Copa Rushmori XLI — Everything Thread

[Eura]

The Euran Football Association presents

EURA
41st Copa Rushmori Squad

STAFF

Manager: Skorji Oslograd (63, Eura)

As unlikely as it might have seemed not so long ago, Skorji Oslograd was appointed as the eighth permanent manager of the Euran national team in the modern era. The former Bastion, Hornchurch (season loan), FC Axel Heiburg and Revolutionaries centre forward is an icon of Euran football, starring in Eura’s World Cup 66 winning side at the height of an international career that saw him make 168 appearances for Eura, scoring 103 goals. Oslograd then went into coaching and management, where he had a low-key career until taking over as manager of The Askari Union. He improved them significantly and got them playing perhaps their best ever football at the Copa Rushmori, before moving to take over the national team job for the newly formed Euran Oceania Territories, who had only recently started competing in WCC competition.

Although Oslograd was unsuccessful in achieving the dream of getting the Expats into the World Cup, even with a surprisingly talented generation of players (but little squad depth), he can claim to have transformed the Euran dominion’s fortunes for the better and claimed some memorable shock victories with the side. It nearly all came apart during World Cup 85 qualifying when the Expats went on a horrific run of form and Oslograd, plagued also by off the pitch controversies, came close to getting the sack. He was saved by a remarkable return to form during World Cup 86 qualifying and recently has had the Expats securing the best results of their history, raising his profile on the international radar once more.

The blow dealt to Euran footballing pride by failing to qualify for World Cup 87 was severe and created something of an inquisition in the national game as to the causes. As part of this the EFA needed a replacement for Lee Sharp following his resignation. Although the FA approached several top tier candidates, it was felt that a truly radical departure from the normal practices of the EFA and its teams was required, leading to this shock wildcard appointment. Oslograd’s appointment proved hugely controversial, although his tenure has seen him usually behave better than in the past.

A decent start in some friendlies and at the Cup of Harmony was somewhat soured by defeat in the final to Mriin, a recurring nightmare of a defeat to Darmen long ago that followed Eura steamrolling all prior opposition in the tournament. Nevertheless, Eura's mostly faultless performance - and a tournament unusually free of antics for an initially sober minded Oslograd - relieved pressure on the new coach. Unfortunately, a promising start to a home Copa Rushmori that followed was brought to a saddening end by penalty heartbreak in the quarterfinal; Eura recovered to gain good form in World Cup 88 qualifying, but stuttered toward the end, then crashed out in the group stages (though at least this time they qualified) and flattered to deceive at the subsequent Copa.

Oslograd continued to revamp the squad and attempt the much more difficult task of overcoming the hang ups of the past. In recent tournaments the team has adopted a combative, cynical and defensive (but with ruthless counterattacking) 5-3-2, sometimes switching to a more ambitious 3-5-2. But results were mixed to say the least; Eura marginally improved at World Cup 89 but suffered another gloomy group stage exit, another dampener on the era of optimism Oslograd promises will eventually dawn, before a more spirited run in the Copa Rushmori ended in the semi-finals, followed by another group stage exit (albeit in a tough group) at World Cup 90 and a further Copa Rushmori semi-final run.

There is a consensus growing that Oslograd has arguably been working with the weakest Euran squad in a generation, making these results seem quite creditable, but the knife-edge failure to qualify for World Cup 91 – a second such disaster in recent years – has put Oslograd’s job on the line. A run to the Cup of Harmony final and an agonising third runner up medal from three attempts, courtesy of a flukey Audioslavia goal, has kept the wolves at bay for now, even if Eura only met the minimum expectations in making the final. But the failure won’t be forgotten despite the incremental progress of the past few years. This is now last chance saloon for Oslograd – Eura must perform well at the Copa Rushmori, and must qualify for World Cup 92, or he will be out.

Assistant Manager: Rhea Fianchetto (48, The Askari Union)

Oslograd’s wife and long-term assistant manager from his days in charge of The Askari Union, Fianchetto is little known the public eye but has become a respected coach in her own right among those in the know. Many speculate that she may provide sense to the chaos of what has been dubbed “Skorjiball”; when Oslograd has been in a pit, Fianchetto has been there to bail him out, time and time again.

STYLE AND PERMISSIONS

Style Modifier: +2

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:

Choose my goalscorers – YES
Godmod scoring events – YES
RP injuries to my players – YES
Godmod injuries to my players – YES (But only how the injury happens, not the extent of the injury)
Hand out yellow cards to my players – YES
Hand out red cards to my players – YES
Godmod other events – YES, provided you keep events within the realms of realism, so no deaths etc.

SUMMARY OF SQUAD CHANGES

Dropped:
Mick Key – GK – 28 – 5 caps – Serrapince FC (Tumbra)
Travis Coffey – RM/RWB - 27 - 29 caps - 4 goals - Ma Alameome (Farfadillis)
Alex Coles - CB - 29 - 71 caps - 1 goal - Oakstone
Sharon Erskine (F) – CDM – 30 – 69 caps – 1 goal – Northern Union (Brenecia)
Robert Marshall - AM - 25 - 19 caps - 3 goals – Oakstone

Called up:
John Hewitt – GK – 26 – 1 cap – Farrenton Athletic
Patrick Read – RB – 25 – 7 caps – 0 goals - Bombarralense (Audioslavia)
Morgan Hart – CB – 25 – 1 cap – 0 goals - Farrenton Athletic
Ronan Stenhouse – CDM – 31 – 5 caps – 0 goals - KT Moreazerua (Audioslavia)
Ben West – AM – 24 – 6 caps – 0 goals - Falourr

After making no changes ahead of the Cup of Harmony, several have been made for the Copa, and Eura have returned to a slightly more offensive style following Oslograd’s orientation towards more defensive football in recent years, likely hoping to reinvigorate his side (and the EFA’s confidence) with some goalscoring. Five players have been dropped, starting with goalkeeper Mick Key, who has had a mixed start at international level and not quite convinced Oslograd of his merits, being told to go back to club football to improve his technique and form.

A bigger name to go is Alex Coles in defence. He may be a totem of consistency throughout your average World Cup qualifying match, but he is frequently found lacking in big games, a classic luxury defender of the type that Eura has struggled to manage for as long as anyone can remember. Its possible he won’t get another shot at the national team at 29 years old. His Oakstone teammate Robert Marshall also leaves the squad. However, at just 25 his career trajectory looks very different, and he will likely play for Eura again. Marshall remains a promising player who has simply struggled for a role in the current set up and not scored much.

Travis Coffey will also hope to re-join the squad at some point. Right now, he is superfluous and appeared mostly from the bench in the most recent Cup of Harmony and World Cup qualifying campaigns, with a patchy defensive record and no goals scored in 11 games. John Spartan’s influence only goes so far. Sharon Erskine is in a tougher position, similar to that of Coles. She has been found wanting one too many times in the last few tournaments and has been blamed for several key bad results. She will hope to have a renaissance through her club form that might just open the door to international football once more; defensive midfielders tend to play longer for Eura than other outfielders.

Replacing these five players are a group who lack significant international experience having won just 19 caps between them. Nevertheless, 31-year-old Ronan Stenhouse has wider career experience that will serve him well as he comes in to plug the backup defensive midfield slot behind rising star Jermaine Gates. Patrick Read is in for Coffey, another Audioslavia based player, and a more conventional right back than the player he replaces; like Stenhouse, he is expected to be a reliable backup rather than a starter. Falourr’s Ben West replaces Marshall, having previously undergone a similarly tough start to international football, and will hope to make an impact this time after enjoying a very successful Season 50 in Euraleague. Finally, Farrenton Athletic pair John Hewitt and Morgan Hart return to the squad after previously making debuts in experimental squads, likely as a consequence of an impressive Season 50 for Athletic.

SQUAD
Shirt number – name (F if female) – position – age – international caps – international goals – club

Goalkeepers

1 - Elliot Palmer – GK – 30 – 44 caps – Mountainside
A naturally talented shotstopper who has stuck with Mountainside in Gold League’s mid-table for years now, despite being good enough to play at a bigger club. Initially struggled for consistency in the Euran set up and had some shock horror performances, but improved at Copa Rushmori 40, and was not blamed for the defensive horror show of the Pridnestrovia semi-final. Currently first choice but under pressure from Tom Hammond.
13 – Tom Hammond - GK - 24 - 9 caps - Directus
The obvious challenger to Palmer is another in a long line of Directus goalkeepers. Hammond was Kevin Belgrave’s protégé and recently took up the number 1 for his club. Much like Belgrave, he is a physically imposing keeper at 6ft 6in, but by no means sluggish or reliant on height alone. A much more verbally assertive personality than the taciturn Belgrave, he will not hold back in ordering his defence around.
30 – John Hewitt – GK – 26 – 1 cap - Farrenton Athletic
Hewitt started out his career highly rated, was then crushed by a terrible domestic breakthrough season, and has now recovered and earned his second call up for Eura. A strong all round keeper with plenty of room to improve.

Defenders

2 – Ana Mason (F) - RWB - 25 - 28 caps - 1 goal - Spartangrad
Mason has proven to be a phenomenal signing for Spartangrad since arriving from Unioneers and she has impressed in her early appearances for Eura, despite often being limited by Oslograd’s use of wingers rather than wingbacks. In the mould of Spartans legend Weylon Churchilli, she is best described as a rapid attacking wingback, superb on the ball and possessing a deadly cross off the right foot. Sometimes, like Churchilli, her defensive frailities are exposed, and she hasn’t got his scoring boots yet – but there is a star in the making here.
3 – Lucy Almwood (F) - LB - 29 – 101 caps – 11 goals - Brinemouth (Nephara)
The best of Eura’s fullbacks for some time, Almwood will wonder how she has been so unlucky to be born into one of the least successful generations of Euran footballers. She would have walked into most Euran teams of the past. Defensively robust but also a threat going forward, two-footed, a formidable set piece taker, endless stamina; she has all the ingredients of a once-in-a-generation left back. She is now at her peak and will be desperate to have an international legacy to show for her efforts in the next few years.
4 – Jack Menard (CAPTAIN) - CB – 27 – 141 caps – 8 goals - 1830 Cathair (Audioslavia)
When he broke through for Marketville as a teenager Menard was quickly recognised as the most gifted centre back Eura have produced in some years, even among a better crop than usual. He has 141 caps and 8 international goals at just 27, making it almost certain he will reach the 200 club, and was a natural choice for squad captain after Monica Rowland’s international retirement. He dominates in the air but is also excellent with his feet and a master of both standing and sliding tackles. It is hoped that in becoming captain, he can develop into the full spectrum leader Eura need at the back.
5 – Tanya Green (F) – CB – 30 – 88 caps – 0 goals – Revolutionaries
In the early years of her career Green was not expected to achieve her current level of success, at one point being added to a list of Revolutionaries players set for release into the bear pit of lower league football. She turned a corner at just the right time and slipped neatly into a Revolutionaries backline under transition and has remained there ever since. She has had the most staying power of the three centrebacks under Oslograd aside from the ever-present Menard, proving more consistent than Kevin Sherwood and others. She is the least physically imposing of Eura’s centrebacks but adds a calm, ball-playing presence at the back that is perfectly suited for getting Eura through long qualifying campaigns that frequently test concentration and fitness levels. She is now the oldest of Eura’s defenders and a senior member of the squad.
15 – Kevin Sherwood - CB - 25 - 71 caps - 1 goal – 1830 Cathair (Audioslavia)
Sherwood, like Menard, was destined for the national team from the start, and has fit seamlessly into the red and gold shirt. After some time in Siovanija & Teusland he has earned a big move to 1830 Cathair in Audioslavia and now partners Menard at club level, which has helped him regain his spot in the first team for Eura. He can suffer from inconsistency in a way that Menard and Green perhaps do not, but on his day is a fine player. Cutting out the mistakes will be vital to ensuring he cements the third centre-back spot permanently – and the quicker he gets over the horror show ending of the Cup of Harmony final against Audioslavia, the better.
19 – Jamie Byrd - CB - 27 - 45 caps - 1 goal - Bastion
After a period of decline Byrd has recovered his form somewhat and is now pushing to be in the side again. His fluent ball playing style makes him a good replacement for Alex Coles. In contrast to the likes of Sherwood and Menard, Byrd shares more with Green - an unexpected talent come good. However, playing at Bastion brings high expectations, so his underdog status has quickly been forgotten.
21 – Patrick Read – RB – 25 – 7 caps – 0 goals - Bombarralense (Audioslavia)
Bombarralense right back Read couldn’t be more conventional a player if he tried. As a firmly defensive fullback, he will likely be called upon if Ana Mason is injured, or the side faces a situation where it desperately needs a clean sheet. But he’s a bit unfortunate to be a backup and may have higher aspirations in future, having held his own in Audioslavian football at a time when many look to it as the peak of the domestic game.
23 – Eve Reeve (F) – LB – 29 – 21 caps – 0 goals – Ulsa
Unfortunate is the best word to describe Reeve, who is a solid left back in her own right and who has recently secured a deserved step up at Ulsa. She is unfortunate because of Almwood sitting in her way. This is a reality that will likely limit how far Reeve’s Eura career can go – that and the tactical setup of Oslograd’s side, which is unforgiving for a more orthodox left back like Reeve. Nevertheless, she has earned a place in the squad, and is clearly trusted by the manager enough to make frequent appearances.
25 – Quentin Phillips - CB - 24 - 20 caps - 0 goals - Holdenberg
Holdenberg’s new star defender is something of a surprise package, having shown little promise as a youngster at Whitepill before securing a move to Holdenberg at 19, supposedly as a backup option. He has stepped into the post-Henri de Aea void and proved to be one of the bargain buys of the last decade. Phillips combines many valued traits in a top centreback including peerless concentration levels and decision making, an imposing physique at 6ft 4in, and the acceleration to keep up with the best forwards. He has certainly thrown a spanner in the works for any certainties around the future of the Euran centreback positions and is a media favourite. He made 15 appearances across the most recent World Cup qualifying and Cup of Harmony campaigns, an unusually high amount for someone this far down the pecking order.
27 – Morgan Hart – CB – 25 – 1 cap – 0 goals - Farrenton Athletic
Morgan Hart has earned his return to the national team via fine domestic form and a publicly declared obsession with representing his country again. The last time he tried it, things did not go well; his only appearance came in a 2-3 defeat by Graintfjall (though with their recent World Cup win that may not be such a bad result). With his height and physical bulk, Hart offers something different for Eura, something they may need in spades in certain games.

Midfielders

6 - Jermaine Gates - CDM/CM - 24 - 27 caps - 1 goal – Directus
Gates is the latest in a long line of superb Directus youth products and has surprisingly advanced into the first team before Oscar Vincent, having usurped the inconsistent Sharon Erskine. He is certainly a very promising player, perhaps in the class of Sterling Rose or Gareth Blackthorn, but time will tell if that is false hype or prophetic vision. In the meantime, he is by far and away Eura’s best holding midfielder and an easy pick for the team sheet.
7 – Moira Woakes (F, VICE-CAPTAIN) – AM – 34 – 228 caps – 81 goals – Carsby
The joint oldest member of Eura’s squad is also its most prolific. Woakes was a phenomenon at club level when she first emerged as the first Euran woman to be a success in the until-then men’s game. Despite some disappointments in her long club career at Crisisbless in terms of silverware, it is on the international front that she has unfinished business, like so many of Eura’s best players of the last 20 years or so. Few Euran midfielders have scored as many goals as her or at the same rate – had she been in a generation that had won the World Cup, she would doubtless be compared to Craig Sinclair, and she has the stats to justify it. Instead, she only has a single Copa Rushmori to her name, alongside a lot of heartbreak. Woakes is running out of time to add another medal to her collection. She also happens to be Eura’s key to doing so, a world class technical midfielder whose mazy runs and sublime finishing can make the greatest of player’s blush. It is widely assumed that either this Copa or the next World Cup will be her swansong.
8 – Vincent Robshaw - CM - 34 - 155 caps – 33 goals - AFC Treason (Nephara)
If Woakes is the heart of this midfield unit, Robshaw is undoubtedly the brain, immensely successful at club level in part due to his own decisive input as the master of the middle, and a big-game player like no other who famously scored a winner for Northern Union in the Champions League final. Despite his physicality and power his football is beautiful to watch rather than brutal, his movement often appearing to be an effortless glide across the pitch, occasionally interrupted by an unstoppable long range shot or an inch perfect long ball. Oslograd once described him as “Steve Thompson with a bald head” and he’s right – John Spartan and Liam Armstrong aside, no other Euran midfielder has quite encapsulated the spirit of Eura’s most capped player and legendary manager like Robshaw has. However, at 34 he is now arguably past his peak and likely to be replaced soon by Oscar Vincent, at least as a starter.
11 – Bobby Malone – RW – 28 - 86 caps – 35 goals – AFC Treason (Nephara)
Eura’s chaos option is Malone, an explosive winger who tends to blow a game wide open by doing something mad and brilliant in equal measure. Perfectly suited to his adopted footballing home in Nephara, he can be a dirty bastard in his own half one minute and charge down the line to slash home a screaming winner the next. This unpredictability can be his downfall; Malone’s temperament is occasionally tested by his fiery nature, much like Brenecia’s Lauren Cheney, though he’s not yet seen red in a red shirt. Oslograd has surprisingly sought to tame that rather than exploit it most of the time but there is an option there for Eura when the football gets stale, and the opposition try to frustrate his team.
12 – Damion Bowman – LW/CAM – 33 – 147 caps – 53 goals – Oakstone
The former club teammate of Moira Woakes has had a much more maligned international experience than her, despite returning a very credible 53 goals from 147 caps. His attitude has become a notorious point of contention with the EFA and led to him being marginalised from the squad at one point, but remarkably he has (temporarily) managed to regain his pre-eminence over the younger Adam Woodman after some recent good form in the Euran shirt. The man made famous for his brief, blistering partnership with Kurtis Bastable at Hornchurch – the Nepharan striker who was less successful at club level but much more so internationally than Bowman – still has a ferocious burst of pace and fine shooting boots in his locker.
16 – Oscar Vincent - CM - 25 - 54 caps - 8 goals - Holdenberg
One of the “Two Vincents”, most likely the successor to his older namesake. A somewhat successful spell in Chromatika came to an end after Vincent decided Holdenberg offered him a better opportunity at playing the role he wanted to play for club and country, and it appears likely he will be a frequent feature in a Euran side that he has impressed for so far. A classic Euran central midfielder in many respects with excellent short passing abilities and high fitness levels, and a possible future captain.
18 - Adam Woodman – LW – 27 – 75 caps – 27 goals – Directus
The polar opposite of his right flank equivalent. Woodman is a golden boy, a Directus wonderkid who plays the right way – possession based, boundless energy, neat finishing and clean tackling. No tattoos and swearing here. He’s even teetotal, as if to push home the message that this is Eura’s poster boy. Yet Woodman’s international career has never felt like it reached a true lift-off; he was supposed to be Eura’s next wonderkid and does have good stats, but he hasn’t won anything, and has somehow been overhauled by Damion Bowman for at least one cycle. When (if?) Woodman becomes top dog on the left flank again, he will need to make the most of it as he begins to peak.
20 – Ben West – AM – 24 – 6 caps – 0 goals - Falourr
A true flair player like West is always welcome in the Euran set up but he struggled on his first attempt at international football. Now he’s returned to the side off the back of an impressive Season 50 for his club and will be aiming to make a bigger impression this time. An excellent dribbler and creative player with decent shooting boots too.
22 – Owen James - RW/LW - 23 - 13 caps - 1 goal - Chromatik (Chromatika)
James is a young spoiler to the four wingers who have featured in the squad in recent years, and now is the main alternative option to Bobby Malone on the right flank. His comfort using both feet and approaching the attacking phase from either side of the pitch, though less so the middle, makes him a unique asset in Eura’s current arsenal. He possesses unbridled pace that has not been spoiled by age and injury like some of his older counterparts and displays a wonderfully innocent attitude on the pitch - uncommonly, he is a Euran international who always looks like he is enjoying himself. He has struggled a little for goals so far, scoring just once across 13 caps (many earned off the bench), but Oslograd clearly has faith he will come good.
24 - George Stewart – CM – 28 – 8 caps – 1 goal – Raynor City United (Valanora)
The sporting press hailed the long overdue selection of George Stewart as a victory for common sense. But where does he fit into Skorjiball? Stewart is an orthodox Euran central midfielder who may end up proving pivotal for Dan Eastwood at Raynor City United, or just become a bit-part player, something of an unknown quality after establishing himself at a much smaller club, Blackfields. The same questions apply at the international level. There is clearly talent here and the ability to become a key part of the Euran set up even mid-way through his career – or it could turn out to be another failed experiment to forget quickly. The early signs in recent times have been mostly promising.
28 – Flora Brown (F) - CM - 25 - 7 caps - 0 goals - Raven River (Nephara)
Brown made her debut in challenging circumstances, a key Copa Rushmori group stage tie against the old enemy Valladares and was impressive in what proved to be a hard-earned 2-0 victory. She is reminiscent of a Glenn Anderson or Michael Brandon with an extensive passing range, measured demeanour and lanky posture.
29 – Ronan Stenhouse – CDM – 31 – 5 caps – 0 goals - KT Moreazerua (Audioslavia)
Veteran defensive midfielder Ronan Stenhouse is recalled, filling the hole left by Sharon Erskine as Jermaine Gates soars into the first time. A metronomic holding midfielder in the mould of Sterling Rose, Stenhouse should be able to do a job when required, and is perhaps unlucky not to have been selected more often in the past.

