnate and the second richest man in Tumbra. Several revelations on Trudy's past, a heated argument and a realisation about what Charles truly wants from the two of them later, Stephen has...somehow...agreed to go on a hunting trip with Charles. Is it as boneheaded a move as Trudy would believe? Or does Stephen have an ace up his sleeve?

Link to previous part | Link to arc home
defender meets midfielder: season 6, part 6
mano a mano

Gleneagles Hall, Georgia

Trudy Harrison couldn't believe her eyes. There was her father and her boyfriend, Stephen Kerr, acting all chummy over one of those typically-rich breakfasts she'd grown to loathe. Spreading a generous amount of Kyrasian foie gras on his toast, Stephen himself kept buttering Charles up; all while responding positively to Charles' banter. It was a bit too much for her; and it was a befuddling change of heart from his boyfriend, who just a half hour ago was cursing at her dad. What exactly had gotten into him?

Then he'd invited Stephen on a hunting trip. She'd been on exactly one of those trips, when she was seven; and she'd hated every minute of it. The ground was muddy, everything was dirty, and there was just so much waiting. Not to mention that she wasn't a fan of the whole guns thing. When the grouse that she saw her father shoot turned up on her dinner plate, she was so repulsed by it that she refused to eat the bird — despite having seen none of the actual shooting.

The words coming out of both men's mouth meshed into a blur for her; and she was almost grateful when the breakfast was over. Charles had gone to change up; meaning she was left alone with Stephen, who was self-satisfiedly draining the last spoonfuls of some truffle mushroom soup from his bowl.

"What was that all about? Less than an hour ago you were going on about how much you —" she softened her voice so that no interloping butler could hear "— hated my father. And now what? You're best pals with him? What's going on?"

Stephen's eyebrows furrowed. "He's going to try and drive us apart."

"That much is obvious, dumbass. So why are you playing along with it? What's changed? What's your gameplan other than, I don't know, I'm going to respond to every overture that he's making?"

The sides of Stephen's mouth curled upwards, if only slightly. "The difference is that this time I know what to do. And I know what he's doing, too. But that — that, he doesn't know. He's going to try and split us apart. And I think I know how."

"How?"

Stephen's smile got wider. "That you don't know is probably for the best."

"Well, o-kay, Mister Fantastic, keep your all-important secret plan to yourself. But believe me, if it's dumb, and it doesn't work, you'll never hear the end of it from me. Well," She looked away from Stephen for a moment. "Well, if I ever get to tell you that, anyway."

Stephen grabbed Trudy's hands in his, and gave them three squeezes. Immediately she looked back into his hazel brown eyes; and was instantly calmed. "Trust me. I actually know what I'm doing, now. And don't worry, alright? This time, in a few days, we'll be in Straton. Whatever he says. Even if he's not willing to let us leave, we'll sneak out on our own anyway. One way or another."

"If you say so, cowboy."

"Pffft." A sly look appeared in Stephen's eyes. You ever considered —"

"No," Trudy said flatly. "We're not doing anything here."

"If you say so, then," he said, wistfully. Stephen lightly dabbed the sides of his mouth with a napkin, and stood up. "Tell Ms. Christine about me while we're gone, will you? You won't need to act like a faithful daughter until we're back."

---

Stephen had changed into what was supposedly hunting attire — a double-waxed jacket that smelled very new, a drab pair of muddy brown pants,a pair of faded leather gloves, and a pair of thick, heavy hunting boots. These ones had seen better days; but Stephen was surprised at how easy it was to walk in them once he'd tried it on. He'd tried to turn down the offer of a cloth cap, which looked frankly ridiculous on him; but after some gentle goading from the butler, who insisted it was needed to keep the sun out of his eyes, he reluctantly acquiesced.

And soon, he was in the car together with Charles; and off they went, to the eastern border of the state — where they'd be right next to the boggy marshes of Dartmoor. Charles settled in next to him, and smiled. It was yet another one of those fake smiles, Stephen noticed; but it was too late, now. The key was to hold his nerve, and hold firm. The trip onto the expressway was filled with more vapid conversation; but once they were on there, the mood of the situation changed.

"Well, it's good to have you with me, Stephen; I've wanted a hunting partner for quite a while now, but it's rather difficult to get people to come all the way here for the weekend. So I've had to make do with some of the butlers, but it's not the same as bringing someone you know."

"We've only just met, Mr. Harrison —"

"Please. Do call me Charles; I think we've moved beyond that stage. After all, you seem to have taken to this life immensely well."

Stephen chuckled. It wasn't a real chuckle; but he hoped Charles wouldn't be able to tell the difference. After all, the man's entire existence was a facade of friendliness — and who better to detect a faker than a faker himself? Still, though, he seemed to muster enough genuinity in it to pass.

"Yes, well; I earn quite a bit as a footballer, but this is something else altogether."

"Now. At least now I know one of my guests is taking well to the finer parts of life. Trudy, when she was here, never liked all this. It was always football, football, football with her. And she ended up running away, of course, when I didn't let her play."

"She seems to have a real knack for it. After all, as her team-mate —"

"Team-mate?"

"And friend."

"And friend." The words lingered on Charles' tongue. Already Stephen could hear the ice in his voice, the contrived warmth melting away as quickly as it has been conjured. "Truly, Stephen? Friends, merely?"

"Well, yes. But —"

"Tell me more." Charles seemed to be hypnotised; Stephen could sense that he was hanging on to his every word, now; he was actually interested. That was his sign that he was doing things right. Entice Charles, get him excited by drip-feeding information...

"But that might change, sooner or later."

"Really? You two have known each other for...how long was it, again?"

"Oh, it's been a while, now. We met during the Under-18 World Cup..."

"Interesting. And she never told you much about me?"

"From what I've seen...perhaps that was deliberate."

"Really? How much did she tell you?"

"She didn't really want to tell me much about the two of you. But she told me some bits. Like how you didn't want to let her play football..."

Charles rubbed his temples with his thumb and index finger. "I made mistakes, Stephen; I've made lots of mistakes in my life. And that's resulted in us being quite distant from each other. Not letting her chase her dreams was one of them."

"It's not too late to let her be."

"I've come to that conclusion myself, actually. That maybe she'll never be the daughter I want; she'll never be the daughter I need to carry on the family business. Have you ever heard our family motto, Stephen?"

A single shake of the head.

"Per generationes, bene. Through generations, we prosper. All I've ever wanted is someone to carry on the family business; but maybe that someone won't be her."

"I'm sorry to hear that. But I can assure you, Charles, she's very much happy playing football."

"What use is a career in football when in twenty years, with your body ragged up and unable to run, you'll be thrown to the side-walk? There's nothing in it. She was short-sighted."

"But she's happy," Stephen gently prodded. "She's happy where she is, and she's happy with me."

"Maybe that is true. But is that really what is important in life? After all, wealth does breed happiness."

"Perhaps your priorities differ. It happens, Charles. Maybe it'd be better simply to let her go."

"You might very well be right."

The rest of the trip was filled with an uncomfortable silence between the two of them. Had he done it? Had he managed to get Charles to give up on Trudy?

---

The Moors
Somewhere along the Georgian-Dartmoor border

Tumbran weather didn't typically get this wet or sticky in summer; but somehow, a perfect brew of weather had occurred to make the weather as gloomy as possible. Streaked with grey, the hunting party disembarked from their cars. It was Charles, Stephen and an entourage of assorted people; though the only ones heading into the field with them would be the gamesman and three retrievers.

A gate to a wide open field was opened; and Stephen was waved through. He soon caught up with Charles, who held his gun casually; chamber dipped open, the stock itself resting against his leg. The mark of a hunting expert. Stephen, meanwhile, was trying to hold everything at once — the pellets, the gun, the walking stick...

"Put the pellets in one of your pockets. Don't forget which one. Atta boy. This your first time shooting?"

"Well, a shotgun, sure."

"Ah. Any other gun?"

"A pistol, once, when I was overseas. I'm not really one for guns."

"You get used to it. I was twelve when my own father brought me on my first expedition." A wistful look formed in his eyes, as he looked towards the horizon of the seemingly never-ending field. "I still remember it like it was yesterday. Anyway, I'll teach you the basics on the way. Shall we head off, then?"

A simple nod. Charles truly seemed to be in his element here; he was happier here than at any point in Gleneagles. Shrugging, all Stephen could do was follow along. After about twenty minutes of hiking, during which Charles seemed to revel in explaining every bit of the marsh and its ecosystem to Stephen, they reached a small clearing near a river. Beckoning him over, Charles began speaking in a hushed tone to Stephen.

"Lay low, then. When you see the birds, aim and shoot. It's easier said than done, of course; but what you'll want to do is follow a bit further ahead than where the bird's going. The bird we're hunting today is grouse; it's mighty fast, so don't be disappointed if you don't hit any. After all, this is your first time out. I'll go first — if a bird appears, so you'll know what to do."

Fifteen more agonising minutes followed. Stephen found himself zoning out, but Charles seemed on edge, ready to pounce at any moment. The dogs accompanying them, too, were almost as eager as Charles was.

Then it happened in an instant. The unmistakable sound of a bird's wings flapping; Charles springing up, surprisingly dexterously for a 59 year-old, aiming at the bird that had just taken flight. Two loud shots later, and the bird fell out of the air; the dogs pounced, leaping through the tall grass. They returned mere minutes later, with the results of their search in their mouths.

Charles, beaming, gently dislodged the now-dead bird from his dog's mouth and passed it to the gamesman; and fed the dog a few cubes of meat in exchange, while petting it on the head. He glanced back at Stephen, beaming.

"Bit tough, this; but it's rewarding. It's fun. Next one's yours, Stephen; I'd like to see you try."

World Cup 91, Playoffs Leg 1: Tumbra vs Valentine Z
Goalkeepers: 1 - Nick Barker [FC Inter Nantwich], 12 - Andrew Taylor [Couno Rangers], 13 - George Danvers [Columbia City]
Defenders: 2 - Ryan Hughes [Lakewood City], 3 - Nigel Harris [Lakewood United], 4 - Stephen Kerr [Chromatik, CMT], 5 - Harry Henderson [Aleiusia Capital, ZRH], 14 - Ian Ashburn [Lakewood City], 18 - Nicholas Moss [Miruan City, TKT], 19 - Chris Carter [Lakewood City], 26 - Raymond Perry [Serrapince FC], 31 - Joel Tyler [Couno Rangers]
Midfielders: 6 - Trudy Harrison [Chromatik, CMT], 8 - Vincent Hicks [Metropola Borograd, STL], 10 - Phil Cole [Osarese Marcadia, AUD], 15 - Craig McGrath [Serrapince FC], 16 - Andrew Fisher [FC Inter Nantwich], 23 - Susan Monaghan [Northern Stallions, BRE]
Wingers: 7 - George Hilton [Serrapince FC], 9 - Robin Vaughn [Lakewood City], 17 - Valerie Wells [Swanguard Athletic, QUE], 21 - Lynne Crossley [Strathcona Intl's, KSK]
Strikers: 11 - Nick Riordan [Sabrefell Moths, NPH], 22 - Nigel Erskine [Anomalies, CMT]

[Audioslavia]

Audioslavia's World Cup 91 Qualifying Review [2:06]

[South Newlandia]

[Cabo Azure]

Stresia 0–1 Cabo Azure
Starters: Gomez | de Lima, Moniz , Medeiro, Branco | Maciel, Ferreira (off 60’), Rathbone| Silveira, Corte-Real (goal 51’), Gouveia
Substitutes: Lobo (on 60’)

Budding superstar Nicodemo Corte-Real delivers in a big way for the Maçaricas as they qualify for their first-ever World Cup playoffs.

In a way, the match against Stresia was almost an afterthought: after all, Cabo Azure had won 5-2 in the first tie, and Stresia was consistently ranked at or near the bottom of Group 11 while the Maçaricas were challenging for playoff spots. After matchday 20, Cabo Azure were in third, but with a strong HUElavian with a game in hand behind them, the Maçaricas looked sure to go home after the group stage.

Nevertheless, thanks to an excellent spoiling job by the Thibaeans, the Azureans’ de facto win was enough to propel them into a playoff matchup with Vilita. The Azureans played safe and compact throughout, with Corte-Real’s goal coming on one of only a few shots on goal for either side.

Umo Vido Rico, pt 1
Federico Bravo, prime minister of Cabo Azure, started every day the way he had since a teenager: a mug of strong Azurean coffee, black; a session with the weights; and then a time throwing punches at a bag. He’d led several different lives during that time–stevedore, union leader, now politician–but he’d kept the same routine, the same friends, even the same one-bedroom apartment above the gym where he worked out. He’d actually bought the building outright prior to his mayoral run and installed the gym owner as his trustee to ensure everything stayed the same. These days, his small protection detail worked out of the apartment next door and made free use of the facilities downstairs. Rico had reason to believe he was the only head of state in Rushmore who routinely sparred with his bodyguards.

He’d made one adjustment to his routine to account for his increased status: he permitted his aide to give him a short brief at his kitchen table while his coffee brewed. Once Rico had reserved this time for shaving his head, but now he had a personal barber to do that, and there was less to shave now, anyway. Today he reviewed the schedule in the manila folder the aide had provided–Rico wouldn’t look at anything on a screen besides a football match–and noticed an unexpected addition.

“House call with Dom Carlos Silva at ten O’clock?” he asked his aide. “What does the old man want now?”

“He didn’t say, senor, only that he wanted to see you today. You did tell me that when Dom Carlos calls–”

“To give him what he wants, yes, I know,” Rico snapped impatiently. “I’m assuming he didn’t tell you what it was about?”

“No, senor,” said the aide levelly.

“Very well. If it means less time at the office, I’m all for it. Is Leo here yet?”

The aide glanced at his phone, where Rico knew he was checking the security cameras. “Yes, senor,” he answered. “He’s downstairs waiting for you.”

“He can wait another minute until I’ve had my coffee,” Rico grumbled, standing up to pour himself a cup. “Go take your kids to school, Vincenzo. I can handle Leo on my own.”

Vincenzo gave no argument, simply inclining his head in acknowledgement and leaving Rico alone in his apartment. Rico relished these moments by himself when they came, which wasn’t often enough. He knew there would be a Coast Guard frogman posted outside his door, part of the same detail that protected the king, but at least he had a set of walls of his own in which to think. Rico had never married in part because he couldn’t imagine giving another person free leave to invade his solitude, no matter how he might feel about them as an individual.

[Delaclava]

Phoenixes clinch playoff spot in Cleopatrana

Delaclava had no room for error, and they made no error.

Lukas Meyer and Martin Bartoš each scored two goals and the Phoenixes finished their qualifying campaign in style with a 5-3 win over Southwest Eastnorth at the Shipyard in Cleopatrana, sealing a spot in the playoffs.

"This was a big day for us," said Meyer. "The last few weeks have been really difficult, but we had one game we needed to win, and we focused on that and we did it. We had so much more focus today and for that it was the easiest win we've had in a while."

Delaclava was coming off a big 4-2 win in Sharktail, ending The Blue Predator's qualifying hopes, but Poafmersia remained hot on their heels just a point behind after defeating SWEN. And although the Delaclava squad didn't know it at game time, they needed three points at home to remain in third, as Poafmersia would conclude its own campaign with a victory over Equestria.

However, the Delaclava faithful at The Shipyard never needed to worry. The Phoenixes led 2-0 after 14 minutes thanks to strikes by Meyer and then Mathias Gretler and took a 3-1 lead into the locker room at halftime. Delaclava subbed in Durgali Baxayev for Emil Mišalko for a more defensive posture but maintained the same aggression and never let the Pioneers get closer than two goals.

After the game concluded, the stadium announced an impromptu "Rave Night" where the stadium remained open for clubbing and dancing well into the morning hours. The Rave Nights have recently become a popular feature of Cleopatrana SC games, and the players were thrilled to have such a celebratory occasion for this one.

