World Cup 91 [roleplays]

[Pasarga]

It was two weeks after The Minster of the Interior, Azad Günaydin, and eleven other parliamentarians announcement of their attempts at a disputed succession on international television. Due to some shrewd and rapid negotiating, Azra had managed to shore up a contingent within Parliament that saw the attempts to shift the crown from either herself or her brother İskender as being the next monarch of the dual islands. Her negotiations had at least resulted in an emergency session in Parliament that was set to be today and a vote that was going to decide if the crown was to stay with the line of Jakob or if it was going to shift to Ezid. Azra was silently confident that those in parliament would see reason and not betray the will of her father and the legacy he had constructed by choosing to side with a pretender claimant. However there was a worry with both the Minister of the Interior and Exterior being backs of Ezid's claim that they could use their influence to shift some of the other members in the chamber to their side and make the vote closer than she would wanted or even have it in Ezid's favor.

It was a risk that she and her brother were going to have to take, to be at ease with the will of the people as their elected representatives cast their votes on their behalf. With protests growing more frequent and larger in number across the dual islands, spreading beyond just the urban areas of the nation to even small cities and large towns, there was trouble brewing. Whoever did emerge victorious from this vote was going to need to show that the respected the will of the populace and the systems that ensured government continued on, that the faith in the institutions that kept Pasarga going were kept intact. Neither party could afford a large civil disturbance or for the common people to start to stop believing in the authority of the crown and government as a whole. That was the goal of the Anarchist Party that had been trying to decades to destabilize the nation, but King Jakob and his advisors had done well to keep them in check as well as the ruling party of the Eternal Flame. Azra wondered how anyone could believe that sheer anarchy could be a legitimate form of societal living, it seemed completely at odds with a society itself.

"Do you think this plan will work sister, we risk much resting on the whims and promises of people who are in a position to deny us everything. They keep forgetting that it was father who even allowed them this power in the first place, before him all authority came from the crown and none was in this blasted parliament that we are now beholden to. There were no toiling ministers conducting plots using public funds to do so, no doubt." İskender was pacing up and down the walls, a grimace on his face, his dark red hair twisting back and forth as he paced in the room with Azra as they awaited the phone call that told them the results of the vote.

"Dear brother, though I too am currently unhappy with the parliament, we can not be so hasty as to ignore them. There are some among them who are truly doing what they think is right for the nation or what the people who elected them in the first place would want. I hope that they decide to right the wrong that these plotters are attempting to do, but if they decide not to, then we have to respect that decision, though it would leave few options for us moving forward. What would you do brother, how would you enforce your will, make them vote for you?" She paused, wondering what her little brother thought would be a correct course of action in a situation that was delicately poised.

"Take the Royal Guard and storm the building, arrest the known plotters and interrogate them to find out the depth of this plot and all those who were involved in it. Install martial law if needs be to secure the coronation and then ease off restrictions as things settle down and those who are responsible for all of this wrong doing are brought to justice."

"And when the common people call you a tyrant or dictator for not respecting the will of the people, when there are riots breaking out across the country and revolts, what then? Can you count on the military to instill you as the monarch if you have blatantly disregarded the sanctity of parliament and sent the nation into a time of turmoil? You are strong brother and you were taught well in the art of battle, but you would hang yourself with your actions and doom the dual islands to a far worse fate." Brilliant in war games but it seemed her little brother still had much to learn about tact and navigating the dangerous minefields of diplomacy and rulership all together.

The phone from the Parliament building then began to ring, the moment that the siblings had been waiting for all afternoon and the cause of İskender's pacing and perhaps agitated state. Azra delicately lifted up the phone and spoke. "Princess Azra speaking."

"The vote is in milady. All one hundred members of Parliament were present and cast their vote for the succession. FIfty-six votes were in favor of acknowledging the late King's will, forty-four were in favor of appointing Ezid as the new monarch. There will now be a vote later in the week to decide between you and your brother."

"That will not be necessary, İskender has agreed with withdraw his claim to the throne, he will remain the crown prince. We will need to start planning for the coronation, it should be done within the next fortnight and we can hopefully put an ease to all of these unpleasantries and get back to normal." Her voice was strong but the vote was much closer than Azra would have liked and there was this nagging feeling in the back of her mind that despite the vote coming down in her favor, she was doubtful that this was truthfully the end of the plotter's machinations. The question was, what was going to be their next move and what was going to be hers?

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Backs to the wall already--CBP 4-5 PMC
Scott McCrae
The Daily Mail Chief Soccer Writer

In the aftermath of the 5-4 loss against Pemecutin on the first matchday for Group C at Laxenvöllur, the Commonwealth National Team find themselves on the brink of a second exit at the group stage in the last three World Cups; yet the schedule makers have provided a lifeline as both the winning sides--Drawkland upended Vilita 2-1 to put themselves into joint top spot in the table--will face one another while the Jungle Rebel Cats (?!) and BP will meet with their further relevant participation in the tournament on the line.

If nothing else went right on the day, manager Jennifer Prescott at least showed her ability to make the moves that changed the tone of the match after Pemecutin went ahead 3-0 with 42 minutes gone; Nicole D'Amico scored in the final minute of time added on in the 1st half to draw BP to within two, and when the sides returned for the second 45 minutes, Rod Callaway had replaced Zack Johnston in goal and Quinton Harris had created a shuffle of the lineup as he came on for Travis Grimaldi, with D'Amico shifting to left wing, Christa Vuckovic shifting to central midfield and Lainey Wadsworth moving into the slot.

Harris brought the Bees back to within one on 53 minutes and Vuckovic followed with the equalizer just shy of the hour mark; Pemecutin restored their lead 5 minutes later then added a fifth tally in the 74th.

Chandra Mack replaced a cramping Desmond Garvey with 9 minutes left and wasted little time in bringing Baker Park back in with a shout just three minutes later. At 5-4 there still seemed like another goal was coming, but Wadsworth clanged one off the crossbar in injury time that really was the only clear chance either side had following Mack's fifth score in this cycle.

A pair of draws in the second round of matches would open the possibility of a wild final group day scramble that could come down to goal difference while a pair of clear results will see one nation out and one going through to the knockouts.

Following the match Prescott was clear in her opinion of the result of her 175th match in charge.
"Not good enough today over 90 minutes. We very easily could've won this 3 or 4 to 1 if we'd played the first half like we did the second, and that's no disrespect to them (Pemecutin). We've faced them three times and every time they've shown their class. Congratulations to them. But I'm not impressed with how things unfolded in the first half hour tonight."
(On replacing Johnston at halftime): "You don't burn a sub by pulling a keeper who's not injured unless it's the only thing that you feel can wake up the team. He's not being made a scapegoat, I just wanted to change the dynamic. Making the other change (Harris replacing Grimaldi) was the real catalyst for bringing Rod (Callaway) in. Defensive strategy adjustment."

The result marked only the third time Baker Park have lost their opening World Cup group match; their very first WCF fixture--against The Holy Empire, a 2-1 loss at the Jhanna City Recreation Ground in Starblaydia--and the opener of World Cup 88 against Squornshelan Remnant States at The Hive in Sanar, Chromatika, which the Bees recovered from to advance to quarterfinals.

Lineup vs Vilita:

Vickers; Onikambe, Wiseman, Bauer; Eichorn, Milton, Buxton, Altman; Craig; Pryor, West (C)

[Drawkland]

Below is a transcript of an internet video posted by the Elite Eleven on their social media channel.

Narrator (voiceover): Hello, and welcome to Electrifying Eleven Plays, presented by DNSN and brought to you by the Elite Eleven themselves! For each Drawkland game in the World Cup this cycle, every member of the Elite Eleven will select their favorite personal highlight of the game. These will go in chronological order.
Shot: Pregame ceremonies and pageantry before the Drawkland vs Vilita World Cup match

Elias Keys: I have to go with the analytical pick for my favorite play of the game. In our match against Vilita in World Cup 86, we were very quickly overwhelmed by the Jungle Cat press early in the match. We conceded two goals before we settled down and put anything on the board. Sure, we ended up taking that match to penalties, but if we locked in quicker and prevented a goal or two early, we could've won in regulation. Anyway, for this game our defensive gameplan was to be as tight as possible right out of the gate.
Shot: The Drawkian side of midfield. Vilita's sibling strikers, Treasvo and Kunaro Tlikara, are attempting a pass just outside the box. Just as Kunaro is kicking, Elias Keys steps in the lane and takes the ball for himself, taking a few running steps the other direction before clearing the ball downfield.
Elias Keys (v/o): We did exactly what we wanted to start the game. The Rebels ended up getting early possession and pressed hard around our box to take an early advantage. However, on this sequence here, I anticipated a pass and jumped it, getting into the ball lane and stealing possession. Great clearance to get the ball past midfield, and we went on to turn the tables soon after.

Trevor Garnet: Even with our great play in the beginning of the match, we weren't able to hold off the Jungle Rebel attack for long. We ended up giving up the first goal of the game relatively early, thanks to an excellently-played corner kick. It didn't end up mattering since they scored on the corner kick anyway, but the shot that led to the corner was deflected by yours truly.
Shot: In the Drawkian box. Kunaro Tlikara suddenly got some space outside the goalposts at a flat angle. They have a pretty clear shot, but right as they unleash the kick, Trevor Garnet runs into the path and heads the ball. The ball's path, which would've gone straight past Septimus Xander and into the net, is instead deflected sharply over the back line. The video then cuts to Vilita scoring a goal off their corner kick.
Trevor Garnet (v/o): The fact that the forward had that much space is on me, I was supposed to man up on them and I lost them in the knot of people around the box right then. Thankfully I realized my mistake in the nick of time, and my noggin was just large enough to tip the ball away. Too bad I took on all that brain damage for nothing!

Jaxon Madison: I have to say my favorite personal highlight in this match was my assist pass for our first goal of the game. Spirits on the team were down after allowing the first goal, but we were all locked in and ready to level the playing field.
Shot: Midfield. Jaxon Madison challenged Injyua Klizlo for the ball, and cleanly nicked it away. With most of the Vilitan defense out of the area, Madison dribbled the ball away from Klizlo enough to give himself time to pass. Madison took a tentative stutter step, then popped the ball far into the air, heading towards the Vilitan box. Right after the ball bounces, the highlight cuts off for a moment.
Jaxon Madison (v/o): I was hoping Roger would get my idea with this kick, and he did perfectly. I was hoping to get the ball to bounce right at the edge of the box, with Roger and a Vilitan defender racing to get the ball as it came back down to the grass, it would probably draw the keeper out to knock it away first. Instead, it bounced right out of their reach, giving Roger the open shot to draw level.

Roger Apollo: My favorite play was when I scored off Jaxon's pass. Here's the full play.
Shot: The Vilitan box. The last few seconds of Jaxon's highlight play. The ball came back down to the turf and bounced on the outer half of the box. The keeper dove to block the ball, but didn't reach it. The defender got taken out of the play by the diving keeper, leaving Roger to slide past them with an open goal in front of them. Roger slows his pace slightly, and cleanly knocks the ball into the center of the net for the score.
Roger Apollo (v/o): Like Jaxon said, we were trying to get on the same page and we did. His pass was perfectly placed to be far enough to draw the keeper to it, but not far enough that the keeper could actually get it it. I was lucky enough that the defender tripped over his own man in the same instant, so I had the opportunity to calmly slot this one home. Now the game was tied, and the real drama was ready to go.

Septimus Xander: You know me, my favorite highlight is always gonna be my best save of the night. This one came pretty late in the first half, basically right before added time. Vilita was pressing hard, trying to break the tie right before halftime, when there wasn't enough time for us to counter.
Shot: Drawkian side of the field, around the penalty box. Sami Samii’i gets the ball on a pass and has a little room to work with. Samii'i sees Septimus Xander is a little off the mark and decides to take the long range shot. Xander runs and leaps just far enough to glove the ball and prevent the goal.
Septimus Xander (v/o): Samii’i had an opening and decided to take a long shot from outside the box. I was a bit off the mark because based on the formation they were showing, I expected them to pass the ball off. Instead, Samii'i took the shot and I barely had enough time to make it to the ball. Look at that, the run, jump, full extension on the arms, got a little lucky the ball didn't spin enough, boom. Great save to salvage momentum before half.

Dominic Southers: I didn't have any flashy plays this game, which is really unfortunate for the Dominic Southers World Cup group stage highlight reel that I'll be dropping soon. They're making me choose something, though, and I don't want to give my highlight spot in this video to one of my dork ass teammates. So here, enjoy this sequence of me taking the opening kickoff for the second half.
Shot: Zoomed in on midfield. Dominic Southers stood at the center of the pitch, waiting for the whistle to kick off and begin the second half. After receiving the whistle, Southers geared up and launched a line drive kick back towards the Drawkian goal. Before he could react, defender Nicholas Kingston gets struck directly in the face by the ball, to the laughs of the rest of the team and general confusion for the audience.
Dominic Southers (v/o): See, during halftime, Nicholas Kingston was complaining that he wasn't getting a lot of touches in the game thus far, since we were pressing so much and spending little time letting the defenders start possessions. Because of this, I decided I needed to teach him a lesson. We in the Elite are all pretty good at trickshots, and with enough practice and time to set ourselves, we can kick a ball almost anywhere. So, for the first kick of the half, I decided to aim directly for Nick's forehead. BAM! Got him good right there, right on the nose.

Mike Rodney: Alright, so sadly I did not have a goal or even a good shot in this game. I did, however, have a pretty sick move late in the match that might've set the table for the second goal. Check this out.
Shot: The Vilitan side of midfield. Drawkland's forwards are spaced out and the defense appears to be taking one-on-one matchups. Mike Rodney receives a pass from Roger Apollo, then shakes off Vilitan defender Tero Alatalo to get the space for a shot. The crowd makes an audible roar at the fancy footwork. The shot is tipped by keeper Zelkki Milake Jr., but it does give Drawkland the corner kick opportunity.
Mike Rodney (v/o): So here I get the ball from Roger, right in the box, and I have enough space to make something happen. I just need to get rid of this defender. Look at that move, I totally destroyed their ankles! Super pissed that I sailed that shot because it would've been an even better highlight. Alas, somebody else would get the glory soon after.

Ross Hunter: Since Mike missed the shot that led to the corner kick, we decided to make him take the kick. He's in the corner, shoots the ball far outside, but we've got the field set up for an immediate pass-and-shoot. After getting embarrassed on the previous sequence, I decided to pick on Alatalo right here.
Shot: Mike Rodney takes the corner kick for Drawkland. His strike loops up in the air and bounces right into the feet of Trevor Garnet, who instantly boots the ball into the box. Ross Hunter gets the ball, and turns to face Tero Alatalo in the box. Hunter immediately shoots the ball at the goal, seeing Milake Jr. was out of range in the net. Partially to save the possible goal and possibly out of frustration, Alatalo punches the ball away.
Ross Hunter (v/o): Look at that! Got him isolated and the quick pass from a second earlier had the goalie off guard. Alatalo had no choice but to commit the handball, which opened the door for a penalty kick. And you know us, there was one person we all agreed had to take that kick.

Richard Hanson: Okay, so I gotta preface this. In our game against Vilita in World Cup 86, I was the fifth guy to take a penalty shot. The keeper got a good read off me, and they had just enough of a jump to tap the ball, which barely spun out of the goal. Still, everybody acts like it was MY fault we lost the game. As if Mike Rodney hadn't missed the first try of the shootout! And not to mention Septimus only saving one shot doesn't do us any favors. Oh well, this all falls on deaf ears anyway. Of course, for the penalty shot resulting from the handball, they wanted me to take the shot, as a sort of avenging moment.
Shot: The Vilitan goalpost. Zelkki Milake Jr. stands in wait, while Richard Hanson stands a few strides from the inert ball for the penalty kick. The crowd is probably the loudest it's been all match, and both players steel themselves for the moment. Hanson moves forward, takes a stutter step, and fires the ball to the right corner. Milake Jr. dives to the left, and the ball zips into the net untouched.
Richard Hanson (v/o): I didn't mind the moment, I was mostly just in my head trying to think of what strategy to use. I don't know if this keeper knew what happened in our shootout almost ten years ago, how I kicked to the left but missed, but I figured I didn't want to try doing the same shot regardless. Here's the shot, bang! Right where I was aiming, and the keeper wasn't even close. Suddenly, Drawkland's leading Vilita by a goal with only fifteen minutes to go.

Craig Bakker: Everybody's celebrating the great exorcising goal by Rich, which is well-deserved. I want to point the spotlight just a little bit after that, though. See, if it weren't for the great defensive effort by the back line following that goal, this crazy win could've slipped through our fingers and become a draw. This was about eight minutes after the goal.
Shot: Midfield. The Drawkian midfielders are passing the ball back and forth, hoping to possess the ball long enough to ice the game. Suddenly, Trevor Garnet's pass goes a little awry, and Fyin Miateal gets control of the ball. Miateal sees a chance at open field and passes the ball forward to Treasvo Tlikara, who gets in a footrace towards the goal. Out of nowhere, Craig Bakker comes from the side and taps the ball away between Tlikara's dribbles, just barely avoiding committing a penalty.
Craig Bakker (v/o): This is actually way tougher than you think. I was out towards the wing and saw the play happening from afar. When their midfielder got the ball I immediately took off for the box because I knew there would be a fastbreak-type opportunity. Sure enough, they passed it to that forward and they almost had Nick [Kingston] beat. I rolled up in their blind spot, and perfectly tapped the ball out of their control. Septimus falls on it before the forward can get back, and he boots it far enough down the pitch that we could waste away the rest of the game away from our side of midfield.

Nicholas Kingston: Dude, I swear to God, I saw Iarocav shotgunning a beer or something at the end of the game. It was like right after the final whistle sounded, I looked in the luxury boxes and saw the actual leader of our nation engaging in frat boy level tomfoolery. Nobody on the team believes me! Tell me you have that footage somewhere. I'm begging you. I promise I'm not making this up. He celebrated the win by shotgunning in a stadium suite.
Shot: A man dressed in a polo shirt with the Kick Corps logo on it is shown in a luxury box in OptiFone Arena. He can be seen using a rental car key to stab a hole in a Vilaye Energy Drink can, shotgunning the entire can in one go.
Nicholas Kingston (v/o): I TOLD YOU! I'M NOT CRAZY! Look at him, that's totally - wait a minute, is that an energy drink? Somehow, that's even worse than chugging a beer. You wanted me to give an on-field highlight? Hell no, this was way more interesting.

[Turori]

Turori Force Yet another Kandorese Flag Change at World Cup 91

Fun Fact of the Game: Every Time they Concede a Goal, Kandorith Change their Flag.

For some Nations, the Flag is a symbol that lasts generations. The colors are purposefully chosen often based on the history of the nation back to its earliest days and foundations. On one far end of the spectrum is the Island Emirate of Turori. Not only has the design of the flag of the Island Emirate of Turori not changed once in the entirety of their independent history, the actual literal original flag of the Nation still flies in the covered shelter of the Gazebo of the Great Eel, a popular historic site and tourist attraction in Almintora. For some other Nations, the flag is not a symbol of their history, but of their present - evolving along with the Nation to reflect their people.

On the opposite end of the Flag spectrum is the Great Empire of Kandorith. If you haven't been to Kandorith recently, then odds are you don't know what the current flag of Kandorith actually looks like. There are rumors that within Kandorith the leading economic driver is reproduction of National Flags as every government building and semi-patriotic business will need to re-decorate their flagpoles on a regular basis. However, that schedule speeds up significantly during the World Cup Finals where it is rumored that the Great Empire of Kandorith change their flag every time their National Team concede a goal.

The Turori National Team arrived at La Gran Avenida in Farolera to kick off their World Cup 91 Group G play against Kandorith. It would be the third consecutive World Cup Finals where Turori and Kandorith would face off with the two nations meeting earlier an earlier each cycle. During World Cup 89, Turori and Kandorith would face off in the Quarter Finals with the Eels prevailing 3-2. One cycle later and Turori and Kandorith would meet one round earlier in the Round of 16 where the scoreline was locked after 120 minutes and the Eels would advance on Penalty Kicks before being tempered by the magical run of Pemecutan.

In Farfadillis the cycular matchup between Turori and Kandorith would open up the World Cup 91 finals and offer up a truly Farfadational experience for the fans across the multiverse to welcome the World Cup back to the Farfish lands. The action started not long after kickoff through Toshi Oshita who gave Kandorith a 1-0 lead early and looked to be in step for revenge on the Eels who had eliminated them from the World Cup Finals the previous two seasons. Turori would make an early substitution as Cuoabaza Orani'aoa would be tactically replaced by Lumlao Noauryua. The move gave the team a spark and in the 23rd minute it was a goal from Kiidallen Aeroluzzi that got the Eels on the board and leveled the scoreline again.

Having conceded their first goal of the game at the World Cup Finals, it was also time for the Kandorese to change their National Flag. Of course, in preparation for the World Cup Finals, the Flag Guild of Kandorith was sure to prepare numerous alternate flags in the event that the Rising Star conceded any goals at the Finals. What they likely did not prepare for was the sheer amount of goals that Kandorith would concede in the first game alone.

This flag of Kandorith would feature many ornate elements on a field of red with outward white stripes indicating the Rising Sun over the Great Empire. However, the design would not last long as the Turori National Team would take the lead of the match just minutes after they had leveled the scores. The goal would come from Nua'oma Aikiki who was fed through by Naraiza Ruaplal and then fired the ball past Akio Maruyama to flip the early script of the match and put Turori back in the drivers seat. Turori's quick second goal would also trigger a switch over to a new design for the Kandorith flag on a field of purple while re-coloring many of the same design elements that had been present on the red version of the flag.

The Kandorese would thrive with the purple flag, scoring twice on either side of the interval - after the scores were level 2-2 at halftime Kandorith would score ten minutes into the second half to re-take the lead with their Purple Flags flying proud while dominating the possession. Edgeli's Eels were in a rutt and the coaching staff would make a bold change, yanking goalkeeper Derizi Amatopa in favor of the backup goalkeeper, Timaala Hualtia of Inland Peaks FC. Hualtia would get involved in the play within a few minutes with a goal kick that bounced fortuitously into the path of half-time substitute Loala Inkabu who took one-time half-volley to once again level the scoreline.

