Cup of Harmony 84 - Rosters/RPs/Results

by **Cardenao** » Mon Nov 07, 2022 12:08 pm

Pre-Cup of Harmony Squad Review

Well my dear readers, here we are again, staring down the barrel of a Cup of Harmony group stage. Fantastic. Yes it was a highly disappointing 92nd World Cup for the Cardenao National Team, but no matter! The past is the past and that’s all there is to say about that….right after this 3000 word review of every NT player’s World Cup where I’ll critique and criticize them before assigning the player a totally arbitrary value out of 10! I love my job. So let’s get right into it!

Goalkeepers

#1 Ray Holland
Mr. Ray Holland had a good, if not spectacular World Cup and it’s no fault of his. Holland made good use of his positioning and reflexes to save many certain goals over the course of the qualifying campaign, but the generally superior teams Cardenao faced meant the defensive line was repeatedly broken through and you just can’t stop everything. It was unfortunate to see as he conceded 31 times in just 19 matches which is not super great but we believe in Ray to have a solid showing in the Cup of Harmony.
8/10

#12 Iñaki Pena
I mean there’s not really much to say here. Iñaki Pena made his international debut in the match against Atancello and managed to give up two goals in an uninspiring display. That being said, he did look very good with the ball at his feet, much more comfortable in helping build up play than Ray Holland is, even playing a role in one of Cardenao’s six goals that night when Pena started an attacking movement out from the back.
2/10

Leftbacks

#2 Hendrix Salvadore
Ah the life of the party, Mr. Hendrix Salvadore. Part Quebecois, Part Cardenaoan, 100% beast on and off the pitch. I’ll try not to verge into celeb gossip rag here by discussing his frequent trips to the PlayPen Mansion to visit his friends Marco Hertel and Amadou Sesko, but instead I will focus on the football. Hendrix was simply sensational during the World Cup campaign, commanding the leftback position with grace in both attack and defense. Salvadore linked up brilliantly with Ibai Acosta-Vargas in attacking movements that saw him score twice and assist four times in a brilliant campaign.
9/10

#13 Theodore Capella
Theo Capella didn’t have many opportunities to shine, only starting a single match and making nine appearances in total as he deputized for Hendrix Salvadore. Not really too much to write home about honestly, Theo did his job and he did it well, if not particularly outstandingly. He did well in defense, showing off his tackling ability on several occasions, most notably when he was the last man back against Chromatika and prevented a certain goal scoring opportunity, while completing 91% of his passes to prove himself as a reliable option out of the back. There is not much room for him to progress within the team as Hendrix has the leftback position locked down for another two or three World Cups, so this Cup of Harmony might be the last we see of 31 year old Theo Capella on the international stage.
6/10

Centerbacks

#5 Emmanuel Odita
It was a sensational World Cup Qualifying campaign from the new starting centerback for the national team as Emmanuel Odita put in consistently commanding performances. Twas a delight to watch him put his athleticism on display as he kept up the paceiest of wingers and stood strongly against the beefiest of strikers, with plenty of crunching tackles packed in there. The work he put in on the training ground refining his technical abilities paid off too as Odita looked comfortable when he had the ball at his feet, even pinging some lofted passes up over the opposing defensive line’s head. Only 21 years old with 31 caps to his name, long may Emmanuel Odita reign in the center of our defense!
8/10

#15 Shandon Grandillon
Mr. Grandillon had a good World Cup, serving well as the more refined ball playing centerback next to Emmanuel Odita in defense. Grandillon was an easy outlet for Cardenaoan attacking movements, a safe shore to dock the ball at before he pinged it away to another player, and that sort of ability was invaluable to the way Scooter McNash had the Cardenao team set up. Unfortunately Grandillon is starting to show his 31 years, being notably slower then in years past, but his keen sense of positioning meant that wasn’t the biggest issue (at least not yet) and the athleticism of Odita next to him meant any physical battles Shandon lost were immediately rectified. Still though, that might become an issue as points are won and lost over inches, so any inches lost could have drastic repercussions. He is one of several players who reached the 50 cap mark during the 92nd World Cup, it’s only he gives us 50 more but every match he plays for us is one to treasure...
7/10

#19 Salmon Moncharetta
It was a great national team debut from the centerback from Alexandria United, with Salmon Moncharetta playing superberbly in his cameo appearances and offering a cool, calm, and collected presence in the middle of defense. Honestly he looked like a younger Shandon Grandillon, perhaps even more comfortable with the ball at his feet and showing an eagerness to get up and act as a striker when Cardenao was behind and chasing a goal. He made use of every inch of his 6’4 frame, one that he threw around the pitch with a certain level of grace. I was particularly surprised and impressed by his slide tackling ability, that aspect of his game went comparatively unheralded in the lieu of his on-ball ability, so it’ll be interesting to see how he progresses from this experience with the national team.
7/10

Rightbacks

#3 Dylan Mathers
Well we’ll get the big news out of the way first, and that’s that Dylan Mathers is no longer captain of the Cardenao national team after voluntarily stepping aside from the position. One must wonder if that’s due to his uninspiring World Cup performances. He did well, decently enough no doubt, but there’s no doubt that Hendrix Salvadore was more impactful on both ends of the pitch, not that that’s a bad thing I suppose, coming from the right back position. Thank you for your 50 matches as our Captain, you did a good job but now is the time to experiment a bit.
6/10

#16 Johan van Maria Mata
On the opposite end of the ‘excitement spectrum’ in right back comes Johan van Maria Mata with his attacking gameplay. He only had a pair of starts but he did very well, combining with the right winger ahead of him and using his dribbling to slice through opposing defenses. He got caught out of position a few times but showed good recovery pace to come back and challenge whoever might have gotten past him. It’s a shame he’s 30 going on 32, if he were ten years younger he might have the chance to make the right back spot his.
7/10

Center midfielders

#4 Diego Valenzuela
All hail our new Captain! Yes, Diego Valenzuela has officially been promoted from Vice-Captain to full on Captain. You love to see it as Valenzuela presents a commanding presence deep in midfield who could always be counted on to disrupt opposition attacks while providing the perfect pass to start the counter. He had a great World Cup proving why he’s the quarterback of this young Cardenao team with his organizational buildup play from defensive midfield to score once and assist twice. We’ll all be curious to see how Diego handles being the Captain of the team during the Cup of Harmony.
8/10

#6 Haritz Larrainzar
It was a fantastic tournament for Haritz Larrainzar, who finished the World Cup with a goal and seven (7) assists. Larrainzar showed why he was elected to the Tikariot Premier League B Team of the Season, with his complete approach to the midfield game showing why he’s the best Cardenaoan midfielder alive. Equally adept at an inch perfect slide tackle as he is an inch perfect pass, Haritz ran the show with grace for Cardenao, acting almost as a possession minded and spry dribbling box to box midfielder for the national team in a role he fit perfectly. At only 25 years of age, I am beyond delighted to have many more days of watching Larrazinar dance through opposition midfielders. Oh also, he’s our new Vice-Captain!!! Yes after putting in 50 vocally commanding performances for the Cardneao National Team, the time has come for him to be our second-in-line for the armband. Super excited to see what Larrainzar can do during the Cup of Harmony!
9/10

#8 Giampetro Vera
This was an unfortunate campaign for Giampetro Vera. He entered the World Cup coming off an injury and it was clear that it was affecting him at the start, which impacted his confidence, which impacted his game, and thus the vicious cycle began. While he wasn’t awful, it’s just he wasn’t what you want from your starting midfielder, it wasn’t what you expect from Giampetro Vera. With Vera, you expect a ridiculously fast athlete who knows how to pass and set up play to create solid attacking opportunities. You expect the crazy dribbles where he slings the ball just out of reach of the opponent and uses his incredible acceleration to bound away from challenges. We didn’t see that, no we just saw mediocrity. I’ll give him a pass because he’s been traditionally damn good for the blue and golds, but this was a worry to see as he finished the World Cup with a single goal and assist. At 28 years of age, he certainly has more time to show us what he’s got.
6/10

#10 Jayful Archer
Jayful Archer was Jayfully decent during the 92nd World Cup qualifying campaign. Opportunities and meaningful minutes were much harder to come by in this World Cup, so Jayful was unable to get into play as often as he had during WC91. He does exit with a goal and three assists to his name, so he wasn’t terrible by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s clear his ability to make a stamp on the game is fading at 31 years of age. A legend and a phenomenal passer who has his moments, but those moments are few and far between these days.
6/10

#14 Zoltan Keidobika
Zoltan Keidobika had a great World Cup debut, showing why he was the master of simple things. A simple drop of the shoulder, a simple lofted through ball, a simple 30 yard top corner free kick cause this guy only scores bangers from dead ball situations? Easy. No problem for the newcomer who exits the tournament with a freekick goal and three assists. By far the best free kick taker in Cardenao and an equally good passer, Zoltan Keidobika showed why he might force his way into the starting lineup, much more to come and I am excited to see what he can do!
7/10

#19 Abwooli Isaza
Abwooli Isaza is a good player, let’s start there. In fact, I feel confident calling him the best Cardenao player in the specific role he plays, that is the ball winning destroying midfielder who slams into opponents and acts as an agent of physical chaos on the field. He’s hampered by that rarely being the gameplan for Scooter McNash’s team, who lives and dies by the attack minded possession game. Abwooli failed to make a single start during this World Cup campaign and you have to wonder if he ever will, or if he’ll always be doomed to be the Plan B that never comes to be. I feel bad giving him this rank because it’s not due to poor play from him, it’s just the reality of his situation and not getting much game time. Still managed a goal and assist though, good for him.
5/10

#21 Rafa DiSantos
Rafa DiSantos entered this World Cup a very promising 20 year old and is leaving it as perhaps the first name off the bench to slot into Midfield. Four goals including a stellar hat-trick, and four assists show the many facets of Rafa DiSantos. Most notable for his passing and dribbling abilities, DiSantos came off the bench to turn the tempo to aggressive by relentlessly setting up attacking movements. A lackluster tournament from Giampetro Vera means a good Cup of Harmony and a solid domestic season could see Rafa DiSantos force his way into the starting line-up and I am here for it.
7/10

Left Wings

#7 Ibai Acosta-Vargas
Ibai Acosta-Vargas the God. Another World Cup, another fantastic showing from the most dangerous Cardenaoan footballer alive (sorry Juanma Saez). At 29 years old, IA-V into the Cup of Harmony after a magnificent World Cup campaign where he scored four and assisted eight while creating multiple opportunities per match. Electric, inventive dribbling to dazzle defenders before whipping in an otherworldly accurate pass to his target in the center. Or he can cut to the center before ripping a curling shot towards goal. But it really is his incredible ability to make the assist that draws as much attention to Acosta-Vargas as it does, he is truly Cardenao’s biggest threat on the field and it is a joy to watch him play. At 29, he still has plenty of good time left with the national team and I can definitely say I speak for every Cardenaoan when I say I am thrilled about that. Super excited to see him in the Cup of Harmony!
10/10

#22 Graysão Sandora
It was a World Cup to forget for Graysão Sandora…just like it was in the last tournament. It’s not that he’s a bad player, in fact Graysão is quite good, he’s one of the best dribblers from Cardenao and his long range rocket shots are always entertaining to watch in flight, but he simply doesn’t provide anything that other members of the attacking force don’t already provide, and they do it in a much more selfless manner. You compare that to Graysão, who’s always looking to get his shot, his highlight reel moment, his glory. No. That’s not how you win, at least that’s not how Cardenao wins. One goal to show for it all too, no Graysão you really need to mature and up your ability and desire to link with your teammates. Otherwise I don’t care how talented you are, at 22 years of age you need to start putting it together.
3/10

Strikers

#9 Juanma Saez
Juanma ‘Goals goals goals’ Saez was back banging em in for fun for Cardenao. A great World Cup showing from the 28 year old as he scored ten goals and assisted twice, showing why he’s the deadliest Cardenaoan alive.. Such pace and power, Juanma’s off the ball ability was in full display as he constantly evaded his markers to create goal scoring opportunities for himself. It’s Juanma Saez Mr. Goals himself, what else do you need to say?
10/10

#20 Yeison Mesa
It was a tournament to forget for Yeison Mesa who, right after scoring 41 goals in the Cardenao MegaPower League for Cardonia FC, failed to get many chances off the bench and ended the World Cup Qualifying campaign with three goals. He had his chances during the first half of the qualifying campaign but failed to take them, and with Chímo Ventura finding red hot form the second half of it, Yeison found getting minutes a much harder challenge. He’s a greatplayer, again he scored 41 goals in a season, but if he’s not getting the chances then there’s not really more for him to do. I really like Yeison Mesa, I think he’s class, but Juanma Saez is the nailed on starter and the way Chímo has been playing makes me think Yeison will be lost in the transition between the two.
5/10

Right Wings

#23 Chímo Ventura
Chímoooooooo Ventura. What a World Cup it was for the 19 year old. After a fairly slow first half of the campaign where he scored a single goal, he burst into form to score another six through the second half of the qualifying campaign for seven (7) in total. His blend of pace, trickery on the ball, and natural agility made him a nightmare for defenders, while his natural eye for goal and sharp shooting abilty made him a constant goal threat to opposing goalkeepers whenever he got the chance. After a disappointing campaign from Fabrizio Viscarra on the right wing, Chímo who was given the starting spot for the second half of qualifying and he grabbed it with both hands. The bright light of Cardenao football is shining brighter than anyone could’ve thought. It makes one interested for the Cup of Harmony, Gods willing we qualify, and for the domestic football season to come. Onwards and upwards young lad!
8/10

#18 Halan Medhabgia
What an impressive debut with the Cardenao National Team it was for Halan Medhagbia. One goal, two assists, intelligent close quarter play, delightful dribbling, and a natural eye for the practical application of flair, it was a thrill to see Medhagbia dancing around on the pitch. I was worried his slender build would cause him issue with the higher physical nature of international play, but he used his agility and creative sprints to evade any threatening challenge. I would love to see more of Halan, who plays for Quebec club Cornwall Clippers, but the great play of Chímo Ventura means this will be a great battle and Scooter McNash will be thrilled to have two great options out right.
7/10

#11 Fabrizio Viscarra
Oh Fabrizio, how excited I was to see what you could do on the back of your 18 goal/14 assist season in the Cardenao MegaPower League, what you would show as the starter for the national team. Unfortunately, you failed to show much through the tournament, only a goal and a pair of assists to show, and the level of play was bad enough that backup striker Chímo Ventura eventually won the starting position over you. Fabrizio did show good dribbling and bags of pace but it ultimately never quite got put together completely, and I’m not really sure where that leaves him in Scooter McNash’s plans for the national team. You have to think this Cup of Harmony is his last chance to stay with the National Team. I would love for him to stay, you never want to see someone fail, but I do wonder if we should cut our losses and move in a new direction.
6/10

Well now, wasn’t that fun? Hopefully you’ve a good sense of the Cardenaoan players and how they performed at the World Cup. Truth be told, nobody is sure what to expect from Cardenao at this Cup of Harmony. Hopefully not last place in the group but that looks to be a tall ask considering we have the eighth best team in the world in our group (Brenecia) in addition to the Honorable HUElavians, the King Kimi-Suomians, and the tasty jabronies (I kid, I kid) of The Jovannic. All highly capable teams, all looking to make the most of the short five match group stage, man I’m getting nervous just thinking about it!

Best of luck to the lads, play well, play with honor, keep a smile on your face. You’re laying the foundation for future success, just remember that!

by **Juvencus** » Mon Nov 07, 2022 12:23 pm

LET'S TALK FOOTBALL: LA SQUADRA THIS YEAR

Mentally speaking the team entered this cycle with quite a bit of confidence. In truth, a bit too much confidence, stemming from the fact that the team had its best Independents Cup run ever. But this was not meant to be and the rocky start really put the team back to square one. This is not to say the run was bad, since a lot of victories followed but finishing in the bottom half of the table with a run this good makes people put things into perspective. ""What exactly is wrong with the team?" One may wonder. At il Scudelliano, we have decided to give you, the reader, a few points to look out for this specific position gli attaccanti are currently in.

Highest scoring output, choking inbound: It is not mystery, for the past 10 years the team has not managed to take a good advantadge of its opportunities. That is to say, usually it would present itself as a world cup play off spot(losing to a strong Saint Eleanor side last cycle proved to be hurtful), or narrowly missing out the top 2 place finish in the qualifiers(we are not 3uvencus for nothing). Worse yet, being completely annihilated in the Independents Cup by competition they could normally comfortably win otherwise, which they have showcased.