Forwards

9 – Stewart Robson – ST – 29 – 82 caps – 40 goals – Directus
Since Brian Bond retired with his unparalleled goals-to-games ratio, Directus striker Robson has been Eura’s best goalscoring option up front, which is a compliment to this traditional pacey poacher but conversely a worrying indictment of Eura’s limited options up front. Robson is the only striker since Bond’s retirement who has consistently found the back of the net for Eura at the rate that is expected to be minimum for Euran strikers – one goal every two games. In an era when Eura score less than they used to, Robson’s contribution is vital.
10 – Christine Atkinson (F) - ST - 26 - 51 caps - 18 goals – Lajuno
Before the last World Cup qualifying campaign, it was said that Atkinson’s stats were misleading, inferior to her actual quality due to a preponderance of substitute appearances. Since then, she has scored 7 goals in 22 caps, despite starting most of those appearances, leading to a lot of pressure on her position in the squad. She just about clings on for now after an upturn in form during the Cup of Harmony, but Atkinson may be demoted or even dropped if that form doesn’t carry over immediately in this Copa.
14 – Sophie Singh (F) - AM/ST - 23 - 22 caps - 9 goals - Chromatik (Chromatika)
Undoubtedly the most hyped of Eura’s young options is Sophie Singh, a thrilling prospect whose performances for Mountainside in Gold League excite their fans and neutrals in equal measure. She’s only 23 as well. Diminutive and fast, she is no target man (or woman). Instead, Singh offers the dynamic ability of a Craig Sinclair or Moira Woakes – she can shoot from anywhere, has utter confidence in her own abilities, and could dribble round defenders all day. She is highly likely to usurp Christine Atkinson or even Moira Woakes imminently (if it’s the latter, then Alex Sharp will probably replace Atkinson).
17 – Alex Sharp - ST - 22 - 18 caps - 5 goals - 1830 Cathair (Audioslavia)
If it were not for Singh, then Sharp would be the forward everyone is talking about. Sure, the clue is in the name. He is the latest of a dynasty. However, Alex Sharp is a fine player in his own right, and different in character to grandfather Lee and father Dean. Alex is tall and slim rather than compact and tough and relies on a more consistent type of pace than raw bursts of acceleration. He is also a bit more cynical, no doubt influenced by his upbringing in Audioslavia, whom he watched shithouse his team out of the World Cup group stages at the last tournament, before denying Eura a first Cup of Harmony title in the subsequent WCC cycle. He is clearly highly rated by Oslograd and may end up in the first team sooner than expected.
26 – Travis Vivier – LW/ST – 25 – 12 caps – 1 goal – Holdenberg
It’s never easy being Eura’s fifth striker. Vivier will have to succeed where those who came before him failed in establishing himself as a viable alternative, which strikers such as Darius Purcell often do in the short term but fail to do so beyond a few token caps. One advantage he does have is that he can be reliably deployed on the left wing, where has usually played for Holdenberg, and his dominant stature is reminiscent of Brian Bond, which sets him apart from the more lightweight alternatives available. So far it’s been tough going, scoring just once in 12 appearances, but his hot form domestically has kept him in the side for now.

Preferred starting lineup - Defensive
Note: this does not take into account suspensions, injuries or any other change.

GK - 1. E Palmer
RWB - 2. A Mason
RCB - 4. J Menard
CB – 15. K Sherwood
LCB - 5. T Green
LWB - 3. L Almwood
RCM - 6. J Gates
LCM - 8. V Robshaw
CAM – 7. M Woakes
RS – 10. C Atkinson
LS – 9. S Robson

Preferred starting lineup - Offensive
Note: this does not take into account suspensions, injuries or any other change.

GK - 1. E Palmer
RCB - 4. J Menard
CB – 15. K Sherwood
LCB - 5. T Green
RCM - 6. J Gates
LCM - 8. V Robshaw
RW - 11. B Malone
CAM – 7. M Woakes
LW - 12. D Bowman
RS – 10. C Atkinson
LS – 9. S Robson

Player Roles

Squad Captain: Jack Menard
Vice-Captain: Moira Woakes
Direct free kicks: Lucy Almwood (Left footed), Moira Woakes (Right footed)
Indirect free kicks: Lucy Almwood (Left footed), Moira Woakes (Right footed)
Right corner: Moira Woakes (Right footed), Lucy Almwood (Left footed)
Left corner: Moira Woakes (Right footed), Lucy Almwood (Left footed)
Penalties: 1. Moira Woakes 2. Stewart Robson 3. Lucy Almwood 4. Vincent Robshaw 5. Christine Atkinson

Stadium

Eura play their international home games at the Bastion Arena, the 110,000 capacity all-seater stadium at the heart of Eura's capital.

Kits

[Mytanija]

“It’s always going to be a tough ask to follow in the footsteps of Lev Repin, but just how big a job does Dzvezdan Kitanchev have on his hands here, Jasno?” The MKV presenter turned to the 130 cap and 48 goal Jasno Odonelec for his opinion on the new Mytanija head coach.

“Enormous, it really is.” Odonelec offered, the number ten had been a key part of the Mytanar side which reached the last four of the Copa Rushmori under Repin’s leadership. “The gaffer has come to define modern football in our country, his tactical approach, the flexibility he demands, the ability to be comfortable on the ball even in positions which haven’t traditionally needed those skillsets. He’s been important in developing our game and he earned so much respect from the players over the years. That’s going to be very difficult for Dzvezdan, he went out under a bit of a cloud at FK Arsika in the end despite starting well, but that’s perhaps something Ermin can chip on more than me..” Jasno smiled, gesturing to his colleague stood next to him, the 13 cap and 1 goal Ermin Drzic – the former Liria, Workers Union and Carsby attacking midfielder / forward and new FK Arsika manager.

“That is true, Ermin what do you make of the job Dzvezdan Kitanchev did with FK Arsika? And how do you see his task with the national team?”

“Well I think Dzvezdan made such a good start with FK Arsika, he got the club back into the top-half of the table and on some good cup runs, there were a couple of forays into IFCF competitions. That’s not easy to do and his style of play was always something I liked watching from afar. It did seem to stall a little bit and obviously I cannot possibly know all the reasons for that but from the discussions I’ve had with people at the club and Dzvezdan himself it did seem to be the right time for all parties to go their separate ways.” Ermin answered honestly, whilst refusing to explicitly criticise his predecessor. “As Jasno said though, it’s going to be difficult, Lev Repin built such a following – not only in coaching circles, but amongst the support – and people really trusted the way he wanted to play. Dzvezdan will need to try to build on that but put his own stamp on things, he’ll also have to try to stick with his vision even if things aren’t going the right way. It’s so important to have conviction as a coach, but it can also be highly difficult under pressure.”

“Ermin’s right,” Jasno said, nodding before turning to Ermin and laughing. “A good sign for you mate, as such a young coach! But there’s a serious point in there, everybody will know if Dzvezdan just falls back onto what Lev Repin was doing. We all want to see progression now, something a bit different, it doesn’t have to be a move away from the back three or dropping Jezdimir Ocokoljic or anything crazy, but we need to see that step further competitively and Dzvezdan will have to do something slightly different to get there. The gaffer has set the foundations to work from and now Dzvezdan has to build something on top of that to take us to the next level – actually winning trophies again.”

“It always sounds so easy in the studio!” The presenter laughed. “What do you make of the players he has introduced to the squad, Ermin? A few Top League players in there.”

“Yeah, it’s interesting but I like that he’s going to try new faces out!” Ermin said enthusiastically. “It’s good for our league to have players competing at that standard, too. Drazen Skara is something of a given at this point, I don’t think he could be left out after the couple of seasons he has had, driving 1923 Esca onto new heights. Ismet Zmiric is the one I want to see, he’s been really good for CDSA and looks to be a real talent but he’ll never have played at such a high level before. It’ll be interesting to see how much game time he gets, I might have been tempted to go for Jasno Skenderovic instead, how about you, Jasno? Your young pal at club level?”

“Jasno’s a great player,” Jasno replied sheepishly at mention of his namesake. “He could eventually end up in one of those box-to-box roles in midfield, similar to Dordo Urbanc. He did brilliantly last year in our title win but I guess Dzvezdan might think that Ismet is perhaps more suited to replacing the likes of Gavril Atsev and Edin Aganovic were they to get injured. I’m sure we’ll probably see Jasno in the next national pool, I’d be a little surprised if he weren’t included there.”

“And a few overseas inclusions too! Anton Puzin called-up for the first time, Bosko Pestotnik into the squad, Omer Kuhar-Arh and, probably most surprisingly, Nemanja Ovcina into the starting line-up. Who do you think will have the biggest impact Jasno?”

“Well undoubtedly Omer Kuhar-Arh, if only because he’s the most experienced and in the position to have the biggest impact on the game. You’re asking two former number tens here, remember!” Jasno chuckled.

“Yeah it’s good to see Omer get his chance under Dzvezdan. Repin wanted control for so long so it will be interesting to see how playing with a number ten affects that, if it makes us a little more open in the centre of the pitch. It’s good to see Dzvezdan continue to tap into the diaspora too, Puzin’s an outstanding goalkeeper and might end up challenging Besak for the number one shirt. Nemanja had an exceptional season for Pyathora last season, he’s one to watch for the future, but it’s a huge leap of faith for him to be included in the starting line-up here, in my view.”

“Well it’s certainly one way to put his stamp on the side, ahead of Bajalica, Urankar and Milcic.” The presenter said. “One final question for you both: one key player and one to watch for the tournament please.. Ermin first.”

“I’m excited to see what Gavril Atsev can do, he’s been so good out in Chromatika for Myana and I think he could be the key man for Mytanija under Kitanchev. He’ll have to have a bit more defensive responsibility and control in possession now he’s in a midfield two but I’m excited to see how he copes with that because I feel like he has all the ability needed to be the main man for the national team. One to watch… Perhaps Fran Prpic-Bosanac? We’re going to need a replacement for Jezdimir Ocokoljic eventually and he’s started his international career well, you’d think he’ll get some opportunities at this tournament from the bench and he could have a big impact.”

“And Jasno?”

“Well I might go for the cop-out answer for the key man and go for my old mate Jezdimir,” Jasno laughed. “But in fairness I don’t think anybody could accuse me of just backing my friend when it’s him, his record speaks for itself and you know that he will be the man on hand if we need a big goal in this tournament. He’s done it so many times before. One to watch is more difficult I guess, but I’m excited to see how Adnan Sulejmanovic copes with being the starter on the right-side of the three centre-halves. Amar Kovacevic has had the position locked down for a few years but Dzvezdan Kitanchev appears to have come in and not fancied him for whatever reason, but now Adnan has to prove that that’s the right call – he’s done well for Atletik over the years and has got his big move to Nephara, now go and do it for the Hoops.”

“Yeah, big chance for Bosko Pestotnik too, with Kovacevic not here at all.” Ermin Drzic nodded sagely, clearly agreeing with Jasno Odonelec’s view.

“Well guys, that’s all we have time for here at the MKV 5 Minute Copa Preview. We’ll be back soon with another show on Mytanija’s group stage opponents, the old enemy, Sargossa... Now under Mytanar management, scandalous! Huge thanks to Ermin Drzic and Jasno Odonelec, we’ll see you next time.”

[Pasarga]

The question for the Wanderers' fans heading into the Copa Rushmori is, what happens now? The team was a bit topsy turvy during the World Cup Qualifiers, before once again managing to just about edge out the rest of the competition in the group in order to qualify for the Finals. Once the side actually made it to the Finals, they looked quite unbeatable during the group stage, finishing with seven points from a possible nine, only failing to beat the cohosts themselves in Farfadillis. A draw with the high flying cohosts seemed to indicate that the Wanderers had the capability of making a deep run into the knockout stages of the tournament and had definitely put their inconsistency issues from the qualifiers squarely behind them. Unfortunately the team was sent into extra time and then a penalty shootout in their first knockout round fixture and were the team that was unable to hold their nerve in the penalty shootout and were thusly dispatched right when it seemed things had began to turn around for the side. It was an odd end for a campaign that felt like it had been a roller coaster ride for the team and fans alike.

Kurtis Rakeruth took over a team that was floundering and for the better part of the qualifying campaign, it seemed that he to would not be able to find success with a player pool that is littered with talent up and down the roster but for some reason is unable to bring it all together consistently with the national team. It starts to beg the question if perhaps not taking the best players is the way forward and rather players who might be a notch or two below the best that the dual islands has to offer and instead do have a more consistent streak or able to perform well under pressure. One of the names that has been floated around has been Vázsony Sallay, as the striker has performed quite admirably in his time over in Tumbra, a league which has been on the ascendency for a few cycles now. While obviously not on the same level as a player like Salai or Nagy, he has performed consistently well for Serrapince FC. A bit of competition could also bring out something from the more pure talented players and make those who are on the fringes of the national team work that much more to try and impress to get into the team.

In the Copa, the team will no doubt be looking to build off a positive run during the last edition of the tournament that was held in the dual islands, having a quarterfinal appearance and performing well before being defeated by the powerhouse of the region in Nephara. Rushmore has seen several teams really establish themselves over the last several cycles but the likes of Nephara and Eura will be ever present as the traditional powers of the region. There is a claim for the Wanderers to be among that group as well, having dominated the club scene in the region for periods at a time as well as the Copa itself across multiple eras, but there is perhaps a lack of glamorous success to get that same sort of recognition. With teams like Cassadaigua and Savojarna also having risen to prominence in the region, it no longer is a case where the Wanderers can get fortunate enough to only need to defeat Nephara or Eura for a real chance of winning the regional crown as it had been for many a cycle, especially with even more teams having shown a good accord of themselves like Tikariot.

The group that the side finds itself in is one which they will think they have a fairly strong chance of advancing out of on paper, as they will be the highest ranked team in the group. The most interesting of the foes for the side could very well be Eastfield Lodge, whose story of suffering with their national team is something of legend that it has even been extensively covered by the documentary series The Idiot Project. The reason it is an interesting affair is due to the history of Eastfielders plying their trade in the SuperLiga as well as some Pasargan stars making their name in the Eastfielder domestic league, which has a far better reputation and results than the national team does. Yet for all their struggles across the decades, there was a moment in time where their light was a shining brilliance and it unfortunately came at the Wanderers expense in a Copa Final. For sides that have shared much in the history of the sport together as they have had opposing fortunes, few are the times they have played against one another and this group stage affair could be one of the few times the Wanderers can attempt to get back at the Eastfielder side for denying them that title those many years ago.

[Eura]

‘Mmm?’
‘Hmmm.’
‘…mm?’
‘Hhhmmmmmmm.’
‘Hm, hm, hmmhmhmh.’
‘Mmm.’
‘Hmmhm?’
‘Hmm!’
‘Mmhmhmhhmmmm!!!!!’
Skorji ripped the duct tape off Kevin Sherwood’s face. He howled out in anguish as it tore away at his pores.
‘FUUUUCK! Why?! Just, why-‘
‘To teach you a lesson!’ Skorji replied effortlessly as he somehow managed to easily tip the massive defender off his chair. ‘You won’t miss a key defensive header again now, will you?’
Kevin wiped back tears as he wrestled himself free of his bindings and staggered to the only exit in the room – no, the basement – that Skorji had locked them in.
‘It wasn’t my fault! It wasn’t! It was her!’

Kevin practically crawled out of the doorway, leaving Skorji with wingback Ana Mason.
‘Have you learned your lesson?’
‘Don’t try and volley a back pass to your own goalkeeper under pressure in a major final. Ever.’
Her terse reply was enough for Skorji. ‘Good. Off you go.’
Some might think it excessive for a football manager to kidnap their players in order to teach them a lesson. Certainly, the head of the EFA was not impressed.
‘You are so, so lucky, Skorji. If you hadn’t brainwashed these people with your weird nonsense, they would be taking us to the cleaners in the courts.’
‘Courts? Pah! The only court I care about is the court of football.’
‘That might have been good enough out in the Oceania Territories, but not here. Here there are standards, not just a little fiefdom you can dominate with your ego. I should get rid of you; you know that right?’
‘Then do it’ said Oslograd, practically spitting, ‘and see what the Euran people have to say about it.’

The EFA chief clenched their eyes with a palm as if they had given up on life. Which, in fairness, they probably had. ‘Listen, we can’t go on like this. You-‘
‘-are the greatest genius the game has ever seen?’
‘-no, quiet! Let me finish. You need these gimmicks to generate whatever kind of special aura it is that fuels your brand of football. Fine. You get one more shot, one more idiotic scheme to pull off, but after that you are gone if we don’t start to see some success. Do you understand? And this time it cannot involve personal injury or humiliation.’
Skorji, like a grumpy child, crossed his arms and huffed audibly. ‘I can’t believe this. What a stitch up.’
‘Stitch up?! Fucking hell…just have a think and get back to me. Nothing illegal. Am I understood?’
‘Yeah, whatever.’
Skorji picked up his bag of holy books and pizza bread – both critical to his daily routine – and had the quickest think of his entire life.

Deep in his subconscious, he was touched by inspiration.
‘What if we taught them to soar by teaching them to fly?’
The EFA chief stared blankly back at him. ‘What does that even mean? Bloody hell, why do I have to ask you that same question so often…’
‘For my boys and girls to reach their true potential, perhaps it has been wrong of me, ignorant even, to focus on earthly concerns. What if we need them to…to…actually fucking fly.’
‘I’m still not following-‘
‘Our training camp near Falourr. It neighbours EAFB Primrose, right?’
‘Uhh…I think so. You mean the naval base?’
‘Yes. Naval air arm, to be specific. What if I take my team there on a team building exercise where they get to fly in fast jets? It would be great for their morale but, also, if they can touch the Gods, who can say they won’t touch silverware in future?’

