AOCAF LXVIII :: Everything Thread

World Cup 81/82/83/84

AO Cup up for grabs among top 15
by Oliver Stanley
The Post Chief Soccer Correspondent

BEXAR, SABINE & CADDONIA--The Commonwealth National Team arrived here to prepare for their Round of 16 matchup against Hapilopper at the River City Stadium in high spirits following the conclusion of the Group E fixture list, a 3-1 win over Gyatso-kai that ensured the Bees one of the top seeds in the knockout stage.

Five of the top six nations in the Atlantian Oceania rankings won their respective group, with Banija being pipped to the top spot in Group C on goal difference by Kimi-Suomi; both teams are among the potential future opponents in the top half of the draw, along with Gyatso-kai, and top overall seed Vilita & Turori.

A BP victory over the Haps will see a quarterfinal tilt against the winner of Kimi-Suomi and Gyatso-kai, a prospect either nation would relish as a prime opportunity to break through to a semi-final appearance.

The win against the Bison in front of 25,057 at the Salisbury City Stadium was notable for the tactical switch Prescott introduced from the kickoff, with Shonte Logan on left wing rather than a more central role or his natural right sided wing position; this created problems in the Avatarian defense with overloading their right in the defensive third, as Logan was instrumental in setting up both the first and last BP scores by cutting inside of the right back.

The Bees will meet Hapilopper for the third time, after a pair of wins in World Cup 87 Qualifying and will be seeking their 9th berth in the quarterfinals of the regional championship; Christa Vuckovic became the 14th player in BPNT history to surpass 100 caps in the match against Jabal Akhdar and will captain the side for the fourth time in this competition.

Lineup vs Hapilopper:

Albertson; Bruce, Milner, Jones; C Logan, Ryan, Vetter, Boyle; Vuckovic (C); Engels, London

by **Kimi-Suomi** » Thu Jan 12, 2023 11:20 am

After proving our worth to the AOCAF gods with a dominant performance, the Huuhkajat of Kimi-Suomi were now the leaders of this group and not many people were actually complaining about that. Varmasti yllätys, mutta tervetullut. Beating a team by a scoreline of 5-1 is always a good sign no matter the scenario and what we did to Efnakia certainly felt like night and day compared with MD1 vs The Lodge. But this group has far from decided and heading into this final day, 5 of the 6 teams were separated by only a single point. You didn't need to tell Esko Laaksonen that things were tight as all fuck but he just wanted to focus on the things he could control...and that was all that mattered.

Our final group game would be up against a team that used to lead this group in the form of Mlima Kijani. The Kings were managed by Enoch Apolo and while their recent form had slumped their position, they were still only 1 point behind us and therefore had to be considered a threat. All we had to do was take care of business and we would be fine...and then we decided to make another statement. The Huuhkajat decided that they didn't want to leave anything up to chance and so, as a consequence, Kimi Airo felt that we needed to "sweep the leg"...and we did just that. At the end of the first half, it was a ridiculous 4-0 as braces from both Airo and Valtteri Nordström would set the mood for this entire game. Things felt like a breeze and it honestly felt like that poor Kĩng’Ori Mũthĩnji shouldn't have bothered to show up, although they did make sure that the scoreline wasn't getting too crazy for a lot of this game. Mika Noronen, Heidi Itälä and Jyrki Bottas added their names to the scoresheet in the second half and while Rufus Abong’o managed to score to bring some joy to the Kings, today certainly wasn't their day. Many did say that our two games after the 2-2 draw with Banija would decide our fate...and in the end, we won them by an aggregate score of 12-2. That would certainly be enough for the Huuhkajat to win this group on Goal Difference. Banija was the hosts and yet the show belonged...to us. Outoa, eikö?

AOCAF has recently liked to show us that we can be a better team than we already are. Reaching the semis two years ago was the motivation we needed to make it all the way to the WCQ Playoffs...so how will this one fair? Our next playoff journey begins against Gyatso-Kai, the runners up in Group E and the #12 seeds, as the tournament shifts to Valanora all the way to the final itself. How far can we go this time? Only time will tell.
Tämä joukkue on tällä hetkellä vauhdissa. Ja kuka tietää kuinka paljon höyryä heillä on jäljellä.
NOSTA KUIN HUUHKAJAT!