This time around, to put it lightly, it was worse than the other times. Juvencus is a team that traditionally poses a threat towards anyone and especially higher-ranked opponents, who usually give our nation an honorable mention as such often times. This cycle just was not it, whether it was the changes in the starting lineup and general buildup of the team, which changes have not stopped happening even since the start of the stable starting lineup or some mentality issue, remember, gli attaccanti got stomped in the quarterfinals of the Independents Cup by fellow co-hosts Drawkland, something was wrong. No WINS, barely a couple ties and nothing to show for may show a lack of elite mentality that the teams of old may have had.

To make matters worse, the team had the highest scoring output in the group, although admittedly crushing Yakk with 8 goals to 2 away constitutes a big chunk of said goals scored. If the team's goals do not have any value, the team will not go any further than the middle of the pack. Entering into the Cup of Harmony in Ceni, as we are lumped in the same group as the co-hosts(the others being fellow Sonnelites in Delaclava), the team has to show better effectiveness if it wants to achieve the impossible yet again.

Is Madeiros treated too harshly?: The coaching business is a tough one in Juvencus, let alone the job of the national team coach. Coaches have come and gone and even died on the post. Ever since Madeiros has taken over, the team has had its ups and downs but all in all, the build up from the time of De Casio has been superb. The team has improved, it has changed and has reached a balance between old and new. It has come the closest to the world cup out of all teams and has had the most Cup of Harmony participations, showing that this team has been considered a wildcard for a long time.

Most fans in Juvencus, however seem discontent with the team, still. Whether this is the typical Juven cockiness(for which we have become known for) and superiority complex or the memories of the older ones which feed onto it, they just do not seem to be seeing the progress of the team. They are led to slander him, a legend of the national team who has bled heart, sweat and tears for the nation in the international stage.

Patience is an art that many Juven people need to develop, the sudden rise to the top of the old times might as well have been a fluke. This is the time that the team is properly building up and will have to propel itself from. This Cup of Harmony will bring his tactics into the spotlight.

Is the Pomenienze getting found out?: This might seem like a sin to many fans here but this is international football we are talking about. The crème de la crème of footballers and tactical genius. As good as a tactic this is, it has a few major weaknesses, which both Ko-oren and especially Sendhang might have taken an advantadge of.

The Pomenienze focuses a lot on going forwards, with little emphasis on defence. It might be strong offensively, nearly unbeatable, but cannot drag on forever. That is not to say there is 0 defence, but it is lackluster and speed-focused, as such, in the late-game, this is effectively weakened as the players will not have the same stamina for it. But not just that, an equally aggressive style of football which can find a lot of defensive gaps can also effectively render a Pomenienze's backline useless. Lastly, a top-tier defence could also do that, as exhibited by the Ko-orenites in the away fixture in Ko-oren.

Madeiros will have to find a way to mitigate this as much as possible in the upcoming Cup of Harmony. Aside from that it will be the perfect stage to showcase whether or not the team can get past the second round of a major competition for the second time running.

Over here in il Scudelliano wish gli attaccanti good luck in the Cup of Harmony in Ceni and Delaclava and for loads of wins, starting off with the game against Cap Nord for matchday 1.

by **Mercedini** » Mon Nov 07, 2022 12:53 pm

Manager:

Sam Billic • Formation: 4-4-2

Despite finishing second in their qualifying group, the Golden Eagles are back at another Cup of Harmony after losing their second World Cup playoff. Their 2-1 victory in Zoloroni was not enough to overturn a two-goal first-leg deficit, and so Dini return to the Cup of Harmony looking for their second title once again. The two-time finalists and one-time winners we're always going to be second best to sporting titans Valanora in their qualification group, but a solid second place finish put them in a solid spot to qualify for the World Cup. Alas, Mercedini needed to go through one final barrier to get to football's premier sporting tournament which proved too far for the Golden Eagles, as Milchama beat them by 5 goals to 4 over two legs. Their decent performances throughout qualification meant an invitation to the 84th Cup of Harmony shortly followed, taking place in Delaclava and Ceni. It's a stacked field this time around, as is normally the case, so Billic and his team will need to work hard to make a statement at this tournament. They come into this Cup of Harmony as a Pot 2 side, but let's see how far their talent can take them.

GOALKEEPERS   Name                    	   Age	          Club	
GK            Frederick Wandai             29           Blue Strike Zoloroni
GK            Anders Vorsini               28           Kiaono Locals
GK            Dmitrije Azar                28           Clayquot City

Mario Merlo drops from the roster to leave a fairly senior trio in goal for the Golden Eagles. Goals against were hard to come by for Mercedini throughout their qualifying campaign, but leaking goals when it mattered was how the team was undone by numerous teams at the latter end of the group. Shipping ten to Valanora, plus five to Milchama over two games each, turned a resolute defence into a team which buckled under the slightest of pressure. Obviously goalkeepers only have a limited effect in these situations, but rooting out mistakes in training will mean these same errors to not crop up in this tournament. With only three selections, Billic can choose wisely and pick depending on their kind of opponent.

DEFENDERS	
LB            Joaquim Santorino            25           Blue Strike Zoloroni
LB            Armarzi George               29           AS Marcadia
CB            Jordan Brindliev             29           Jhanna City
CB            Lyon Dalamai                 27           Langtree United
CB            Thibaut Peñarito             27           Peynol-Lunas
CB            Kristian Trevasoni           31           Zoloroni Metropolitan
RB            Thomas Di Sansev             28           Zoloroni City
RB            Lucas Stretovsky             28           Blue Strike Zoloroni

Three names removed from the roster means a much more streamlined selection for Billic when it comes to the four that play at the back. None of the players removed featured in qualification at any point, so there was no loss of experience when it comes to the eight names in the defensive roster. As mentioned previously, the team seems to have turned a corner when it comes to keep their opponents out, they just need to dig in when facing top qualify teams. They will get another chance to do this as the second seed in their group, and if they can make it out, they can truly test themselves against the best. The Holy Empire, Brenecia and Pasarga are the top three to beat on paper, while Adab is Group D's top seed who have shocked many by not playing WorldVision legend Kinan al-Salaman in every position. Dini will be playing them, plus New Gelderland, Chartistan and Sargossa to round out the group.

MIDFIELDERS 
LM            Giorgio Gucci                33           Sportiva Montelcampo
LM            Lawrence Garzallo            29           Zoloroni Metropolitan
CM            Girolamo Alcides             28           Sitka Valley
CM            Johannes Nymark              32           Zoloroni City
CM            Johan Karlovic               28           Spartangrad
CM            Gonzalo Lorano               29           Honeybadgers
RM            Christian Armani             32           Slateport Bulls
RM            Kian Berazzi                 28           Blue Strike Zoloroni

This could be the last dance for many of the players in this midfield roster, with many memories of success and disappointment surrounding the players. The Mercedinian midfield has been blowing hot and cold for many cycles now, with no real sense of stability when playing teams within the top 50. We thought we had finally cracked the code of getting results against the top teams, but that all came crashing down towards the end of qualifying, when they only just squeaked through in second place before bowing out two games later. Plenty of experience remains in this roster, and it is hoped that Dini can make it out of a competitive group and make the knockouts once again.

STRIKERS 
ST            Adrian Talisky               24           Blue Strike Zoloroni
ST            Ben Chillotov                32           Lajuno
ST            Daniel Dostalok              33           Starling
ST            Max Esthik                   31           Zoloroni Metropolitan

Could this be the final tournament we see Chillotov and Dostalok at? It's certainly looking that way as time is not on the side for these talismanic strikers. Now in their early thirties, they could be replaced at the next cycle, for more youthful and energetic players. If Billic goes after this tournament, it could accelerate the process, making way for another generation of Mercedinian strikers to be grossly inflated on the international markets. Feliks Alva is the one who drops out, leaving a quartet of players with plenty of experience from this cycle alone. Talisky will be the one to watch when it comes to producing goals, but Chillotov plus the two subs could certainly come on in an emergency to net one or two. What a poetic end it would be for the two senior strikers to finish their swan song as double Cup of Harmony champions.

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
Injuries to my players: Yes*
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes*
Godmod other events: Yes
*just let me know what you've done so I can factor that into the schedule

STYLE: +2

by **Adab** » Mon Nov 07, 2022 1:56 pm

THE ADAB TIMES
The Most Trusted Voice in the Nation, Est. 1878

SPORTS | FOOTBALL
Thursday, June 13, 2041

Cup of Harmony: Kaykali Fearless Ahead of Chartistan Clash

Adab national team manager Saad Kaykali says he is aiming for a “swift victory” over Group D rivals Chartistan and tells viewers to expect a “full-fledged attack” from the first whistle.

By Sargon al-Basri

CENI – Speaking to the Adab Times ahead of Adab’s opening Cup of Harmony match against Chartistan, Saad Kaykali stated that, while he respects Chartistan as a footballing power, he believes Adab has nothing to be afraid of and that he is confident of taking all three points when they meet tomorrow.

“I don’t even think that much about the match, to be honest,” Kaykali said. “We just gotta get on with it.”

“I’m more worried about the mosquito fogging at my neighborhood tomorrow. It’s a sort of vigilante shit, this one, my neighbors got bored of waiting for the local council to do something and hired this professional, private mosquito killer. For quite the hefty sum, I might add.

“They’ve got this new lavender haze which apparently is quick in killing mosquitoes. I just hope they don’t end up smearing my house with lavender paint.

“It’s better than the maroon they used at my cousin’s neighborhood the other day, though. Made the whole place look like it just came out of the Dust Bowl or something.”

Despite his worries, Kaykali said that he agrees with his neighbors’ decision to take matters into their own hands. “It’s like waiting for karma to befall them, you don’t know how long you’re gonna have to wait. Sometimes our government just acts too slow, even at the local level, and we have to act. That’s where the private sector comes in.”

“I feel like I’m rooting for the anti-hero,” Kaykali added with a chuckle.

The 67-year-old commented on how it feels whenever Adab are training and playing in a foreign country. “Well, you’re away from home, so that’s something,” Kaykali said. “You’re basically sequestered much of the time, on the training ground, in the hotel, in the stadium, spending your midnights far from family, you don’t really see much of the outside world sometimes and nothing’s really going on outside your bubble, just sweet nothing.”

“Sometimes when you get into the stadium, seeing all the rival fans, you tell yourself, ‘You’re on your own, kid, we might as well be in a labyrinth,’ but then you see our supporters, people who’ve traveled all the way from home like us to support us, and you know you’re not alone, so thank you to all our supporters for that.

“The Adab national team is a sort of bejeweled national institution at this point, a focus of unity for people who otherwise argue about everything from politics to food prices, and I’m very proud to be managing this team.”

Kaykali concluded by asserting that his aim is to win the trophy. “It’s the age-old question: Why be afraid to dream?” he said. “It snows on the beach, it rains at midnight, it’s not impossible for us to win. As long as we try our best, we can go far because I know we’ve got the quality to do that.

“Victory is my greatest dream. If we can mastermind a win, it will mean so much to us, to all the people who look up to this team, to see us bring the trophy home. It’s a dream bigger than the whole sky.”

by **Brookstation** » Mon Nov 07, 2022 1:56 pm

All that starts well doesn't end well. But the rather unexpected and disappointing end isn't supposed to be the end after all. It is the nature of humankind to be given a second chance, a chance to revert those mistakes and start afresh. Well that is what the Cup of Harmony means for Brookstation. Billy Browne was in the most desperate situation a man can possibly be in. Although he holds the distinction of being the only manager to take Brookstation to a playoff berth for the World Cup, things haven't been positive for him lately. A series of consecutive losses had completely sunked Brookstation's chances of qualification as well as the team's morale. The team was yet to make it's mark on international football and preparing the team ahead of the Cup of Harmony was itself a stellar task. Browne had made up his mind by now, it was either now or never. One more mistake and he would hang up his coat.

The Cup of Harmony is usually a tournament where teams look forward in achieving unexpected feats. It's an oppurtunity for nations to make an impact on the international stage but for Brookstation, things have always been the other way around. Would this time be any exception to the fact ?

"Here we go again" said Robes taking a sniff of the clean Cenian air, " Ceni is definitely worth a tour man"

"Depends on how long we get to stay here." replied John without a second's hesitation

"Fuck you John , the tournament hasn't even started yet, there's a long way to go."

"Whom do we have in our group again ?" asked Robes, "Hopefully not dangerous teams."

"I mean we've got Saint Eleanor and Delte"

"Fuck, nevermind."

"You know what, let's just stop thinking about football for a moment and chill out for a bit."

The duo jogged through the comparatively way cleaner streets of Ceni towards a crowded destination in hopes of finding a good cafe to have breakfast in. Sometimes, they did attract some attention from the crowd but it was just limited to a selfie or a signature. The fact that Ceni was a Rushmori nation ensured a larger number of audience and thus hopes were at an all time high. On entering a small cafe by the road , they were welcomed by a middle aged jolly man. One could easily conclude from his looks that he was an avid follower of the game.

"Jesus Christ, it's Johnson and Robes." remarked the unknown figure with an excitement he had probably never felt before

"Yes ?" asked John with a look of uncomfortability

"You know what , if you'll lose a single match in Ceni, I am going to burn myself to death. After losing terribly to freaking Gnejs of all nations, you all shouldn't literally have the audacity to lose anymore."

"Godammit, the same old shit again." replied Robes sharply knocking his feet on the table and subsequently shaking it's contents. "You know what, just go and burn yourself for everyone's benefit."

"Bloody hell man, I thought these guys have come here to support us ?"

"The stuff that happens on social media after one loss truly indicates it doesn't it ?" replied Robes in a sarcastic tone.

"Right people have changed a lot, but at the moment even I am kinda concerned about what's gonna happen." commented John after taking a bite of his food. "I mean look at Billy, he's been tearing all his hairs recently, I really feel sad for ourselves."

"Hmmm. Heaven knows what's in store for us"

Even if heaven has the answer, we for a matter of fact don't. Having conceded 7 goals in their last 2 encounters, Brookstation was in no point to be confident. The implications of this messed up condition was something that could be felt very lucidly by the team. But perhaps that is the point of the game of football after all. What might seem bound to happen might not happen in the long run. Winning a silverware has a different feeling altogether but that is yet nothing but a dream for the team. With so much on their plates, Brookstation will head forward to face Delte on their first encounter to start yet another CoH campaign and like always the big question remains , "Will we last longer than a high school relationship this time ?"

by **Ziwana** » Mon Nov 07, 2022 2:05 pm

6-7 ZFF Ngwaziliga

The 6-7 ZFF Ngwaziliga (known as the ZFF Balabet Ngwaziliga for sponsorship reasons) was the inaugural season of the Ngwaziliga, the top division of Ziwani football. The season began on 14 August 6 ZNE and ended on 2 May 7 ZNE. The league was made up of the 14 clubs that broke away from the Ziwani Footbll League before the start of the 6-7 season. The new league was backed up by a five-year, 450 million NS Pounds deal with Ziwani Sports Group (ZSG) to televise Ngwaziliga matches. This was the first season that top division football was televised in Ziwana, before the tv right deal, football was broadcast over the radio. In concept, the Ngwaziliga was identical to the old Liga Malicky of the Ziwani Football league, which was now reduced to three divisions.

Overview

Background

Before the 6 ZNE all football on the Ziwani Archipelago had stopped due to the Ziwani Civil War. On 28th December, 5 ZNE, a month after the conclusion of the Ziwani Civil War, the Ziwani Football League (ZFL) announced that domestic football would be returning to the Archipelago in 6 ZNE. Football fans all around Ziwana where beyond ecstatic at this news. On January 15th, 6 ZNE the Chairpersons of the 14 Ziwanicell Premiership sides met in Birnin Likulu at the Grand Castle Hotel to discuss the future of Ziwani top tier football. The Chief Executive Officer of the Ziwana Sports Group (ZSG), Justin Kazako was also in attendance. Newly elected Ziwani Football Federation (ZFF) President, Nicolas Bayaram had connected the 14 Chairpersons with the CEO of ZSG. Bayaram wanted to comercialize Ziwani domestic football and thought that the collaboration between the Chairpersons and the CEO of ZSG would help 'raise the bar' of Ziwani football. The 4 year absence of football in Ziwana had greatly affected the 14 football clubs, most players had resigned from their clubs. The clubs where depleted of players and in financial troubles, the ZFL was offering no solutions. With a weak top league it is clear Ziwana would not be able to be competitive in regional and multiverse football. The 14 Chairmen believed that if football matches where shown on TV it would not only increase the awareness and popularity of the league but also bring revenue to it. ZSG boss, Justin Kazako was in agreement, however he suggested that if the Chairmen truly wanted to strengthen the top tier, they would have to break away from the ZFL and form a truly professional top tier league. The breakaway would be announced on 16th February and immediately they would face backlash from the ZFL. However due to support from football fans and the Ziwani Football Federation (ZFF), the ZFL backed down. Thus the ZFF Ngwaziliga was formed.