Immediately, the EFA chief’s reaction was to ridicule Skorji, and for good reason. But something else came over him. A greater force than anger, sorrow or depression. Curiosity.
I can’t believe I’m going to say yes to this thought the EFA chief.
‘I can’t believe this, but I’m saying yes’ said the EFA chief, ‘assuming the government, or the military, or literally anyone with an ounce of power and sense will even tolerate the idea. Go ahead. Go and propose it to them. But if you fuck it up, I’ll have your guts for garters.’
‘I’m not going to fuck it up!’ Oslograd declared with the confidence of a man who would most definitely, quite possibly fuck it up.

[Eastfield Lodge]

Eastfield Lodge Roster for Copa Rushmori 41

Demonym: Eastfielder

The Imperial Commonwealth of Eastfield Lodge is a vast conglomerate of nations and states that resides almost entirely in a separate dimension to the reality you all know and love - a bubble universe would be an apt description (the why is a long story, involving the Dreamed Realm and a threat to the existence of the entire universe). The one bit of the country that lies in the regular dimension is a tiny island in the northern seas of the famous sporting region Rushmore, which serves as a transport hub for travel across the region by conventional transport, and for travel to the Imperial Commonwealth via something called a Void Ship (think of it like travelling through a well controlled wormhole).

The history of the country is long and complex, but the key overview is that it is a very socialist Muslim constitutional monarchy, with a noted reputation as being one of the nicest places to visit in the entirety of the known multiverse - the most recent WA census puts the Imperial Commonwealth in the top 100 nations in several measures such as Safety, Compliance/freedom from crime, Tourism, Weather, Compassion, Niceness and Environmental Beauty, amongst several others; most of which are also ranked as the best in the Rushmore region. Because of the initial portal, the nation advanced forwards in leaps and bounds technologically due to intermingling with denizens of another dimension, various alien races from the universe in which the popular RLStates TV show Doctor Who is situated. Whilst these aliens used to take part in life in the Imperial Commonwealth, even forming the Eastfielder National Team for a number of tournaments, they no longer exist in this bubble universe, due to a dimensional shift no longer aligning the two dimensions - for now, Eastfield Lodge only contains those beings that you find elsewhere in the NS multiverse.

Whilst we are a fairly chill nation, we are still fairly socially conservative, and there are plenty of special rules visitors need to be aware of:

• No Alcohol. At all.
• No smoking or recreational drugs at all. Visiting team members/fans will be given replacement/cessation therapy if struggling to cope.
• No public displays of affection. What you get up to in the privacy of your own hotel room is up to you, as long as it stays there.
• There isn't a legally enforced dress code, but at least dress respectfully, the locals will appreciate you.
• Cities are by and large car-free zones; make use of the extensive public transport system.
• Don't worry about a language barrier, there is an inbuilt telepathic translation circuit within the visas that you will be issued - it translates all speech and text into a language you understand instantaneously.
• No unhealthy junk food will be available, the country is too healthy for that. Also, the food will all be halal, but there is an extensive range of vegetarian/vegan options for those who insist.
• Ignore all the cameras and the police presence. They're for the safety of everyone.
• High-level technology pervades every aspect of society and life here, get used to it.

Lodger City Memorial Stadium
Location: New Lodger City
Capacity: 150,000
Description: The home of Eastfielder football, the stadium was built on the ruins of the old capital of Eastfield Lodge, Lodger City, which was flattened in a double disaster (severe floods from dams bursting and an explosion from an unknown source, killing much of the population of the city and rendering the city useless. Administrative functions were transferred over to Lodgertia, the city began to be rebuilt, and it was decided that this stadium would be one of the monuments erected in place. The inside walls contains inscriptions of the names of all the dead – just under 9 million. The stadium used to play host to the two classic giants of EL football – RGS Athletic and VLC FC - until both had their new stadiums finished; it is now only used for internationals and cup matches.

Parliament Stadium
Location: Lodgertia
Capacity: 80,000
Description: Formerly the second largest stadium in Eastfield Lodge (until King Iqbal II and Vorgan Park were completed), behind the Memorial Stadium in New Lodger City, it was built in the centre of Lodgertia, the capital of Eastfield Lodge, and the Imperial Commonwealth. It was named due to the fact that the Parliament is based just a few hundred metres down the road; in fact, the original stadium was actually joined to the Parliament building, as an area where MPs could watch or even engage in sport with the public, as well as being a designated protest site. However, with Lodgertia becoming more built up, it was decided that the stadium needed to be built up as well. It is home to Lodgertia United and Lodgertia City alongside being temporary hosts of RGS Athletic and VLC FC (when Lodger City was being rebuilt), and in the past has hosted several international matches, including the final of SBCC 27 and a group in both stages of Market Cup 4.

Tavernia Stadium
Location: Tavernia
Capacity: 65,921
Description: Currently the largest stadium outside of Eastfield Lodge itself, Tavernia Stadium sits near the heart of the city of Tavernia, in Westmeadow Tavern, the nation bordering Eastfield Lodge. WC85 will see the stadium's debut when it comes to hosting the Eastfield Lodge National Team, but it is no stranger to WC football though - it was the home ground for Westmeadow Tavern when they had their own international football team in the earlier years of the Imperial Commonwealth. It is also home to the two best teams in Westmeadow Tavern, with FC Tavernia and Tavernia City plying their trade here.

Manager: Robert Andrews
Age: 60. The former national team striker, who had over a century of international appearances to his name during his career, was specifically recruited by a former Eastfielder manager, his old friend and ex-teammate Shabeen Ahmad III. Being the national team's assistant manager was his first major job in football since his playing retirement, but his ability to calmly analyse situations even under immense pressure has earned him some plaudits from those in the know, and as such allowed the ICELFA some confidence in appointing him as the interim manager for Cup of Harmony 77 - however, things haven't gone well since, and Robert only remains in the job courtesy of it being a poisoned chalice no sane manager wants to approach. After the disaster of World Cup 87, he rung the changes, almost root-and-stem, and removed much of the ageing squad in time for the most recent Copa Rushmori - the team didn't gel well, but one would hope that, with time, they'll come together and bring some glory to the Imperial Commonwealth.

Player are listed higher are more likely to play – strongest starting XI listed in Tactics section

Goalkeepers			Age	Gen	Club
Fortune Cammers			24	 M	AS Marcadia (Audioslavia)
Aryan Ross			23	 M	Olympia FC
Candice Johnsen-Naderi		23	 F	Norrion Rovers

Defenders			Age	Gen	Pos	Club
Cristos Harding			 26	 M	CB	Cazadores Cathair (Audioslavia)
Torunna Soriano			 28	 M	CB	Walston Brook Albion
Brice Ehsan			 31	 M	CB	VLC FC
Yoland Sala			 31	 F	CB	Royal Jam FC
Margarita Lillehammer-Lockright  28	 F	CB	RGS Athletic
Millicent Farina		 28	 F	CB	Royal Jam FC

Midfielders			Age	Gen	Pos	Club
Yohan Bob			25	 M	AMF	RGS Athletic
Aleta Armitage			25	 F	LMF	Nile Bidge
Mirielle Brewer			28	 F	RMF	Olympia FC
Mckenzie Black			31	 F	DMF	Olympia FC
Olim Zozula			31	 M	LMF/LWB	Royal Jam FC
Mutammam Eriksson		30	 M	RMF	VLC FC
Emmie Toure			23	 F	CB/DMF	Norrion Rovers
Devyn Nasser			32	 F	LMF	Olympia FC
Davin Azim			25	 M	LMF	VLC FC
Zada Abbott			24	 F	AMF/LWF	Norrion Rovers
Sundus Gebo-McCraw		20	 F	AMF	FM Town
Viljar Ockden			28	 M	RMF	Norrion Rovers

Strikers			Age	Gen	Pos	Club
Maisha Paree			27	 F	ST	Olympia FC
Zétény Pryor-Sandoval		31	 M	ST	Nile Bridge
Jennie Wise			26	 F	ST	Seaton Town

Formation: 3-3-3-1


It's a defensive formation for Eastfield Lodge, with three at the back, but still retaining the rotating attack system - striker and three players in behind moving about to find space. The central defender of the back three has permission to advance forwards on attack, allowing the formation to switch from a 3-3-3-1 to a more balanced 4-2-3-1 or even 4-1-4-1 in attacks, whilst the wingbacks retain the same attacking freedom they had under the previous 4-1-2-3 system. In terms of goal scoring, the ST will get the bulk of the goals, with good contributions from the AM and both WFs as well. The WFs will get most of the assists, followed closely by the AMs, then the ST, DM and the wingbacks.

Captain: Mckenzie Black
Vice-Captains: Mirielle Brewer, Torunna Soriano, Maisha Paree
Penalties: Maisha Paree, Aleta Armitage, Zétény Pryor-Sandoval, Yohan Bob, Mirielle Brewer, Devyn Nasser
Corners: Torunna Soriano, Aleta Armitage, Mckenzie Black
Free kicks – shooting: Aleta Armitage, Yohan Bob, Viljar Ockden
Free kicks – other: Torunna Soriano, Mckenzie Black, Emmie Toure

Style: +1
RP Permissions:
Select my scorers: Y
Give out yellow cards to my players: Y (maximum five, TG me with a reason for more)
Give out red cards to my players: Y (only one more than the number given to your team, maximum of three - i.e. I get two red cards, you must have at least one)
RP injuries to my players: Y (Maximum 3, no career-ending injuries without my explicit permission – I reserve right to how long players are out; you can RP how severe it looks)
Godmod injuries: Y (within some reason)
Godmod scoring events: Y (Have fun.)
Godmod other events: Y (TG me if you're planning on killing anybody though, or anything really extreme.)

If I do RP, I will include the line-up for the next match in my RP post, along with any suspensions/injuries. If there is no line-up, look through my posts and check for current suspensions/injuries, but otherwise it’s fine. Also, if you're RP'ing any part of my match, please use the full name Eastfield Lodge at least once, it helps me find the RP.

NB: As the people of EL are extremely compassionate, and very civilised (despite what you may say about the religion), it would be uncharacteristic for the coaches/players to lose their temper, dive deliberately (jumping out of the way of bad tackles and falling awkwardly doesn't count), to be sent to the stands (if the ref is clearly very biased however...), spit, argue with the ref or fight. Players will also tend to inform the referee about mistakes/clarifications in judgement regarding throw-ins, fouls given but with no contact and goal kicks/corner kicks (plus other bouts of honesty - up to you).

[Greater Sanford]

Sanford Football Federation
✹ CRF Copa Rushmori XLI Roster ✹

Sportswashing is the practice of an individual, group, corporation, or government using sport to improve their tarnished reputation, through hosting a sporting event, the purchase or sponsorship of sporting teams, or by participation in the sport itself. At the international level, sportswashing has been used to direct attention away from poor human rights records and corruption scandals; at the individual or corporate level, sportswashing may be used to cover up vices, crimes, or scandals. Sportswashing is an example of reputation laundering.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Personnel

Coaching staff

Manager: Frank Vehle (55, m) — Sanford
Corn Palace, five seasons; Sanford PREMIER League (Seasons Three and Four), Sanford PREMIER Cup (Season Two).
Only one person has managed a team not named Sanford Falls PREMIER to a Sanford PREMIER League title, and that person is Frank Vehle — who somehow did it with Corn Palace, of all clubs. Believer in a 4–4–2, although personnel has dictated some changes to the tactics he used in McGovern. Vehle takes calculated gambles — on the underdog, on youth, on the value play — rather than sit back and hope things don’t get too out of hand.

Out of possession, Vehle’s teams try to counterpress to regain possession quickly but will shift back into a solid, compact defensive alignment of two banks of four if the opposition is able to regroup. In possession, Vehle’s teams will try to advance the ball up the pitch quickly with a combination of short and medium passing, even against better, more experienced, or more technically proficient opposition — of which this team is likely to see plenty. Vehle prefers to attack via the wings or half spaces rather than through central areas, and with a right wingback and a right wing forward playing at right back and right midfield, respectively, the team’s first instinct may be to look towards its right wing to spring forward.

It took a couple seasons at Corn Palace, including some really bad performances, but he built a project, and it worked. His goal is the same with the national team.

Assistant Manager: Sara Rathbun (54, f) — Sanford
Corn Palace, assistant manager, five seasons; Sanford PREMIER League (Seasons Three and Four), Sanford PREMIER Cup (Season Two).
Vehle’s longtime assistant decided to join him in the nascent national team setup once it seemed Corn Palace would pass her up as his replacement. Rathbun’s strengths include incisive player evaluation, effective player training, and loyalty to the organizational hierarchy — all traits which seem likely to come in handy.

Goalkeeper Coach: Scott Colvin (34, m) — Sanford
Unattached, two seasons. River Valley, player (goalkeeper), three seasons; Sanford PREMIER Cup (Season One).
After a few years of retirement as a player, a foray into coaching seems like the perfect opportunity for a goalkeeper who came within a tiebreaker of winning a PREMIER BankCard Titanium Glove one season. Colvin may be able to coach the team’s young backups, but Jerry Matthius may prove to be a different matter, given his age, experience, and talent.

U20 Manager: Shayna Lennon (66, f) — Sanford
Unattached, three seasons. River Valley, two seasons; Sanford PREMIER Cup (Season One).
After managers such as Dan Brescia of River Valley and Devin Brewster of Baptists declined a U20 job, Shayna Lennon was summoned out of retirement to oversee the national team’s youth structure. Lennon has what it takes to win big matches if she has the right players in the right places, but she doesn’t have much in the way of a plan B.

U20 Assistant Manager: Bethany Meierhenry (37, f) — Sanford
Unattached, three seasons. River Valley, player (attacking midfielder), two seasons; Sanford PREMIER Cup (Season One).
Lennon’s captain for both of her Sanford PREMIER League seasons, she retired when her manager did, and she’s entering management as her old manager gets back into the fray. A natural leader, Meierhenry is no-nonsense and will demand respect from a group of young players.

U17 Manager: Andrew Edel (36, m) — Sanford
Unattached, one season. Brisara FC (CMT), player (centreback) three seasons. Sanford Falls PREMIER, player (centreback), one season; Sanford PREMIER League (Season One).
Edel captained Sanford Falls PREMIER to the league title in the first season of the Sanford PREMIER League and of the club, then moved away for experience abroad. He sought his coaching license because he enjoys teaching young people who play the game that gave him so much, and he does things the right way.

Players

No  Sd Ps   Name                Gdr   Age   CNat  Club                    MD1
 1   G GK   Jerry Matthius       M     34   (SFD) Sanford Falls PREMIER     *
12   G GK   John Owens           M     21   (SFD) Corn Palace
13   G GK   Doug Barry           M     24   (SFD) Northern
22   L CB   David Feigen         M     19   (SFD) Corn Palace               *
26   L CB   Andy Wingert         M     23   (SFD) Sanford Falls PREMIER
 3   R CB   Emma Spitznagel      F     26   (SFD) Sanford Falls PREMIER     *
33   R CB   Oscar Carlson        M     28   (SFD) Beadle-Normal
23   M CB   Will Genaust         M     32   (SFD) Baptists
 4   L WD   Harry Evans          M     25   (QUE) Daedonggang 3.26          *
16   L WD   Donna Fraser         F     32   (SFD) Corn Palace
 5   R WD   Justin Broin         M     30   (SFD) Baptists                  *
25   R WD   Mary Rylance         F     25   (SFD) Corn Palace
 6   D CM   Rick Fossum          M     23   (SFD) Corn Palace               *
31   D CM   Eddie Brown          M     19   (SFD) Railyards
17   D CM   Ellen Bensom         F     25   (NPH) West Brinemouth
 7   A CM   Jenny Fredrickson    F     30   (SFD) Baptists                  *
14   A CM   James Wentzy         M     32   (SFD) Railyards
18   L WA   Katherine Hall       F     20   (SFD) Corn Palace               *
 8   L WA   Mason Clark          M     28   (TMB) Clark City
29   L WA   Frank Wheeler        M     25   (SFD) River Valley
 9   R WA   Chuck Dow            M     31   (SRS) Algolia                   *
19   R WA   Mary Rumelhart       F     27   (SFD) Corn Palace
20   C FW   Dave Gullickson      M     24   (SFD) Sanford Falls PREMIER     *
10   C FW   Richard Marking      M     23   (SFD) Railyards                 *
28   C FW   Sam Baillie          F     19   (SFD) Northern
11   C FW   Uther Johnson        M     30   (NPH) AFC Serpentine

Goalkeepers

1. GK Jerry Matthius (34, m) — Sanford Falls PREMIER
Sanford Falls PREMIER, one season; Sanford PREMIER League (Season Five). Baptists, four seasons.
Jerry Matthius is, quite simply, a great stopper of the ball. He may not be an athletic marvel, but his awareness, positioning, and experience has made him the best Sanfordan goalkeeper in its nascent Sanford PREMIER League history — although saying that admittedly risks damnation by faint praise.

12. GK John Owens (21, m) — Corn Palace
Corn Palace, three seasons; Sanford PREMIER League (Seasons Three and Four).
John Owens has been a very pleasant surprise for Corn Palace, but his strong distribution is perhaps better served in a side that is, well, better than Sanford.

13. GK Doug Barry (24, m) — Northern
Northern, five seasons.
Doug Barry has recorded several very solid seasons at Northern’s goalkeeper, but he can’t approach either Jerry Matthius’s shotstopping or John Owens’s distribution.

Central defenders

22. LCB David Feigen (19, m) — Corn Palace
Corn Palace, one season.
Although he was only playing high school football a couple seasons ago, David Feigen has shown the kind of positional awareness, timing, and coolness under pressure that belies his age — and has given him a starting role on his national team as a teenager. There is a danger, however, that Feigen may be more used to domestic-caliber opposition than the types of forwards he will be tasked with at the Copa.

22. LCB Andy Wingert (23, m) — Sanford Falls PREMIER
Sanford Falls PREMIER, one season; Sanford PREMIER League (Season Five). Corn Palace, three seasons; Sanford PREMIER League (Seasons Three and Four), Sanford PREMIER Cup (Season Two). Sanford Falls PREMIER, one season; Sanford PREMIER League (Season One).
Andy Wingert is undoubtedly a winner, with more Sanford PREMIER League trophies and more Sanford PREMIER League-era trophies overall than any other Sanfordan, but how much is due to his talent and how much is attributable to being at the right place at the right time?

3. RCB Emma Spitznagel (26, f) — Sanford Falls PREMIER
Sanford Falls PREMIER, one season; Sanford PREMIER League (Season Five). Baptists, four seasons.
Emma Spitznagel has been unquestionably Sanford’s best centreback ever since she began her career five years ago, and she may well be the best Sanfordan at any position plying her trade in the Sanford PREMIER League, too. She is the captain of this team, and no matter what she has to do, she will make sure the ball doesn’t get past her.

33. RCB Oscar Carlson (28, m) — Beadle-Normal
Beadle-Normal, one season. Corn Palace, four seasons; Sanford PREMIER League (Seasons Three and Four), Sanford PREMIER Cup (Season Two).
Oscar Carlson doesn’t deserve to be at such an awful club as Beadle-Normal, but that’s where he is, and his experience of desperate defending in a hopeless effort might come in handy at the Copa Rushmori.