Having done so well with the Purple Flag for the previous half hour of play, the Kandorese Heraldry Group would unveil yet another flag featuring in the color purple but replaced the primary design elements with a new, simplified central shape along with a field of navy blue.

Much as they had done in the first half the Turori National Team picked up their goals in pairs and would score again less than ten minutes later through Turakia Diijelhma to re-take the lead 4-3. It was after this goal, with less than 25 minutes to play in the match, that the Kandorese Flag Designers would make a bold shift in their flag color palette dismissing the purple that had served the Nation well for nearly an hour and returning to the colors they had started the match with - with one major alteration. Instead of a field of red, the primary field on the flag would be white while the flag would retain simplified design elements in the colors extracted from the original Rising Sun design. It would be the first of the flags introduced by Kandorith on the day that would not have any round elements with the only decorative element on the flag being a layered diamond design in the red shade located in the upper left of the flag on the open field of white.

The action packed Group G opener was far from over and Kandorith would fight back to tie the game for the third time on the day when substitute defender Ryu Tanji of the Urayama Diamonds headed past Timaala Hualtia on a 73rd minute corner kick to set up a grand stand finish to the affair. Tarek Edgeli had already used all three of their substitutions, a fact that many onlookers may have forgotten due to the fact that one of them was a tactical sub so early in the match.

Without any substitutes, it was just about motivation on the field and the Eels had to work to overcome the Rising Sun and avoid being subject to a vengeful defeat in Farolera. After having gotten four goals from four different players over the first 70 minutes of action, Turori would look back at their freshest field player, Loala Inkabu, to deliver them the three points on the day. The games winning goal would come in the 82nd minute when Inkabu raced forward waving their arm frantically in space - having just been noticed by Kinabo Telioa who delivered the ball into space in front of Inkabu. From there it was a race between Inkabu and Kandorese netminder Akio Maruyama. Inkabu would barely beat the onrushing Maruyama to the ball and chipped to skillfully over the sliding goalkeeper and into the net. The goal would give Turori a 5-4 lead which they would hold on to for the remainder of the match to secure a third consecutive World Cup Finals victory over Kandorith and three points to start the World Cup 91 Finals.

For the Kandorese, they will have been utterly disappointed to dominate the possession and score three goals but once again walk away without a victory against the Eels. Unlike their previous two World Cup Finals defeats to Turori, however, Kandorith were not eliminated from this defeat and would take a new flag design with them into their final two matches as they looked to recover and prevail back into the Round of 16. This flag would maintain the field of white first introduced following Turori's 4th goal and keep the red layered two dimensional diamond at its centerpiece but bring with it a similarly colored square at the back. Along with the change would be a total departure from the softer tones as neither the blue or purple would make an appearance on this flag with its field of white highlighted by the central red features and sandwiched by a slim bar of yellow on top and bottom.

 Turori 5 - 4 Kandorith	
	Turori Goals:	:: 23' Kiidallen Aeroluzzi:: 24' Nua'oma Aikiki:: 61' Loala Inkabu:: 67' Turakia Diijelhma:: 82' Loala Inkabu          
	Stats :: Turori 	:: Possession: 41%:: Shots: 8:: Corners: 16 :: Kandorith :: Possession: 59%:: Shots: 10:: Corners: 9
	Turori Lineup :: 	Derizi Amatopa (Timaala Hualtia 56'), Amakli Inuro'o, Moumouni Verre'elali, Karek Edgeli, Planio’o Nrujsa, Cuoabaza Orani’aoa (Lumlao Noauryua 21'), Kiidallen Aeroluzzi, Kinabo Telioa, Naraiza Ruaplal (Loala Inkabu 45'), Nua'oma Aikiki, Turakia Diijelhma

Turori National Team
World Cup 91 Group G

MD1 v. Kandorith
MD2 v. Trolleborg
MD3 v. Savigliane

After an early victory over Kandorith, the Turori National Team would move on to their second match where they will face Trolleborg at the Rülândéá Çölíséá in Rülândéá, the home of the most exotic writing styles in the multiverse with more dressing on their letters than a salad-loving mail carrier. While the Turori National Team have never faced Trolleborg in the World Cup Finals before, the team did play a home and away series as part of the Cup of Champions and Eagle's Cup XII. Those matches should give the Turori National Team confidence that they can emerge from three points against a Trolleborg Team that lost their opener against Savigliane who will face a difficult match against Kandorith on Matchday 2. While it is mathematically possible for the results to fall in such a way that the Turori national Team can be assured a place in the Round of 16 at the conclusion of matchday 2, it is more likely that the fight to advance from Group G will go down to the Eels finally matchday clash with Savigliane.

[Farfadillis]

Farfadillis 3-2 Huayramarca: la Vherderoja exercises World Cup 85 demons in opening game as they beat los Cóndores in tight game

As expected, the Farf side of the World Cup had the better opening game, with the hosts putting to sleep no doubts about their ability to make a deep run on home soil, but nonetheless managing to come away with an invaluable three points.

Due to a scheduling error, Farfadillis will be playing all of their pre-WC friendlies in a year. As a result, the little football played this cycle—besides a good but lucky AOCAF Cup run that ended on a very sour note—cast a cloud of doubt over la Vherderoja. The opening game against Huayramarca—arguably the best third seed—was the natural proving ground for Manguele's men.

The crowd, as expected, was mostly loud, violent and arsony. La Fantás' on-fire stand was as intimidating and beautiful as ever. Most visiting teams would've had a tough time adapting to the circumstances—it's no secret that la Vherderoja has is merciless at home in qualifiers—but it would not be so for the Huayramarcans.

Few conclusions can be drawn from ten minutes of play, but it is nonetheless safe to say that Farfadillis' opener came against the run of play, as the Huayramarcans had clearly come out of the dressing room (figuratively; La Fantás does not have dressing rooms) intending to win and even dominate the game. They were gelling well: they managed to register two shots on target in separate plays inside seven minutes, both of which were expertly parried away by an in-form Defigueroa. Alas, all it took was a deftly-executed one-two between Çí Xôrí and Alxíkí to free up the former. The winger then rather uncharacteristically crossed into the box, where a moment of distraction from the Huayramarcan defense had left Röémün Çídh free to thump home a header (or, more precisely, a necker).

The stadium almost literally erupted as a result. The memories from going goalless in the first two games at home in World Cup 85 are still fresh for a lot of Farves, after all. They'd exorcized a fire demon; the fact that Farfadillis was now in a good position to win was almost an afterthought. However, los Cóndores seemed to relish the adversity they were facing, because it didn't take them very long to turn the game on its head, and they even made it look easy.

Spurred on by the goal, Farfadillis would get a few more chances in the minutes that immediately followed, but Rülândéá Kôstä's Juan Mamani would just not have it. Two impressive saves from the goalkeeper kept Huayramarca in the game, giving them enough time to once again grab the game by the throat, and this time Farfadillis would not disrupt their momentum.

In the thirtieth minute, after a good ten minutes of Huayramarcan domination, a corner kick was followed by a kerfuffle in the box that saw striker Bryan Tello get the last touch in; with no visibility, Defigueroa could do nothing as the Metropolis Alligators striker fired from very short range. The away crowd could be heard for the first time in the game as the Farf fans present fell fully silent. The goal had been deserved, but somehow it still seemed as if nobody had seen it coming. By the sidelines, Lele Manguele could be seen frantically giving non-sensical instructions to his players. Those instructions would prove futile.

Two minutes later, right forward Gabriel Sayritupac would dribble past almost the entire Farf defense, his moves erratic and bordering on confusing, before effortlessly firing past a Rogerio Defigueroa that had clearly been let down by his teammates. The Faroleran man quickly informed his teammates of his views regarding their defensive performance, as well as their mothers'. Just like that, los Cóndores were leading and visions of World Cup 85 started to flash before every Farf fan's eyes.

The rest of the first half was, for Farfadillis, mostly a matter of licking wounds while hanging on. Huayramarca tried to pounce on their momentum, but got stopped in their tracks by a suddenly much more violent and cynical Farf side, which was now willing to go the extra mile to prevent an onslaught. A whopping seven fouls were committed before the end of the first half. The referee, perhaps feeling both the pressure of refereeing a game with more than fifty thousand angry Farves present and the heat emitted by La Fantás northeastern stand, blew the whistle after just one minute of injury time.

Some games are decided at half time, in the sense that the result is already lopsided enough that there's not much left for the trailing team to do. This game was decided at half time, but not in this way.

Nobody can be fully sure of what Lele Manguele said to his men at half time, but the difference was noticeable in the players' faces even before the second half started. What we do know, however, is that this ended up being a game of two halves.

Right out the gate, the front four combined to make the ball graze the crossbar in the first play of the second half. This would prove to only be a sign of things to come. Farfadillis would registe two more shots on target in the following five minutes, before equalizing in the fiftieth minute. Ironically, the equalizer would not come from a brutal counterattack or some slick passing play, as it seemed that it would. Instead, Ígnîgo Çí Xôrí cut out the middle man by scoring a screamer from thirty meters out. The shot was not exceptionally well-placed, but the ball's unpredictable trajectory and the fact that Çí Xôrí had not looked likely to try his luck at all were enough to beat Mamani.

The equalizer may have been an enormous relief for the home side, but they did not forget what their objective had been from the start: getting a win, no ifs or buts. The Farves tried to make the most of their momentum after pulling level, and the Huayramarcans, unlike their opponents, did not resort to just cutting play after play with cynical fouls. The result? Seven minutes later, Vâásk Çêwé put the hosts ahead after minute after minute of relentless attacking culminated in Edmün Çídh managing to needle through the Huayramarcan defense with a fantastic pass. The Pasarga-based striker then fired home without a second thought, not even looking up to see where Juan Mamani was. Not a classy finish by any measure, but all goals are worth the same.

With at least a half hour left to play, it was anybody's guess what would happen next. Farf teams are well-known for having a stochastic approach to mentality: at any given moment they could be the most clutch, calm team in the Multiverse, before promptly leaving two strikers unmarked and conceding against the run of play. In this instance, however, Farfadillis would just do their job, and do so perfectly: they hogged possession for the rest of the game, and the defense and goalkeeper expertly snuffed out any attempts from the opponents to equalize. No more goals were scored, but no more goals needed to be scored, as blasphemous as that might sound to a Farf.

In the end, Farfadillis won 3-2, leaving them in an enviable position to go through or, though hopefully not, face possibly the biggest disaster in the national team's long history. Farfadillis' next opponent will be Delaclava. Although a very solid team—there's no universe in which Farfadillis could do to Eura what the Phoenixes did—la Vherderoja will still be confident in their abilities to get the win and all but secure a spot in the next round. The team still needs to work on their consistency, but every Farf has been saying this for over fifty years now, so that ship might've sailed. It is still very clear, however, that another first half like this one could spell disaster.

[Kandorith]

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Shinonome Kyoai - International

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The curse of Turori

The World Cup has people excited within the empire and the Kandorese team is looking stronger than ever, but then a dreaded name appeared in the group phase for the Kandorese: they were to face Turori again. Throughout Kandorese football history, the name Turori would mean amazing matches with both sides giving their everything to wrestle for a win, only for Kandorith to be the losing side.
By Natsumi Miyasaki
Sports

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 PGroup G                           Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Savigliane                         1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
2 Turori                             1   1  0  0    5   4  +1    3
3 Kandorith                          1   0  0  1    4   5  −1    0
4 Trolleborg                         1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0

Facing the impressive Turori team in the group phase would see a high-scoring 9 goal match for Mekahi with goals all around. It was a spectacle to behold. Before the match, Michiyu assured them that they were once again in for a fight, and what a fight it was. In Farfadillis, it would be the Kandorese to kickstart the action as Toshi Oshita's goal would send cheers through the stadium with the national team looking determined after the early goal against Turori. But a strange early substitute gave the Eels the upper hand in the 23rd minute as Aeroluzzi netted the ball for Turori with flair and skill.

Back at level, the match took a turn for the absurd. A torrent of goals would be the answer for both teams in the remaining sixty or so minutes of the entire game. Instead of a football match, the entire match looked like a game of table tennis, with the scores going back and forth, moving from draw to draw. It would take until the game's last ten minutes when Turori decided the match. The Kandorese team trying to hold the 4-4 draw would shatter before their eyes as the defence scrambled to stop the rush of Inkabu. Maruyama did everything he could to try and offset the upcoming shot, but with swift determination, the ball was chipped over the oncoming goalkeeper and the ball would end up in the net, which confirmed the third defeat in a row to Turori for the Kandorese in a 5 - 4 goal spectacle.

"Not disappointed, but feeling there was more to the match"

Yoshihiro Matsumoto was all but disappointed after the match. The midfielder has been a massive asset to the national team, both as a central midfielder and as a team captain over the years. While the midfield of Kandorith was the working horse in the field, we asked Matsumoto what exactly went wrong and how he experienced the match.

"I don't want to say anything went wrong. We were at our very best and, in the end, I think Turori just had that little bit of extra energy and finesse to take the game away from us. Matsumoto exclaimed.

"I do think, however, that there was more to the match and we could have held the draw, in my opinion." I do not know if exhaustion was a factor or just being unable to keep up with the relentlessness of Turori. That last goal was not needed in my opinion, and I, of course, realised that I had a part to play in that one. I believe that we should have closed down the match earlier and focused on not conceding rather than trying to win the match.

Although looking back at the match, I am content. It could have been worse and we kept our heads up high properly this time. It is always amazing to play against great names like Turori, and I believe that we have shown what we are capable of. I do think that this match is a great motivational tool for the other upcoming matches."

With the first match of World Cup 91 ending in a defeat, the mood is optimistic. We asked the manager for his opinion.

"The team played great. We scored goals, the midfield was looking solid and the defence did all they could, but in the end, it just wasn't enough. I also believe if we had put all our money on defending, we would have been beaten by a larger number as the Turori attack is just very efficient and knows how to break down defensive setups. I'm not disappointed at all, but I do feel there was more to the match and more to our team. I definitely enjoyed watching the chances we created and the composure we held, but it is up to us now to lick our wounds and prepare ourselves for the upcoming challenges. You don't win the future by looking back at what has been or what could have been. "

With the World Cup in full swing, the Kandorese will face Savigliane next, nicknamed the Swans. It will be the first meeting between Savigliane and Kandorith during the World Cup. Coach Ichi Tuzzio leads the red and blue-coloured team, a coach hailing from Farfadillis, which is a well-known name within football.

Savigliane is currently ranked 36th and even Michiyu considers them a potentially dangerous opponent. For Michiyu to field his best starting eleven to win the match is a must. For Kandorith to survive the group phase is a must. For the fans, it is yet another World Cup adventure for their favourite team.

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Spear of Manayomi: the first Kandorese strikes on foreign positions

Second Battlegroup shows her teeth.
By Hiromi Sugihara
War against Meiyi agression

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Under the command of Admiral Yoshiro Sato, the pride of the Imperial Kandorese Navy set sail to the East Kandorese Sea to liberate occupied territory. The office of the experienced admiral is the pride of the entire armed forces. The IKN Manayomi. The Manayomi is the largest vessel ever built in Kandorith and strikes fear in any enemy who can see the aircraft carrier's towering command structure sailing towards her position. It was not the Manayomi who was at the centre of the first strikes on Meiyi positions; it was the ships surrounding her, which together make up the main backbone of the second battlegroup. 

Early this morning, the first images and reports of the first Kandorese strikes were shown to the world. The missile cruisers IKN Aso and IKN Mosura would show their worth in a baptism of fire. These top-of-the-line missile cruisers are the newest additions to the Kandorese fleet and were taken into service just under a year ago. While they are normally considered naval patrol vessels, in wartime, missile cruisers are the main attack means of the strike force.

In a display of fire and thunder, the two cruisers turned the direct area of the East Kandore Sea into daylight as they fired their barrage of high-precision cruise missiles. In a massive bombardment, the second battlegroup fired from most of their vessels towards the enemy positions on both Kandorese territory and Yuanhua island, the main naval base for the Meiyi forces around Kandorese territories. 

According to the Imperial Ministry of Defense, the Imperial Navy bombarded at least forty positions and used cruise missiles from both cruisers and submarines, aided by long-distance bombers which took off from the IKN Manayomi and the IKN Kaiyu. The main target of the assault was Shimitsu, the capital of Arasutsi, which is completely under Meiyi occupation. Admiral Sato explained that the current actions are aimed at "softening the enemy" before the next phase of the war, which will mean a confrontation of Kandorese battalions to end the occupation of both Arasutsi and Hinoki. 

While the Kandorese navy is taking the fight to the enemy forces, there have been multiple reports coming from occupied territories about atrocities being committed by Meiyi forces. In unconfirmed reports, there are accusations of Meiyi soldiers systematically executing government officials and religious leaders. Prime Minister Yoshiro Murakami stated that "anyone found guilty of war crimes, crimes against humanity and our religion will have heavy consequences". He also tried to reach out to the Meiyi government and asked them to come to their senses. 

"I believe there is a diplomatic way out of this situation. I call upon the chairman of the People's Republic of Meiyi to prevent further human suffering. While we have a strained history, we have been able to live alongside each other. These current actions have destroyed everything we have built in the last thirty to forty years. I do believe that we can repair at least a small part of our relationships, but if Meiyi keeps up their reluctance to talk and high-level contact, I am afraid we will not be the people who will suffer. Words that were spoken just hours after the declaration of war gave a look into the thinking of the current Meiyi government and I hope they will choose peace, not suicide through war."

[Graintfjall]

Dull opening game fails to live up to expectations

After the last firework fizzled, the last laser-light was switched off, the last blast of music crackled into silence on the speakers, the crowd were treated to a game that did not, in all honesty, live up to the hype, exuberance, and razzmatazz of the opening ceremony. A sludgy, trudgy goalless draw was played out, not totally without incident, but certainly disappointing those hoping for a fast, attacking, goal-filled finals. Perhaps matches offering more were waiting on the other side, in Farfadillis. Here in Græntfjall, the same clear sky that had delighted opening ceremony organizers guaranteed cold ambient temperatures, even with the packed stadium. Players barked great clouds of steaming breath like dragons as the Kitarans kicked off, and the tone was set early when a Wang Jiahui drive from 30 metres out thundered into Björnólfur Ernestisson’s midriff by way of his gloves: a stinging shot, but from such distance as to render the end result unthreatening.

Both teams preferred to venture long shots or clear their lines with approximately equal amounts of ‘welly’ put into their boots, rather than try to put together passing sequences along the ground. Impatience for the first goal led to hasty snap shots and snatched chances when opportunities might have lain ahead with more reserve and willingness to run at opposing defenses. Or perhaps, on the night, it was just that neither team was quite at their best. Though not Tinni Grímólfursson, who had perhaps his best showing in blue-and-white. Hjörleifur Reynarsson, who led a near chanceless back line through 90 minutes and had a powerful headed goal ruled out for an infringement on Tendenka Mutsekwa so blatant that even the home crowd could barely muster a complaint, was named Man of the Match in a sop to sentimentality, in what will almost certainly be his final international game on his home ground, but it was the defensive midfielder who put in the best performance of the night.

He was the one player to bring real energy to proceedings, though had clearly not been CC’d on the memo about warming diplomatic relations: Liang Wei was justifiably furious as he watched the lumpen Græntfjaller accumulate a dozen hard tackles, shoves, and counts of unnecessary contact before Tumbran referee Amber Bradley finally saw fit to dish out a yellow. But by then he had done his job in utterly nullifying the Kitaran midfield. A creaking sense of rust permeated much of the play for the Snow Wolves, who have not played competitively in a year. Kæja Finnvarðsdóttir did little wrong, but also failed to light up the game. Shaken up by an early hard tackle by Ramah Abong’o, who marked her relentlessly all night, she was unwilling to hold on to the ball for long and preferred to dump off quick passes that too often led Vanessa or Johanna into blind alleys.

In the closing minutes, Græntfjall had their best chance courtesy of Jason Þórhallursson, who almost wrought some magic with just his fourth touch of the game, hammering a low shot after finding space at a corner, but Oduor Bigombe was on hand, or rather foot, with a fine leg save. Johanna Álvgeirsdóttir limped off late and looks set to miss the Squidroidia game; with a lack of wide cover, it is likely Vanessa Marvinsdóttir will switch to the right, Sara Kristoffersdóttir move to the left, and Danny Oddkellsson gain a first start in center. Whatever the changes made, for neutrals, and not a few Græntfjallers, there will be hopes of a more exciting second showing as the team looks to break their troublingly winless streak in World Cup finals.

Græntfjall – 0 (0)
Björnólfur; Alyssia, Grímúlfur, Hjörleifur, Emeli; Tinni (80’) (82’ Valtter ); Johanna (83’ Danny ), Sara, Vanessa; Kæja (81’ Jason ); Röskvi

Nyowani Kitara – 0 (0)
Abong’o (35’)

In this edition:

• EDITORIAL: Into the storm: government plotting a course that will drag Græntfjall under the waters of raging capitalist excess
• Crystal Court rules against Altendalur police force on use of data-mining in electronic health records
• Part-time officer? Princess Jessika again absents herself from naval duties, this time to appear at World Cup ceremony
• Government forms Office of Verdean Economic Opportunity to combat rising poverty levels among refugee population
• Feature: golf courses the surprising beneficiaries of a warming climate

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President-Elect Kulan,

Thank you for your letter; I hope my reply finds you, your family, and the people of Nyowani Kitara in good health.

With democratic elections having been fairly concluded to the satisfaction of election monitors, and those on the ground reporting to me that a genuine transition is under way, it is time for me to admit: I was wrong. I did not expect Nafuna Akongo and the KPWC to hand over power so easily, I did not expect democracy to triumph at the flick of a switch. Rarely have I been so gratified to find my political instincts wholly awry. But democracy has flourished, and with it, the opportunity for a reset between our two nations. We will be delighted to extend formal recognition to the embassy in Háttmark; in time, we also hope to offer a consulate in Hartburg whose proximity and high Kitaran population make it more suitable for immediate cross-border issues.

We will, in turn, dispatch a foreign ministry team to begin preparations for the establishment of an embassy in Dewayo, with the intention of naming Kristmar Bjarkason as our first official ambassador. Dr. Bjarkason has previously served in the foreign ministry as Undersecretary for Refugees, Assistant Secretary for Pavolan Affairs, and Ambassador to Tikariot.