"We aren't done yet," said Kent Lindblad, "but this was massive and we and our fans have every right to enjoy this moment. It's been a hell of a season already."

Arrest numbers, mostly for vandalism, have yet to be published by the Gibraltar County Police Department.

The Phoenixes enter the playoffs on a 3-1-0 run, with the draw keeping its nearest rival at bay, and finished their campaign with 20 goals in their final four games. And Meyer thinks that bodes well going forward.

"We've really hit our rhythm lately. Shoot (Boris Ishutin) has taken this team a long way to make us stronger defensively, but the way this team, this nation plays football is we attack, and that's how we're going to overwhelm teams that are more talented, more experienced."

They will need all the goals they can get, as while the players and fans drank and danced the night away, the World Cup Committee announced that Delaclava would play 21st-ranked Eura. Eura led Group 8 for most of the campaign and appeared set to qualify automatically, but a 2-0 loss to Srednjaci allowed Brenecia to slip by and take the automatic spot instead.

Delaclava and Eura have little competitive history with only one match between the two teams - a 1-1 draw in Eura in the lead-up to World Cup 86. However, Delaclav talent features prominently in the Euran Gold League; Meyer and Lindblad are teammates at Farrenton Athletic, Ben Romeijn stars at Blackfields, and eight other players currently play professionally in the Gold League.

"I think the familiarity with some of them, as teammates and as opponents, is a good thing," Meyer said. "I'm sure they know a fair bit about us too, so we'll see how it plays out. It makes this an intriguing matchup, that's for sure."

And perhaps the Phoenixes can take inspiration from Srednjaci, the team to vanquish Eura on the final day and earn their own spot in the playoffs. Srednjaci is the only team ranked lower than Delaclava that still has a shot at qualification.

"We're not going to win this game on paper. But everyone had to play twenty games to get to this same spot. It's all level if you ask me. The only question remaining is who can show up for the next 180 minutes and we intend for that to be us."

[Sarzonia]

Twenty World Cup qualifying matches in, and the Sarzonian national football team will have to play two more matches.

The Stars got to this point, controlling their own destiny with two matches left courtesy of a second place position in Group 5 after 18 matches. They had their home finale against a Tyskerlund side that were well outside the race for one of the two playoff positions in the group, and they won rather comfortably, 6-3. With Huayramarca idle on Matchday 21, it briefly elevated the Stars to top of the table with their final match being an away fixture to a Cassadaigua side that themselves were eliminated from contention with a 3-2 defeat to Electrum.

Manager Nathan Hanifer started his full starting 11 including goalkeeper Carlton Sandt, and why not? After all, the Stars had only conceded one more goal than Huayramarca's lowest goals conceded total, even after coughing up an unseemly three to Tyskerlund. Sandt hadn't played well, but he did just enough as the offence took centre stage against Tyskerlund. Against Cassadaigua, they would have to play a complete match. Win it, and it didn't matter one bit what Huayramarca did. The Stars would be through to the World Cup finals with no further drama. It would mark their first appearance in the World Cup proper since the World Cup 85 side behind Kevin Connelly. It would mark their first trip through as group winners in a long time regardless of how it's measured.

And then, the Stars shat the bed. Bad. Like no amount of deep cleaning would recover the bed from the stains the Stars defence left behind. Cassadaigua were playing merely for pride at home in front of their lot of disappointed fans, and apparently that was more than enough motivation for the Fillies. They routed the Stars 7-3, and with Huayramarca winning their match 1-0 against one of the bottom dwellers in Ancherion, it meant the Stars would have to survive a playoff against Trolleborg to qualify for the finals.

"We had our chances," a glum Hanifer said after the match with his voice cracking and hoarse. "We could have put that away and we didn't. And now, we have to play matches against a team fighting for its like like we are now." Midfielder and captain Clayton Wilson confirmed what several reporters suspected: Hanifer launched into a massive tirade berating the team's lack of effort after the already-eliminated Dagans put it to them. It's not like the Stars didn't deserve such heat from their manager. They played awful football and it they paid the price with a loss that potentially could doom them to another trip to the Cup of Harmony.

But first, they had to face Trolleborg, a team that briefly looked like they would emerge as a rival in football after the then-Baptism of Fire Cup champions competed with the Stars in their World Cup 84 qualifying group. The Stars lost their first meeting with Trolleborg and won the next, but Stars players who competed then still remember the matches more for the distinct lack of pageantry that normally accompanied a Trolleborg home match. There was good reason, of course. That Sarzonia side were still grieving the death by suicide of their first manager Bryan Ostrom, who guided an Under 21 national team in AOCAF before he was pegged to lead a senior national team into World Cup qualifying. That thrust Connelly into the unenviable task of having to be a grief counselor on top of being a football manager. That said, he also guided the team to a furious comeback that included The Brenecia Beatdown, a 3-1 Sarzonia victory away to the 19th ranked team in the multiverse that ultimately greased the wheels for Connelly to come back as full-on manager.

Trolleborg finished third in Group 4 with a 12-2-6 record, scoring 30 goals, which ranked eighth in the group and conceding 14 goals, which ranked first. Sarzonia's 49 goals scored ranked them fourth in Group 5 whilst their 23 goals were level with Cassadaigua for third. However, Hanifer will have to solve for a defence that suddenly allowed 10 goals in their final two matches. Hanifer said reserve goalkeeper Trent Woodson would start the playoff opener in Trolleborg, but wouldn't commit to a starting keeper for the return leg at Dave Wilson Stadium.

"It's going to be up to Trent and how well he does," Hanifer said. "Whether it's Paolo [Gomes, the other goalkeeper] or Carlton or Trent is going to depend on what happens out there."

It wasn't the position the Stars wanted to be in, but they at least still have a chance to earn a spot in the proper, which they haven't had in a while.

"It's all on us now," Wilson said. "We've got to make this chance count."

[Soldera]

There was only one final match left for Soldera in World Cup 91 qualifying.

The Snakes were already eliminated from contention for the proper, but they had a tilt with Audioslavia. Yes, THAT Audioslavia. They of the No. 7 ranking. They were coming to King Anthony Stadium in Branwen and Soldera were determined to leave an impression on Audioslavia and Jeremy Jaffacake.

Following the result, a 1-1 draw that saw Audioslavia's Olavi Kivela notch an 11th minute goal to stake the highly-ranked ancient power to an early lead, it seemed to take the wind out of the sails of the enthusiastic Solderan fan base. They'd come ready to party, ready to show one of the oldest powers in the football multiverse that they belonged on the pitch with them on their own merits. Midfielder Greg Irvine, not normally one prone to being particularly demonstrative, could feel the faded energy from the crowd and decided to raise his arms with his palms extended, trying desperately to exhort the crown to regaining the energy that they'd walked into the stadium with.

Twenty-eight minutes later, he would give the fans a reason to restore their roar. He saw defender Ramon MacMaster trying to take away a passing lane from him to Jonah Clarke, who was playing his final World Cup qualifying match as he announced his retirement in the dressing room prior to the match. Quickly thinking to himself, Irvine decided to take matters into his own hand as he saw an opening from distance. He launched a shot and watched helplessly as goalkeeper Goran Stroud dove for it and deflected it. However, frustration quickly turned to elation as the ball ricocheted off his outstretched glove finger and into the back of the net. The Snakes had equalized the match and it was 1-1. The mighty Slaves were now suddenly dead even with Dopey, Sneezy and Doc.

Audioslavia continued to play its brand of football, seemingly confident they could break the back four and veteran goalkeeper George Rollings, but the 31-year-old was having none of that. He made a campaign-high seven saves to deny the Slaves repeatedly. By the time of the final whistle, the Snakes didn't have the result they wanted, but they got the result they hoped for. Audioslavia were eliminated from World Cup contention. Even though the Snakes weren't going to be among the final 32, they'd sent home a top-10 side in the multiverse, potentially consigning them to the Cup of Harmony. Soldera, who were already playing potentially for a spot at the Cup of Harmony, had a match that could compete with their 3-0 home win over group winning Drawkland for their signature moment of the cycle. Whether they were heading to the Cup of Harmony or their cycle, and also, the career of Larry Carricker as Snakes manager, they'd had a moment that would resonate.

The crowd erupted into extended applause with the final whistle's sounding. It wasn't a victory, but it sure as hell felt like one. Even though Soldera would soon name their third different manager in as many World Cup qualifying campaigns, they had something to build upon. And for Carricker, that was more than enough for him to ride off into the sunset for his last match at King Anthony Stadium. After he'd finished his post-match preparations and headed out into the parking lot, he saw a glum-looking Jeremy Jaffacake standing and waiting for a ride. Smirking, Carricker decided he'd get one more shot in as a long, dark vehicle pulled up to pick up the enigmatic Jaffacake. He cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled out an oft-used phrase that had become a signature of Jaffacake's back at him.

"G'nite, bitches!"

[Jeruselem]

Princess Katherine Annabelle Dallas (with Kate Dallas jersey but nothing else) and Jeruselem Manager Katherine Annabelle Dallas dress professionally ...

Princess:
HEY, this is Princess Katherine Annabelle Dallas for Naked News Jeruselem! Once again, discussing the World Cup 91. As you should know by now, we did secure 2nd spot in Group 4 despite losing match day 21 when Trolleborg had their bye but we did win on match day 22 taking revenge on Ranoria. Acastanha beat Trolleborg so in the end we didn't actually need to win but it's better to be safe than sorry. So it was Baker Park who won the group with Jeruselem and Trolleborg going to into playoffs. Acastanha were pretty unlucky to be in 4th spot. I'm with the NON-PRINCESS Katherine Annabelle Dallas, who's been busy managing our World Cup and getting us to this position. I know we didn't win the group, but Baker Park had one loss in all their games and that one was to us. So we did exactly what was expected of us, but then so did Trolleborg.

Kate: Oh hello everyone

Princess:
Well, the playoff teams have been decided and we have 30 games to decide who joins the already qualified group winners and the two hosts, that's 15 teams left to qualify because 32 minus 15 and minus 2 is 15. It would have been nice if we had won on match day 21 making our life easier in the playoff so we could play a weaker team but we can't change that now. We're not going through each playoff because I think most people in Jeruselem don't care about the other 14 playoffs, just ours. If you are interested in that, there's other media channels elsewhere who might have a much better analysis than us anyway. What does matter is ... our games against Krytenia!

Kate: Otherwise known just as the Kryties in Jeruselem
Princess: We finished 2nd in Group 4, while Krytenia was third in Group 10. We had 14 wins, 2 draws and 4 losses. Krytenia has 13 wins, 3 draws and 4 losses so really there's little difference between us from the qualification numbers. Also both of us had +21 goal difference.
Kate: At this stage, every team in the playoff deserves to be there. Some maybe lucky someone else failed at the last stage but there's no slackers now.
Princess: Congrats on your friends Independent Athletes from Quebec winning their group and qualifying.
Kate: Oh yes, them. It was a close run thing with them getting over the line there.
Princess: Yes well Mytanija were on the same points so you couldn't really get any closer.

Kate: We have more in common with Krytenia than you'd expect.
Princess: We both have some form of light blue in our playing kit, and Krytenia FA have a dragon on their logo. Our flag is a three headed dragon.
Kate: But that's about what we have in common, ends.
Princess: So you have a plan, or just throw the kitchen sink at them?
Kate: This special plan business is overrated, the only way to win is to play your game the best way you can. You can be another team, we don't play like Krytenia and they won't play like us. I'm pretty sure my opposition coach BRELK-XERAL Erv would do the same.
Princess: Krytenia have 4-2-4 formation, which is much more attacking than our 4-4-2.

Kate: Everytime we try that, we just get mauled and lose badly. Stick to what you do properly.
Princess: We have lost two qualification games, 4-3. What is it with like 4-3.
Kate: No idea, we seem to like that scoreline. We rarely win 4-3 as well.
Princess: So, nothing special about what we will do.
Kate: Obviously, they are ... front heavy ... with their team. But we've played that kind of team before so it's not we haven't seen it before.
Princess: Well, I'm an expert on being front heavy myself.

Kate: You sure are rather front heavy, even for your advanced years. I have to put up with these pancakes ...
Princess: So you think Jeremy Jaffacake might make an appearance now?
Kate: He's not managing the Krytenia team anyway, so it doesn't matter.
Princess: It's just compulsary to mention him when we talk about Krytenia
Kate: Weird, thing he might pop up there again if we're there
Princess: Do you still get people wanting to autograph images of ... me?

Kate: Yes, we don't even look alike but they will ask anyway. Having almost the same name is confusing enough, but some haven't worked out we're different people.
Princess: Is not qualifying directly this cup classified as a failure?
Kate: Not really, in most cups 2nd spot could have pushed us directly into the finals. But this one was obviously different, and Baker Park lost one game out of 22. Wasn't much chance of us winning the group with that kind of team.
Princess: Well we can still qualify, and hopefully we can. As it is, someone has to be our opponent and we just want what they want.
Kate: It was hard enough getting 2nd spot as it was with two contenders on our tail, so I am not complaining.
Princess: So that's it from us, support the team as we hope to get through the playoffs.

Kate: I really don't want go to a Cup of Harmony.
Princess: We had an unhelpful flu going round the team recently.
Kate: Yes, international travel is great for picking up these viruses. Old people like me don't cope that well with exotic viruses.
Princess: Did the flu vaccinations help?
Kate: Not really, it was one of those not picked up by the vaccine.
Princess: That's it, we're done here. See you all later for the playoffs.
Kate: Yes, see you later.

[Hapilopper]

The Team Hapilopper Headquarters, Hapilopper City
Leading up to World Cup 91 Qualifying Playoffs: Hapilopper v. Astograth

Team Hapilopper, as a unit, was absolutely exhausted. 20 grueling games, and all they had to show for it was the highest-scoring team that didn’t automatically qualify for World Cup 91. The team ended up with 50 points, tied with Valanora for the group, but goal differential made the difference. In other words, Valanora was more dominant in their matches than the Haps were. Frustrating for the Haps, sure, considering the one team that Valanora couldn’t beat was the Haps. But that was the way it went, and besides, a team like Valanora belonged in the World Cup anyway.

But you know something? Everyone else had to have been exhausted. 165 other teams had just played 20 tough, intense, physical matches to be of the final 32 teams in the most prestigious competition in international sport. Some fared better than others. At least Team Hapilopper wasn’t like Beepee, with zero wins, two draws and 18 losses, and only 11 goals scored. At least they weren’t like a team known as “Unpleasant”, who had one draw and 19 losses. And at least they weren’t like the team from East Murbley, a nation that possibly didn’t even exist anymore.

Instead, Team Hapilopper was one of 30 teams getting ready to run through the ringer, the most stressful two football matches they would ever play. The winners of these matches – essentially one 180-minute football match, divided into two halves, would make it to World Cup 91. The losers would find themselves in the Cup of Harmony.

A day after the last match of the World Cup qualifiers, the team received its assignment. Since the team was the highest-scoring and highest-seeded non-qualifier, it would face the lowest-scoring and lowest-seeded third place finisher, which, looking at the metrics, was Astograth, the third place finisher in Group 13, 60th overall, 11 wins, two draws, seven defeats for 35 points.

Even though Astograth was, on paper, the worst of the playoff teams, Team Hapilopper didn’t look at it that way, and seeing the name “ASTOGRATH” on the bracket next to theirs made them a little worried.

“They don’t get any easier, do they,” Thom Perkins muttered.

“No way,” said assistant manager Myrone Rhule with a grim look on his face.

The fact was, that despite its record and despite what the statistics say, Team Hapilopper viewed Astograth as a very real threat to their qualifying hopes. They seemed like, at least, from reviewing the game film, as a team that could take advantage of a miscue at any moment. A team that could make the most of a bad situation and make it very bad for their opponents.