23. MCB Will Genaust (32, m) — Baptists
Baptists, five seasons; Sanford PREMIER Cup (Season Five).
Will Genaust is a very solid centreback who plays in the centre of a back five for Baptists, and he could fill the same role if Vehle decides to introduce another defender to preserve a result.

Wide defenders

4. LB Harry Evans (25, m) — Daedonggang 3.26
Daedonggang 3.26 (QUE), four seasons. Sanford Falls PREMIER, one season; Sanford PREMIER League (Season One).
One of the rare Sanfordans to play abroad, and one of the even rarer few to start for a first-tier foreign club, Harry Evans’s development has been rapid in the Q-League. Evans is not often asked to go forward in Quebec and Shingoryeo, and likely won’t do much of that in Avon, either, but they are one of the few players on this team to have proven he can capably defend against top-caliber opposition from across the world.

16. LB Donna Fraser (32, f) — Corn Palace
Corn Palace, five seasons; Sanford PREMIER League (Seasons Three and Four), Sanford PREMIER Cup (Season Two).
Frank Vehle’s captain for the past four seasons, in which she helped her manager lead a young, inexperienced Corn Palace team rapidly rose from the bottom of the league to the top, Vehle tapped Donna Fraser to be Sanford’s vice captain for the same reasons.

5. RWB/RB Justin Broin (30, m) — Baptists
Baptists, four seasons; Sanford PREMIER Cup (Season Five). Sanford Falls PREMIER, one season; Sanford PREMIER League (Season One).
Justin Broin has spent the past four years working on the edge of a back five, but he has experience from their time at Sanford Falls PREMIER as a conventional rightback, and that’s what he’ll be at this tournament. Broin will likely contribute to attacks from the right side of the pitch, but after spending the past four years at Young Field, he’ll certainly know how to defend.

25. RB Mary Rylance (25, f) — Corn Palace
Corn Palace, five seasons; Sanford PREMIER League (Seasons Three and Four), Sanford PREMIER Cup (Season Two).
Mary Rylance is pretty good, although her greater familiarity with Frank Vehle’s system and the fact that she actually plays fullback instead of wingback wasn’t enough to hand her the starting role over Justin Broin.

Central midfielders

6. DM Rick Fossum (23, m) — Corn Palace
Corn Palace, four seasons; Sanford PREMIER League (Seasons Three and Four), Sanford PREMIER Cup (Season Two). Sanford Falls PREMIER, one season; Sanford PREMIER League (Season One).
Rick Fossum is less an enforcer than a deep-lying playmaker, though perhaps the term water carrier wouldn’t be entirely unfair. Fossum certainly has done more than alright for himself in his club career, but questions remain over his defensive solidity as a single pivot, without a partner to help him cover, against some of the best opposition there is.

31. DM Eddie Brown (19, m) — Railyards
Railyards, one season.
Eddie Brown does not have the defensive steel required at this level, but he at least has enough counterattacking skill and overall potential to get a callup.

17. DM Ellen Bensom (25, f) — West Brinemouth
West Brinemouth (NPH–2/NPH–3).
The fact that a Nepharim who was just relegated to the Second Division suddenly discovered Sanfordan ancestry and was immediately called up is certainly an indictment of the team’s depth at this position, though not as much as the fact that she’s probably the best player on this team at the actual defensive part of the defensive midfielder job.

7. AM Jenny Fredrickson (30, f) — Baptists
Baptists, two seasons; Sanford PREMIER Cup (Season Five). Sanford Falls PREMIER, three seasons; Sanford PREMIER League (Seasons One and Two).
Jenny Fredrickson may not have all too many years left in her legs, but luckily, her game is built on through balls and incisive passing, not box-to-box pace or wily runs in behind. She is one of the few players on this team who truly makes her bones with her technique, so she could prove vital in Vehle’s system against the high-level opposition the team will face.

14. AM James Wentzy (32, m) — Railyards
Railyards, five seasons; Sanford PREMIER Cup (Season Three).
James Wentzy is a good player, but he’s beginning to slow down — and the fact that a thirty-two-year-old is backing up a thirty-year-old could portend trouble.

Wide attackers

18. LM Katherine Hall (20, f) — Corn Palace
Corn Palace, one season.
Like her club teammate David Feigen, Katherine Hall only has one year of professional experience, but she showed Frank Vehle enough to start for Corn Palace, and now Vehle is entrusting her with a starting place on the national team. She’s very pacy, but she needs work on her crossing and shooting, particularly at this level of competition.

8. LW Mason Clark (28, m) — Clark City
Clark City (TMB–2), two seasons. Sanford Falls PREMIER, three seasons; Sanford PREMIER League (Seasons One and Two).
A former PREMIER BankCard Diamond Ball winner, Mason Clark has struggled to recapture his Sanford PREMIER League form against foreign opposition, though Vehle evidently still believes he’ll break through.

29. LW/LM Frank Wheeler (25, m) — River Valley
River Valley, one season. Beadle-Normal (on loan), three seasons. River Valley, one season; Sanford PREMIER Cup (Season One).
Frank Wheeler is just beginning to come into his own, first as the lone bright spot on a bad Beadle-Normal team and now as a solid contributor for River Valley, though he’s still a far ways off from true international standard.

9. RW Chuck Dow (31, m) — Algolia
Algolia (SRS), two seasons. Sanford Falls PREMIER, three seasons; Sanford PREMIER League (Seasons One and Two).
After helping power Algolia to fourth place and the joint-best attacking record in the Superleague, the best player on this team might just be Chuck Dow. He will play slightly out of position, further back than he is used to, but there is no doubt that Dow can both generate opportunities for his team and put those opportunities away.

19. RM Mary Rumelhart (27, f) — Corn Palace
Corn Palace, five seasons; Sanford PREMIER League (Seasons Three and Four), Sanford PREMIER Cup (Season Two).
Mary Rumelhart is the yin to club teammate Katherine Hall’s yang, as a wide midfielder who makes up for her lack of pace with good passing and crossing abilities, and who occasionally takes advantage of chaos herself around the back post.

Central forwards

20. ST Dave Gullickson (24, m) — Sanford Falls PREMIER
Sanford Falls PREMIER, two seasons; Sanford PREMIER League (Season Five). Corn Palace (on loan), two seasons; Sanford PREMIER League (Season Three), Sanford PREMIER Cup (Season Two). Sanford Falls PREMIER, one season; Sanford PREMIER League (Season One).
Having inspired Corn Palace’s shock Sanford PREMIER League title win in Season Three, bookended by league championships with Sanford Falls PREMIER two years before and two years after, and still in his early twenties, Gullickson may be the future of Sanford’s national team for several years to come. Give him a chance, and Gullickson generally knows how to convert.

10. ST Richard Marking (23, m) — Railyards
Railyards, five seasons; Sanford PREMIER Cup (Season Three)
Richard Marking has been a constant bright spot in an otherwise very up-and-down Railyards team. As opposed to strike partner Dave Gullickson’s experiences with the support of title-winning teams, Marking has at times had to rescue his team late, but it will be an altogether different story with the quality of teams on tap at the Copa Rushmori.

28. ST Sam Baillie (19, f) — Northern
Northern, one season.
Sam Baillie may not yet be quite at the level as one would hope, but her potential is great, and this tournament could be the launchpad for better things to come.

11. ST Uther Johnson (30, m) — AFC Serpentine
AFC Serpentine (NPH–2/NPH–3).
Like Ellen Bensom, Uther Johnson was mired in a struggling domestic side that just got relegated to Nephara’s Second Division, yet like Bensom, here he is on Sanford’s national team, providing depth in a hollow spot after suddenly discovering deep, ancestral ties to Sanford he had curiously never even mentioned before.

Kits

Sanford’s kits are designed and manufactured by uni·q. Keen observers may notice that the national team’s main, change, and third kits bear a striking resemblance to the main, goalkeeper, and change kits, respectively, of domestic side Sanford Falls PREMIER.

The main kits are green, with white and gold trim; the change kits are black, with gold trim; and the change kits are white, with gold trim. The front of the shirt of each design prominently features a gold outline of the Rushmori mainland — the basis for Sanford’s bid logo for this edition of this tournament. The crest combines the most notable aspects of Sanford’s flag into a single image: the star, the S, and the distinctive green. The shoulder patch is a Sanfordan version of the Rushmori regional flag. Each symbol is modified on the change and third kits to align with those designs’ overall color schemes. In Sanford’s first Copa Rushmori — in fact, its first major tournament of any sort — & after a host bid that focused on subregions and zones within Rushmore, the team’s kit for this tournament highlights Sanford’s bonds to the region as a whole.

To ensure all three designs are utilized at this tournament, the Sanfordan Football Federation has decided on a kit schedule for the group stage. To avoid a clash with its main or change kit, Sanford will wear its white third kit against Nephara. To avoid a clash with its main kit, Sanford will wear its black change kit against Xinhua. As it will not result in a clash, Sanford will wear its green main kit against Cabo Azure. Further kit allocations will be announced if Sanford advances to further rounds.

OOC information

Style modifier: +0.630390

RP permissions: If it would have any effects beyond the match you are RPing, please seek my approval before RPing about injury, disease, criminal allegations, or death in relation to my nation, any of its people, or any of my characters. (For the sake of clarity, this does mean minor knocks and precautionary or injury substitutions without specifying severity are okay with me, and godmodding should be fine, as long as it doesn’t violate the injury, disease, criminal allegations, or death criteria.) Feel free to let me know if you’d like to collaborate on anything or if there’s any additional information or input you’d like. Other than that, have fun, and may the best team win.

Acknowledgements

The Sanford Football Federation extends its thanks to PREMIER Bank/PREMIER BankCard, for financing the federation’s formation; Sanford Falls PREMIER, for allowing the team to train at its Tommy Sanford PREMIER Stadium; TS Health Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, for providing the team with trainers and physicians; and D. Tommy Sanford, for providing the Sanford Football Federation continuing financial and logistical support to allow Sanford’s national teams to succeed.

[Graintfjall]

41 word roster

Græntfjall / Græntfjallers / “Snow Wolves”

Manager: Thor

Kit: Blue / white

Goalkeepers

Björnólfur
Mikkel
Hanif

Defenders

Alyssia
Jasmijn
Eyvar
Grímúlfur
Tom
Arinbjörn
Sigurbergur
Jan

Midfielders

Tinni
Sara
Kæja
Amanda
Johanna
Vanessa
Danny
Valtter

Forwards

Jason
Röskvi
Lara
Ásvarður

Starters in bold

Style: +1.6

---

Kit credit (IC: Ferideia; OOC: Tikariot)

Team name: Græntfjall
Trigram: GRÆ [GRF when not available]
Demonym/adjective: Græntfjaller
Team nickname: Snow Wolves

Coach: Ingþór Auðbjörnsson
Assistant coach: Alexander Leonardsson

Igrene Cantor took the Snow Wolves to a Cup of Harmony title, followed by three successive World Cup qualifications, culminating in a World Cup title on home soil. But in the international sporting calendar there’s no time for the team to coast on, and as Cantor returns to Nephara, Pasargan legend Ingþór Auðbjörnsson takes over with a tough first order of business: improving the Snow Wolves’ woeful record in the Copa, a tournament in which success continues to elude the team that has won just about every other trophy going. Call it nominative determinism but “Thor” already seems to have found a welcoming home in Græntfjall, where has has previously served as manager of GT Molding, taking the club to their first silverware in decades with the Cup, then next season winning the league title and then repeating the trick. His more attacking approach may be more of a culture shock for a Snow Wolves that very nearly won the World Cup without bothering to score any goals in regulation. Former NT goalkeeper Alexander Leonardsson continues to serve an apprenticeship role.

Squad: A 23-person squad has been named for the tournament. Generally those numbered 1-11 will be starters, except that Tinni and Jasmijn will start instead of Danny and Sigurbergur.

• Names. -son names are men, -dóttir names women. Græntfjallers are comfortable having their first name used instead of their surnames, though there’s no consistent standard on this. Players without a patronymic surname are Kamdyr, members of a minority nomadic community; Jasmijn is female. Hanif is sometimes referred to as Hanif Anwar, omitting the -sson.
• Gender. The Græntfjaller Premier League is gender-mixed and it is seen as uncontroversial for men and women to play alongside each other. If you find female players immersion breaking, you have my permission to choose an all-male side from the squad.
• Transfers. The financial status of football in Græntfjall is improving, and million+ NS$ contracts are increasingly common. But because the GPL isn’t especially strong, most NT players and hopefuls ply their trade abroad. I normally conduct transfers through the Transfer Window but if you have a desire to sign a player I am usually open to arranging a transfer outside that; send a TG/DM. I am particularly open to such deals when linked to an ongoing RP story.
• Style of play. In general, Græntfjaller players are athletic and have excellent whole-match fitness, disciplined, and not prone to violence or emotional outbursts. They are, however, not tremendously skilled. A particular type of footballer, nicknamed “BFG” (Big Fucking Græntfjaller), is associated with the country, normally playing in roles such as center back, defensive midfielder, or center forward. The new crop of, predominantly though not exclusively, female central midfielders somewhat eschew this stereotype and there have been growing attempts to get more skilful players into the lineup, most notably Sara Kristoffersdóttir and Kæja Finnvarðsdóttir.
• Captaincy. Græntfjall has reverted to its elective captaincy model, in which a captain will be elected from the starting XI before each game. To comply with regulations Johanna Álvgeirsdóttir is officially listed as the captain, but she is unlikely to be chosen every time. If I have not specified a captain, you may pick should you wish, or else default to Johanna.
• Timing. In my timeline this occurs 2 years after the last CR and 1 year after the WC. It occurs after TW36 and the IFCF games are over, and during the next international domestic season; players on foreign teams will be assumed to be given leave.

Goalkeepers
Cantor pioneered development in the role, demanding keepers, who in Græntfjall had traditionally just been stoppers, develop footballing skills to play it out from the back. Despite the odd teething problem, Björnólfur has become an internationally regarded keeper as a result.

1. Björnólfur Ernestisson (29) Marine Coast United
Appearance: Six and a half feet of lanky excellence. Shorn head. Slightly craggy features, might have a bit of troll in him.
Personality: Enthusiastic, innocent, and ever so stupid.
Profile: Long groomed as the goalkeeper of the future, Björnólfur has become the regular #1. There’s no doubting his physical attibutes, and his skills with the ball at his feet have improved to eliminate all but the most hilarious of occasional howlers; when needed, he still has a massive boot on clearances. Only Græntfjaller goalkeeper to have scored in international play, but his use as an extra BFG target at corners should be strictly limited to last minute elimination stakes scenarios. The most expensive goalkepeer in national history, although he played for the wrong club for several years as he got confused about the paperwork.

12. Mikkel Rúnarsson (25) Þingsnitz
Appearance: Well over six and a half feet. Sandy blonde hair. Dark eyes. Absolutely enormous hands that have made him a folk legend.
Personality: A stolid chap, who’s happy to muck in on the team jokes, likes a drink, and isn’t too fussy. Likeable enough, not terribly bright.
Profile: Given his physical gifts Mikkel is clearly the young pretender to the #1 shirt, but needs to work his footballing skills, his positioning, his tactical awareness, his communication, his not walking into doors… Look, you can’t teach height, OK? During the World Cup he, rather than Emmely, was the first choice replacement for Björnólfur.

NEW PLAYER!
23. Hanif Anwarsson el-Said (23) Vitalia (on loan from Tekstil Ibon)
Appearance: Tall and gangly. Short cropped curly black hair, no beard. Dark skin compared with the rest of the team.
Personality: Rather shy off the pitch, contrasting with his exuberance on it, waving to the crowd for energy or yelling at his defenders. Not religiously observant.
Profile: He made his name in the Di Bradini Cup with his flying saves, but as a former striker who converted to goalkeeper he’s already comfortable with the ball at his feet. Promoting a player from the Mytanar second division to the national team fringes reflects the hopes for his career, but in this tournament off field issues may weigh larger in the public mind.

Defenders
Emeli Vilbertsdóttir and Hjörleifur Reynarsson, the team’s two greatest defenders, perhaps their two greatest players, have finally hung up their boots, which means Jasmijn Spiderlair’s long apprenticeship is over and there will be a chance for DBC winning captain Eyvar Mathiasson too. Center back is the team’s traditional strength, with the aim of having players of both physical and footballing quality sufficient to allow the full-backs to cheat up.

2. Alyssia Noahsdóttir (25) GT Molding
Appearance: Strikingly snow-blonde, heavily freckled, wides purple-blue eyes. Medium height and slimmer build. Short sleeves reveal tattooed forearms.
Personality: As wide-eyed as she looks. Excitable and still trying to take it all in.
Profile: Alyssia takes over the position which has seen the greatest degree of fluctuation for the Snow Wolves, taking over from Elektra Lúthersdóttir. She’s a more attacking option but trades off in being less composed in defense. She was one of the brighter spots of the Under-18 World Cup we don’t talk about, and a key component of the Di Bradini Cup that we very much do talk about. At the World Cup she very nearly lost her place but her composed penalty to defeat Valanora instantly redeemed her and by the final she was a trusted member of the starting XI.

3. Sigurbergur Geirröðursson (22) Fliserboding
Appearance: Squat and broad shouldered with massive thighs. Craggy features. Long light brown hair that he sometimes bundles into a rough pony tail. Perpetually unshaven. Not the ugliest human being ever born, but in the top 10.
Personality: Scowling, intense bruiser. Among Græntfjallers, 5’9” is short for a man and he has a little bit of a complex about it. Reasonably intelligent and enjoys reading spy novels.
Profile: Sigurbergur offers a completely different style at right-back (he can also cover CB, albeit with a drop-off in height) to Alyssia. He’s a brutal tackler, and his unusually wide build gives him great balance; he’s also double-footed and lethal at cutting inside and hitting powerful strikes off his left. However, he’s ploddingly slow and struggles with the fitness levels needed to fulfil end-to-end wingback duties.

PROMOTED TO STARTER!
4. Eyvar Mathiasson (24) Ulsa
Appearance: Just 6’ but his bull-like build makes him seem taller. Very powerfully built. His slightly incongruous mop of scruffy dark hair seems at odds with his wise-beyond-his-years physiognomy, densely freckled pale skin, and serious dark eyes. He has tattoos up and down both arms and across his chest and back. Can’t grow facial hair to save his life.
Personality: A natural leader, calm, composed, and surprisingly intelligent for someone whose main qualification is his ability to slam his head into a moving leather ball and/or his opponent’s faces.
Profile: Eyvar is the captain who led the Snow Pups to their DBC title; an even greater challenge will be taking over the #4 shirt from his idol, Hjörleifur Reynarsson. This tournament is his first as starter, and Græntfjall don’t have the best record at blooding new center-backs, so this may be a work in progress. But if he works out, he will provide solid defense with excellent fitness and an OK passing game. Having developed in the academy project to get better ball players into defensive positions, he’s not just a physical prospect, but he can definitely put in a tackle (or elbow) when needed. Very long, powerful throw. Recently made a big move to the Euraleague.

5. Grímúlfur Gunnþórsson (29) Steinaux
Appearance: A true BFG: tall, muscle bound, and with a physiognomy suggesting he can count the Ice Giants among his immediate ancestors. Short dark blonde hair.
Personality: A serious lad who works hard. Fairly conservative in his cultural and political outlook.
Profile: Having been groomed as the (literal) next big thing, Grímúlfur leapfrogged Mathias Kristersson and Fredrik Thorleifsson to the front of a very long queue of center backs, but has yet to fully link up his physicality to footballing excellence (i.e. about as likely to head into his own goal as the opposition man, but wherever it’s aimed it’ll be an absolute bullet).