Schedule/Ajoittaa (Group C, all games in Banija)
MD1: vs The Lodge - Mugisha III Memorial Stadium L 0-1 (4th)
MD2: vs Kanadan Dominio [Canadian Dominion] - Tiones Lumber Field at the Wolf's Den W 4-3 (4th)
MD3: vs Banija - Stadium of the Restoration D 2-2 (4th)
MD4: vs Efnakinen [Efnakia] - Tiones Lumber Field at the Wolf's Den W 6-1 (1st)
MD5: vs Mlima Kijani - Mugisha III Memorial Stadium W 7-1 (1st/3-1-1/10pts/+11GD/#5)
------------------------------------------------
Ro16: vs Gyatso-Kai (E2/#12) - Sabinal Stadium, Sabinal, Sabine and Caddonia

by **Oontaz Dert Li Ng** » Thu Jan 12, 2023 11:30 am

As the group stage of the 68th AOCAF Cup was drawing to a close, the Sultanate of Oontaz was still in a precarious situation with regards to its hopes for qualifying into the knockout stage of the cup. After having played four out of five games in the group stage, the Lions of Sand and Sea were currently in second place behind host nation Valanora, one of only two teams in the competition still with a perfect record (the other one being Vilita and Turori, prompting the old jokes that it was actually three teams with perfect records and not two). However, even though the Sultanate had a three point lead over their nearest rivals Hapilopper and Fort Mckinley, there was still an opportunity for both of those teams to leapfrog Oontaz in the standings. Hapilopper’s final group stage match was against Loyo, and with that being expected to turn into a win for the Dominion, there was some concern among the Oontaznik fans that this could mean a swapping of places between the two countries even though the Sultanate had beaten Hapilopper in one of the craziest comeback stories that the Lions had ever produced. Previous tables had shown Hapilopper above Oontaz even though the latter had the advantage in the head-to-head record, leading many people to wonder what the actual tiebreakers were for this particular AOCAF Cup. The fans didn’t want their team to bow out of the competition because they were used to a different system of breaking ties back at home than what was being used in Valanora.

The other team that was standing in the way of the Sultanate of Oontaz getting into the knockout stage of the AOCAF Cup was Fort Mckinley, and they were standing in the way of the Sultanate in more ways than one. Not only was Fort Mckinley hot on the heels of the Lions of Sand and Sea in the group rankings, but they were also the final team that the Sultanate had to play in the group stage. If Oontaz was to win this match then their place in the round of 16 alongside Valanora was assured. If, however, the Lions lost against Fort Mckinley, the situation with the convoluted tiebreakers could potentially see Oontaz drop to third or even to fourth place. And while there was a chance that the Sultanate could still make it into the playoffs as a third-placed team, there was no way that they were going to be able to do that if they finished the group stage in fourth place. Thus a win was imperative for the Lions of Sand and Sea, but that was perhaps a task that was easier said than done. The People’s Republic of Fort Mckinley was yet another socialist nation drawn into the same group as the Sultanate and their previous opponent Loyo, and it would be fair to say that Fort Mckinley was even more militantly left wing than Loyo. The people of Fort Mckinley were thoroughly convinced that there was a bourgeois plot to deny any measure of success to their national football team, a conspiracy theory which would have only gained even more traction when Fort Mckinley was drawn in the same group as their rivals Hapilopper, the “slothful elf-men of Valanora,” and the oil-driven pseudo-feudalist monarchy of the Sultanate of Oontaz.

The players of the Oontaznik national football team weren’t really that concerned with the politics of their opponents, however. All they wanted to know was how the Heroes of the Revolution measured against the Lions of Sand and Sea. And thus the match turned into something that more resembled chess rather than football with the way that the players tried to maneuver around each other like pieces on a board. Socialist nations had historically been quite good at chess, but there was no telling how good Fort Mckinley was at the oldest board game in the world, at least not until the end of this particular game. Neither side fully committed to going all in towards attacking their opposition’s goal, and that was the main factor in the lack of goals in this contest. That wasn’t to say that both sides didn’t try to score at least one goal; of course they did. Dennis Gene Young came closest for Fort Mckinley in this regard with a header that was tipped over the bar by Aziz Mekhloufi, while substitute Mohd Zaidil bin Yusoff saw his own attempt saved by Sammy Pete Davis. But the biggest story of this game was when Mohd Jamal bin Hassani went down inside the area fully expecting the referee to give a penalty to the Sultanate because he felt that his shirt had been tugged. However, what happened was that he was the one who received a yellow card for simulation, a decision which Jamal did not take lightly. He made his frustrations with the decisions well known, and when he got in the face of the referee one too many times, the official brought out both the yellow and red cards from his pocket and showed them to Jamal. Further dissent was not to be tolerated anymore after that.

The match between Oontaz and Fort Mckinley ended in a scoreless draw, which wasn’t the result that the fans would have wanted to see, but at the end of the day it was still enough to seal the Sultanate’s place in the next round. However, it would seem as if their luck in the AOCAF Cup had finally run out, as their opponent in the round of 16 was Demot. For some reason, most fans of the Lions of Sand and Sea just could not find it in themselves to feel confident about their team grabbing a positive result against Demot. It was something that nobody could really explain, not even when they were pressed for an explanation by someone else. There was just something about Demot that made the fans feel that their team did not stand a chance of winning. Oh, well. There was always the next AOCAF Cup. At least the team finally looked like it was on the right path, but once again, the thoughts of winning the AOCAF Cup would have to be shelved for next time.