In the coming months we will be communicating with IPFNK Joint Command and beginning the withdrawal of Græntfjaller peacekeeping forces once the full demobilization has been completed and the stability of your new democratic administration assured. This withdrawal will not mean that we regard the security situation as entirely resolved, and we share the concerns of regional partners in particular about the presence of YPA guerillas within Nyowani Kitara. My government would be opposed in emphatic terms to any mass amnesty granted to YPA members, and will continue to regard bringing communist insurgents to justice as a principle of universal jurisdiction. We will not recognize any amnesty terms accorded to YPA fighters.

A further security concern is the increasing incidence of narco-trafficking. Græntfjaller peacekeepers in Nyowani Kitara have been involved in counter-narcotics operations, and our border agents are reporting increasing numbers of trafficked being stopped bringing drugs into Græntfjall from Nyowani Kitara, as well as a corresponding flow of contraband, guns, and money. We will take all necessary measures to protect and secure our borders against the corrosive and corrupting trade in illegal narcotics. We will supply assistance to your government in rooting out and suppressing criminal drug traffickers.

We recognize that drug trafficking is frequently the refuge of the poor and economically disadvantaged with no other economic opportunity available. Our government’s sanctions on the Akongo family will remain in place, but with their removal from power and the transitioning of Nyowani Kitara to democratic control, it will be time to review the broader slate of multilateral sanctions on your nation. We will begin easing sanctions as soon as democratic transition occurs, beginning with food, medicine, and energy.

Furthermore, we are prepared to offer a new democratic government assistance through the Democratic Transition Fund of our Overseas Development Assistance Office. This would fast-track trade liberalization between our two countries and empower us to distribute targeted aid to revive the Kitaran economy and ensure your new republic can stand on its own feet. We are aware of the assistance you are receiving through the Euran reconstruction fund but we hope you will be receptive to the idea that Pavolan problems require Pavolan solutions. In time, we hope our two nations can reach a strong agreement on reciprocal trade and investment, bilaterally or as part of a multilateral Pavolan bloc.

Another Pavolan problem has been the refugee crisis, as you are well aware. We are ready and willing to begin a process of repatriating Kitarans from Græntfjaller territory. We hope to liaise with your organs of state (which my aides assure me is not a smutty double entendre despite the fact they keep bursting into giggles every time they say it) on this and many other transboundary issues.

There would be no more fitting means of announcing progress on these and other issues than at a state dinner, and it is my honor to invite you, President-elect Kulan, to a State Dinner in Háttmark once you have taken office. Many congratulations again on your election, and I look forward to working with you in partnership for peace.

Kaija Michaelsdóttir
Prime Minister of Græntfjall

It was only the day after she’d sent the letter that Kaija realized she’d forgot to bring up the issue of Lake Viljan wildlife preservation. Zóphonías would be so disappointed…

[Flavovespia]

Flavovespia 1 - 0 Adab

Flavovespia made sure that their debut World Cup game was worth remembering, as they won a narrow contest over Adab. The result means even if Flavovespia were to progress no further than the group stage, they still come away from World Cup 91 with points on the table, and any fears they’d be overwhelmed by the occasion seem to be dealt with.

It was barely above freezing in the Fjlarkfjall Arena in Þingsnitz, but the atmosphere in the ground was hotting up. Thousnads of Flavovespians braved the journey and conditions to be in Græntfjall, and there was a sea of yellow and black in their end of the ground. Back home, and this game was going to be one of the most matched ever in Flavovespia, matching that of Flavovespia vs The 14 Stars that sent Flavovespia to World Cup 91. The national anthems were a big moment, and for some of the veterans of the squad, who’d braved so many tough qualifying campaigns, you could almost see a tear in their eye.

For all the sentimentality of the moment, there was a game to be played. And for Flavovespia, it almost began badly. Just 3 minutes in, and Rebekah Yissakar played a great ball in towards Enlilbani Yargab. The legendary striker looked poised to score, but he put his shot straight into the onrushing Aarif Muhammad, and the rebound fortuitously fell to Andrew Dance to clear away. The pressure was largely coming from Adab in the early stages, keen to make their higher ranking and experience count.

Despite a nervous start, Flavovespia began to grow into the game as the first half wore on. Adab weren’t giving the Flavovespia players much time on the ball, but the high intensity pressure was soon to be exploited by finding space. 34 minutes played, and Kieron Player played in a great through ball to Adrian Jones. Jones maybe went a bit too much for placement not power in his shot, and Satchit Chandrasekar was able to push it away. Michael Cole closed in at the final second, but couldn’t get his first time shot on target from a very narrow angle, as the ball smashed into the side netting. It was however Adab who’d round out the first half the strongest, no clear-cut chances from them, but a few half chances that tested Aarif Muhammad and the defence of Flavovespia. 45 minutes played, 0-0 the score.

The second half started better for Flavovespia. They seemed to be able to move the ball despite the pressing of Adab, and were able to open up some space. There was now a bit more confidence and a bit of a momentum shift. Then, the key moment in the 58th minute. David Clark’s long pass found Adrian Jones just outside the area. Under pressure from Shania Enmerkar, he flicked the ball onto Jonathan Bagshaw. Bagshaw had the pace and skill to take it past Tansu Altun. His shot was well taken, with power and precision to put it past Satchit Chandrasekar. The opening goal of the game, not long before the hour mark, and it had gone to Flavovespia and their young star Jonathan Bagshaw.

The complexion of the game had changed, and Adab needed to find a goal. They had a strong attack, but needed to get the ball to those attackers, and that was proving a challenge. Flavovespia were now dropping deeper, cramping their half of the pitch for room. As well as the defensive line, the midfield trio were doing a great job of closing off the passing routes, and posing a counter attacking threat. But for a great challenge by Tansu Altun, Jonathan Bagshaw almost made a break for goal via David Clark’s quick turnover and long pass. The most nervous came in the 85th minute, when a cross in from Ephraim Orlev looked to have flown past everyone, only to fall into the path of Kastiliasu Akaptaha. However he snatched at the chance, firing the half-volley over the bar, and Flavovespian fans breathed a huge sigh of relief.

The final whistle blew to loud cheers from the Flavovespian fans in the ground and back home in Flavovespia. After the struggles of years gone by in opening games of tournaments, especially new ones, it was a turning point to see Flavovespia win on debut in the World Cup. For plenty, the mere fact Flavovespia will come out of this tournament with some points is a win in itself. But, with an opening matchday win, and an unbeaten streak of 15, others dare to dream further. In the other Group D game, there was a surprise as Nephara defeated The Holy Empire 2-3. Felixe Vetiver showed just why she is so hyped. On as a substitute, her hat-trick won Nephara the game. Flavovespia’s next game is against The Holy Empire. They may have lost their opening game, but they’ll go up against Flavovespia as big favourites, and keen to get their tournament back on track. But, can Flavovespia cause what could be the biggest upset in their history?

[Mytanija]

EPISODE 1: DIRTY OLD TOWN
EPISODE 2: START AGAIN
EPISODE 3: BEYOND THE SEA
EPISODE 4: STEP ON
EPISODE 5: I’M FEELING IT (IN THE AIR)
EPISODE 6: BLUE MOON
EPISODE 7: DON’T STOP
EPISODE 8: THE SHARKS ARE CIRCLING
EPISODE 9: TRUE FAITH

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

EPISODE 10: TOP OF THE WORLD (PART ONE)

“The emotional high after the Copa de Campeones semi-final must have been so difficult to come down from, how did you cope with that?”

“I think because of how tough Gunzlach made that second leg it made it even more of a high,” Pedja Kasun starts. “We had to work really hard to get through that tie. We did brilliantly to do so, it was like the epitome of Misel Ravnjak defending at times, bodies on the line, blocks, last-ditch tackles, the works. I think for me it was easier to put it into perspective than a lot of the team, I was one of the oldest, I had to keep going around reminding everyone that we still had two final to play. I think some of the younger players might have forgot about the National Cup in their excitement!”

“They definitely did,” Mateja Stojkovic laughs. “I think Pedja did a good job, but then as a coaching staff we had to put it behind us immediately and re-focus onto the National Cup final and start thinking about how we were going to win that. I think it was easier for us because of that, if we’d just had league games left it could have become all about one game, which might have had the opposite effect and ramped up the pressure on the Copa de Campeones final. The fact we had two finals separated our focus out, it made us sit up immediately after winning the Gunzlach tie. Misel made sure that the players understood that the day after, too.”

“How so?”

“Well he allowed them the night after to celebrate, a few beers were shared, but then everybody was called in for a late session the day after. Not to actually train but to do a bit of video analysis and just to have a team meeting to underline that we had two very important games left and that if we wanted to make history then we had to win both.”

“Yeah, I always remember some of the younger lads walking into that session bleary eyed and a bit worse for wear but then you had Lindse Kvasina and Neo Susec absolutely razor sharp. They’d enjoyed the night but they came in with a focus that showed they meant business, they understood what we could still do that season even early on in their careers. A good sign of what was to come for both of them.” Pedja adds.

“Lindse was a machine for things like that.” Mateja says. “She snapped at anybody who wasn’t giving the gaffer their full attention. It was so helpful having people like that in the camp, especially young players. Sometimes the other young players might listen to her where they wouldn’t have been as receptive to say Pedja, Zelimir or even Mingrong or Vido. She was great to have in the team.”

“Litala ’93 ended up 6th that year, five points behind you guys in the league, how difficult a task were they going to pose in the National Cup final?”

“They were a seriously good team, even just from a ‘keeper’s perspective they had Dragisa Lazarevic and I knew him so well from with the national team. Think he was about 8 or 9 years younger than me and if it wasn’t for Semir Besak he might have ended up being the fella who took over from me at that level. A fantastic player, always gave forwards a hard time and made his defence better.” Pedja explains.

“Yeah, Lazarevic was a good goalie. Luca Zagorc had been with them for nearly two full years at this point. Not quite, I don’t think, but getting to that. He loved his teams to press high up the pitch, hassle the opposition. It needed a lot of energy across the pitch but they’d built a squad able to do it. Boza Despotovic was excellent at the base of midfield, they lost him for a pretty low fee that summer because he only had a year left on his contract, a real shame for them. Vasseas and Hjik ahead of him had lots of that energy needed. Vasseas was probably the technically superior player of the pair, Neven Hjik never quite had the ability of his dad I don’t think.”

“A really solid midfield though, in general.” Pedja confirms.

“Aye.. And then they had this kind of weird narrow front three where Evtim Asenov played a little bit behind them, but not quite as an attacking midfielder, sort of a second striker behind Dragisa Alagic and Jiahui Wang. Loads of energy there too, by the way, but it was a tricky thing to plan against because they would usually have three up against two and it allowed them to press your defenders whenever they had possession. Not that that was necessarily an issue for us…”

“Ravnjak didn’t mind going long, did he?”

“Not at all.” Pedja smirks. “I quite liked it, it meant I had to take less risks, which was all good in my book. I know Dragisa at the other end enjoyed having the ball at his feet, but I preferred the ball away from my goal where possible.”

“Yeah, the gaffer could play it short if he felt it worked for the situation, but in general against teams who liked to press high up he would look to send it long, try to either hit Vido Mehic and win the flick on or knockdown or run in the channels with Viggo Sjostrom or Vasja Vansek. We had a fair bit of success with that against some of the bigger sides in the Top League under Misel Ravnjak. It was more or less the game plan for the National Cup final too. We felt that we could sit back and soak up Litala’s pressure. They were good in possession but outside of Vasseas and Asenov they didn’t have too many who could unpick the lock, so to speak, Spiridonovic from full-back could provide a good cross occasionally but we backed ourselves to defend anything in the air reasonably well. So Rebernik was given a man-marking brief for Vasseas and the gaffer decided that Zelimir Apostolov would start so that we could go man-to-man against Asenov, Alagic and Wang.”

“A big call for a final, surely?”

“Definitely, particularly to change to a 5-4-1 which we hadn’t played very much at all that season, it was pretty much the 4-4-1-1, a 4-1-4-1 or a 4-3-3. The third centre-half does change how you play, too, so it was a big call.”

“It paid off though!” Pedja interjects.

“Well, let’s see…” The interviewer says sheepishly as the footage rolls.

“Hello and welcome to the National Cup final here at Radnika in Esca, what a game we have in store here, two lesser fancied sides meeting for a rather novel final pairing: Ararat Severyan versus Litala ’93. For Ararat this is the opportunity to win the only domestic trophy they haven’t yet won and to set-up the potential of a cup and Rushmore Copa de Campeones double… For Litala ’93 this is a chance to end a trophy drought stretching all the way back to the 08/09 season, it would also be a first ever National Cup for them and they could win it at the home of their capital city rivals, 1923 Esca, which would really rub salt into the wounds. An excellent game ahead of us, surely Andrej?”

“I think so Dino, we can barely hear ourselves speak over the noise in this stadium, two fantastic clubs with vibrant fan bases and supporters groups. They deserve this sort of occasion at the national stadium and I think we’re in for a real treat today. We know that Litala ’93 will come to press high, hope to make life difficult to Ararat and we know that Ararat are more than prepared to sit back, soak up pressure and hit teams like Litala on the counter-attack. Styles make fights and I think we could be in for a barnstormer because of that!”

“Let’s hope so, Andrej, the teams are out and lining up for the national anthem. Kick-off is just minutes away!”

After the formalities Pedja Kasun and Antun Spiridonovic can be seen shaking hands in the middle of the pitch as referee Bekir Hodzic talks them through some more formalities about the toss of a coin. Kasun can be heard giving a jokey ‘we’ve been here before ref, we know what to do’ only to be met with a stony-faced referee, though Spiridonovic – Kasun’s occasional national team colleague – lets out a chuckle. Kasun wins the coin toss.

“I want to kick towards our fans second-half, ref, so whatever allows us to do that please.”

“Okay so Litala ’93 to kick-off and then you want to kick towards their supporters first-half, correct?”

“Sounds good.”

“Okay, let’s have a good game, gentlemen.” Hodzic says as Kasun and Spiridonovic bump fists again and the teams ready themselves.

“You seem very relaxed there, Pedja.” The interviewer observes.

“I was, I didn’t ever really get too nervous once I was out of the early days of my career. The occasion didn’t get to me all that much. I knew it was a big chance for us, winning trophies is what we get in the game to do, but I think I was able to compartmentalise that side of things really well. I think it helped that I got on with Spiro [Antun Spiridonovic] as well, we were laughing and joking before the game. I know a lot of other players might have been there, deadly serious, not sharing any words. We knew each other from the national team and were good pals so it lightened the mood, we’d both give it 100% against one another but we could do that before the game as well.”

“A lot of people didn’t like that!” Mateja laughs.

“Yeah, probably you included!” Pedja shoots back. “Everybody’s different, I know that Lindse, for example, would rarely do that sort of thing. A few supporters gave me stick for it after too, but they see the game very differently to how players do, once you’re in that world you end up having mates everywhere just because of the national team and things like that.”

“Even from Lok. Cassia?”

“Maybe not, let’s not go that far.” Pedja laughs.

“With the game plan being the way it was you couldn’t have asked for a much better start, could you Mateja?”

“Not really. First ten minutes we just wanted to limit their pressing opportunities really because we knew Luca Zagorc would have them coming out at 100 miles an hour, chasing everything, the gaffer felt that the lads could tire their players out with that eventually, so the start was more about weathering the storm. It actually ended up going a lot better than we could have imagined, but it just goes to show you that for all the modern positional play and short passing that sometimes a long, high ball can still be the most difficult thing to defend in the sport.”

“Litala ’93 have started the game very fast here, I’m sure that Luca Zagorc is pleased with the way his players have shut down the Ararat team, forcing them into long passes. Litala have not done too much when they’ve actually had the ball themselves, however, but here’s a chance for Efthimis Vasseas to get on the ball in the middle of the park. He plays it into Alagic’s feet, the striker is up against Chloe Koppenol, Alagic tries to hook it inside to Asenov but he has miscontrolled it and the ball has bobbled up off Apostolov… And Mingrong Yuan steams in to hoof the ball clear.”

“Let’s see how Litala ’93 defend this Dino!” Andrej shouts, excitedly, spotting that Ararat have a half-chance to break here. Vido Mehic is left up against Jasar Abadzic and Sime Krolo but both the Ararat wingers, Viggo Sjostrom and Vasja Vansek, have remained high up too with only Zivorad Moldovan back to cover. A potential three-on-three if only the ball would drop Ararat’s way.

“It’s taken a long time for the ball to come down, will anyone try to win the header… Krolo goes up against Mehic and he meets it— Oh no! Krolo’s mistimed the header and the ball’s going back towards his own goal, Vasja Vansek is running through! Huge chance for Ararat! Vansek! Around Lazarevic! Vansek! Goal for Ararat Severyan! The Ararat supporters at the opposite end of Radnika are in delirium! A sea of red-and-white is alive in celebration!”

“Sime Krolo will be sick to his stomach with that one, Dino.” Andrej chimes in. “He’s done well to beat Mehic in the air but the Ararat forward has actually got what he wanted out of that, his pressure has forced an error and Krolo hasn’t quite timed the header properly and it’s hit the top of his head and gone back towards his own goal. Nobody read that apart from young Vasja Vansek, he was alive to it and it meant he got to the ball before Lazarevic – the goalkeeper’s starting position wasn’t the greatest but he would not have expected that error – and the young winger has poked it around the ‘keeper and then side-footed it into the empty net! Sensational!”

“Ararat have got exactly what they wanted, a goal ahead and they are not a team you want to have to chase! They love to defend and Litala ’93 have a serious job on their hands now… Misel Ravnjak’s men are experts at battening down the hatches, digging in, parking the bus, whatever you want to call it. Less than ten minutes on the clock and they’re ahead!”

“It seems crazy to hear a commentator talking about it like that, as if a team could just defend for 80 minutes and that be exactly what they want from the match.” The interviewer says.

“Yeah and it is a bit.” Mateja states. “Completely. It’s a tough task to defend stoutly for like the last ten minutes against some opponents. But Misel Ravnjak had coached his team for years in situations like this. It was ingrained in the players at the club, new players were indoctrinated swiftly. It’s almost what we came to expect, get 1-0 ahead and then dig in and make the other team wish they weren’t on the pitch. Block shots, make tackles, get the ball and hoof it long for Vido, waste time where possible, get under the opposition’s skin. All of that sort of thing. We would make it hellish for them. At the same time, it wasn’t as one dimensional as that in this particular game, we knew Litala would throw more and more forward. We knew they could tire themselves out with the way they play. We knew we’d get chances, particularly in the second-half, so it was never going to be quite as defensive as the commentary makes out.”

“I think the game against Gunzlach – the second leg – being so close to the National Cup final probably created that narrative a little bit.” Pedja Kasun chips in. “And in fairness, if it had gone that way we might have been alright. We had that sort of thing in us. I’m glad it didn’t quite go that way in the end, just the remainder of the first-half and then we were able to bring Lindse and went to a 5-3-1-1 formation.”

“That was a smart move by the gaffer,” Mateja says. “I think initially he would have preferred going back to the 4-4-1-1 but the problem that had was that we could be left three versus two in the middle of our defence because of how high up Asenov played. So we stuck with the 5 at the back, except our full-backs, Milosevic and Susec, had to provide the width for us instead. Lindse came on for Vasja and went in as the number ten; and Petra Hall came on for Viggo Sjostrom. Her and Pogaenik flanking Rebernik made us so sturdy in the middle.”

“Did Jonatan Rebernik continue to man-mark Efthimis Vasseas?”

“Not so much! With the three in there we had an extra player so it was just about ensuring somebody picked Vasseas up, but we were so good at switching players defensively that that was almost second nature to whoever went into midfield. We knew what we were doing.”

“How did Lindse Kvasina react to not being picked as a starter for the National Cup final?”

“About as well as you would expect…” Pedja says, slightly abashed. “She wanted to play every game, especially the important ones, but for the gaffer this was purely tactical. Absolutely nothing about her ability, nothing like that. He just wanted to play a slightly different formation to counter Litala ’93. In the first-half it worked and then he tweaked it a little bit for the second-half which brought her into the game.”

“And did you get the feeling that she was going to perform despite being frustrated at not starting?”

“Of course! Lindse always gave her all, even if she was pissed off at the gaffer.”

“Especially if she was pissed off at the gaffer.” Mateja interrupts.

“Exactly. She meant business when she stepped on the pitch after half-time. You also knew that the gaffer wouldn’t make too many more changes, two at half-time meant he only had one left and he’d want to save it towards extra time in case Litala got back in the game, so everyone who was on – including Lindse – knew they had to empty the tank as there wouldn’t be much back-up coming on. Barring an injury it’d probably be left until the last ten minutes or so.”

“I suppose she ended up demonstrating just why the manager brought her on, too.” Mateja smiles. “I don’t think she held a grudge.”

“Ararat still a goal ahead here and Misel Ravnjak has set his team up to make it very difficult for Litala ’93 to operate in central areas, he wants them to have to go down the sides and so far his team have forced them wide and then dealt with the ball well when it’s been put into the penalty area.” Dino, the commentator, announces.

“Yeah, it’s been a bit of a tactical masterclass from Ravnjak so far, Ararat got ahead early and since then they have defended like we know they can. Second-half it has even been fairly comfortable for them!” Andrej is always on hand to provide his opinion too.

“Just over an hour in here, Jonatan Rebernik pinches the ball off Evtim Asenov and Ararat will look to bring the ball forward. Rebernik, into the feet of Radovan Pogaenik, he has Asmir Milosevic moving up the left flank… Pogaenik brings it forward. Ravnjak will want him to use it quickly here before Litala ’93 get set, he passes to his right where young Petra Hall can take over. Hall shifts it onto her right foot, shapes to shoot! Oh, she’s taken it past Zivorad Moldovan, excellent feint by Hall there… She plays it into the feet of Vido Mehic, the striker holds off Abadzic, Mehic lays it off for Kvasinaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Lindse Kvasina! What a goal!”

“Unbelievable strike Dino!” Andrej interjects. “The roof has come off this place!”