PROMOTED TO STARTER!
13. Jasmijn Spiderlair (26) Tanrısal
Appearance: Typical Kamdyr features: darker than Græntfjallers with dark, slightly slanted eyes, and long dark hair worn in a complex plait. Medium height, wiry build.
Personality: Intelligent, reserved, likes to speak second so she can get someone’s measure.
Profile: The first Kamdyr to ever represent Græntfjall in international football, Jasmijn is a member of the Kamdyr nomadic community. In the past she completed a loan spell at AC Olarria in Astograth. She’s an attacking left wing-back, prone to the odd defensive error, but with good skills on the ball and a powerful throw.

15. Arinbjörn Markusson (32) Mühlrich
Appearance: 6’2” with an athletic physique, although he turns bright pink when made to run fast. Jet black hair shorn to hide balding; angular features and hard dark blue eyes. Heavily tattooed.
Personality: A rugged swashbuckler who’s more intelligent and versatile than the average BFG, but only by a bit. Unapologetically conservative in his politics but surprising progressive in his personal life and a staunch defender of the team’s gay and non-white players.
Profile: A versatile center back who can also cover left back or even range forward as a defensive midfielder. He’s a left-footed Tom Ernestisson, basically. A good athlete, he’s a powerful threat at attacking corners with his head. Poor disciplinary record. Enjoys bow hunting.

RETURNING PLAYER!
17. Tom Ernestisson (31) Inland Peaks
Appearance: 6’3” and solidly built. Handsome in a windswept, square-jawed, Viking warrior sort of way. Shaggy brown hair and brown eyes. Thankfully, the moustache is gone!
Personality: Genial team player who gets on with everyone. He can almost write in joined up letters, which makes the rest of the BFG corps regard him as something of a dangerous intellectual.
Profile: Tom has been in and out of the side, somehow accumulating 50 caps and a goal in the Cup of Harmony final without ever nailing down a starting role; such is the life of that most ill-fated of players, the third best center-back in Græntfjall. Played right-back covering for his injured wife during the World Cup 89 finals and has also played defensive midfield. Good for an occasional monster free-kick.

NEW PLAYER!
21. Jan Játmundsson (21) Maigburg
Appearance: Medium height, slim build, but with well muscled arms. Short, snow-white hair; with his absence of facial hair, he looks shockingly young, and his green eyes only add to the impression. Tattoos on forearms and midriff.
Personality: A composed, sensible lad with a good head on his shoulders. Can be trusted not to embarrass team or country. Despite his innocent looks he is a hardy southerner with mountain ice water in his veins.
Profile: Jan was an Under-18 World Cup winner and has developed into a well regarded left back in the national leagues, but will probably be moving overseas after this season. Something of an all-rounder who lacks express pace, top physicality, or a really clinical touch on the ball, but has good football IQ and defensive awareness, excellent fitness, and is comfortable playing off both feet.

Midfielders/Wingers
The Snow Wolves took a stack of central midfielders to the World Cup, reflecting the bumper crop of exciting talents that have emerged through Sopo Chacuzca’s youth system. The 4-3-3 system allows the team to field three central midfielders: the key is Tinni, holding things together and allowing the full-backs to provide width. Though listed as wingers Sara and Vanessa can trend in to provide more central support.

6. Danny Oddkellsson (24) Steinaux
Appearance: Lean, 6 foot even frame topped by a bird’s nest of black hair. Blue-gray eyes, sometimes rocks some less-than-designer stubble. Tattoos across his body and even, unusually for a Græntfjaller, onto his hands and fingers. Scar on his temple.
Personality: The living embodiment of “lads lads lads”. Loves a cheeky Nandorsson’s. Top bantz.
Profile: A bustling harrier of a player who’s got great energy on and off the ball. Plays anywhere from holding to attacking roles but best used as a box-to-box guy in support of slightly more skilled creators. Powerful shot but doesn’t score too many. Relentless, gives his all, bit lippy when decisions don’t go his way. Fan favorite.

7. Sara Kristoffersdóttir (27) Wirr Tsi
Appearance: 5’3” with a fairly stocky build. Long blonde hair, worn in a ponytail. Blue-eyed. Sleeve tattoo on her left arm.
Personality: Loud, boisterous, impossible, crude, trouble-making. If she weren’t good at football…
Profile: …but, she is. The debate about whether she’s worth the trouble she brings with her is over: she’s just too good to leave out of the team. One of the few national products to marry speed, skill and vision to aggression and determination. Though she can play just about anywhere, she’s developed into a fine left-winger. Her maverick playmaking touch can get away from her at times, but she’ll run the field relentlessly wherever she’s deployed.

PROMOTED TO STARTER!
8. Amanda Guttisdóttir (32) Spartangrad
Appearance: Short and fairly slight. Dark hair in a long ponytail. Keen dark eyes. Has a runic tattoo on her wrist.
Personality: Outgoing and friendly, intelligent and capable, one of the more balanced members of the squad. Has dealt with off-field issues with admirable aplomb.
Profile: Amanda has had a varied career. Much like Jason, she started young (she is the all-time most capped player in national history and likely to remain so), thrived under Kang, but fell out of favor under Igrene. That she is back in the starting lineup reflects a desire for solidity and experience over an absolute vote of confidence in her skills. She has recently transferred to Spartangrad and is seeing fewer starting minutes; she’s clearly been eclipsed by Sara and Kæja as the team’s most talented playmaker. But though always regarded as a system player, she’s still a good one, and has developed into a very dangerous free-kick specialist.

10. Kæja Finnvarðsdóttir (24) Tanrısal
Appearance: Quite short and slender. Pixie-cut blonde hair and blue eyes; very pale. Cute as a button.
Personality: Kæja lacks the big personality she’ll need if she is to one day command the midfield; though a creative footballer, she’s a bit shy.
Profile: Generally regarded as the most promising youth prospect to have come through the ranks, Kæja is a creative attacking midfielder in Amanda’s style, with an excellent set-piece but concerns about her lack of size and confidence. Nonetheless, after leading the Snow Pups to a Di Bradini Cup title, she has emerged as the offensive lynchpin of the future.

11. Johanna Álvgeirsdóttir (30) Megabrantid
Appearance: 5’8”, somewhat slender. Blonde hair in a ponytail, blue eyes. Has developed a bit of a tan. Her left arm is heavily tattooed but she almost always wears long sleeves.
Personality: Introspective and self-doubting, Johanna might be the most complex woman in the squad. She pushes herself hard and sometimes she’s not the easiest to get along with; at other times, she celebrates as hard as anyone and cries her heart on a teammate’s shoulder.
Profile: Johanna has been a mercurial figure who divides opinion. When she’s in the starting lineup, there’s criticism that she’s not as creative as Sara or as physical as a typical BFG; when she’s not, everyone’s calling for her to get her place back (only then to repeat the same criticisms). With improved fitness and conditioning she became a regular starter but was injured for most of the World Cup campaign and despite being officially listed as captain is now unlikely to start.

14. Vanessa Marvinsdóttir (26) Steinaux
Appearance: 5’2” and very fit. Long dark wavy hair; mixed race so much darker skin than the average Græntfjaller. Style queen off the pitch; on it, usually wears a hairband and rolled-up sleeves.
Personality: Energetic and intelligent. Exuberant and loves to party and socialize, though she doesn’t let this get in the way of her football career.
Profile: A specialist winger who’s fast and agile, Vanessa can play on either flank for club; for country she can be expected to a specialist right-winger. Her elevation to regular starter was something of a surprise but she’s been very effective, and hearkens back to an older age of speedy wingers whipping in crosses for roaming BFGs to head in. Her brother is defensive midfielder Valtter.

16. Valtter Marvinsson (26) Gortz United
Appearance: Strong build, average height, very “thicc” around the hips. Mixed race so darker in complexion than most Græntfjallers. Over-coiffed hair (the ball gets sticky with gel every time he heads it). Cheekbones you could cut yourself on. Housewives’ favorite.
Personality: Affable off the field, intense on it.
Profile: The lone specialist DM in the squad, Valtter isn’t intended to start but he could provide valuable defensive ballast as a substitute. He’s reasonably good on the ball and can pass capably enough, but it’s in tackling, physicality, and marking that he really makes his mark.

18. Tinni Grímólfursson (28) Avenida Leal
Appearance: Lumbering 6’2” who’s added muscle in recent seasons. Short dark blonde hair. Pretty severe ice-blue eyes.
Personality: The exotic places he calls home are total contrasts to his steady, stoic disposition. A courageous battler and a teammate who’d rather die than let someone down, even though Amanda told him it was just a vending machine and to let it go.
Profile: Tinni is increasingly emerging as the next big (fucking) thing, and was probably the MVP of the World Cup campaign from the unglamorous position of holding midfielder. His strength allows him to drop back as a third center-back, but he’s not just a defensive bruiser: his huge right boot (he has no left whatsoever) made him a feared free-kick specialist in Tequilo. He’s now moved to Farfadillis.

Forwards
A late career recall to the starting lineup for Jason, who impressed off the bench in the World Cup but has never played well at the CR. In this 4-3-3 role the striker is expected to hold things up physically to give the midfielders room to work.

PROMOTED TO STARTER!
9. Jason Þórhallursson (32) Herzegovina City
Appearance: 6’4”, muscular. Short dark blonde hair. Blue eyes. Irritatingly handsome, except for the scraggly, scruffy playoff beard he always insists on growing.
Personality: Usually gregarious and friendly, when not weighed down by the pressure of expectations. Built like a BFG but more intelligent, sometimes to his own detriment.
Profile: A broad-chested striker who has the odd touch of skill but mostly relies on sheer physical presence to get his goals, Jason is the all-time leading national goalscorer, but he was never entirely beloved under Igrene Cantor who plainly considered him overrated. He spent time on the sidelines or as a reserve, yet at the same time he was never entirely removed from the national team pool, and he played a valuable role as substitute during the World Cup title. At 32, his vault back into the starting lineup is both unexpected, and likely to be short term, but it offers him one last chance at a tournament where he has a terrible record.

19. Röskvi Tyrfingsson (25) AFC Treason
Appearance: One of the most strikingly ugly players ever to have graced a football field, Röskvi has an extremely badly broken nose that resembles nothing less than a squashed strawberry. With an untidy mop of shaggy red hair and a misshapen brow, he bears a more than passing resemblance to a ‘Chucky’ doll. Except he’s six and a half feet tall.
Personality: A selfish player who demands service and gets frustrated when the cross isn’t perfectly delivered onto his forehead. But off the field he’s happy to be one of the lads. He tends to read as a little camp. Enjoys fishing.
Profile: Röskvi looked to be the next big thing in BFG forwards, but scored only a single goal in the World Cup campaign. His heading is a lethal weapon, he has a nose for goal that inspires many obvious puns given his less than model-like appearance, and he’s fearsomely strong. Poor disciplinary record and tends to give up when the game goes against him. His vault into the Nepharim leagues seems to have been a success, and his NT career will probably recover soon.

RETURNING PLAYER!
20. Lara Auðunsdóttir (30) St Thomas
Appearance: Tall, lithe, with red hair worn in a ponytail. With a billion freckles, green eyes, and skin so pale she doesn’t show up in photographs, she sticks out a bit from the mostly blonde squad!
Personality: Warm and friendly, but doesn’t let that get in the way of a cutting, competitive determination on the pitch.
Profile: Lara has had a career renaissance since leaving the Audioslavian league where she was struggling for the smaller pond of The Licentian Isles, where she’s become a whacking big fish. Her performance struggled a bit during the last World Cup, but Cantor still has faith in her. A talented goal scorer, sometimes doesn’t have the strength to hold up the defense on her own.

RETURNING PLAYER!
22. Ásvarður Bergmundursson (31) St Astons City FC
Appearance: 6’3”, and his shoulders are about as wide. With his angular features he can be a bit scary in dark lighting; when he steps into the light he’s much, much scarier, not helped by an unfortunately monk-like bald patch amid his blonde hair and severe blue eyes.
Personality: Stoical trundler in the uncomplicated BFG model: so long as he gets his beer, and his goals, hopefully not in that order, he’s content. A bit more intelligent than the defensive guys he hangs around with, but not to the level of Jason, which can leave him a lonely figure at times.
Profile: A traditional Græntfjaller striker, Ásvarður has carved out a solid international career as Jason’s back-up. As a big head and a powerful energy surge, he remains a good choice for a late game super-sub.

Style modifier: +1.6
First ever positive modifier for a Snow Wolves team!!!!!!

The most attacking formation ever put to field in a Snow Wolves lineup is listed as 4-3-3; it can form into a more attacking 3-4-3 or more defensive 4-1-4-1 as needed. Tinni is the lynchpin in the holding role and the full-backs must press up to provide width. Sara and Vanessa can be expected to roam.

Penalties: Kæja, Jason (Sara, Amanda)
Free kicks: Kæja, Sara, Amanda (Johanna)
Corners: Kæja, Alyssia
Throw-ins: Jasmijn, Alyssia, Eyvar

RP permissions:

Choose My Scorers: Y
Godmod Scoring Events: N
Hand Out Yellow/Red Cards: Y, but be sensible; I use a self-enforced rule of a 1 match suspension for 1 red card or 2 yellow cards, but I won’t apply this to your players without your permission.
Injure My Players: Y, you can say they are injured but let me decide the severity and consequences.
Godmod Other Events: N, but if you ask first I’m open to any roleplay angles you have in mind.
Additional permissions:

• Please don’t have my players, staff, or fans engaging in violence without my permission.
• If you use non-photoshopped photographs, please don’t say they’re my players without asking.
• In general I’m open to most things so long as you ask.

[Nephara]

Those two words every international manager secretly dreads: Golden Generation.
See, when your players are shit, or worse, have poor NRI*, people accept that. Look at Brenecia. Brenecia occasionally just go through fallow periods where nobody expects a thing, and only just go through them now. There's a swathe of 100-cap Brenecians - Roisin Carroll, Corby Wheeler, Isadora Cullen, Brandon Duguid - who wouldn't have even been capped for Nephara, most likely. And yet lightning's struck for them enough times that they've got a respectable trophy cabinet to show for it.
Nephara's trophy cabinet is exploding with silverware, and it can always, baseline, call on a tide of international journeymen and top-half table Zenith players that means there can be no off-years, no off-cycles. There are always expectations. There are especially expectations after an undoubted Golden Age that saw Nephara win three CRs, reach three World Cup finals and take one of them home.
Provost; Stride, Thorn, Brosch, Muscadin; Shone, Cromwell; Koerner, Moxham, Considine; Bastable. The side never quite lined up like that, but even so, those are the names that have solidified themselves as the Golden Team, now that some distance has asserted itself, now that of those, only Provost remains a Cormorant.
And then after that, there was a slump. That was understandable. Almost anything would have been a slump by comparison. But by the time Triffid Ramsey, unimpeachable for so many reasons, was done, it was starting to be a while since Nephara had seen a quarterfinal again. Koeller took over with the team at a genuinely lowish ebb, expectations not low but a healthy mix of realism and satiation. Nephara could go a decade without major silverware after claiming four in seven years, right?
And then new names burst through.
The big one, of course, was Felixe Vetiver. Koeller had resisted as long as she could, but Vetiver's form with 1830 Cathair was irresistible, and she was th eonly sane choice to take over when Basilisk succumbed to injury, and then scored six goals in four World Cup games. By now there was no doubt she was Nephara's best striker on merit, even if she was just 20. And there were more coming through, too. Cassander Southsea threatened to become the truly fluent, effortless midfielder Nephara had been crying out for, equally skilled at regaining possession and making use of exceptional passing range. Kestrel Anharbour was an incisive, two-footed winger with massive goal threat and pace, able to break down any team. Medusa Strand was riding the wave of the Red League's success, absolutely nailed-on to be Provost's successor - and if something happened to her, Toxothea Sebring looked nearly as good. The tide of new names was relentless. Xu, Loeher, Rosziter, Swain! All set along the U20s - Eagles - senior team pathway. And now it was Koeller's job to make sure that these were the names people would remember in twenty, thirty years time. Something more than just being really good players who couldn't, alone, lift the team onto great things.
And there was another elephant in the room, too. Igrene Cantor.
Koeller was traditional. She'd been a good player, a decent goalkeeper who had never left Nephara, and then a very good manager who had never left Nephara. The Cormorants were the culmination of a good career in all respects, but... not legendary.
Igrene Cantor had won the World Cup twice, now. Once as a player in WC74 and now, after initially emerging as a managerial prospect in Brenecia (!), with Graintfjall. The Q*eendom! For fuck's sake! And she was now taking a 'sabbatical', of 'a year or two'. With no big jobs in Nephara looming as obviously up for grabs. To Elaine Koeller, and to basically everyone, that meant that any slip would be a good opportunity to terminate her contract and bring in the heroine of the hour.
Except that there didn't need to be a slip. Because her contract was set to expire after the next World Cup.
No pressure, then ...

* Name Recognition Index.

[Yue Zhou]

THE NANHAI DAILY
"ABSURD MISUSE OF PUBLIC FUNDS": ELEPHANTGATE SCANDAL TARGETS FUTURE KITARAN AMBASSADOR
Guo Balin, Politics

NANHAI -- Wang Hanfei, recently appointed by President Wu Zhongsheng to be the first post-recognition ambassador to Nyowani Kitara, has seen his confirmation thrown into chaos after it was revealed that he misappropriated public funds to buy exotic wild animals for Nangang Technological University, where he served as President. The first substantiated allegations to surface tied Wang to the purchase of two elephants from a South Newlandian zoo with relief funds meant to rebuild the nation's higher education facilities after they were brutalized in a Civil War, resulting in the Elephantgate name. However, it is believed that other, smaller animals were also purchased with the same relief funds. The two elephants, 小鼻 (Little Trunk) and 大鼻 (Big Trunk), will remain at NTU, where they have become beloved mascots of the school, but the government has demanded that the relief funding used by the university be returned. More relevantly, it throws Wang's bid to become Kitaran ambassador into disarray as many National Union MPs have come out against his appointment in light of these revelations.

"It has become painfully clear that MP Wang participated in the absurd misuse of public funds, and that he was emboldened to do so by a National Union party that no longer believes in fiscal responsibility," opposition leader Liang Ziyou of the Liberation Army remarked. However, President Wu has declined to withdraw his nomination, claiming that Wang's experience as a diplomat and a university professor make him the best-qualified candidate for the position. "If the MPs think that these reports invalidate Wang's experience and political experience, then they are welcome to vote against his confirmation," Wu stated this morning.

小鼻 and 大鼻 declined to comment.

[Isle Noire]

Part 1

The Island in the Mist
Part 2

The Five Commandments of The Mist

1. Do not try to understand The Light. There are those who will, and once they do, they will let the rest know.
2. Do not try to cross over unless it's been authorized. There are those who have been lost due to the torrential winds and the shearing that utterly takes over near the event horizon. There are those that know how to bridge the rift, and it's only those that know how that should.
3. Do not bring visitors into The Mist. Those that are from the outside do not handle moving into the land of the Black and White well. Anyone that's stayed for more than a week in The Light need to go through special procedures to prepare themselves for The Mist Those that want to bring in visitors should clear it with The Registry.
4. No one person will be in charge of The Registry. They are to be run by five people that will rotate every two years; no person that's been part of The Registry will be allowed to repeat.
5. Be grateful of the rift, and what it's brought. Change is the only way we learn, and the only way we grow.