  SULTANATE OF OONTAZ 0 - 0 FORT MCKINLEY  
   MOHD JAMAL (76' █)

by **Squornshelan Remnant States** » Thu Jan 12, 2023 6:07 pm

Keep Hope Alive
Salwan Mynhier, BRANTISVOGAN

Somehow managing to finish top of their group despite conceding an embarrassing 12 goals against, the most of any Group B team, the Black-and-Reds are set for a rematch of matchday one against the Cordian Isles in the first knockout round. Our archipelagan neighbors advanced in second place, and their seeding near the lower end of the second place teams leaves them matched up with us in the knockout bracket. Other close geographical neighbors advancing include Gyatso-kai, 95X, and Kimi-Suomi (though I can never seem to remember whether they are our neighbors to the West or to the South). The rest are, predictably, from the Cove, or from the South, particularly that certain part of the South that appends itself a certain adjective. You know the one.

The teams' difficulty defending against the likes of Cordia, Wreckeria, and Al-Tamazgha is particularly troubling, since the team's defense is composed of the usual A-Team of Halfariani and Nyberg on the outside, with Yarlut and Titov in the center, and Shimski between the pipes. It's not as if this is a B-Team or slap-dash back line of young hopefuls. These are supposed to be the best of the best that the 13th-ranked team in the multiverse can muster. If this is really the best they can do, if the Black-and-Reds goal is open for business again facing Cordia in the Round of Sixteen, then Groothuis's successor, whoever that may be, may need to cast a wider net for defenders come the next World Cup Qualifying.

by **Valanora** » Thu Jan 12, 2023 7:27 pm

The Marauders had already secured their qualification for the knockout stages of the competition heading into the last matchday, yet if they wanted to ensure that they were going to advance as group winners and get a better seed for the knockouts, they still needed to get a result in the last matchday. The Sultanate of Oontaz was within three points of the team from the Empire and a loss, coupled with a win by the Sultanate of a large enough margin could have seen them leapfrog the Marauders to the top of the table. A draw at least was going to be needed in order to ensure that group title and all the benefits that were set to come with it, although the real aim was definitely gathering a victory to complete a rare perfect group stage. Only the combined team from the Cove had a chance of completing that task, as even Farfadillis had managed to have their record blemished with a draw against Demot on the opening matchday, although their stellar performance since that match definitely was reinforcing the status quo of the power of football in the region being mostly focused around the Cove and the southwest of the region.

There are sometimes questions about whether Lothas Ludwig is as big a star as many of his contemporaries, given that he has often been seen by some outside forces as more of a winger rather than the out and out striker that he plays for the national team. There are few enough in the foreign media who seem to class Ludwig as a huge threat, though it could somewhat be understood given that the team does have Laborious Hawk amongst the roster. Trying to appear as a threat when you have one of the most decorated players not just in the history of the nation but in the entirety of the sport in your roster does seem to be a bit of a huge task to try and accomplish, even if Ludwig has been the top scorer for the Marauders during the last two World Cup cycles. His move to Nephara was marketed as a move to one of the best domestic leagues in the world where he could challenge himself week in and week out against some of the very best competition that you can find at the domestic level, but even with moderate success in the Zenith, he still seems to be almost an afterthought to the opposition of the Marauders.

Perhaps taking that to heart or merely trying to put to bed the possible notion of the Marauders not emerging as the winners of the Group despite excellent play and some dominance from the first kick in Raynor City, the Crisisbless striker had a brace within the first three minutes of the game against a Romsten side who was quickly looking overwhelmed by the occasion. Looking to prove that he can do more than just score, he played provider in the twenty-seventh minute when he hit a perfect high cross that Palminger was able to get her head to and direct it into the top corner, the Marauders asserting their authority greatly in the first half hour. His own header a minute before the stroke of halftime for a first half hattrick all but sealed the game for the Marauders and despite a consolation goal that was scored shortly after the hour mark, there would be no comeback for Romsten, and Hawk finished the scoring in the eighty-first with a free kick from just outside the area. It was as near as completely perfect performance as could be asked for, ensuring the group title and keeping the spirits high among the team as they head into the knockout stages of the tournament.