“Tell the tape staff, I want videotapes,” Nathan Ellis muttered as he looked through his notes. “I want 20 videotapes. I’m going to fix a pot of coffee because I’m going to be here late.”

“Don’t have any plans tonight, Ellis?” Dom asked.

“Reviewing game film, figuring out a weak spot and figuring out how to exploit it,” Nathan said. “I’ve got work to do. I’ll have time for everything else once this is over.”

Dom nodded his head. Nathan Ellis had never married, never had any kids, maybe one or two girlfriends in his life, but the long-held joke about Nathan was that he had married himself to the job of football. His whole life was football. He didn’t worry about partying, he didn’t give a crap about going out and getting drunk or meeting women or anything. His life was football, his friends was football, his hobby was football. So spending late hours at the Team Hapilopper headquarters, watching game film and trying to figure out how to take Astograth down, was neither a surprise nor was it any cause for concern. After all, people joked it kept him out of jail, so why change it?

Throughout the night, Nathan sat down at the couch in his office and wired himself with coffee as he watched and re-watched numerous videotapes of Astograth’s most recent matches: a 2-0 loss to the Holy Empire, a 3-0 loss to Vilita, a 4-2 win over Geektopia, a 1-1 tie with New Eestiball, a 5-2 win over Chartistan and a 2-0 win over Unpleasant. Throughout the night, Nathan watched the matches, wearing his remote control out, rewinding various parts over and over as he thought he had seen a thing or two that the Haps could use, then furiously writing notes on what he had seen. Even as others left for the night, Nathan stayed there, picking up things he wouldn’t have picked up before.

The next morning, around 8:30, coaches and administration arrived in preparation for the next day. Thom Perkins knocked on the open door of Nathan’s office to find him asleep, his notebook covering his face trying to keep the light out.

“Ellis, uh, hello?” Thom asked.

Nathan came to, slowly wiping the sleep out of his eyes. He chuckled when he saw a smirk on Thom’s face, and got up from the couch.

“You find anything?” Thom asked. “Looks like you had a late night last night.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Nathan said. “I found a few things. Filled up this damn notebook. Let the players know we need a full meeting at 9:30 sharp. I want to go over some things with them. All I can say is, I can’t guarantee anything, but we go over these things and we’ll be just fine.”

Nathan walked out of his office, past Thom, and made his way to the locker room, where a handful of players were getting in for the day. They spotted a visibly-exhausted Nathan Ellis, still in the same clothes he had worn the day before, carrying his notebook.

“Rough night last night?” Oral Roundtree asked.

“Nah, not really,” Nathan replied. “I think I was up until 4:30 last night watching Astograth matches. Found a few things. If you don’t mind, I’m going in the shower, getting changed and I want breakfast at my locker when I get dressed. Make sure someone knows that, Roundtree.”

“Yeah, will do.”

So 20 minutes later, after Nathan had gotten showered up and dressed in his training attire, he found a very full breakfast at his locker, just like he asked. He smiled, figuring everything was going to turn out just fine. As players came in, they saw the smile on Nathan’s face, as well as the notebook, and knew that Nathan Ellis had found what they needed.

[Electrum]

The Turnip: Sports Journalists Tell Us The Most Memorable Moments They Have Witnessed On The Football Field
by Billiam Maskey, chief-editor-in-chief

It is playoff season now which means that all but a few of the world's journalists have mysteriously disappeared to cover other events for some reason. In fact, we expect less than thirty new publications and articles in all of the world's media in the coming days as we go through the rather complicated process of working out who is escaping the world's worst purgatory: the Cup of Harmony playoffs. We are so close to qualifying for the Cup of Harmony and yet so far. One wrong move and it's good bye to a trip to non-existent Mertagne and a country I've only recently heard of, Tumbra, and hello to a trip to summery Graintfjall and [CENSORED]. Trust us, you do not want to travel to [CENSORED].

With that in mind, we have interviewed the world's most pre-eminent football journalists, who are lazily putting up their legs on our ottoman, to talk about the craziest moments they have witnessed on the football field.

Robert Uehler: I remember there was a streaker on the field in one of Baker Park's matches and he had a third nipple below his belly button. It was hypnotic to say the least, jiggling everywhere but I had to reassure the people next to me that I was looking at the third nipple and not his junk. Seriously. It was a nipple. Don't judge.

Mindy Cartwright: One of the players gave birth on the field and the baby looked at me and started laughing.

Scott McCrae: Some rich dude wanted to watch the match from a helicopter hovering over the field and the swirl of the helicopter caused the ball to go into the net at least three times. I just thought wow. Money can buy you matches and you don't even need to match fix. It's inspires me to become as rich as possible as well, and the first step to do that is to exploit your labour value.

Rami Niblick: I actually used to be a big fan of the Starblaydia team but in a match against them I was kidnapped and brainwashed. The agent, Simeone di Brandy, kept shouting at me saying that "You are not Starblaydian and You are not worthy to receive our love. You must repent. Repent." After a month of reprogramming I could finally come out and say that I support Starblaydia. I mean Krytenia.

Tara Ousted: The most favourite tactic I remember was when the match started and the whole Brenecian team did the traditional haka dance. While the other side was looking tough in opposition, the eleventh player on our side dribbled the ball into the open goal. It was unconventional, but it worked.

Jamie Rodgers: I once wrote a one hundred word article on Liam West as he's the world's most boring captain but then he punched me for not giving him enough deference so now I write very long articles to make sure no one punches me. Harriet Williams actually punched me too but not because my article was too short, it was because she didn't like me.

Iwan Miletić: I remember when I used my fishing rod and caught three sea gulls in one day in Zeta Reka. The concession stands are always so expensive so eating freshly caught seagull is the way to go to save money.

Kim Samrodd: One day in Delte, we had thirteen people in attendance at one of our local matches, and as you know, whenever you are in a group of thirteen, the first to stand up will die. The first person to stand up, a tourist from New Gelderland was marked for death and before you knew it he died from whooping dysentery. And he clogged up the country's only toilet. Very rude.

Princess Katherine Annabelle Dallas: I actually am very close to the Jeruselem team so as princess I hold weekly princess-player conferences where I inspect my players fully, while half-nude, of course. The most memorable moments for me are when they misinterpret my nudity for something else. What perves!

Peter Davis: My most interesting anecdote is that I once sat next to a guy with the same name as me. Turns out a lot of children in Tikariot are named Peter Davis after the popular cat food company. The more you learn.

Unnamed journalist: Nothing interesting has ever happened to me. I have no name. I write for the world's most prominent publications but I have no byline. Why am I never credited? It's because my existence is a joke. Football is a joke. I refuse to participate in your article beyond what I have already said.

Natsumi Miyasaki: That match against South Newlandia... I never knew they allowed elephants to roam the field! And I never knew that there was nothing in the rules saying that elephants can't be used to trample over goal keepers since the players are not injuring the elephants directly. That's like blaming a baby for eating lollipops. Trampling humans is like second nature to elephants.

Elymur Amwan: I'm colour blind to all colours so I see all black whenever I go to football games. Also I'm deaf as well. Nothing interesting ever happens. Probably.

Christopher Teschner: Huh? I'm sorry, I don't understand the question. Football refers to the game where you swim in a pool to set the fastest time. There's no such thing as "football field" unless you're referring to the field of swimmers in a game of football.

IGOR BOŽIĆ: A GIANT DOG THE SIZE OF FOUR PLAYERS TOOK THE BALL AND STOMPED ON IT. A REPLACEMENT BALL WAS MONTHS AWAY SO WE NEVER COMPLETED THE MATCH.

Salwan Mynhier: My mind was blown when I saw in Electrum's last match against Cassadaigua a poster that said "We Scorn Squorn". It impresses me that Electrumite fans are so prophetic as to predict that we would face one another in the playoffs. Or it was maybe the fact that he had 166 insulting signs for all of the nations participating in the World Cup qualifiers which he replaced every 32 seconds. It goes to show how much effort Electrum makes in insulting people. Respect.

Anna Comneno: I remember when Miguel Zarides started growing out his ears in that match against New Eestiball. It was like baby teeth, his necklace of ears could be extracted and crushed up to create baby formula. I was so surprised to see him feed a hundred babies on the pitch with his ear necklace. Of course I hear it's also a good laxative and a good aphrodisiac.

Kalvin Hsemer: I once took my sister to a match and they put the kiss cam on us and I started crying because you're not supposed to kiss your sister. So instead I kissed the body pillow that I always take with me as a safety blankie. It's times like these that makes me grateful to see the newest advances in anti-loneliness technology.

Lei Siulung: King Alswitch in all of his infinite wisdom let me sit on his lap during one of Baggieland's matches. I stole an embedded diamond on his cape while he wasn't looking and that's easily the highest value jewel that I have ever stolen. Didn't even care about the margin, I went straight to the jeweller to get my money's worth. My only regret is not stealing more jewels.

Vincent Merin: I remember playing an instrumental role in that match against Stressia where I stumbled upon a Death Note and wrote all the names of all the opposition players. I now intend to rid the world of criminals and make a new world with me as God-Emperor.

[Nyowani Kitara]

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.

With President Akongo's electoral loss, their response has been to be more fanatically in support of the President. However, while more fanatical in the news section, they have integrated slightly less politics into their general sports coverage.

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

SPORTS- 6 point window gives Nyowani Kitara momentum to head into the World Cup Qualifying Playoffs


Owino Odede(#11) celebrates the third goal of his hat trick in a 5-2 home win over Xanneria on the penultimate matchday of World Cup Qualifying

KARORA, NYOWANI KITARA- We went all the way up to Karora for the beginning of the final regular World Cup Qualifying window for the 91st World Cup Finals. Home against Xanneria, then traveling to Sudilia- a good way for this team, already in the playoffs, and just needing a point from 6 possible to clinch home field advantage for the playoffs. After Nyowani Kitara's hard fought point in the Prosaic Union, Liang Wei had been approaching this window with thunderous enthusiasm. "We are not going to simply relax here and just back into the Playoffs." Said Nyowani Kitara's manager. "We are going to go out and earn ourselves as high of a seed for the Qualifying Playoffs as possible. Going into the playoffs with a loss is a rough time- we want to carry some momentum forward, give ourselves the best opportunity for success."

Nyowani Kitara's first opponent, in their final home game of World Cup Qualifying, was Xanneria. The two attacking-minded teams fought to a 1-1 draw in Xanneria on Matchday 10 of World Cup Qualifying, back when our own national team still had dreams and designs on winning this group outright. Obviously that didn't happen, as Ko-oren is simply far too consistent to finish anywhere other than atop any World Cup Qualification group, but that result left many feeling as this could be an open game, here at North Rock. Nyowani Kitara technically only needed a draw for a good result, and Xanneria should've been loose, with everything to play for. A free-flowing attacking game between the two sides in Karora, with both teams creating lots of opportunities and scoring lots of goals, in what should've been a tight contest.

Fortunately for Kitaran hearts, this game was anything but a tight contest. Nyowani Kitara grabbed a stranglehold on the contest early, thanks to Owino Odede bringing his finishing boots, and simply never let go in the contest. They were dominant in the first half, as our team kept getting forward to create chances that, frankly, we kept taking. Owino Odede had a tap-in from probably the 6 yard box, to give the team a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute. And then, in the 35th minute, we doubled our lead, when Odede headed home from probably the penalty spot in the 35th minute. Odede finished the hat trick just a few minutes after halftime, scoring on a breakaway to make the score 3-0. While Xanneria converted a penalty in the 61st minute, it was far too little, far too late. Wang Jiahui made it 4-1 in the 72nd, and then Rudolph von Katzenstig came off the bench to make the score 5-1 in the 77th minute. Allison Burnes actually had a brilliant stoppage time goal for the visitors, smashing home a volley out of the air, but of course, scoring in the 92nd minute of a 5-1 game, even if it is a wonder strike, won't change the underlying factors. 5-2, big celebration.

Nyowani Kitara then traveled to Sudilia for the final game of World Cup Qualifying. Not a high stakes contest- we can't change our position of 2nd in the group, we're playing away from home without any of our fans. Therefore, Liang Wei chose to prioritize health of his squad and freshness of his squad for the playoffs, over seeding. Full-scale changes to the starting XI- changed out all 11 members of the starting lineup for this game. And, predictably, the game started poorly. Our team were slow and sluggish, seemed not so smooth with each other, and Sudilia were ready to take advantage. Their final home game, against a team in the playoffs. Having earned just 9 points from their first 19 World Cup Qualifiers, wouldn't it be great for them to earn an upset? But they were ready. Emilie Labelle scored in the 37th minute, on a counter-attack, to give the home team a 1-0 lead. And then their #9, Olivier Ouimet, scored to make it 2-0 to the hosts just before the stroke of halftime.

Liang Wei must've been pissed at halftime, as he seemingly lit a fire into his charges. We came out like gangbusters, fighting for nothing but pride at this point- with our regular bench players doing what they can to try and salvage something. Mhara Vera, the 21 year old, hit a 52nd minute header, scoring early to bring Nyowani Kitara right back into the contest. In front of the away end, he raised his fist, as he fished the ball out of the net and raced back to the center line. The gasps came from the home fans, as the tension in the building started to rise. The blood pressure of each home fan, and particularly, Sudilia's manager, were rising after that. We kept creating opportunities. Sudilia goalkeeper Peter Grant made spectacular diving saves in the 60th and 63rd minutes, as well as a brilliant reaction save off of a Josef Sparv header in the 68th minute. But it would be a half-volley from Lars Anders in the 73rd minute that would tie the game at 2, and really get Nyowani Kitara going.

We've seen this one before, right? What a spectacular comeback it was. The pressure of the moment had clearly reached Sudilia, as the home team grew frustrated and started making uncharacteristic mistakes, like forcing poor passes. That led to the winning goal. A pass out of the back from the home team went straight to Salem Lagum, who was clearly ready to lead the counter. He dribbled around a scrambling Sudilia center back, and then played a perfect through ball to Red Star Dewayo winger Janani Nyaoro. Nyaoro struck beautifully in the 79th minute, and a 2-0 halftime deficit had been overturned entirely in 34 minutes. He leaped into the away fan section, as the celebrations were emphatic.

We held on for the 3-2. "What a win this one was!" Liang Wei thundered, emphatically. "It showed this team's passion, this team's heart, we bared our souls. It's going to take this kind of energy and focus if we want to succeed in the playoffs, and we will be ready."

---

World Cup Qualifying Playoff Preview- Nyowani Kitara in an 180 minute chess match with Brookstation for a berth in the World Cup Finals

DEWAYO, NYOWANI KITARA- Liang Wei and his charges watched the very end of World Cup Qualifying together, at a team hotel in Dewayo, as they waited to discover their opponents. When all the games were said and done, the dust had settled- Nyowani Kitara were drawn against Brookstation, ranked 101st in the KPBs, who finished 3rd in Group 12, despite being all the way down in Pot 6. They had a stellar World Cup Qualifying campaign to earn a place in the playoffs. They finished ahead of 46th ranked Milchama, 50th ranked Sargossa, and 67th ranked Eraman, all teams who were heavily favored to get to the Playoffs ahead of them. And this is even more impressive when considering the resumes of those teams. Sargossa recently won back-to-back Copa Rushmoris, while Milchama actually qualified for World Cup 90, and earning a point against Banija at the tournament.

