The 83rd Cup of Harmony — Roster/RP/Scores Thread

by **Fort McKinley** » Tue Jun 21, 2022 12:31 am

The match against Poafmersia was a letdown for the Fort McKinley National Team, as the 3-1 defeat meant that they would still need a result--most likely a win--to finish in the top four of the group to advance to the knockout round.

That was the practical and immediate focus as the squad and the rest of the newly arrived friends & family of the players arrived in Neorudo, checked into the same hotel where the team had stayed ahead of the Starblaydia match (luckily for David); the entire party were gathered together for dinner in a banquet room, which seemed like an extravagant expense to some of those who were hardcore Party members and hardline Revolutionaries.

Comrade Robert Edward Miller, the Executive Director of the governing body who'd come along with the recent visitors, stood at the front of the room and made a brief speech.
"Our team has brought enormous glory to our People's Republic with their performance here and in the many matches that preceded this Cup of Harmony (applause). Comrade David Guy Allen was recognized as one the outstanding players of the Baptism of Fire and has singlehandedly been responsible for many of the victories and drawn matches that could've been defeats before and after that event. (applause) The Central Committee have informed us that they will present an award to each of the squad members and staff upon our return at the conclusion of the tournament. (applause) Please enjoy your meal. Thank You."
___________________________________________________________________________________________

Over the several hours they were permitted to socialize while in Papillio, David and his three fellow prospective defectors had distilled the "operational" plan down to a schedule with 15 minute benchmarks

and brainstormed several different 'endgame' scenarios. Each of them had been given a task to research--Lee was to find out exactly what surrounded the Cop Limy Stadium physically; Jason had been given the responsibility of figuring out what transport options might be available; and Kate was to find out where the "plum"--a shoulder bag containing everything they'd need once they'd made a break--could be stashed ahead of the match and retrieved quickly afterward.

David had once again stumbled upon people who were willing to provide assistance, that he established contact (and trust) with during the previous stay in Neorudo; Patricia, the Housekeeping maid that cleaned his room on the first day, had responded to his note left underneath some towels in the bathroom and provided the requested information, plus changed his Mackie currency for Mertagnian Ducats, from which she received a handsome payoff. Patricia also recruited one of the concierge associates for Dave to contact, and Sebastian would play a huge role in the final plan.

by **Efnakia** » Tue Jun 21, 2022 2:24 am

Savojarna 0-0 Efnakia
Flynn Ar3na, New Fligsive, Plitterland, Mertagne - Attendance: 74,498
Lineup: M. Kacceo – K. Kaddaske, K. Kahamla, S. Kacceda, T. Kassomka - Ss. Katemam, K. Kakedo, F. Katadfass, K. Kalafhaf - U. Kahelto, L. Kamosspeffe
Goals:
Provisional Lineup vs. Bollonich: M. Kacceo - F. Kasef, U. Katla, S. Kacceda, K. Kaddaske - Ss. Katemam, B. Katefess, T. Kanla, K. Kalafhaf - U. Kahelto, L. Kamosspeffe

WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? SOMETHING APPARENTLY – THE FOREIGNER'S GUIDE TO EFNAKIA – HISTORY: THE PERIOD OF CONFLICT
This one may end up censored by the government.

THIS ARTICLE WAS FOUND BY THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS TO BE IN SEVERE VIOLATION OF THE NATIONAL OVERSIGHT ACT (SAFETY AND SECURITY) 395. AS SUCH, IT IS ONLY AVAILABLE TO NON-CITIZEN NON-RESIDENTS OF THE FEDERATED STATE OF EFNAKIA.

IN LINE WITH THE NATIONAL OVERSIGHT ACT, IT IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE TO REPUBLISH OR OTHERWISE DISTRIBUTE THIS ARTICLE WITHIN THE FEDERATED STATE OF EFNAKIA, PUNISHABLE BY UP TO ONE YEAR IN PRISON AND/OR A FINE OF UP TO Ł2,000,000.

IN LINE WITH THE NATIONAL OVERSIGHT ACT, IT IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE TO ALTER THE CORRECTED PORTIONS OF THIS ARTICLE FOR DISTRIBUTION WITHIN THE FEDERATED STATE OF EFNAKIA, PUNISHABLE BY A MINIMUM OF ONE YEAR AND UP TO TEN YEARS IN PRISON, AND A FINE OF AT LEAST Ł1,000,000 AND UP TO Ł20,000,000.

As noted previously, the islands now known as Efnakia, during a period from approximately 420 to 360 years ago (15 DA to 45 MA in the Efnak calendar, the date system used in the remainder of this article), the various, innumerable city-states and small regional lords began to coalesce into “nations”, at least as seen from the modern perspective. These nations, which numbered at least ten (from documented evidence, with the caveat that that provides in modern Efnakia), existed around the island, but primarily in the more populated and developed west of the country. As noted before, the state now known as Efnakia claims the Efnak nation as its precursor, being located in the Odra River Basin and the neighboring Fishermens’ Coast. While the names of these nations are at the current time unknown, it is believed to be likely that some, if not all, of the six provinces outside the Efnak heartland are named either directly after or in reference to the nations present in the area – historical information is lacking in this area, especially surrounding the etymology of those placenames (an aspect of Efnak society that some in the current government have raised as a concern, though that is a discussion for another time).

What is known, however, is the approximate location of these nations. These appear to have been located roughly in correlation with the densest areas of habitation in the modern day, at least for the west of the island, with larger nations in (modern-day) southern Ub along the Sunshine Coast and northern Ub along and to the northwest of the modern Lake Ddaddte providing immediate competition to the fledgling Efnak nation. To the east, it is clear that at least three nations were located in modern Abmas province – two directly bordering along the River Taffnou, with another along the western bank of the River Ccenddes. Two nations appear to have located in what is now the Ssedbam Central Metro Area – one most likely along the coast, with the other along Lake Dal and the river of the same name in interior Ssedbam. Another nation is believed to have been located in metropolitan Tamhu, while another was located uniting the entirety of Beffhubass Island, with its rich volcanic soils and waters providing for the highest population density in pre-modern Efnakia. Finally, in modern-day Melham, [THIS TEXT CORRECTED BY THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF THE FEDERATED STATE OF EFNAKIA].

Without getting too far into overly-specific details of the Period of Conflict, the name of the time period between approximately 50 and 300 MA is likely suitable enough to determine the most common event during said period – war. The beginning of the period was marked by the growth of the nations, slowly taking control of larger areas of the rural interior – with marked exception in the Highlands, east Tamhu, and most of Ulde, which saw the mere continuation of the previous order due to their lower density and poorer connection to the rest of the island. The first inter-state war, came, however, with poor harvests across the west of the island. While the stocks of the nations along the Sunshine Coast and in northern Ub were primarily dependent on agricultural products, predominantly ebssal (a variant of rice, noted for its adaptation to hardier conditions), that of the Efnak nation was supported in equal part by fishing stocks off the southern coast of the island. The strongest army is often the one that is the best-fed – this did not fail to ring true in the instance of the First Western War as the Efnak armies swept across the plains to gain control, at least in theory, of the western part of the island – even pushing as far east as Uhunoss in the north, connecting the eastern edge of the fledgling state through the mountain passes between Uhunoss and the northern Anddof city of Luhacc, the last major city north on the River Odra.

With the immense task of maintaining control over a hostile, recently occupied population, the beginning of a plan that would later end in Unification began to take shape. The Efnak state, far from attempting to ignore ethnicity in their governance of the newly captured populations, focused on it most intensely, by highlighting both the similarities and differences in the various peoples which now made up the (at the time, considered to be) multi-ethnic state – finding remarkable success in the creation of a mythical shared identity which encompassed the entirety of the island. They were not alone in this tactic – the nations in Ssedbam unified in the lone peaceful exchange of territory during the period under similar conditions, while the unified state across the whole of eastern Abmas conquered their way to a similar conclusion – but their existing strength and shared history (being the areas which, most notably, contributed to the creation and growth of fut’ seda) meant they strode the island as the strongest state, with a unified and coherent ambition of uniting the island.

Concurrently, on the east of the island, [THIS TEXT CORRECTED BY THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF THE FEDERATED STATE OF EFNAKIA]. However, the Melhamese were defeated at three major battles along the River Ccenddes by the enlargened state in Abmas - marking the beginning of a history of notably good relations between the two sides of the river, but more notably the end of Melhamese expansion towards the west.

The rest of the Period of Conflict was relatively straightforward to those who have seen the rise of expansionist nations with a unifying ethnicity – the Efnak state‚ while evolving itself into a modern state with institutions befitting those of other nations 50 years prior, continued a warpath coinciding with the end of the annual harvest period – with the young men of the nation freed from their duties for another few months, more gains were made in now-continuous open war across the island. War on “two fronts” was no real issue for the new state, though – having almost one and a half times the population of the other nations on the island combined, their losses in young men in offensive battles impacted their fighting ability less than that of the attacked, and thus war continued. The states in Ssedbam and mainland Tamhu capitulated first, the heavily populated areas along the River Dal and to the north along the lush west coast of Tamhu providing ease of conquest, while the state in Abmas, now organized and in a desperate defense of the territory along the River Taffnou, finally shattered amidst a leadership struggle between their own ethnic groups, unifying at least the coastal regions of western and southern Efnakia under a single state for the first time in its history, as the Efnak armies marched into the city of Muhdet’ on the River Ccenddes (marking the end of organized, state resistance to the Efnak state) in the year 207.

The nation to the east loomed, however. The River Ccenddes, the same barrier which held the Melhamese out of the rest of Efnakia, now kept the Efnaks out of the peninsula which made up their home. Showing a self-belief available only to those who had yet to face defeat, [THIS TEXT CORRECTED BY THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF THE FEDERATED STATE OF EFNAKIA]. With affairs settled as they were, the Efnak state instead began to focus on pacification and control. Various uprisings still appeared like brushfires around the island, as those who had yet to accept the ssadabo, or “shared identity”, rose in an attempt to free themselves from it. The sparsely populated areas of eastern Tamhu and Ulde chafed under state control for the first time as the new state unified the whole of the northern coast –the Highlands would hold out until a decade after Unification to enter the Efnak fold.

The number of deaths during the Period of Conflict is unknown and likely impossible to accurately know – with the population of the island as a whole reaching approximately 20 million in the years prior to the war, one hundred years of war likely left the toll of dead somewhere over a million. Any further precision is simply impossible given the differing accounts, and the stories of [THIS TEXT CORRECTED BY THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF THE FEDERATED STATE OF EFNAKIA]. (The third Governor of the North, Ennassas Kakonu, isn’t known as kem Kafussofem “the Butcher” for nothing.)

Thus, the stage was set for the Unification War. A domineering newly declared Republic of Efnakia, with a booming population reaching almost forty million, stood strongest on with control of the entirety of the island, bar the extremes of the rural, rugged interior, and the peninsula at the island’s eastern edge. There lay another state, the Grand Duchy of Melham, with a newly coronated Protector of the People, and a population of almost five million who, after two hundred years of relative isolation, relative peace, and unity in their own state while the bloodbath of the Period of Conflict raged to their west, had a burning desire to be anything but Efnak. The year is 312 MA, and the island’s final washing in blood is soon to begin.

- heroes - an exploration of the events of the unification war, and those who fought -

They called us heroes after the war.
We let them.

We accepted our medals, we attended their commemorations, we sat and watched as they wrote their truth into the history books and the memorials and the great stadiums of our province.
But we knew the truth.

We knew what we had done in their land, to their people, to their soil.
They knew what we had done. They never forgot. On the east bank of the river, with their own language, with their own culture, they never swallowed the history our people tried to force down their throats at the point of a gun.
So we lived, not amongst them with their memories, but across the river with ours.

In our own world, with our own history, with our parades and banners and day of rest and remembrance.

Or at least, I should say, we tried to live.
We tried to erase the memories of our actions, the memories of what we did while holding our guns, and live with the collective memory that those around us created for themselves to swallow. But we could never. When others knew peace, we never would.
Because we always kept seeing the faces.

And the graves that would tell our truth remained undisturbed.

by **Krytenia** » Tue Jun 21, 2022 2:29 am

Watching From Behind The Sofa
By Rami Niblick in Dannin, Mertagne

THE tension in the air is so thick you could cut it with a cricket stump. After a none-more-Krytenian slow start to the Cup of Harmony, the Dragons finally found some form in their last two matches, defeating the Ochre Islands - and a certain Mr R Valens - before shutting out Cardenao and putting themselves in third place in the table. There's just one problem, though; we're out of games, but not out of reach.