“It really has! What a strike by Lindse Kvasina! She’s around 25 yards out from goal, Vido Mehic has done brilliantly to hold Abadzic off and then he’s laid it off so precisely that Kvasina only had to run onto the ball and hit it! And how she has hit it! A thunderbolt from the boot of Lindse Kvasina! The Nepharan has Ararat Severyan on their way to a first ever National Cup. Ararat 2, Litala ’93 0… Litala have a mammoth task to try to overcome this deficit against Ararat of all teams.”

“I think it could be out of sight for Litala ’93 now, Dino, Ararat are the last team you want to be playing when you’re chasing a game and particularly when two goals down. They are so good defensively, prepared to hunker down and defend in two regimented lines, just leaving Kvasina and Mehic up the pitch to press a bit. It’s so tough to break down! Ararat should see this game out here with around half an hour to go if you bring injury time into the equation.”

...

“The Ararat end are whistling for full-time here at Radnika, they’re 2-0 to the good and in truth it has been comfortable during this second-half for them, they’ve outclassed Litala ’93 today and Luca Zagorc’s team just haven’t had the answers to Misel Ravnjak’s tactical masterplan.” Dino says, the din in Radnika audible through the television commentary.

“They haven’t been able to pull Ararat out of their shape and the two goals Ararat scored were pure quality, Dino, a well-deserved victory for Ararat… or it will be as soon as this referee blows the whistle.” Andrej remarks.

“Bekir Hodzic takes a look at his watch, the ball is safely in midfield here, you feel that Litala would need to have it up Ararat’s end to make him consider adding a bit of time on… Pogaenik has it, that’s great news for Ararat— And there it is! Hodzic blows the whistle! The Ararat end roars its approval! Misel Ravnjak follows the league title last season with a National Cup triumph this year! The first time in Ararat Severyan’s history! There are Ararat supporters on the pitch here at Radnika, celebrating with their players! Pedja Kasun punches the air in delight… He’s won everything there is to win domestically now, capping off a sensational career. Truly excellent from Ararat today!”

…

“Pedja Kasun is the last player up the steps at Radnika to collect the trophy, the club captain has waited for all of his teammates to go ahead of him. Premier Mecava-Catic is here to hand the trophy over, Kasun beckons someone back towards the trophy, Zelimir Apostolov I think, yes, it’s Apostolov. Probably his last ever domestic game with the club. Mecava-Catic offers the pair her congratulations and hands the trophy over… Ararat Severyan, National Cup winners 32/33!”

“How did it feel to see your two old pals lifting that trophy together, Mateja?” The interviewer asks.

“Incredible, honestly, though it did make me wonder if I could have managed one more year.” He laughs. “I knew it was over for me at the end of the previous season, but to be able to be involved in the team for the next year was incredible and ended up being as rewarding a feeling as playing was – particularly when you get to see your pals succeed in the way that they did. Both were excellent in the National Cup final too.”

“And a lovely gesture to allow Zelimir to lift the trophy with you, Pedja.”

“It just felt right, Zelimir had given the club so much over the years and it was pretty much the least he deserved for all those years of service. As Mateja says, he was excellent when he came into the team and played a huge role in the final to combat Litala’s front three. The gaffer absolutely got that one right, didn’t he?”

“I guess the result tells us all we need to know,” The interviewer chuckles. “But after that match how did you then focus on the fact you had the Copa de Campeones final around a week later?”

“It was more of the same,” Mateja says, sternness returning to his voice. “The gaffer was very strict on it during that two weeks. We had to be on it if we wanted to have a chance at winning both trophies and he made sure that the players understood that. We didn’t celebrate too much after winning the National Cup. It was back to business, there were no beers like after the Copa de Campeones semi-final. The game was too important, it wasn’t worth losing focus.”

“Yeah, exactly how Mateja says, really. I think once we had won the cup everybody realised we could do something quite special, winning a cup and regional competition double as a supposedly ‘provincial side’. That was a phrase the gaffer hated, wasn’t it Mateja?” Pedja asks, Mateja nods his agreement. “But he brought it up time and time again to put a bit of fire in our bellies to prove everybody wrong, we weren’t a provincial side, we were a contender. He gave us the chip on our shoulder which made everybody want to disprove that moniker and it worked.”

“I think – most importantly – winning the National Cup gave everybody the belief needed.” Mateja says sagely. “That belief combined with that fire in the belly was a dangerous combination and I think that Ararat side could have given absolutely anybody a run for their money with that mentality mixed in with the personnel the team had at the time. A potent mix and we saw the result in Jiangdong.”

[Alasdair I Frosticus]

JUAN TZIMISCES POST-MATCH PRESS CONFERENCE

"Now, ladies and gentlemen of the press - you know how unusual it is for Mr Tzimisces to give a post-match press conference, so please try and keep your questions brief and respectful..."

"Good evening. I'm Juan Tzimisces; I believe you have some questions for me. You there - the elf in the second row."

"Last night's match against Nephara seemed to be unusually chaotic, what with two Nepharan players suffering psychotic breakdowns, and your team conceding two handball penalties under unusual circumstances; would you care to comment?"

"It's not for me to comment on the breakdowns suffered by Harper and Kurtishi; this is a matter for the Nepharans. I hope both players recover."

"Yes, but what about those two penalties you conceded?"

"I'll freely concede that we have a problem on defence with Scleruso and Sphrantzes. The height advantage offered by Comneno on set pieces - amply supported by the extra width in defensive walls offered by Lascaro - is counterbalanced by the ease with which Basil and Jorge handle the ball, what with Basil's extra tiny hands growing out of his fingers, and Jorge's buttock hands. Look, at the end of the day Vetiver only scored one of the two penalties awarded - a fine save from Paraspondylo on the second - and I think we were good value for at least a 2-2 draw given the broader chaos, and this is something I'll need to discuss with Simeone."

"Why not just replace Scleruso and Sphrantzes with different defenders?"

"Because my only back-up defender has grown baby heads out of his hips."

"But you could use normal defenders..."

"My players are perfectly normal and not in any way unusual. Next question - yes, the fire-breathing dragon at the back."

"Mr Tzmisces, do you think your team can go on to reach a fourth consecutive World Cup? What do your dromozoa-impacted squad offer that cuddly Cthulhu and the mad cultists couldn't?"

"Normality; it's a refreshing change to be managing a squad of completely normal lads rather than eldritch entities (however lovely) or slightly deluded cultists."

"Normal? Have you seen your squad?"

"I see them every day, obviously. They look perfectly normal to me. Next question - the sentient shade of crimson over to the left."

"You've faced some criticism in the coloursphere for persisting with 3-5-2 last night, even when losing 3-2 with less than five minutes left to play. Could you have brought on Cantucazeno, for example, to offer some additional width down the left?"

"Cantucazeno has penises growing out of his head."

"Yes? And?"

"Ah, sorry - you're asking me a sensible question that assumes the essential normality of my squad?"

"Of course. I have nothing but the utmost respect for you, Mr Tzimisces; and besides, sentient colours don't have genitalia, so I've never quite understood why Mr Cantucazeno's current state should be a source of some distraction among solid humanoid entities."

"My apologies for the misunderstanding. The answer is simple. We haven't become one of the most successful teams in World Cup history by adapting to other teams; we expect other teams to adapt to us. I live by 3-5-2, I'll likely die by 3-5-2, and I see no reason to change 3-5-2. As to tactical substitutions, they're for the birds. Next question... the hive mind deity off to the right."

"Thank you Mr Tzimisces. We were wondering if you had any thoughts on the Flavovespia match?"

"One of the teams will have to wear their away kit. Final question - the beholder hovering over there."

"Do you have an response to the rumours that your World Cup 92 squad will consist of 2-metre tall hyper-intelligent hamsters led by an adorable monocle-wearing genius called Gerald?"

"No comment. Thank you everyone for your time; I'm looking forward to leading my utterly normal and in no way remarkable lads out against Flavovespia. Thank you again."

[Hapilopper]

The Team Hapilopper Hotel, Farolera, Farfadillis
The morning after World Cup 91 Match 1: Hapilopper 3-5 Brenecia

Well, so much for lightning striking twice. Team Hapilopper did score three again against the Brenecia Patriots, that much could be seen. But Brenecia was clearly the better team the night before, and in the waning minutes of the match, Team Hapilopper just looked tired and out of it, clearly not up to take the fight to the Brenecians. The team was feeling all of it the next morning.

As Nathan Ellis got out of bed the next morning, everything hurt. His head felt like he had been worked over with a hammer. His knees were shot, as were his legs and his feet. He was in so much pain that he didn’t even bother going over to the coffee pot to fix himself some coffee as he usually did every morning. Instead, it was straight to the tub, where he would sit for the next hour and a half as he tried to recover from what had been 90 minutes of hauling up and down the pitch against one of the best teams he had fought against.

Thom Perkins and Dom Probst, meanwhile, were glumly tucked into breakfast downstairs. They looked at each other, not really wanting to say anything. Team Hapilopper had done decently well during the match, but not well enough, and the team flatly could not afford to drop a match entirely like that. With only three matches in the group phase, Team Hapilopper was already well behind the eight-ball, behind the Squornshelan Remnant States and behind Brenecia.

They looked around, looking for an answer – how and what could they do to better themselves? What could they do to not embarrass themselves against the SRS? What could they do to improve their play? The two saw Parker Mathis, Pete Robson and Toby Bryson walk past and figured they weren’t the problem. Team Hapilopper didn’t have a problem scoring goals. What they had a problem with, instead, was allowing goals. They allowed way too many, and maybe they needed to take some measures to change that.

“You wouldn’t suppose that maybe we could convince Nathan to transition to coaching full-time, would you?” Dom asked.

“I’ve thought about it,” Thom replied. “We need to do something different than let him smash into guys like that anymore. I think we need to try something different.”

They didn’t know it, but Nathan was thinking the same thing. Approaching his 36th birthday, Nathan found it harder and harder to recover from 90 minutes of physical football. While he didn’t want to admit it, he was starting to figure that he could better serve Hapiloppian football by serving as a mentor to his teammates and by doing so by staying on the sidelines, rather than going on the pitch and slamming someone into next week.

“Give him a call,” Dom said. “Maybe he’d be interested in talking about it.”

So Thom did. Nathan, like most responsible adults not overly concerned with electrocuting themselves by bringing an electronic device in the tub, was playing on his cell phone while relaxing in the bathtub, so he was able to take Thom’s call pretty quickly. Thom was relieved – he figured Nathan would have nothing to do with talking to anyone at this time of morning, especially after losing a World Cup group match.

“Ellis, I was curious about something… what are you doing right now?” Thom asked.

“I’m hurting, man,” Nathan said. “I feel like shit. I can barely walk right now. I’m in the tub because I can’t really move anywhere. I’m getting too old for this shit.”

“Alright, when you feel up to it, can you come over to my room?” Thom asked. “I need to ask you something.”

“You can ask me right now,” Nathan groused. “Spare me the dramatics. What is your question?”

“Well, and please don’t take this the wrong way, but we feel like we’re giving up too many goals,” Thom started, a little wary of saying something that would offend his team captain. “We shouldn’t be giving up five goals in a World Cup match. We shouldn’t be giving up five goals in any match. Either way, Dom and I have been talking, and we feel like we need to revamp the defense. Maybe bring in new blood.”

“When do you want to do this?” Nathan asked. “I mean, it’s not like we can just fly people in at a moment’s notice. I’ve got a crew and they know what they need to do. They know their assignments. If I bring someone new in, does that person know how all this works?”

“Ellis, I’d like to do something as soon as our next match,” Thom replied. “I know we can’t just bring anyone new in, but I’d like to do something different, because obviously whatever we had wasn’t working. Maybe a new formation? Maybe we could swap out some players?”

“Swap me out, Perkins,” Nathan replied. “Swap me out. I’m too old for this shit. I can barely move right now. I woke up and went right to the tub. Get someone else in there that can move. I’ve been doing this for too long and to be perfectly frank, I don’t think I can do it much longer. Get Ashley Stanford on the phone and tell her she’s starting in my place.”

“Really?” Thom asked.

“Really,” Nathan snapped. “I’m in pain. I can’t do this much longer. I’m going to sit myself for the next match. Put Ashley Stanford in my place.”

“Alright, I’ll do that,” Thom replied as he hung up the phone.

“What’d he say?” Dom asked.

“That went a lot easier than I thought it would,” Thom started. “I figured Nate was going to tell us to go to hell. He said he’s in the bathtub, he can’t move, he’s in pain, and he told me to start Stanford instead of him.”

“We can do that,” Dom replied. “Call her.”

Ashley Stanford, meanwhile, was still sound asleep in her hotel room. She wasn’t in any kind of pain whatsoever, and instead, was just happy to be in Farfadillis for the World Cup. What she wasn’t happy with, however, was the fact that she was getting a phone call from Thom Perkins this early in the morning.

“This better be good,” Ashley grumbled as she answered the phone.

“I sure hope you think this is good,” Thom said. “I just got off the phone with Nate Ellis, he said he can’t play for the next match and he told me to put you in his place.”

“This better not be a prank,” Ashley grumbled, still half-asleep. “This a prank, coach?”

“I don’t prank about things like this,” Thom replied. “Ellis would kill me. Either way, when we go for practice later on, you’re in the Ellis spot. You better be good.”

As Ashley woke up, got dressed and headed down for breakfast, she found out pretty quickly that it most definitely was not a joke. She got down there around the same time that Nathan did, and she found that Nathan was barely able to move. He went over to her, gave her the defensive book and told her to get accustomed to it. And while she was practicing and getting ready for the match against the Squornshelan Remnant States, Nathan was sitting in a lawn chair on the sidelines, his knees very heavily taped and iced up.

And as he sat there, he found that he didn’t mind not being out there.

[Squornshelan Remnant States]

Another Strong Start
Salwan Mynhier

For the third time in as many qualifications, the Black-and-Reds have won their opening match of the group stage. Back in World Cup 88, the Confederacy’s first modern-era qualification, it was 13th-ranked Baker Park who fell to the Black-and-Reds. Last cycle, 31st-ranked Vdara were the ones to fall. And now, fifth-ranked Ko-oren have fallen to the Confederacy, once again putting the Black-and-Reds in a strong position after the group stage opener. Remaining are the matches against 39th-ranked Hapilopper and 17th-ranked Brenecia. The Black-and-Reds could, depending on the result between Brenecia and Ko-oren, even go so far as to clinch advancement to the second round with a win on matchday two against Hapilopper.

The key to matchday one’s victory, the team’s ninth straight match without a loss, was in the midfield, where Tabur, Hashemi, and Zazagan were able to outcompete and outpossess their Dragonfly counterparts. That and a relatively early breakthrough that saw the ball in the back of Ko-oren’s net off the left foot of Ikra Yonte left the Dragonflies in the unaccustomed position of having to chase the match, particularly in the later stages after Hashemi doubled the lead. Archer managed to claw one goal back, coming on late, but the equalized eluded Davenport’s side.

Schedule and Results:

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

MD1:  ERM 1-1 SRS @ Daulapura Stadium (cap. 40,000), Daulapura, Daula, ERM
MD2:  SRS 3-5 BNJ @ Radlov Arena (cap. 76,800), Brantisvogan, Megabrantis, SRS
MD3:  QUK 2-1 SRS @ TBA
MD4:      BYE
MD5:  SRS 4-1 MIL @ Overburg Arena (cap. 46,222), Damogran, Algolia, SRS
MD6:  EFK 1-2 SRS @ Lake Dal Stadium (cap. 55,900), Kebmot', Ssedbam, EFK
MD7:  SRS 3-1 ALR @ Eichlen Stadium (cap. 37,500), Rudlit, West Flania, SRS
MD8:  LMB 3-2 SRS @ TBA
MD9:  SRS 3-3 SRG @ Civic Arena (cap. 58, 300), Viltvodle, Megabrantis, SRS
MD10: BRO 2-5 SRS @ TBA
MD11: SRS 2-1 MNS @ Killough Grove (cap. 31,400), Han Wavel, Han Dold, SRS
MD12: SRS 4-3 ERM @ Striterax Cybernetics Arena (cap. 64,325), Striterax, Isle of Squornshelous, SRS
MD13: BNJ 3-0 SRS @ The Stadium of the Restoration (cap. 91,835), Busukuma, National Capitol Region, BNJ
MD14: SRS 3-0 QUK @ Zenith Stadium (cap. 58,400), Stavromula, Isle of Squornshelous, SRS
MD15:     BYE
MD16: MIL 2-4 SRS @ TBA
MD17: SRS 3-0 EFK @ Synesoft Arena (cap. 46,950), Syneca, Sivolvia, SRS
MD18: ALR 1-1 SRS @ A field (cap. 100), Lahaira, ALV
MD19: SRS 3-0 LMB @ Smolak Systemy Stadion (cap. 31,200), Sjerezo, Molvania, SRS
MD20: SRG 2-3 SRS @ Estadio Generalissimo Joaquín Delgado (cap. 108,879), Soluca, SRG
MD21: SRS 1-1 BRO @ Emerald Coast Coliseum (cap. 31,200), Vassilian, Algolia, SRS
MD22: MNS 1-2 SRS @ TBA
P/O1: ETM 0-0 SRS @ Olympic Stadium (cap. 100,000), Centralis, ETM
P/O2: SRS 1-0 ETM @ Megabrantid Financial Field (cap. 69,245), Brantisvogan, Megabrantis, SRS

G01: KOR 1-2 SRS @ Uncertain, FFD
G02: HAP  v  SRS @ Undetermined, FFD
G03: SRS  v  BRE @ Unknown but likely on fire, FFD

World Come Undone, Part 9
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8

This spring marks two years of war in West Squornshelous. Seven hundred thirty days of fighting.

But no one is celebrating this anniversary. Not in the Imperial army bases, where tired soldiers shelter from the hostile countryside. Not in the revolutionary camps and trails, where lean, hungry fighters grimly tighten their belts and pull blankets tighter around themselves against the lingering chill of departing winter. Not in the cities and towns of West Squornshelous, where citizens have come to feel like prisoners in their own homes. Not even on the Isle of Squornshelous. Even there, the army’s hunger for resources has placed a strain on everyday life for many, with copper, rubber, gasoline, and other vital war materials heavily rationed, and rosy state media reports of imminent victory ringing more and more hollow with each month that passes without an end to the fighting.

These restrictions are not applied evenly across the Isle’s population though. For the leisure class, and for as large a portion of the more affluent working class that the Imperial government can manage. Life goes on more or less as normal. Certainly, some of them have sons, brothers, fathers away in the war. From time to time, a black sedan in army livery arrives at a house in the neighborhood to deliver sad news. Thoroughly patriotic though, these are the sorts of people who can be relied upon to consider their family members as noble sacrifices on the altar of peace and prosperity. Few question the necessity, cause, or even the severity of the war. The So-and-so’s up the block may have lost their son, but it can’t be all that bad. The news says that the rebels are being defeated time and again by our brave boys, and it can only be a matter of time before they can all come home.

For the vast masses that make up the Imperium’s underclass, the same people who began the rebellion in the West, it is a very different picture. Families go hungry, as market shelves are left bare. Busses are always jam-packed as gas shortages lead to service reductions. And if the war is going so well, why have so many thousands of these families received the dreaded form letters informing them in curt terms that their son, their father, their brother will not be coming home? These people, downtrodden for generations before the Imperium ever turned its expansionist eye upon the West, are evidently not ready to take up the fight that their siblings across the straight have done. Still, evidence of the discontent can be found in the record keeping of the Ministries of Industry and of Commerce. In the spring quarter, 80% of factories will fail to meet productivity quotas. The reasons cited in ensuing investigations are sometimes fantastical, alleging rebel sabotage in areas that historians can conclusively prove no revolutionary forces were near. Still, the general picture emerges from the data that record levels of absenteeism, shoddy work (deliberate in a few cases), and antipathy from workers toward management are having a real effect on the Imperial economy. Rather than buying in and pulling together as state media exhorts them to, the Imperial working class is quickly becoming disillusioned. It is one thing to know that the government routinely lies to you. It is another to be fed the lie so transparently when beset daily by the effects of the truth.

This situation warrants delicate handling by the Imperial government. Already struggling to put down a revolt in the West, they can ill afford to combat another closer to home at the same time.

With their track record regarding these sorts of matters, we can be quite certain that the Imperium will not do anything to further fan these flames of frustration. Right?

[Drawkland]

E N D L E S S . . .

This is the fourth chapter of an extended storyline. Below are the previous sections.

In which the characters are introduced
A Hint * A Tease * A Story * A Contradiction * A Roster

In which the trio investigate the Elite
Elite 1 * Elite 2 * Elite 3 * Elite 4 * Elite 5 * Elite 6
Elite 7 * Elite 8 * Elite 9 * Elite 10 * Elite 11

In which Nicole prepares for a great undertaking
Expired 1 * Expired 2 * Expired 3 * Expired 4 * Expired 5 * Expired 6
Expired 7 * Expired 8 * Expired 9 * Expired 10 * Expired 11

In which the party travels to TiSoFaH
Expedition 1 * Expedition 2 * Expedition 3 * Expedition 4 * Expedition 5 * Expedition 6
Expedition 7 * Expedition 8 * Expedition 9 * Expedition 10 * Expedition 11

In which the party contends with the Great Maze
Endless 1 * Endless 2 * Endless 3 * Endless 4 * Endless 5

"AaaaaaAAAhhhhhHHHH!" Jack Hoy howled as he fell. One moment, he'd been playing air guitar and joking around. Before he could even react, he fell through the floor and started tumbling down what felt like a tube slide made out of rough rocks. The yell just came out of him involuntarily, like someone coming down the big drop on a rollercoaster. Jack was panicking, in no small part to the fact that it felt like he'd been falling for an impossible amount of time. Not even water slides lasted this long. Something in the back of his head was telling him to move over and prepare for an impact, so he used the walls of the cavern to position himself as he fell so that his backpack would break his fall.

Sure enough, the slide-like tunnel suddenly hitched from vertical to almost entirely horizontal. The pack prevented any real injury but all the breath was immediately knocked out of him, and he tumbled down the remaining feet of the rocky tube.

Jack slid to a stop on the floor of a wider cavern tunnel, and slowly got up after a moment to collect himself.

"Sheesh," Jack said to nobody but himself, and coughed. "I would rather run a thousand Oklahoma drills against Leo than do that shit again." He took a moment to collect himself and look through his pack. The water bottle on the outside of his pack was gone, probably fell off when he was falling. The pack itself looked really torn up, but it was still holding together a little bit.