Brookstation earned 38 points throughout World Cup Qualifying, and they took down the big dogs along the way. They, like Nyowani Kitara, took 4 points throughout Qualifying against the top 6 ranked, Pot 1, former World champion in their group- in our case, Ko-oren, and in their case, those damned Banijans. Liang Wei said that, because of those accomplishments and that record of punching well above their weight, Brookstation are an outright scary opponent. "There are no easy opponents at this stage of World Cup Qualifying, as everybody knows." Liang Wei told reporters. "The nature of two-legged playoffs- the affairs are simply too pressure packed, too intense, for there to be any opponent that you 'want' to draw. And Brookstation, naturally, is no exception. Their triple digit rank is an outright deception. You see what they did to all of those teams well above them in the table? You saw how they responded with their backs against the wall? They are a team that is built to win a two-legged playoff, and we're going to have to reach deep to win this playoff."

Expectations management from the manager, yes, but also it is very true. Nyowani Kitara, in the World Cup 90 Qualifying Playoffs, was simply outclassed by an Ethane side who was ranked in the Top 15, and who was in Pot 2 for the actual World Cup Finals. They were simply too strong for us- we didn't stand a chance. But this time around, despite our opponents, we have a fighting chance. There was so much upheaval during the last Qualifying campaign. Traitors getting kicked off the team seemingly every week, Liang Wei having to constantly re-work the lineup. It was the player's dedication to their craft, the communist spirit, alongside the brilliance of Liang Wei that, despite all those distractions, all those potential excuses, we still were able to reach the Qualification Playoffs. But now, there is a lot more stability. We maintained our same 23 throughout the entire campaign, everyone's played together, everyone's focused in on their goals.

"I'm excited for our trip to Brookstation." Said Nyowani Kitara team captain, starting left back Armoni Okombo. "Obviously, we've been in the playoffs before, which helps. But we don't feel the weight of the occasion. We feel the excitement of the opportunity. An opportunity to play in the World Cup Finals is a special one, an opportunity that plenty of excellent players will simply never have the chance to get. So the fact that we are 180 minutes from glory, is special in and of itself." Our two teams play similar styles. We're both about throwing numbers forward and creating opportunities, as we both values goals. Expect a high-octane pair of legs, helped by the fact that the away goals rule is no more. Expect both nerves and excitement- no matter what, the nation coming out of this tie will be making their first ever World Cup Finals, which will add some flavor to the tournament.

What will happen? Who knows! But the first 90 minutes of this tie will be played in Brookstation. Expect Nyowani Kitara to try and hold serve in front of the away fans, as an away draw in this situation is absolutely a good result, with 90(or potentially 120) minutes in Dewayo coming after that.

Editorial Board, Playoff Predictions - Winners are BOLDED. 7 members voted, vote count provided.
Hapilopper v Astograth. 6 Hapilopper, 1 Astograth.
Squidroidia v Yuezhou. 3 Squidroidia, 4 Yuezhou. All four members who voted for the UR, however, have disavowed their Government.
Vilita v Cabo Azure. 6 Vilita, 1 Cabo Azure.
Nyowani Kitara v Brookstation. LOL you expect us to provide Bulletin board material for our opponent? Good luck lmao.
Mytanija v Srednjaci. 5 Mytanija, 2 Srednjaci.
Sarzonia v Trolleborg. 5 Sarzonia, 2 Trolleborg.
Zwangzug v TJUN-ia. 4 Zwangzug, 3 TJUN-ia.
Saint Eleanor v Juvencus. 2 Saint Eleanor, 5 Juvencus.
Eura v Delaclava. 7 Eura. We might look real dumb if we get this one wrong LOL.
Turori v The Cordian Isles. 7 Turori. Ditto for what was said above.
Jeruselem v Krytenia. 1 Jeruselem, 6 Krytenia.
Chromatika v Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom. 6 Chromatika, 1 ZRH.
Tikariot v Savigliane. 4 Tikariot, 3 Savigliane.
Squornshelan Remnant States v Electrum. 4 SRS, 3 Electrum. Has Electrum even won a World Cup before? Amateurs.

[Squidroidia]

Squidroidia had beat the Drawkians... But at what cost? The Squidroidians entered the World Cup playoffs against Yuezhou with more questions than answers. 47 points to their name, 2nd only to Hapilopper and 9 of the 15 group winners and having the best goal difference out of the entirety of Group 7... But those blunders against Soldera haunted them. They only got 5th in the group, but in those games against the Inklings, they were as good as them, time and time again scaring the Squidroidians towards their own means of production. 5 points were dropped in those 2 games. 1 of those would've meant that the Inklings were cruising to the World Cup proper.

Just one point.

Just. One. Point.

Adam Johnson had a personal target for this cycle after all that happened against the lowly Snakes - Qualify or he was done managing Squidroidia, a national team that, due to the reign of Yoshiro Fujiwara, was going to switch hands from the SFA to a new body meant for organizing the Squidroidia,n national team as soon as the cycle was over. The Squidroidian National Team Federation, also known as SNTF, was a nebulous organization, a body away from the main body that housed Squidroidia's footballers for the longest time. It was supposedly managed by a former Squidroidian footballer, Itoh Hoshi to be exact, but in a nation being transitioned to a democratic anarchy, whatever that meant, meant anything, as it was technically possible for anybody to get the role and squat on it even if it costed their life. The worries were there, but they wouldn't be a problem for now.

What was a problem was Johnson. He, for a lack of a better word, was getting on, having started his managerial career like uh... 30 years ago? To see him managing a team at the international level at his age was something, but he had the experience to back it up, and one could go on about every game he was the manager of Barunia or Squidroidia and everything he had done, but time was running out. He could stay on for one more ride when 92 came around but age was getting up to him, and Father Time isn't so kind to experienced veterans. It was either leave now or leave 2 years from now. It was a hard decision to make.

But then again, their opposition was only Yuezhou. They weren't a pushover, but they weren't an all-conquering side. Latched onto 3rd position in their group just behind Valentine Z on goal difference, they were a team that, considering their talents (One of them, Liu Huiying, actually played in Squidroidia before going on to the Zenith in Nephara), would be expected to at least challenge for a spot in the playoffs. But Squidroidia were in that position 2 cycles ago - A contender. Now they were a team that were expected to make it to the World Cup. They just needed something, anything, to get in.

Welcome to 180 minutes of drama, tension, and inevitable disappointment for one of these teams. Hopefully not Squidroidia.

---

OFFICIAL ROSTER
Yuezhou v SQUIDROIDIA, World Cup 91 Playoff Leg 1

STARTING XI
GK: #1 Kaede AKIYAMA
LB: #2 Florianne MEEUWESSEN
CB: #3 Baldric BERTOLINI
CB: #15 Wunderbar DOS
RB: #60 Herbert BYSTROM
DM: #8 Kabudo TADATAKA
CM: #20 Wunderbar QUATRO
CM: #7 Henriette BROOKS
AM: #10 Shiba TETSUO
ST: #11 Makino HIDEO
ST: #9 Sho ITO

BENCH
GK: #12 Wunderbar UNO
LB: #5 Tapiwa DALGAARD
CB: #4 Muto TOKI
CM: #13 Wunderbar CINCO
CM: #73 Tomomi HAMASAKI
CM: #22 Charlie COLBERT
ST: #16 Wunderbar SEIS

MANAGER
Adam JOHNSON (BAU)

[The Cordian Isles]

Diandra Ballard looked out the airplane window. The night sky was pitch-black and embedded with stars. She still had a hard time believing the moments that had transpired hours before as she replayed them in her head. Sebastian opening the floodgates in the sixty-second. Kristin desperately diving - twice! - to save grade-A chances for Bongo Johnson. Anton with a nifty fake to widen the lead in the seventieth, then Anton again two minutes later to send the away contingent cheering madly. And when the referee finally blew his whistle after four electric minutes of stoppage time, a blue mob swarming the field to celebrate the Cordians’ first-ever advancement to the World Cup Playoffs. The news, coming hours later, that they would be facing Turori in a David-versus-Goliath-esque duel to qualify put only a small damper on the celebration, as making it this far was a victory in itself.

Diandra then let her mind wander over the past months. The win against Gardelrya that had really set them off; the opening matches against Qasden and the Licentians that truly put their caliber on display. Then there was the victory over Quebec. Even that on its own, Diandra had a hard time believing. The Quebecois had been on top of their game, unbeaten throughout qualifiers, but at home, needing a win to survive, with eighty thousand screaming fans to support them, the North Stars had found a way, somehow, to do the unthinkable and leave after ninety minutes with a win. Then, chief among all those memories, that moment in the home dressing room at the Cordasfjord Colusseum as Rasmus Karlssen glanced at his phone and cursed in shock before reporting Vdara’s 2-2 draw to Beepee. Stares, then smiles, and a couple of nods.

Diandra’s mind finally returned to the notepad on her lap, on which she was planning the starting lineup against Turori. She still had a week or so to finalize it but figured she had better start working now. It’d be Voll-Osterholt up front, of course. How could it not be? The two had led the team for the last few years and were the faces of the CIFA now. Anton had had a slow start to qualifiers and his League A season but had finally kicked into high gear as the Bongo Johnson match showed. And Sebastian was always humming along, scoring and generally being a nuisance to the opposition. The left side of the midfield was easy enough. Nick and Hannah had been working together since the Mike Sarzo Memorial tournament and the pair still packed a punch, with Hannah usually good for a dangerous shot while Nick put up some nice crosses. The right side was a bit trickier. Rasmus would stay out there, of course. But Erik had dropped off a bit since scoring early on in qualifiers, while Ada had performed very well in the caps she’d been given. Plus, she had the bonus of not having played against the Vilita-Turori combined squad at the AOCAF. That would be a position she’d have to take another look at.

Then there were the backs. And Redvin. Diandra sighed. Redvin was a genuinely talented football player, but with something of a violent instinct that would have been more in place on Cordia’s lacrosse or hockey teams. But Redvin was a football player. A football player, mind you, who was costing the team goals with his style of play. Behind him… Milani. She made the decision then and there to start Milani. The Brenville Blue back was used to playing under pressure - she was a back for Brenville, after all - and she had a physical edge like most Cordian backs, without going overboard too often like Redvin did. And that goal against Qasden had really been nice, though the message had worked for a while as Redvin cut down on the fouls. But now they were starting to creep back, a risk she couldn’t take against Turori. Diandra looked down the rest of her list… Lucia, Frederick, Vladimir, check, check, check. All solid players playing solid football right when she needed it from them. Kristin in goal, per usual. Her work complete, at least for now, Diandra elected to get some sleep. Scouting reports could wait until the flight landed in the Isles.

[Valentine Z]

Part 9 – Both the Cats and Eagles are natural hunters in their own respective fields. Who shall be the hunter, and who shall be the hunted?

WHAA ?! I mean… MEOW ?!

The news was clear, but it took Vice Premier Ministre Markus Tom Lincoln Schillinger Lewis Joyelle Wei Jaiden X. “Hraður Og Banvænn” Nordmann M. Geoff Julius Wyatt Junius Mar Sigfastur H. Vix Svanmundur Gunnarsson and the rest of the Kittens to recover from such a news. Sure, they are aware of them not making it past the qualifications. In actual fact, they have been more than happy that they came this far, placing second in the group against the other teams, as well as making it to the playoffs. They are climbing bit by bit, and they are simply glad to have nearly made it. There is always next time, is the general attitude that they give to each other, as well as towards life itself. The Valentians, for all intents and purposes, are easy-going, even if this is easier for them than the others – others who have little to no leeway in the way of errors and setbacks, and may even see themselves getting kicked out of their FCs; the Valentians (so far) have no such thing, and coupled with this their general attitude, and one will have a group of giant players who has the most optimistic of looks. Still, going back to the event that is playoff, it would seem like the planets are misaligned for the Kittens, even their optimism having to make way for the general fear of getting utterly dominated in the football field. To catch everyone up to speed at what is up at this very moment, the fact is that the Valentians placed second in their group, a group then being pitted against the many others. To make things simple, out of the 15 groups, the Valentians are at the bottom of the Second-Placed Teams pole, 36 points from 10-6-4. This would not have been that bad, had they not been fighting the flying behemoth that is the Black Eagles of Tumbra – 45 points, 14-3-3, AND the best Third-Placed Team out of the 15 groups. Even though they’ve only started in 87th season, something about them was definitely mystical, from the ways they play, to how they effortlessly handled their opponents, and the general prowess. “Maybe they trained really hard,” Eveline Valeria Annalise Tiêu Xuân Ngọc remarked to the rest of the Kittens as they are on their own devices, reading about the rosters and the opponents that they are pitted against, “I mean, this is probably their 5th season at most, but they might have had a LOT of off-season practice, domestic sessions, and many more.” Markus nodded, looking around and checking up on the rest of the players, most of them having mixed feelings of both excitement and a little bit of mystery. There may have been something going on, he thought to himself. There has to be something. After all, they are most probably not the only ones who knows about the inner workings of the multiverse.

Current Roster: Formation 3-3-4 / 3 forward, 3 midfielders, 4 defenders, 1 goalkeeper.)

Updated Roster for Playoffs (Red = Injured and out, Green = Able to be substituted if you do injure my players; green players in order of preference of substitution):

Goalkeeper:
# 64 - Martina Anastasia Hedvig X. Luna Bukvić    - 428.50 cm - F - 33 - Martian Territories of Valentine Z
#  1 - Dawson Joshiah Davidson Brooks Marshall    - 429.80 cm - M - 32 - Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Alanis Star, Valentine Z
#  4 - Eveline Valeria Annalise Tiêu Xuân Ngọc    - 435.71 cm - F - 32 - Nam Từ Liêm, Hanoi, Vietnam, Valentine Z
#  2 - Jakov Emile Janessa Mirko Varteks Modrić   - 441.44 cm - M - 37 - Varaždin, Croatia, Valentine Z
#  8 - Josief A. Yandi Eko Yohanes Dharmawijaya   - 438.23 cm - M - 34 - Gelora, Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, Indonesia, Valentine Z

Forward:
#  3 - Holly Annemiek Gerrieke Van De Hoogte      - 431.60 cm - F - 36 - Zaanstad, Netherlands, Victoriaans Nederlands, Valentine Z
#  6 - Štěpánka Caitlin Madeline W. Sedláčková    - 433.47 cm - F - 31 - Brno, South Moravian, Czech Republic, Valentine Z
#  7 - Emerson Jamie Taylor Erin Scott Maddox     - 426.14 cm - M - 33 - Mankato, Minnesota, United States of America, Voorzichtigheid, Valentine Z
#  5 - Elisabetta Enzo Hannah Lodovica D'Elia     - 425.41 cm - F - 28 - Florence, Tuscany, Italy, Valentine Z
# 10 - Joaquina Samanta Alonso Clara Lombardo     - 424.20 cm - F - 30 - Lanús, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Alanis Star, Valentine Z
# 11 - Kortnev Grigoriy (Grisha) Konstantinovich  - 432.16 cm - M - 37 - Saint Petersburg, Russia, Valentine Z

Midfielders:
# 20 - Sammie Arif Raihan Bin Mohamamad Andika    - 427.31 cm - M - 35 - Singapore, Singapore, Valentine Z
# 14 - Katarzyna Violetta Zofia Aleks Polańska    - 438.50 cm - F - 34 - Chorzów, Poland, Valentine Z
# 31 - Daina Allison Leela Phon Seng Sreynuon     - 419.50 cm - F - 29 - Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Valentine Z
# 30 - Antel Marcel Georgia Katona Vass Dániel    - 432.11 cm - M - 34 - Székesfehérvár, Central Transdanubia, Hungary, Valentine Z
# 88 - Clemente Kenneth Evans L. Jiang Guanyu     - 430.20 cm - M - 30 - Taiyuan, Shanxi, China, Vostrov, Valentine Z

Defenders:
# 50 - Helen Jennifier Hiroto Morishita Chiyumi   - 434.50 cm - F - 28 - Osaka, Kansai, Honshu, Japan, Vostrov, Valentine Z
# 55 - Nathaniel Orla Hayden Johnstone McMahon    - 432.00 cm - M - 36 - East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, Victoriaans Nederlands, Valentine Z
# 60 - Marlene Isabelle Lisa Roselyne Pasquier    - 420.22 cm - F - 31 - Saint-Denis, Paris, France, Victoriaans Nederlands, Valentine Z
# 70 - Vanuza Poliane Elaine Castro dos Reis      - 425.31 cm - F - 29 - Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, Alanis Star, Valentine Z
# 40 - Iraj Alexander Soroosh Homayoun Hashempour - 425.00 cm - M - 32 - Ahvaz, Khuzestan, Iran, Valentine Z
# 65 - Sigfreður Gamalíel Onyx Jason Steinason    - 431.10 cm - M - 41 - Martian Territories of Valentine Z

[Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom]

RekanSport
World Cup 91; The Home Stretch
By Xaver Lulling

---

Twenty matches came and went for Zeta Reka, and thus far the Rekan qualifying campaign has been the best ever. With all that has already transpired, it would be a heartbreaking end to lose in the playoffs. A strong opponent is on the intermarry. An entire country, not just their footballing community, not just one people group, but all of Zeta Reka looks forward to the games against Chromatika.