This means we're in the worst-case scenario as far as Matchday Seven is concerned. As things stand, we're off to the knockouts, albeit likely against a more difficult opponent than we would have liked. The problem is, of course, that the teams below us still have ninety minutes to improve our lot, whilst the Dragons are locked in on eight points, level goal difference, and no way to affect that.

Of the three games in Group E being played on the final matchday, two are of relevance to us. The other - between Mertagne and Cardenao at the Dannin City Stadium - may not have any bearing on Krytenia's travails in the competition, but with the hosts looking to secure top spot, and their fellow Anaians with a wafer-thin but not impossible chance of reaching the second phase, will be by no means boring.

The "easiest" way for Krytenia to go through is for Xanneria to not win. They're playing their final game where the Dragons played their first, Crater Field in Claviers, and know that three points will assure them at least fourth place - possibly even third if the other match works in their favour. The one problem? Their opponents are Darmen, who have already won three of their five matches and are looking to steal top spot from Mertagne. Any dropped points here eliminates Xanneria, and will put the Krytenians into the round of thirty-two.

If Xanneria win, though, all is not lost. The other game in Dannin, at the beautifully modern Spectrum Stadium, is probably the most intriguing of the three. The Ochre Islands and Eshialand are set to meet here, and both sides need something from the match not only to qualify, but do so at the expense of their opponents. Richard Valens' side have the advantage in this one, as a draw would put them above Krytenia on goal difference and into the knockouts regardless of the Xanneria-Darmen game. A win, of course, guarantees them at least third place - a position that could even become second if Xanneria defeat Darmen in Claviers. Even defeat isn't a disaster for the Ochres. A one-goal loss keeps them above Eshialand on goal difference, so any result for Darmen would see them squeak through in fourth place...unless Cardenao go absolutely beast mode on Mertagne and win by five.

As for Eshialand? Their task is simple. Beat the Ochres by two, and the head-to-head result puts them above their opponents. Three or more, and it becomes a goal difference advantage. Beat them in any fashion, and Krytenia coast through watching the carnage develop below them. Eshialand, though, will also need Xanneria not to win to progress, though, and will also be hoping that Cardenao don't get that unexpected but potentially bants-heavy pummeling of Mertagne.

The Cyan Army will be keeping their eyes on these games tonight. At least a few will be doing so through their fingers, or behind the sofa, especially if things start getting a little worrisome for the Dragons. So long as the perfect storm of CAFA 3 doesn't happen again, though, Krytenia should - should - be able to breathe easy. Until, at least, the inevitable happens and we draw Audioslavia in the first knockout round. Onward!

by **Ceni** » Tue Jun 21, 2022 3:32 am

Wibbly Wobbly, Timey Wimey
Chapter 10: Kimeln’s Revelations

After the shock had sunk in, Luke Longstar finally had the presence of mind to ask Vera Kimeln what exactly she meant by an “anti-Arrowsword faction.”

“Well, faction may be a strong word,” replied Vera. “More like a couple of guys who hated Andrew’s guts. “Dash Cardar. Owen Arar. Damian Asteem. The DOD bunch, I call them. Because they were old and fuddy-duddy, or foddy-doddy as the saying went among us low-level bureaucrats.”

“Why did they have such a distaste for Andrew?”

“Distaste is putting it lightly. They hated Andrew’s guts.” Then Vera shrugged. “As to why… I have no concrete ideas, only rumors to pass along. Dash perhaps had an inferiority complex and wanted to be more famous than Andrew, or perhaps prove that he had power by using it indiscriminately… Owen and Damian were more inscrutable to me, but I think they thought similarly that Andrew had gotten too big for his own britches. And a sense of xenophobia lingered around all three, I thought. Maybe they hated him for being part-Drawkian.”

“But these guys are part of the Cenian FA!” Luke sipped his coffee, managing to spill some all over his white shirt. He muttered to himself about always going to the dry cleaners. “Shouldn’t they be putting the good of the national team above petty personal grievances?”
“Nominally, yes,” said Vera. “But when the petty are powerful, they generally ignore such things like the common good and such. It’s in the definition of petty.” Vera looked at her watch and began putting her things back in her purse.

“One last question.”

“Yes?”

“Aren’t the fuddy-duddy people or whoever gone by now? So why did I still get this letter warning me off about putting Andrew on the team?”

Vera put her stuff back down. “I guess I forgot to tell you,” she said. “There is still one holdout on the Cenian FA, and I guess you’ll say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree here. John Asteem is still around.”

“Damian’s son?”

“Damian’s son.”

Luke cursed.

***

Jaina Ende-Dogor paced around Lake Cenial Park, listening to music and not paying much to her own surroundings. At a staircase leading down to the water, she tripped on the first step, flailing about and only just managing to recover before scraping a knee or two. A kid nearby pointed a finger at her and laughed. “Just my day,” she said, repressing the urge to point a slightly different finger at the heckling kid.

She lay at a crossroad in her investigation, which could barely be considered such now that the ICPO had made a more definitive ruling on what had caused AT7093’s demise. On the one hand, she could go with her cerebrum and just give up. On the other hand, she could go with her gut and keep digging into the foul play story.

Jaina soon reached a crossroad at the park: One path led to the main esplanade around Lake Cenial and the various resplendent trees flowering alongside it; another path led through a small copse back to the city center. Of course, the esplanade had its concomitant throngs, while the city throughline had only a small trickle of people. “The path less traveled,” she muttered to herself. One of her colleagues at the University of New Oxford had given a lecture on that poem, pointing out that we routinely interpreted the poem incorrectly; instead of praising decisiveness and individuality, it points out that we ascribe too much agency to our own choices. The two paths were equally traveled, in fact.*

But at that moment, she didn’t care. She would take the road less traveled in the park, and the road less traveled in her investigation thingy. What exactly was the road less traveled, though? In the detective movies, the protagonists always followed their guts and kept plowing on.
Jaina decided that she would follow her brain: Give up the matter and return to quantum physics, not convoluted detective stories. So she walked towards the city, trekking towards the light rail station that would take her back to New Oxford.

And then her phone dinged.

***

Luke waved goodbye to Vera as she disappeared into the central Cenial crowds. He still didn’t know what to make of her revelations, what to make of the internal politics in the strange beast that the Cenian FA had apparently become.

And he had no idea how to navigate the monster before. Not that he had had any idea of how to navigate it before, either…

Luke wondered if he should tell Andrew about this new development. On the one hand, if Andrew’s mental health had really gone to the crapper, it might represent a mortal blow to his esteem for the World Cup. On the other hand, Luke thought that maybe those issues came from not having his team’s support. Besides, literature was filled with instances of characters withholding crucial information only for it to come back and bite them in the end.

So Luke decided to tell Andrew about the information. He could do what he wanted with it, and it wouldn’t weigh on his conscious. They could develop a plan for dealing with the FA together, taking Andrew into account. Truth be told, while Luke generally hated the concept of brainstorming, he couldn’t think of a single thing on his own. He could pick Andrew’s brain or, to use that term, brainstorm.

Luke nodded to himself. That plan would do nicely for now. And now he needed a drink. Preferably with alcohol.

***

Jaina grabbed her phone from her purse, shoving aside the few Bewlegi notes and random hair products that cluttered her bag. “Why do I need to rush through this?” she muttered to herself, and then looked at the text.

“I was in the control room in Stratosphere City on the day that the plane disappeared,” the text from an Avonian number said. “Meet me at the Cenial ferry dock tomorrow at noon if you want to hear the real story as to what went on.”

Jaina froze in her tracks. And then she ran to the subway.

*Source: https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/201 ... n-america/

by **Mertagne** » Tue Jun 21, 2022 4:15 am

OCHRE ISLAND PROTESTERS RESCUED FROM KETTLE'S PEAK

The highly sensationalised 'Textile Standoff' that has resulted in a series of raunchier photos posted as adverts in several publications came to a head recently, as a group of 'intrepid' Ochre Islanders were rescued from Kettle's Peak, a prominent mountain in Harridan province. The Ochre Islanders, who walked the long route up the mountain on their own steam instead of taking the popular tourist tram, made it to the top of the mountain, the highest peak within the Stuner National Park, and posed provocatively with no clothing in a protest against the current aggressive advertising campaign pursued by Tompkin Textiles. However, the protestors found themselves stranded after running their event a little too long, and as the sun set on the national park, it too set on their ambitions to make it down the mountain. Lacking a decent light source (or anything outside of the threadbare backpacks they had brought along to hold snacks such as raisins and nuts), and discovering that the tram stops running at sunset, the protestors had no choice but to communicate the Mertagnian Mountain Rescue service, which they did via the emergency telephone at the tram station, some ten minutes walk away from the technical peak of the mountain on which they had been revelling mere hours earlier.

The ever efficient Mertagnian Mountain rescue communicated with local interest groups, and was able to secure a special out-of-hours running of the tram to take to the Ochre Islanders down from the top of the mountain. In typical situations, this would not be performed, as the tram undergoes maintainence nightly, but the tram conductor, Mr. Atwythit, reported that this was a 'special emergency case', and that he wanted to 'avoid a diplomatic incident'. The lack of preparedness on the part of the Ochre Islanders, and their defiance to wear anything when travelling up the mountain, compounded the urgency with which to rescue them, as the recent spate of hot days and cold nights in the area would have been a breeding ground for illness such as hypothermia. One protestor clearly and cleverly put their survival needs over their textlitical (textile-political) stance, choosing to fashion their rucksack into a pair of shorts (retaining the pack's initial purpose as highlighted earlier in the article).

All of the protestors were returned to their hotel in Claviers unharmed, following a police escort that was waiting for them at the bottom of the mountain. Protest remains legal in Mertagne, and therefore none of the Ochre Islanders were found in breach of any national law, however each was given an official caution for 'improper consideration of mountaineering risk', and were billed 15 Ducats each to cover the price of the tram journey.

by **Acastanha** » Tue Jun 21, 2022 4:32 am

The Deciding Match

The sixth matchday of 83rd Cup of Harmony give a very tricky result. With Srednjaci close win against Mercedini, they are opening an opportunity to qualify. While on the other hand, the pressure become mounted for Acastanha. The last match where both teams meet will be the deciding match between them.

Group G where Acastanha is drawn is a very tight group. All the seven teams still have the chance to qualify until the very last day. The leader, Tikariot, topped the group with only 10 points. And there are only 4 points difference between the top position and the last. While there are only 2 points difference between the second and the last position.

This is a life and death match. I just hope all of my boys stay focus on the match. And keep discipline. It is now or never.

Jorge Garbano

The situation also makes Garbano's position become more and more squeezed. Although this assumption is dismissed by the federation. FFA spokesperson stated that Garbano's evaluation will be conduct at the end of Cup of Harmony and before MAC event. Garbano have been managing the senior team for quite a long time. The ups and downs of the team are in Garbano's hand. Including the team's success to reached MAC final for the first time. An achievement that can't be underestimate.

Back to the last CoH match. Many Acastanhada businesses especially cafes and restaurants are taking this hype to establish a public watching event known as 'Nobar' or 'Nonton bareng' (lit. Watching together). While it is unfortunate because only a few of Acastanhada that can watch the match live. In the end, all hopes are for the success of their national team. And the match is broadcasted live by ArraSport.

by **Sendhang** » Tue Jun 21, 2022 7:18 am

DAY 22 - MONTH 6 - YEAR 10

Sendhang ends Cup of Harmony group stage in style with fifth consecutive victory

Hesham: Sendhang completed their Cup of Harmony group stage campaign with their fifth consecutive victory after beating Saterun 3-0 at the George Bowen Stadium here, just now.

The Rice Farmers appeared aggressive from the beginning of the first half with dangerous movements from their attacking trio, Teuku Salahudin, Ramon Kalbasi, and Cezar Nowela.

Finally, in the 25th minute, Sendhang managed to tear Saterun's net through Nanang Wirajuda's header who received a beautiful cross from Teuku Hamzah on the right.

The Rice Farmers who were very confident on the ball in the match kept their momentum and eleven minutes later, Teuku Salahuddin shot from inside the box widened the gap for Sendhang to comfortably lead 2-0 before the break.