Season summary

The first Ngwaziliga title went to Western United, the clubs first title in 14 years. The title is very significant to the club as it brought them closer to
30 decades of top tier titles. Western United only need 2 more titles to reach the historic achievement.

The first Ngwaziliga season was very exciting as it had the 'Ziwani Big 8' . Winning the title was such a struggle for all football clubs involved in the league.

Birnin Select was very dominant in the first half of the season, finishing in 1st place at the half-way line. However, Birnin Selects league form suffered after the club lost striker Steven Banda to an injury. The injury of their prolific striker affected the club so much that the goals dried out. Birnin Select would drop from the top half of the table to the mid-table where they finished 6th. The Champions, Western United where the most entertaining club in the league scoring 55 goals by the end of the campaign.Western United finished 2nd at the end of the first round, 1 point behind rivals Birnin Select. In the Second Round Western United would continue with their brilliant exciting football. On Matchday 17 Western United would finally claim top spot in spectacular fashion. United faced Big 8 side ECOA FC. ECOA FC where in need of points to avoid being relegated so they played their hearts out and scored earlier in the 14th minute. George Rooney would score in added time to equalize for Amawashindi. The second half was a tight game and both sides where an equal match but when it seemed like the game would an in a draw, George Rooney produced a spectacular shot from 30 yards out that pushed United top of the table in the 87th minute. After this match United did not let go of the top spot. 8 time top division champions, Black Leopards another Big 8 football club was the side that provided pressure for the league title on Western United after Birnin Selects flame burnt out and they dropped out of the title race. On Matchday 25 with 4 points separating Black Leopards and Western United these two giants of Ziwani football faced against each other, United to finally become champions and Leopards to keep their chances at the trophy alive with nothing less than a win. The historic match took place at the 46000 capacity Zibaba Sport Arena, the home of Black Leopards on Saturday the 24th of April, 7 ZNE. In the First Round Western United had won the match up against Black Leopards in a tightly contested game, although the side was confident they did not underestimate Leopards especially at their own home ground. Former Black Leopards player and current Ziwani Football Federation President, Nicolas Bayaram was in attendance. Before the match, he made a speech to the players encouraging them to play passionately and make their fans proud by beating the best football club in Ziwana on their way to their possible 9th top division title. The first half was dominated by Black Leopards who quickly drew first blood from a Dainess Musonda goal in the 24 minute to put Leopards a goal up. At half time, United manager, Thokozani Tembo in an emotional speech told his players to fight hard and win the title for the United players who had died in the Ziwani national team plane bombing. Amwashindi players where a different beast after the recess and quickly came back into the game in the 48th minute from Stephen Muhiwa goal. William Phiri would have a goal disallowed in controversial fashion 10 minutes later for Black Leopards which had the players in uproar. United would capitalize on the Leopards loss of concentration by scoring 2 minutes later from a Greevin Mahuka goal. Leopards would not roll over though but would equalize in the 78th minute from a William Phiri screamer to keep their title hopes alive. 5minutes later William Phiri would have his goal disallowed once again causing the Leopards players to be more frustrated. In added time Joshua Mlotha was judged to have shoved John Nyasulu to the ground, which led several players to violently question the referee's decision. This led to several yellow cards and a penalty was given. Western United George Rooney stepped up to take the spot kick and coolly shot it into the up right corner of the goal past Exildah Munsaka to win the first Ngwaziliga title for Amawashindi. Western United was set to lift the trophy at home when they faced their arch-rivals, Amangwazi Birnin in the Amaclassico Derby. The Royals where very keen on spoiling the day for United. One super fan of the Royals, Minister of Youth and Sports, Honourable , M.P Justice Bandawe, offered a trophy for any team that would win the Derby. This would be the start of the Amaclassico Derby Cup. Amangwazi would win the Cup but would unfortunately not lift the Cup at NSB Amazanga Park as the match would be stopped in the 88th minute due to violence in the stands between Amawashindi and Royals fans. After the match, the two clubs where fined 20,000,000 NS Pounds and their fans banned and they would play 10 matches in closed doors. After negotiating with the ZFF, United and the Royals would pay 45,000,000 NS Pounds.

Title holders Tamaria Strikas would finish in 5th place in the league after their poor start at the beginning of the season had ruined their title chances. At the end of the table Sandheights City and Teuila City where relegated. Teuila City had also finished bottom in the previous season, the breakaway was the only thing that stopped the club from dropping down into the second tier. Two Time champions Sandheights City looked to have finally run out of steam to stay in the top flight and got relegated as well.

Statistics

Top Scorers

Hattricks

Ziwani National Team Manager, Agus Putra Yudana, had said that the ZFF Ngwaziliga was one of the most exciting leagues in Mandalanusa due to not only the number of hattricks scored but also the number of goals scored, about 555 goals. He was however, worried about the luck of focus on defending in Ziwani footballing culture and said that if the country was to one day win a Multiverse Cup that defending well would have to be ingrained into the culture.

Assists

by **Brenecia** » Mon Nov 07, 2022 3:43 pm

BRENECIA
Your Ashburn™ Patriots
World Ranking: Undeservedly good
Preferred Formation: 4-3-3
Backup Formations: 4-2-3-1, 4-4-2
Style Modifier: -1
Home Stadium: Crown Row - a new, 65,000-capacity white elephant in Rozelle.
Kit Supplier: ediraf

Derdriu Wright went from idiot scapegoat given an impossible job to managerial megagenius in the space of a month. As is, rarely, the case, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle. The fact is that Brenecia are back to having just enough quality players to be legitimately dangerous, and that Wright has shaped them into a tournament team... and that they did need two penalty shootouts to scrape into the semifinals, but even so, they still made it. That's what matters. Things are looking up!

Well, they were for a bit, anyway.

Caps / goals not updated for qualifying.

Honours
Campionato Esportiva 14, 17, 19, 22 and 25 champions.
World Cup 80 champions.
Casaran round participation award.

Overall Record
467 wins - 139 draws - 160 losses
1560 scored - 897 conceded

First Team and Tactics

Corder is now first-choice goalkeeper.

Raised on lumpy grass pitches, waterlogged and potholed, Brenecian footballers tend to grow physical, disciplined and tough to break down, and this iteration of the national pool is no exception. Under Derdriu Wright, the Patriots are an athletic, muscular side with plenty of pace and power, with two unpredictable, top-class wingers in Byrne and Wake who are given plenty of freedom so long as they do their work in pressing high. Wright likes to make use of the full squad, picking good tactical matches for each opponent rather than having a single best XI in mind.

Favouring a 4-4-2, Wright will look to her excellent wingers as her only real creative outlets. A hard core of defenders and a fairly conservative central midfield will look to hold the opponent at bay first and foremost. This is a physical Brenecia side but, Lofthouse and the centre-halves aside, not an overly tall one; they'll look to exploit pace on the counter more than slinging in high balls.

Common Substitutes
The veteran Kendra Carpenter, a less physical player than Wake but a beautiful striker of the ball, will be a common sight to switch things up in the second half. Sometimes she will come on for Byrne, with Wake switching flanks.
In midfield, either the metronomic Rajmund Sitko to bring calm in possession or the mercurial Lienke Covolan to chase the game. Covolan or Meskela could also be brought on for a striker, if more bodies are needed in midfield.
Goal-poacher Siobhan Baker will be a common sight, on for the more industrious Stokes late in the game to pick holes in a tired defence. The taller Danand Tristram is the obvious route-one high ball choice off the bench, but offers little hold-up play.

I Give My Opponent Permission To:
=================================
Choose My Goalscorers:        Y*
Godmod Goalscoring Events:    N
Injure Players:               Y**
Godmod Injury Events:         N
Red Card Players:             Y***
Yellow Card Players:          Y
Godmod Other Events:          N
=================================

* Byrne and Covolan take most free-kicks and corners; Covolan takes penalties
** I'll have the final say on severity.
*** One per match without prior agreement.

Staff
Manager - Derdriu Wright - Age 56
Asst. Manager - Hendry Jackson - Age 51

An intelligent, well-read and softly-spoken woman, Wright likes a slightly more open style of play than her predecessors, but recognises that Brenecia's talents lie largely towards the back and will play to those strengths. She has high standards of her players and has been accused in the past of burning them out; will this translate well to international football's short stints and high turnover, or will she be unable to get her ideas across? Few expect her to revolutionise the game, but she's seen as a safe and unambitious pair of hands for the medium-term.

Goalkeepers
1 - GK - Cessair Meade (

Rammsissil) - Age 22 - Uncapped
Tall, athletic and reliable, Meade might be the pick of the slim bunch of up-and-coming Brenecian stoppers. Seeing a neverending wave of hotshot foreign goalkeepers arrive at Kingsgrove, she felt she had to leave to make a name for herself, but the club's still left its mark on her as a high-sweeping shot-stopper with excellent distribution.

12 - GK - Phoebe Corder (

Ituraitz FC) - Age 28 - Uncapped
Corder's first eight caps were followed by clean sheets, and though she hasn't managed to stay quite so imperious (and many of those matches were against minnows), her cult hero status is assured.

20 - GK - Casper Harder (

Sparta Zijweg) - Age 24 - Uncapped
While his actual credentials as a Brenecian are suspect, his shot-stopping is not.

Defenders
2 - RB - Esther Sidle (

SC Montfort) - Age 25 - 7 caps, 1 goal
Lithe, long-haired and with a streak of quiet arrogance, Sidle's one of those few fullbacks who feels like they can really command the game from that withdrawn position. An expert at long diagonal balls cutting through defences, and no slouch at actually defending herself.

3 - LB - Nimue Culpepper (

Sabrefell Athletic) - Age 26 - 21 caps
Culpepper looks strangely weathered, a lot older than her years, and perhaps that makes sense. Her best attributes are her sense of anticipation and her intelligence, which extend her fair-but-indifferent physicality and technique as far as they can go.

5 - CB - Athelney Shrine (

Falourr) - Age 28 - 48 caps, 2 goals
One of Brenecia's many rock-solid defenders, Shrine's about as fast a sprinter as an actual shrine. Fortunately, her instincts rarely guide her astray, and she's an oasis of calm no matter the pressure, both in and out of possession.

6 - CB - Cerys Staplewood (

Suttonville) - Age 23 - Uncapped
A steady and capable defender, who has held her own physically and mentally in the intense bear-pit of Brenecian football from an early age.

17 - RB - Caomhin Hadley (

Sabrefell Athletic) - Age 23 - 2 caps
A hard-bitten, tough-tackling but above all painfully disciplined fullback. Plays with a maturity belying his years.

18 - CB - Iucharba Killen (

North Laithland) - Age 28 - 25 caps, 4 goals
A brutish powerhouse, Killen always lumbers a little faster than people expect. Kind of like a starving crocodile. It makes him an undeniably effective defender, though he does tend to give away a lot of penalties, and probably one of these days will end up scaring a midfielder to death.

22 - CB - Patrick Fitz (

Royal Rumiatzi) - Age 27 - 2 caps
A journeyman brawler who just can't be put down for long.

25 - LB - Shana Reed (

Creed United) - Age 22 - Uncapped
A vocal, redoubtable defender. Holds a degree in Mathematics from an Arts university, but is not otherwise a study in contradictions.

Midfielders
4 - HM - Skaidrina Briggs (

Southern Star) - Age 26 - 21 caps
A tough, taciturn midfielder who has proven reliable where called upon. Tall, powerful and strong in the tackle, Briggs has a rash, youthful physicality and a tendency to see picking up a caution as indication of a job well done. Lacks the raw NRI of Schofield, but has had markedly more consistency in a blue shirt.

7 - RM - Kendra Carpenter (

Wirr Tsi) - Age 31 - 71 caps, 18 goals
A classy, elegant winger who has worked hard for every sniff of football she's had, and will take no chance for granted. Energetic and fearless, Carpenter won't feel the weight of that number 7; the kind of player who can leave Northern Union's comfortable nest and keep going from strength to strength.

8 - CM - Iseult Conway (

Wirr Tsi) - Age 28 - 66 caps, 10 goals - Captain
Quick-witted, quick-footed, and always with a smile on her face. Conway is an unflashy but diligent box-to-box shuttler with a hint of the unpredictable, and excels at bringing the ball forward between the lines. Fouls a lot, and always seems to get away with it.

10 - LM - Katua Byrne (

KT Itzalovalle) - Age 25 - 75 caps, 26 goals
Byrne's got it all. Top-class pace, fully two-footed, even relishes defensive work pressing high. She's going to go far, and she knows it, forcing a move to Audioslavia to get away from pockmarked Brenecian pitches.

11 - CM / AM - Lienke Covolan (

Vermillion Rage) - Age 26 - 36 caps, 12 goals
Covolan played for Brenecia before ever setting foot in the country, but it's okay, because she's a potentially important player for the Patriots. A clever, two-footed and creative player, the rangy, arrogant, standoffish and blatantly Nepharan Covolan might be exactly what the Patriots have needed for years.

15 - RM / LM - Maerhen Wake (

1830 Cathair) - Age 23 - 28 caps, 10 goals
A muscular powerhouse who bristles with coiled energy, menace and malice. Wake's not the best-liked in the dressing room - he's always come across a bit as the kind of man who laughs when old ladies fall over on the street - but he's a cold model professional who always looks to make an impact.

16 - LM - Sylvia Marusak (

Juavi FC) - Age 25 - 8 caps, 3 goals
Marusak's very fast, and

19 - HM - Tamara Seager (

FK Arsika) - Age 25 - Uncapped
A hard-working water-carrier, but with a bit of something extra about her that just elevates her above the level of so many other Brenecian players of the same archetype. She'll absolutely break a leg if needed, though.

23 - CM - Rajmund Sitko (

West Couno United) - Age 24 - 14 caps, 1 goal
One of the more promising of this upcoming generation of Brenecian talent, Sitko's not notably physical, but just has that quiet presence of mind and always goes looking for the ball. The kind of player analysts love and casuals don't see the point in and wonder why the team works better with him than without.

26 - AM - Vaida Meskela (

Makosile) - Age 24 - 3 caps, 1 goal
A clever schemer. Physically slow and somewhat fragile, but mentally resolute and developing excellent technique.

Forwards
9 - ST - Siobhan Baker (

Anomalies) - Age 28 - 9 caps, 2 goals
A late bolter into the squad, Baker was playing in the Nepharan third tier for much of her career before blazing into life in Chromatika. She's the kind of player who proves that an eye for goal can translate from near any level, but tireless work ethic and excellent fitness mean she reliably gets in good positions.

13 - ST - Mor-Rioghain Stokes (

Mountainside) - Age 23 - 1 cap
Stokes was considered good enough that the MiCF project, a rare case of a tail wagging a dog, decided to near-bankrupt the side trying to get Stokes on the nominally male-only league. She has the air of someone mystified she isn't one of the world's best.

14 - ST - Danand Tristram (

Sabrefell Athletic) - Age 29 - 45 caps, 16 goals
A powerhouse up front, and a traditional target woman in a way that Brenecia haven't had since the underutilised Fox Charnwood. Tristram is the kind of relentless brawler that doesn't consider a game complete until her elbows have been in at least four faces. In a sense she's the ideal forward for the system, but she's developing a real reputation for missing the target.

21 - ST - Jadwiga Lofthouse (

Yassaca) - Age 26 - 46 caps, 22 goals
Generally, when Union want a player, they just get one. So when a local rises through the ranks to break through, especially in a key position and at a young age, Brenecians take notice. A towering juggernaut, Lofthouse is certainly old-school but undeniably effective, and excels at helping bring others into play.

24 - ST - Cyprian Korsak (

Kingsgrove) - Age 24 - Uncapped
A spare striker with a good strike rate in Brenecia. Might have been more prominent in another era.

by **Eraman** » Mon Nov 07, 2022 4:17 pm

FRONT PAGE
Day 8 - Month 6 - Year 13

The People's Council has been dissolved, what's next?

Daulapura: The Bendahara, Tun Rendra Usin officially announced the dissolution of the People's Council yesterday. This ends the dissolution date puzzle that has been a hot topic since last year. This will determine who will govern the country for the next five-year mandate.

After this, the National Palace will issue a statement regarding the dissolution of the People's Council. The government led by Tun Rendra Usin will be called the Provisional Government which has temporary and limited powers to carry out tasks on an interim basis. Public services will run as usual including the work of the authorities while the Chief Secretary will carry out the task of smoothing the government's administration. All policies and legislation that want to be presented at the People's Council will be postponed first following the dissolution.