"Dude, it is dark as shit in here." Jack could barely see in front of him, and it appeared his lantern was broken in the fall. "Oh, wait, I have one of these!" He pulled a glowstick from his pocket, one that Riley had given him in case of emergency.

"Well, I guess it's time to keep moving. Or whatever we're supposed to do. Man, I am going to be so lost. I was falling for like two minutes straight. I'm probably a mile away from the guys by now. Maybe I'll run into somebody else though, you know? Like who knows where everybody else ended up. I mean we got split up like three times and it's just the three of us. Can't imagine those other guys and girls stuck together through all this." Jack let his thoughts roam and his mouth ramble at the same time.

"Do you have a problem with me, maze?" He cocked his head quizzically at the walls as he walked. "Grid Corps boys too powerful you had to split us up again? I see how it is. Well, I hope you like talking, because I can talk your ear off. I can talk my own damn ear off. I don't care if I don't meet another person and die alone in this maze, I'm gonna be sure to piss you off in the process. Or something. If that's even possible. Are there people listening to me anyway? Like how does this thing actually work? Man, I should've asked to see more of Nicole's notes. I feel like a dumbass. A complete idiot, a buffoon if you will. Maybe if I was paying more attention I wouldn't be stuck by myself here. Or maybe this was inevitable. Well, Jack, maybe if you'd actually paid attention, you'd know! Ugh. I feel like I'm going to drive myself insane."

---

Andrew Arrowsword and Liam Penderyn were walking in silence. They were a little more on edge, having to face combat for the first time in the maze, but they were feeling a little bit better. They'd worked together and gotten away unscathed. Not to mention, they were still together and hadn't yet split up. It was a stroke of good fortune.

The couple was walking nearly hand-in-hand, carrying their lanterns to illuminate the otherwise dark cavern. They came across a fork in the road, with three tunnels to choose from.

"Which one?" Andrew asked simply.

"The air coming from this one feels a little warmer." Liam gestured towards the rightmost path. "Wanna try it?"

"Sure!" Andrew agreed. The pair started walking towards the opening, when suddenly a huge gust of wind whipped through their tunnel.

In an instant, the wind somehow blew out their lanterns. The darkness was immediate and all-consuming. The wind was so powerful that it actually almost knocked Andrew off of his feet. The Cenian striker stumbled, dropping his now-cold lantern entirely, but he didn't hear an impact on the ground. The wind continued, and Andrew felt like he was in the middle of a hurricane. It was still pitch black, and Andrew tried calling for Liam's name, but there was no response. He didn't even hear his own voice.

The rushing gale started to subside, but Andrew was now entirely lost. He had no light, no bearing of where he was, and most importantly, no Liam. He extended his arms to blindly fumble for a wall. He found a wall, and leaned his entire body against it. Slowly but surely, he started shimmying along the tunnel. Well, he thought it was a tunnel. It could be anything at this point.

After a few minutes of making slight progress in some direction, Andrew felt confident enough to walk normally and drag his hand on the wall to stay anchored. He expected his eyes to get used to the darkness at some point, but it wasn't happening. If anything, his eyes were starting to feel a little bit weird. His vision was starting to get wavy, like he'd just been rubbing his eyes too hard. It wasn't long before Andrew started seeing objects in his vision. Faintly, he saw somebody walk towards him. When the figure got closer, he recognized him instantly.

"Liam!" Andrew cried in relief. There was no response, however, and Liam just continued walking towards him, unfazed.

"Liam?" Andrew offered, a little shakier. Liam stopped when he spoke, and turned around. Before Andrew could say anything else, Liam started running away.

"Wait!" Andrew let go of the wall and started dashing forward, even though he still couldn't really see. The figure of Liam was just out of Andrew's reach, and then he disappeared. A moment later, Andrew ran directly into a rock wall. He was out cold.

---

"I am so goddamn thirsty. Holy shit. I have never needed this much water in my entire life." Jack Hoy, was of course, still talking to himself after hours of wandering alone through the maze. He was then struck by a rare occurrence of self-awareness. "Huh, maybe my mouth is so dry because I've been talking almost nonstop. Perhaps THIS is how the maze is getting back at me. Well, nice try, bastard! This couldn't be worse than that heatwave my sophomore year of college during hell week. I could've swallowed half the Oreme and I would still be thirsty. Wait, oceans are salt water. That would just make me more thirsty. Okay, correction, I could swallow the entire Drawk river, and I would still be thirsty. This? This right here? This is nothing. Suck on my nuts, stupid maze."

This sort of talk persisted for another few hours, but the mental and physical effects of dehydration and isolation were starting to take their toll on the veteran running back. The delirium was setting in. Despite the fact that he could feel himself tiring, Jack suddenly felt antsy.

"Dude, I'm starting to freak out. I'm twitching and shit. I don't know how, I haven't drank water in what feels like six years. I demolished the rest of my protein bars and I'm freaking out. Fuck. I have to get out of here. I have to get out. I have to GET OUT. GAHHH!"

Jack sprang into action. He started running, veins coursing with adrenaline and anxiety. It at least stopped him from talking for a little bit. He didn't know where he was running too, but he just felt like he had to go. He just had to move. He just had to keep moving. He just had to keep going forward, maybe around this corner, maybe around the next bend, maybe down this side tunnel, maybe through this cave instead. Maybe this other way. He just couldn't stop. He wouldn't stop. He had to keep running, running, running ... and suddenly he wasn't running anymore.

---

When the gusts of wind started, Liam was pushed off his feet and fell to the ground. He hit his head on the hard rocky floor. He didn't go unconscious immediately - obviously he was extremely woozy and disoriented, no thanks to the now pitch darkness surrounding him. He felt like he heard Andrew calling his name, but he was too weak to say anything, and the sound of the blowing air was so loud in his ears that he couldn't even think. Liam slowly faded out of consciousness and into something halfway between sleeping and a coma.

As he laid unconscious on the ground, Liam's mind was bombarded with horrible visions and thoughts. He thought he could see Andrew, blindly stumbling along a cave wall, before being ripped apart by some unseen creatures. He saw himself, falling into an abyss. He saw visions of his home, his family, being destroyed by fire. He saw lakes of brimstone and rivers of ice. For what felt like hours, he saw terrible things, nightmares that we couldn't wake up from. They slowly started to fade away, and the scene changed again. He saw himself, slowly getting up from the ground, in the cave where he'd fallen asleep. What was real? What was fake?

Liam could see his own body stumbling around in the darkness, before slowly gaining his footing and walking somewhat normally. His gait was stilted and awkward, like he wasn't used to his own legs. He could see the tunnel he was walking through, even though he knew it was dark. He was starting to see the maze itself, zooming out, like xray vision. He could see trails of color, auras surrounding figures in the maze. Some where huge, monstrous, some were tiny. He couldn't tell what was what or who was who. Was that Nicole? Were those the gridiron players? Liam could see his own body, his own energy, but there was something wrong. There was a dark pit inside, something that wasn't supposed to be there. What was that? What was going on?

With each passing minute, Liam's strange cadence was straightening out. He could faintly feel his own limbs, falling into the muscle memory he never thought about. He could feel his arm shifting down to his side, see his own hand caressing the pommel of the short sword he carried. It felt right. It felt good in his hand. Liam saw himself draw the sword out and carry it lightly in his arm. He didn't get a lot of combat practice in before the maze, but he could tell that there was an ounce of muscle memory knocking around. He waved the blade about, making slight whipping noises that echoed through the cavern.

Something was still off. He still felt like he was in a dream, or a cage, or something. His vision swam with strange colors, his ears filled with odd noises he couldn't explain. He could smell, or was that more like sight? It was a strange feeling. He watched his own arms in front of him, making slices and dices with the sword that he had never done before. They felt right, natural. It felt at home, but Liam knew deep down it was an entirely new sequence.

One of the faint color trails Liam had been seeing was getting thicker. It was now very visible in the tunnel in front of him. It was a deep red, not like a crimson, but a little brighter. Almost like a berry. Hey, it was like Cenian red, with just a little extra sharpness. The color was a smell, and a taste. Liam felt it all and it sprang into his mind immediately. It was Andrew! Oh good, he could get back to Andrew, they could forget the fact that they were lost, they could be together again.

Liam tried to call out to him, but the words didn't come. It felt like trying to speak with no air. He tried again, but to no avail. He felt his legs start to pick up the pace, he could feel his hands tightening their grip on his sword. He felt anger, suddenly. Rage. Hunger. Liam tried to move, tried to speak, tried to do anything, but he couldn't. Instead his body kept moving forward, blade drawn, heading directly to Andrew.

---

"I'm just saying that it might bring us unwanted attention." Jaxon Madison pleaded his case to Katie as they walked down a corridor. "There are so many creatures and spirits in this maze, and the more noise you make the more likely it is that you'll run into one. Or, more accurately, that it will run into you."

"So? This thing will beat pretty much all of them." Katie tapped the holster on her hip.

"Bullets can't hurt something that doesn't have a body," Jaxon shot back.

"Oh, and your nifty sword will?" Katie cocked an eyebrow.

"You're playing with fire. That's all I'm trying to say."

"Can we please stop arguing?" Allison Summers interjected. "You guys are stressing me out. It's bad enough as it is."

"Okay, fine." Katie conceded, but she still had a smile of satisfaction plastered on her face.

The trio had been walking together for awhile after their encounter that ended with Katie shooting a maze creature with the pistol she brought. They'd done some typical maze wandering, choosing forks to go under, becoming increasingly disoriented, but at this point it had almost become normal.

Eventually they came across a wider cavern, filled with stalactites and stalagmites, and the sound of rushing water. As they got closer, they could see there was an underground river rushing through. It was wide, but just narrow enough that they could reasonably hop over. They were all professional athletes, after all.

"Okay, I'll hop over first." Katie carefully looked over the rushing river. "I believe I have the best long jump out of all of us, so if I have trouble making it, then I can hop back over, and we can try going another way."

"Oh, AS IF you have a better leap than I do!" Jaxon protested, but when he saw Allison's pained look he stopped himself from continuing.

Katie gave a short nod of assertion, and took off her backpack. She tossed the pack across the stream, no problem. She backed up to get a running start, charged forward, and gracefully sprang well over the river. She had several feet to spare on the other side.

"That was easy!" Katie chirped from the opposite bank. "You guys should have no problem getting here. Alli, pass me your pack and then get over here."

Allison nodded and grinned. She took off her backpack and tossed it over the stream, and Katie caught it easily. The Drawk Corps midfielder backed up to the same length that Katie had a moment before. She trotted forward, building up some momentum, and tried to plant her foot on the bank to jump. The rocky surface, right next to the rushing water, was very slick. Instead of getting a good jump, Allison slipped and fell face-first into the river.

"Allison!" Katie and Jaxon both yelled. Allison herself resurfaced a moment later, already being taken away downstream.

"Allison! Swim here, I'll help you up!" Katie dropped her pack on the ground and ran along her side of the river to catch up. Slowly, Allison managed to make her way to the bank and got a slippery hand hold on a small stalagmite. Katie caught up a moment later, set her feet, and grabbed Allison's hand. It was harder to pull her up than she anticipated, with the momentum of the water, the fact that Allison was now soaking wet, and her hands were now covered in water.

"Thanks Kat-AIEE!" Allison's gratitude was cut short by a piercing screech.

"What's wrong?" Katie exclaimed, trying to pull Allison, still to no avail. Now it felt like she was caught on something.

"Something's biting my leg. FUCK! GET ME OUT!" Allison started screaming even louder. "IT'S ON ME! KATIE PLEASE! HELP ME! HELP ME!"

"I'm trying," Katie grunted, barely making any progress. She looked in the waves and could see a figure behind Allison. She could also see blood leaking out into the water.

"KATIE!" Allison screamed one more time, and suddenly, she was jerked out of Katie's grip entirely. Whatever water creature had a hold of her leg whipped its head around, easily pulling Allison from her shaky grip and into the waves. Katie could see Allison's hand poking out of the water, and it was whisked away without another sound. The cave fell silent, only the noise of the rushing water to be heard.

---

I understand this is a large number of characters to know, so here's a quick list of each of the party members and where they are.
Nicole Warren: Former Kick Corps member (edge defender).
Cam Cross: Former Kick Corps member (forward).

Andrew Arrowsword: Former Ceni National Team member (striker). Half-brother of Sarah.

Liam Penderyn: Cenian tennis star. Boyfriend of Andrew.

Katie Madison: Former Kick Corps member (forward).
Allison Summers: Drawk Corps member (midfielder). Domestic teammate of Katie.
Jaxon Madison: Elite Eleven member.

Jack Hoy: Current Grid Corps member (running back).

Leo Cross: Current Grid Corps member (defensive end). Second cousin of Cam.
Riley Hoyt: Retired Grid Corps member (tight end).

This story was meant to be finished last year. The events of this RP occurred sometime during the early WC89 cycle.

[Banija]

"Attacking Clinic"- Banijan attackers bombard Mytanija in route to a 4-2 victory on Matchday 1 of the World Cup Finals


Banija celebrate one of their four goals in the opening match against Mytanija

FAROLERA, FARFADILLIS- Qualifying is over. Those matches have been played and won, instructions given out to the players, wrinkles ironed out by various managers, and now, the time has come- the beginning of the World Cup. "There is no moment, no experience better, than the World Cup." Said Banijan manager Pam Scott, who is now at her 8th World Cup Finals as a manager. "The beauty, the pageantry, the energy and passion- nothing quite equates the feelings of a World Cup. Everybody had to bitterly earn their way to this moment, fighting off massive World Cup Qualifying groups, some winning a playoff, to even reach this stage. To get here, you are part of that small group that is the best. You see how nations who are not here pour everything to try and get here. Hell, that was this nation, just a couple of World Cup cycles ago. And now that everyone is here, earning their places after such an arduous journey, everybody's got a chance to achieve glory and create history for their nation. And everybody's got a decent chance to make a deep run- and hell, maybe even lift the trophy."

And we start a tantalizing group, amidst all the chaos of playing in Farfadillis, with the Pot 2 side- none other than Mytanija. Traveling throughout Farfadillis, of course, can be a dangerous venture. But Banijan fans have an advantage over any other group of fans here- other than, well, those that actually live here. Banijans are far less likely to be scared of traveling throughout Farfadillis for these matches, therefore giving the Kadongo Kamu a sizeable home field advantage wherever they play, unless they are playing Farfadillis themselves. Why? Thank the S-FPL. Banija's traveling fans have had to learn how to navigate Farfadillis to go and follow their various clubs across the country. Having been doing that for quite a few years now, fans are prepared. The second reason, of course, is Banijan Volunteers for Farfadillis. While the program is now over, you had, over the course of many years, over 100,000 Banijans total who volunteered for the program, traveling around Farfadillis doing service projects. While other country's fans might be scared, the Banijan fanbase is ready.

And so when Banijan fans showed up en masse to Farolera(some of them on boat!), the newly empowered Farolera President-For-Life rolled out the red carpet for them. There may be a political theme due to Banija's recognition of him as the sole Farf negotiator to renew the Banijan reparations package, but Alex Teran was a friend to Banijan fans. He got some(associates? employees? soldiers? Whatever you'd call them) people to ferry Banijan fans, en masse, through the forests to La Gran Avenida. Therefore, thanks to that, and the reparations package increasing Banijan popularity within this Farf nation, Banija were playing 'virtually a home match' deep into the Faroleran Forests. If you were watching on television or even listening within the stadium, you could see the surprise- the crowd was probably 75, even 80% in favor of our Pot 1 side. "It was a surprising, but brilliant turnout." Said Banijan starting goalkeeper, and the sport's only three-level world champion, Wanda Kouyaté. "Banijan fans really showed up in full force, showing that even here, at the World Cup, Banijans are 100% ready for this party."

Of course, the Mytanar fans who had made their journey through the forest would be the first team with something to celebrate. Mersudin Smajic taking the ball from the feet of Idi Mboge in the 8th minute was always going to spell trouble for the Kadongo Kamu, and Mytanija was simply too strong to let a chance like that one go to waste. Banijan players had been trying to get forward, but instead, they were all caught out as the counter-attack was on. Smajic passed the ball to Jezdimir Ocokolji, who, first time, hit an absolutely perfect overhead through ball to Damien Gannot. Turned our defender around, unleashed Gannot with perfect timing, and yet, not so far out to where Wanda Kouyaté could come out and actually do anything about it. An absolutely perfect pass gave an in-form Damien Gannot a great opportunity, one that he was not going to possibly mess up on the sport's biggest stage. Wanda came out, he calmly dribbled around her, and simply passed the ball into the back of the gaping net. Just like that, the Rushmori side were up 1-0, celebrating, while the Banijans were shell shocked.

Fortunately, that shell shock did not last long. Pam Scott has a way of keeping things calm, and trusting the players she has on the pitch. The gameplan did not change with the early goal, but the sense of urgency, obviously, did. She would look to her best players, her superstars, to bring Banija right back into this game. And who did she look to? Gereh Kama, Banija's $25 million man, was the one to really get things going for the Banijans. Kama had an opportunity just three minutes later, in the 11th minute, where he put a weak footed shot onto the crossbar, leaving the goalkeeper standing like a statue. It was that moment when the Banijan fans started to get back into it, knowing that the team could really climb back into this game. We kept the pressure up, as Ikpeazu skied a golden opportunity from the 18, and Wesolsoki-Okafor forced a diving save by Mytanar goalkeeper Semir Besak off of a header. But it would be Gereh Kama, in the 25th minute, who would open the goalscoring. A brilliantly quick move on the edge by Sarafina Ikpeazu, to break past a pair of defenders to really stretch the Mytanar defense. She played it on the ground to Kausu Dione, who had his back towards goal. He then laid it off, with a backheel pass, to Gereh Kama, who blasted the ball first time.

Besak didn't even move, he only watched as the strike was smashed home. 1-1 in the game after 25 minutes, but Banija had all the momentum. And we were not done yet. The crowd was bouncing, all sorts of energy, making noise with Banija here at the World Cup. The Mytanar players looked nearly stunned after the goal, especially at the crowd reaction. Mytanija, of course, are famous for having some of the most hostile atmospheres in all of football at home, so it's not like a hostile crowd is something they've never seen before. But it is a World Cup- so perhaps the rabid partisanship of the crowd was not to be expected. The pressure started to build upon them, as they were nervous- and Banija pounced on it, like a shark smelling blood in the water. Pam Scott pushed her players forward, and her players rewarded her. Just 2 minutes later, Sarafina Ikpeazu had whipped in a cross, and a diving Wesoloski-Okafor was on the end of it, heading the ball into the bottom corner of the net. Suddenly, the score was 2-1, the stadium was nearly shaking, and in just 2 minutes, a 1-0 deficit had been turned into a 2-1 lead.

And yet- the Banijans were still not done yet. Just 3 minutes after that, the Kadongo Kamu, still pressing, still with Mytanija on their back heels, who seemed shell-shocked at the crowd's ferocity, were able to take advantage of their opponents again. Just looking to punish their opponents with runs, it was a great defensive play, by Idi Mboge, that got Banija's 3rd goal going, right at the half-hour mark. An Mboge steal was collected by Gereh Kama, who looked to turn defense into offense so, so quickly. He hit a great through ball over the top, down the sideline, to Sarafina Ikpeazu, who again was in a great position to create some goals. Banija's star winger hit a cross towards Kausu Dione, who had a great veteran move and place of mind- simply step over the ball. It shocked nearly everybody, as everyone thought he was going to strike it. But it left Lolong Bokate all alone with the ball behind him, as he took a touch and scored for Banija. In just 5 minutes, we went from 1-0 down to 3-1 up, stunning the Mytanija fans and getting the Banijan fans cheering like crazy.

That was the scoreline going into the break, after which Mytanija seemed to settle down and get it together. But being 3-1 down against this Kadongo Kamu squad, who certainly have the players to continuously make a break for it, is something close to a death sentence. Not that Banija can't blow these leads- we've surely done it before, and surely will do it again- but these leads simply give Banija a lot of cushion, a lot of rope. Mytanija made a few second half substitutions trying to change the pace of the game, with Fran Prpic-Bosanac coming into the game for Jezdimir Ocokoljic, and Omer Kuhar-Arh into the game for Dordo Urbanc. The moves actually worked, as it gave Mytanija a great spell of possesion that ended with Kuhar-Arh scoring, in the 71st minute, to make the score 3-2. But despite the increased pressure, and the nerves, the Banijans were able to calm their own and put this game to bed. Aquila Hongo coming off the bench for Idi Mboge to score in his World Cup debut, at just age 20, in the 82nd minute, was the nail in the coffin for this match. Three points and top of the table for Banija.

"Mytanija is a high-quality opponent, which meant that this was always going to be a stressful match." Said Pam Scott in the post-game. "But while they were high-powered, with the backing of our fans, we showed the world today fully what we are capable of. We can play the game in all sorts of ways, but we believe we can match up with anybody in the world. Bring the high-paced, high-tempo'd matches like this one, and you will find an environment where we can thrive. We are challenging for the rarest of trophies, the hardest thing to win in all of sports- the World Cup. I believe that we are capable of winning that trophy, but obviously we are long way away. We've just played one game. This is a tournament where your hardest game was always your next one. We did a lot of good things today to earn that victory, but everything is going to get harder from here."

Banija will be drawn into a mouthwatering matchup with the Grim Reapers, or the Independent Athletes from Quebec, in the harshest parts of the Szoirsian desert. The two have never played in a competitive match against each other, and due to the common history and Commonwealth ties, including the recent royal wedding between PRince Philippe and Omugaba Zandaba, many will have a lot riding on this match. "Look, there is no doubt that this matchup is going to do some wild numbers in both countries." Said a TV executive. "When you are as intertwined as these two are... The bragging rights for winning a match like this will be long. And think of another aspect that will add aggressiveness. The Quebecois, having lost their opening match, will certainly be reaching for three points, and are expected to get forward. Banija want to put this group to rest with a game remaining, and a win here could make that happen, eh? Expect quite a party."

The two will meet at Adar Jak. Despite Banija's home-field advantage in Farolera, that is unlikely to happen anywhere else. But while a point would be a great result for Banija, something that'll be a step towards what they believe they are capable of, they will also be chasing 3. Will the harshness of the desert hold both teams back? Whatever happens, it's bound to a firecracker with a profound impact on how, exactly, this group will go.