Saterun tried to bounce back in the second half, but their efforts still failed to stop Teuku Salahuddin from scoring his second personal goal and Sendhang's third in the 76th minute.

Sendhang national team head coach, Teuku Irfan was satisfied with his players' performance especially Teuku Salahuddin who scored two goals in the match against Saterun.

"Salahuddin played well, he helped the team and this is the reason why he is in the starting line-up," he said.

Meanwhile, Teuku Salahuddin described the action against Saterun will give him more confidence in the coming knockout stage.

"Saterun provided a good challenge for us but we played very well today. We are in good shape and will continue to follow the coach's instructions. I am optimistic about our chances in the knockout stage," he said.

by **Audioslavia** » Tue Jun 21, 2022 7:23 am

Is it narcissism to watch highlights of your goals on your phone at any given opportunity? Or maybe just the same quest for validation that informs your decision to even have social media on your phone in the first place. Either way, I found I was watching that goal more than I was checking my twiitur over these last few days. I'd barely touched my breakfast for double-checking just how good that first touch was.

Running forwards, turning to the side while maintaining momentum, jumping to control the ball on the top of my chest, slowing just slightly to wait for the ball to drop, a soft touch to knock it front of me and just about stay ahead of the defender, a left-footed shot not skied or sliced this time, straight into the opposite corner. Repeat.

"Watching your goal over and over again is cringe, mate" came a voice behind me. The words 'fuck off archer' came out of my mouth before I even realised what was happening. I got a slap round the back of my head for my troubles.
"I watch my goals back all the time" said the boss, a few seats away, tucking into exactly the sort of pastry you weren't allowed if you were an active professional footballer. "Part of the job as a striker. Making sure you're constantly reminded how good you are. Anything other than an ego the size of the moon and you start thinking maybe you *can't* score the kind of goal Helios scored the other day" she said, with a wink. Obadele, sat next to her, had the wryest of smiles on his face. He almost looked up from his newspaper as he said:
"So he's a striker, then?"
"He's a forward player" said RJ
"We could play him further forward then, no?" asked Obadele, with a smile.
"We are playing him further forward" said RJ, turning towards Obadele, who simply gave an upwards nod and a frown.
"Last game of the group, a 2-0 win puts us top, or thereabouts" came a voice behind me, that of assistant manager Dean Sharp, another ex-striker (and another diminutive goal-getting one) in charge of this team that kept playing 4-6-0. We were qualified, sure, and we were unbeaten, but a 2-3-0 record was making those back home a little frustrated, what with KPB points up for grabs and the slim opportunity to get a first-seed for the next World Cup Qualifiers already narrowing. "We're going to 4-5-1. Helios, here is gonna show us what he can do"
"And if he messes up?" asked Archer, now sat down opposite me and scowling at me (it wasn't really a scowl, it was more a neutral expression, but this is Archer Flat, the guy has a resting villain face)
"Then we qualify for the knockouts anyway. We just have a bigger team to play" said Obadele. "And if he gets a hat-trick?" he asked now looking in RJ Styrn's direction.
"Hey, I'm not married to 4-6-0" replied RJ. "Whatever works for us, works for us"
"S'only Delte anyway" scowled Archer. "Salmon bastards" he continued, drawing a thrown plastic cup from the other end of the table. Unai Cappadonna, the thrower, played for AC Izotz Zubia, a team often associated with the salmon due to the colours of their kit.
"Less of the salmon talk" came another voice, that of Giacomo Duran, who gave Shamrock Cathair centre-half Archer Flat a clip round the ear as he walked past.
"Less of the club talk, boys" said RJ, voice now raised. Club rivalries were, indeed, the last thing we needed right now.
"Alls I'm saying" said Archer, after a brief scowl at Giacomo, "is that salmon and pink are stupid colours to play in"
"Salmon and silver" said Giacomo, sitting down. "We play in salmon and silver"
"Salmons is silver" said Archer.
"No they're not they're pink" said Unai, who was about as smart as Archer. Or any Audioslavian footballer.
"They're silver" said Obadele, still not looking up from his newspaper. "But salmon, the colour, is pink. The insides of a salmon are pink"
"The insides of every animal is fuckin' pink" said Archer, the scowl now slightly cross-eyed with confusion. "Oh I'm wearing a leaopard-print bra" he continued, "It's fuckin' pink because..."
Amid the argument, RJ caught my attention.
"It'll make my job a lot easier if you smashed three past Delte, lad" she said. I nodded and pretended I wasn't staring at her croissant.

by **Eraman** » Tue Jun 21, 2022 7:51 am

Day 24 - Month 6 - Year 10

SPORTS

Eraman held but through to the knockout stage

Scharfwick: Eraman qualified to the knockout stage of the 83rd Cup of Harmony in Tumbra and Mertagne after recording a 1-1 draw with Sargossa on Matchday 6 of Group F at the New Brazier Stadium, just now.

Eraman however was lucky to avoid defeat when striker Wikra Petara's equalizer allowed them to tie Sargossa.

The action between the two teams is indeed highly anticipated especially after their meeting in the 91st World Cup qualifiers which saw Sargossa win once and Eraman win once.

However, Eraman was surprised first by Sargossa's goal contributed by veteran Ciudad Soluca striker, Mauricio Sainz. Mauricio Sainz's goal came from his run that beat two defenders before blasting right to put Sargossa ahead as early as the seventh minute.

Eraman improved their action after the goal and as a result, Wikra Petara came back to score the equalizer in the 42nd minute and the score remained until the half-time whistle.

Entering the second half, Eraman made several changes in an effort to chase the second goal but all efforts failed when Sargossa calmly held on until the final whistle.

The result saw Eraman qualify to the knockout stage accompanying group leader Kelssek with 1 match remaining in the group stage action.

by **Tikariot** » Tue Jun 21, 2022 8:07 am

The air is quiet. Ahead lies a vast, flat expanse of land, with the rugged peaks of a mountain range visible through the light haze in the distance. Copses of trees can be seen throughout the plains, which are covered by high, irregular grass and bushes, with some stretches of red earth exposed throughout, giving the area an oddly contrasting look of lushness and aridity. The grass is swaying in a gentle breeze as the sun just crests the horizon at dawn, its early rays reflecting off the dew drops in a glittering array on the leaves and blades of grass.

A low hum sets in and as the camera turns around, it shows the edge of one of the copses, with what looks like the members of the Tikariotian national team standing to one side, with a group of indigenous Baspherians to the other. In-between them a gnarly looking elder can be seen using a traditional fire saw to create friction to light up a wad of dried grass. It does not take long before a thin wisp of smoke starts to curl as he carefully nurtures the spark into a flame that he in turn uses to light up a carefully put together pile of wood. As the fire grows, a lone drum begins to beat while the elder begins to lowly hum/sing what sounds like an enchantment or rite.

The moment he adds a couple of thin branches with long, thin leaves on them to the fire, they begin to create a surprising amount of smoke and the rest of the Bashperians join into the hum of the ritual as the elder stands back up. One by one the players walk up to him as he symbolically catches a handful of smoke and rubs it across their foreheads before both sides briefly bow their heads towards each other. After the whole group has passed through the ceremony, he turns towards them and in a surprisingly strong voice begins to speak:

"Your spirits have been cleansed and warded against the evil spirits. Now go out and make us proud, Owl Warriors!"

Slowly the camera turns back to the position it was in before, the Bashperian Plains as quiet and peaceful as ever.

by **Valentine Z** » Tue Jun 21, 2022 8:43 am

Valentine Z – Seeing Stars!

The match against Brookstation, resulting in a 2–1, was the match where the Valentians felt that they were gaining a bit more ground once again, after the much-deserved break. The Valentians, especially Markus, knows full well that the secret to winning is not to overwork the players. It can perhaps then be attributed to the R&R that they got going around Tumbra – riding the train around the whole country, shopping to seeing the museums, to eating the best food and experiencing hospitality that the host country has to offer. All in all, it was an amazing experience for all of them, even those who stayed behind and didn’t go out anywhere to tend to their teammate. At one morning, a day after the Valentians have finished their match against Brookstation Dreamers, perhaps a dream of its own. Martina Anastasia Hedvig X. Luna Bukvić was ready to get out of bed, with assistance from the Valentian team.

Lead Ambassador Germaine Athena “Mercy De Herzhafter Schutzengel” Sylvi Angelina Zoe Sophia Jen Alanna Rx J. Hailie Ziegler Halls Constance Pauletta Ginevra Lola Lauran Ambra Tschanz donned her doctor clothes, along with an extra pair of gloves, even if she was not going to handle a lot of bodily fluids. 3 feet and 4 inches taller than the already-tall Martina, Germaine approached her to help prop her up, along with having her sit on the side of her bed. “All right, Martina! You are looking pretty good, just might need to adjust your noggin a little there, haha! Don’t worry, you know this won’t hurt a little!” she said with a bit of cheerfulness in her voice, going to town on head of Martina by using some small mechanized bots and drones to adjust her head and her brain a little, as well as inspecting and checking other vitals. “All green,” she remarked, “Your brain is still the same, but we have to do a bit of repairs here and there, along with extra features, which you said you didn’t mind getting. So, we will need a bit of calibration from yourself, that is for sure. Now, please stand up.” Martina stood up. “Good! Now please look around the room.” Martina looked around. “All right, that is well. Would you like this set-up, or- you know, invert the way you look? I’m not sure how that exactly works, it’s a new feature with these synthetic parts. Let’s try it out.”

Martina felt super weird, and she didn’t like it. When she tried to look up, her head panned down; vice-versa happened when she tried to look down. Left and right were still working as expected, so Martina shook her head. “Okay, I will put it back to the default, then.” Martina looked around again, and she felt fine. “Excellent! Please move around and maybe jump or crouch or prone down, whatever you usually do for football. Do NOT kick yet!” Martina did as she said. Moving forward and backwards, sideways, jumping up and down, crouching, and proning. Everything worked as expected. “All right, do a small kick,” she did so without flaw, “Nice, now a larger one,” she did it again, no problem. “Very nice. I think you should be ready to go in the next day or so, your head is fully back in action after that blunt force trauma! Your health is all green, you passed the basic movement test perfectly, and the usual.”

Still, Martina chose not to play for this season, figuring that she could use the rest, as well as giving the other goalkeepers a chance to prove themselves, as well as to have some fun as they go on to play against the increasingly formidable opponents. As it so happens, the next team was Sarzonia Stars, one of the best and most well-known football teams to grace the international and interdimensional scene. Given the things that they have went through, particularly the match against Cassadaigua Fillies / Dagans, the Valentians were expecting the worst to come for this match. “But hey, don’t worry too much,” Markus said as usual, trying his best to not get the team disheartened. “I know we didn’t exactly get the best of the game with the Dagans, even when I said that there is a small chance that we can make the victory happen. However, that still stands, all right? And we can still do it. You have seen the players, and how they play. They don’t exactly play as offensively as us, so do take advantage of that, while also making sure to deny their goals. Eveline, you are up for this one as always. Good luck, and hey, have a great game!”

And the match happened. Before the first half ended, it would be two Hollies across the two teams who would get the scores – Holly Annemiek Gerrieke Van De Hoogte scored at the 33rd minute, right after Stars having their Holly Cambrio scoring the goal at the 20th minute mark. Then after the half-game, the Valentians upped their game, going as far as tackling the Stars, using their height and the stride lengths to their advantage, and then getting two scores – one from Daina Allison Leela Phon Seng Sreynuon at the 54th minute, and Emerson Jamie Taylor Erin Scott Maddox at the 78th minute mark, right after getting the last-second pass from Štěpánka Caitlin Madeline W. Sedláčková who was getting overwhelmed and was seeing Stars. The Stars returned the favour by having Ernie Mabree score their second goal at the 80th minute mark, with the Valentian Kittens being unable to catch up to him. As it turns out, however, it would no longer be needed. The Valentian Kittens, ramping their defences as much as they could, managed to hold off the Stars and ending the match with 3 goals against the Stars, while getting 2 goals against them. The news came in and spread like wildfire to the whole of Valentine Z. The Kittens were out of the bag, and everyone was celebrating and cheering in unison as they watched from the television, or from stadium (one can tell who is a Valentian simply by the heights alone, and the fact that they need to buy 2-3 seats for one person). “I knew you guys can do this!” Markus said, running into the field and then giving the Kittens a group hug, then heading back to the lounge. “So, a lot of news about the match, eh. Like I said, don’t let a couple of defeats dishearten you. You guys did well in WC 81, and I know it looks like we may not be able to make it that far this CoH, but you know what? There is always next season! But let’s not think about that as well! We have one more match – against the United Adaikes National Football Team! Remember what I said: They may have their advantage, so do us.”