[Graintfjall]

Conservative Copa Rushmori squad hints at a nation searching for familiar comforts

If Ingþór Auðbjörnsson was looking to shake things up with his first squad as new manager of the Græntfjaller national football team, he chose to do so in the least volatile manner possible. The squad announced for the 41st Copa Rushmori in Avon and Ceni represents nearly the most conservative possible selection. Other than the expected retirements of Emeli Vilbertsdóttir and Hjörleifur Reynarsson, Thor has kept essentially the same team that won the World Cup last year with only two major changes, but both of those reflect moves backwards rather than forwards, with Amanda Guttisdóttir’s number 8 shirt hinting she is likely to be back in the starting XI, possibly ahead of nominal team captain Johanna Álvgeirsdóttir, and Jason Þórhallursson taking back the starting center forward role from Röskvi Tyrfingsson. Perhaps Thor is just looking to stick with what works: hard to argue against a team that won the World Cup. Or perhaps he’s picked up the sense that right now, Græntfjallers are finding more comfort in familiar names than risking gambles on new talents.

Only two new players make the squad: Jan Játmundsson, expected to be eclisped by Jasmijn Spiderlair who has served a lengthy apprenticeship under Vilbertsdóttir; and Hanif Anwarsson el-Said, the first Muslim ever to represent the Snow Wolves. His inclusion in the squad has fomented a frenzy on social media and more comment than deserve to be spent on any third-choice goalkeeper. Another blast from the past appears in the form of Tom Ernestisson, whose recall suggests a vote of less than total confidence in the new center back pairing of Eyvar Mathiasson, he of the huge new contract in Ulsa, and Grímúlfur Gunnþórsson. For some, it will be disappointing not to see more of the young talents who won the junior World Cups at under-18 and under-21 level over the last three cycles progressing to the starting lineup. Having risen to meteoric heights in Chromatika, Mímir Waltheofsson must be aghast at not being considered, with old stalwarts Lara Auðunsdóttir and Ásvarður Bergmundursson preferred on the bench. Kjárr Þorfinnsson and Julia Wolfgangsdóttir did little wrong at the World Cup.

But balanced against that is that few positions in the current team are genuinely in question. Regardless of formation, the midfield core of Kæja Finnvarðsdóttir, Sara Kristoffersdóttir and Tinni Grímólfursson are beyond doubt. Tyrfingsson played his heart out at the World Cup but came away with a single goal from seven games started. Thor, himself Pasarga’s leading scorer who was still turning out for the Wanderers in his 30s, may have more time for Þórhallursson’s mercurial brilliance than Igrene Cantor ever did. Another Cantor-sualty, Guttisdóttir has tried to revive her career with a move to Spartangrad, a difficult decision for one owed such loyalty by Holdenberg City, who stuck with her during a moment of immense and public humiliation. But Jason and Amanda, as they are known to millions of Snow Wolf Pack fans, are familiar faces, and that may just be what the Queendom is looking for at this difficult time.

No one – least of all a foreign football manager, brought in to manage a World Cup champion side about to enter a thoroughly unloved tournament in which they have never progressed past the Round of 16 – can know exactly what the future holds for the White Winter Queendom. Armed officers patrol the streets on unicorn-back and the navy yards in Hofvinger and Altendalur teem with activity. The Prime Minister is sequestered in private meetings for 18 hours a day, much of her ambitious legislative agenda apparently dumped as terrorism trumps tax reform on her agenda. Following the chaos and carnage in Steinaux, the national football team represent one of the few unifying positives for the nation to get together around. A team where Gunzlach and Steinaux, East and West, men and women, and yes, even Catholic and Muslim, can come together. Maybe by the next World Cup there will be room for ambition and adventure. But for now, as radio stations opt for patriotic anthems and country ballads, as TV stations air beloved sitcom reruns as a break from the news coverage of burning buildings and black flags, the lack of innovation in the Snow Wolves’ selection will seem very far from the biggest priority on the public agenda.

Also in the paper:

• NEWS: Prime Minister to address nation
• BUSINESS: Stock market reopens with massive losses in all sectors
• POLITICS: Left-slate rebels tell Leifsson they will vote with government on any security measures
• COURT: Queen visits victims in hospital
• SPORT: Super Wolves to face Chromatika in IBC 5th place playoff

[Greater Sanford]

Midcon Sports Network



What does Sanford’s national team say about its domestic league?
Palace, PREMIER players dominate Vehle’s picks

Sanford’s debut national team confirms a reality of its domestic league: Sanford is a two-club league. The two most well-represented clubs on Sanford’s roster are Corn Palace, with seven current national teamers (as well as the starting striker for their matchday one opponent), and Sanford Falls PREMIER, with all four Sanfordans making the national team cut in addition to several foreign national teamers (including the starting striker for one of the tournament’s hosts). Baptists and Railyards have three national teamers apiece, Northern has two, River Valley and Beadle-Normal each have one, five players play abroad, and neither Martin Luther nor Lewiston Clark have any national team representation on their squads. Palace and PREMIER have three starters apiece — a majority of the starting XI — with Baptists contributing two more, Railyards providing one, and foreign clubs providing the remaining pair.

The disparity grows when examined beneath the surface. Including a player’s entire career in the Sanford PREMIER League era — that is to say, the past five seasons — ten players on Sanford’s roster have played for Sanford Falls PREMIER, and ten have played for national team manager Frank Vehle at Corn Palace. Only nine players on the roster have not played for either club in the past five years. Five players have played for Baptists at some point, three for Railyards, two for Northern and Beadle-Normal, and one for River Valley. Five players have experience playing abroad, including two in foreign first tiers, but no player on the roster has suited up for a Sanford PREMIER League match in Martin Luther orange or Lewiston Clark red.

The two-club nature of the Sanford PREMIER League, which has seen Sanford Falls PREMIER win three of its five titles and Corn Palace the other two — with the clubs finishing first and second in some order three of the past four seasons — can help explain not just the manager’s choices, but also the choice of manager. Frank Vehle is a two-time PREMIER BankCard Titanium Manager winner, having improbably led a young, unheralded Corn Palace team to two league championships and a domestic cup in his five seasons at the reins in McGovern.

That resume made him a great candidate for high-profile jobs, such as a national team — but it also made him the gravest threat to the sole dominance of the megaclub bankrolled by the man the nation of Sanford is named after. Frank Vehle was given the job as the candidate best positioned to boost the prospects of both Sanford’s national team and D. Tommy Sanford’s personal team.

Vehle certainly made picks that reflected his experience in McGovern. For starters, no club comes near Corn Palace’s seven selections, and Vehle picked ten of his former players to take to Avon. The one selection from Beadle-Normal, the perpetually-struggling team glued to the bottom of the league table, spent four years at the Discovery Archeodome as one of Vehle’s starting centrebacks. Donna Fraser, his longtime club captain, was named vice captain of the national team. He handed nineteen-year-old left-sided centreback David Feigen and twenty-year-old left midfielder Katherine Hall their debuts just last season, and he has named them national team starters. Three teenagers are on the roster, and a majority of the roster is twenty-five or younger.

Sanford Falls PREMIER’s influence can’t be missed — a fact attributable to the team’s very intentional squad planning. Even though only four current PREMIER players are on Sanford’s national team roster, only four Sanfordans were regular starters for PREMIER last season, and each of them made it onto the national team roster — and three have been named starters. Meanwhile, ten national teamers are current or former PREMIER players, including one at every position on the pitch. PREMIER’s policy is to recruit the very best domestic talent there is, to comply with squad registration rules, and then construct the rest of the roster with some of the biggest names from across the world, to maximize domestic and international competitive and financial success. It seems clear that policy has been working.

That said, nine players on the roster do lack any sort of PREMIER or Palace experience. Perhaps the most interesting are the two that lack any sort of Sanford PREMIER League experience at all. Ellen Bensom and Uther Johnson were, until very recently, considered Nepharan players — although, mired at the bottom of the First Division table, they had never been in danger of being cap-tied. Yet now they’ve been called up by a very different east Rushmori team — and they may have the opportunity to play against their former homeland on the final matchday of their new country’s first group stage.

Bensom and Johnson were both deemed eligible based on ties to grandparents or great-grandparents. After satisfying Sanford’s incredibly forgiving residency requirements, they accepted callups. They have experience playing in tough, physical leagues against tough, physical opposition — and perhaps, if they played in the Zenith, they might even have experience playing against some of the players Sanford is about to face — which is surely valuable on a roster where twenty-one players have never played abroad. They fill areas of need on this team, where Sanford has little to no depth.

But does their presence on this team indicate that Sanford lacks the quality or depth to credibly compete at a major tournament like the Copa Rushmori? Frank Vehle has navigated the airy, spaced-out Sanford PREMIER League schedule before, with no more than one league or cup match per week and a two-and-a-half-month winter break bisecting the season, but can Sanford’s new manager survive on a thin squad in this fast-paced, high-pressure, top-caliber, tight-turnaround environment? And will Bensom and Johnson be the start of foreign players “discovering” their own links to Sanford?

[Ceni]

Wibbly Wobbly, Timey Wimey
Chapter 11: An Informant's Declarations

Jaina Ende-Dogor stared out towards the horizon and the seemingly endless stretch in the Endemian Ocean leading to points unknown and, further on, Atlantian Oceania. She didn't want to overuse her "butterfly circus" metaphor when trying to articulate her own nervousness, but nothing else came out. So there: The butterfly circus had set up camp in her stomach, yet again.

What had precipitated this nervousness in Jaina's normally pedestrian life as a university physics professor? What had turned that life into a merry-go-round - nay, roller coaster - of intrigue, suspicion, complots, and yes, the multitudinous bundles of nerves?

As the light train decelerated towards the ferry terminal, Jaina ran over the events in her head. The whole kit and caboodle started when a plane carrying the Cenian national team went through the portal between Sonnel and Rushmore -- and didn't come back. It later emerged that somebody had sabotaged the portal to manipulate the portal's time mechanics and delay the plane, perhaps indefinitely. Jaina suspected foul play almost immediately; the prevailing authorities had other notions. And now, an anonymous informant (was that the right word?) had texted her to meet up at the ferry terminal.

The train dinged. In its half-robotic, half-humanlike voice, it announced the stop: Docklands. Connections with Vericonium, Snowdonia, Columbia, William's Isle, and New Avon ferries. Bus connections.

Like other Cenian edifices, the ferry terminal relied on the curving line as a primary motif, and glass as a primary building material. Was it supposed to evoke the mariner's tradition of gazing out at the ocean and waves' undulation? Probably. Did Jaina think the building's design achieved either goal? Probably not.

But then again, Jaina didn't come to the building as an architecture critic. She came as physics professor-cum-detective trying to unravel an international scientific mystery. And so she stepped off the train, smelled the wind-carried salt in the air, and strode towards the ferry terminal.

A seagull deposited its payload right next to her. Jaina's next thought was not particularly family-friendly: She hoped this whole endeavor would not go to shit.

***

Luke Longstar sat next to Andrew Arrowsword at a swanky bar in Millennium City. Almost as soon as he walked in, Luke regretted that move. The club had decided to turn the volume up to 11 a la Spinal Tap, and Luke could barely hear himself think. Which was unfortunate, given that Luke and Andrew needed to think hard together about how they would navigate the shit that they found themselves in.

Andrew arrived. Or at least Andrew texted him that he had arrived, because Luke had no confirmation that the footballer had actually shown up. Why couldn't the guy have inherited the height genes from his Drawkian father? Then he'd be obvious in the crowd.

Of course, Luke didn't want the two to be obvious.

And Andrew probably didn't want to be obvious either.

Sure enough, the 40-year-old footballer showed up behind him wearing the standard-issue nightclub uniform: long-sleeved white shirt, slim-fit jeans with enough taper to leave a three-centimeter gap at the ankles, clean white shoes with no-show socks.

"What'll it be?" said the bartender as Andrew approached the bar and slapped Luke on the shoulder. Andrew ordered a Vieux Carre; Luke ordered a Suffering Bastard.

"That's a drink?" Andrew's eyebrows furrowed.

Luke nodded. "Gin, brandy, Angostura bitters."

"Any symbolism there?"

"Well, let me tell you a story. But the TLDR is that I'm a suffering bastard right now, and if certain people in the Cenian FA had their way, you'd be a suffering bastard right now."

***

The informant sat waiting on a bench that looked half like a modernist art installation, half like a homeless deterrent, wearing what looked like a blue morphsuit. They (not it -- a neopronoun? ze? xe? or did they work just fine) held a phone out with a text-to-speech app obvious.

Damn, Jaina thought. This person really wanted to conceal their identity. She wouldn't say they went to great lengths to do so, but nonetheless, she wasn't going to prod or push too much.

"What do you know?" Jaina asked quietly.

The hooded-slash-masked (was morphsuited a grammatical past participle?) figure held out their finger in front of their mouth to quiet her. On cue, the twelve o'clock bell rang, and a ferry started to disgorge its passengers into the main foyer. With the sun directly overhead, the ferry terminal began to fill with sunlight.

The informant typed on their cell phone, sometimes struggling to press the right keys through the morphsuit's built-in gloves. Eventually, the robotic-sounding voice emerged from the phone, sounding less humanlike than the public transit announcements from before. "At the control room that day, a guy in a suit stood right over the operator handling the AT7093 transit."

"What did he look like?" Jaina looked over her shoulder.

The informant didn't budge, nor did they seem to acknowledge Jaina's body language. Again, the informant typed slowly and awkwardly into the app. "It wasn't somebody I recognized, and not one of the higher-ups in the company. And he looked sleazy. Too sleazy."

"Any other details that you can tell me?"

"They appeared to have an animated conversation, and the sleazy suit guy slapped the joystick out of the operator's hand. That's all I can say."

Despite the tantalizing text from the day before, Jaina didn't think this shed much light on the whole matter. Sure, it lent credence to her foul play theory, but she didn't have any concrete leads. And the informant had barely established the means for the interference, much less the motive. So really, Jaina hadn't really gained anything from this expedition (would jaunt or misadventure be better words?).

And then the informant handed her a patch. "This fell from his bag."

The patch displayed the Cenian FA logo.

Jaina's mouth dropped. In the interval, the informant disappeared. A ferry's horn blew in the distance.

***

At the bar, only ice remained in Luke and Andrew's drinks as Luke finished telling Andrew what he knew, an admittedly barebones story. Luke had laid his cards on the table; with only the flop laid out, the two would need to formulate their betting strategy for the rest of the game.

"Look, Luke," said Andrew after ordering another drink, "I've dealt with this kind of bureaucratic politics in the past, and now it sounds like there's only one guy around who still thinks I'm bad to the bone. I want to do the only thing that I know how to do: play football."

"And how will that get us anywhere?" Andrew's drink appeared on the bar.

Andrew shrugged. "We're just playing politics in the way we know how," he said. "By winning at football. And if we win games, show the FA we're alright, then we don't have to worry about this bureaucratic bullshit."

Luke nodded. Inside, though, he though Andrew was far too sanguine about the situation. Far too sanguine indeed.

[Ceni]

There's no air in between you and this first cutoff!

Group A
Sargossa 3–2 Brookstation
Mytanija 2–0 The Isles of Avon

Group B
República Guanacasteca 2–3 Valladares
Soldera 0–2 Græntfjall

Group C
Cabo Azure 4–0 Sanford
Nephara 2–2 Xinhua

Group D
Pasarga 0–1 Bollonich
Yuezhou 2–0 Eastfield Lodge

[Valladares]

THE VALLADAR FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

OFFICIAL ROSTER FOR THE 41^ST COPA RUSHMORI

Coaching Staff:

Head coach: Federico Rassmussen
Assistant coach: Rodrigo Araneda
Adviser: Jessica Curran (CDG)
Goalkeeping coach: Paulo Gaviria
Fitness coach: Frank Wolff
Team doctor: Mateo Ferreira
Physiotherapist: Sandra Romero
Video analyst: Alfredo Tinelli

The prodigal son returns home, and Federico Rassmussen is back home to make his dream of being at the helm of La Nacional come true. The last winning manager of the Series B Champions' Cup with Valladar side Valencia FC, Rassmussen had the chance to enjoy a learning experience at the Independent Athletes of Quebec, first as an assistant and then taking over as permanent manager ahead of the 81st Cup of Harmony, where his team earned a third place finish. That performance, watched first-hand by Valladars as both Valladares and IAQ were drawn into the same CoH group, convinced the VFA executives that he was the man to replace the liked, yet harshly criticized Dagan manager Jessica Curran. And so he is here, eager to show his progress in front of his fellow nationals now that he has had his first international managerial stint. With Rassmussen, fans have been treated to a high-pressing team which tries to regain ball possession as soon as they lose it instead of falling back to regroup and then take advantage of its speedy players up front to counterattack, thus resulting in a high offensive output that comes to terms with the traditional approach of Valladar football.

This time, and given the exponential growth of women's football in Valladares as well as the resounding success of the women's league Liga-M, the Valladar national football team roster comes with a big surprise as the list of 23 players is exclusively made up by female footballers, all but two of them playing in the domestic league. The Copa Rushmori will be an interesting first international experience for this group of up-and-coming footballers, as well as a fun challenge for Rassmussen who will be assisted for this competition by Jessica Curran, who in turn will be expected to lend him a big helping hand in dealing with this talented group.

Squad:

GOALKEEPERS
1. Elisa Buckanan - GK - 25 - Ajax Carloburgo
12. Catalina Valencia - GK - 26 - Metropolis Alligators
23. Sophia Romano - GK - 24 - Edmonton United

DEFENDERS
2. Laura Gilleron - RB - 25 - Fontvielle Impact
3. Fabiana Cruz - CB - 27 - Ajax Carloburgo (Captain)
4. Vera Kraft - CB - 26 - Ajax Carloburgo
5. Charlotte Croft - LB - 26 - Edmonton United
13. Mariana Sierra - RB - 25 - Metropolis Alligators
14. Florencia Lagos - CB - 24 - Fontvielle Impact
15. Julie Perrot - CB - 25 - Metropolis Alligators
16. Manuela Cáceres - LB - 24 - Libertad

MIDFIELDERS
6. Johanna Daza - RM - 27 - Metropolis Alligators
7. Iris Calderón - CM - 26 - Metropolis Alligators
8. Nicky Reed - LM - 26 - Edmonton United
10. Kiara Rodgers - AM - 24 - Starksville United
17. Laura Franco - RM - 24 - Marinos Metropolis
18. Anne Harding - CM - 25 - Tannenberg FC
19. Caroline Chamoun - LM - 27 - Fontvielle Impact
21. Josefina Méndez - AM - 28 - Libertad

FORWARDS
9. Larissa Campanella - FW - 27 - Edmonton United
11. Alexandra Carabalí - FW - 23 - Starksville United
20. Tara Clarke - FW - 26 - Tannenberg FC
22. Yvonne Veira - FW - 26 - Metropolis Alligators

Starting Lineup, Formation, and Tactics:

The Valladar national football team is known for having its traditional 3-2-2-3 (or 3-4-3 for general reference) formation, which nowadays has mutated into a 3-5-2 by pushing back one of the three forwards to act as a playmaker, and can turn into either a very aggressive yet non-conventional 3-2-5 for attacking or a 5-4-1 (a 3-6-1, even) when the team feel the need to enter into a defensive mode. However, for this tournament this team will play under a conventional 4-3-1-2 formation, with two strong lines at the back and the middle of the field, a playmaker and two strikers. Regardless of the chosen formation, La Nacional will always be looking to attack and retain ball possession for as long as possible, trying to score many goals in the shortest possible time and mounting an insurmountable lead for the second half of the match when players from both teams start showing signs of fatigue, with manager Federico Rassmussen aiming to implement high-pressing elements for whenever the team lose possession of the ball.