It has become a practice in Eraman, the State Assembly in the states is dissolved on the same day as the day the People's Council is dissolved to participate in the General Election.

The Election Commission (EC) will hold meetings and press conferences within 60 days to announce important dates such as nomination day, early voting day, and regular voting day. The EC also issued writs and instructions to divisional election officers throughout the country for elections to be held in their respective areas and election notices will be placed in all areas for the public to see. The notice contains the date for nomination of candidates and the date of early voting and regular voting.

For political parties, they need to prepare candidates to contest and the submission of candidate forms must be done on the Nomination Day between 9 and 10 am. All candidates have to pay a deposit of $2,500 for the People's Council seat, and $1,000 for the State Assembly seat. Election officials must ensure that the nomination form is filled out completely to allow candidates to run. The nomination can be canceled if the candidate is found to have not completed the nomination form, is bankrupt, is of unsound mind, or is not a citizen of Eraman. Election officials will announce the names of eligible candidates after 10 am.

The Election Commission will announce the campaigning period which is usually 14 days and it starts as soon as the candidate nomination process is completed and will end at 12 midnight before the polling day. Candidates running for the People's Council seat can spend a maximum of $50,000 on campaigning, while State Assembly candidates are allowed to spend a maximum of $25,000. Throughout the campaigning period, the EC will establish a task force to monitor the behavior of the candidates while campaigning and ensure that they comply with the set rules. The Eraman Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) will monitor election activities if there is any element of corruption and the Royal Eraman Police will also undertake the task of ensuring that public order is maintained throughout the process.

The early voting day is held to allow the families of the Eraman Royal Police and the Eraman Armed Forces to cast their votes and the number of votes would be kept in a safe location until the actual voting day to be counted with other ballot papers.

Individuals who are allowed to vote by post will receive the ballot paper early as soon as it is printed and postal voters need to return the marked ballot paper to the Election Office before 5 pm on polling day. Overseas voters will be divided into two categories, namely Eraman nationals who live abroad and are already registered to vote by post or those who are abroad but do not need approval for postal voting.

The time period for voting during the Election is from 7 am to 5 pm. All Eraman citizens aged 21 and above are eligible to vote.

Once the polls are closed, the Presiding Officer will count the ballot papers. The officials involved will ensure that the number of ballot papers received at each center at the beginning of voting is the same as the ballot papers given to the voters as well as those which are not used. Ballot papers that are unclear and not marked correctly will be discarded. After that, the counting will begin and the presiding officer will look again at the unclear ballot paper to determine whether it is acceptable or otherwise. The form with the total number of votes will be taken to the vote-counting center, where the election officials will announce the results at the respective polling centers.

by **Ceni** » Mon Nov 07, 2022 4:57 pm

OOC: This RP is ICly written before the WC Finals starts.

The Air Terranea operations center lies in a nondescript office building in Millennium City, Cenial. But once you get to the 27th floor, it's obvious that you've reached the airline: A gigantic model plane — a Celestar Ce551, to be precise, the backbone of the airline's fleet — sits in the lobby.

Normally, the operations center is abuzz with activity as it coordinates the movements of 750 aircraft heading to 514 destinations across not only the SAREIMA regions but also the whole multiverse. But when a special event like the World Cup is happening, fans from all over flock to the host countries for the spectacle. And a tournament held concomitantly such as the Cup of Harmony might also put extra strain on the airline.

So what happens when those tournaments are being held at the same time in Ceni and Electrum — already the site of the carrier's biggest hubs?

Air Terranea granted us exclusive access to its operations center and its top brass as they made decisions about its upcoming services — and then we watched those decisions take shape in real time.

The process starts when the qualifying field has been whittled down to the final 32, says Iago Vermillion, Air Terranea's director of international routes. "You don't want to plan a huge increase in flights from Cathair to Centralis only to find out that Audioslavia doesn't qualify for the final tournament," Vermillion notes. "Demand is going to be highest from the closest countries that actually qualify."

So we can expect direct flights from all over Eura to Agri, Hamilton and Prescott in a more point-to-point model than usual, chimes in Justin Chapman, director of regional flights. "While the Eura-to-Electrum market operates on a more point-to-point basis than other markets, Harther to Agri might not get a direct route outside World Cup season," Chapman says. "But the World Cup changes the demand calculus for us."

Planes are rerouted from other routes that don't touch the World Cup. The Harther to Centralis route might get frequency cuts to make room for a direct World Cup service, Chapman explains.

But what about long-haul routes? After all, long-haul routes within SAREIMA are the airline's bread and butter.

"It's less likely that we have a point-to-point flight from minor destinations directly to a World Cup host city," explains Vermillion. "But what we might do is increase services from, say, Raynor City to Centralis or wherever the venue is, and rely on connecting traffic to help fill those flights."

Planning flights to the Cup of Harmony uses similar logic in terms of flight planning, although things get easier because Ceni has only one major international airport for all eight CoH venues. "It makes it less complicated," explains Vermillion. "Essentially, the same principles hold: We're going to swap capacity from nations that aren't in the Cup of Harmony and move that capacity over to places where there's demand to travel to the Cup of Harmony."

However, there are some wrinkles in this planning. For one, Air Terranea has to cede some slots to foreign airlines who want to fly to Centralis and Cenial for the two respective tournaments. "What's going to get cut? Well, before these tournaments, we always do a destination review for destinations that might have otherwise gotten cut or had service reductions anyway," says Vermillion.

"Our network isn't stagnant. It's dynamic. We're not hidebound in saying, 'We will always have a long-haul service from Finchland, Wasabiton or wherever, and that's a fact of life.' If Finchland doesn't perform well, then we'll cut it," he continues. "But we can kill two birds with one stone if there comes a time where we need to prioritize our slot allocations at a main airport."

"Iago's trying to fool you into thinking he knows our route network by memory," chimes in Chapman. "He had to look up an example for a talking point." We all laugh.

So planning for a major international football tournament is a behemoth even when Air Terranea has to only deal with one tournament. And when Air Terranea faces two major tournaments in its two hubs at the same time? "It's madness. Pure madness," says Vermillion. "We often have to hire temporary help to get the extra data analysis, the extra planning done."

Contrast that with a World Cup not hosted in Ceni and Electrum. While the carrier will operate services to other World Cup hosts, it has to deal with converse issues: acquiring slots, route clearance, and all sorts of other permissions. "Even though we're the largest airline in SAREIMA in a number of metrics, that doesn't mean we can waltz in to another country with multiple different services," says Vermillion. "So our operation is going to be limited in other host nations for those reasons."

For events in Electrum and Ceni, though, the airline can have so many more services due to its status as a flag carrier for both nations. And that makes its operations concomitantly larger and more complex.

But even despite its operations' size and complexity, the Air Terranea operations centre is a well-oiled machine, and it's planned for many a major event in its time: the Olympics in Prescott and Twin Cities, Olympics in the Bunjil Coast, previous World Cups and Cups of Harmony... "The list could go on and on, because we've done this a million times before," Vermillion says.

"This is not something new for us," he concludes. "We're not a fly-by-night operator trying to muddle through this. We have policies and procedures in place."

Although Chapman reminds us: the airline does literally fly by night. It has to, to get all the excited fans to Ceni and Centralis.

To book a flight on Air Terranea at a special World Cup or Cup of Harmony rate, you can visit their website at www.airterranea.cen.

by **Delaclava** » Mon Nov 07, 2022 5:18 pm

DELACLAVA NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM
CUP OF HARMONY 84

Gold medalists, Games of the V Olympiad.
Seven-time WC qualifiers (51-56, 91). QF at WC51.
Champions of 2nd Wonder Cup, Moon Bracket.
Hosts of WC55, CoH 44, 46, and 84, BoF 72, AOCAF 31.
Current world ranking: 53rd
All time peak world ranking: 11th (post WC-53 qualifying).

Trigram: DEL | Nickname: Phoenixes | Style Modifier: +2.5

RP permissions: Yes, but be respectful and TG/DM if you're not sure or have ideas.

Overview

It was always going to be a tall order for the Phoenixes to back up a remarkable qualification campaign in World Cup 91, reaching the playoffs and earning a massive upset over Eura to reach the World Cup. Yet after a rough middle stretch in this go-round, the Phoenixes found new life under the steady, experienced hand of Elidyr Lyndainium and took advantage of a late collapse from Jeruselem to beat the Princesses themselves and hold them off to earn another playoff berth. However, a return to the World Cup wasn't meant to be as the defending champions Græntfjall were simply too strong and prepared for the plucky underdogs. Nevertheless, the Delaclava Football Association has shown their commitment to the sport in obtaining a home Cup of Harmony in partnership with Ceni. The Phoenixes will try to score points post-qualification for the first time since the World Cup 86 cycle, yet they seem well-positioned to make an emphatic run and cap off a trying yet still encouraging season.

Tactically, the Phoenixes are heavily offensive-minded, utilizing a 4-5-1 (4-2-3-1) and relying on individual skill in the middle and up front. Goalkeepers and defenders are perfectly capable, but they're going to have to be ready to make plays and bail out failed attacks. There is a bias towards action and chance instead of possession, and an inclination towards taking defensive risks to generate counterattack opportunities. Additionally, it is expected that the midfielders will be fully active on both ends of the field, employing manpower to have advantages in both the offensive and defense zones rather than relying on positioning. Lyndainium will frequently make substitutions at midfield, even as early as the start of the second half, to give both the starters and substitutes an opportunity to work at a higher rate for a shorter period of time. The Phoenixes can also adapt to a 4-4-2 (4-2-2-2) thanks to the flexibility and versatility of Lukas Meyer up front.

Manager: Elidyr Lyndainium (Ceni)
Edward Ekdal, 51, Catherina FC: The two-time UFL champion steps in as caretaker after an unfortunate run of form. Ekdal previously coached the under-21 team six years ago in the 50th Di Bradini Cup, and he won't be looking to put too much of his stamp on the team; he's going to keep things afloat, try to instill from confidence, and give this talented squad room to operate.
Assistant Manager: Jeff Brashear, 55
Technical Director: Freddy Lacey, 48
Strength & Conditioning Coach: Daniel Witt, 41
Goalkeeper Coach: Tomasz Janaczek, 40 - Who better to take this team to the next level than an unsung legend who cut his teeth in the latter end of his career at Shearwater FC in Kelssek, winning league titles and an IFCF Champions League to finish his career.

GOALKEEPERS

#1 GK Earl James - 24, 6-3, 180 - AFC Mayville (EUR): A tall, well-built keeper notable for his positioning savvy and even-keel personality, his confidence has improved remarkably over the past several years as he has quietly worked his way from U18 to U21 to be projected as the number-one backstop for the Phoenixes. Like many of his countrymen, he has developed nicely in the Euran league system and is sufficiently battle-tested to withstand the rigors of a qualifying campaign.

#14 GK Finian Cloarec - 23, 5-8, 140 - Kionao Locals (TUR): Incredibly fast and explosive, with the ability to withstand pressure usually put on him by his own defense. Although he has steadily worked his way up the ranks in the Delaclav national team system and was projected to someday take over this team, it appears that James has been the more impressive in training camp thus far. But Cloarec, who splits time in Turori with compatriot Canon Burwell, is no stranger to a good bit of competition and will be ready to take over when needed.

#21 GK Carlos Rodriguez - 23, 6-0, 160 - Cleopatrana SC: A seemingly forgotten prospect who was apparently chained up and locked away in Cassadaigua for years, Rodriguez had to fend for himself to take advantage of his atmospheric potential. A competitive, hot-headed young goalie with loads of athleticism, and a willingness to get a bit chippy in defending crosses and corners, Rodriguez effectively went barnstorming as a guest in UFL practices and impressed enough there and in training camp to take the third spot. Back in a safe home in Cleopatrana and with the potential to find a good team abroad next season, his future is back.

DEFENDERS

#2 RB Cian Barry - 21, 6-1, 155 - EFS (EUR): A tall and wiry center back with a calm temperament and great timing and anticipation, but not especially physically aggressive. He succeeds a pedigree of right backs like Josh Torres and Carlos Berrera, and his tendencies will be a good fit for Delaclava's first four-back line in years.

#3 CB Marc Champagne - 22, 5-8, 140 - Leaside Lions (QUE): Champagne's placement in the starting lineup for the World Cup 91 campaign signaled a new preference for more deliberate, containing defensive play, and a rare amount of discipline for his age. Can frustrate teams into making a mistake as they possess the ball forever, unable to find an opening. Champagne emerged as a key turning point for the Phoenixes in its stunning fortunes, and it's brought him loads of self-assurance and the ability to lead this young back line.

#4 CB Wilfrid Gouin - 21, 5-7, 130 - Colonial Sile (VIL): Diminutive but incredibly quick with efficient positioning. A poor aerial defender prone to attacks, but very little gets past him on the ground, and crafty enough to make sure larger opponents have trouble beating him. Pairing his speed with the technique and smarts and Champagne should be an intimidating proposition for opposing offenses.

#8 LB Durgali Baxayev - 24, 5-9, 145 - Stahlburg City (NPH): Tough and gritty expecially for his size, Baxayev strikes a good balance between attacking on the wings and hanging back, although his judgment needs a bit of work. After finding success and a Red League title before moving up to the Zenith, Baxayev's game has also progressed to put him in the starting spot for the first time ahead of Minotauro Meñica.

#16 RB Toby Barker - 20, 6-3, 165 - AFC Westpike (BRE): A lean and mean back whose long legs seem to make any tackle, whose head can manage to rise above all the rest to clear out aerial attacks or even score the rare goal. Tends to be a bit fragile and some injuries interrupted his last season and his training camp, but at his best he helped lift Manchester to an improbable UFL title.

#18 CB Rahmonberdi Zhusupov - 27, 5-11, 145 - Olympic Thessia (MYT): A particularly aggressive center back who isn't afraid to push forward and meet the ball to take changes. He can often get away with it with his speed, but needs to develop more discipline. Although his style doesn't mesh as well with Ishutin's plan for the team, he offers a lot of experience and insight and can be a suitable substitute for either starting center back to extend their mileage in a long campaign.

#22 LB Minotauro Meñica - 27, 5-6, 130 - Raven River (NPH): Lightning quick and strong despite his small stature, Meñica follows the traditional Delaclav style of a highly aggressive outside back, yet has similarly been the victim of a shift in coaching philosophy and playing style. But given the kind of contrast he offers to Baxayev, there may be a place for him on this team yet.

#26 RB Josh Torres - 34, 5-8, 150 - Catherina FC: A small, scrappy, and physical player, Torres' best days are behind him, but he's still a player that goes all the way back to the beginning with this national team and continues to be a steady presence on a very successful Catherina FC team. He may be here largely in support and mentorship, but he's ready to step in when he's needed to get this team back to the World Cup.

MIDFIELDERS

#5 RDM Kazuo Martin - 28, 5-11, 170 - Brinemouth (NPH): A quick and patient player, Martin rose to stardom in Delaclav after a historic season with Brinemouth, winning a league title and the Emerald Ball, earning him a late callup to the Phoenixes for the World Cup proper. This team should get a lot of value out of having him for the full season.

#6 LDM Ben Romeijn - 29, 6-2, 180 - Mountainside (EUR): A big, speedy and powerful athlete and a bona fide star who got his start as a teenager in the UFL, and has developed into a threatening goalscorer and playmaker over several seasons in the Silver and Gold Leagues. This guy has seen it all with the Delaclava national team, and this is one of the players you just have to gameplan for if you want to steal a point or three from the Phoenixes

#7 LM Martin Bartoš - 26, 5-9, 160 - Lublova Reds (SRS): A lightning quick and versatile midfielder with a nose for the goal, it's hard to think of a guy who's dealt with more organizational adversity, from his rocky time in the Tikariot league to getting bounced between the Delaclava and Verceola national squads. But that, above all, shows his determination and his desire to make it to the World Cup, a lifelong dream he finally fulfilled, as well as how suited he is for this incredibly talented midfield corps.

#9 RM Varlam Kovalev - 29, 5-10, 160 - Chatswood (NPH): A versatile midfielder who has matured impressively in the past few years, and who is both skilled and confident enough to make an offensive impact individually, and physical and hard-working enough to put in the slog on defense to protect a lead. His journey from late bloomer to national team starter has been a sight to behold.

#10 CAM Kent Lindblad - 26, 5-8, 140 - Farrenton Athletic (EUR): The two-time defending UFL MVP and now UFL league champion, Lindblad is the shiny new toy for the Delaclav FA. Steady and cool-headed as they come, Lindblad is perhaps blessed with more tactical than physical gifts, but possesses field vision beyond his years. For a Delaclav, he is uncharacteristically sensible as a containing defender, and offensively works best in support at the back of a formation and as an effective distributor across the field. He can therefore find and generate attacks through the wing players. After winning a UFL Golden Boot and Golden Ball, he joined up with Lukas Meyer at Farrenton Athletic and figures to be a key piece in that team's future.