-----

Valentine Z’s music industry is certainly a unique breed for those who are from other worlds, or other parallels of Earth. Due to the mixed market economy that Valentine Z runs on, as well as to make sure that fair use, copyrights, and everything else in-between are not abused and corrupted from the inside, as well as preventing monopolies from larger corporations that would utterly dominate and push the smaller competitors and its customers around. To put it simply, the music industry of Valentine Z does not have individual record labels, and instead artists are allowed to use the relatively pain-free and convenient system of submitting to the only publisher in Valentine Z, have it vetted for age rating among many other things such as the subject matters (contrary to some beliefs, the criticisms and diss tracks against the government is absolutely permitted), and everything else. It is therefore no surprise to see music shops (and the publisher) selling music genres from pop, to heavy metal, to children songs, even to the military marches both from the Valentian Defense Forces and from the countries of the Pre-Valentian Era, with 95% of the proceeds and sales going directly to the artists without strings attached. With a little bit of music, history of Valentine Z out of the way, perhaps it is time to talk about one of the local talents in particular, one for CoH.

A relatively famous band that has been around for half a decade, they call themselves The Pink Sun. The band consists of two men guitarists, one woman keyboardist, two singers (one man and one woman), and uniquely enough, a drummer being a civilian-grade robot who lead her own life until she decided that she really loves playing drums, and is really good at it. Fans of the band adore each of the members, but they would almost always go for that solo where they would see the AI playing the drums at an astonishing 4000 BPM, even though at that point, it would sound less like drums and a bit more like a small engine revving up. Their music consists mostly of indie rock, though they have also played and produced works of other genre – electronic and metal, for instance – throughout their history, and since their first establishment in 2091. Relatively obscure back then, their reputation boosted after the Interdimensional War, due to the very songs that they have composed and played that was meant to raise the spirits and motivation of the people, including The Sixty, as they rebuild Valentine Z from the large invasion.

And it would seem like they are coming back into action for this particular Cup of Harmony, going as far as proposing an album made in honour of the Valentian Kittens winning the match against the Sarzonia Stars as a catalyst.

by **Eura** » Tue Jun 21, 2022 9:36 am

CUP OF HARMONY 83 GROUP D – MATCHDAY 5
Eura 4–0 Ranoria
Scorers:
Robson 34, Woodman 40, Malone 56, Sharp 80
Lineup:
13. T Hammond
4. J Menard
15. K Sherwood
5. T Green
24. J Gates
8. V Robshaw (sub Vincent 67)
11. B Malone
7. M Woakes (sub Marshall 61)
12. A Woodman
10. C Atkinson
9. S Robson (sub Sharp 57)

Stilinkeep was a daunting place to be at the moment. Like the rest of Pasarga, tensions were reaching a boiling point, and any foreigner with a lick of sense was planning a way out if things went sideways. Tobias Webb did not have that option. The Euran ambassador was guided out of his car along with his aides and bodyguards by the royal guard, an unusual and alarming sign of things to come. From there Webb was taken directly to Azra, future Queen of Pasarga (if all went to plan), and currently a monarch with a literal and figurative target on her back.
‘Your highness – thank you for seeing me with such urgency.’
‘Of course’ she replied quietly, eyeing up Webb with suspicion and keeping her distance across a sizeable meeting room. She nodded and all her advisors left, as did Webb’s on the instruction of the guard.
Well then, he thought to himself, she must know.
‘Speak, then’ she instructed impatiently.
‘Your highness, first of all I’m afraid I owe you an apology. As I suspect you are aware, recently – before the parliamentary vote on succession – I met with several members of parliament, including members of the government. There were discussions-‘
‘What kind of discussions?’ she interrupted, seeking to keep Webb on his feet.

‘Well, being perfectly blunt ma’am, they were talking about changing the line of succession, through legitimate, democratic means, and asking for a Euran position on the matter.’ He cleared his throat. ‘As you can imagine, this was a very difficult position for the Euran government to be in. We hugely value our alliance with the Pasargan nation and are loathe to get involved in your internal politics…but that’s just it, the nation. Which derives legitimacy from the people, and not individuals, including individual members of the royal family, whomever they may be. They were exploring with us a scenario where your parliament would deem that Ezid be the lawful successor to the late King by a fair majority. And, given our principles and the principles your modern government is founded on, we would have been quite out of order not to at least discuss what would happen in that eventuality.’
‘So, you agreed with them?’
‘No – we agreed that we would support the view of the majority of the Pasargan parliament in a vote. And we stand by that, because if you had come to us on the same issue, you could not seriously expect us to offer support if you tried to take the crown with minority support from your elected representatives.’

‘The reason I come to you now with an apology is that subsequent events have demonstrated these rebels are not interested in legitimate or lawful solutions to the current dispute. The result of the parliamentary vote should have been the end of the matter – you and your brother won the vote, and the discussion should have moved on to the succession question between the two of you. The Euran government has every reason to believe they may have been involved in the attempt on the lives of you and your brother, and that your rebel opponents have essentially decided to pursue an unlawful attempt at changing the succession. So, my apology to you is not for simply talking through possibilities of lawful conduct and legitimate behaviour with your elected representatives. My apology is for our failure to spot earlier how far the rebels were willing to go. Had we known then, of course, we would have told them to stick their proposals where the sun doesn’t shine, if you’ll pardon my language. We hope you understand now you have our full backing – especially, if I’m being honest, in comparison to your brother.’ Webb gave her a knowing look which she did not acknowledge.
She was silent for some time. Perhaps she felt she deserved to be grovelled to. Webb suspected that maybe she was simply happy to know Bastion was now on her side with certainty. Maybe, really, she was just scared and paranoid about what was going on in the country. Finally, she answered. ‘I understand. I’m unhappy with what has occurred, but I understand how it happened, and think it best we move on.’

She took a seat. ‘I fear that the rebels are moving on too.’
‘Yes’ Webb replied quickly, ‘I’m afraid we have intelligence suggesting-‘
‘A coup. I know.’
‘-sure.’ Webb would not have called it that, and in truth the Eurans were not completely certain what the rebels had planned. But rumours in the Pasargan army had quickly spread to their Euran counterparts and Eura’s intelligence services were picking up offshore payments to various mercenary groups for activity in the region. It did not take a strategic genius to work out what was likely to happen next. ‘At least with Ezid having retracted his claim, you won’t have to worry about the legitimacy question. No-one will question your right to rule.’
‘Yes, but what does that matter if it is taken from me at the barrel of a gun? I hear talk of mercenaries. I’d hope they are not Euran.’
‘I’m aware you are suspicious of all potential threats at the moment ma’am, but I assure you, there is absolutely no Euran involvement with any mercenary plot – and if Euran nationals are freelancing and taking part in any such plot we will detain them at the earliest opportunity. I would suggest you stand firm, as I’m sure your advisors will. You have the navy and air force on side, and your royal guard. Perhaps to prevent future crises a strengthening of parliament will be needed, to keep them on side-‘
‘Don’t talk to me about that’ she responded icily. Webb corrected; this was not the time to be bringing up compromises to parliamentarians.
‘Sorry, of course. All I’d say is, there are reasons to be confident. I understand you may be moving off-island temporarily’ he guessed, based on what was going on around him, ‘but if the worst scenario came to fruition, I would urge you to consider direct Euran assistance.’
‘What kind of assistance?’
‘The kind that puts down the coup – or, failing that, gets you out alive and intact. We’re just a phone call away. Please remember that.’
They let the conversation sit, then discussed something trivial for a bit. Anything to relieve the stress of the moment.

by **Mertagne** » Tue Jun 21, 2022 9:36 am

Matchday Seven Scores - Tumbran Half

Group A
Aleirave 2–3 Indusse
Delte 1–1 Audioslavia
Yuezhou 1–1 Chartistan

_  Group A                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 The Cordian Isles             6   3  3  0   13   8  +5   12 Second Round
2 Audioslavia                   6   2  4  0    7   4  +3   10 Second Round
3 Delte                         6   3  1  2   10  10   0   10 Second Round
4 Yuezhou                       6   2  3  1   15  14  +1    9 Second Round
5 Indusse                       6   2  2  2   13  13   0    8
6 Chartistan                    6   0  3  3    8  12  −4    3
7 Aleirave                      6   1  0  5   10  15  −5    3

Group B
Cassadaigua 5–1 Saterun
Valentine Z 1–1 United Adaikes
Brookstation 0–2 Sarzonia

_  Group B                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cassadaigua                   6   5  0  1   21   8 +13   15 Second Round
2 Sendhang                      6   5  0  1   11   6  +5   15 Second Round
3 Sarzonia                      6   4  0  2   10   6  +4   12 Second Round
4 Valentine Z                   6   3  1  2   10  11  −1   10 Second Round
5 United Adaikes                6   1  2  3   11  15  −4    5
6 Brookstation                  6   1  0  5    9  16  −7    3
7 Saterun                       6   0  1  5    6  16 −10    1

Group C
TJUN-ia 1–1 Chromatika
Baggieland 3–3 Astograth
HUElavia 3–2 Soldera

_  Group C                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Chromatika                    6   3  1  2   13  10  +3   10 Second Round
2 HUElavia                      6   3  1  2   12   9  +3   10 Second Round
3 TJUN-ia                       6   2  3  1   11  12  −1    9 Second Round
4 Kuraita                       6   3  0  3    9  12  −3    9 Second Round
5 Astograth                     6   2  1  3   12  12   0    7
6 Soldera                       6   2  1  3   14  15  −1    7
7 Baggieland                    6   1  3  2   11  12  −1    6

Group D
Ranoria 1–1 Milchama
Electrum 1–1 Eura
Tjorl 4–3 Pluvia and the Saxean Isles

_  Group D                     Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Eura                          6   4  1  1   11   6  +5   13 Second Round
2 Milchama                      6   2  3  1   15  11  +4    9 Second Round
3 Pluvia and the Saxean Isles   6   2  2  2    9   8  +1    8 Second Round
4 Ranoria                       6   2  2  2    4   7  −3    8 Second Round
5 Garifunya                     6   1  3  2    7   8  −1    6
6 Electrum                      6   1  3  2    6  10  −4    6
7 Tjorl                         6   1  2  3   10  12  −2    5

by **Tumbra** » Tue Jun 21, 2022 9:37 am

Matchday Seven - Mertagnian Half Cutoff

Group E
Mertagne 4–3 Cardenao
Eshialand 4–4 Ochre Islands
Xanneria 2–2 Darmen

. Group E              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Mertagne               6   4  2  0   12   7  +5   14   Second Round
2 Darmen                 6   3  2  1   12  10  +2   11   Second Round
3 Ochre Islands          6   2  2  2   15  14  +1    8   Second Round
4 Krytenia               6   2  2  2    9   9   0    8   Second Round
5 Xanneria               6   1  3  2   12  12   0    6
6 Eshialand              6   1  2  3   12  15  −3    5
7 Cardenao               6   1  1  4    8  13  −5    4

Group F
Gortolekua 3–2 Eraman
Efnakia 0–0 Bollonich
Kelssek 0–1 Savojarna

. Group F              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Savojarna              6   2  4  0    8   3  +5   10   Second Round
2 Kelssek                6   3  0  3    8   7  +1    9   Second Round
3 Bollonich              6   2  2  2   12   5  +7    8   Second Round
4 Eraman                 6   2  2  2    7   7   0    8   Second Round
5 Efnakia                6   1  4  1    4   4   0    7
6 Sargossa               6   1  4  1   11  12  −1    7
7 Gortolekua             6   1  2  3   11  23 −12    5

Group G
Wreckeria 2–3 Ceni
Mercedini 2–3 Oberour Ar Moro
Acastanha 4–1 Srednjaci

. Group G              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Oberour Ar Moro        6   3  2  1   12  10  +2   11   Second Round
2 Tikariot               6   3  1  2   16  12  +4   10   Second Round
3 Acastanha              6   3  1  2   17  15  +2   10   Second Round
4 Ceni                   6   3  1  2   12  10  +2   10   Second Round
5 Wreckeria              6   2  1  3    9  12  −3    7
6 Mercedini              6   2  0  4    9  11  −2    6
7 Srednjaci              6   2  0  4   10  15  −5    6

Group H
Kimi-Suomi 2–0 Fort McKinley
Juvencus 1–0 Gnejs
Cabo Azure 2–2 Starblaydia

. Group H              Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Juvencus               6   4  0  2   11   9  +2   12   Second Round
2 Starblaydia            6   3  2  1   11   9  +2   11   Second Round
3 Poafmersia             6   2  2  2   14  12  +2    8   Second Round
4 Cabo Azure             6   2  2  2   11  13  −2    8*  Tiebreaker
  Fort McKinley          6   2  2  2    8  10  −2    8*  Tiebreaker
6 Kimi-Suomi             6   2  1  3   11  10  +1    7
7 Gnejs                  6   1  1  4    3   6  −3    4

*Cabo Azure and Fort McKinley were tied on points, goal difference, H2H points (1 point each) and H2H GD (which we now realise is silly). Therefore, a scorinated match using only RP bonus was used to separate the two. IC-wise, this is a coinflip.