Style Modifier: +2

Kits (Brought to you by Meski Sports):

First
Alternate
GK/Third

RP Permissions:

In the event my opponent RPs first, they may...
Choose my goalscorers YES
Godmod scoring events YES
RP injuries to my players NO unless granted permission. I'll reserve the right to determine severity if granted permission.
Godmod injuries to my players NO unless granted permission.
Hand out yellow cards to my players YES
Hand out red cards to my players NO - I'll reserve the right to decide whether my players are sent off or not.
Godmod other events YES only if they involve weather conditions. If you wish to organize something else, do not hesitate to contact me though.

Special requests:
1) Please no killings, and definitely no pandemic-related RPing.
2) Try to be as realistic as possible, and last but no least...
3) Have fun.

[The Isles of Avon]

There's something in the air tonight, the stars so bright for this cutoff!

Group E
San Isidro Labrador 0–2 Ceni
Nyowani Kitara 0–0 Pridnestrovia

Group F
Darmen 2–3 Eura
Astograth 2–0 Captina Island

Group G
Oberour Ar Moro 2–0 Gnejs
Cassadaigua 3–2 Tikariot

Group H
Isle Noire 3–2 Savojarna
Gatchingerrak Union 0–1 Southwest Eastnorth

[Captina Island]

The Captina Company Football Agency

The Captina Company Football Agency (TCCFA) controls all levels of football in the nation, issuing licenses to groups wishing to form teams. The Captina Company Super League consists of 14 teams playing every opponent once between April & June then following a 2 month break, play every opponent again between September & November.
STYLE: -2.5

GK
 1  Pierluigi Neri		GK	29	AC Geneva City
20  Bernardo Rossi		GK	28	Calcio Captina

DEF
 4  Paolo Marchetti		CB	31	IMA Port Genoa
 2  Gianluca Vecchi		RB	30	Flint AC
 5  Emilio Coppola		LB	27	TCC Geneva
17  Alfonso Vastano		L/CB	26	Punto Nord AC
 3  Mauro Soranno		CB	32	Fairmont City SC   Captain
18  Isaia Caruso		R/CB	27	Club Rosso Oro Nero

MID
 6  Santos Abrego		DM	29	Clarksburg FC
 7  Lazzaro Garganese	        RM	28	Calcio Captina
16  Emilio Rizzuto		L/CM	25	Brandstadter Clarksburg
20  Emanuele Valentini	        R/CM	27	AC Geneva City
11  Daniele Vozzo		LM	29	CNO North Point
 8  Samuele Vozzo		CM	29	Port Genoa Calcio
13  Enzo Mancini		DM	30	Fairmont City SC

FWD
12  Alesandro Mercardi	        CF	26	Flint AC
10  Gianluigi Piras		ST	30	Club Rosso Oro Nero
14  Vincenzo Villa		WF	27	TCC Geneva
 9  Pietro Illuminato		CF	31	Calcio Captina
15  Giorgio Fontana		ST	26	IMA Port Genoa

Manager--Timoteo Greco
Coaches—Donato Pagano, Abele Ricci

Tactics: 4-3-3 classic Italian system—right wing shuttles back & forth from front to back, left back pushes forward, left midfielder attacks into forward areas, central & defensive mids control the center.
Lineup: Numbers 1-11

The Captina Company Sports Ground in Geneva City hosts all Captina Island National Team Fixtures

In the event my opponent RPs first, they may...

Choose my goalscorers: YES
Godmod scoring events: YES
RP injuries to my players: YES, but those that would be for just the duration of the match (TG in advance would be appreciated as well)
Godmod injuries to my players: See Above
Hand out yellow cards to my players: YES
Hand out red cards to my players: YES, but again, a heads up in advance is appreciated, as I would do for you.
Godmod other events: TG what you have in mind, I'm easy to come to an understanding with

[The Isles of Avon]

Nation: Isles of Avon
Team Name: Eagles
Formation: 4-4-2
Style Mod: +2

ROSTER

Mananger   Harrison di Angelis  57/M    Eastern Stars

STARTERS
Pos     Name                    Age/S   Club
GK	Travis Bride    	30/M	Quayside Rangers
LB	Jake Elway Jr.	        33/M	Strat City
CB	Erik Adair      	25/M	Eastern Stars
CB	Freddy Matos	        31/M	Golden Eagles
RB	Kenneth Kane	        27/M	Phalanx AF [CEN]
LM	Alyson Bunker      	31/F	Eastern Stars
CM	Allan Santana	        32/M	Strat City
CM	Ron Hampson	        30/M	Westport United
RM	Scottie Chambers        23/M	Whitehaven Triumph [CEN]
CF	Tony Flynn              28/M    Fort Roy SC
CF	Jessika Colton  	29/F	Pittsennat Reds [DRK]

RESERVES
Pos     Name                    Age/S   Club
GK      Dennis Conrad           35/M    William's Isle
GK      Azalea Marvin           26/F    Ashbourne
DF      Colt Perkins            23/M    Rushmori Drawks
DF      Harper Henson           21/F    New Avon Wanderers
DF      Levi Rademaker          26/M    Astra Columbia
DF      Joseph Leoncio          30/M    Sellen Cove
MD      Gary Lyons              35/M    Westport United
MD      David Ventura           34/M    Fort Roy SC
MD      Lydia Ward              33/F    New Stratford Spearhead
MD      Duncan Cintas           29/M    Lancaster City
MD      Martin Hart             25/M    Old Avon Terraneans
FW      Marcel Hayden           27/M    Strat City
FW      Andy Paddon             35/M    Eastern Stars
FW      Spencer Breckenridge    31/M    Northampton

The Isles of Avon are a small, irrelevant island chain nation in Eastern Rushmore off the coast of Terranea, south of Ceni. Drawkland wished to have territory in Rushmore, and given that Ceni had influence over Avon, "gifted" The territory to them.

Soon after, the Federation of Avonian Soccer was formed, and a league bloomed. The FAS League merged with Cenileague the next cycle to create I-League, which was surprisingly competitive between the Avonian rookies and the Cenian vets. The I-League only existed in earnest for one season, before it was rebranded and renamed the Terranean League East, complementing the Electrumite and Gelderlish Terranean League West.

For a four season stretch, the Terranean League rose in the UICA ranks, and the Avonian teams were actually sort of prospering, and competing easily with their Cenian rivals. However, organizational collapse in Ceni and Electrum caused the Terranean League to fold in a single offseason. Since the shuttering of the Terranean League, the teams of the Isles no longer had the capital or the interest to continue competing on an international stage.

Since then, the Federation of Avonian Soccer has quietly operated a two-tier league to continue to generate some tourism and national pride, similar to how they operated prior to the I-League merger.

With the reawakening of the Cenian FA, there came some organizational interest in hosting a Copa Rushmori. The FAS officials in Avon jumped at the chance to join in and remind the region that the Isles still exist, and they're a really cool place to visit, honestly! The bid won, and as a hosting nation, Avon had to enter a national team.

The original run of the Eagles didn't amount to much, even with some talent starting to play abroad before the Great Shuttering. Here to manage the team is Harrison Di Angelis, previously the defensive captain of the Eastern Stars club and one of Avon's most iconic defenders (not saying a lot). The previous manager of the Eagles, Dean Regis, retired over a decade ago. Since his retirement as a player, Di Angelis returned to the pitch as a manager of his former team. The domestic name recognition and experience on the old national team made him a clear choice by FAS to tap him as manager for this tournament.

This roster was partially crowdsourced in an effort to drum up local excitement for the Copa. The fanbase of each team voted online for which of their players should be on the national team roster, resulting in at least one representative from all 16 Avonian pro teams. The remaining positions were decided by the managing staff, with assistance from a massive poll on social media representing the Avonian faithful's favorite players that weren't already confirmed to be on the roster.

Hopes for this tournament: win a game on home soil!

Despite the hiatus, the Isles are bringing back their classic Meski kits, which they've worn proudly since World Cup 78. Pictured here are the Home, Away, and Goalkeeper jerseys in that order.

[Southwest Eastnorth]

SWEN defeats GU, the one that started it all!
Excerpt from www.swensport.swe

CENI - The Southwest Eastnorth Pioneers pulled off a big win to open the Copa Rushmori as they took on the national team of the Gatchingerrak Union 1-0. The game was played in the muggy, sweaty heat of Whitehaven, Ceni. Start striker Hoyer Harbors lead the Pioneers to their only score after he made a nice kick from up top of the field on an assist from the Prodigy Keon Crust. Crust give the team a nice talented prescense up front while Harbors veteran leadership and foreign experience, albeit in an Esportivan package. Jessica LaRioux solidified her stance as the premier goalkeeper from Southwest Eastnorth, with an absolute masterclass of a game. She kept the old GU team at bay and had a clean sheet in the game. For some of the older people who reads this, Gatchingerrak Union, you may noticed is the same nation so many years ago hosted the first Copa Rushmori that Southwest Eastnorth entered. GU did well, but in the end it was Larioux who played the hero. She was always seen as fringe keeper for the domestic scene, but her move to Galaxy SC an titanic powerhouse team in Xanneria helped her blossom to one of the top keepers in not just Southwest Eastnorth, but Xanneria's domestic scene.

Next up for the Pioneers is Savojarnia. The last time the two teams faced off a 90th minute goal sent Southwest Eastnorth packing home. This has long been a point of contention for the Pioneers and especially their ultras who have long said that the goal was scored in the 90th minute to intentionally knock out SWEN and put Tikariot into the playoffs over the Pioneers (Had the game ended in a draw, SWEN would have made the playoffs over Tikariot on a tiebreaker). Many ultras say that this was done in collusion between Savojarnia and Tikariot to knock out the upstart SWEN team.

No collusion was ever found to have had happened between those two teams and recently SWENFA President Alfonso Bryant has also recently stated post-CR draw that he would like to extend an olive branch to the Savojarnia footballing community as he stated

"Many do believe that the game was not rigged but just bad chance and almost entirely like if it had been generated by random numbers. We would like to apologize for any SWENic fan behavior that has beenc aused by that game and the upcoming game in Ceni"

This has off course sent shock-waves through SWEN's sports community as many fans have either shown support for Bryant and disowned the crazy Ultras or the Ultras themselves who doubled down and are now claiming they want Alfonso Bryant out of SWENFA for his "disgusting act"

The Savojarnia game could end in several different ways.

Southwest Eastnorth - 1
Harbors 48'

Gatchingerrak Union - 0
NONE

[Cabo Azure]

Cabo Azure 4 - Sanford 0

Starters:		Substitutes:													
Gomez			Valente												
Branco (goal 18')	K Brandao												
Medeiro			Costa												
Moniz			Lobo												
de Lima			Cunha (on 56')											
Rathbone (goal 42')	Cardoso													
Maciel (off 56')	Fonseca												
Ferreira															
Gouveia (goal 55')														
Corte-Real															
Silveira (goal 27')

A strong start against a debutante side. Young phenom Nicodemo Corte-Real failed to make much of an impact against the nation where he's played the majority of his football as a professional, but his teammates more than made up for it in a match that is sure to help should the final standings come down to goal difference. Amilcar Branco opened the scoring with a well-timed chipper to beat Mathius top shelf. The goals came at a regular clip after that, each with sufficient buildup to not embarrass the Sanford side. Of note, an apparent hamstring injury to Narciso Maciel in the 56th led to his replacement; Paulinho has declined to comment on his fitness for the blockbuster match versus Nephara.

Besides the scoreline, this match presents something of a Rorschach test to fans; do you see a robust attacking side, no longer dependent on dynamic wingbacks and dominant center forwards, or is this the same-same, but different for Cabo Azure? Take the remaining goals, for instance; Rathbone's in the forty-second came on a one-timer as he was overlapping Gouveia, an unusually nuanced play compared to Rathbone's usual approach. Was this a fluke and likely to go to the young midfielder's head, or a sign of things to come? Many have called for team captain Cleto Silveira to take a reduced role in the team in light of his struggles to find playing time in Tikariot; does his goal prove them wrong, or simply complicate the argument?

Speaking of Nephara, an uncharacteristic draw to Xinhua sets up a showdown on matchday 2 against a powerhouse side that will be seeking to redeem itself following the unsatisfying result. Get a result against Nephara and the Macaricas are all but guaranteed through to the group of sixteen, but, well, they have to get a result against Nephara.

“A Calma”, pt 2
Braga, Dulce Muerte, Cabo Azure
“It makes you think.”

It was a warm day in early June, that time of year known derisively in Cabo Azure as “A Calma”- the Calm. The name originally referred to the temporary equilibrium of temperatures between northerly and southerly latitudes which slowed the trade winds connecting Cabo Azure to the rest of southern Rushmore and northern Anaia. It had always been something of a misnomer, a sarcastic epithet for a time of year when tempers were high, economic growth was usually low, and Azurean cities were teeming with becalmed sailors looking for trouble.

Sitting stock still in the barber’s chair, Zacarías was aware of a single stream of sweat that had traced a path behind his right ear before arcing forward to stop and quiver against his jugular. The sounds of the barber shop were white noise: the clippers buzzing, the whine of the oscillating fan, the talking head on the television, and the barber’s inane patter all coalesced into a mesmerizing blur as Zacarías focused on the empty chair adjacent to his and tried not to move.

“I’m just glad the Prince and Princess are okay,” the barber went on, talking largely, it seemed, to himself. “Hate to see another Rushmori country go through what we did with O Interregno.”

Zacarías hadn’t followed the news out of Pasarga that closely–his interest in regional news was limited to knowing which country to blame for shipping delays. Despite not being a mariner himself–he got seasick easily–Zacarías came from a long line of sailors, and he shared their disdain for politics. On a ship, the captain’s word was law, and if you didn’t like it, it was easy enough to find another ship. The Azurean diaspora was full of those who’d found another ship, and no one at home thought any less of them.

“As long as there’s a place to moor,” Zacarías replied absently, parroting an idiom he’d often learned from his relatives. It meant sailors had little regard for the politics of the places they went, so long as they didn’t interfere with the business of sailing. Even when relations were at their lowest ebbs, Azurean ships had always been free to call at ports in Nephara and Eura, as their rulers knew any attempt to stop them would be futile.

“I fucking hate that saying,” came a voice from beside him, and Zacarías felt himself stiffen involuntarily. He’d said his piece to end a conversation, not start one, and who was this clown, anyway, starting an argument about politics in a barber shop? Women, beer, and football; these were fair game to be discussed in a barber shop. Important things, not politics. “As if the business of shipping isn’t tied up with politics. Why else has such a small country got such a massive coast guard, if not for politics?”

Zacarías almost couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Are you kidding? Who would protect our shipping if not for the Coast Guard?”

“Pirates haven’t been an issue on the Terranean coast in a century or more,” the man argued. Zacarías couldn’t see him because his eyes were still fixed straight ahead while the barber worked. “And there are more effective means of protecting our shipping lanes than kidding ourselves that we can outgun the Nepharims and the Eurans."

Zacarías scoffed. "'More effective means.' Like what?"

"Look at Ceni," the man said. "Electrum. New Gelderland. Avon. All in the same sphere of influence as us, all facing the same threat, yet they manage to secure their borders without selling a whole island to the smurfs."

"Smurf" was a slur Zacarías had begun hearing recently to refer to Quebecois in general, but especially the division of Quebecois marines now stationed on the island of Canarinho. He wasn’t sure of its origin, besides the blue of the Quebecois flag, but he was profoundly ambivalent to the existence of Camp Canarinho. On one hand, he was strongly opposed to a foreign army occupying territory in Cabo Azure, and it seemed to him they’d resisted invasion for centuries, only to invite the foreigners with open arms. On the other hand, construction and life-support contracts for the base had lifted the economy with real results for local families, and he knew the firepower on Canarinho, combined with the promise of more, would make the great Terranean powers think twice before sending their forces to invade.

[Sargossa]

It started with a dish. A nice one too. For it was a nice restaurant, nestled away in one of the posher districts of the Sargossan capital. Where two men were making a concerted effort to impress a third. Hence the posh restaurant. And the car that had brought him there straight from the airport. And the small matter of the private jet that had brought him to the airport, all the way from distant Esca. Yes, Football Federation head honcho Hernán Sandoval and national technical director Miguel Marí were very much turning on a charm offensive. Although playing it cool was not their thing as it turned out. The starter had barely arrived before they’d busted out their heaviest weapon. A four year contract that would have made their guest the highest paid national football coach in all of Rushmore.

Lev Repin politely declined. Which was a bit of a metaphorical fly in the expensive soup. The outgoing coach of Mytanija ticked all the right boxes. But given his reputation in the game it was hardly surprising that he had a better offer already lined up. Sargossa may have a longer history in the sport than their fellow Rushmoris but the trajectories of the two nations in recent years had been polar opposites. Sandoval and Marí had considered the approach bold. Others may simply have seen it as unrealistic. Not that the meal was a waste, far from it. When football types meet then can chat for hours. Plus Repin was able to offer some useful insights into a talented group of players of Sargossan heritage that were currently making an impact in the Mytanar Top League. And just before he headed to his car to be whisked back to Joaquín Delgado International he paused. The job may not be right for him, but there was a chap back home who might be well suited for the role. Perhaps look him up.

It started with a dish, it ended with Slavko Jelic being unveiled as the new national coach of Sargossa. The experienced coach, now into his sixties, felt ready for a new challenge after more than a decade at CDSA, having recently led the Decraa based side to Challenger’s Cup qualification and coming third in the Top League’s manager of the year award in the process. There was a slight wrinkle, with Jelic linked with replacing Lev Repin in charge of his homeland. But when that gig instead went to Dzvezdan Kitanchev the Football Federation and Jelic came together to hammer out a deal. Not quite on highest paid national football coach in all of Rushmore terms, but not too shabby regardless.

Flash forward to an arena encasing some fifty thousand fans on New Avon’s west coast. The Copa Rushmori group draw had not been kind. Co-hosts The Isles of Avon had no great pedigree in this tournament, but a capacity crowd at the Gateway Stadium would go a huge way toward disregarding that. Brookstation had heavily contributed to the Corsairs’ miserable run in the last World Cup qualification campaign. And then there was the almost inevitable pairing with Jelic’s own Mytanija. The Mytanars have proven to be implacable foes in the past, both on the football pitch and across a whole host of Olympic disciplines, and this tournament will be no exception. Plus, with a Mytanar at the helm of Sargossa the contest should prove all the more interesting.

Another interesting side story is the reinvention of Pablo Alarcón. The former enfant terrible had once looked to be a case study in what happens when someone too young gets too much too soon. Disciplinary wrangles on the pitch coupled with a series of issues off of it had looked all set to cause a serious waste of prodigious talent. Then something just clicked. A change of agent. A move from the centre of Goza to one of the city’s quieter suburbs. Just plain old growing up. Who knows what it really was, but something in Alarcón changed. Since then the goals and assists have flooded in for El Nacional. The international call-up was inevitable and Westport Park was witness to a debut to remember. Brookstation were fulfilling the role of spoilers once again. That was until Alarcón's exquisite pass with the outside of the boot released Tobías Figueroa into the box to drag the ball back into the path of Mateo Manzanares. The Dínamo Maturín forward with the ball at his feet in front of goal usually only means one thing, and he duly levelled the score at 2 – 2. And it was Alarcón himself who decided it. His trickery on the edge of the box was mesmerising. The shot he unleased in the space he’d engineered was unstoppable. Slavko Jelic had his first win. Next up, his homeland.