[Huayramarca]

The Condors had a hard-fought match against Farfadillis where they demonstrated a valuable point when it comes to capability to react to adverse scenarios such as playing wit the World Cup hosts, being down in the score but being able to at least, momentarily, turn back the match in their favour. Our boys had, in the other hand, shown a significant weakness when it comes to hold a lead, as they subdued to the pressure exerted by La Vherderoja. At certain points of the match, the Condors were able to dominate the Farves with some offensive goal, but definition wasn’t in the Huayramarcan side of things as there were some key opportunities to inflict heavy damage to the Farves.

There’s some work to be done from Omar Caicedo, Rodolfo Zelaya and company for the next match against Pasarga, as the team needs to return to the usual defensive order they managed to display throughout the entirety of the Qualifiers. Consistency, which is also another important point, needs to be talked with the players, as Huayramarca showed important dominance lapses in the match and significant bumps through the game, if there’s a game plan that wants to be implemented, it needs to be continuous through the match, so the chances for the Condors can be bolstered if exploited wisely.

As for disciplinary issues, Kevin Quispe and Santiago Chumacero were yellow carded, caution should be taken since if they get another yellow card, they could be suspended for the final match of the Group Stage against Delaclava.

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Public Servant

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10

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Part 11 – Black Ore

Tulcán, Carchi. November^24th, 1986

The Huayramarcan economy has been benefitted with some stock market boosting as of late due to the discovery of oil and the strengthening of the national currency, the Inti, which used to be a somewhat volatile currency in time. Oil was the topic of conversation across the entire country, people trying to analyse the benefits of such a finding and how the government should act to guarantee that production will be efficient and kick corruption away from the whole process of concession of drilling and resources. Those topics were already in mind of Marta Mamani and the cabinet, who had already planned a meeting in order to determine the best way possible for the extraction of black ore, the process, earnings and what to do with the perceived earnings from the business.

The usual early morning debate programs have been filled with “experts” or “pundits” trying to meddle with the analysis process, forcing narratives that either are unpractical for a nation like Huayramarca such as relying entirely of multiversal corporative giants for extraction, something that wouldn’t benefit Huayramarca as people deserved and also expected. Some other alternatives even featured aggressive nationalisation of the resource and its exploitation means, hardcore, no foreign interference in any stage; which, to be fair, is difficult as Huayramarca lacks the technological means required to extract and process oil. People were in a mood that listening those programs were for fun sake rather than informing themselves or building an opinion, there wasn’t any positive outcome from those programs, only radical opinions.

Marta Mamani decided to take a walk in the streets of Tulcán, specifically in the riviera of the extremely powerful river Yaraví, and decided to gather the thoughts directly from people, mostly to get an idea of what they would expect; although, it was obvious that the impact of that wouldn’t be so significant. Marta asked to a grandfather, who was walking with his son, about what they expected with the oil findings “There’s not a lot to expect. I just hope public services improve, I want to trust in a reliant government and state rather than a corrupt and putrid institution like it has used to be.” Marta then remembered the words of Túpac Amaru, as he always insisted “listen to people, fight corruption and strive for higher dignity for Huayramarca.” She then said to the grandfather “It used to be, but I have a compromise to finish with that kind of practices, I want to help by providing dignity to the state and, henceforth, deliver better services for all.”

Marta then continued “What do you think about oil?” the old man stopped some seconds, he was articulating his answer through his knowledge and experience from a lifetime, then he replied “It will be an important resource for the Multiverse and Huayramarca is not an exception. We might contribute by providing people with the very best in terms of resources, giving them what they need, but we must achieve to get a reward from it.” Marta then said “From your experience, do you consider it is actually good to focus solely in one single resource rather than diversifying?” Then he replied “It is always important to diversify, you know that there could be some kind of crisis; we lived that with the coffee crisis in in 1930, we need to learn from lessons past and try to maximise revenue from other productive industries.”

Then she had a quick flashback from school times, Marta was now in a classroom and in front of her history teacher who said “Those who doesn’t know about their own history, are condemned to repeat it and fell in vicious cycle again and again.” She also remembered another crisis, the land reforms and excessive fixation in agriculture during the 1880s, as Huayramarca suffered famine due to unproductive usage of big land extensions, who were kept in otiosity. “Hello?” said the grandfather, as he was surprised that Marta kept idle for some time, then she said “I forgot about the 1880s crisis, a topic often mentioned in school and standard testing too. You’re actually sort of right when it comes to diversifying resources, which is something a serious economy should do, but shouldn’t abuse in having a giant portfolio, as we need to keep track of benefits gathered and evaluation of profitability, you know, like a business.” The old man just nodded, then he said “I’ve got to leave, I need to let my son walk.” Marta waved hands as they left.

Then she spent some time to realise that, indeed, Huayramarca has suffered from resource fixation through the time rather than diversifying… Victim of her own abundance of resources, Huayramarcans have the rather bad custom of not exploring different market options, trying to give themselves for granted with the easiest one available. Things had to change, that’s for sure and Marta knew it, possibly reinforced due to the constant bombing she had during the nights with Túpac Amaru exchanging words subconsciously.

Watching the Yaraví river flowing was a spectacle of its own kind, trillions of cubic meters of water flowing downstream and reminding that there’s always time for change, expected yet strong change through the 3,500 kilometers that this vast river crosses through Huayramarca; the hydrologic cycle makes sure to guarantee a constant renewal of water across the immense basin of this river… She figured out in her mind “Change, change is something inevitable in our lives, yet we should be smart on which kind of change we really want to do” muttered herself, then Víctor appeared from her back and asked “What’s going on?” Marta then replied “Well, I’ve had a conversation with a man, he talked that there’s no much hope about the oil situation if we go through that with old-fashioned methods. He’s right, it’s a situation we’ve faced in the past and, as nation, we have failed miserably.”

Víctor was thinking about what Marta referred, he wasn’t understanding at all until he realised that she meant about the economic crisis in 1880 and 1930, a sometimes-forgotten topic in school, a taboo for politicians and economists that study the behaviour of Huayramarca in those areas of management. Then Marta said “We have a relevant decision in our hands, the future of this nation for, I guess, the next century is at stake on what we plan and what we put into action. It’s a lot of pressure under everybody in the cabinet.” Víctor said “You need to relax, we have to plan it carefully and that will take some time to do so, it won’t be a process that will take only a day, so calm down.” Marta said “Aren’t you realising the importance of this moment?” Víctor said “I’m doing it, but to be fair, we need to be as calm as possible to think and act in the best way possible.” Marta said “I’m heavily stressed, I guess we have to walk down the Yaraví to relax.”

Both walked through the river, then talked with some other people in order to relax and having some healthy exchanges with people… One of them said “I see you’re stressed… Let me tell you that most people here feel satisfied with your duties, hence, nothing to feel stressed about.” Marta then replied “Thank you for your words! But there’s a major concern from us at the cabinet as of now, mostly related to oil and I’m trying to figure better ways to avoid falling into dependency.” The women then said “You’ve managed it nicely; you’ve been dignifying our nation after dark times and I’m sure that you’ll do it nicely as the steps you’ve taken through your time in office have been adequate ones.” Víctor has said the same exact words, yet he was thinking in his mind “Leaving aside politics, Marta has been able to deliver, but it’s one of the most unconfident-in-themselves people I’ve ever met…”

It is a quite complicated issue when it comes to Marta and her lack of confidence, as she had already settled on herself significant pressure due to what she witnessed when she wasn’t involved into politics, she saw corruption, abuses, unjustified executions, etc. She has had a sincere desire to transform Huayramarca from what it used to be, and that desire is more fervorous than ever with the discovery of oil… It was, basically, the kind of situation that a striker would face with an open goal and having the fear of failing a golden chance to score… For her political career it is a do or die situation, as failing miserably would put her in the darkest corner of Huayramarcan history, or in the best possible position, as she wanted to be there, to be remembered as the game changer that the nation was expecting.

“Marta, take some time and relax, you need to take the best decision possible” said once again the woman, the very same words that Víctor said a couple of minutes ago, this time she was taking the suggestion as something personal and decided to rest, so she walked towards the shore of the Yaraví river, a tranquil shore since the water current is relatively slow compared to other zones of it where there are some wild rapids. Juanito, who hadn’t said any word as he limited himself to listen and see what his mom would do, decided to break silence and tell her “Shall we swim in the pool nearby, they moved and then he massaged his mom, she was trying to conversate again about oil but Juanito said “chill down” then they would play around and swim.

Couple of days later, Marta was now relaxed and able to think with clarity and was now decided to have some talks with economists about which would be the correct model for oil extraction in Huayramarca. David Quispe, one of the higher-regarded economists across Huayramarca was there to provide support for the decision-making process, he then started by asking “Which are your goals for this project?” Marta began by saying “We want to build a big enough fund in order to diversify our economy. Avoid oil reliance will be important, but I’m aware that this shall be built and it will take some time.” Quispe then said “And it is, indeed, the best course of action possible, since oil has demonstrated to be a highly-volatile commodity in the market. The more we avoid relying in this, the better for us.”

Marta then added “There’s some history of Huayramarca’s economy suffering due to excessive reliance on some produces, we want to avoid that.” Then Quispe added “There’s precedents, yes, but those have one particular thing in common.” “Which one?” said Marta “They all relied completely in private processes rather than focusing in some kind of exchange that would benefit our nation, something that would help us to achieve independence when it comes to production.” Marta asked once again “And how this relates to the oil topic.” Quispe grabbed a USB memory and projected to the screen some slides in order to elaborate his points through a presentation.

“You see, Marta, that there are some nations in the multiverse with some successes and fails when it comes to oil exploitation. The best example out there, for resource management, is Banija, as the nation was able to develop their industry in order to achieve independence when it comes to technologies for oil production, but they failed at achieving diversification. The key issue here is that we will need the support of some foreign contractors by renting machinery, performing teaching activities for people in the nation and then, after a decade, we will have to take the reigns as we will have the technology needed to exploit those resources. Foreign support must not be a lifetime contract, it should be a short one and we must challenge ourselves to empower our industry and nation.” Said Quispe.

Marta then asked “Ok, but there are some situations of labour exploitation that could throw dirt to our Project of Nation. How can we make sure that our people will not suffer this kind of mistreats?” Quispe detailed “Well, there are contracts out there and we can settle conditions, perhaps adding some clear guidelines about authorised labour time per week, shifting, work conditions, etc. The company must invest in Health and Occupational Safety measures in order to minimise the chance of an accident to occur in the project.” Marta added “So, settling conditions early on so we avoid any kind of mishap in the future? That’s something that I think it can work if done, it’ll be important for us to abide to international labour standards.”

Then Víctor added “We have the terms already, as you requested Marta.” Marta then said “Have those been reviewed by Mr. Quispe” Quispe replied “What I said is my input for the terms, we must add what you said about labour legislation and we will make sure to ask for foreign enterprises to comply with our requirements. If they fail to do so, we will reject their offers, if they do, then we will head straight towards the final round of the selection process.” Marta nodded and asked Víctor to update the terms, then said “Let’s post those terms and then invite companies that can fulfill our needs.” Víctor did it and then they headed back to home, it was late already.

[Independent Athletes from Quebec]

Avalon

PART 9 - S.T.A.Y.

The steam locomotive and eight, Pullman carriages rode along the rails of the upper Deltean Valley, not to be noticed by the eyes of an average Deltean. Of course, it was still early morning in this part of the country, where the morning dew and the fogs made everything hard to see past massive, immobile statues, and from the slow-ish facial expressions of the human-spirits and their centuries-old vocabulary, Christine was certain this train did not travel in the same ways an average one would.

Lost, lost souls of days so bygone, almost as if they are warning me something, Christine said to herself, as she looked at the windows of the repetitive upstream. One tree after another, they looked different in colour, but the placements of the birds and the fruits they were eating remained same when you looked at it ten minutes later.

And it would happen again and again, but with different colours:

...You should estimate the trip from Oswark to Deltemouth to be about 55km, and take an hour on the slow but scenic route that stops at every station. Likewise Oswark to Marshlock Spa approx 40km and about 45 minutes....

Of course, those on the early morning or late evening services will have to repeat each sequence 45 times, with the route to the Garga Springs taking 40 seconds.

Trains are reliable but infrequent - there are two operating on the line, the journey the full length is 1h:45m, 2hrs with turnaround, each going the opposite direction...

Strange, isn't it? But a careful reader, one that Christine was not at the time of boarding, would have noticed the message.

Unfortunately, it wasn't until an hour into the journey that Christine, who then saw the iron bridge repeat itself on the first stage, figured out. That the time, and whatever the instruction that the travel guides had given for this place, whether in Oswark or Marshlock or wherever upstream didn't mean shit here. And that while 10 hours in Taxhavn or long-decommissioned Smite Bay would have translated to 10 days in the mortal world, 20 hours spent on this train would likely only mean 20 minutes elsewhere.

Still, there was nothing else she could have done, and Christine, with how uncertain the agendas of these human-spirits could get, knew the best she could do was to prepare for the very hut that she had seen the night before on the television screen of Prince Tyrbert Hotel. Christine didn't say a word, but kept diving further and further into the scenes she had seen on the television:

there's something wrong with that piano, you see. what kind of a piano generates golden threads and images out of nowhere, and across the other side of the blood sea between anaia, atlantian oceania and rushmore? there's something unusual with that claire lundrigan girl.

Well, things don't just happen for no reason. The empty photo with secret image that pops up IN CASSADAIGUA? You pushed for this...You have stayed true to your convictions about the fate....all this time. There's no doubt that it could have turned out differently if you ask me on this....

....

Okay, but really. Do you think her mother, the woman you hate, know this? Is that why he fears you?

no. he's come to accept his fate fairly quickly. but you are right, he's probably fearing about his family the life after. all because of the woman he had once abandoned. something that i do not understand, but will have to understand.

You know he's running on borrowed time, though he does not seem to understand that he cannot choose whether to die or not because you want him to do so. On the other side of the portal, there once was a man named Nogi Maresuke whose notion of feudal loyalty was so excessive that he waited 35 years until the passing of his 'supposed master' in the Emperor Meiji to commit suicide...

of course i don't want that! why would i want a friend of mine to die? that is just disingenuine form of loyalty that is bad for everybody.

Exactly. But for every bit of hope you wish to give your friend, you have to understand to let go of that hatred you have against her. If you don't, then...

then what?

The unfinished sentence, and the lack of an answer to her question had bothered Christine the rest of the way.

When the train initially had a half-an-hour stop in Marshlock Spa's empty, deserted underground platform number three at eight-p.m., no passenger got off the station. Instead the passengers just went along with their ways. They, almost not recognising the existence of the legendary spa itself, went on with their ways, singing the songs of the midnight boatsmen in night- and celestial rain dancers in daytime.

What condiments were they under? Are they truly happy? What had happened in these marshes, where the sceneries self-repeat and wear everybody out in circuits? Do they have memories of their own?

Christine had seen many people from all walks of life, but the man-spirits still did not make much sense for the regent. And while she had courage to say the right words back in Oswark Station, those questions, while popping up sporadically, would be subdued into the depths of her mind in fear that the man-spirits, who did not hold professional guise to hold back, would scream back at her.

Eventually, a thought crept up inside her head, as the train came close to arrive in the dusk of the thirty-six hour train ride. The expressions of these damaged souls suggest something else maybe.

Almost as if...almost as if...once I head back to the life on the other side...

But she couldn't complete the phrase as the train finally came to the stop, in front of the Hut.

[Graintfjall]

Howl! Hey kids! Did you know that there are rules about taking a throw-in? Sticking to the rules makes the game fair for everyone! Howl!

MD2 cutoff

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Results

[Vilita]

Help Us, Maggie-Win Kenobi, You're our only hope!

OptiFone Arena, Folte, Græntfjall :: As with the start of any World Cup Finals, there were two distinct camps of Vilitan National Team supporter. Firstly, the dedicated long time fan still hopelessly optimistic that their National Team would actually manage to not completely bottle the first game of the Group Stage, and would actually be able to qualify with relative ease through to the World Cup Knockout Rounds. Secondly, the eternal skeptic turned realist who studied the history and knows that even in cycles where the Vilitan National Team accomplished things like making it all the way through to the World Cup Finals - they still couldn't win the first match of the Group Stage.

World Cup 90 versus 22nd ranked Pemecutan, Lost 0-2. World Cup 88 against 50th ranked Jeruselem. Lost 2-5. World Cup 87 against rival Starblaydia: Lost 1-2. Even looking back at cycles where the Vilitan National Team did well - like when they won World Cup 82 despite being held to a draw by 28th ranked Juvencus on the opening matchday, won World Cup 77 despite a 1-2 opening matchday defeat to the Unified Sunrise Islands or when Vilita won World Cup 68 despite losing 1-2 to Pasarga on the opening matchday of the Group Stage. Losing on the opening matchday of World Cup competition is largely seen just as another part of what makes the culture of Vilita. Some call it the "Ketchup Culture" or "The Digs"- with the team never making it easy for themselves and always having dig their way out from a self-created deficit in order to be successful.

The fact that Endur Rotropii's Jungle Rebels were defeated by the Drawkland Kick Corps on the opening matchday of World Cup Qualifying despite the Jungle Rebels seeming to have the advantage on paper, and even statistically having the advantage in possession, would ultimately come as no surprise to the majority of Vilitan supporters even if Rotropii had done a decent job throughout World Cup Qualifying trying to convince the general public that this team of Vilitan players was different. Of course, they certainly were different. Trained as a team from a young age, the team from the Rebel Base in the old Tivali Jungle played with a different pep and a different purpose than those that came before them. There was one thing, however, that they had no control over. There were still Vilitan, and Vilitans don't tend to win on the opening matchday of the World Cup Finals.

It was actually looking promising for the Jungle Rebels for a long stretch from the start of the match at the OptiFone Arena in Folte. With the Tlikara siblings starting alongside each other on the attack for the Rebels, there was loads of attacking pressure put on the Kick Corps from the first kick of the match and one could argue that the Rebels were unlucky not to have two or three goals from open play in the first half hour of the match. Despite changing their name to reflect their new identity, however, they were still Vilitan and premium goal scoring opportunities - like Tyoasi Klipark having the ball land at their feet with an open net in front of them just six yards from goal in the 8th minute only to chip the ball straight over the net for a goal kick, or Kunaro Tlikara's 20th minute shot that knocked straight off the head of Drawkian Trevor Garnet before it ever challenged the Kick Corps net minder.

Vilita would actually strike first thanks to experienced Jlinal Cove FC midfielder Trezisi Rokopolis who redirected a Sami Samii'i delivered corner kick in the 21st minute to give the Jungle Rebels an early 1-0 lead but predictably, the Rebels could not cash in on the advantage they had earned for themselves and their defenses were slowly whittled away at by the Kick Corps over the next hour of play until ultimately the Rebel lines were decimated and the enemy corps had found the goals they need to send the Rebels back to base needing a rethink of their strategy before their next Group Stage matchup. Ultimately, the Jungle Rebels did not play poorly against Drawkland. They held possession and created chances but failed to convert they way they had been doing during World Cup Qualifying. Drawkland got one goal from open play by Roger Apollo then scored the game winner from the penalty spot after a lapse in concentration by Tero Alatalo who looked beaten until reaching out their hand on the ball to create the foul and give Richard Hanson the opportunity to take all three points for the Kick Corps. It was a sweet redemption for Hanson whom many in the media and on twii.tur had pointed a finger at as the reason why the Kick Corps lost to Vilita during the World Cup 86 Round of 16. Now, however, both Hanson and Drawkland had their revenge. The Vilitan National Team needed six points from two games to stand any chance of climbing back into contention in Group C and had the toughest remaining schedule of any team in the World Cup finals still to play. No level of preparation could full prepare Endur Rotropii's Jungle Rebels - many of whom made their World Cup Finals debut against Drawkland, for the challenge that now lay ahead of them. Whether or not Rotropii kept the same team or made some changes to the lineup, it is unlikely that the Jungle Rebels will be succesful without the help of the force deity of chance, Maggie-Win Kenobi, whom the entire nation will be calling to over the next two matchdays.

 Vilita 1 - 2 Drawkland	
	Vilita Goals:	:: 21' Trezisi Rokopolis              
	Stats :: Vilita 	:: Possession: 61%:: Shots: 4:: Corners: 8 :: Drawkland :: Possession: 39%:: Shots: 5:: Corners: 8
	Vilita Lineup :: 	Zelkki Milake Jr., Injyua Klizlo, Narri Sebapilo, Tero Alatalo, Sami Samii’i (Riku Kasslin 66'), Fyin Miateal (Letirpsi Vulitn 70'), Jakku’u Naboyavi, Trezisi Rokopolis, Tyoasi Klipark, Kunaro Tlikara, Treasvo Tlikara

World Cup 91 - Group C :: Matchday 2 Preview :: Vilita Jungle Rebels v. Commonwealth of Baker Park Bees

Having already faltered against the lowest ranked team in the World Cup Committee rankings participating in the Græntfjaller half of the World Cup 91 Draw, there is no question that it "Only gets harder from here" for Endur Rotropii and the Vilita Jungle Rebels. When the World Cup Draw was first unveiled, many gave half a smirk at the idea of the two co-hosts of World Cup 90, the Tropics of Vilita and the Commonwealth of Baker Park, being drawn together in the same group to potentially duke it out head to head for a spot in the knockout rounds. In hearts and minds it may seem like a relatively even matchup but the reality is, on paper, this group just got a lot harder for the Jungle Rebels.

The only reason why Group C wasn't considered among the "Group of Death" candidates at the start of the World Cup Finals was because of Drawkland's low rank. The Kick Corps qualified for the World Cup 91 Finals from a position way off the board and with their presence in Group C, it was easy to overlook the fact that Group C is actually the only group in the World Cup 91 Finals with two single-digit ranked nations competing. In fact, the Commonwealth of Baker Park are the 7th highest ranked team competing in the World Cup Finals and in many other scenarios would have been a Pot 1 team that the Jungle Rebels would have avoided completely. With Turori's playoff victory over The Cordian Isles coupled with the current double-digit ranking of the two World Cup hosts Farfadillis and Græntfjall, however, Baker Park were pushed out as the highest ranked team in Pot 2.