The result of the match was Cabo Azure 1–0 Fort McKinley. Cabo Azure therefore proceed to the next round.

RP bonus information

22 participants earned RP bonus.
The mean RP score was 71.59% of the maximum.
The median RP score was 67.50% of the maximum.
The standard deviation of RP scores was 23.27%.
7 RPs scored 90% or higher of the maximum bonus.

The next cutoff window will open 48 hours from this post.

by **Tumbra** » Tue Jun 21, 2022 9:37 am

Gp Rk Team                          P   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD   Pt
B1 01 Cassadaigua                   6   5  0  1   21   8 +13   15
E1 02 Mertagne                      6   4  2  0   12   7  +5   14
D1 03 Eura                          6   4  1  1   11   6  +5   13
A1 04 The Cordian Isles             6   3  3  0   13   8  +5   12
H1 05 Juvencus                      6   4  0  2   11   9  +2   12
G1 06 Oberour Ar Moro               6   3  2  1   12  10  +2   11
F1 07 Savojarna                     6   2  4  0    8   3  +5   10
C1 08 Chromatika                    6   3  1  2   13  10  +3   10
-----------------------------------------------------------------
B2 09 Sendhang                      6   5  0  1   11   6  +5   15
E2 10 Darmen                        6   3  2  1   12  10  +2   11*
H2 11 Starblaydia                   6   3  2  1   11   9  +2   11*
G2 12 Tikariot                      6   3  1  2   16  12  +4   10
A2 13 Audioslavia                   6   2  4  0    7   4  +3   10*
C2 14 HUElavia                      6   3  1  2   12   9  +3   10*
D2 15 Milchama                      6   2  3  1   15  11  +4    9
F2 16 Kelssek                       6   3  0  3    8   7  +1    9
-----------------------------------------------------------------
B3 17 Sarzonia                      6   4  0  2   10   6  +4   12
G3 18 Acastanha                     6   3  1  2   17  15  +2   10
A3 19 Delte                         6   3  1  2   10  10   0   10
C3 20 TJUN-ia                       6   2  3  1   11  12  −1    9
F3 21 Bollonich                     6   2  2  2   12   5  +7    8
H3 22 Poafmersia                    6   2  2  2   14  12  +2    8
D3 23 Pluvia and the Saxean Isles   6   2  2  2    9   8  +1    8*
E3 24 Ochre Islands                 6   2  2  2   15  14  +1    8*
-----------------------------------------------------------------
G4 25 Ceni                          6   3  1  2   12  10  +2   10
B4 26 Valentine Z                   6   3  1  2   10  11  −1   10
A4 27 Yuezhou                       6   2  3  1   15  14  +1    9
C4 28 Kuraita                       6   3  0  3    9  12  −3    9
F4 29 Eraman                        6   2  2  2    7   7   0    8*
E4 30 Krytenia                      6   2  2  2    9   9   0    8*
H4 31 Cabo Azure                    6   2  2  2   11  13  −2    8
D4 32 Ranoria                       6   2  2  2    4   7  −3    8

Darmen and Starblaydia finished with an equivalent record. As the H2H tiebreaker is inapplicable, an IC coinflip with a scorinated match using only RP bonus was used. The result of the match was Darmen 1–1 Starblaydia (3–1 AET). As a result Darmen is seeded higher.

Audioslavia and HUElavia finished with an equivalent record. As the H2H tiebreaker is inapplicable, an IC coinflip with a scorinated match using only RP bonus was used. The result of the match was Audioslavia 1–0 HUElavia. As a result Audioslavia is seeded higher.

Pluvia and the Saxean Isles and Ochre Islands finished with an equivalent record. As the H2H tiebreaker is inapplicable, an IC coinflip with a scorinated match using only RP bonus was used. The result of the match was Pluvia and the Saxean Isles 3–2 Ochre Islands. As a result Pluvia and the Saxean Isles is seeded higher.

Krytenia and Eraman finished with an equivalent record. As the H2H tiebreaker is inapplicable, an IC coinflip with a scorinated match using only RP bonus was used. The result of the match was Krytenia 0–0 Eraman (0–0 AET) (2–3 pen.). As a result Eraman is seeded higher.

Round of 32 matches
Matches not separated by a line will meet in the round of 16.

Tumbran half [OOC scorinated by Mertagne]

Cassadaigua [1] vs Ranoria [32] @ Fletcher Park, Kingsbury, Georgia (45,000)
Kelssek [16] vs Sarzonia [17] @ Oceanside Park, Marray, Bechor (44,000)

Chromatika [8] vs Ceni [25] @ George Bowen Stadium, Hesham, Clearmont (40,000)
Sendhang [9] vs Ochre Islands [24] @ Serrapince Park, Serrapince, Bechor (74,500)

The Cordian Isles [4] vs Eraman [29] @ ReadaleArena, Readale, Gamaliel (45,000)
Audioslavia [13] vs TJUN-ia [20] @ Trenton Park, Lakewood, Severn (74,500)

Juvencus [5] vs Kuraita [28] @ Couno Port Stadium, Couno, Napier (54,500)
Tikariot [12] vs Bollonich [21] @ Nantwich Stadium, Nantwich, Finnley (64,000)

Mertagne half [OOC scorinated by Tumbra]

Mertagne [2] vs Cabo Azure [31] @ Origas Arena, Kurtz, Touchpoint (52,000)
Milchama [15] vs Acastanha [18] @ Il Tendone, Papillio, Hardcastle (39,500)

Savojarna [7] vs Valentine Z [26] @ Revolver Stadium, Cyanaes, Wesaxe (34,570)
Starblaydia [11]* vs Pluvia and the Saxean Isles [23] @ Eiger Park, Basterra, Freskovia (44,260)

Eura [3] vs Krytenia [30] @ New Brazier Stadium, Scharfwick, Keld (26,430)
HUElavia [14] vs Delte [19] @ Crater Field, Claviers, Harridan (25,890)

Oberour Ar Moro [6] vs Yuezhou [27] @ Spire Campus, Blackave, Hebra (21,020)
Darmen [10]* vs Poafmersia [22] @ Spectrum Stadium, Dannin, Dannmarsh (37,000)

*Teams flipped to prevent a group stage rematch.

by **Delte** » Tue Jun 21, 2022 10:40 am

Delte 1–1 Audioslavia
Player-Reporter Kim Samrodd in Marray, Tumbra for Burye News

I won't dwell overly long on the finer details of this match, but certainly mention should be made of the dashing Skelloryn Per, the striker substitute, who glittered all the more in his gargoyle salmon-coloured gold shirt, and was on hand to deliver a famous result for The Representatives against one of the favourites for the competition. In order to win the precious triple crown of World Cup competitions - the stated aim of the stocky types from Outer AO - one has to get past everyone one encounters upon the road, be it world champions or parish ramblers. Technically Audioslavia have done that, since they both qualified for the latter stages with 373 draws in a row and finished ahead of The Representatives, but certainly they did not convincingly answer the difficult questions put to them by Skelloryn, like "do you know where I'm going to place this penalty?" and "can you beat that?" and, "what colour is a salmon?". But we shouldn't get too boastful about upsetting the apple cart - after all, we've already blown the triple crown and it isn't even the end of our first world cup cycle.

Ready Player 9: Eremo Olde
Vignettes of The Representatives

Leftback, age 33, for Sullenden Parish Rovers; planning officer, team captain - After Mertagne & Tumbra, Eremo Olde returned to his desk in the planning office and prepared to get back into his routine. Along with his lunch box, he had brought a small hammer and some picture hooks which he now nailed onto the wall above his desk, and there hung three items he had recently had framed, having brought them back from his travels on the World Cup jamboree with the Delte Valley Representative team. One item was the matchday pennant from The Representatives debut match in Farfadillis in the Baptism of Fire, a 4-1 victory over Stresia. Tai Cerotha won the matchball for his hattrick that day, and Eremo got to keep the pennant as team captain of The Representatives. The second was his Cup of Harmony Player of The Match button, awarded for the group stage win against Aleirave. The third was a medal for being part of the team that won The Nation of The Commonwealth of Baker Park Overachiever’s Award for Ninth Seeds, secured in Group 5 of world cup qualification. It was a surprisingly ostentatious medal, all things considered. Ryn Asgar from the office next door came in to complain about all the banging. “Hmmppphhh,” he said in miserly fashion, because in truth he couldn’t help but be impressed when he saw what it was all about. He skulked back to his office, muttering, leaving Eremo to attend to his first job of the day - and coincidentally, his last action connected to the World Cup cycle that had kept him so busy zipping around the world collecting memorabilia: it was time in his official capacity as planning officer for the valley to remind the Delte FA they had thirty days to begin deconstruction of the temporary terraces at Ildemorton Road, where his team had played their home matches in attempting to win the World Cup. Capacity was to be brought back to its original 230, down from the 1,150 that the scaffold stands had afforded. As he scanned the paperwork, his internal phone buzzed. It was the Big Chief of Everything, Tessa Sack. What could she want, she never called his office directly?

“You’d better hold off on that deconstruction order,” she said, coming straight to the point, “we have had some rather extraordinary news…”

by **Cassadaigua** » Tue Jun 21, 2022 4:35 pm

Sarah Chastain, the ambassador to Eura, called up Queen Cassie II to inform them of the discussions that she had with them.

“Good evening, you’re highness, hope all is well.” Chastain began.

“Things could be better,” Queen Cassie replied, “Princess Caitlyn, as you have heard has petitioned the royal court to have me removed, and there has been a lot of discussions here that it is time for me to step down. I am doing a great deed for Cassadaigua right now, and for the entire region of Rushmore, and this is the thanks I get for it. Anyway, things are going decently. We won in the Cup of Harmony, at least.”

“Yeah, that’s good about the Cup of Harmony. Once things died down about the seriousness of our conversations, we talked about that a little bit and how it could be possible for a Cassadaigua versus Eura final. I see we got the top seed, so hopefully they take care of business. But anyway, there are obviously more important things to go over. Shall I begin?” Chastain asked.

“Yes, please tell me what the hell they want. Other than for me to no longer be Queen.”

“Well, as you know, Eurans don’t like monarchies. At the root of it, that’s the motivating point that I gather. They have taken exception to the manner in which we are expanding into the northern territory, and they would like for that to stop. That said, I think they realize that we will not be stopping, so they would at minimum like for the general, that would be Hannah Torres, to be persecuted for these actions. I don’t think that anyone agrees that what happened in C17 is acceptable even if there was a sneak attack. I would recommend we do that. Otherwise, it all goes back to their distrust of the monarchy. There was some strong talk about the possibility of sanctions.” Chastain replied.

The Queen nodded, “Yes, of course, I wonder what major corporations in Eura are lining Barnham’s pockets to get their way. Democracies always think that they are the better form of government, but with our way of ruling, you get government, not the wishes of corporations or millionaires becoming law. Torres is being removed from the mission. I had already planned on that, but you can’t just make that decision without having the replacement ready to go. I have chosen Kate Porter to be the general in charge, and she is on her way now. Should be getting there pretty soon. The troop is still stationed in the C22 area, but moved south of it just a bit to not alarm the locals. We are not advancing further.”