In the Rekan lands a final game took place for the Mantis of Zeta Reka. Having secured third against Bendicion, the game was about a position in the playoffs. With some massive teams in or fighting for second place, Zeta Reka's landscape was insecure. The Sarian were the opposition, and wished to win for pride. Both sides played fair, though Zeta Reka was caught committing more fouls. Bogdan Rawić would score a double in he first half. The opening goal was assisted by Marko Desimirić, while the second goal came after a tricky counter press and a poor Sarian pass.

After some reshuffling of the lineup, Zeta Reka tripled the lead in the final quarter of play when Gal caught a cross and VAR called him onside, surpassing the face of teammate Bogdan Rawić. Zeta Reka tightened down by moving into a double pivot. One goal came shortly before injury time began. Wlad Wald's fired a pinpoint free kick, and the ball found of all players Maria Wieder. Wieder's run worked out and Wieder made a solid statement for future opposition to the Mantis. No goals came in injury time, and the Rekans built momentum.

RekanSport Statbox

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Vs. The Sarian

---

Starters: Zlatko Wukowić — Nikola Djordjewić (v73'), Wlad Wlad, Marka Krušlin, Sidon Mauer, Jan Meyer — Marko Desimirić, Maria Wieder, Wladoslaw Dorboslawić (v82') — Fen Scwartzhammer (v55'), Bogdan Rawić
Subs: Marko Dieter, LWB (^73') Niko Grković, DM (^82') Arnald Gal, FW (^55')
Scorers: Rawić, (15'/41'), Gal (80'), Wieder (89')
Assists: Desimirić (15'), Dieter (80'), Wlad Wlad (89')

The campaign isn't finished. A playoff is on the horizon. The opposition will be Chromatika, who have a reliable record in World Cup playoffs, but collected less points in qualifying. Chromatika were contenders for the group but finished second after a rough third quarter. Chromatika scored 64% of their point total from the first half in return legs. Zeta Reka's second half of qualifying was stronger, winning eight times and losing twice to higher ranked teams. “I can't recall Chromatika doing poorly in these types of games,” Bogdan Rawić said in the post Sarian press scrum, “We'll need to work hard against them. I'm ready for two games. Not everything is perfect. I think we can win with our form though.”

Qualifying Form: Chromatika vs. Zeta Reka

CMT: DWLWW (10 pt) WWWWW (15 pt) DDDWD (07 pt) LWWWL (09 pt)
ZRH: WLWDL (07 pt) WLWWW (12 pt) WLWWW (12 pt) WLWWW (12 pt)

Lu Jialan has achieved the FFA's goal to make the playoffs, and did so a game early. Jialan refused to give details on his future with Zeta Reka. A question was fielded about Jialan's contract to coach the Rekans. Jialan was more focused on the playoff itself against Chromatika. One issue to address is the fitness of Fen Scwartzhammer. Scwartzhammer was subbed out early against The Sarian due to a concussion suffered on a corner attempt. Zeta Reka's physician Andrijana Protić informed RekanSport in an interview that, “Fenstermacher is going to need some time off. The head injury is close in proximity to a similar incident domestically.” Arnald Gal could be a replacement for Schwartzhammer, though Bogdan Rawić could also move to an advanced role. If Rawić switches, Jakow Krstowić could move into the front role, but his domestic form in a new country has been mixed.

Injury Report

Player                        Injury                   Hurt on     Recovered?    Prognosis
Tim Ulrich                    Broken toe               Week 19*    Yes           4 Weeks
Leonard Lölling               Hamstring strain         Week 20     Yes           1 Week
Wukan Ogrovenić               Distal humeral fracture  Week 22*    No            Undetermined
Fenstermacher Schwartzhammer  Concussion               Week 22     No            >2 Weeks
*Injury suffered outside of NT fixtures

Injuries sustained after week 18

“Some could call me overtly patriotic,” sports analyst and retired player Dragoljub Wladić said on his debut for RekaTV's Sport Daily, “No matter what I am called, I am predicting Zeta Reka will win.” Wladić's peer Sebastian Altepeter had a more negative prediction, “Chromatika have been unbeaten and won every game since their bye,” Altepeter said, and he was right, “Chromatika… they are a side with a seed below their power. If the first game isn't a Rekan night to remember, it will be a night to forget.”

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RekanSport Top 6:

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• World Cup 91; The Home Stretch Special Free Article
• World Cup 91; CompuSport Picks Hapilopper, Vilita, & Delaclava? Special Free Article
• Kožalopta; Strumsburg Upset Proud Tigers By A Triple Quarter
• Energija Rekadom Stadion Work Ramps Up
• Ulrich Healthy, Ogrovenić Hurt, Domestic League Affected
• Olympian Poisoning Trial A Mistrial, Accused Husband's Team Pleased

Free Articles remaining this month: 5

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Vs. Chromatika (@ National Sports Complex, Aleiusia, Max Cap 52,000)

GK: Zlatko Wukowić
CB: Yousef Iwanić
CB: Karlo Gabrielstein
CB: Sidon Mauer
LWB: Nikola Djordjewić
RWB: Zaur-Luka Igorić
DM: Nikola Branić
CM: Stanimir Rekawić
CM: Marko Zup
FW: Arnald Gal
FW: Bogdan Rawić (c)
Named Subs
GK: Branislaw Mucić
DF: Jan Meyer
CB: Marka Krušlin
CB: Wlad Wlad
LWB/CB: Leo Wendschuch
RWB: Wladan Momirić
DM: Ena Bratić
CM: Edwin Markozy
CM: Tim Ulrich
FW: Nenad Mihajlowić
FW: Olu Osanyinleye

[Yue Zhou]

Note: "Sporting Buddha" is a rough translation of the Yue podcast, whose name in Yue is 体佛 ("Ti-Fo"). Definitely not a reference to anything.

ZW: “Welcome back to Sporting Buddha podcast! I’m Zhen Wuxi...”

TJ:: “...and I’m Tong Jiewen, and we've just heard that the Dragons have drawn Squidroidia in the World Cup 91 qualifying playoffs."

ZW: "And who could've seen this coming, huh? After such an underwhelming start to the qualifying campaign, we thought that the Dragons, as well Ken Hayabusa's reign as manager, were more done for than Nafuna Akongo. But the Dragons have rattled off nineteen points from their last seven games, including a final-day dissembling of Valentine Z, and now stand 180 minutes away from qualifying."

TJ: "Of course, those 180 minutes will be against Squidroidia, the third-highest-ranked playoff team, trailing only Turori and Tumbra. So not the easiest of opponents. But this is an incredible milestone for a Yuezhou team that hasn't shown much fight in recent years. Adrift at 5-2-6 and in sixth place in the group with just seven matches to play, they turned the corner in no time flat. It's a massive comeback, even if they haven't proven themselves against top-tier opponents like Nephara."

ZW: "And Ken Hayabusa has shown that maybe he deserves a second chance, even if Yuezhou ultimately fails to qualify. Because the Dragons have been absolutely unplayable as of late. I mean, forget the record. In the last seven matches of the qualifying campaign, they scored twenty goals and conceded seven! That's a GD of thirty-eight if they play that way for the whole cycle. Do you know who else had a GD of thirty-eight or better in these qualifiers? Fucking Valanora, and absolutely nobody else."

TJ: "Honestly, I don't think it really moves the needle for me. I mean, yeah, there's been flashes - like this latest stretch. But Hayabusa isn't a good stylistic fit for Yuezhou. And I don't think a run of seven matches against relatively weak opposition changes that. I mean, who are the statement wins in that batch? They got rolled by Nephara and Mercedini. Obviously, Valentine Z has proven to be a great up-and-coming team this cycle, but then, they were getting a little tired late in the qualifying campaign - and they smashed us when they were at home. I think you re-evaluate if they qualify and hold their own, but otherwise, it's just not worth it."

ZW: "What are you-if they qualify and hold their own, well, that's literally been our FA's goal for the past decade, and it's something we've only achieved once. Even qualification and a zero-point group stage is a victory at this point. Hayabusa just has it, man. The energy, the tactical prowess - it would be a huge mistake to let him go after qualifying, on the order of letting Lu Jialan or Yuan Zilai go. There's nobody you can replace him with - and that would actually be willing to come here - that would be an improvement."

TJ: "Well, what exactly impressed you about how the Dragons ended the qualifying campaign? Any specific players or tactics?"

ZW: "The way Hayabusa has unlocked Liu Huiying has been an absolute triumph, and we're really seeing how that unlocks the offense more and more as the Dragons return to form. Liu has been a weird player for managers to figure out for a while - is she a wide forward? a winger? a goalscoring striker? a playmaking midfielder? We've seen her play all of those roles at least competently and at most...well, Golden Boot in the Zenith level. But this almost feels perfect for her, the false-nine, playmaking hub who can also push up and take over games with her natural goalscoring ability. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that she has been the Dragons' offense, and Hayabusa is starting to recognize that the best attacking lineups are ones built entirely around her."

TJ: "Yeah, thirteen goals and ten assists in eighteen caps is a phenomenal return, and I've been incredibly impressed with how she's stepped up as of late. If Yuezhou is one of the thirty-two teams left standing after the playoffs, she will be a key reason why. And the supporting players, all those players making runs off of her and dive-bombing into the box, like Jiang Jieren or Huang Shedong, or supporting her while she pushes forward, like Wen Xiaohui...there's so much attacking synergy as of late with that setup. Credit to Hayabusa, he's solved the question of making all these players fit together, and whoever comes after him will be hard-pressed to not copy his attacking setup."

ZW: "Of course, the defense seriously stepped up as well after conceding two and a half goals per game in Yuezhou's shocking start. What's impressed me about how Hayabusa's managed that - you know, because he really doesn't have a reputation as a defensive coach, is-"

TJ: "-how he decided to stop playing Nephara?"

ZW: "-ugh, stop it. It's how he's managed to show restraint and do more with less offensively. Li Jing has really turned into a clone of Gu Zhalei, the former Dragons captain and another midfielder-turned-attacker who becomes whatever the team needs him to be. And by having him drop back more, and instead directing the wingbacks to be more aggressive on the overlap, Hayabusa has strengthened the team's center while ensuring the attack can do more with less. Li has been great, Yuan Mingrong and Zhu Aiguo have been flourishing with the increased support, and Reeve and Jiawei have shown why they're playing in the Zenith and the Red League, respectively, showing some legitimate crossing danger."

TJ: "All of this also means that the Dragons have multiple tactical looks that they can throw at you, even within that 4-3-3 template that Hayabusa is so fond of. They've been learning to play on the wings, they can give it to Liu or Wen to pick you apart, they have lots of pacy runners who can get into the box - there's a lot of different things to look out for. But I'm not convinced that the defensive woes are solved. Jiawei and especially Reeve can be vulnerable to strong wingers in this new attacking look, and a strong enough team can punish that."

ZW: "Now, moving on - Yuezhou has been drawn against Squidroidia, the second-best team not to directly qualify, and who were eliminated in the group stage in Vilita and Baker Park. How do you think the teams match up tactically?"

TJ: "Honestly, I have no idea how Squidroidia set up tactically, other than that they play in a 4-4-2. The media has been pretty quiet on that front, perhaps hoping to take us - and the likes of Audioslavia, who they qualified ahead of - by surprise. Sho Ito, a converted winger who plays for Shamrock Cathair, seems to be the trickiest player to handle, so it'll be interesting to see what combination of Jiawei Chuan, Yuan Mingrong, and Wan Sheping gets assigned to him defensively.

ZW: "What about offensively? I might expect Hayabusa's side to play slightly deeper and look to spring forwards, with a heavier focus on verticality. But it's hard for me to say how they match up otherwise, other than that we'll have a spare man in midfield."

TJ: "Liu Huiying has played in their league before, although she's obviously grown quite a bit as a player since then. It's likely to make her even bigger of a focal point in the Dragons' quest to pull off the upset."

ZW: "I'm not even sure if it would be that big of an upset, despite what the foreign press has been saying. You know, especially when you have matchups like Turori versus the Cordian Isles - with no disrespect intended to our vast Cordian fanbase. They've qualified for the last two World Cups, which is one more than the Dragons have, but they aren't really a mainstay in the competition yet. And Yuezhou has been very dangerous as of late, and seems to be coming together at the right time."

TJ: "You can't think the Dragons are the favorites?"

ZW: "I wouldn't go that far, but I think it's a coin flip."

TJ: "We're definitely still underdogs to me, but I agree that the gap is narrowing. But there's only one way to find out, and that's by watching what happens on the pitch in a few weeks."

ZW: "Coming up next, we recap Yuezhou's four-one victory over Valentine Z, which featured a brace from the red-hot Liu Huiying. But first, a word from our sponsors..."