#12 CAM Drystan Tudor - 25, 6-1, 160 - CF Outineau (KSK): Tall, strong, rangy, fast, with smooth ball skills, distribution, and scoring ability - Tudor is perhaps the most complete player of all of Delaclava's young talent. He's confident, embraces leadership opportunities and new challenges. If anything, perhaps a bit too confident and is prone to clash with other strong personalities, but coachable under the right guidance.

#13 RM Vangelis Anagnakis - 20, 5-4, 125 - FK Arsika (MYT): An aggressive attacker and tackler with insane sprint speed that his endurance hasn't quite matched yet. Headstrong and cocky to a fault but a supremely positive teammate. It'll be interesting to see how he develops given he's jumped the line to get here.

#15 RDM Simon Demirjian - 24, 6-2, 155 - Chatswood (NPH): Remarkable athletic talents, speed and size with a tough grit, Demirjian has bounced back and managed to get out of the shadow of crazy high expectations, developing nicely along with a few compatriots in Chatswood and earning his way into a spot that's consistent with his experience and development.

#19 LM Timur Zaitsev - 30, 5-10, 150 - Workers Union (EUR): An offensive-minded, energetic player and a great distributor out of the middle, who has continued to thrive with Workers Union. He was often used as a "spark plug" substitute in his younger days, but emerged as a more consistent starter. Now, with the explosion of young talent, Zaitsev will take a backseat for the time being, but he is still ready to provide guidance and make a difference in the later minutes.

FORWARDS

#11 ST Lukas Meyer - 29, 6-2, 175 - Farrenton Athletic (EUR): With his accomplishments now, he's perhaps the greatest player of modern Delaclav soccer, and he's far from done yet. The best natural goalscorer of the squad, Meyer does not have the speed or size to capitalize on many breakaway chances, but in offensive sets and possessions, there is no one more reliable or adept in the 18-yard box. Meyer has a knack for finding the right shot or leading pass within that range, and has consistently been the biggest problem for opposing defenses to solve. The team's offensive scheme largely revolves around him, putting him in a one-striker role, but with the option to pair him with a Gretler or Racette to get some different offensive looks.

#20 ST Amaury Racette - 28, 6-0, 150 - Marinos Metropolis (VLD): Quick, slippery, and dangerous from anywhere in the box. He's bounced around a bit lately in his league career, but abandoning the baseball career and his move to Valladares did wonders and he experienced a major resurgence as a top scorer and the Revelation Player of the Season. As Ishutin continues to explore his options, expect Racette to get some serious minutes.

#23 ST Alibek Khautov - 25, 5-10, 155 - Creed United (NPH): Flashy and a bit temperamental, but an artist inside the box. He can get a bit of tunnel vision when he has the ball but undeniably has a nose for the goal and finds himself the opportunities to get that last touch. He's found his home at a crucial point in his career and it's worked to get this once-promising scorer onto the 26-man roster.

#24 ST Mathias Gretler - 23, 5-9, 145 - Aries Chariots (NPH): He can play in many different styles and roles, but there aren't many better pure goalscorers out there. He's turned out to be something of a treasure trove for Aries Chariots and figures into the long-term futures for both the Chariots and the Phoenixes.

Notes:

As stated above, Ishutin will frequently expect midfielders to work their hardest for 45 minutes, then be substituted for someone else. Romeijn and Martin are more likely to go for the full 90 minutes, and Ishutin will always hold on to one or two substitutions if another replacement is needed elsewhere.
Baxayev will take corner kicks - a rather aggressive posture for the team. Lindblad will be the one to take free kicks if there is a direct scoring opportunity; Gouin for longer range and placement or if looking for a volley/header in the box.
For penalties, use the first player on this list who is still in the game: Meyer, Romeijn, Lindblad, Bartoš.

[align=center]Formation

by **Sendhang** » Mon Nov 07, 2022 5:28 pm

Teuku Irfan reminded the players to focus ahead of difficult Group F in the Cup of Harmony campaign

Kambang: 23 national players are listed to lead the national challenge at the Cup of Harmony campaign which will be held in Delaclava and Ceni. Among those listed are two players who are playing their club football abroad, Teuku Salahudin who plays for Perseman Kesiman in Pemecutan, and Jorok Mendriq who plays for Sporting Arrachai in Acastanha.

Sendhang is scheduled to face Saint Eleanor in the opening game before taking on Brookstation, Delte, and Talannua in Group F. All Group F matches are scheduled to take place in Delaclava.

Meanwhile, Teuku Irfan hinted that the competition in Group F will be challenging and competitive. This is because Sendhang will face the favorite group, Saint Eleanor, and two rising teams, Brookstation and Delte.

For that, he reminded the players to give full focus in every match.

"There is no easy match. It is clear that Saint Eleanor is the group favorite. We also faced difficulties in overcoming Brookstation in the last World Cup qualifying campaign, they are quite a challenging team. Delte, on the other hand, have proven their ability by finishing in 3rd place and qualifying themselves into the playoffs in the last World Cup qualifying campaign."

"If we can get the team together to prepare well in a few days, we will be able to compete competitively," said Teuku Irfan to the media during the team's last training session in the national capital.

by **Talannua** » Mon Nov 07, 2022 5:29 pm

Talannua national kicks team

Nation Name: The Past Lands of Talannua
Region: Atlantian Oceania (located on the landmass of Cyanea)
Three-letter code: ATA
Background: Recently, the United Republic of Delaclava moved to the planet of Sonnel in such a way that it tore up the existing cities, people, and infrastructure and folded it into multidimensional space on its new planet. The transformation left behind the same lands and surface waters, with next to no development. The people of Talannua currently consists of two types: 1) small towns who voluntarily tethered themselves to the underlying land, remaining in Talannua largely untouched; and 2) fragments of people and towns who were left behind either by accident or by design. There is currently no central government or army, but there are plenty of frontiersmen who are ready to stand up to invaders.

Nickname: Wild Horses
Formation: 2-3-5
Style Modifier: +3.5
Accomplishments: Quarterfinals, Baptism of Fire 79

Manager: William Shore
1. GK - John True
2. LB - Jason Hill
3. RB - Michael West
4. CM - Alan Farmer
5. LM - David Waters
6. RM - Joseph Jester
7. LW - John Stable
8. RW - David Woods
9. LF - Matthew Plant
10. CF - Thomas Brook
11. RF - Mark Waters

12. GK - Ash Flint
13. DF - Patrick Judge
14. MF - Joseph Hand
15. FW - James Bull
16. FW - Leo Bard

The offense tends to be extremely vertical and runs often through the best player, Thomas Brook, although Stable and Woods are also capable of launching effective wing attacks both in transition and in possession.

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
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes
Godmod other events: Yes

As this is a new puppet for me, there may be some, many, most things I haven't really formulated yet, so if you have any questions, please ask!

by **Bears Armed** » Mon Nov 07, 2022 5:35 pm

In the 'Mainland' section⁽¹⁾ of Bears Armed it is mostly a Tigersday evening in the middle of the month of Appears and the time is just approaching 10 watches.⁽²⁾ Across the country people are turning on radios, radiograms, or even radioviewers (if those were not already running anyway, either for the main Evening News programmes or for music) so that they will have warmed-up sufficiently when the watch is rung⁽³⁾, and are making sure that they are tuned to 'BABC Radio-2' or 'BABC Viewing-1' as appropriate.⁽⁴⁾
Now it is 10 watches, and while those clocks that have chimes are ringing out to announce this fact the music of Bearron Popeland's composition 'Funfair for the Uncommon Bear' begins to emanate from all of those radios [etc] as the progamme 'Sports Hrreport' -- for whch its first part is used as the theme-tune -- begins.⁽⁵⁾ As this piece of music draws to an end, those people who are viewing as well as [rather than "only"] listening, see the medley of incidents from various sporting events that had been showing fade away and be replaced by a view of a radioviewer broadcasting studio. Seated behind a desk there, facing the camera, are two Ursines who are both dressed semi-formally: One is a female "brown" Bear and the other is a male "black" one, but she is small for her type and he is large for his so that they are approximately the same size as each other.

(Her) "Hrarroom, Greetings! I am Marra-Urra O GreenGables "
(Him) "And I am Marretch O Redbank"
(Both) "And this is 'Sports Hrreport'..."

(Marretch) "In tonight's programme, as well as the usual rrround-up of the past week's sporting events across all three sections of the country"
(Marra-Urra) "including full results from the weekend's National League and Northern League Soccer matches"
(Both) "We have a special guest: Urrsara Northgate, manager and chief coach of the Bear-Belles, will be here in the studio with urrs to talk about ourr girls' propsects in the forrthcoming 'Cup of Harmony' competition."

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Footnotes

1 _ This nation is divided geographically into three sections. The 'Mainland' is the section where the nation was originally founded, is home to most of its population, and occupies a landlocked area on the continent of Hesperidea on the world known (at least to those of the Bears who concern themselves with the rest of the Multiverse) as 'Earth-IDU#1'.
(The other sections are the 'Northlands', comprising the northern parts of a large island to the north-west of Hesperidea plus various smaller islands "beyond" this, and -- as a landlocked areaon the Hesperidea of 'Earth-IDU#2', instead -- 'The New Territories'. These two "Earths" are the worlds of the IDU's original map and its current map respectively. Direct travel between sections is possible via mystical "gates", with the Mainalnd linked to both of the others but the latter two not limked directly to each other.)

2 _ That's only "mostly" because there are some territories whose people do not use the Urrsish calendar locally and/or in some cases either use different systems for measuring the passage of time or (for some of the easternmost districts) do use the standard Urrsish clock but are in an "earlier" time-zone. There being 8 watches between what we in RL would count as 6am & 6pm -- or, if you must, 06:00 & 18:00 hours --and then likewise another 8 watches until the following 6am, the actual time referred to here is just approaching 9pm.

3 _ A 'radioviewer' is a combined radio & television set, the Bears generally not going in for televisions that can't do double duty like this. Urrsish civilian electronic devices of these types need to warm up because they still use 'valves' [i.e. vacuum tubes] and cathode-ray tubes: That isn't the case for military radios, or for computers, but there are several reasons why the more advanced technology utilised in those types is not yet more widespread.

4 _ The 'BABC' is the 'Bears Armed Broadcasting Corporation', this nation's oldest & atill largest broadcaster. It is a "QUACCO" (i.e. a 'Quasi-Autonomous Confrederal Council Organization') operating under a charter from the national government, with its senior management appointed by the government (and with most of its funding coming either through a legally-backed 'licence fee' payable by its users or directly from the government) but with independence in day-to-day matters.

5 _ His family adopted the name of 'Popeland' after moving into Bears Armed itself from the enclave around the town of Nova Assisi, in the Mainland's south-western corner, that is run by the predominantly-Ursine 'Roman Catholic' church based there. Despite the similarity of his name to that of RL composer Aaron Copeland, and of this tune's name to the name of the latter's famous 'Fanfare for the Common Man'. this tune does not closely resemble that RL piece of music: It is considerably jauntier & less "ceremonial" in style, and to the extent that it resembles any RL composition at all -- which isn't very far -- it would probably be likeliest to remind people of John Paul Souza's 'The Liberty Bell' (i.e. the tune known to a generation of Britons as the theme-music for 'Monty Python's Flying Circus'). This piece of music was composed in the year equivalent to 1938 AD, commissioned then -- through a competition -- so that it would be ready for use to celeebrate the opening of a 'National Fairground' near Council Groves in the following year.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Apologia

Not a plea for mercy, just an explanation in case any of you are disappointed at seeing such a short post _

I really hoped to give you more than this, including at least the interview with Urrsara Northgate. Unfortunately, however,writers' block kept me from deciding on this post's theme until the early hours of yesterday morning, I then needed to catch up on sleep after not sleeping well for several nights, being a bit under the weather (quite literally, with my ageing knee-joints aching due to the rather damp conditions that we've been having here for most of the last week] hindered my concentration, and -- as you can see above -- writing all of the footnotes that I considered necessary to explain various details in the main part of the post (even when that's only "so far") ended up taking about as long as writing just that verrry short section of the story itself.... Sorry!
I hope that you find the details that were given above interesting insights into this nation and its [mainstream] society, anyway.

(Post edited post-cutoff to restore part of Footnote #1's second sentence that somehow had gone missing...)

by **Talannua** » Mon Nov 07, 2022 5:57 pm

Anyone who plans a trip has to figure out how they're going to get to their destination; and what they're going to do while they're there.

The manager, William Shore, had to think long and hard about the former question. Travel, in general, had been very difficult for them, relying largely on ships, shuttles, and prop planes. A trip to Sonnel was a rather difficult proposition, and the only portal in all of Atlantian Oceania had sat in Delaclava. And, well, they had folded themselves up, closed the portal behind them, and been rebirthed out of the Drawkland canal. But, Shore theorized, there must be some remnant of that portal remaining. They, for better or for worse, already had hard proof that the Transmigration had many failures. People and places that were supposed to be anchored to the Past Lands had been torn apart instead. There were rumors, too, that those who had wanted to come along for the rise were unceremoniously left behind. Although there was no evidence of any ongoing osmosis between Delaclava and Talannua, Shore had never gone in the direction of Yontas, the central city where Catherina used to be. He was itching to find out. Worst case, perhaps the Talannuan team would hitch a ride with another national team or with some intergalactic merchants.

As for the latter question, that was one that was on everyone's minds. Sure, the town of Castaic had been lucky to stay together during the Transmigration (or, as they called it, the Abandoning), but they had also lost friends from the bigger cities or other nearby towns who hadn't chosen to stay behind. Michael West had only recently moved to Castaic with his step-father; his mother had stayed behind in Manchester, and who the hell knows where his father was. John True, the schoolteacher, was part of a music education network that now had largely been taken from him. And, of course, there was Thomas Brook, who in the recent past life was Thomas Thibaudeau, who had lived in Victoriana, who was expecting to remain with the rest of Delaclava, only to receive a nasty jolt that he had been tossed about in the winds and left behind. He enjoyed his new life, but there was an old life he wanted desperately to get in touch with.

There was going to be a lot of confusion, sadness, anger, joy, and relief ahead on this particular trip. What came after that would be for each man to decide for himself.

by **Delaclava** » Mon Nov 07, 2022 6:32 pm

Welcome to the 84th Cup of Harmony! Some may call this a fun exhibition. Others may call this a consolation prize. Some may call it the trophy for 33rd place. Still others may say this is a serious occasion, requiring the utmost care and deliberation to ensure that it's just the way it's supposed to be. I can't tell you what this is. What I can tell you is, this promises to be one of the Cups of Harmony of all time.

Day 1 cutoff for the Cenian half!

Group A
Cap Nord 1–0 Juvencus
Ceni 2–0 Bears Armed

Group B
Atheara 1–0 República Guanacasteca
Cabo Azure 2–0 Valentine Z

Group C
Koronavia 1–2 Pasarga
The Cordian Isles 2–2 Acastanha

Group D
Mercedini 0–3 Sargossa
Adab 4–3 Chartistan

Tables will be provided starting with Day 2.

by **Saint Eleanor** » Mon Nov 07, 2022 6:51 pm

CUP OF HARMONY 84 - Saint Eleanor's Group G schedule (the Tapaklaboh Times says we're in Group F) and knockout possibilities (not spelled out due to unclear Ro16 seeding)

26th July 2002: Ceni vs Bears Armed (first game of the Cup of Harmony)
30th July 2002: Saint Eleanor vs Talannua (EXT first group game)
5th August 2002: Sendhang vs Saint Eleanor (EXT second group game)
10th August 2002: Bye
15th August 2002: Saint Eleanor vs Brookstation (EXT third group game)
18th August 2002: Delte vs Saint Eleanor (EXT fourth group game)

22nd and 23rd August 2002: Octofinals for teams in the Delaclavan half.
26th August 2002: Quarterfinals for Delaclavan-halvers
29th August 2002: Semifinal for Delaclavan-halvers

31st August 2002: Third-place playoff
1st September 2002: The Cup of Harmony Final

Ralexalera saWemotolera: "What happened wasn't my fault to begin with"
Chief Football Correspondent Jamie Rodgers gets the "least" successful goalkeeper on his list's views on life - as it is and was
Originally published on Sunday 28th July 2002

Most people do not care about who most of the people who clean up after the Metro's mess are. Come to think about it, only slightly fewer people care about who Ralexalera saWemotolera is. "I've gotten knowing looks from a couple of people, but only a couple. They are, almost without exception, around my age."