“I let the Eurans know that for the time being we are not advancing. I also let them know that investigators are being sent up there, and they just expressed concern that they be truly independent investigators.” Chastain replied.

“Of course they are. I’m not happy with what happened there, either!”

They would make small talk to conclude the conversation. Meanwhile, the Royal Court again were faced with a critical decision about who should wear the crown, and if they should force the resignation of the Queen. The Court is typically led by King Charles, Cassie II’s wife, but again the King has removed himself from the proceedings. To himself, Charles had been wondering about some of the decisions that his wife was making, and was starting to think that maybe it was a good time for Cassie III to take over. That was a personal, as a husband, desire, though, and not an official position. He had felt that the army had not had enough time to prepare for the mission in the northern territory, as it had been decades since Cassadaigua was in any form of conflict and much more since the last time there was an extended conflict. The military was always well funded and supported, but the lack of “on the ground” experience could be a factor in why C17, now known as Gastineau, had been such a major failure.

Media outlets were having a field day with their speculation of who should be made the new Queen if Cassie II was forced to step down. Caitlyn clearly wants it to be her, but the likelihood of that happening is pretty slim. It’s the worst kept secret though, that Caitlyn would never actually serve a day as Queen even if she did get named as such, because she would give the crown to Brianna right away. But the Court could not just decide that, especially not just months after they decided that Brianna was not the next in line, but it was Cassie III that was. Would it be right for them to just decide it be Cassie III now? What kind of power would her mother still try to have on her? Declaring Caitlyn/Brianna as the next Queen gives Cassie II no power over the next regime. Then, there was the another argument: Crystal. Princess Crystal is just one year younger than Cassie II, so maybe the Court would decide that the crown should stay among her generation. This is unlikely, but the media has to look at all possible options.

Princess Brianna knows the opportunity is there again, and made her own statement, a quick video, on social media, “Think about sitting in your house right now and someone knocks on the door. You answer, and they have a gun. They tell you that either you have to let their friends live in your house with you, or you have to get the hell out and get on a bus, and get out of town. Sounds far fetched, but it’s not that far off as to what Queen Cassie II has authorized. What kind of Cassadaigua is this? There could have been so many other ways that we achieved our mission, but this bullying is not right and it is most definitely not Cassadagan. When I was in kindergarten, my mother was upset and hit my teacher. We all know what happened next with my mother.”

(Brianna goes off screen but continues talking as images of the mass grave in Gastineau are shown).

“My mother hit a kindergarten teacher. The teacher survived. She lived a long life. Look at these people. Some older, some younger. Maybe they weren’t all good people, but if just one of them was this was unacceptable. This was authorized by Queen Cassie II. This, all of this. Whether she knew it was going on, or not. None of this happens if not for the way Cassie II has chosen to go about this mission. My mother hit a kindergarten teacher, and because of that, couldn’t be Queen.”

(Brianna reappears)

“Is that the Cassadaigua you grew up knowing and loving? It’s time for the Queen to step down, and for Caitlyn to be reinstated.” Brianna slowly fades into the distance as the message ends.

by **TJUN-ia** » Tue Jun 21, 2022 5:07 pm

After a big win in Georgia against Astograth punctuated an emotional night overall, the Jaguars of TJUN-ia knew that (like almost everyone in this goddamn group) they had their fate in their own hands. Everyone knew what was ahead and everyone knew that the other two games were equally as important but everyone also realised that in a group like this, the chips must fall as they fall. They had to focus on their game and just hope that the other results went their way no matter what. David Seems and Li Xiu Ying knew of this game's importance and as such, they knew they had to do everything within their power to try and get the best result possible.

The toughest test was right at the end as their final day opponents at Columbus Field in Columbia would be up against the Anomalies from Chromatika, ranked 24th and certainly a team we had a history with...the memories of WC86 flowing back into the mind. This time, both teams were fighting over CoH progressing and not avoiding the CoH altogether but that doesn't mean any love was lost here. This game was tight throughout the first 45, even despite the obvious chanting at minute 17, with both David N'kude and Juxon Fillar having to weather the storm with the amount of pressure piled upon them. The second half would see that pressure explode in big ways as another Fillar, Baillaire Fillar, took the lead for Chromatika in the 66th only for Prince Carter to say "hold up" and peg the game back level in the 71st. The remaining time in this contest was just both sides searching for a winner but in the end, none would come. A 1-1 was certainly significant as results elsewhere meant Chromatika advanced as group winners and TJUN-ia ended up 3rd, a point back on their opponents and 2 points above the safety line. It certainly was tense but in the end, our job was done.

Now we move into the knockouts, a seeded affair where group location does not matter unless in cases of a rematch. We are #20 which means that we face a short trip to Trenton Park in Lakewood for a date with another old foe...this time the #13 Bulls from Ausioslavia. When was the last time we faced the Bulls? WC85. Yes, WC85 Qualifying...11 years ago! They beat us both times in our 2nd campaign by respectable scorelines, 2-1 in Cathair and 1-0 in TJUN-ia City, in a cycle with 11 draws and the desperate search for any positive to take. Now, after all this time, we meet again...8th vs 34th instead of 22nd vs 105th this time. Things have certainly changed in these 11 years, but the Bulls remain fierce opposition under R.J. Styrn's -5 "Park That Fucking Bus" mentality. Can we break the Wall of Bulls and cause a huge ranking upset? Or will that wall push us to the side on route to either The Cordian Isle or Eraman? Only time will tell but no matter what, we have to fight. WE HAVE TO FIGHT, FOR US AND FOR GASTINEAU! GO JAGS! JUSTICE FOR THE COOPER RIVER! AND AS FOR THE BULLS...BRING IT ON!

SCHEDULE (Group C, all games in Tumbra)
MD1: vs Kuraita (124) - Bencoolen City Stadium, Bencoolen, Bencoolen W 2-1 (T-1st)
MD2: BYE (T-2nd)
MD3: vs Baggieland (106) - Bencoolen City Stadium, Bencoolen, Bencoolen D 3-3 (3rd)
MD4: vs HUElavia (48) - Columbus Field, Columbia, Alexandria D 0-0 (5th)
MD5: vs Soldera (76) - Fletcher Park, Kingsbury, Georgia L 2-5 (6th)
MD6: vs Astograth (66) - Fletcher Park, Kingsbury, Georgia W 3-2 (3rd)
MD7: vs Chromatika (24) - Columbus Field, Columbia, Alexandria D 1-1/2W-3D-1L/9pts/-1GD)
---------------------------------
Ro32: vs Audioslavia (8/#13/A2) - Trenton Park, Lakewood, Severn

by **Oberour Ar Moro** » Tue Jun 21, 2022 8:45 pm

The night before their Cup of Harmony match against Mercedini, Pius Petitmesnil was sitting on his hotel bed poking at his laptop with headphones on. His roommate Seguinus Tesserant de Linge was on his own bed reading a book, trying to avoid Pius. From the corner of his eye Seguinus saw Pius slide his headphones down to his neck and turned to Seguinus, a serious look on his face.

"Have you ever noticed how many shows about mermaids there are on Cinema Plus?" Pius asked.

Seguinus very deliberately slowly turned the page on his book, keeping his gaze pointed forward. "No," he eventually responded.

"Seriously, there are tons." Pius quickly replied.

Seguinus closed his eyes and found a bookmark, marked his page, then put the book aside. He knew he wasn't going to get away from this easily. "How many?"

"I've seen like, at least, seven." Pius answered, marveling.

Seven. Well. "Maybe mermaids are more popular than you think." Seguinus stated.

"I've never watched a show or movie about a mermaid." Pius noted earnestly.

"Do you think men in their 20s are the primary market for mermaid shows?"

Pius had already moved on. "And I swear they all had the same front picture. There's three of them on their...is there a particular word for the bottom part of a fish?"

"Why would you need to know that?" Seguinus wondered.

"That's what it would be for a mermaid, right?"

Seguinus shook his head and shrugged. "Just...were they on their stomachs and chests?"

"Sure. And then they have their mermaid tails up and visible."

Seguinus really wanted to get back to his book. "Then they're all from the same series. The Magical World of Mermaids, or whatever."

"Is that what it's called?" Pius asked earnestly.

"I just made that up," Seguinus clarified.

"I suppose a couple were from the same series," Pius noted, "but they didn't all have the same logos from what I could tell."

"You know how series are titled. One was probably called Mermaid Cavalcade: The Magical World of Mermaids or whatever." Seguinus attempted to dismiss, again.

"..." Pius stared a hole into Seguinus' head.

"I just made that up," Seguinus clarified again.

Pius puzzled, muttering under his breath. "That's a lot of mermaids..."

Seguinus picked up his book again, wanting to make it clear his interest in this conversation was well past done. "There might a lot of young girls that watch mermaid shows. Or maybe there really is some periphery demographic that likes mermaids in the Dominion. Or whatever algorithm Cinema Plus uses indicates that programs about mermaids will do well. Or some executive at Cinema Plus really likes mermaids. Who knows? You don't have to worry about it." Seguinus then deliberately returned to reading.

“Thank you, Pius. Now back to the studio," said Antenne Sports reporter Jos de Bruieres after he finished his interview. Pius Petitmesnil gave a Man of the Match performance against Mercedini, scoring a hat trick including the game winner in the 80th minute. Jos was ready to move on to the next interview when Pius put his hand on Jos' shoulder.

"Jos," Pius said, "You have to tell someone in the Antenne news section to look into how many shows they have on Cinema Plus about mermaids."

"Mermaids?"

Pius nodded energetically. "There are way too many! Only Antenne can get to the bottom of it." He then looked deeply into Jos' eyes and nodded firmly. He then walked off the pitch.

That night Jos looked through Cinema Plus' media offerings. "I guess that is a large number of mermaid programs," he said.

by **Juvencus** » Wed Jun 22, 2022 5:24 am

The Second Great War of Unification(1876-1892)

In war, to capture a beneficial position essentially means victory. The victor is always the side that captures the better position first, with very few exceptions. Even though defenders usually had the upper hand in battles, due to the nature of their positions, not few were the times the aggressors always found an even better spot to orchistrate their attacks from. In the mainland, battles were always built up upon whoever could take the better positions the fastest. This could mean the usage of the forests, valleys, hills and mountains, makeshift trenches or even several buildings and fortifications in towns and villages, wherever the heat of the battle could reach. Sometimes however, having the better position did not necessarily serve to the benefit of a defender, especially if the attacker had different plans in mind. Especially plans that would surprise the enemy, as would be witnessed in Suola.

The Capture of the Hill, by Vincenzo Quesada, ~circa 1910

Chapter 16: Battle of Suola(May 25th, 1880)
"All pushes can be seen as dramatic, but nothing can make a soldier feel more useless than climbing up this godforsaken hill." Íñigo Trapani, one of the soldiers at the Battle of Suola

Suola's position is very beneficial in times of conflict, located on a small, yet hard to reach region called Tremonti, in relatively close proximity to Torona itself. Capturing that position would almost instantly call for a fall back right at the city's gates, as a siege would be imminent. As such, the village and most importantly, the hill that gives it such an advantadgeous position, Montuno, was always crowded with soldiers. An idea, which in hindsight would prove to be the death of plenty in the battlefield.

In the afternoon of May 25th, multiple Pomenienze Uhlaners were on horseback, split in different troops, ready to unleash a surprise attack. One that would also serve as a distraction for the footmen to climb up the hill without taking as many casualties. Seeing the cavalry charge, the combined Independentists braced themselves, in large square formations, with sharpshooters taking care of the oncoming onslaught. Right behind the Uhlaner was another charge, this time of infantrymen of combined Unionist troops. While the Uhlaner managed to secure some positions, the Independentists had managed to open several holes on which to shoot at the charging Unionists from, making the climb a living hell for those that attempted it.

Multiple bodies were rolling down the hill, but eventually the first Unionists reached the top of Montuno and the first mixed close-range shooting/melee combat followed. As the day was in the middle of a summer day, the heat affected the fighting of many soldiers. This battle was going to be deadlier than it would have been any other time of the year. Many lost consciousness mid-combat and were thought of as dead, left on the ground. All organised formations were broken apart as a result of this, but amidst the panic and confusion, the Unionists managed to get the better of a lot of Independentists and drove them down the hill onto Suola.