-- STARTING LINEUP, LEG ONE --
GK. 01 ZHAO Deliang (Atletik Thessia, MYT)
LB. 14 JIAWEI Chuan (Tihon, CMT)
CB. 05 YUAN Mingrong (Ararat, MYT)
CB. 15 ZHU Aiguo (Iturributa United, ASG)
RB. 13 Diadora REEVE (Coret Hawks, NPH)
CM. 08 LI Jing (C) (Steinaux, GRÆ)
CM. 19 WAN Sheping (Wirr Tsi, CMT)
CM. 18 WEN Xiaohui (Libertas Bergheim, SVJ)
LW. 77 JIANG Jieren (Osarese Marcadia, AUD)
ST. 10 LIU Huiying (Sabrefell Moths, NPH)
RW. 09 HUANG Shedong (Coret Hawks, NPH)

[Chromatika]

Matchday 21: Chromatika 2-0 Kimi-Suomi @ Chromatik City Field, Chromia, Capital District, Chromatika (Cap. 100,000; 32,200 Seats)
Goals: Fillar, B. '29, Gainsbourg '55
Starting XI: (4-1-4-1) - Fillar, J. (C); Fillar, G. - de Aea - Anbient - Ighv; Zuniga; Wen - Hauser - Fillar, B. - Kuznetsov; Gainsbourg.
Substitutes: Ingram -> de Aea ('55), Kruetzberg -> Wen ('68), Fillar, E. -> Kuznetsov ('74)
MVP for Chromatika: AM Baillaire Fillar

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Matchday 22: Al Qurija 1-0 Chromatika
Goals: None.
Starting XI: (4-2-3-1) - Begley (C); De Saint-Pierre - Ingram - Anbient - Ighv; Zuniga; Kruetzberg - Hauser - Phoen - Fillar, E.; Gainsbourg.
Substitutes: Ken -> Anbient ('59), Si -> Zuniga ('68), Aimée -> Ighv ('71)
MVP for Chromatika: GK Kathie Begley

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Playoff: @ Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom (49)
Predicted Starting XI: (4-2-3-1) - Begley; De Saint-Pierre - Ingram - Anbient - Ighv; Zuniga - Larriet-Cortes; Kruetzberg - Hauser - Fillar, E.; Gainsbourg.
Reserves: GK Lorée Bautista, GK Van Enax, RB Raul Vitan, CB Moira Ansov, CB Klavida Régine, LB Ipati Aimée, RW Martha Baum, DM Mare Si, DM Enigma Armageddon, AM Alissar Phoen, LW Miranda Andersen, ST Paskal Toussaint

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Bitten by Flu Bug, Chromatika Limp into Playoffs

Qualifying Recap:
Matchday 01: HUElavia 0-0 Chromatika (A)
Matchday 02: Chromatika 1-0 Saltstead (H)
Matchday 03: Pemecutan 5-3 Chromatika (A)
Matchday 04: Chromatika 6-1 Raspotochje (H)
Matchday 05: Thibaea 1-2 Chromatika (A)
Matchday 06: BYE
Matchday 07: Chromatika 3-0 Saterun (H)
Matchday 08: Cabo Azure 2-4 Chromatika (A)
Matchday 09: Chromatika 4-0 Stresia (H)
Matchday 10: Kimi-Suomi 1-2 Chromatika (A)
Matchday 11: Chromatika 3-1 Al Qurija (H)
Matchday 12: Chromatika 3-3 HUElavia (H)
Matchday 13: Saltstead 3-3 Chromatika (A)
Matchday 14: Chromatika 1-1 Pemecutan (H)
Matchday 15: Raspotochje 0-1 Chromatika (A)
Matchday 16: Chromatika 1-1 Thibaea (H)
Matchday 17: BYE
Matchday 18: Saterun 3-1 Chromatika (A)
Matchday 19: Chromatika 1-0 Cabo Azure (H)
Matchday 20: Stresia 0-1 Chromatika (A)
Matchday 21: Chromatika 2-0 Kimi-Suomi (H)
Matchday 22: Al Qurija 1-0 Chromatika (A)

First Half: 8-1-1, 28 GF, 11 GA, 25 Points
Second Half: 4-4-2, 14 GF, 12 GA, 16 Points
Home: 7-3-0, 25 GF, 7 GA, 24 Points
Away: 5-2-3, 17 GF, 16 GA, 17 Points

AL QURIJA - Two days after the Qualifying Campaign finale, the Anomalies were hit hard by a stomach flu bug that took out a number of their best players. Not able to compensate, the team looked lackluster in the final game, losing 0-1 to Al Qurija and limping into the playoffs, helped out by the fact that their lead over the pack of HUElavia, Cabo Azure, and Kimi-Suomi had grown enough to secure second.

Team physician Zoe Benne stated that the bug is an extreme version of the common flu. The casualties include GK Juxon Fillar, RB Grayson Fillar, CB Henri de Aea, RW Wen Xhose, AM Baillaire Fillar, and LW Vasiliy Marten Kuznetsov - between them, the majority of Chromatika's lineup that had won the Cup of Harmony.

"We decided that it would be best for everyone to rest in a match that mostly had to do with seeding," announced Zoe Benne about the call, "And we thought that the players we had would be able to handle Al Qurija, so all credit goes to them for being able to handle the matchup in front of them."

The same variant of the flu that has hit the majority of the Chromatik populace, the "super bug" as it's been called by the Chromatik media has the ability to knock someone out for more than a week and not have them fully recover for another week after that.

"It's not extremely contagious," stated Dr. Elfreda Borden, one of the doctors at Chromia General, "But we have seen it hit multiple people in a group, so this isn't unprecedented. Thankfully, everyone always recovers, and the best thing for them is just rest."

With the defeat, Chromatika falls to 41 points, which is one of the worst for a second placed team; after starting 8-1-1, the Anomalies finished 4-4-2 in the second half with only a +2 Goal Differential. Also of note, the team only has a +1 Goal Differential on the road, sporting a much better margin (+18) at home.

Their opponent in the playoff will be 49th ranked Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom, who actually finished ahead of Chromatika in points but finished four points behind second place Squidroidia. Though the Rekans have lost two more games than the Chromatiks, they also posted two more wins than the Anomalies. With 37 goals scored and 15 goals allowed, the Rekans have shown that their defense is no joke.

To make matters worse, Sandra Sybill and Rachel Hellion have made the executive decision to rest those still recovering from the bug, choosing to start Kathie Begley, Victoria De Saint-Pierre, Damon Ingram, Kaia Larriet-Cortes, Emilie Kruetzberg, and Edith Fillar.

"We'd rather have the starters be ready to play at full strength in the return leg," explained Rachel Hellion, "And we have faith in the players that we have listed as the second best in their positions. This time, they'll have a full week of practice and the previous game to lean on in terms of experience - it won't be a pure surprise like it was against Al Qurija."

Interestingly, the Anomalies will switch to a 4-2-3-1 instead of the 4-1-4-1.

"The Rekans play a more defensive style, so we should do the same to compensate for their counterattacks," stated Sandra Sybill, "Besides, having both Kateryna (Zuniga) and Kaia (Larriet-Cortes) on the pitch at the same time will help out the back four that is missing both Grayson (Fillar) and Henri (de Aea)."

"The goal," expressed Edith Fillar, who will be filling in for Vasiliy Marten Kuznetsov but also be looking to make another splash, "Is to get a lead or at least a draw back to the Capitalizt Dome. We've shown that we can win at home all year long; we just need to get there with a chance to proceed."

The unspoken truth is that Sandra Sybill and Rachel Hellion are playing for their jobs. They dodged the axe by winning the Cup of Harmony in World Cup 90, but two failed cycles in a row would be unacceptable.

Down so many key players, a battered Chromatika will head into National Sports Complex in Aleiusia with their heads held high.

[Kimi-Suomi]

THE END...for now. But how did it end?
LOPPU...toistaiseksi. Mutta miten se päättyi?

Let's start in Chromatika and Chromatik City Field, where the Anomalies were on a mission to secure P2 in the Group and we were simply in the way. Sandra Sybill had a job to do and both Baillaire Fillar and Alicia Gainsbourg would make sure that it was completed. 2-0 was the final score, they did their job and we tried to look competitive. Simple game, sometimes.

Then came the game against Saterun, the final game at Pesä until the next time around and this one was a big one. Abbas Yousafali and The Claws still had a chance of making it into the Top 3 and Huuhkajat were looking into potentially playing the spoiler here at home. This game would turn out to be vitun kaaos, a game where everything was on a pendulum and everyone didn't know the final destination. It was back and forth and back and forth for the longest time, with a Valtteri Nordström brace and a Kimi Airo strike countered by Mitzinho and Kaka Sarabola and even Glenn Lundquist. It was all tense and all action but in the end, we wanted to end things in style and substitute Maria Tuominen scored our final goal of the campaign to condemn Saterun to where wh could end up...the Cup of Harmony.

6th place, right in the middle - certainly a great season for all, and a good sign for the future. We don't know if that Cup of Harmony invite will arrive in our letterbox but if it does, we will obviously accept. For now...Se on hyvästi! NOSTA KUIN HUUHKAJAT!

[Savigliane]

stadio del piero, acqui bollente, savigliane
four hours before the first leg of the Tikariot-Savigliane playoff

Adrian Toscani opened the shower door and was greeted with absolute chaos. He'd been trying his best to not think too hard about the playoff against Tikariot that i cigni would have to win to qualify for their first World Cup in six years. All the analysts had the tie as a complete coin flip - Savigliane was on slightly better form, but Tikariot had the better pedigree. But that only meant that he could hide neither in the confidence of the favorite nor the underdog. There were only 180 wide-open minutes in front of him, and how well he could unlock Tikariot's defense could be the hinge on which the tie opened up or slammed shut. He didn't hate Tikariot or anything - both he and Savigliano popular opinion as a whole quite liked Tikariot. They were a nation with a very similar tactical philosophy as Ichi Tuzzio's, and the nation had taken care of many a Savigliano in the past, even if the expat team in Carathyr wasn't doing so well. But they were the only thing between i cigni and the World Cup - and he had done his best to quell his racing thoughts about getting by Duncan McCariot or Xander Augustinsson in the shower.

Of course, the only other things that his mind could think about were the upcoming - no, imminent elections. Bianca Fiore's far-right party had continued to maintain a slim advantage in the polls while the ruling Populistas floundered. An election cycle that had started focusing on economic recovery efforts had almost completely turned on his head. Now, the only policies people cared to talk about were surrounding the Portal Event - could Savigliane go home? Should they bring everyone marooned in the original reality to Anaia? Or should they do neither? It had blown the election wide open - all sorts of fringe parties with fringe ideas about the portal event were popping up now, as the policies that had put the left-wing Italophones in power had completely faded from the nation's memory. He had reconnected with Bianca recently, although neither was able to find an apology for their past behavior. But his idol turning into a far-right firebrand was still too raw for him to think about. And so his mind had slipped back to the hours of McCariot tape he'd watch, desperately searching for any advantage over the imposing leader of men that he'd have to beat.

But when he'd opened the shower door, no closer to Solving McCariot, he'd been greeted with complete commotion. His teammates, coaches, and even some housekeeping staff were all locked in furious, pulsating conversation. In one corner, Chiara Blanco was arguing fervently with Bonagiunta Rossi. In another, a stunned Adélaïde Garcia scrolled through social media while tuning out whatever new hot take Óceane Chastain had concocted. In a third...was Rémy LeClerc crying? Eyes wide open, Adrian looked around for any indication of what was happening.

"Check your phone, dude," Thea Squarciafichi said, brushing by him.

Befuddled, Adrian waded through the sea of teammates, fumbled through his locker, and picked up his phone. He was immediately greeted with ninety-eight new notifications - but he only needed to read one of them.

"Holy fuck," he whispered into the whirlpool of the locker room, slumping down against the wall.

LA REPUBBLICA
INTERDIMENSIONAL TRAVEL TASK FORCE DECLARES VICTORY
"The door home is open," de Rossi claims
Fabrizio Giraudo, Portal News

ACQUI BOLLENTE -- In a groundbreaking press conference this morning that sent shockwaves around Savigliane, Interdimensional Travel Task Force director Leandro de Rossi announced that his team of researchers had created a small portal that could allow two-way travel between Savigliane's current location and an undisclosed location in its original reality. It is reported that the portal is only large enough to fit one person at a time and that there remains some instability in the location of the portal (currently moving around Occitania). However, de Rossi confirmed that travel between the realities had been successfully demonstrated and that contact had been made with "stranded" Savigliano citizens, as well as the government of Occitania.

"Today marks a new, defining chapter in the history of our nation," Director de Rossi announced. "The door home is well and truly open. Now, it is up to the government to decide how to use our incredible technology. As soon as I get approval, I'll open the portal for public use myself." The new development is reportedly inspired by existing technology in Anaian nations such as Quebec, which has its own portal to a different reality. However, de Rossi noted that the development of their own portal still required significant scientific advancements due to intricacies in the interdimensional fabric. "We benefited from the generosity of many nations on our quest to master interdimensional teleportation, but ultimately this was driven forward by Savigliano ingenuity. I am incredibly proud of the scientists and engineers who made this possible." de Rossi noted that the next steps involve widening the portal, replicating their results to create multiple portals, and performing further stress tests to ensure the technology's safety. However, he hoped that "it could be ready for widespread public use as soon as in a few months."

The victory represents an incredible win for Alberto Caccini's Populistas-ASD coalition, who poured financial and human resources into the project over almost the entirety of their first five-year term in power. Under Caccini's stewardship, the ITTF swelled drastically, moving from researching portals deployed in other Anaian nations to the active development of their own. "This represents a massive victory for the Savigliano people," Prime Minister Caccini said shortly after de Rossi's announcement. "My government is now introducing legislation to allow the regulated public usage of Director de Rossi's portal. This will allow for short-term migration between our old and new realities, uniting families and reconnecting the Savigliano public." Piano di Dios party leader Bianca Fiore, one of the ITTF's most fervent opponents, has yet to comment.

this is a breaking news story. More to come as the story develops.

[Saint Eleanor]

OOC: The last time Sreevastva was mentioned in any context other than an Indusse roster was in this roleplay by HUElavia during IAC13.

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Saint Eleanor 5-5 Indusse: Super sub Sreevastva sinks Eleanorian hopes of avoiding playoffs
Chief Football Correspondent Jamie Rodgers comments on a final home qualifier that offers little hope for next week's visit to Kandorith
Originally published on Friday 11th February 2000

Raman Sreevastva silenced more than 10% of the Eleanorian population yesterday as his Indusse side fought back, more than once, to secure a point against Saint Eleanor - and end their hopes of overtaking Kandorith at the top of qualifying Group 10 in the process.

On balance, and perhaps even by necessity, Priscilla Evans fielded the best possible starting lineup she could muster this afternoon - but so did Shane Newman. It looked for more than a while as though the White Stars were going to secure yet another easy victory in Saint Eleanor to add to their away success last year, however, as Dekamela weMexala opened up a fairly cagey first few minutes with a cracking goal from ten yards out, the culmination of a long but refined and treacherous passing sequence. Katie O'Donnell had been lurking in the shadows even after weMexala's big first impression, largely serving to create a couple of promising chances that went nowhere, but she rediscovered her goalscoring instinct with just over twenty minutes gone, too: Jessica Martin benefitted from the defensive gaps that resulted from Indusse's inexplicable habit of only having ten players on the pitch at a time to receive a pass which Exandra Davies had pumped halfway up the pitch, moving with all the space in the world before floating it to the Kitara AA striker for a concentrated finish. A case could have been made for O'Donnell being slightly offside, but nobody noticed - and, quite honestly, nobody cared.

The first serious sign of trouble came from Goblin Grundjee, who scored Indusse's only goal of the return leg, when he threatened John Bailey with a reaching strike just after O'Donnell's goal that dipped from outside the box to just over the crossbar. Grundjee, by this point the leader of an Indussean attack that was not so bold and vibrant as it was desperate, tried to test the waters again: first pinging off an angled effort which Bailey parried away, although Rahul B Kumar disappointingly failed to profit from the rebound, before embarking on a winding run into the Eleanorian penalty area, where he was barged from behind by Sam Newbridge at the last minute and with almost zero consideration. For his part, the Grand Beach captain. who had previously done a tolerable job of keeping Indusse away, got himself sent off without a shadow of a doubt. Antonio Mersiás followed up with a nice, simple penalty towards the middle of Bailey's goal, an effort he did not even pretend to get to.

Over the coming minutes, Evans refrained from one of several seemingly obvious tactical substitutions, drawing fullbacks Cathy Winchester and Davies further towards the centre while forcing David Newcastle and Martin into operating the defensive line too. You have to ask: Why? What benefit does this serve? Was Saint Eleanor now sufficiently threatened by what had been - until now - a relatively ineffectual four-man frontline that a 3-5-2 was the best response it could muster? Would David and Jessica even end up asking for an extra teaspoon of coffee with their half-time drinks in order to avoid them being taken off at some stage? The new, more compressed - even makeshift in parts - backline did a commendable job at preventing an equaliser for about ten minutes, and even set up another chance while they were at it, although O'Donnell never looked likely to score from an astonishingly wide position three yards from the goal line.

But with the exception of West, consistent as ever, it can be easily argued that they were confused - almost mentally drained - by their new responsibilities. Indusse, by contrast (perhaps, even, as a consequence), went into half time with more than a spring in their step: Aaron McMuller got something like revenge on Martin, snatching the ball off her before surprising everyone with a through ball to Grundjee. The goblin found it too easy to chip the ball over to Mersiás, who lofted the ball into the top-left corner, got his second goal of the game and returned his team to parity with the last act of the first half. This would be concerning enough in normal circumstances, never mind in front of a packed National Liberation Arena in the second-to-last game of a stellar World Cup qualification campaign against a team the White Stars defeated with ease in the return leg.