Growing up, it could be said that saWemotolera - now twenty-seven - was thoroughly obsessed with football. "That was the only thing keeping me together for most of school. I lived it, I breathed it, I read about it, I tried to do my school essays on it, I played it with my friends and tried to show off in PE class to make the teachers like me but not too much, if you know what I'm saying. I think it was pretty much accepted by the rest of my year group I was going to be the starting goalkeeper for the Charles Trump Shield when it was my go in 1992 and all of the other places were... mostly up for grabs? I don't remember the exact idea." But why football? "Football, good government, and fast food holds this nation together. Given everybody appreciates the other two already, we played football to get away from troubles, to make our own fun, to look impressive, to pretend to be our own heroes. Especially in the poorer districts, I don't know where most people would be without football."

Contrary to what some sceptics believe, Broadlands Community School's football program was functional long before it started receiving any funds from Hiyashi, now the district's largest employer. "Did it take five years for them to start doing that... after 1992? I think it's around that region, yeah; they weren't really operating when I was at school. As I said, broken district. Anyway, we had an okay team, decent coaches, able to make round three on a slightly above-average cycle - boring, really. Did we meet expectations? Not always when I was there, perhaps not even now, but we are getting there and I think it was around this period in time that we started to make headway." It started its Shield campaign with a pair of two-goal wins, against Deepchester and Richardgate. "These are the kinds of side you should be defeating in the Shield; they aren't affiliated with League clubs and have historically not been very good," he insists, although the same could very much have applied to his school most years; he claims to report no major setbacks or other incidents in those games.

The Blue Diamonds ran into the Army School, effectively Army and Navy's youth team, in the third round - and somehow, spectacularly dragged them to extra time. "I'd say this was a bit of a rougher game. You know what you get with Army, senior and junior: a hard-hitting, defensive 4-4-2 that's not afraid to push forward and turn your team's life into hell when they're on the ball. I'm thankful we were told about this because they were always pressing us, got a solid goal I could hardly get to, and deserved the lead at half-time. But for most of the second half, we were hanging onto the one-goal deficit; there was just no sense of attack from us because we didn't need it. Then... what happened wasn't my fault to begin with: an Army move up the pitch was broken down, we got the ball a bit further up the pitch than expected, strung a few passes together, and a one-in-a-million shot got pushed out for a corner. I was called up for the corner, probably because we needed as much support as we could get, and I got there first! That was all there was to it, really; no showboating like we often get in informal games or anything like that. I still can't tell you what exactly I was feeling, but it must have been a wave of something."

In the end, the Young Soldiers scored twice past saWemotolera in the thirty minutes that followed to end his school's campaign. This was not, however, the end of his attempt to be an active participant in Eleanorian football: he reported to no less than two trials for the Golden Unicorn, located just to the south in Brightway and at the time the only club in the northern city, in his final year of school. "My final exams were... okay? I wouldn't call them the best possible results, but I passed whatever I had to and I was on track to do that when I turned up to the Unicorn academy. So I reckoned I'd be okay no matter what happened, even if I wasn't good enough, which I was expecting to be told. Did that happen? Yes, but... I don't think life worked out the way I wanted it to, honestly. I thought I'd be okay but when it came to it, good Lord, I didn't even get thinking about what I wanted to do in my life."

Having failed to secure a place in the Saint Eleanor League and with little in the way of a backup plan - despite most people who play in the Charles Trump Shield having no plans to go professional whatsoever - saWemotolera hastily found employment with Eleanorian Transit's maintenance department, whose primary duties are to clean Metro stations and trains, a few days after getting his school certificates. "The people who actually maintain the system are the operations department! The work is a bit routine, but it's mostly local - I don't go all over the network - and it's enough to keep me satisfied, occupied and paid enough to live independently, although I had to ask my next-door neighbour how to make pizza dough once. Not by much, however; there's always a rumble about unionisation once every few months until somebody tries to very loudly argue that the government always gives us what we want, anyway. Remember what I said about what keeps the country together."

He has hardly given up on football, however. "After I've used up everything, I still earn enough money to get the Northern Mail from the local shop, go over the football section of that, go home, read football websites, talk about football... not about what I did, of course, but it's still the biggest way I spend most of my free time. Unfortunately I haven't gotten much informal gametime recently, but I might ask some of my old friends later this summer if they'll join me." Would he have signed up to work at the Hiyashi factory had he been studying now? "I think almost everybody in Broadlands would: they offer good pay, good hours, make useful devices that people here and everywhere else use and they're pretty much the local football team. Is it too late for me?" (A spokesperson for the local Hiyashi Corporation said they did not engage in age discrimination when considering employees.)

Although many budding young footballers do not make it through to the senior game, Ralexalera saWemotolera fell through in particularly harsh fashion: a man who had structured his entire life around football, performed well for his school team, but failed club trials and is now languishing as a cleaner after poor career planning. And not even one of the greater novelties in the Eleanorian game could save him. Mercifully, his case is relatively rare - and a perfect example of why the Eleanorian youth football system is focused on school teams rather than club academies.

by **PotatoFarmers** » Mon Nov 07, 2022 7:39 pm

Poafmersia 2–3 Cassadaigua
Goalscorers: Kilikina Lee 55'; Erle Sartini 84' (assisted by Rym)
Lineup: Nicole Potts (c); Kilikina Lee, Nacro Astro, Diamond Byan, Zak Kaloyanov; Michael Jackson, Min Berg, Aapeli Shea; Tessa Bjarnesen, Jordan Huerta, Leontiy Seet
Substitutes: Magreta Rym (Jackson 59'); Erle Sartini (Shea 67'); Liina Williamson (Huerta 67'); Jacqi Equine (Kaloyanov 80')

Sporting Daily
Adnan Suliaha confirms tactical change for the team ahead of Cup of Harmony
Fiskadaha - Following the team's heart-breaking loss against Cassadaigua in the playoffs last year, the Red Panjias had been involved in various training camps, calling up people outside the WCQ shortlist, and also experimenting with various formations. In fact, there has been talks about whether Adnan will take this time to finalise with a 26-member team that provides even more tactical flexibility than before.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the release of the final 26-member namelist, Adnan Suliaha has confirmed that Poafmersia will have a new look team coming into the Cup of Harmony, where the manager will lead the Poafmersian national team in their 7th appearance at the Cup of Harmony. "We have been experimenting with options apart from 3-at-the-front, which has been the trend for recent Poafmersian teams. We are looking to more adjustments using more attacking midfielders, including exploring the use of a 3-5-2 formation and a 4-5-1 formation, among others. The midfield squad is a namelist in which I have been struggling quite a bit with, and I may end up with more midfielders and picking less forwards." The head coach has confirmed that there will be no changes to the coaching team, despite rumours that his assistant, Katiri Hedge, will be retiring.

For the upcoming Cup of Harmony, Poafmersia will be drawn into Group F, alongside Mandalanusan nations Eraman and Ziwana, newcomers Elmyia, as well as familiar foes Audioslavia. This is Poafmersia's first official matches against Eraman, while Poafmersia last played Elmyia in IAC16, where they won 2-0 in Juvencus. Ziwana, returning from a bit of hiatus, participated in the same Baptism of Fire as our team, and we defeated them 3-2 on the way to achieving Bronze in the tournament. We also drew Ziwana at home and defeated them away in the 88th World Cup Qualifiers, held around 9 years ago. Audioslavia will be the most familiar of all opponents, having seen then in WCQ86, WC87 Group Stage, as well as WCQ88.

Other News
- Poafmersia bow out of IBC with surprise win against group winners Equestria
- PBL delays confirmation of playoff format after critics question if GPLM-styled playoffs is suitable for basketball
- Ice Hockey & Field Hockey committees want to make peace with each other to establish combined Hockey Federation: Reports
- Teafarmers makes "unexpected" adjustments to format ahead of 1st edition of Tea Cup
- 2 more new entrants for Glory Mobile confirmed after completion of 2113-14 cycle; GPLM teams in talks for a merger between the GPLM and the GDLM

Chasing the Unknown
Thread C Part 0: Glory of Masters

To even talk about the glorious eSports scene of Glory of Masters (no pun intended, mind you), we need to talk about the history of the game, and how the eSports competitions came about. And this part 0 aims to do just that - to delve about into some facts surrounding the formation of the competitions, as well as some details about the format, the teams, that might help you for the story later on.

In the past, Poafmersia never had a really popular home-grown game. There are some indie game developers out there, but most of the game genres have been one of three types - Turn-based Strategy Games (TBS), Real-time Strategy games (RTS), and Role-playing games (RPG). That's about it. TBS and RTS typically take too long to play, lasting around 60-90 minutes on average, while RPGs don't suit many people. As such, even if there were competitive TBS and RTS scenes, participation was mostly limited to a niche group, and viewership was equally limited. Until the year 2092, when a group of game developers came together and decided to create a new genre of game. Known as the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA), it started off as a 3v3 version on a smaller map; before they designed the 5v5 map as part of open beta, and it was the 5v5 that proved to be a hit among the various players. This game was later officially released in 2097, and we will know it as the Glory of Masters, to-date Poafmersia's most popular home grown game.

Around the similar times, the Ministry of Arts, Sports and Culture (MASC), in a bid to gather the mindsports and the eSports players of the country, formed two separate associations, known as the Poafmersia Mindsports Federation (PMF), as well as the Poafmersia eSports Association (PeSA). The former was a natural occurance, given the growing community of chess and contract bridge players, while the latter was much of a surprise given how niche the community was. Nevertheless, the government saw this as a growth area in sports, and the PeSA was seen as an avenue for small communities of TBS and RTS players to get funding for their national competitions.

The interest in Glory of Masters was ridiculous. Within 3 days of the official launch, the game broke 1 million downloads, and quickly it swelled to 10 million downloads within 2 weeks, and then 50 million downloads by the end of 3 months. With such a huge player base, gaming clubs started considering whether some of these young players wanted to play the game professionally. And with the PeSA eager to organise their first competition on its own, the Glory Professional League (GPL) was born.

The GPL started out small, but not quite small as you may think - 12 teams. In 2100, with the professional scene still building up, they only had 2 seasons yearly. It was straightforward - double round robin, with a single elimination bracket to determine the split champions. But the popularity was so huge, within 4 years, another 10 teams joined, leading to the creation of the conference system in 2104, with teams split into 2 conferences based on location of their registered home. Just a year later, the single-elimination system was scrapped, and in came a chaotic "Bubble + Double Elim" format which many fans were supportive about. In 2104, only 12 teams made it into the playoffs, 6 per conference. In the new format, 8 teams per conference could make it in, with the "bubble format" deciding who gets eliminated before they reach the final 8 and change to a double-elimination. It was utterly crazy, yes, but teams loved to watch the upsets, such as in the Summer of 2106, when 8th placed Sarim Potato EC in the North Conference defeated 4 teams, including GPL giants Mancodas Gaming, to make it into the final 8. The twice yearly format switched to a thrice-yearly format, with a new Glory of Masters Season Championship rounding out the year. But the increase in popularity never stopped. It was in the year 2108 did they establish a new second tier, known as the Glory Challengers League, and it was in the same year the mobile version (which was only created a year prior) had its own league known as the Glory Professional League (Mobile). This created a contrasts for the viewers - while the computer league had more variety in terms of T0 and T1 heros, as well as team strategies, the mobile version was faster and created really fast-paced games, including an all-time GPL record of a 7:30 match, between Edward Gaming Club Mobile (EGCM) and Team Nova, in the Fall of 2109.

While the number of big franchises didn't increase, there came a trend of smaller teams aiming to make a breakthrough in the franchise-system of the GPL. Stunned by this rise, the PeSA quickly established the National Cup, a biannual tournament which sees players form teams to fight their way into the GCL playoffs. Later, the GPL expanded to 24 teams, and for the first time ever, doing a promotion-relegation system to the GCL and further down into the National Cup. This was the first time franchise teams can fall into oblivion; getting into the GCL for any of the 20 main franchises was seen as a disgrace. But it doesn't mean franchises are the kings - it was during the Fiskadaha Major of 2112, the most recent Major, where All Champions' Gaming, a club that started just 2 years prior, won the Major for the second time in the club's history. Of course, that story of the ACG deserves a separate chapter on its own.

The GPL eSports league also presented the multiverse with 2 inventions, one of which quickly got adopted by the Basketball community in the PBL, while the other is an invention that really should be considered among the rest of the MOBA communities out there. The first is the invention of the SAB mini-league system. Apart from the promotion & relegation at the end of the regular system, the mini-leagues was also an avenue for promotion & relegation within the league season. Teams will only play other teams within the same mini-league, with the lower-ranked teams at risk of relegation between round-robins. The mini-league system was seen as an avenue for teams to get a good test of whether they are improving, as they are playing against teams with similiar standards based on prior results. The second invention was the Global Ban-Pick system. In 2106, facing a challenge of trying to create a more diverse hero field, and trying to find a way for more t1 and t2 heros to be played on the competitive stage, the game creators proposed the system, in which a hero will not be used for more than one game during the match. This created some controversy early on, but the adequate amount of warning (this was done with 2-3 months warning) meant that teams had some time to adapt to it. But it was the team coaches that have the most headache, with a larger pool of heros to pick from and trying to figure out which set of heros can be better used to counter which other set of heros. But this turned out to be really successful, and games slowly changed from the best-of-three conquest mode (standard Ban-Pick procedures) to best-of-five conquest mode. Originally, the finals used a best-of-seven global ban-pick system; but it was the creators who felt that there needs to be more excitement, and the final game in best-of-seven matches was changed to the "Elite Battle" format. Now, teams need to also practice a set of t0 heros to its maximum potential do be able to do well in the Elite Battle, should it be needed.

by **Ceni** » Mon Nov 07, 2022 7:42 pm

If you want a victory today, you need to sing a hymnal... Cutoff 1 for the ~~Drawkian~~ Delaclav half.

Group E
Mertagne 3–2 Baggieland
Ochre Islands 2–4 Delaclava

Group F
Poafmersia 3–2 Elmyia
Ziwana 0–1 Audioslavia

Group G
Saint Eleanor 3–2 Talannua
Brookstation 1–1 Delte

Group H
Kimi-Suomi 3–1 The Jovannic
HUElavia 0–2 Brenecia

by **Mertagne** » Tue Nov 08, 2022 3:50 am

Part 1. The Middle Ages

Time. Space. Reality. We know all too well that it’s more than a linear path. As scholars in ages present have stated, it’s a prism of endless possibility, where a single choice can branch out into infinite realities, creating alternate worlds from the ones you know. I am the Narrator. I am your guide through these vast new realities. Follow me and ponder the question that has haunted the minds of Mertagne for eons... "What if?"

Previously on our journey through these alternate timelines, we unpicked the threads of fate at a key moment in the history of what would become Mertagne - The Order of the Fourbarbs’ defeat at the battle of Vecchio. Here, we instead looked at the result of a victory for the order, a timeline where the order was not split in two and managed to plunder the settlements around Vecchio for riches such as dyes, silver, and berries.

Here, the burgeoning kingdom of Wesaxe continued its growth throughout the Middle Ages, growing to become a minor regional power yet involved in deep skirmishes with its neighbours, the Hebrans, the Rudo, and the rich Karodinians who in this timeline settled from Gouvanarch many centuries earlier than they did in our timeline.

As we move to the early Renaissance, this would be a time of continued change and growth for Wesaxe, and arguably it’s bloodiest period in terms of conflict. Using our reverse SERAPH method, which outlines - Social Groups, Economy, Religion, Achievements, Politics, and History - in reverse order, we will dive into this period for the nation north of the Bekk.

The flags of the Hebran Clans (left), the Kingdom of Wesaxe (center), and the City State of Leorudo (right) before their subjugation by Wesaxe.

The Early Renaissance
This period of history would see Wesaxe prepare for war. Sporting a large land army but lacking when it came to naval combat, a ground campaign in the mountains would see them eventually subjugate the Hebrans in a bitter, years long conflict. The Clan-lord of the Hebrans, coincidentally known as Magnaeus, would eventually surrender and be granted mercy, consigned to a role similar to that of a Count as his niece, sympathetic to the Wesaxe cause, would come to rule over the newly established Principality of Hebra as its Princess. Magnaeus's allies would retreat to the Tetrarchy, and the dense coniferous forest would form the latent border between the Kingdom of Wesaxe and the Karodin peoples for centuries, sparking stories on both sides about the horrors that lurk within. What we would now call guerilla warfare would likely take place within the forest, as clashes between latent portions of the Wesaxe army, few in number after spending so long in the highlands away from home, and fleeing Hebrans, would take place not on the open field of warfare but restlessly in the trees. Kaordininan stories of the Argouez, a wild land full of monsters, would endure in the cultural heritage for many years. For the Wesaxeans, the forest would be deemed as cursed, and many would relinquish any claims to its lands for fear of retribution by fallen or malevolent spirits.