With many Uhlaner still alive and well, another combined charge followed to the village and despite the quick reorganisation of the Independentists at Suola, it was just not enough. Most of them surrendered arms, while those that kept fighting met the consequences of their actions almost immediately, either by dying in combat or by executions right after the battle. Very few escaped. Suola's capturing constitutes the third capitulation of a Toronese settlement in the war, one that would prove of vital importance as the few Independentists who managed to escape would warn and even request the faster creation of defensive fortifications and more reinforcements to keep the Unionists at bay.

For the Unionists, this signified another major victory on their push towards Torona and more significantly, towards the end goal of Unification. With the Toronese amassing reinforcements in and near the city, while building major fortifications in it and all around it, the push would get significantly slower and the battles would get even deadlier, as we are approaching the deadliest period of the war since 1878. The other fronts would remain in the same progression, but smaller, insignifcant battles would take place in all fronts and especially Cusi(Southwestern Theater/Tiscanodemenese Victory) and Adalbertina(Eastern Theater/Scudelliano victory).

Battle Outcome: Another Unionist Victory!

by **Audioslavia** » Wed Jun 22, 2022 6:54 am

As I traipse from the field I look up at the board and wonder if I might be the worst number nine in the recent history of this national team. Given everything I'd said I'd wanted, I'd done nothing with it. I look up to see a '19' next to the '9' on the subs board, and then see said number 19, Julho Viscondessas, appear from beneath the claret tracksuit top he was wrestling over his head.

"Go on, mate" I say to him, extending a hand for a high-five. He doesn't look at me as he awkwardly fist-bumps my outstretched palm, bends down, touches the turf, and sprints onto the field. In his position, with your team a goal down and the guy you're replacing having failed to make any sort of mark, I'd be doing the same thing.
'Played, Hello' says Dean, the boss's assistant, as I get to the technical area.
'Sorry boss' I say, instinctively.
"No apologies" says Dean. It's a phrase repeated by RJ, who's overheard me. I grab a bib and sit down next to Tom McFarland.
"Fuckin' hell" I say to him, shaking my head.
"Tough game" says Tom. Tom's one of the older players in the squad. He'd expected to be playing every game, but the boss had gone with a teenager over him as metaphorical number one. Tom didn't seem to mind. He was in his mid thirties and, thanks to sharing a generation with Goran Stroud, was used to being the second choice for the national team. At club level he'd won almost everything there was to win with Shamrock. "Your time is coming" he says, giving me a pat on the shoulder. Honestly the more people say that to me, the less I feel it's true.
I look up at RJ standing up and shouting at Lazaro Patron, who's scampering down the left. Julho bursts through the middle looking for an early pass that doesn't come, and so circles out to the far post, with Unai Cappadonna going down the centre instead. It occurs to me that the outcome I want is for Julho to distract the Delte defence by pratfalling in comical fashion and for other players, players not in competition with me for that 'striker' spot - the most advanced AM, at any rate - to come in and score three or four times.
As it turns out, Patron finds Cappadonna with a curling cross, Cappadonna's header is weak but draws a parried save from the keeper, who bats to the ball away to the left where...

Yup, there it is.

Julho smashes the ball into the roof of the net and immediately wheels away back up the pitch, pumping his fist towards the crowd. 1-1. I stand up and clap maybe a moment or two too late.
"I know how it feels" Tom says to me, later on that evening. "You're watching the guy who’s replaced you and he’s doing the stuff you know you can do just as well. Or at least you figure so”
“You reckon he’ll start over me against… who is it? TJUN-ia?”
“He may well do” shrugs Tom. “But like I say. Your time’s coming. It might not be this tournament, it might not be the next, but if you keep working hard it’s there for you. Even if it’s ten years from now. I mean look at Archer at Shamrock” he says. I frown.
“Archer? They sent him on loan around the world for a few years and then made him captain almost as soon as he came back”
“Not that Archer” says Tom.
“Archer Andrews had come to Shamrock Cathair as a 20 year-old striker. Ahead of him in the pecking order at Shamrock that season were a teenage Rod Gordon, Aldo Vocani, Alexander Crewe and Thor Møller, each one more of a Shamrock legend than the last. He never rose above the bottom of the depth chart over the next four seasons, playing handfuls of games here and there, dead rubbers, cup games, six minutes as a sub at the end of a game here and there. The team were wanting him off the wage bill after his second season. He never really got the chance to prove himself. He was still here and there in national team squads, but with the likes of Vladimir Podolov, Joe Green and Kepo Ulawaya up front, he was just never, ever getting a look-in. I don’t know how many games of football he played between World Cup cycles, what, 85 and 90? Double digits, sure, but definitely not triple. Guy just kept working his butt off. Look at him now. Played pretty much every minute of this tournament. How many goals has he got? Seven? Almost as many as Audioslavia have scored the entire tournament. He’s an ever-present for Shamrock, freezing the likes of Rosewing out the team. He’s got the likes of Emilia Torgersen, Sho Ito, Gabriel Buvalelli providing him service, he’s scoring hatefully of goals, and you know all those Attacking Midfielders we have at Shamrock, they’re all campaigning for Archer to stay in the team. They get the ball to him, he converts. Shamrock may have struggled occasionally, but not for goals. Archer’s a fan favourite. Even more so than the other Archer. And that’s what our fans call Archer Flat, y’know? Our team’s captain? He’s the other Archer. Archer Andrews is the Archer.

“…and we’re playing them next?” I respond, with a raised eyebrow.

“Don’t worry” laughs Tom. “Constance and I know all about him. And the rest of the TJUN-ia team?” - Tom waved a hand towards where he imagined Manu Kepelewako and Petor Szektkovsky were standing - “We can deal with them”

“I hope so” I say. “I want to play in some knockouts at some point”

“Given how we’ve been playing” said Tom “that might have to wait a few years too”

by **Sarzonia** » Wed Jun 22, 2022 7:12 am

So fair and foul a Cup of Harmony I have not seen.

For Sarzonia, they wrapped up the group stage of the 83rd Cup of Harmony with a 2-0 win over Brookstation that only gave them a third place finish in Group B behind seventh ranked Cassadaigua and Sendhang, both of whom won five matches from six as the Stars wrapped up group play with a 4-0-2 record. Sendhang had their bye on the final matchday of the group stage whilst the Fillies were facing bottom of table Saterun.

The result left the Stars with the 17th overall seed as the Cup of Harmony enters the Round of 32. This despite Sarzonia's 12 points from their four victories leaving them level on points with Group A winners The Cordian Isles and Group H champions Juvencus with a better goal differential than Juvencus (plus-four for Sarzonia and plus-2 for Juvencus) and more wins than Cordia, which finished with a mark of 3-3-0. The Stars also earned more points than Group G-winning Oberour Ar Moro (11), and Group F titleists Savojarna and Group C winners Chromatika (10 points each). Except for Group B runners-up Sendhang (15 points), the Stars also finished with more points than any of the teams that finished as runners up.

Their opponents, and the ones wearing the home-coloured kits will be Kelssek, which went 3-0-3 in Group F to fall just one point short of Savorjarna. The last time Sarzonia and Kelssek met in a match that counted for something, the Stars came from behind to defeat Kelssek 5-4 during the group stage of the 76th Cup of Harmony. It was Sarzonia's first World Cup cycle back after a lengthy absence, and it helped propel the Stars to a third place finish to give them hardware in a debutant cycle for the first time since the third edition of the Baptism of Fire way back in the World Cup 16 cycle.

For his part, Brady Reynolds isn't concerned with Sarzonia's relatively low seeding or the arguments that the Stars were arguably better than some of the first place sides that will get favourable opponents in the Round of 16.

"We're just focused on playing Kelssek right now," he said. "We've got to focus on a tough opponent and see where everything else goes from there if we win."

As for talk from TJUN-ia of ethnic cleansing on the part of Cassadaigua and the prospect that Queen Cassie II might be deposed, Reynolds said he wasn't thinking about the geopolitical situation. He added that if Sarzonia were to prevail against Kelssek and Cassadaigua defeated Ranoria to set up a Round of 16 contest, which would mark the fourth meeting between the Fillies and the Stars in this World Cup cycle, developing tactics to beat the Fillies would be his sole motivator.

"Politics is out of my jurisdiction," Reynolds said. "I'm just here to help us win football matches."

[OOC: I haven't been following Cass's storyline and I've only really paid attention to TJUN-ia's account of it. Other than THIS post here, I'm not getting involved in that storyline.]

by **Milchama** » Wed Jun 22, 2022 9:40 am

"I can't believe we're going to lose to Acastanha"

"Why? We're better than them, we have more history than them, our team is actually better than them. Like there is no reason we will lose"

"Remember how we do it at this CoH, we have a test to check whether we will win and it goes like this: Is this team in the Top 32? If no we will lose or draw if yes we will win."

"Ok so a team that never qualified for the WC and their best ever performance was finishing in 4th place in qualifying"

"So Acastanha are not in the Top 32"

"Correct"

"So we can only lose or draw"

"Correct"

"Hmmm...can we go back to domestic sports?"

"Why?"

"Because I feel like doing something different for this RP than complaining about how Milchama actually sucks now etc"

"We finished second in our group, we did ok"

"I mean that's fair but still it feels off"

"Nah, we're doing fine"

"Are we?"

"Yeah"

"We're the fifteenth seed"

"Exactly, a disappointing loss in octos, exactly what was predicted/expected from the Warriors"

"Really?"

"I mean we were seeded third in our group, we finished second, and now we just need to win a few more games to call this World Cup Cycle not a terrible disappointment but merely a small disappointment"

"Oooh, a small disappointment, that would be huge!"

"Exactly"

"So, we've somehow yet again managed to RP about Milchama being disappointing or just about the results"

"Look, right now, I just don't have the creative juices flowing for thinking about other things so we have these result oriented RPs, it's not the best but it's not like we're losing"

"I mean we could be doing better"

"Yeah it would be nice to have more creative RPs but it's just not going to happen now"

"Should we change the lyrics to a song again?"

"Meh, you never go the full Krytenia"

"Any comment on what's happening in Cassadaigua?"

"War is bad"

"Any comment on the new Copa Rushmori bid?"

"Yeah, if we could be bothered to host AOCAF we'd try something similar"

"Any other discussion flash points?"

"Not that I can think of, unless you want to get into a discussion about food but that sounds annoying"

"Fair enough and this isn't Twii.tur"

"That too"

"So I guess that's it then"

"Basically"

"Hmmm...is this more interesting than the other RPs in this CoH?"

"Well its actually about something"

"No its actually about nothing, it's about how we can't figure out anything good to say in a RP"

"Yeah, exactly"

"So how is that better?"

"Well it's more interesting"

"Fair enough"

"So how do we lose again?"

"Because of the rule"

"Ok then"

"Now we're just going in circles"

"Yep"

"Definitely time to end it then"

"Yep"

"Alright then"

"Come on You Warriors!"

"Let's Go Milchama!"

by **Pluvia and the Saxean Isles** » Wed Jun 22, 2022 9:54 am

Star Chamber, Royal Palace, Marienburg

The Star Chamber was the traditional meeting place for the Praesidium of the United Kingdom of Pluvia and the Saxean Isles to meet. A large, ornate room, the Star Chamber, as the name suggested, had a grand dome with a star shape enclosed within its circle. As one entered through the large doors at the back of the room, the first thing one's eyes were drawn to was the golden throne at the front of the room and the three wall hangings above it: at the right hand, the flag of the United Kingdom, at the left, the flag of Pluvia alone, and directly above the throne, the coat of arms of the Giese family, the ruling house of Pluvia and the Saxean Isles. The throne was one of several scattered about the palace. Though the only official throne was, of course, in the throne room, wherever the monarch was expected to preside or conduct ceremonies, there was a throne. The use of these thrones typically varied with the monarch, with the more unabashedly royalist ones using them and the more liberal ones tending to eschew their use. King Charles IV was an unabashed royalist, and he would take his seat today in the Star Chamber above the gilded and impressive, but still less important, first meeting table where the principal leaders of the Praesidium would sit, which itself was above the second meeting table, where the other members would sit.