The old saw is that "the best time to score is right before half-time." There may be a case for right afterwards, too: not much of the second half had elapsed when weMexala caught Matthias Paulson attempting a sorry excuse of a backwards pass, and was afforded enough time on the ball to move it to Harriet Williams on the side. Williams, after a few good moves, delivered the ball to Steve Pilchard, who set up his clubmate for a powerful, if unremarkable, strike that got her personal tally on level pegging with Mersiás' for the day. weMexala had another brush with Paulson shortly afterwards as he got booked for tripping her outside the area, but after Williams' free-kick smacked the crossbar, it was Newman's outfit who got to the ball first and removed any immediate hope that the White Stars could give themselves a 4-2 lead.

Saint Eleanor has developed a recent reputation for only taking realistic chances and just holding tight for the rest; not for being so wasteful that they end up succumbing to teams who actually do. Given the ten-on-ten nature of this contest, however, there was ample room for attacking players - and even others - on both teams to flourish. When O'Donnell was flagged up just before the hour had gone, Paulson set up a free kick that looked to be going out for a throwin to the hosts. McMuller, the most prolific defender in Indussean history, didn't get the memo: he chased onto the ball before winning it near the sideline, then dribbled past a surprising number of Eleanorian defenders of variable quality, and proceeded to hammer a low shot underneath Bailey into the net. The post-Newbridge experiment had gone acceptably so far, but with the score back at 3-3 and not long to go, there were signs that it could have started slumping.

So after McMuller's leveller, the coaching staff finally gave in as Williams, after an hour of completely unremarkable and uninfluential work, was taken off, with Bridget Coombe inserted as an emergency centreback in her place. There was little expectation that she would offer the kind of creative spark she sometimes delivers for Occidental Olympic, and most pundits suggested that her introduction would switch the White Stars into shutdown mode, but - in restoring the defensive cover that the White Stars enjoyed in the first thirty minutes - she actually freed up the four wide players to get on with their jobs. That they did: the midfielders in particular did an outstanding job at setting up good opportunities from viable positions over the next ten minutes; we should be asking of O'Donnell and Pilchard in particular instead why they did not take full advantage of the diverse chances offered to them in that time.

It was, however, from yet another dangerous throw-in situation that the visitors took the lead for the final time: with Winchester (the estate agent's daughter) having thrown backwards, Coombe (the honourably discharged sergeant's daughter) was beaten to the loose ball by Kumar - the son of Indusse's president and arguably its greatest ever striker, of all people. She could only try and get back to Kumar as he laid the ball off to Mersiás, sliding it behind West into a wide-open space, where the former Indusse U18 captain struck a first-time effort just past Bailey's reach and into the net for the third time that afternoon. Of all the Indussean goals so far, this was both the most important and the most preventable - you could identify where each Indussean got lucky, where each Eleanorian failed to pay attention, where the players should have focused on where the ball was going over all else.

But all the White Stars could do now was charge. Do that, and their hopes of pulling off two astonishing upsets in one next week would remain alive; fail, and they would still have a juicy playoff draw, although not a relatively desirable one. Although he did not score, Newcastle was now centre stage in the attacking department, first sending in a good cross which was headed goalwards by weMexala but just got tipped over the crossbar by Steve Leghorn; the corner he swung in response to that was initially cleared but later despatched by Pilchard, who took advantage of a swamped goalmouth situation to volley home a low O'Donnell ball that had been deflected off McMuller.

Martin was to strike just three minutes and twenty-nine seconds later as Newcastle, finding himself in a tight situation, passed the ball back to his Independence 1975 teammate Winchester; the leftback was quick to whack it up and across the pitch to the Sword and Shield captain, who connected on the fringes of the penalty area and curved the ball just past the post into the net while under pressure herself. Despite having supposedly won the Golden Glove in every single season since he started playing in the Liga Prime - never mind Dhalopura's recent run of torrid seasons at the back - Leghorn's options in response to this latest Eleanorian onslaught were becoming very limited. Martin's late performance should indeed have been the closing scene of this epic three-act play, or at least the climax to something better.

Unbeknownst to most Eleanorians, while Coombe was making her introduction, Newman replaced Djetson Hazle with Raman Sreevastva, a player who had done nothing of any consequence for the Flocking Blues since HUElavia's Teresa Font dribbled past him at the 13th Independents Cup - part of a move which saw the HUElavians seal a dramatic injury time win and a place in the last sixteen of that tournament. Anybody hoping that he would be similarly talismanic on the hosts' behalf would be mistaken, however: after a slow start, Sreevastva was the focal point of Indusse's first serious attempt after Mersiás completed his hat-trick, receiving and distributing the ball almost freely before nudging it to Grundjee, whose effort hit the post and went out for a goal kick.

And then, the killer blow. After a poor Newcastle miss resulted in a goal kick of Leghorn's own, the Indussean goalkeeper kicked it almost straight at Sreevastva, who outjumped Coombe - her again - for the header. The ball trickled to Kumar, who wanted to get the ball into the box but was thwarted by Davies. She tried to clear towards the centre, too, but McMuller intercepted and swiftly moved the ball back to Sreevastva again. From there, he would go past an Eleanorian midfield that had long since been sacrificed in the name of goal prevention - an objective that died, once and for all, the very moment the reservist struck from 25 yards out to bring Indusse on level pegging again. He, McMuller - and Paulson again - celebrated so fervently, perhaps even tauntingly, that they got booked for their troubles.

Unlike in previous years, it is hard to lay blame on anyone, never mind everyone, for this result, disappointing though it may have been. Newbridge? His rash tackle on Grundjee caused chaos in the home camp, but he is an aggressive defender who has only facially calmed down in recent years. Coombe? She may not be a "real" centreback and every excuse under the sun has been used to purportedly explain why, but (unlike certain other teammates) she tries her best not to stray from the defensive line. O'Donnell? She was a bit off-colour after doubling the Eleanorian lead, and certainly should not have been dispossessed so cleanly by Indusse's two-man defence in second-half stoppage time, but she contributed to some dangerous attacking positions when they were chasing the game and somehow set up Pilchard for his leveller. Evans? Don't be ridiculous; this is the best team she's ever been part of, including the great Tinhampton side of ten cycles ago, and she'd hardly change a thing about it.

Had South Newlandia managed to hand Kandorith their first defeat of the qualification campaign, the White Stars could have followed up with another to secure their World Cup place - but the Elephants crumbled to a sorry 5-2 defeat, too, in a match which somehow managed fewer goals than the 7.6 averaged across Group 10 today. What could have been the biggest game in the history of Eleanorian football is therefore a weekend sideshow that will serve little purpose other than to detract from Saint Eleanor League and IFCF preparations. If they cannot win their next game - and Kandorith have not lost any of their last twenty-five home qualifiers - it will be perfectly understandable. If they cannot win against whichever third-placed team they get drawn against, especially one of lower rank or expectations like Indusse, serious questions can and must be asked.

Saint Eleanor 5 (Dekamela weMexala goals 9' and 49', Katie O'Donnell goal 22', Sam Newbridge red card 33', Steve Pilchard goal 77', Jessica Martin goal 81')
Indusse 5 (Antonio Mersiás goals 35' [pen], 45+2' and 72', Aaron McMuller goal 61', Raman Sreevastva goal 88', Matthias Paulson red card 90')

Kandorith progresses to the group stages of the World Cup

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No sanctions after SEFA investigation into player aggression
Deputy Football Correspondent Bruce Kendall analyses possibly the shortest report in the history of Eleanorian football
Originally published on Tuesday 21st March 2000

A short investigation by the Saint Eleanor Football Association has opted against punishing any players or staff for physical violence after Chief Football Correspondent Jamie Rodgers accused various high-ranking players of punching him, calling it a normal part of the game. The McDonald Report is written on four pages of A4 paper, but can be ordered in A2 poster form on SEFA's website for anybody who wants to liven up their bedroom or PE classroom.

The report found that even though "most Eleanorians are well-behaved on and off the pitch," there is "no reason to believe that any player violence in the Eleanorian game, even if it is worthy of a red card, is illegal or career-threatening". Jon McDonald, who commissioned the report, said in a press conference this morning that "while fan violence can endanger the health and safety not only of themselves, but also of the entire game, we believe that it is entirely reasonable that players should be allowed to use any lawful, proportionate means to protect themselves from danger."

A hypermajority of Eleanorian footballers surveyed for the report said they had resorted to wilful violence against other people involved in football. "I'd do it again!", said 19-year-old Hiyashi Celestia midfielder Lydia Nicholls, who was sent off in last year's 0-0 draw against Nova Aegis for swinging at George Guest during a corner routine. "I thought it was just a shoulder barge," commented 25-year-old Army and Navy centreback Ken Wilkie, "but when I saw him writhing on the floor in agony, I knew something wasn't right. I thought Eleanorians were sensible enough not to dive or play-act; maybe it was an IFCF game, I don't know."

Many national team players had their say, too. Bridget Coombe answered "yes... but only in the honest belief that ever getting sent off, even by accident, falls under the amazingly broad category of 'wilful violence.' This is the least even-handed questionnaire I have ever answered." Sam Newbridge said nothing more than "I don't think I could calm down in good conscience." Harriet Williams swears that "I meant to go after Bruce Kendall, honestly." And captain Liam West claims that "if Rodgers wasn't writing enough, he was probably doing so on The Reporter's payroll; that newspaper is enough of a joke that I wouldn't harm anyone for producing the low-quality tat it normally does."

It is not known whether, or to what extent, Rodgers - who has refused to comment so far - was intoxicated when he made his comments to The Turnip, a well-known Electrumite satirical outlet.

[Brookstation]

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I||II||III||IV|V|VI|VII|VIII|IX|X

The 20 is a blog series where authors of Brookstation's biggest football blog, The Beautiful Game documents the lives of some of the best players to have played in Brook soil. Aimed at inaugurating the 50th edition of the Harrison Shield, we document the lives of the players who define the top 20 football clubs in Brookstation.

HUGO MARIN:THE MAN OF STEEL

Brighthall Square is a tough place to grow up. All of us are aware of the fact that even within the most developed and beautiful cities of the multiverse, there exists certain notorious localities which people want to avoid at all times and Brighthall Square was Dreamland’s notorious locality known for the immense number of illegal activities carried out in the locality. On the other hand you have Towning, a small town located in the northern part of the country and officially the cleanest city of Brookstation. Yet there is something that connects these two completely dissimilar places, namely Hugo Marin, a midfielder born in the notorious community of Dreamland who enjoyed his career in the calm and serene hills of Towning.

Prior to moving into Towning, Marin had a quite good time in his home city of Dreamland as he had been a part of Regiis Dreamland’s academy since he was 10. Marin made his first appearance in the senior Regiis side in 1990 at the age of 20. He clearly stood out among the other set of young prospects who had been specifically selected to play a friendly match to test out their abilities. Marin put up a brilliant display of skills and possession and completely dominated the game. Following his stunning performances for the junior side, Marin would soon begin to start for Regiis and playing alongside the enigmatic Colin Tredwell, the two would make one of Brookstation’s best midfield duo. But somewhere down the line, Hugo got completely overshadowed by his very partner and it was in his best interest to make a transfer to a club where he could find his chance to dominate again.

Towning SC was a club struggling to gain a spot in the upper half of the table and his move to Towning SC would be appreciated by all faculties of the club. His debut for his new club would end in a terrible mess, completely opposite to his debut for Dreamland when Marin would be sent off in the first half of the match for causing a deliberate foul on his opponent. Hugo however didn’t mind it much as he believed that it was his stout and sturdy physique that gave him an advantage over other midfielders of his time. In fact, during his time in Towning, he would become known for his aggressive and combative attitude on the pitch. However Marin’s style would prove to become his greatest weakness as well as he would go on to receive 4 red cards in his very first season, something definitely not typical for a debut. But the club’s fans and manager Ollie Elgar had a profound respect for Marin as they knew that it would take minutes for their team to collapse in Marin’s absence.

“ Marin is not a monster. He is just adapted to his style and I believe there is nothing wrong with it.” Ollie Elgar (Towning SC coach 1990-2001)

Despite the seemingly bad relations between Marin and the referees of the Brook League, Marin would spend the rest of his career playing for Towning SC. In his debut season, the Deer would finish 11th in the league just a few behind their counterpart, Halebid United. However the Deer would produce an incredible run for the Harrison Shield, reaching the semi finals before becoming the victims of one of the greatest humiliations of the 90s after a 8-2 defeat to Space Coast Rockets. Nonetheless, the next season would see Towning improve and clinch a finish in the upper half of the table and with time, Marin’s contributions to the club would also increase.

Marin playing for Towning

A player who once enjoyed the fortune of being able to play in a celebrated club now got adapted to mid table finishes. But one thing had become evident. Marin enjoyed his time in Towning, something he probably couldn’t play under the constant pressure of winning. However, one thing Marin couldn’t change at all was his aggressiveness. He received a yellow card in almost every match but that meant little to the club because apart from pushing off his opponents, he also helped his team create attacks and exploit the unmarked areas of the field. Hugo became the pivot of the team and it was he who coordinated every movement of the team.

Hugo also became the captain of the team at times due to his crucial position in the team. Unfortunately the 2000/2001 season would prove to be a detrimental one for the club as the club would get relegated to the second division after a period of 8 years. This was a tough situation for both the club as well as Hugo’s career. A relegation would imply a decrease in the club's expenditure and on the other hand, the club required a massive improvement. Hugo had entered his 30s and carried a lot of experience with him but pulling a team back to the division was not something that Hugo could handle on his own.

The decision was made. Hugo had to leave the club, somewhat for his own personal benefits and also to acquire some funds for his club in hopes of a renovation. Hugo joined AC Dason for two years on loan and he would be back playing in the top division. However, his return to top league football wouldn’t go as anticipated. AC Dason, being a very professional side and a possible contender of the title couldn’t afford losses at any cost as a result of which Hugo would spend most of his time on the bench for the season.

As soon as his contract with Dason ended, Marin decided that it was time for him to return to the place where he belonged. Luckily for Marin, Towning had just made a promotion back to the First Division and thus it was again time for Marin to shine for his team. Marin’s bond with the club would become more intricate and he would often join his fans in community gatherings and other occasions of the club. Marin enjoyed the prospect of being back to the town which he loved that much and he was determined to give the last of him for the sake of his club. He excelled in his midfield role, where he not only used his physique to bamboozle his opponents on the field but also allowed his intellect to flourish.

“This is a new challenge for me. I am approaching the day when I will finally hang up my boots but before that, I would like to make some further contributions for my team.”

The 2006 Harrison Shield would perhaps see Towning’s most disappointing match in history. Towning had made a wonderful run for the tournament that year. Despite being the obvious underdogs of the tournament, Towning had tried to the best of their abilities and made it to the Quarter Finals. The 2006 Harrison Shield was the tournament of underdogs and the most unlikely teams had advanced to great extents and the very trophy was in fact earned by Artiana Galaxy under the heroics of Agner Lasse. Towning themselves were up against Shkotan FC and the match was going to end in a 1-1 tie until Shkotan merely edged out Towning with a surprise goal in extra time. Towning’s only goal had been scored by Hugo himself who breaked through the defenders before releasing a powerful shot into the net.

Perhaps Marin's most remarkable performance would come against Kars Club in the 2007 season. Kars was a club known for their aggressive style of play and since the commencement of the match, Marin was targeted several times by the Kars players and infact Glenn Hamilton had admitted to the fact that he enjoyed his team’s approach. But Marin was a man of steel and he wouldn’t allow injuries to ruin his day. He provided a similar blow to the club and focused more on the game. The match was nearing an end but no goal had been scored yet. It was Marin who stood tall. A tackle from Foyth gained him the ball and the next few seconds would see Marin delicately handle the ball towards the box. Nelson made his way tearing past the defenders to provide assistance to Marin but it was Marin himself who would provide justice to selfless efforts by slipping into Kars’ goal.