In this alternate timeline, the deep mountain valleys of modern day Brego and Freskovia, in the west of modern Mertagne, would prove difficult to gain much of a foothold in for Wesaxe, and the Hebrans would not be willing to aid Wesaxen colonisation efforts. These lands would likely come to be inhabited and established by the Quechua, who in our timeline settled to the west in modern day Huayramarca. Naturally more predisposed to these more extreme mountain climates, a nation would flourish on this highland that would remain neutral to the petty squabbles of the “lowlanders” to the east. Exports such as Llama wool and wood from the jungle trees on the other side of the mountains would prove useful to all the kingdoms, and it would be through the acquisition of materials such as these that Wesaxe would eventually integrate Leorudo into its burgeoning empire.

While the Starblaydi were concentrating their regional power to the east, vying for power against nations such as Nemya and Audioslavia in what we call the Sea of Champions, and with Nova Brittanicus at this time likely acting as a buffer state between the purple peril and Wesaxe, Wesaxe would look south near its border with a now struggling Krytenia that was beginning to withdraw from international trade. Using jungle wood from the Quechua traders, a great fleet of ships was constructed in the Bekk at Cyanaes, now named as a scouting outpost to place Eyes on the Cyan coloured kingdom to the south. This fleet would be used to blockade Leorudo from outside trade in the Bekk while a large land force would siege the city-fortress from the north. This siege, which would last two whole years, would give Wesaxe a commanding presence on the Bekk in the form of Leorudo, a powerful port and mountain fortress that would see it enter renewed trade with nations such as Bostopia and Legalese, as well as gain land, resources, and workers.

Politically, the acquisition of territory during this time would see titles granted to prolific military generals, as the custom from the days of Lucien the Cloudheaded would continue. These titled land owners, likely equivalent in rank to a Duke, would sit at the court of the monarch and advise them on day-to-day matters. It is likely that much political intrigue would take place in the court, with the Dukes and Duchesses scheming for internal power under the nose of the monarch. True democracy would likely be a long way off, considering the political status of neighbouring nations and large trading partners - with nations such as Starblaydia, Bostopia, and a pre-parliament Krytenia on the doorstep, the monarchs of Wesaxe would be unlikely to relinquish the power to make laws, retaining control as an absolute monarchy.

With the control of Leorudo and the subjugation of Hebra, this moment in history would be full of achievements for the now fully grown Kingdom of Wesaxe. Finally occupying the whole landmass from the Bekk to the Grinshem Sea, this version of the Kingdom would acquire arts and culture from the fortress city of Leorudo, as well as new technologies. Prolific inventor Vincent de Leorudo, who was able to flee the city in the aftermath of the siege and move to Cravannien, would invent many devices to be utilised in civic and martial projects, including a prolific proto-tank device that never actually saw use on a battlefield. Art would flourish during this time, with many paintings depicting Wesaxean conflicts and members of high society. The standard of living for the general population would increase during this time in the nation’s cities and farms, thanks to the technological innovations of the age.

Religion in this age would likely begin to shift under the effects of an increasingly cosmopolitan culture. It is likely that some form of Christianity, either Gesemite or Anglican, would take root in the nation, and modern institutions to these religions would spring up during the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance period. Wesaxe would struggle to stem the tide of Christianity, and would likely be caught in the centre of religious conflicts between Christianity and the growing influence of the Starblaydi Fam'dai. Wesaxen paganism would likely endure in some form, especially in the more sparse ex-Hebran provinces, but would be eroded over time due to a lack of investment.

The economy of the nation would be boosted following the acquisition of territory, and Dannharbour would grow to become a large port on the Grinshem Sea, no longer blockaded by Hebran forces to the same degree as it was in ages prior. A bitter trade war with the Karodin Tetrarchy would likely occur during this time, with Wesaxe on the back foot due to Portzhbihan’s status in the region at this time. Wesaxe, in order to compete on the regional stage, would join Krytenian King Stephen’s international trade ring, facilitating the trade of goods and services across the Bekk on a route that would eventually form the backbone of the Trans-Calanian Railway.

Socially, this period would continue to be a time of great change for the nation. The Wesaxens would now contend with other cultures, such as the Hebrans and the Rudo, becoming increasingly integrated into daily life. Many of these peoples would seek fame and fortune in the nation’s cities, such as Cravannien, Dannharbour, and Fligshive, and would bring with them their own unique cultural traditions and language. During this time, linguistic drift would begin to take hold across the nation, before the introduction of the printing press, which would arrive uniquely late to Wesaxe due to a political relationship between the monarchs and the Guilds of Bookbinding and Calligraphy. As a result of this linguistic drift, several names would change - Fligshive would drop the ‘h’, becoming Fligsive, and the name of the nation would change, cemented by further influence from the differing tongues of the Bekkside nations. Wesaxe would become Wessia, in turn Wersia, and in turn Wersein. Hebran influence, especially through their enduring presence in Dannharbour, one of Calania's portals to the rest of the multiverse in this timeline, would see this mutate to Vertagne.

During this time of increased interconnectivity, the nation would be introduced to cultures from across the region and beyond, importing spices from Cobrio, and rowdy humour from Audioslavia, much of which would be delivered by the region's premier naval power, the Mrii. Exposing themselves to these cultures at this time would change Vertagne for the better, and open the doors further to new technologies from nations such as Ko-oren in the late renaissance.

The Royal Standard of the Kingdom of Vertagne (left) and the national flag of Vertagne (right), during the middle of the renaissance. The national flag combined many features in the flags of the respective territories, adding a four pointed star in honour of the monarchy, which, while now ruled under the House of Plitt, can proudly trace its lineage back to the Order of the Fourbarbs.

by **Baggieland** » Tue Nov 08, 2022 4:32 am

Enlightenment

Øystein Øye had spent an hour speeding across the never-ending expanse of sea when eventually he saw signs of civilisation. There was a small pleasure yacht with a few guys seemingly enjoying themselves onboard, but where was he? Then he noticed one of the boaters urinating over the side of the yacht into the sea. This must be Baggieland. Øystein Øye took the speedboat around the coastline, where before his eyes a vast metropolis opened up, he could see a large number of military and commercial vessels busily sailing here and there. He was in Albion, Baggieland's main port city. Øystein Øye manoeuvred the speedboat to a quiet area of the port, berthed it and then headed into the city. After such an eventful day, a coffee was very much in order.

Waitress: "You're looking a bit frazzled there luv, what can I get ya?"

Øystein Øye: "I'll have an iced ristretto, 8 shot, venti, 6 pump caramel, 9 pump vanilla, 5 stevia, poured not shaken."

Waitress: "You must be a tourist. In Baggieland we only have instant coffee granules, you can have some milk and sugar in it, if you want."

Øystein Øye: "I see. I'll take the milk and sugar with my instant coffee then."

Waitress: "Here's your coffee. You look like you've got a lot on your mind, it helps to share you know, you shouldn't keep it all bottled up."

Øystein Øye: "You're right. I'm at a crossroads in my life, everything is not as it seems and I have no idea in which direction I should go next."

Waitress: "It sounds like you need to talk to the Guru."

Øystein Øye: "Sorry? Talk to who?"

Waitress: "In the abyssal heart of the Throstle Mountains lives an all-knowing guru. You will only be able to find him if your heart is pure."

Øystein Øye: "Does this guru have a name?"

Waitress: "Guru Beth Rati Pumba."

Øystein Øye: "I will seek this wise man, but I will need some food to sustain myself in my journey through the mountains."

Waitress: "We've got lasagna or chicken sate."

Øystein Øye took the chicken sate, then set out on his epic pilgrimage. First, he waited for the No. 4 tram at the terminal, as the waitress had told him it would go all the way to the Albion suburb nearest to the Throstle Mountains. Forty-five minutes later, he was standing at the entrance to the National Park. The mountains were many and majestic, emerging in the distance as they commanded the land before them. Where in all of this was the guru? Just standing there would not achieve anything, so Øystein Øye took the first step.

Guru Beth Rati Pumba: "Alright Son… you looking for me?"

Øystein Øye: "Blind, wizened man. I have come from a faraway place to seek a great sorcerer."

Guru Beth Rati Pumba: "Yeah, that would be me, but less of the blind and wizened, you cheeky wanker!"

Øystein Øye: "I thought you would be harder to find?"

Guru Beth Rati Pumba: "Then no-one would be able to have a chin-wag with me, you plonker! So, what have you got your knickers-in-a-twist about?"

Øystein Øye: "Well, I believe there's something shady going on with HMS Onslaught."

Guru Beth Rati Pumba: "Gordon Bennett! You really are a muppet, aren't you? Of course there's something shady going on… they sink ships and steal their booty!"

Øystein Øye: "No, even shadier than that. I believe that powerful people are financing their operation, but I don't know why. On top of that, I've lost my wife, my kids, my job and now I've lost my childhood fantasy as well."

Guru Beth Rati Pumba: "Well me ol' mate, the way I see it is you have two options. First, you could go undercover, investigate these shady goings-on and expose whatever it is you find out, despite the strong likelihood of getting your head kicked in. Or… you could just take this opportunity to make a fresh start in life: find a new girl, a new job, settle down and enjoy the rest of your life. I know which one I'd choose!"

Øystein Øye walked away from the wise man, he now knew what had to be done.

by **HUElavia** » Tue Nov 08, 2022 6:39 am

HUElavia 0–2 Brenecia
(Covolan 37', Shrine 63')

Down in the Ditch

HUElavia goes down after two terrible mistakes lead to Brenecian goals.

Entering the Cup of Harmony, HUElavia was facing off against Brenecia for their opening match, looking to match the surprise 2-1 victory during the World Cup Qualifiers. Despite optimism for the team and supporters of HUElavia heading into Matchday 1, reality quickly bonked HUElavia in the head.

Despite holding out defensively with some attacks, a foul by Rosado over Stokes in the 37th minute gave way to a free kick and a yellow card for the full back. Covolan stepped up and sent the ball over the wall with such strength that Casillas tried to stop the shot, but it deflected off his glove and still went into the top side of the goal, making it 0-1. The Brenecians celebrated with cheers and screams while the HUElavians were frustrated from the goal that was conceded. Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos continued with the attacks, with one instance being in the 48th minute, when a pass by Font reached Honda, who took a shot past Meade before it just narrowly passed the front of goal out for a goal kick. In the 63rd minute, a foul by Lavezzi took down Wake to give way to another free kick, along with a yellow card to the Tallian HUElavian centerback. Covolan sent the ball into the box where Shrine won the ball over Vargas to head the ball to the fingertips of Casillas, where once again the shot was too strong for the gloves and it deflected into the goal, making it 0-2. Shrine was mobbed by his teammates and the Brenecians were cheering with passion at the goal, while the HUElavians were frustrated, especially Casillas, where just two deflections lead to the two goals. Despite some chances by HUElavia, Brenecia held out and got the victory, leaving HUElavia in a hole after Matchday 1.

HUElavia will take on The Jovannic on Matchday 2, where it is expected to where a mix of starters and backups will play in order to give some playing time and mix up the formation, possibly to a 4-2-4 formation. Either way, HUElavia is obligated to go for the 3 points against the "weakest" team in the group, but the team are not wanting to underestimate their opponents. The team went back to the drawing board, studying film and practicing drills to improve their play for the next match. Here's to hoping things improve on Matchday 2.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **Cabo Azure** » Tue Nov 08, 2022 8:40 am

Cabo Azure 2-0 Valentine Z
Scorers: SIlveira, Gouveia

A statement victory against a strong opponent gives the Macaricas a leg up in Group B, where the real competition is likely to be for second place behind the venerable squad from The Holy Empire. To have a chance of advancing to the round of 16, Cabo Azure likely needs to win against Atheara and earn at least four points from its matches against Valentine Z and Republica Guanacasteca. This win constitutes the harder part of that goal, though the Macaricas can ill afford to rest on their laurels against a Los Cerdos team that will be looking to remain in the fight after a 1-0 loss to Atheara.

Team captain Cleto Silveira made it look easy out the gate with a one-timer to the near post off a good throughball by Rathbone. Even in full stretch, the nearly eight-foot-tall goalie Eveline could do little when her considerable momentum was driven the other way by a maurading Vasco Gouveia. Gouveia would double the Macaricas' lead late in the first half with a set-piece goal that curved around and out of Evelyn's grasp.

In the second half, Paulinho was content to bunker and force the Kittens to come to him, allowing Moniz and Medeiro to do what they do best, closing down the gigantic strikers and keeping the game in hand. Unfortuantely, Ademar de Lima caught an errant elbow from Hashempour and will miss the next match for concussion protocol; Hashempour caught a yellow card, but de Lima stated on social media after the match he believed there was no malice in it.

“Five out of Six”, pt 2
Nine years ago
The plane banked high over Sao Simone, and Marisol strained to look out the window. Everything down there looked old, from the worn red bricks of the houses, to the fishing trawlers at anchor, the cobblestone streets, and the colorful sedans that lined them. Next to her, her sister Janice slept quietly, as she had since the plane took off in Quebec some fourteen hours previous, and on the plane over from Esportiva before that. Bored and restless, Marisol shook Janice awake and indicated the window.

“Look,” she said, “We’re about to land.”

Janice pointed her delicate nose toward the window. “It’s pretty.”

The family of four stood out from the crowd as they disembarked onto the tarmac in the heat of the noonday sun. Marisol’s father, Eustaquio, was a heavyset man in his forties in a button-down shirt, black jeans, and trainers, dark hair slicked back and black eyes hidden behind oversized sunglasses. In Acadiana, he wouldn’t have warranted another look, but here he got stares. Her mother, too, a slight Korean-Quebecois woman in a modest blouse and black slacks, had none of the colorful flair that seemed to define Azurean women. The girls, teenagers less than a year apart in age, wore sweatpants and loose-fitting t-shirts, their jet black hair pulled back in cornrows.

Under humming fluorescent lights, Eustaquio picked up a courtesy phone and dialed a number from memory, speaking into the receiver in Portuguese. When Marisol and Janice were young, Portuguese had been the main language in their house, and even their mother had spoken it. Over the years, the accented Terranean the girls spoke at school slowly overtook their father’s native tongue until the children younger than Janice, two younger girls and their baby brother, couldn’t speak a word of Portuguese. Hearing her father revert to his native tongue, Marisol thought he sounded younger, more apologetic, with none of the forceful swagger he had when he spoke in Terranean.

A black SUV picked them up, the driver wearing a suit despite the sweltering heat. Marisol pressed her face close to the window in the back seat, taking in the Azurean countryside. The road connecting the airport to Sao Simone wound through rolling hills dotted with orchards until it crossed into Sao Simone proper, where the houses became white stucco with iron bars on their windows. Almost every corner had a small store with brightly-colored advertisements in the windows. The truck followed a major artery up a steep hill, then through street after street of houses in various stages of construction.

“This is our ancestral land,” Eustaquio explained. “Your grandfather is building these houses to lease to people from the city. Eventually this will be where everyone wants to live.”

Marisol nodded; her father had mentioned the construction of the Villa Silva neighborhood several times in passing. The land had been in the family for generations, dating back to their ancestor Diego Silva, the most trusted lieutenant of Sebastian di Portelo, commander of the Knights of St. Simon who’d declared himself “King of the Azurean Isles” and established the di Portelo dynasty. He’d given each of his officers an island, but he gave Aho, the largest and most fertile, to Diego.

The truck followed a gravel road through a wrought-iron gate that protected a three-story stucco house with a circular drive in front of it. A tall, white-haired man stood in front, waiting, and though Marisol hadn’t been to Sao Simone since she was a little girl, she recognized him as her grandfather, Dom Carlos Silva, the clan’s patriarch. Dom Carlos smiled as he saw the car approach, but she could see the sadness in his eyes; understandable, given his wife had passed away days before.

Father and son embraced as Eustaquio stepped out of the car, while Lianne, the girls’ mother, shepherded them upstairs with their luggage. Marisol didn’t remember her family’s house being so big when she was a kid. Taking it in as her feet crunched the gravel, she reckoned it was bigger than any of the houses she’d seen in Acadiana. Her mother led them inside; the room she and Janice would share smelled stale, but the sheets on the beds were fresh, and a television had been rigged up in one corner with a DVD player.