The Praesidium was the United Kingdom's royal council, composed of all the ministers of the nation. It was headed by the Lord Steward, also known as the Prime Minister, the head of the largest party in the National Assembly, the United Kingdom's legislative branch. Each member of the Praesidium was also a member of the National Assembly and had specific responsibilities for government ministries. The most important ministries were the Treasury, Justice, Defence, Foreign, and Interior ministries, whose heads were styled as "Lord" due to the original titles of the heads of these ministries. The Praesidium discussed with the monarch the ongoing business of the executive branch and both gave and took recommendations for the administration of the nation. However, today, the business was not domestic, but foreign.

The members of the Praesidium filed in and took their seats by order of prominence of their ministries. The Lord Steward, the Prime Minister, sat at the head of the first meeting table, a V-shaped table. To his immediate right and left, respectively, sat the Lord Treasurer and the Lord Chancellor (Justice Minister), as the next in power, followed each by the Lord Ambassador and the Lord Commander, as the representatives of the United Kingdom's outward-facing ministries, and finally, in the third seat to the right, the Lord Constable (Interior Minister), and in the third seat to the left, the Lord Chamberlain (originally chief of the king's household, but now President of the Senate and the chief liaison between the monarch and that body). These were the seven original members of the Praesidium. At the second, square-shaped, meeting table, sat the rest of the members of the Praesidium, ranging from the coveted posts, such as Business & Trade or Social Security, to the junior posts, like Environment or Culture. The lesser ministers at the second table mostly bothered themselves with looking good and hoping to catch the king's eye, while the Lords at the first table eyed each other warily; they were jockeying to be the successor to the Lord Steward, who alone of the Praesidium, besides the Lord Chamberlain, (who didn't count, really, the only way you got that job was by being old enough), met individually with the king.

The two side doors at the front of the room opened and a herald and trumpeters stepped out. All the minister rose and, after a fanfare, the herald announced, "His Royal Highness Charles IV, King of Pluvia and Laird of the Saxean Isles!" A tall man with blond hair emerged from behind the herald, clad in a black business suit, with a pin on his lapel where an eagle clutched a thistle, and took his seat on the throne. The ministers bowed and then took their seats, with the lesser minister bowing as one and sitting first, followed by the two Lords at either end of the table in succession, until only the Lord Steward was standing, and then he bowed and took his seat last.

Charles IV spoke. "As the King-in-Praesidium and leader of this council, I hereby call this meeting of the 168th Praesidium to order. My Lord Steward, as my chief representative to the people and their chief representative to me, kindly state the business of this council."

The Lord Steward/Prime Minister, Nicholas Bell, Leader of the conservative National-Liberal Party, rose from his seat and said, "Your Royal Highness, the matter for this meeting of the Praesidium is the question of succession in the Rushmori nation of Cassadaigua and our policy toward it. I call upon the Lord Ambassador to enlighten us on the situation there."

The Lord Ambassador/Foreign Minister, Aliza Davies, Leader of the liberal Radical Party, the principal coalition partner of the National-Liberals, rose from her seat and said, "Your Royal Highness and esteemed members of the Praesidium, I thank the Lord Steward for asking me to provide my expertise. Cassadaigua is a large nation in the southern, or Terramidian, region of Rushmore. They practice not only gynocracy, that is the rule by women, but also official discrimination against men, depriving them of equal rights with women. Although this practice is detestable to us, they are also a monarchy, and as such, of interest and of use to us. There are two questions at hand: first, the disinheriting of Princess Caitlyn and her daughter, Princess Brianna from the royal line of succession, and second, the expansion of Cassadaigua into unincorporated territories to their north."

She paused for breath and then continued, "These two questions would likely not be of interest to us or even worthy of unequivocal support were it not for complications. Princess Caitlyn is the elder sister of the current queen, Cassie II, and would have inherited the throne, were it not for her involvement in a physical altercation in a classroom for which she eventually spent time in prison. Thus Caitlyn has a claim by right of age that has been denied. Queen Cassie II is considering stepping down, and her daughter, Cassie III, would thus inherit the throne. However, her sister as well as her niece, Princess Brianna, are contesting this and wish the Royal Court, their equivalent of this council, to officially rule not only Queen Cassie unfit for office, but her daughter not the rightful heir. We must not only contend with the rightful claim of Caitlyn, but the ability of the Crown to decide succession, as well as Brianna's support for the men's rights movement in Cassadaigua. The other contention of Caitlyn and Brianna rests on the expansion of Cassadaigua."

She looked down at her notes and then said, "The expansion into the northern unincorporated territories might justly be regarded as the same as an expansion of our territory into the area beyond Somermont and the Three Peaks. However, the conduct of the Cassadagan military has come under question. Apparently, in an area labeled C17, in the region of the Cooper River, Dagan soldiers either fought off an ambush from river pirates or brutally massacred a village of innocent civilians. Eura, another giant of Rushmore, claims to have found evidence that it was indeed a massacre, while Cassadaigua denies that. Queen Cassie, for her part, has denied any involvement in any massacre and stated that her military advisors have told her that terrorists or pirates attacked both Dagan soldiers and non-Dagan civilians. Her condemnation of any atrocities, yet defense of her soldiers, have raised questions about her fitness for office. Princess Brianna, using social media, has seized on this as an unacceptable action for which Cassie II, as the monarch, bears ultimate responsibility."

She took a deep breath and said, "So you see, Your Highness, our position depends not only on questions of legitimacy, but also on the question of civil rights and the actions of states in terra nullius. Do we support Caitlyn and Brianna, or Cassie? Do we align ourselves with Eura and other critics of the Dagan expansion, or do we support a government in turmoil? I yield to the Lord Steward."

Bell stood up and said, "Your Highness, through extensive discussion both of the full Praesidium and of the executive council of the Seven Lords, the position of Your Highness' Government is that we must support Queen Cassie both in the succession issue and in the expansion issue. Although the age of Princess Caitlyn might have entitled her and thus her daughter to rule, the right of a sitting monarch to decide succession for themselves must be inviolable. Anything else is an uncalled-for limitation of the royal prerogative. Additionally, while reports of a massacre in the Cooper River region, if true, are of grave concern, the limits of intelligence, as well as the inherently chaotic nature of a combat zone, require us to refrain from criticising the Dagans at this time. If a monarch could be made to resign over rumors, no royal house around the multiverse would be safe. Your Highness, I await your reply."

King Charles nodded his head to acknowledge the Lord Steward's words. "I understand your reasoning, Lord Steward. Yet it seems to me that we must also consider the issue of men's rights and of the position of other nations in our region, as well as Eura. Does not discrimination or our relationship with other nations merit some criticism? What of the elves? Or the Mormons? Or the United Republics? Or even Eura?"

Bell pursed his lips. "Your Highness, as to the second question, Banija, another powerful monarchy, has come out forcefully in support of Queen Cassie, defending the royal prerogative. Valanora has been neutral on the issue, while Siovanija & Teusland has been utterly silent on most foreign policy issues for some time. As Banija is a powerful, nuclear, monarchy, I advise we follow Banija
on this issue. A disagreement with Eura is of little concern. Although they do not favor monarchies, they have shown no inclination to break off trade over support for monarchy, nor are they overly concerned with nations beyond their region. For example, they have not commented on the Tumbran expansion into the Northlands, and have spent many resources on the conflict in Nyowani Kitara in Rushmore, making them less likely to devote resources to opposing us. Additionally, warmer relations with Cassadaigua will offset any perceived chill with Eura. As to the first question, while of course we oppose discrimination, the United Kingdom has never been in the business of telling other states how to treat their citizens. The most we can do is make Dagan men's rights and other groups that promote rights and liberties eligible for grants from our private foundations or perhaps from the Foreign Ministry. They must solve their own dilemma."

For the rest of the meeting, although it was clear that King Charles was concerned with men's rights in Cassadaigua, nothing would change. This was the pattern of government in the United Kingdom. Lots of ceremony and protocol, the involvement of the king, but no change from the government position unless the king absolutely insisted on it, and Charles was not prepared to do that at this time. They discussed trade, relations with AO and Rushmore, spillover from this to their own Saxean question, as well as the state of the republican movement in the country. Many more words were spoken, but all important business had been accomplished following the Lord Steward's response to King Charles. The lesser ministers fiddled with their cufflinks or doodled in their notebooks, trying to stay awake and not look too out of it. They never got to speak in these sorts of meetings, except in extraordinary circumstances. Their input was reserved for meetings without the king, so they either amused themselves or fantasised about becoming a Lord one day.

When the meeting officially ended, the king declared the Praesidium adjourned and withdrew to fanfare. The Seven Lords would later meet themselves to draft the statement of the government on the issue and then send it off to the king for his signature. Everyone else had lunch on their minds.

by **HUElavia** » Wed Jun 22, 2022 10:40 am

HUElavia 3-2 Soldera
(Honda 57', Nascimento 90+2', 90+5 | Irvine 51', Allyson 88')
Bencoolen City Stadium, Bencoolen, Bencoolen, Tumbra

XI vs Delte:
1 Lettmann, 4 Vargas, 2 Lavezzi, 3 Higashi, 5 Rosado, 6 Font, 8 Brousseau, 10 Navarro-Hamada, 11 Chanca, 7 Honda (C), 9 Nascimento
Home Uniform will be worn

Post Game Interview

Announcer: "Good evening everyone, Coach Cristiano Aveiro Lima will now take your questions as part of the post-game interview."

Reporter 1: "Good evening Coach Aveiro, this is Cecília Martins Nakamura from HBC Sports, how are you feeling after this game?"
Aveiro: "Good evening Ms. Martins, honestly I'm happy that we won after such a difficult game. Soldera really had us on the ropes, and for a moment there it looked like it would be another difficult group stage elimination. But, everyone knows the HUElavian spirit and grit that has appeared in many rosters, and it was yet another magical night for our team."
Martins: "Were you feeling nervous when additional time came up being down 2-1?"
Aveiro: "Absolutely, it was in essence an elimination game for both of us, and neither wanted to go home. I just had to shout orders from the sideline, and hope my tactics would work. Fortunately, it did and we were able to squeeze out that victory."
Martina: "Thank you for your answers and congrats on the advance."

Reporter 2: "Good evening Coach Aveiro, this is Kai Khun from Xports, what do you have to say about the players performance overall?"
Aveiro: "Well, we had our highs and lows in the game, Our defense played very well in the first half, we had some solid saves from Lettmann, and it's what kept us tied after the 1st half. After that, once the opening goal came in from the header by Irvine, the defense got pretty nervous. But seeing that goal get scored by Soldera, it lit up our offense, and we all saw how Honda just gave a blistering shot on her right to tie it up. Even after the second goal from Soldera, the team just pressed and pressed until we got that tie. Once again, Nascimento came up clutch for us, and that headed goal was huge for the team. After that, the pass from Mayordomo to Nascimento was enough to have our #9 slot it in and give us the win."
Khun: "What are your plans now for the Round-of-32?"
Aveiro: "For now, we need to train on our defending and make sure we don't have slip-ups, and continue on our shooting to try to get more goals. Certainly after the Group Stage games end, we will know who we'll be seeded with and we will study our opponents from there and plan our best."
Khun: "Thank you very much Coach Aveiro, thank your for your responses."

Reporter 3: "Good evening Coach Aveiro, this is Chihiro Vera Durand from Jaguar Sports, What are your aspirations now that the team has reached the Round-of-32?"
Aveiro: "Well, the main goal here is of course is to win the title. For all remaining teams, that's the goal. But, to reach that grand moment, we all have to play about 5 games for that title. With each game being an elimination game onwards, we can't be thinking too much about the future. We just gotta take it a game at a time, studying and defeating our opponents. Between tonight and the Final, who knows how far we will go."
Vera: "Is there a secondary goal for the team?"
Aveiro: "Yep, I'd say it's to improve the standings of our team. We're in the low 40s, and we hope to raise it up so we can have a better seeding when the WC 92 Qualifiers come around. For a team that is historic and notable as HUElavia, we have big expectations on where we want to be, and we need to work hard to achieve that goal. Like I said before, we just take it a game at a time, and work from there."
Vera: "Thank you for your answers and congratulations on the victory Coach Aveiro."

Announcer: "No more questions? Then, thank you for all of your questions and have a nice evening."

The 83rd Cup of Harmony — Roster/RP/Scores Thread

CoH-83 MD7

Boot It!: A Point Sends Us To The Bulls

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