Marin is a man who played for a club which didn’t achieve much at all and neither did the man who is the subject of this article. Marin is perhaps one of the most underrated players in Brook history perhaps due to his style of play which was looked down upon by many. Marin is still renowned as the finest player in Towning’s history and his physical as well as his intellectual approach to the game made all his performances bizarre but the uniqueness of his trade made him stand out among other better players. Marin is a man who taught us all the significance of a game. He was the one to make us realize that a football game is no less than a war and as one great man had said- “Everything is fair in love and war.”

---

MORE FROM THE BEAUTIFUL GAME :

Marin and Tredwell: The midfield duo that dominated The Pop Smoke Stadium
Brookstation's longest unbeaten streak brought to an end after disappointing loss to Milchama
"If I have come this far, I am going to ensure that I go back victorious." says Bill Browne before Brookstation's crucial match against Nyowani Kitara
What are the odds of Brookstation making it to the World Cup ?

[Vilita]

Boat Concedes Equally as Rebels Miss out in Group 13

The Floating Fortress of the Autonomous Vessel Nation :: Heading into the final two matchdays of World Cup 91 Qualifying, the Vilitan National Team still had a chance to finish atop Group 13 and make a return to the World Cup Finals - but they would need some help to do it. After a loss to Chartistan and a draw with Darkmania during the second half of the qualification campaign, Endur Rotropii's Jungle Rebels would have to not only win their final two matches of Qualifying but also get help in the form of a victory by the Autonomous Vessel Nation over the group leading totally normal but not normal at all team from the Holy Empire - and then make up a sizable goal differential in the process. Luckily, however, there was still confidence that these results were achievable, largely because the Autonomous Vessel Nation was the only national team other than the Jungle Rebels that had managed a victory over the Holy Empire thus far during World Cup Qualifications.

While The Holy Empire hosted Aut-Ves-Nat in a critical battle within the Dreamed Realm that would decide whether the Jungle Rebels would still have a chance at Automatic Qualification when contesting their own match against the Nation from the floating fortress, the Vilitan National Team would be at the Arcticala Electrical Stadium in Arcticala hosting Garifunya in a match that could prove critical to both nations. Of course, should the Jungle Rebels fail to claim all three points on home soil then the result of the matchup in the dreamed realm would be completely irrelevant. Nothing other than 3 points at home would be sufficient for Vilita to remain in contention for the top spot in Group 13 - but more critically, the Jungle Rebels would also need to score goals. Winning by a single goal over Garifunya would allow the Rebels to remain mathematically in contention for the top spot heading into the final matchday, but would make the task realistically insurmountable as it would also require Vilita to win by an all-time record National scoreline. As for Garifunya - they had in no way thrown in the towel as victory could see them through to the playoffs and a potentially path through to the World Cup Finals for themselves.

Despite being outplayed by Ukamai Talingri for much of the qualification from a statistical standpoint, Endur Rotropii decided to give Eastal Lunar's Zelikki Milake Jr. another run out against Garifunya - setting the former Olympic and Under-21 World Cup Champion out behind a highly inexperienced defensive line almost entirely reliant on Rebel Academy youth making their debut this cycle including Hothat Iciiplak and Awukchu L'bakka. Rotropii would also put complete faith in the Tlikara siblings in a rare move starting both as the Rebels attacking duo. The move would pay dividends from the outset as the Jungle Rebels got the perfect start in the quest to load up the scoresheet in chase of the Empire. Treasvo Tlikara put the ball in the back of the net on the opening attack of the game electrifying the fans at Arcticala Electrical Stadium as they looked to strap in for a day of excitement with one eye on the pitch and the other looking for updates on twii.tur as they would come in from the Dreamed Realm and the match between the Empire and the Boat.

Unfortunately for the Rebels, things would remain quiet largely for the remainder of the first half. Though they were undone by a lapse in concentration at the start, Garifunya were a formidible opponent who knew they could not afford another slip up or their own World Cup dreams could be over. Rotropii and the Rebel coaching staff would make two changes at half time, taking off Marine Coast United's Fyin Miateal who had seemed less effective than normal in the first half, and bringing on another attacking threat in Antiviv Davaflei as there would be no consolation for the Rebels if they could not score more goals. They were not at risk of losing second place in Group 13 and could only finish in first place if they could make up nine goals differential on the Empire. The Rebels needed to score. The other change Vilita made at the half was introducing Riku Kasslin in place of Khrusan Mlianko.

Vilita would get a goal early in the second half and this time it would be the other Tlikara sibling - Kunaro Tlikara receiving a clever pass from Treasvo who had looked as if they were going to have a shot on Jurren Klompenmaker's goal then, seeing the opening, changed course and slotted across the face of goal where Kunaro was waiting for the tap in at the back post. Unfortunately, the Euphoria for the goal lasted only moments as from the ensuing kick off Garifunya would press up the field and draw a penalty kick when Awukchu L'bakka was adjudged to have fouled Boudewijn van der Weide in the penalty area. L'bakka received a yellow card for the infraction and was immediately substituted by Rotropii with Letirpsi Vulitn entering the game in their place. van der Weide would convert the resulting penalty kick and draw Garifunya one goal closer to the point they needed to stay within realistic mathematical contention for the final playoff spot in Group 13. From there, Rotropii and the Rebels were in damage control mode, holding on for three points and then nervously waiting for the score to come in from the Dreamed Realm.

Unfortunately, news from the dreamed realm would not favor the Rebels. It was a hard fought affair for the Autonomous Vessel Nation as they looked to sweep their qualifying matches against the Empire and re-claim the UWC belt for the second time on the cycle. Ultimately, however, The Empire had one mutation too many up their sleeves and came out victorious 3-2 in their final match of the Qualifiers. The three points earned would put the Empire six clear of the Rebels with just one match to play, an insurmountable gap that would lock the Vilitan National Team into a two-legged playoff with an as-yet to be determined team to determine their World Cup Finals fate.

Though neither team had anything left to play for on the scoreboard, there was still one further match to play and it was the Rebels turn to visit the floating fortress of the Autonomous Vessel Nation. With the match having no implication on the Jungle Rebels position in the final standings, head coach Endur Rotropii decided to use the game as an opportunity to give other players a run-out in the squad, including some long time Vilita National Team players who had been cut out of the squad at the start of the campaign due to their association with the previous two failed World Cup Cycles for the Jungle Cats. One such player was fan-favorite defender Rojara Tiones. At one point believed to be captain material for the Vilita National Team, Tiones had made their debut for Vilita during World Cup 81 Qualifying and was part of two of Vilita's World Cup titles. Tiones was also an ever present in Vilita's unfortunate World Cup 89 and World Cup 90 campaigns including serving as the prime defender in Vilita's 5-6 defeat to Kandorith that ultimately cost the team a place in the World Cup 89 Finals and served to be the most goals conceded by the Vilitan National Team in the modern era. Tiones had patiently waited for their opportunity and, unlike other Vilita National Team players who had been left out of the World Cup 91 Player Pool, Tiones did not speak out against the decisions of the Vilitan Footsport Association and was often seen praising Rotropii and the teams performances in twii.tur.

Tiones was likely drafted into the squad to help support Rotropii's decision to hand a surprise start to virtually unknown 16 year old goalkeeper Altirii Touiniki, a trainee at Rotropii's Rebel Academy in the Old Tivali Jungle. With minimal veteran support on defense, bringing Tiones into the squad to support the highly inexperienced keeper on their debut was likely a purposeful move and also deflected some of the negative chatter that might have surrounding Rotropii's potentially self-serving decision to promote another of their own Academy trainees into the National Team pool. The Rebels would get the lead in the first half when Fyin Miateal located Diamoa Waviino with a ball crossing into the area from left to right and Waviino produced a looping header back the other direction that went over Bob "the" Scottsman and down into the back of the net to give the Rebels the lead.

Not long after the first goal and Endur Rotropii had made the first change of the match, introducing another former National Team favorite, Clarana Refiami, also making their first appearance of the cycle. Refiami had made a massive impression in the Euran League including winning the scoring title and player of the season honors and there were rumors that the Spartangrad attacker was considering requesting a transfer back to the Vilitan League in an attempt to re-earn their place in the National Team. While Refiama was ultimately unable to get on the scoresheet against Aut-Ves-Nat, they will certainly have had their confidence boosted in getting a run-out with the team for the first time under Rotropii's leadership.

It looked largely as if the game would slowly cruise to a 1-0 full time score until Squornshelan based midfielder Sami Samii'i netted a stoppage time goal as they continued to prove their utility as a depth player on the Vilita National Team roster, scoring for the third time in the campaign after having come on as a 74th minute substitute for the Rebels. With that, Vilita's World Cup 91 Qualification campaign came to a close. While in all accounts a runner up finish and a victory against the reigning World Cup Champions and #1 ranked team in the multiverse has to have been considered at the very least meeting expectation for Rotropii and the Rebels in their first campaign together, the team would still have that cloud lingering over them knowing that they failed to secure the UWC title despite having two attempts to win it during the cycle, and as yet have still not secured a place in the World Cup 91 Finals as they would now enter a two-legged playoff against Cabo Azure as a last chance to advance to Græntfjall and Farfadillis.

 Vilita 2 - 1 Garifunya	
	Vilita Goals:	:: 1' Treasvo Tlikara:: 52' Kunaro Tlikara             
	Stats :: Vilita	:: Possession: 52%:: Shots: 8:: Corners: 7 :: Garifunya :: Possession: 48%:: Shots: 6:: Corners: 5
	Vilita Lineup ::	Zelkki Milake Jr., Hothat Iciiplak, Awukchu L’bakka (Letirpsi Vulitn 57'), Tero Alatalo, Sami Samii’i, Trezisi Rokopolis, Fyin Miateal (Antiviv Davaflei 45'), Jakku’u Naboyavi, Khrusan Mlianko (Riku Kasslin 45'), Treasvo Tlikara, Kunaro Tlikara

 Vilita 2 - 0 Aut-Ves-Net	
	Vilita Goals:	:: 23' Diamoa Waviino:: 91' Sami Samii’i             
	Stats :: Vilita	:: Possession: 53%:: Shots: 4:: Corners: 4 :: Aut-Ves-Net :: Possession: 47%:: Shots: 3:: Corners: 4
	Vilita Lineup ::	Altirii Touiniki, Rojara Tiones, Awukchu L’bakka (Clarana Refiami 27'), Kamarela Dzzara, Jakku’u Naboyavi, Fyin Miateal, Trezisi Rokopolis, Riku Kasslin, Imauka Lkomorak, Takaara Milanzi (Sami Samii’i 74'), Diamoa Waviino

[Mytanija]

The assembled crowd of journalists and photographers eagerly awaited the subject of the press conference. Lev Repin. He had been here so many times before as the national team manager, but everybody had a hunch that this would be his last time, this World Cup cycle would be the one where he would call time on his career as manager of Mytanija. Rumours had swirled around the camp at the previous World Cup, Repin had brought Mytanija to the tournament and they had qualified from the group. He had got the country back to where it belonged, at football’s grandest stage.

His contract had expired and in the end the FSM asked him, nay, begged him, to stay. Their preparation for his departure had been poor. They had candidates but none of them appeared to be of the standard required, none of them quite had the same cachet as Repin. Naturally that was difficult to come by, but few even came close to the charisma needed to replace the man. Repin wasn’t what you might call naturally charismatic. His presence came from the weight of history, his career as a player and the track record he had laid behind him as a manager. Whoever came next would need to fill a void.

Due to the Mytanar Conflict there was a chasm between generations of former players who might have been managers. On one side were Hjik, Badjkev, Repin and then on the other side were newly retired players like Adel Gudelj – managing Liria Prizren – as well as young coaches like Mateja Stojkovic and Josip Radonic. There weren’t any managers with the international careers those different generations had in the generations which came in between. Then there was the likes of Misel Ravnjak, Sava Grgurovic, Emil Jefak, Emir Saric. All well-respected coaches but none really coached the style which Mytanija wanted to play and they were all the same age as Repin or older.

So when Repin left the Mytanija job, it appeared as if the FSM would have a tough task on their hands to select a replacement. The reason why this press conference was so important, why these sort of conversations were being had, was because it was a press conference which had been called at short notice. It wasn’t one of the ones which would usually occur in the run-up to a match. The Mytanar media had a pretty strict timetable in the run-up to a match, particularly big matches like the World Cup play-offs.

There would be one press conference at the start of the week, a media day at the training ground mid-way through the week and then a big press conference the day before the match. The manager would then fulfil their media responsibilities on the day of the match and there would be a post-game press conference to round it off. This one was not any of the above. Rumours had been swirling for a while that Repin would not extend his contract again, that this agreement with the FSM was to allow them time to plan their next move, a final favour to the national team set-up from one of the most important figures in Mytanar footballing history.

As he walked out to face the journalists, the cameras flashed and Repin flashed them a sheepish grin in turn. Some of the journalists may have allowed the thought of who was going to come next after this man to cross their mind, but truly who could replace him? Tactically he was a genius, players looked up to him because of his outstanding playing career, and the media respected him because of all of the above. Whoever followed might tick the first of those three boxes, but they were unlikely to tick a second, never mind all three of them. Would the FSM look abroad? Another foreigner to follow in the footsteps of the Sortherner, Brian McDermott? It felt unlikely.

“Hello everybody,” Repin said warmly, his Rauchik accent a warm embrace, drawing everybody into a conversation rather than a simple question and answer session. “I’m sure everybody understands why I’m here today. It’s a press conference we’d prefer to leave until after qualifying has formally concluded, we still have two crucial play-off matches against Srednjaci and we would have liked the players to be fully focused on those games. We have told them about what I am going to say today already and they have taken the news well and want to make the most of the remainder of this World Cup cycle, however long that might end up being.”

“Are you going to leave the job at the end of the cycle, Lev?!” One particularly eager reporter couldn’t wait for the answer, shouting just as the manager was getting into his stride.

“Well, that’s what we’re going to discuss. I think everybody knows at this point that by extending for an extra cycle the FSM wanted time to decide who would come after me. I have loved every minute of this job, coaching my country and leading Mytanija back to the World Cup after a very tough period in our nation’s history.” Repin paused. “But, I also have other goals in mind, I have not managed in the club game yet. I would like to do so, either at home or abroad, depending on the opportunities afforded to me. At the end of the last World Cup I felt like the time was right, for me to make a change in my career and for the national team to be given some fresh impetus from somebody else.”

“But are you going to go, Lev?!” The same reporter could hardly contain himself.

“Haha,” Repin smiled. “You’ve never been patient, Darko.”

“Sometimes I think you just like the sound of your own voice, Lev.” Darko shot back, laughing. The pair had jousted many times over the years.

“For Darko’s sake I’ll try to keep the rest short and sweet.” Lev grinned. “I will be leaving the post of Mytanija manager at the end of the World Cup cycle, whether that sees us in the World Cup itself or at the Cup of Harmony. The FSM have not yet decided who will be following me in this role. That is a question for them and not for me, I have recused myself from having any role in the decision-making process. I have adored my years in charge of this team and I fully plan to have the players ready for one last charge under my leadership, we will see how far that takes us.”

“And what do you—” Darko tried to shoot the next question in.

“What do I have planned next, Darko?” Lev smirked. “Absolutely nothing yet. Until I’m not Mytanija manager I have no other plans. Coaching my country is the plan until then. Whatever comes afterwards is a bridge I will cross when I get to it. Thanks for your time, everybody.”