Still, the difficult of Group C flew under the radar for most - even fans of the Vilitan National Team who might have seen a Drawkland side that had not qualified since World Cup 86 as a somewhat fortunate draw and an opportunity to collect three points and challenge for a spot in the Round of 16 by upsetting just one of the two teams ahead of them in the rankings. With defeat, the calculus has changed. In order to advance to the Round of 16, the Vilita Jungle Rebels have to not only defeat one of the two nations ahead of them in the rankings, but they have to defeat both of them. Seemingly unbeatable, Pemecutan is the hottest nation in the multiverse who got their current hot streak started with a victory over the Vilita Jungle Cats to open up World Cup 90. While Rotropii's Jungle Rebels will look to put a lid on the White Myna that they had unintentionally unleashed during their lackluster performance during the World Cup 90 opening ceremonies at the Lighthouse in Lonngeylin, they will first square off with regional rivals and World Cup 90 Co-Hosts the Commonwealth of Baker Park.

Many expected that the matchday two fixture between Vilita and Baker Park at New Skoðarhüb in Hartburg would be critical in ultimately determining which of the two sides would advance to the Round of 16, but few expected that the two sides could both be facing the threat of elimination if they failed to claim the victory after both were defeated on Matchday 1 of the Group Stage. The two Atlantian Oceania based sides have met just twice at the World Cup Finals having each gained one victory over the other of varying importance. The first ever meeting between the two sides at the World Cup Finals came on the opening match day of World Cup 83. It is one of those obscure, well documented matches in history that went well beyond just the game being played on the field. It was the first World Cup Finals match played by the #1 Ranked Vilitan National Team as a five time World Cup Champion, having come in as two-time defending World Cup Champions and looking to become just the second team in history to win the World Cup in three consecutive cycles. Of course, as is often the case at the World Cup Finals, the Vilitan National Team were unable to win their opening game. Just like World Cup 91, Just Like World Cup 90 and so many other cups before, - in World Cup 83 the Jungle Cats were defeated on the opening matchday of the World Cup Finals by lower ranked opposition. Very often those defeats lead to disappointment. There is just one team in the history of the World Cup with more Group Stage exits at the World Cup Finals than the Tropics of Vilita - and that is Jeruselem. While it may be easy to overlook Vilita's history of massive under-performances at the World Cup Finals due to the six outlier cycles out of the previous 78 where they managed to buck the trend and advance all the way to the World Cup Final - more often than not it has been an early exit for the Jungle Cats.

Of course, there was no period as prosperous for Vilitan footsport as the period with which both of their prior meetings with Baker Park took place. The Seven-Cycle stretch from World Cup 80 of advancing to the knockout rounds was the longest such streak in Vilitan National Team history, beating the previous record of 3 consecutive knockout round appearances that was set for the Jungle Cats way back from World Cup 16 through World Cup 18 where Vilita had two Round of 16 exits and a Quarter Final defeat in consecutive campaigns. In contrast, while they had never won a World Cup Title, the Turori National Team consistently out performed Vilita under the radar including eight consecutive knockout round appearances from World Cup 18 through World Cup 25 until their own "Worst Best Team in World Cup History" Cycle of World Cup 26.

While the two meetings with Baker Park in World Cup 83 and World Cup 84 came just as the Vilitan National Team began its descent from the peak of multiversal footsport, they did leave behind a lasting legacy. While Jamari Bozeman's late winner may have stole the show in Banija during Baker Parks' 1-0 World Cup 83 Group Stage victory over the Jungle Cats, the real winner was the commercial partnerships forged in the aftermath. With the opening match of World Cup 83 taking place in the BCEL Stadium in Jinja City, Banija, sponsored by one of the leading commercial brands in the Commonwealth of Baker Park - the BCEL Beverage Company, it also opened the door for economic exchange between Baker Park and Vilita & Turori.

That door would remain open one cycle later, when the World Cup came to the Commonwealth of Baker Park for the first time. Vilita and Turorian companies had a strong presence at the venues of the World Cup in both nations, with Cocoa-bo having a large presence in both - Cassadaigua through their Rushmori operations hub and Baker Park through the licensing arrangements with the BCEL Beverage Company. It wasn't just Cocoa-bo, however, as the Vilisorma Beverage Company still had a presence through their Vilaye Energy Drink brand in friendly competition with the local franchise and licensees. However, it also marked the launch of the companies newest product line, "Vilaye Roast" - aimed to help those "Vilaye Superdrinkers" avoid the shady-eyed looks from friends, family and random passer-byes when they were caught holding a can of Vilaye early in the morning. Introducing Vilaye Roast during the World Cup 84 Finals in Baker Park was a huge marketing success for the Vilisorma Beverage Company and resulted in a permanent increase in market share for the brand. As luck would have it, Vilita and Baker Park would meet on the pitch for the second cycle running after both had survived the Group Stage and advanced to the knockout rounds. In Baker Park the Vilitan National Team would find a home crowd fully behind their team in an uphill battle at Rogers Stadium in Endborough. Despite losing the possession battle, it seemed for long stretches that Baker Park had done enough to in front of their home fans by responding well and climbing back into the match during a late flurry of goals. Ultimately, they would fall just short thanks to Berali Tzufarei's 84th minute winner that allowed Vilita to secure their first ever World Cup Finals victory over Baker Park.

Now, with one win a piece between them, Vilita and Baker Park will meet for the third time in their history looking to settle the score that will almost certainly see one - or both of the nations all but eliminated from World Cup 91 when the final whistle blows. Rotropii and the Jungle Rebels are almost certain to call upon goalkeeper Ukamai Talingri who plays their club footsport for Monmouth Park in Baker Park - hoping to leverage some inside knowledge of the opponents player pool to give the Rebels any slight advantage to exploit. With the match having a late kick off after the sun has already gone down, and being set near the Grainfjaller Alps, Endur Rotropii will hope that the Jungle Rebels training in the cool climate of the Hothicii Ice Plain during World Cup 91 Qualifying will help them adapt as the temperature drops in Hartburg, knowing that any small mistake could see them crashing out of the World Cup Finals.

[Saint Eleanor]

World Cup 91 - Group A, first game
Saint Eleanor 0
Squidroidia 1 (Shiba Tetsuo goal 38')

---

Melcheta Pazorzal: "All I had to do was get it past three other players and into the net"
Chief Football Correspondent Jamie Rodgers talks teamwork and individuality with the closest thing the Golden Unicorn has to a star
Originally published on Friday 30th June 2000

If you've ever found a lane closed off on one of Saint Eleanor's inexplicably many motorways and trunk roads, there are three reasons for that. The third, least dangerous reason is that United Road Management is repairing, improving, or even constructing road infrastructure. Does Melcheta Pazorzal have any regrets about not joining his dad at URM? "I think they have enough people - I really don't see what use I could be there! But then when I say that, people thought I wasn't good at football either."

Many of the Socheans and Gladom Newion in Saint Eleanor settled in the city's oldest working-class areas, along the Orange Line of the Metro and around the Dockside Cluster. Pazorzal's family, although of Sochean descent themselves, settled in the northern, middle-class district of Brightway. "You'd have to ask my mum about that - she came over here around... a bit over forty years ago? When that happened, she worked a lot, bought a small convenience shop at a quiet road then known as Dignity Cross - which is why it's called the K.A. Pazorzal shop - and then met my dad some time later. And now I'm here!" Although he claimed that he "was only really good at the practical, hands-on kinds of subjects" while at Brightway Community School, he was also fond of physical education and was called up to the school's legendary Charles Trump Shield team of 1989. "When Georgia Wood - who was herself really, really good at her job - said that I saved our team twice before the semis, she definitely means it. I tried a few passes to the other striker, but no way were they ever going to come off, so by late in the second round or early in the third, when the opponents really started getting tough, I decided I'd just try and shoot whenever I got the chance and hope from there. I actually scored against everyone I played against, even the [Eleanorian] Academy in that semifinal we lost, so I'd definitely say with retrospect that I was good at my job. A lot of people agreed, even the bullies in my class who thought I'd never make it."

What three games does he feel have most shaped him as a player? First up for him is 1992's 3-1 win over Independence 1975. "That was not Indy's best year, the tactical squabble was all over the papers at the time, but when Jez [Jeremy Benson, Golden Unicorn manager from 1985 to 1994] told us it didn't matter, they were still going to try their best and we had to get at them and fight them through every last minute. Wayne Crawshaw gave us an early lead with a brilliant effort in the D just outside the penalty area, but then Logan Hughes - another really good member of Brightway's class of 1989, like Georgia said - decided to trip Sophie Wilton around our D and got his name into the book. James Trott landed the free kick perfectly and before you know it, all level again. Jez was a good tactician and perhaps an even better motivator and he told me to take more of my chances better, because I scuffed a great effort at 1-0; I took what he said to heart because ten minutes after play restarted, the ball almost plopped right onto my feet and I just nudged it over Liam West - neither of us were expecting it, I promise - and hammered it into the net while he was still chasing after me. My other attempts were much less successful, and I had another opportunity at the end to double our lead; John Bailey parried it when I thought I was clean through, but look, Owen Prentice, he's there, he just burns all of his remaining energy on getting there before they could and there he goes and does the job. And I thought I was unhelpful!"

He follows on by recalling 1995's 3-3 draw away to Sword and Shield. "1995, in the public imagination, is the year that we shaped both of the title challengers' aspirations because we gave Athletic [Saint Eleanor] false hope and when Indy beat us, they won the title, but this was absolutely the game from that season I have the most vivid memories of. Jess[ica] Martin, who was and still is one of the best players in the country, got everything started and she may not have scored again after that, but she was really persistent, focused on getting the ball into the box - which was rather unusual of her - and trying to evade our guys on the left, Matt Shilling and Amanda Thorpe. Before the break, one particular encounter between her and Thorpe didn't end well for her, so Thorpey just decided to get the ball into a more central position to Caitlynn Jones. She slides a pass to me and bang, lead's down to 2-1. We got an equaliser after an hour or so because I set up Owen again, but this time I did it more directly because I saw him just ahead of me and just behind the offside trap, and he comes up with yet another first-time goal within the area. I'd thought we'd won it after I scored with ten minutes to go and while we were trying to push forwards, none of us really bothered to do anything with the ball, and if only it isn't Maddie Gordon who scores with who knows how many little minutes left on the clock. I knew not to switch off and I tried my best, but a lot of other people didn't, and I'd say Abraham Straw - who replaced Jez that year - was really bad at it. I have no idea how he got another job after we sacked him in '96."

Finally, "you know when we won 3-2 against Athletic last year? That would be another one: we fell behind to them early on and that was to be expected because they hadn't lost any of their games and sure, we'd gotten a couple of new players in, but nobody seriously thought they were world-beaters. Most of the rest of the first half was us defending a bit, trying to do our best, maybe taking a couple of chances that looked pretty good in the circumstances, but they led 1-0 at the break. Caitlynn found the equaliser when we returned and from then, it was mostly Gionata Mariani - the new guy from Macbon - who was trying to carve out a good shot. I don't think he quite succeeded, given that they have Wlad Wlad in defence now and they're stronger in every part of the pitch than they were a few years ago, but what he did do was slide in a low pass for me past Wlad and I just put it straight into the net by the near post. Fred Newton scored for his team again immediately afterwards and then Harriet Williams tries to pass to Nightingale the Equestrian right after that, but Aaron Francis cuts him out and just moves the ball to a couple of our other players. Now, Matt's gone inside a little bit, he's in a tight spot and he has to move the ball, so I get it from him, skim past John Tresco - who tracked back an awful lot in the meanwhile - and all I had to do was get it past three other players and into the net; while I was a bit worried, it all came through and we played out the final twelve minutes knowing that we were the ones in control. I was the one who won it, and everybody said so, but this was really a test of how good the Golden Unicorn was as a team against no less an opposition than the guys who ended up winning the league. Seriously - they actually won the league!"

David Newcastle, Georgia Wood and Luke Elliott all spoke highly about Pazorzal when I interviewed them earlier. "I've talked about Georgia already and she's pretty much my best friend on the national team; we've been playing on the same team for a long time, we agree with each other about a lot of things. and she mostly doesn't complain about irrelevant nonsense. She rolls her eyes a bit too much sometimes - almost at the slightest fault - but that's just part of the package. Dave's a bit more uptight than Luke but quite honestly, both are pretty cool and can be just relaxed about things when they want to be; they're good to talk to, good to work with and great to play alongside, as well. And I know you didn't mention him, but Sam Newbridge - he might be a bit harsh on the pitch but that is absolutely not how he functions off it, he always tries his very best to make sure you get what you want and he has a very good awareness of how teams work and how they can be improved." Did he really call for Exandra Davies to be appointed captain of the White Stars, as she claimed? "Yes! She's a bit of an unusual person because she... tries to pride herself on being a bit different than anyone else, but inside she's really just an ordinary person with a willingness to learn and a few really good ideas. And no bullshit. I'd definitely say she could pump the team up; it'ld probably be better than just having Liam West do everything at once. Don't get me wrong, he's awesome, but he isn't a superhero and he knows it."

Many observers, including yours truly, pointed to large-scale ballhogging by support players as a factor in Saint Eleanor's failure to claw back their 1-0 deficit against Squidroidia. Given Pazorzal's well-established reputation as a man who primarily seeks to benefit from the chances others make, you would think he would be a good fit for Priscilla Evans' lineup tomorrow, but naturally insists that "whatever the manager does, everybody listens. Nyowani Kitara are a strong, rapidly developing side who just won't stop getting at you, from what I've read of them; they deserve to be here and while I think we do, as well, the staff know much more about this than I ever could - they're going to be looking at how they play, why they play the way they do, how we can counteract it and make decisions from there. I'd love to be there but whether or not that means they do, I don't really care, because we're here to make sure we win together."

Melcheta Pazorzal, unlike certain other Eleanorian strikers, has neither received nor desired a great deal of hype. He is completely justified in not doing so: one of the last few bona fide poachers left in Saint Eleanor, he does not only do his job well, but with a sense of duty and understanding to his teammates, as well as a desire to make himself part of a cohesive unit rather than blindly going for glory. Both tomorrow and in the years to come, his attitude to the game will need to rear its head in many more places in the Eleanorian dressing room: the alternative is failure.

[Nyowani Kitara]

MNA Muhoozi Kulan, the President-Elect, standing in a ceremony to mark the democratic transition

Muhoozi Kulan stood up grinning as Peregrine Adler read his district's electoral results on the floor of the Chamber. She had read the result of each member's election, while reading the results of each of the six elected party leaders last. His was read second to last, a last respectful nod at Nafuna Akongo actually being the President. Peregrine Adler's final act, after running a pair of Nyowani Kitara elections, was to serve as the Speaker of the National Assembly for the first day, until at least the Chamber could elect its own speaker. The old legislature, which functionally was not anything more than a KPWC Party Congress, did have a Speaker, but as a non-neutral person, they of course could not serve as the Speaker in this Chamber. Especially since they themselves were not elected.

One of Muhoozi Kulan's lieutenants stood up, and praised Peregrine Adler, the Nepharan, for her on the ground role in handling elections. "This is one of the toughest election cycles that we ever thought possible to run." Said the lieutenant. "Back to back hotly contested elections, in a nation that, functionally, did not have any sort of election infrastructure, or domestic election know-how, before she came onto the ground. She ran both the Osterland referendum, and this General Election, with grace, authority, and toughness, especially considering all that was going on. With the drug running in this country, as well as the international pressure, and running a staff in a foreign country, she did an excellent job. She is not from here, she did not have to do this, but she did it in such a way that our growing democracy owes her a great debt." The chamber thunderously applauded for her, except for, of course, many of the KPWC MNAs, who mostly sat down in silence.

Then, Peregrine Adler started doing the true formal part of her job. "Can I have nominations for President?" She called out to the Chamber. It would be Susan Ounda, the JVV party leader, who would rise.

"Madam Speaker, Ms. Adler, I rise to nominate Mr. Muhoozi Kulan for the Office of President of this Democratic Republic!" She thundered her words, and MNAs from the UPF went wild. They had finished wrapping up a coalition agreement the other day, and the final moments were here- the transition of power was imminent. The other party leaders were nominated by their parties, with Nafuna Akongo being booed by most of the Chamber when she was nominated by a member of the KPWC. And then, the voting happened. UPF and JVV MNAs voting for Muhoozi Kulan, and every other party voting for their own party leader. And when the votes were counted, of course, Peregrine Adler rose to make the announcement.

"I hereby announce, with 161, that Muhoozi Kulan has been elected the President of this Democratic Republic!" Peregrine Adler boomed throughout the chamber, as half of the Chamber rose in thunderous applause. He then went to the center of the Chamber, and began speaking.

"Ms. Adler, thank you so much. Thank you for all that you have done for this great nation." He led another round of applause for the Nepharan, in her last moment at center stage for Nyowani Kitara. "This is a historic moment. A historic moment for our country of course, with a democratic transition of power to a party that opposes the President. The Kitaran people, after bearing the brunt of this war, after bearing all of the suffering, have finally risen and taken out the trash." At this line, there was applause from most of the Chamber, with stone silence from the KPWC MNAs. "With the Akongos out of power, a new country can be born. But this is about far more than this country. This is a historic moment for Rushmore, for Pavola. We have shown that a people yearning for democracy, yearning to free themselves from the dictatorial shackles of Communism, absolutely have the ability to command their own destiny."

---

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- Nyowani Kitara, on the most somber of days with the transition of power, draw neighbors Græntfjall in World Cup opener

DEWAYO, NYOWANI KITARA- Depressing, right? Nyowani Kitara is usually full of bright, attacking, and creative football, with players and teams, from both sides, generally looking to get forward and get after it. Defense an after-thought, understanding that goals are the way to win a football match, especially at the World Cup. But this World Cup opening match, even at our first ever World Cup Finals, was a somber day- even though it should have been a day of joy. Why was it somber?

Our friends, it was today when our glorious leader, President Nafuna Akongo, was turned back simply into a resident. She is now former President, President Emeritus, simply the General Secretary of the KPWC, and no longer Commander-In-Chief. It was a depressing, somber time, and it was clearly somethign that weighed on our players. Our players are inspired, they play the game the right way, with joy and attacking determination. But without our President in power? It effected the match.

We know how these things work. It is a microcosm of our country's future. Drab and dreary under Muhoozi Kulan. The football under him today will reflect our daily lives- drab, dreary, and boring. Uninspired. Out of ideas. But no worries- at the next scheduled election, Nafuna Akongo and the KPWC will be here, and we will win the next General Election.

Other News
- President Kulan's first act in Office is recognition of President Wu's false government as the legitimate head of state of Yuezhou. With the KPWC in unanimous opposition, he signed legislation passed by the National Assembly recognizing the United Republics as the legitimate government of Yuezhou, and implored the President to open up diplomatic relations as soon as practically possible. He said he will investigate ways to overturn YPA amnesty given by the former President on her way out.
- President Kulan has appointed his Deputy Leader, Solomon Kowa, as the country's Premier, and leader of the cabinet. The coalition agreement between the UPF and JVV stated that both the positions of President and Premier will go to the UPF, and that has been followed. Also other major appointments- Susan Ounda, without a surprise, as the leader of the JVV, has been appointed the Minister for Justice, whose remit includes police, any potential truth commissions, and the office of the Attorney General. President Kulan, controversially, has appointed his brother-in-law, Dr. Ajah Mumbo, as the Finance Minister. He will be in charge of privatization, as the state begins a mass sell-off of state owned businesses. While a controversial appointment for such a sensitive position because of their blood relations, Dr. Mumbo's qualifications are impeccable, and clearly satisfied Susan Ounda, the President's coalition partner. He left NYK many years ago to get a Bachelor's in Finance at USC in Quebec, and then got his doctorate in Economics at the same school- and then stayed as a Professor. Coming back after the Osterland referendum, he is now an elected MNA and will serve in the President's cabinet.

[Farfadillis]

Off I cut.

[Jeruselem]

Naked News Reporter Aaliyah Lust and Jeruselem manager Katherine Annabelle Dallas (Kate Dallas) after Jeruselem lost to Tumbra on World Cup 91 group stage day 2.

Aaliyah: Well, that went badly wrong there Kate ...
Kate: Hey look, Tumbra did beat Valanora earlier so I guess that win of theirs wasn't actually fluke I guess.
Aaliyah: I guess they've made the knockout round now with this win.
Kate: In most cases, two wins in the group will get you into the knockout round.
Aaliyah: Err, so what's the situation then?
Kate: Tumbra beat us 2-0 and Valanora beat Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom 4-1 leaving us in a really bad position, but it's not totally unrecoverable.

Aaliyah: So we can make it, but ... with caveats
Kate: Tumbra have 6 points, so they'll be fine. Valanora have three points leaving us and Zeta on just 1 point. It's obivous us and Zeta are the ones who need results to go the right way to dislodge Valanora. Zeta play Tumbra and we have to play Valanora which is not desirable for the third group game.
Aaliyah: Ok, Tumbra ... what's left for them.
Kate: If they draw or win, they top the group. Given current result, it's most likely they will win. Actually, we want them to win their game!
Aaliyah: Valanora, what about them.
Kate: They progress if they win, and a win could put them into top spot if Tumbra lose badly. So for them, a draw or win is the ticket. Losing is real problem.

Aaliyah: What about us?
Kate: We have to win! Nothing else. That would put us above Valanora. And it would be very helpful for Tumbra to win or draw, to keep Zeta from winning as well.
Aaliyah: And Zeta ...
Kate: They need to win, and nothing else just like us. They do not want Valanora to win or draw. If Valanora draw with us, they go ahead of Zeta I think on head to head.
Aaliyah: OK if we win and Zeta win ... which isn't very likely given current results ...
Kate: Both teams would be on 4 points. Head to head, we drew. Might come down to goal difference.

Aaliyah: Ideally, we beat Valanora and Tumbra win or draw then.
Kate: Yes ... one of those is going to happen, but us beating Valanora ... not so sure.
Aaliyah: So in short, we just have to win - preferably boosting out goal difference.
Kate: Yeah
Aaliyah: What's the chances of that?
Kate: Given they trashed Zeta 4-1, zero ...