[Nephara]

It was a beautiful, threaded pass. With a single strike of the ball, her second touch of the game after taking control with the first, Ana Crowcombe split open the Xinhua defence.
Liu was on her heels, Reed chasing past her, eating up the yards, easily getting to the ball and keeping it just inside the box. Nepharan fans got up on their feet. 2-2 was the score; 2-1 in the first half before a beautiful strike from Lim struck both posts on the way in past a flat-footed Provost to level the scores. But they still had five, six, seven minutes to figure it out.
Reed did the simple thing, floating in a beautiful cross for Bravura Harper, arriving late in the box. Aesthetically beautiful, but too fast and hard to control; Harper hit it with her chest, realised it was going to bounce out and raised a boot to hook it back over her head into midfield. Now nobody knew what was going on; nobody except Tamara Ulmer, keyed up enough to win the header against Tao. The ball came to lingering leftback Kyri Levering, who clearly contemplated the shot before instead playing in Felixe Vetiver, because that's what you did when there were five minutes left to get three needed points. Vetiver squirmed free of her tight marker and got just enough space to work with.
It was a deft, fluid shimmy of the hips, footwork that was far more practical than fancy and put Soong off, getting just enough give, for a player with some of the finest close control in the world game, to pull off a tight, punchy shot from inside the box.
Which flew wide.
Nepharan fans rose, their cheers dying in their mouths, fist-pumps turning into hands on heads. Somehow, they'd just known she'd score, just like they'd known she'd score against Graintfjall, which she had, in fact, not. Vetiver pulled an unpleasant face, and spat on the ground. Koeller hissed out a sigh, burying her hands deeper in the pockets of her long black coat. "Cuuuunt," she said, one word that could mean so many things in Nephara.
And 2-2 it would remain, though both Ulmer and Reed hit and hoped late on, shots that ultimately flew high and wide of the target and denied them a chance at heroism. Vetiver did not score. She was now two games without a goal, the coldest run of her Nephara career, as a journalist pointed out. Most likely as a joke.
"Yeah, yeah. She's washed up, alright. Past her prime." Koeller's smile did not reach her eyes, but it did show all of her teeth.

Cabo Azure were next - somehow the first time the two naval neighbours had met in international competition. The two nations were largely wary of one another; the diplomacy was always cordial across the Brine, but the underlying values were very different, though not incompatible to the greasy handshakes of trade. And of course, there was a King. It was no coincidence that when the Azureans needed aid, they turned to Quebec, not their contacts in Brinemouth or Falourr.
They had a good, strong, developing side as well, not deep but containing undoubted talents like Gomez, Moniz, and the influential midfield general Narciso Maciel. For a nation of just half a million, they were already doing very well and only likely to improve from there. Good luck telling that to expectant Nepharan fans if the Cormorants failed to get a win, though...
Suffice to say there wouldn't be bloodshed in the stands, but there would be a lot of pride at stake. If this really was a cold streak by Vetiver's insane standards, then someone else had better pick up the slack...

Nephara 2 - 2 Xinhua
(4-2-3-1 -> 4-4-2) 1 - Provost; 2 - Schrader, 5 - Clevinger, 6 - Scales, 3 - Lind (22 - Levering 76'); 4 - Constantine, 8 - March (15 - Ulmer 57'); 7 - Anharbour (13 - Reed 57'), 23 - Kvasina (10 - Harper 85'), 11 - Marinca (16 - Crowcombe 85'); 21 - Vetiver
NPH:

Lineup vs. Cabo Azure
(4-4-2) 1 - Provost; 2 - Schrader, 5 - Clevinger, 6 - Scales, 3 - Lind; 13 - Reed, 4 - Constantine, 8 - March, 11 - Marinca; 21 - Vetiver, 10 - Harper

[Savojarna]

Savojar Roster for the 41st Copa Rushmori

RP PERMISSIONS

STYLE: -0.75

Choose Goalscorers: Y
Godmod Scoring: N
Injure Players: Y (no longer than the rest of the tournament)
Godmod Injuries: N
Yellow Cards: Y
Red Cards: Y - not more than one
Godmod other events: N

I am open to discussing all RP permissions via TG or Discord, if you have a specific plan.

TEAM

STAFF
Coach: Victoria Maersk
Age: 43 // Coach since: WCQ 92
A legend of the Savojar game, Victoria Maersk has been playing for the relatively unknown women’s team of Amazonia Valdhavn, when two things happened at the international level: The Savojar Women’s National Team won the Copa Rushmori 31 with a 23 year old Maersk playing a relevant role as a utility sub in the midfield, and Savojar pro football was fully integrated, resulting in the dissolution of her team. As a result, she was picked up on a free transfer by North Sabrefell in Nephara, the first player to move from Savojarna to the then Premiership. From then onwards, she captained the Savojar National Team at two World Cups and wore the armband for Vermillion Rage in the Zenith - and after her retirement, went into coaching training, being called up surprisingly to the Northlights now. Tactically somewhat of a wildcard, she works together with a large batch of the team that followed her when she did her coaching training in the Rotor Värstjö youth system and the Högvald national academy and is likely to employ a solid, flexible 4-4-2 relying on quick vertical play.

Coaching Team: Ingmar Söderby, Nicolai Kruul Jensen, Knut Sörensen, Lasse Tjoer, Valtteri Andersson
Ages: 52, 40, 43, 51, 58 // Special functions: Head Scout, Video analyst, Technical coach, condition trainer, GK Coach

Ingmar Söderby has been working in the system of Libertas Bergheim for a while, where he has found gems such as Knud Vingegaard and Jakub Jaranski. He changed over to the SFFB to work at Högvald, where he was working with Maersk during her coaching education. He has been taking a more active role in the selection committee as well as strategic coaching alongside Maersk.
Nicolai Kruul Jensen and Knut Sörensen have been co-coaches with Maersk at Rotor, and for Sörensen also at Högvald. Having been signed away from the SFFB after being a technical coach at the Academy, he now returned to the national federation alongside his friend and head coach Maersk. Kruul Jensen has been the video analyst at Rotor and a former striker in the SFS B, taking a somewhat more active role in the offence while Maersk orients her focus more on the work off the ball.
Lasse Tjoer is the physical coach and condition trainer, and has previously worked for multiple SFS A teams. He places a lot of emphasis on discipline, but gives the players a large amount of freedom to tune their practice regime to their own tastes as long as they stick to the targets. He is quite popular in the team, and a good motivator.
Andersson was a long-term goalkeeper for Energie Thorsborg and got directly transferred into the club's youth department when he retired at age 33. Following some good work with the club's youth department, he got trained as a GK coach and worked with the first team and the U21 of Energie for a while before being brought onto the squad of the NT early on. He still works with Energie on the side and is reputed to be very good at developing a goalkeeper's weaknesses.

Doctor: Dr. Christer Ljungberg
Age: 64
Christer is the head of the medical team of the Savojar NT and generally has a reputation of being the team’s good soul. Many players have come to him over the years to discuss their insecurities or physical problems, to the point that many consider Ljungberg to essentially be a second mental coach.

SQUAD

TEAM

Goal

Nr	Pos	Name			Club			Sex	Age
1	GK	Aleksandra Virulainen	Partisan Sjoedrhavn	F	31
12	GK	Sergey Sharin		FK Torpedo Pawlograd	M	28
20	GK	Olga Valujev		CASK Thorsborg		F	23

Aleksandra Virulainen will take the helm between the posts. She is an SFS A veteran who has won titles with Partisan, and shines through her space control and spatial awareness. On the downside, she is relatively short, putting her at a disadvantage on the line. Behind her, Sergey Sharin has been a long-term third string goalkeeper at the Northlights and has been promoted to second at the tail end of WCQ 90 during Iiro Pakanen’s temporary retirement, a spectacular and somewhat form-dependent player with strong physical attributes, especially an uncanny jumping ability. Behind the two, the nod has gone to Olga Valujev rather than Iiro Pakanen, signifying a change of the guard as the CASK Thorsborg keeper is establishing herself in the SFS A.

Defence

Nr	Pos	Name			Club			Sex	Age
2	LB	Ansgar Klaey		CASK Thorsborg		M	26
3	CB	Polina Zirkova		Ulsa (EUR)		F	32
4	CB	Vidkun Nymark		Dynamo Sjoedrhavn	M	28
5	LB/RB	Milla Viipuri		AFC Corvistone (NPH)	F	28
15	RB	Alvin Strid		Libertas Bergheim	M	24
16	CB	Sven Vikarby		Partisan Sjoedrhavn	M	24
22	CB	Dmitri Dmitriev		Admiral Storevik	M	29
23	RB/LB	Gudjohn Magnusson	ESK Storevik		M	24

On the left side, Ansgar Klaey and Milla Viipuri are similar types of players, both of them being well-balanced, somewhat conservative fullbacks who will have the ability to drive forward, but usually wait with doing so until an attack is solidly established. Both are also enduring players that can keep up with the pace of an international game for 90 minutes; Viipuri has the ability to play on both sides, adding a lot of versatility to the squad. Polina Zirkova is the undisputed organiser of the central backs, with good skills with the ball on her feet and good eyes to spot buildup opportunities. She will likely be complimented by either the tall, strong header Dmitriev or the more defensive and calm Vidkun Nymark, depending on the needs of the game. All three are veterans of the game and solid options to secure the back for Savojarna; the fourth man in the team, Sven Vikarby, is a younger option that stands out through his uncompromising attitude and skill to deliver accurate tackles.Viipuri is likely to see significant playtime on the right side against more offensive teams, whereas Alvin Strid is the only true wingback in the squad. The 25 year old is fast and technically adept, having played as a right midfielder in a 3-4-3 early in his career, and has a well-developed cross; however, he is prone to getting caught out when faced with fast, counter-attacking opposition.

Midfield

Nr	Pos	Name			Club			Sex	Age
6	DM	Markko Niskanen		Newrook City (NPH)	M	28
7	RM	Mikhail Jashkin		Directus (EUR)		M	33
8	CM	Vladimir Orakhin	Goodfeather FC (NPH)	M	24
10	OM	Morten Poulsen		Partisan Sjoedrhavn	M	33
14	CM/OM	Jelena Tretjakov	Dynamo Sjoedrhavn	F	23
17	LM/RF	Ruslan Novikov		FK Torpedo Pawlograd	M	22
19	LM	Finn Östberg		Lokomotive Jarnstad	M	28
21	RM	Kaisa Gyldenström	AFC Corvistone (NPH)	F	26

A flat four is expected to be the name of the game for Maersk, with the wingers being more part of the midfield than the very offensive sides that Lijushkin liked to employ. In central midfield, all four players are likely starters depending on the slant Maersk wants to give the team. Markko Niskanen, a physical and defensively very conscientious player, is the most defensive option. Steeled by the Zenith and a veteran, he is likely to take the brunt of defensive work. Orakhin is another Zenith player who is good at shuttling the ball and known for his stamina, similar to the more offensive Jelena Tretjakov. Morten Poulsen, finally, is a veteran playmaker who has a penchant for deep runs into the box, arriving late to score himself or find a last pass. He has been captaining Partisan Sjoedrhavn for many years, and is a natural leader to drive forward play. On the left side, Ruslan Novikov is the more offensive and technical player, an exciting winger that will play when Savojarna expect to make the game or need offensive power; against stronger, more offensive opposition, the two-way oriented Östberg is likely to start. A deadly crosser and good defender, he is a flexible team player. The right side remains the domain of Mikhail Jashkin, who has further established himself as a brilliant winger, accurate passer and crosser, and extremely conscientious player who will put himself at the team’s service at any time. Kaisa Gyldenström can be a strong backup with her speed and technique, and is expected to be used situationally to provide more direct threats from the side.

Forwards

Nr	Pos	Name			Club			Sex	Age
9	ST	Lars Alvesen		Partisan Sjoedrhavn	M	22
11	ST	Sven Ehlers		Falourr (EUR)		M	27
13	ST	Victor Hedenberg	Ibini FC (VAL)		M	26
18	ST	Vladimir Nichajev	Dynamo Sjoedrhavn	M	28

Up front, Sven Ehlers has grown into a star player of this side and is the likely starter, a smart player who will try to create danger from between the lines as a hanging striker. Ehlers is rather short but quick, mobile, and a good linker as well as a good finisher. Besides him, Lars Alvesen is a 22 years old, physical poacher that has established himself at Partisan. Using his height and strength, he likes to drive forward and slyly take chances that Ehlers sets up for him. The third option this time is Victor Hedenberg, a clever striker who likes the hanging position as well. He is less of a goal scorer and more of a player that tends to bring in his partner, winger, or offensive midfielder by playing balls backwards or sideways when there is an option. He also has a good sense of pressing and is likely to play defensive roles as well. Vladimir Nichajev is a bit of a wild card, a striker who is a cold finisher and just won a championship, but more of an allrounder than Alvesen or Hedenberg. He is likely to play in the top position, but can slot in as a hanging man in a pinch, and relies more on his good finishing and smart positioning than pure physique.

STARTING XI:



TACTICS

ROLES
Captain: Poulsen - Jashkin - Zirkova - Viipuri
Free Kicks (direct): Ehlers (left, centre), Jashkin (right)
Free Kicks (long): Poulsen, Zirkova
Corners: Östberg (left), Jashkin (right)
Penalty Kick: Alvesen, Ehlers, Poulsen, Jashkin, Zirkova, Tretjakov, Gyldenström [also progression for shooutouts]

KITS

Designed and manufactured by NDCS

[Darmen]

Rising Rates And Changing Attitudes Put Squeeze on Darmeni Clubs'

SCOTT CITY - As the Bank of Darmen continues to raise interest rates to fight rising inflation, the Strategic Studies Committee of the Darmeni Football Association has sounded the warning bells of a new threat to the financial future of many Darmeni football clubs: the changing attitudes of banks in lending to Darmeni clubs.

The committee's report was particularly concerned with the changing attitude of commercial banks, such as Met Trust, Grabbers Bank and FBB Financial, among others, in their dealings with football clubs throughout Darmen. The report noted that almost overnight the banks have stopped lending to clubs under preferential terms and have started to require clubs to borrow at more standard rates they normally charge other businesses. "The banks, following in the footsteps of the government, no longer see clubs as important community and social institutions worthy of receiving preferential treatment, but rather as fully fledged businesses," the report stated. "In certain cases, this is the fault of the clubs themselves, as the clubs have abused the favorable terms they received to fund excessive wage bills and other reckless spending and the banks are no longer having any of it."

Under the preferential terms clubs used to receive, the banks were willing to lend to clubs at a very low interest rate of 3%. Now, due to the preferential terms being retracted, as well as the Bank of Darmen's recent base rate increases in response to rising inflation, the Strategic Studies Committee has warned clubs they can expect interest rates on their lines of credit to soar to around 8% in the upcoming year and potentially higher in years to come.

This news is particularly devastating to hear at clubs that already hold large outstanding debts, many of whom require additional withdrawals from their lines of credit just to meet their operating costs as their revenues are eaten up by interest payments. One club in particular, Ajax Pisuvar FC, is already rumored to be in substantial danger of collapse.

The club originally went into debt when it decided to build a new 22,000 seat stadium after it secured promotion to Series A for the 2043-44 season. The plan seemed relatively straight forward, the club would borrow money to build the stadium but easily pay it back with the increased revenues the additional seats and first division football would bring. However, a delay in the building of the stadium and the worst ever performance in the history of Series A (last place with a 0-4-21 record) meant the stadium was not complete until the club had returned to Series B. Despite these setbacks, the club has been making some meager progress on repaying the borrowed funds in recent years. Now however, it appears their bank, FBB Financial, is demanding more progress on repaying the loan and charging the club higher interest at the same time, something which the club simply cannot cope with.

Ajax Pisuvar has made the extraordinary decision to play this season as a fully amateur team in an effort to reduce costs and meet the demands of their bank, but sources close to the club indicate that the move is unlikely to free up enough funds to repay the bank. The club is likely to enter administration, which would protect it from the bank for a short time, but raises significant questions about the club's future.

Other clubs around the country are reportedly in a similar position, although it would appear the situation in Pisuvar is the worst in the country. The Strategic Studies Committee has suggested that both the DFA and the National Football Series, the body in charge of Series A and Series B, as well as Series Y, should implement programs that would help fund clubs in danger of entering administration. Neither body however is likely to act until after the upcoming season, potentially too late for Ajax Pisuvar and other clubs facing similar difficulties.

[Cassadaigua]

Checking up on the Copa Rushmori,
by Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

The first game of the Copa Rushmori is in the books for the Fillies, as they played to a 3-2 victory over Tikariot, a nation with a great soccer program, but one that we have had success against. Way back when, you can remember that 7-0 win in a friendly against them, a result that still stands as the worse defeat that they have ever suffered. But everyone knows that they are much better than that. Prior to this Copa Rushmori group draw being known, the sides played in a friendly against one another, and the Fillies scored six fewer goals though allowed the same amount. Tikariot did score goals against us in Copa Rushmori 40 Round of 16, getting four, but unfortunately for them, we scored five.

The Owlets were hoping to reverse that trend in the opening match, but found themselves looking at the same scoreline that the friendly finished in just four minutes into the match when Morgan Rosenblatt delivered a beautiful cross to Chloe Anderson that the young forward finished off to make it 1-0 Cassadaigua quickly. When you have someone’s number, getting on the board quickly like that is a good way to once again rekindle the memories of past results in the opponent’s head. Krystal Sherwin made it 2-0 in the 26th minute though the Owlets got that one back just three minutes later, giving us the eventual 2-1 halftime score. It stayed that way for a little while in the second half, but Rosenblatt would make it 3-1 in the 66th minute, and despite an 83rd minute goal by the Owlets, the Fillies were able to hold on for the win, and continue their run of good form against Tikariot. Manager Brittany Byers was asked about the team’s record against the Owlets, “Brian McAllister has one hell of a team. They are a great squad. But, you know, in international soccer there are examples where one team just always seems to get it done against the other. Right now, we’ll enjoy that we seem to do that against them, but we have also seen that those runs of form can turn very quickly. We might be getting these wins, but the last three have been by one goal, so it’s not as if we are dominating the matches. I like that our team has been able to pull off the good results.” The defending Copa Rushmori champions will turn their attention next to Oberour Ar Moro, who defeat Gnejs 2-0.

Talking about the Cooper River conflict is not what I specialize in, of course, but there was an interesting development out of that in terms of the World Baseball Classic. The Cassadagan Association for Baseball, with the approval of Princess Brianna, will be completely funding a squad for “North Cassadaigua” in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Brianna stated that, “There has been a lot of press out there about the atrocities that have happened in the Northern Territory before I took over, and some of that can be justified, but there is also a lot of people in this area who are happy to become Cassadagans. They always wanted to be Cassadagans, but for whatever the reason was, mostly financial, they could never move to Cassadaigua. Some people out there, like those organizers of The River Republic would like you to believe that these people do not exist or are far and few between. They are Cassadagans now, and when we finally declare final victory, which I am expecting to be soon, they will be undisputed Cassadagans. We’re going to let them feel a part of it by signing up to the World Baseball Classic, and I thank the Council for approving the logistics of their entry so it could happen.”

The Cassadagan Association for Baseball talked more about how the North Cassadaigua squad will be fielded, “We are holding games right now amongst groups of players wishing to be a baseball team. It will be in a tournament style, but the eventual World Baseball Classic team representing North Cassadaigua will not be the winner of the tournament but selected in the way an all-star team might be selected from the various participating teams. There is a lot of excitement for that, and it’s a great example of how sports can bring about a strong feeling of nationalism.” We will talk more about this during the World Baseball Classic, of course, but it’s certainly an exciting development!