“As soon as you’ve set your things down, come downstairs and talk to your grandfather,” Lianne directed sternly. In the big kitchen, Carlos and Eustaquio were standing in front of the tall counter, drinks in hand, conversing amiably in Portuguese. Seeing the girls come downstairs with their mother, Carlos shifted to Terranean as he approached Lianne to kiss her on the cheek.

“Girls,” said Carlos. “You’ve gotten so big. Miranda would have loved to see how beautiful you’ve become.”

Miranda was Carlos’s wife of decades, mother to Eustaquio, whose funeral was the impetus for the family to return to Cabo Azure. Eustaquio, their only child, left Cabo Azure for Acadiana as a young man to make his fortune, only to find it didn’t come as easy as that in a place where your name carried no weight. Stubborn to the last, Eustaquio had doubled down, married and raised a family in Acadiana, and finally he had succeeded in building a small business empire there, though it was nothing like what he left behind.

“How are things here, Avo?” Marisol asked. “How is the new queen?”

The domestic news was fixated on up-to-the-minute coverage of the transition of the Azurean government, as it had been for most of the preceding twelve months. Ever since the Gang of Seven announced they would step down in favor of a restored monarchy, the average Azurean viewer had developed an insatiable appetite for any scrap of news about how the country was to be run. Thus far details were scant; all the public knew was the Gang would hand over power to a new monarch, who would share power with an elected Assembly and a supreme court.

What was not scant, however, was information about the prospective monarch, Dr. Abigail Fonseca. Abigail had been a noted academic even before she was outed a few years prior as “Princess Abby”. In the time since she’d last been in the spotlight, Abby had been exiled, returned incognito, gotten her Ph.D., been married for a decade, had three kids, and been divorced from her husband for nearly fifteen year. All of this was catnip for the newsmedia. Her children had it worse; little Veronica had a police escort to and from secondary school, and her oldest son, Manuel, could hardly step outside. Only Alexandra, twenty years old and safely in school across the Blood Sea in Quebec, was unaffected. Still, the transition was proceeding on schedule, with the assumption that Abigail would be crowned on New Year’s Day 2012.

“She’s well,” answered Carlos. “Busy. She reached out a couple of days ago to offer her condolences and to say that she and Manuel will be at the service.”

“Wait,” said Janice thoughtfully. “If we’re cousins of the queen, doesn’t that make us royalty?”

“Not exactly,” Eustaquio replied. “Abby is a Silva on her mother’s side. She’s royal on her father’s.”

“We are still the only noble family remaining in Cabo Azure, though,” Carlos added, his chest swelling slightly. “Adolfo II couldn’t bankrupt us, no matter how hard he tried.”

–

Manuel Fonseca awoke in his childhood bedroom, still wearing his clothes from the previous night. Light filtered through the drawn curtains, outlining the shabby furniture that had been his since he was a boy. His was the smallest of the house’s three bedrooms, on the ground floor behind the kitchen, barely big enough for a twin bed and a small bureau. The master bedroom and Ronnie’s room that she’d once shared with Alex were on the second floor, and Manuel had long since learned that a first-floor window was ideal for coming and going as he pleased.

“What are you doing here?” asked Ronnie tactlessly when he came down the stairs. Seventeen, with pale skin and auburn hair, she didn’t resemble Manuel physically, but their dynamic was unmistakable. Where Alex took after their father in temperament, introverted and cerebral, Ronnie and Manuel were more like their mother, sanguine and outgoing. Even ten years apart, they were as thick as thieves.

“I have to get fitted for my suit,” he said, “For Miranda Silva’s funeral.”

Ronnie waggled her eyebrows by way of acknowledgement and returned her attention to the laptop on the kitchen table in front of her. The computer belonged to the university, a loaner for their mother to use in her work, but Ronnie got more use out of it than Abby, who was, if not a luddite, reluctant to embrace technology.

“You have to go to that?”

“She’s family,” Manuel said quietly. “Carlos Silva is our great uncle.”

Ronnie tipped her head back so her braids brushed the top of the chair, looking thoughtfully at the ceiling. Manuel recognized the look, as it had come around frequently in the year or so since they’d found out they were royalty. It was the look that said they hadn’t considered whatever this most recent development was, and they’d have to reconsider their place in the world once again.

“I suppose I knew that Reinaldo I’s second wife was Carlotta Silva,” Ronnie reflected, emphasizing the last name, “Though I probably got that answer wrong on my test. Hard to say how I feel that Queen Carlotta is my grandmother.”

“I’ll never get used to it,” Manuel sighed, “Any of it.”

by **Gnejs** » Tue Nov 08, 2022 9:21 am

A day in the life of Killer Bob

It’s a rainy November day, like most November days. The kind of day you wished you lived up north, where the snow’s been thick for weeks already. But alas, that’s life. It’s 05.12, my daughter just woke up, and it’s my turn to get up and play with her. So we bring out the train set and start putting it together. It’s too early and all I want to do is sleep, but my little fat controller won’t let me; it’s no fun when you’re not doing it properly, she says. So I slap myself gently and shove a generous serving of loose snuff under my upper-lip to wake up. It works fairly well, and I quickly see opportunities for introducing more efficiency in the train model, especially with a strategically placed multi-track intersection, but she harshly rebukes my suggestions and proceeds building loops and dead-ends that make no fucking sense.

At around 06.30, my son wakes up and comes down. I start preparing breakfast for the two of them, while they start arguing over the train set. My son has seen the complete irrationality of my daughter’s design and is calling her out on it. She’s not having any of it and it all ends up in tears. I’m stirring their oatmeal porridge, and I even go to the trouble of heating the frozen berries separately, instead of just pushing then down in the oats, but they still complain and say they’d rather have vanilla flavored sour milk and granola, and I say we’re out. They grudgingly finish half of their bowls and I tell them to get dressed.

It’s 07.00, my wife gets up and in a marvel of morning routine efficiency she’s all done and out the door - racing for her early meeting - 15 minutes later. I’m still in my underwear, and despite having been up for hours I once again find myself severely stretched for time. I don’t have time to shower - again - and I throw on whatever unstained clothes I can find, while shouting for the kids to get ready. My daughter is already fully dressed and waiting for me down by the front door, whereas my son is nowhere to be seen. I find him in the upstairs bathroom, reading a book. He finally gets dressed and I get him off to school. He says he’s nervous for a test they’re doing today, and I tell him it’ll probably be fine.

Meanwhile my daughter has not put on her coverall, but rather that pink wind jacket she loves, so we discuss the benefits and drawbacks of coverall use for about 10 minutes, and then I realize it’s already 07.45 and there’s no way I’m going to make the 08.00 bus I need to be on. So I start texting Petter to tell him I’ll be late for the meeting, when my daughter makes me an offer I can’t refuse, namely that she’ll wear the coverall if I buy her purple fairy wings that she can use for tomorrow’s birthday party. We strike a deal and race towards the kindergarten. Despite making good time I miss my bus.

It’s 09.10 and I’ve just arrived at the office. I go straight to the meeting center to meet Petter and those two other guys. We’re supposed to discuss the offers we’ve received on that procurement, but it turns out Petter canceled the meeting because he didn’t want to be the only one there from our unit. I spend about an hour making coffee and eating a banana, and then I sit down and try to write my evaluation of the received offers. It’s only two and one’s shit. It’s so bad it’s verging on not qualifying for evaluation, but if I reject it I’ll have to cancel the procurement process and start over again. So I write something that’s too kind and I feel slightly dirty. I send it to Petter and the other two guys, and they all sign off on my evaluation and suggest we make it our joint and official one. It’s mostly because they don’t want to do any work for themselves, but that’s fine.

It’s 11.30 and I have lunch with Stian at the immigrant place down the corner and talk about how the World Cup is about to start, and even though we spend 15 minutes discussing prospects for various nations we finally agree that it is markedly more challenging to stay engaged after the Dandelions failed to qualify. We use up the rest of our lunch discussing the upcoming Vilitan Mountain Games, and we don’t mention the fact that our beloved IFK Hagen got relegated from Allgnejsan due to being shit. Too soon.

I spend the afternoon in a seminar about a new draft on unit-wide guidelines for record keeping in a digital era. The suggestions are imbecilic and will stifle progress while not benefitting the public interest. More or less everyone is in agreement it’s shit, but the thing still drags on with different people repeating the same points over and over. It ends with the responsible case manager crying.

It’s 15.45 and I’m on the bus. There’s two young boys kicking seats and screaming obscenities. I ask them politely to stop and surprisingly they do. I get to the kindergarten late and they tell me my daughter has had a nice day, but her coverall is ruined and she needs a new one. We go to the store and buy dinner, and my daughter wants candy, I say no, but we do buy vanilla flavored sour milk and granola. I make tacos for dinner and ask my son how the test was, he says it didn’t go very well, and I say I’m sure it did.

We play Clue after dinner and I figure out the where, what and who early on, but I keep it to myself to pass the time and my daughter is extremely proud when she comes up with the correct combination, even though it’s all guesswork. My son gets miffed by losing and retreats to his room. It’s just about time for my daughter to go to bed, but then she asks me if she can see the purple fairy wings that I have completely forgotten to buy. I tell her I was too busy at work and didn’t get a chance to fix the wings - which is a lie - but that I’ll make her some fairy wings out of cardboard and paint. She breaks down in tears and refuses to be comforted. My wife takes her to bed.

I read about ten pages of the second book of of the A Song of Slab and Gravel saga for my son, which he loves, and I get chastised by my wife for reading something clearly not age-appropriate for a ten year old, and I counter that I skip the overt sex and violence and focus on the overall political drama and world building. She says that’s even worse, and I concede that she makes a fair point.

It’s 20.30 and we end the night by watching that new series about urban thirty-somethings somewhere down in Terranea that’s gotten such rave reviews. We both get depressed by how tanned and happy everybody is and turn off the tv about halfway through. We go to bed, and tomorrow the eternal recurrence of the same starts again. But at least it’s my turn to sleep in.

by **Kimi-Suomi** » Tue Nov 08, 2022 11:07 am

Olemme tulleet takaisin. Eikä hetkeäkään liian aikaisin. After the most successful WCQ campaign in our history, the Huuhkajat were all smiles as they made their way to Delaclava for what should be a very interesting tournament, all things considered. The fact that this team managed to only be killed off against Kelssek by penalties in a WCQ Playoff spoke volumes about how the development of this football program has gone and while so many plaudits rightfully have gone to the KSJ and to Esko Laaksonen for all the hard work they've done, but the players also deserve that recognition, especially someone like Anne Hintz, who announced before coming here that this tournament would be her last as a Huuhkajat. With that in mind, we know what we have to do: let her go out on a high.

Game 1 of this new Harmonian Kuppi seikkailu would be up against Jovannic (The Jovannic), the lowest-ranked team in the tournament at #152. It sounded like a good opponent to face first before the tougher tests arrived, but The Jovannic were certainly no pushovers and this game showed a lot of respect between the two foes. Pioneer Field in Corcorran would only have to wait 10 minutes for the first goal as Kimi Airo got our campaign underway with an incredible strike from inside the box. The Jovannic would respond from a corner before halftime, the ball just about missing the fingertips of Kauko Loukamaa, but the substitutions Esko made at halftime would help in pulling us away, with both Jyrki Bottas and Mika Noronen ending up on the scoresheet before the final whistle blew. A 3-1 win is always a good way to start off a tournament and many hoped that this will be the start of a great run in this competition.

The Shipyard in Cleopatrana will host MD2 against #92 Cardenao, a team who are certainly worthy of Top 100 status and a team that are constantly improving all the time. Scooter McNash is leading the Blue and Golds with an attacking 4-2-1-3 formation and while that certainly sounds deadly, we will certainly try our best to repel as much as we can. This game will be our 2nd and the last before our bye on MD3, so points will be critical here. NOSTA KUIN HUUHKAJAT!

by **The Cordian Isles** » Tue Nov 08, 2022 4:00 pm

The Cordasfjord Daily

Cup of Harmony MD 1 Characterized By Close Matches In Group C

New Oxford, CENI- A very strong Cordian contingent has descended on Ceni for Cup of Harmony 84, and they absolutely made themselves heard last night at the New Oxford Coliseum, drowning out the fans from Acastanha. The only thing that could be improved is the North Stars’ performance on the field. We knew from the start that this was going to be an extremely competitive group, and a 2-2 draw after leading 2-0 at the halfway mark is just not cutting it for a Cordian side that’s supposed to be one of the 40 best in the world.

The game got off to a very fast start, with Sebastian Voll looking to continue his goalscoring run in the third minute but firing the shot a touch too high, the ball sailing into the crowd. But the Cordians kept up the pressure and it would be Gunnvor Nieminen with the first goal of the match, the midfielder corralling a pass from Rasmus Karlssen and firing a laser of a shot into the top-right corner to set the stadium screaming. The Bavingtor FC star is already fast approaching the mark of highest-scoring midfielder in Cordian history at just 22 with 16 caps under his belt. His prodigious goalscoring rate has Diandra Ballard playing him forward of most of the other midfielders, and that’s made him even more dangerous. He almost netted a second goal ten minutes after the first, sprinting into the box and launching a shot, but it went too far right and the score stayed 1-0. The Cordians clearly held the momentum, though, and credit goes to Santiago Karba of Acastanha for a masterful performance at keeper to stop things from getting too out of hand. Despite Karba’s efforts, it was still just a matter of time until Cordia scored again. This time it was Sebastian Voll, hunting for a goal after missing a golden opportunity in the opening minutes, intercepting a badly timed pass on the Acastanha back line and chipping the ball around a diving Santiago Karba to put the Cordians up 2-0 twenty-six minutes into the half. While the Cordians would keep the momentum going on offense for the rest of the half, the Acastanha defense got their stuff together and prevented the North Stars from having any more major opportunities. When the referee blew the whistle to end a rather clean opening half, largely due to the lack of involvement for Cordia’s back line, the Cordians entered the dressing room satisfied with their first-half performance. Kristin Bergstrin had seen just one shot on goal, and it was an easy save from well outside the box.

The second half opened very differently from the first. The Cordians failed to take possession in the first five minutes. When they finally did, Redvin Chase outrunning Felix Kalchankar to the ball near the Cordian goal line, two Acastanhadas were immediately on him. Lisandro Turtapa took possession, stepped out, and fired a pass to David Yushankar sprinting across the Cordian goal. A brilliant touch from Yushankar, and the ball was in the back of the net. 2-1 still, but the match felt a lot closer. The Cordian end fell silent after making constant noise for almost the entire first half, and the Acastanhadas made themselves heard for the first time. That goal opened the floodgates, and soon it was the Cordians on their heels and - as the Cordians often do - getting into foul trouble. Three free kicks, each in the Cordian third, for the Acastanhadas made life very hard for Kristin Bergstrin, though she managed to save two and the third was a pass that went nowhere. Attempting to reextend Cordia’s lead, Anton Osterholt got too aggressive when Ada Baan sent him a through ball, and a likely goal was quickly flagged for offsides, much to the frustration of the Cordian fans. Foul trouble and pressure from an aggressive Acastanha side that is used to attacking continued to plague the Cordians as the clock ticked past the 70th minute, but they miraculously held off the Arrows’ attack and started to look again like they had in the first half. A couple more chances, good shots blocked by the Acastahna defense. The clock ticked past the 80th minute and the crowd grew even louder, expecting a big opening win for the North Stars. Not too much longer, and the clock hit 85, with still no indication of a revival for Acastahna. But halfway through the 85th minute, Lisandro Turtapa took stole the ball from Anton Osterholt as the latter tried to drive into the Acastanha box. The Cordian back line had expected his success and moved up accordingly, and Turtapa launched a through ball out to a sprinting Felix Kalchankar. The Cordians in back turned and tried to outrun Kalchankar to the goal, but he outpaced them, got Kristin Bergstrin to commit with a fake, and fired a shot into the now-empty goal, sending the Acastanha section of the stands cheering wildly for the second goal of the match and silencing the Cordians. Despite their best effort, the North Stars finished the match with the score knotted at two apiece.

Only taking one point off Acastahna is not a great start for the Cordians, but it’s also something they can come back from. A loss would have been far harder to take. They don’t have time to mope about the result, either. Next up for the North Stars are first seeds Pasarga, against whom taking points is even more critical with the draw to Acastahna. They might be a bit off form, as Koronavia, the fifth seeds, were able to keep it close in their match on MD 1, but Pasarga will always be a dangerous opponent. It will be a big match for the Cordians, with major implications down the line.

You know what it’s time for?

The burning of the rubber chickens.

Cup of Harmony 84 - Rosters/RPs/Results

COH 84 Rp 1

Jamie Rodgers' Goalscoring GKs: Ralexalera saWemotolera

A Good Start To Return To The Swing

Who is online