Aaliyah: OK, so we're going home unless there's a miracle
Kate: Pretty much

[Tumbra]

Tumbra 2-0 Jeruselem

TMB (4-2-3-1): 1 - Barker; 2 - Hughes (18 - Moss, 66'), 4 - Kerr, 5 - Henderson, 19 - Carter; 6 - Harrison, 15 - Finnemore (16 - Fisher, 77'), 23 - Monaghan; 17 - Wells, 9 - Vaughn (21 - Crossley, 80'); 11 - Riordan

TMB scorers: Valerie Wells (12'), Nick Riordan (25')

Player of the Match: Valerie Wells (TMB)

A 2-0 victory over perennial World Cup contenders and land of very liberal nudity laws Jeruselem saw Tumbra secure progression to the second round of the World Cup, for the third consecutive time, with one game left to go in Group B. Tumbra dominated play in the early stages of the game, with the team retaining 66% of possession in the first half. The midfield — comprising a double pivot of Trudy Harrison and Mark Finnemore, with Susan Monaghan filling in for Phil Cole at attacking midfielder — was given plaudits for their calm, composed first-half showing; with their performance being remarked as one of the finest shows of Tumbran midfield dynamism that has taken the world by a moderate degree of storm. That control over the midfield would lead to two goals by halftime — Valerie Wells would take first blood in the twelfth minute, utilising her trademark move of cutting in on her right foot and scoring; while Nick Riordan would tap in a classic poacher's finish just before the half hour.

Fully in control of the game, and with the Tumbran defence showing little inclination of giving up a clean sheet, Tumbra played relatively deeper in the second half, conserving their energy; and a crucial header from Harry Henderson off a corner meant that Jeruselem were unable to get themselves on the scoreboard. Tumbra's best chance in the second half would fall to Robin Vaughn in the seventy-eighth minute, with him clear on goal; but a magnificent save from Stella Dallas meant that the game would end, 2-0. Tumbra's next opponents are Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom; the fourth seeds and region-mates from Esportiva who bravely held Jeruselem to a draw on the first matchday but fell to a presumably rampant Valanora side, perhaps keen for revenge after their disappointing showing on the first day. With progression secured, Yuan is expected to rotate the line-up a little bit, with starts for backup striker Bruce Nolan and a possible start for one of the backup goalkeepers not out of the question, either.

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. It turns out that Trudy returned to her father's estate because her grandmother's health was taking a turn for the worse — but Charles also decided to take the chance to try and convince his daughter to return to the fold. When that failed, he tried to convince Stephen; who turned him down, as well. With Trudy having said her final goodbyes to her grandmother, and with no other business left, she's decided to leave for Straton with Stephen; but not before an anger-filled confrontation with her father. What awaits them now, as the sun sets on their time in Georgia?

Link to previous part | Link to arc home
defender meets midfielder: season 6, part 9
a harrison without a name

Gleneagles Hall
Georgia

Stephen Kerr didn't get any sleep that night.

Nor did Trudy Harrison.

One was busy packing all their things. The other was contemplating life outside the family. That, and worrying about the health of her grandmother, which had taken a turn for the worse in the hours that had followed dinner. Trudy had brought Stephen to see Christine once more; she reassured them that everything would be fine, looking distinctly at peace with what was to come.

Trudy managed to hold her tears until she left the room, before she collapsed into a sobbing mess. Stephen brought her back to her room, and began making preparations for their departure. Walter, ever-present, would drive them down to Kingsbury at dawn; and from there, they would be free. They'd already made plans; Stephen would bring Trudy to finally visit his family, and re-unite with his own sister. He was reluctant to go back to a city that a few years ago felt like it had hounded him out; but if things were to be believed, Straton had more things to worry about than Stephen leaving for a measly sum of three and a half million dollars. There was his sister, too; she'd finally be able to come out to her parents, with the hope that the news of the two of them dating would put them in a good mood. Sure, same-sex marriage had been legalised a long time ago, but there was always the fear that Bertram and Sylvia Kerr wouldn't react as well to Stephanie's revelation that she was dating a girl.

There were other things on his mind, too.

Be careful what you wish for.

Stephen tried not to think about what Charles had said, but the more time passed, the more he found himself coming back to it. After all, this was the man at the head of Tumbra's biggest media empire — owner of the Kingsbury Tribune, Hesham Enquirer, Aurora News and so much more — and with a few calls, he could destroy them. He'd come across their content on TV, when lazily flicking across channels; and while he watched it with a strong sense of revulsion, he felt strangely magnetised to it. Sure, Trudy and Stephen had gained their freedom; but they'd never really be able to escape Tumbra — not until they'd retired from the national team and set up shop in whatever country they chose to live in, at least. And if they'd never be able to escape Tumbra, then they'd never be able to escape the clutches of, well...

But that wasn't what was important. Not right now, at least.

That was a fight for another day.

Stephen looked up from Trudy's suitcase, having spent the last ten minutes folding her clothes while she lay silently on her bed. Silently, Stephen got up, and lay down in the bed. He pinched her cheek; and she smiled, warmly. She'd been figuring about with a key attached to a necklace.

"Hey," he whispered, softly.

"Hey."

"We'll be out of here soon."

"I know. It's just...it's finally here. He's given us permission to leave. But I don't know why I feel so empty inside. I should be happy, I should be smiling, I should be celebrating the fact that I'm finally free to live my life. But I just can't, Stephen. Maybe it's just the fact that Grandmama's not going to be here much longer. But even then..."

"I know."

"All she gave me was this." she said ruefully, playing with the key.

"That's...a key." He plucked it gently from her; she took off the necklace and handed it to him.

"I sure hope it is."

"What does it open?"

"There's a lockbox. On the table..."

Stephen reached out and grabbed the ornately carved box. Trudy sat up; presumably curious to find out what was inside, too.

"Did she tell you what was inside?"

"I've forgotten. Something about a bank account."

Stephen's heartbeat accelerated as the key slid in perfectly. Was this the bank account that Walter had told him about a few days back? The lid opened...

Several small books. A slip of paper with twelve numbers and the name of a bank, which looked vaguely Teus in origin. A picture. He handed that one to Trudy; and she began weeping again, as he inspected the multiple sheets of paper. Kotzellach Investment- und Bankenunion. He knew Kotzellach; it was a small chain of islands about three hours west of Chromatika. But why there?

He opened the book. Years and years of numbers getting larger, and larger; sometimes a deposit here, sometimes a deposit there. His heart racing, he kept flipping until he found the latest entry in the book. A sigh of relief. They would be safe, after all.

52,186,445 TM$ - Gesamtbetrag mit Zinsgutschrift am 28. Mai 202X

He looked up at Trudy, who had put the picture back in the lock-box. It was of a woman and a toddler; the picture faded with age, now, but clearly from a happier time.

"Is that..."

"Yes," Trudy whispered. "I haven't seen her in so long, Stephen."

"One day we'll find her. Once we're done with all this." Slowly, Stephen brushed her hair aside and kissed her on the forehead. "We'll be fine, alright? I know we'll be fine, no matter what happens. I know it. And I'll take care of you."

"Don't say that just because my grandma made you promise to do that," Trudy sniffled.

"It'd be true even if she hadn't made me say it. She knows, I think, that I would've done so. Smart woman, your grandma. But I mean it, Trudy, I really do. I love you."

"I know."

---

Georgia

The black of night gave way to the brilliant blue of dawn; which marked the defender and midfielder's departure from Gleneagles Hall. Stephen refused to allow Walter to load their baggage, instead taking on the burden himself; and without so much as a goodbye to Charles, they were soon on the expressway back to Kingsbury. They'd booked their tickets the night before; soon, they'd be on a train, whooshing towards Straton. With luck, they'd be there in time for another lunch; though one that was expected to be more cordial than the one they'd had in Kingsbury.

The ride back was mainly quiet. Stephen idly held onto Trudy's hand, while she stared out of the window; lockbox on her lap. She'd been through a lot these last few days, and Stephen knew it was better than to strike up conversation now. Every now and then, he'd squeeze her hand thrice; and after a while, she'd squeeze back.

He didn't know how it began, really. The hand-squeezing thing; it had become a thing of theirs, a way for them to express their love for each other without saying anything. On the pitch, he was calm and composed; she was loud, blustery and a force of nature unto herself; so it made sense, in a way, that off the pitch she didn't want to say much. The squeezing was a way for them to ground themselves, too; more often than not, when Trudy was having her nightmares, Stephen would squeeze her hand to let her know everything was all right. If Stephen had an anxiety attack before a match, she'd be there for him, too, the hand-squeezes proving to be the best tool to calm him down.

After about two hours, they arrived in Kingsbury; the bright, gleaming towers contrasted with Imperial-era architecture; the Gothic architecture style of Kingsbury railway station. Stephen unloaded all their luggage as Walter shared a few words with Trudy. He hung back afterwards, not wanting to intrude on their last moments together; but near the end, Walter pointed at Stephen, motioning him to come closer.

"Stephen. Stephen, good lad. Now I want you to answer my question honestly." Stephen froze for a moment, unsure what kind of test Walter had concocted, minutes before they were about to leave.

"Can you cook?"

"I mean, yeah." The question had caught him off-guard.

Walter looked at Trudy again. "You'll be fine. He can cook. And, after all, he promised Ms. Christine he'd take care of you."

"I think he'd take care of me regardless of what he'd said to Christine, Walt." Trudy took Stephen's arm and leant against it. "Thank you. For everything."

"I will miss you, Trudy. As will Bridget. When you two tie the knot, we'll fly out to wherever to watch it. I promise."

"I'll miss you too."

"Stephen. We met a few days ago, but in those few days I've become convinced that you are the best man for Trudy that she could ever hope for. Take care of her, and remember what I said in that room when I told you everything."

"Be kind."

Walter smiled. "You're a fast learner."

A hand was extended; Stephen grasped it and shook it, firmly. For a man of his age, Walter had a strong grip.

"I'll see you one day." Walter smiled as he entered the car, fired up the engine and drove off.

"I hope so, too."

And just like that, Trudy wasn't a Harrison anymore.

---

A Train
South Coast Main Line

They wouldn't be on this train for long — they were getting off at Knapford, transferring to the Clearmont line and then onto the East Coast Main Line at Clyde — but for the first time in a long, long while, Trudy Harrison felt at ease. It was the same sense that she felt when she'd gotten onto the train bound for Kingsbury all those years ago at Steppenham; a sense of...a load lifted off her shoulders. Now, she was free.

As free as she could be from a man who had such power over the airwaves, anyway.

The countryside slinked past, fields and homes zooming by insignificantly; occasionally, they'd zoom through a station, belonging to some town, without stopping. Rain fell halfway through Dartmoor, the grey streaks in the sky giving birth to blotches of water landing on the windows. The sky cleared; more civilisation, more cities, everything. It became almost a blur for Trudy; all she could think about was the choice she'd made. In a way, she felt guilty for only thinking about that; there was Stephen, there was her grandmother, there was Walter; but all she could think about was the future.

There was no going back.

She'd chosen Stephen, and her football career; and Stephen had chosen her. They were set for the rest of their lives, thankfully, thanks to the contents of the lockbox; but there was still a sense of emptiness inside her. She'd cast away the first seventeen years of her life.

Just like that.

But as Straton's skyline emerged on the horizon, and she felt three squeezes on her hand, she knew everything was going to be alright.

Zeta Reka and Hügeltaldom v Tumbra @ VG Arena, Maigburg

Starters: 12 - Andrew Taylor; 18 - Nicholas Moss, 4 - Stephen Kerr, 20 - Raymond Perry, 3 - Nigel Harris; 6 - Trudy Harrison, 8 - Vincent Hicks, 10 - Phil Cole; 17 - Valerie Wells, 21 - Lynne Crossley, 22 - Bruce Nolan

Bench: 1 - Nick Barker, 13 - Victoria Jones; 2 - Ryan Hughes, 5 - Harry Henderson, 14 - Ian Ashburn, 19 - Chris Carter; 15 - Mark Finnemore, 16 - Andrew Fisher, 23 - Susan Monaghan; 7 - George Hilton, 9 - Robin Vaughn; 11 - Nick Riordan

[Ko-oren]

Always starting strong, the Squornshelan Remnant States continued their streak of winning openers, while the Dragonflies were left to lick their wounds. Katherine Davenport played the regular XI, which might be old but they would get a result in the all-important opener at least... until said XI didn't. Out of the five-person back line, the only one to get a passing grade on their MD1 showing would be Van Kalvenhaar, indomitably charging up the left wing in possession and tracking back in time to defuse a red-black counterattack. Mizuno and Van Schelven should know better: Mizuno left too many gaps for the rest to cover, and the SRS midfield happily operated in the pocket. Van Schelven was caught out of position a few times in the proces. This all started on midfield, however, where Dhentingun and yCinrhadd were too easily dispossessed and Janoreirinthen was often too far away from the action to do anything about it. A few good substitutions - something in which Davenport far outshines her predecessor, Juliasterinthen - got the Dragonflies back on track but not by much. Batchelor came on for yCinrhadd, a very painful substitution for the latter in his first ever match at the World Cup, and with Batchelor and Janoreirinthen working a bit closer to the axis of the field, they regained some control. Mizuno went off for Aelisire, and Aomelirea eventually was taken off for Archer. Aelisire brought back defensive structure; Archer is enjoying a fine year with champions Aminey CS and is on monster form for the better part of a year now.

Yonte and Hashemi gave the States a 2-0 lead, and Archer, in the few minutes given to him, was in the right place for a low cross that surprised (but should not have surprised) Shimski. It didn't turn out to be a very costly mistake.

With zero points, meaning that you have to win your remaining two games to have a shot at the next round, the Dragonflies prepared for Brenecia. The long-ball playstyle is one that easily breaks down when you lob the ball into six defenders (counting Dhentingun in midfield), so Carpenter and Byrne had their work cut out for them on the wings after 20 minutes of long balls gave the Brenecians exactly zero to work with. That posed some danger: the Patriots are on average taller and much broader than the average Ko-orenite, and with crosses flying in for Lofthouse, this would get ugly fast. But when you rely on your pace and strength too much, you're leaving yourself open to a squad that is cleverer in its approach. Conway was the first to lose her head, picking up a yellow for a foul on yCinrhadd. The Leaside Lions midfielder made his return to the starting lineup with clear instructions, paired with Batchelor on his right and Abbagan on his left - Longchambon was left out - and Dhentingun behind him. That is about as physical a midfield as Ko-oren would ever get, and even then they were outpaced and outshoved by the Brenecian mids.

More and more, Ko-oren was on the attack now. Keep the ball away from the white jerseys, and pass it to wherever they least expect it. Batchelor skilfully turned away from Covolan, knocked the ball past Conway, and off he was. Charged down by three Patriots, he lobbed the ball somewhere behind the defence, where Aomelirea was able to control it and fire it blindly behind Tanner. It wasn't a very tactical goal, but it worked. The initiative was regained by Brenecia and they were getting close to a goal again, but the referee's whistle saved us. Half time.

We're not sure what went on in the locker room: what do you tell a team that's outmatched in every relevant way? The tactical advantage matters little if you don't have time to execute. All that's there is the 1-0 lead - which wasn't all that against the odds as it might have seemed: Brenecia had the chances, but Ko-oren did have spells of possession, an intelligent yCinrhadd, a technical Janoreirinthen, and an opportunistic Aomelirea. Normally opportunism only introduces unknown factors that hinder the Ko-orenite game, but this time, it might save us.

The second half kicked off with more of the same, but this time the Dragonflies matched the Patriots in intensity. Mizuno picked up a yellow for a bone-crunching tackle. Mulvahil got one for pushing over Lofthouse - and the Osarese Marcadia defender was more surprised by the fact he managed to put his target on the floor than by getting the yellow card. In return, Culpepper got booked for hitting the emergency break on a Batchelor run, and Covolan was the second Brenecia midfielder to get a yellow for a wholly unnecessary foul on Aomelirea. In the melee, Batchelor took the free kick early, only for Abbagan to miss the easiest chance of his lifetime. After a round of substitutions, Bonstirthinden (rewarding his incredible season for Miradela GD) came on for yCinrhadd, to play 5-3-2 (Two strikers! On the Dragonflies!), as both teams agreed that the midfield was for fouls and running, and the real advantage came through direct, long balls straight to the wingers and finishers. This got Van Schelven his first assist in over a cycle, leading Aomelirea to his second goal. Bonstirthinden finished it off with the 3-0 as both teams, somehow, managed to finish all 90+ minutes with eleven players left on the field per side.

And so the Patriots concede three goals again, but this time don't get three points off it and they'll have to play the Squornshelan Remnant States to join the top two, while Ko-oren plays a winless Hapilopper side next. The big win wasn't just good for points (getting us in the top two), the goal difference will be huge if we're going to go back-to-back-to-back into the knockout stages. If we beat Hapilopper, we'll be in the Round of 16, and even a draw should be good enough.

In fact, if we beat Hapilopper and SRS do not win (provided Brenecia goes easy on the GD), we'll finish first in the group for the first time since World Cup 74, the previous and only time we've ever done so. Yes, the Dragonflies have been in 18 group stages, finishing 1st once. Incidentally, the Dragonflies only finished fourth once (WC 86). The remaining 16 attempts, we finished 2nd 10 times and 3rd just six times. We've never gone 3-0-0 or 0-0-3, either.

Oh, and the 3-0 was our 500th official victory, too!

[Squidroidia]

Theme Music

---

SBN 1 Commentary by Takanaki Osa in Italics
"...Ball taken back by Bertolini. The Dalaris City defender heaves it up, finds Brooks, Brooks close to the edge of the area, through ball into the area, HIDEOOOO!!! DE ORO'S IN STUNNED SILENCE! THE KRAKEN OF SQUIDROIDIA GRABS ONTO THE LEAD!! ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!"

A 70,000 seater stadium packed to the gill with Græntfjallers, with only 20,000 Squidroidian fans in attendance, turned from a madhouse of the White Winter's reign into a bunch of crickets with 10 minutes to go in the game. The Inklings, as it stood, were comfortably heading back to the knockouts off the back of a Makino Hideo low shot that Snow Wolves keeper Björnólfur Ernestisson couldn't get so much as a finger to. 6 points from 2 games and putting the opposition into desperation mode, desperately needing a win against Saint Eleanor if they were to lose today to advance to the knockout stage. Princess Jessika watched on from somewhere, hoping that her nation would run up that hill and make a deal with the Gods... Hey, that was Chartistan's line...

"Tinni Grímólfursson's traveled from fellow co-host Farfadillis to meet up with the rest of this Snow Wolves team, he finds Tyrfingsson, Röskvi with the chance to level it, SAVED by Akiyama!"

"Sara Kristoffersdóttir with it now, tackled by Dalgaard, she draws the foul! Free kick Græntfjall. This is her first World Cup, and this is not the time to make that impression when the opposition has a golden chance to put things level!"

"Kæja Finnvarðsdóttir. Perhaps the best wonderkid to ever come out of Græntfjaller shores, plies her trade in Pasarga with Tanrısal... Ball decently close to the penalty area, but it feels like she wants to cross it. Perfectly past the wall, Álvgeirsdóttir, just, JUST past the bar! And I mean just! That could've been the equalizer in the 85th!"

"...One minute left until stoppage time in this 2nd World Cup group game, Vanessa Marvinsdóttir's got it past Dalgaard, past Bertolini, could she get a chance here? BLOCKED BY TOKI! Finnvarðsdóttir's got it now however, over to Johanna, SAVED BY AKIYAMA AGAIN! He is having the game of his life!"

"This could very well be the last chance of the game for Græntfjall. Kæja's got one last free kick to make a statement in this match. Stoppage time's already passed, this will be the last kick of the game... Kæja from the edge of the area, OFF THE POST, and that's the final whistle! Squidroidia are heading back to the Round of 16 at the World Cup! First ones in!"

As the night sky of Háttmark was hidden by clouds and an overcast mood, the home side had a lot to prove in order to have a chance of making the Round of 16. The opposition, however, had booked their place in. The 20,000 Squidroidians in attendance, watching their team doing handshakes and hugs, thought up of a new chant on the fly. And so, before the team itself got back into the locker room, they sung their song out.

"From Inkopolis to the place you call home,
Blue and white together we'll fight forever!
We can cheer in stadiums and we can cheer in domes,
Blue and white together we'll fight forever!
Na na na na na na na na na!
Na na na na na na na na na na!
Na na na na na na na na na!
Na na na na na na na na na na!"

---

However, another mood would strike when Adam Johnson stepped into his seat for post-match press conferences.

"Thank you for coming. Before I take any questions, I'd like to make an announcement. This will be my last World Cup with the Squidroidia national team and possibly
the last of my career. I will leave as soon as Squidroidia are knocked out, and I'll let the SNTA pick my replacement. I will still be with my team for the duration of the tournament, but once we are eliminated, my time with this side is up. I hope that whoever replaces me will guide an exciting new generation of Squidroidian players to further heights."

Immediately after those words, the reporters all wanted to ask the soon outgoing manager of the Squidroidian national team.

"Will you change your mind if Squidroidia win the World Cup, even if said task would be the hardest thing to do in your opinion?"

"I don't think we'll win the World Cup, and even if we do I'll still leave my role. This is non-negotiable, there is no way that I will not leave this Squidroidian team. I was appointed by the SFA, and I think the SNTA needs to appoint a manager that fits its values."

"Will this mean that you'll retire from international management or management in general?"

"I have nothing to say. Now is not the time."

"What do you want to say to all the prospective managers wanting to get into the gig as manager of Squidroidia?"

"Whatever you do, make sure you treat the Wunderbars with respect and let them do what they do best. I know plenty of times that they instigated fights for more playing time and that might have made me leave the role, but they weren't the main reason. I started international management 30 odd years ago. 15 cycles. I feel like it's time for someone new to step up to the table and prove what they're worth. Mito I'm sure would not want to go back to his old job, he's sitting pretty in Poafmersia. I want a fresh face to replace me."

As Johnson continued to ask questions, this time about the game itself and upcoming opponents Nyowani Kitara, the thought of retirement lingered in his mind. He was old. Experienced, but in the twilight of his career, even if he still technically has "got it" to perform at a high level like managing a team to the World Cup proper. That was going to be a question he was going to need to answer himself over the course of the next couple games. At the very least he was going to the Round of 16 again...