Finishing second in the overall seeding table, the Marauders will be facing off against the Canadian Dominion in the Round of Sixteen, with their opponents being one of the four best third placed sides that were able to qualify for the knockout stage. It has been a case of feast or famine for the opponents, with twelve goals four but with thirteen against in the two wins, a draw, and two loss record. It stands in a bit of a contrast to the eighteen goals for and seven conceded for the Marauders as well as the perfect group stage. Perhaps being perfect will not be a good thing, not having had the hiccup that often can come in the tournament, which in the last tournament came against these very team in the group stage. While there is no talk about getting revenge for that game, there will no doubt be some questions as to whether the Marauders are prepared mentally for the match. However after seeing how well the Euran has had the side ready thus far for the tournament despite the short notice after being appointed, one has to believe that he has the team ready and roaring to go as the knockouts begin.

by **Demot** » Thu Jan 12, 2023 7:46 pm

For the first time in living memory, there was going to be important, senior level international matches being hosted in Demot. No one in the nation had been alive when there last was such an occurrence around a century ago and now Demot was playing host to not one, not two, but three very important matches in the knockout stages of the regional championship. Unfortunately for the Dynamo, they did not finish in one of the seeding pairings that allowed them to play their knockout match in their home nation, instead they will be traveling to the Eternal Empire and be playing in the Donna Cathedral in Mar Sara. Instead the nation will be playing hosts to the top overall seed in Vilita and Turori as they take on 95X in Santa Rosa and in Skyhaven the holders of the competition will be playing against Pluvia and the Saxean Isles in The House of Blades, Likewell Kirk's of the Pride League home ground. The winners of the two matches will then meet in the national stadium of Skyhaven Citadel, also the home to Skyhaven FC, the biggest rival to Likewell Kirk within the city itself.

The denizens of the city in the clouds are highly excited about the prospect of the visitors and are singing the praises of David Masteron III, who has been credited with making the deal that enabled these three high profile matches to be made available to the nation. It is said that it was not Masteron himself that made the proposal but that it was put up by another nation's FA, though to what end and what the arrangements are remain as mysterious as finding out the identity of the said backing nation. Those individuals over in the VSC seemingly have very tight lips and ways to make sure that information that they do not want getting out to the public does indeed stay secret despite sincere and persistent efforts made by many a journalists to find out all the juicy details of this arrangement.

As for the Dynamo themselves, they were able to convincingly defeat Yakk on the final day five to two to secure their progression through to the next round, finishing second behind Farfadillis. The unfortunate draw with Equestria early in the group stage ended up being the difference between the Dynamo and their fellow neighbors in the southwest of the region after their spicy four all draw to open up group play. There will be some in Demot wondering if they could have pipped the Farves for the group title if not for the draw with Equestria but still a solid showing from the Dynamo allow them a fairly high seeding heading into the knockout rounds. As the best second placed side, the Dynamo were slotted into the 7 v 10 matchup, which pits them up against the Sultanate of Oontaz, who finished second in Group A. Only a loss to the host nation and a last matchday draw where they were more or less clenched into the knockout blemishes their record. A hard side to break down puts them in direct opposition to the free flowing attack nature of the Dynamo. This matchup seemingly is pitting an unstoppable force against an immovable object, with the Quarterfinals awaiting the victors.

by **Vilita and Turori** » Thu Jan 12, 2023 7:46 pm

Eel-Cat Things Outlast Qasden, head to Demot for Round of 16 Bus Battle

AOCAF 68 :: Group F :: Milchama :: The Group F Finale would come at the Spartan Stadium in Milchama as Vilita and Turori squared off against Qasden in a match that would have implications in the final group standings depending on the outcome. Both teams could improve their potential playoff position with a victory and in particular Qasden could use the points to assure a place in the knockout rounds. The match itself was a back and forth affair fitting of the banners advertising the matchup depicting two cats duking it out in a playful but serious manner.

The Eel-Cat Things got first half goals from Kunaro Tlikara and Tukaara Milanzi to get things rolling on the board but Qasden would strike back twice through Jaylyn Bone to level the scores. Vilita and Turori would race back in front through Marine Coast United's Mikele Alasita and a fourth from Naraiza Ruaplal making the late consolation goal from Qasden's Shug De La Fontaine irrelevant as Vilita and Turori would hang on to win the game and the group. With a perfect 5-0-0 record, the Eel-Cat Things would be top of the overall seeding table for the Round of 16 which would see them paired against long-time AOCAF Rival 95X in the Round of 16. Their bus-riding opposition were the lowest team in the overall table narrowly beating out a strong but politcally uncertain Jabal Akhdar team for the final place in the Round of 16. In the long history between Vilita and Turori and 95X there were certainly a fair share of upset results that saw 95X stun the Eel-Cat Things in the first knockout round of an AOCAF competition and this cycles team will certainly be wary of the threat posed in a true rivalry game as they begin their quest to return to the AOCAF Final for the second straight campaign - albeit hoping for a different outcome this time around.

All eyes will be on Demot for the AOCAF Knockout Rounds as the Co-host nation takes center stage with a potential quarter final matchup between last cycles AOCAF Finalists Banija and Vilita & Turori. The defending champions will play their round of 16 matchup at the House of Blades in Skyhaven against Pluvia and the Saxean Isles and will face the winner of the matchup between Vilita and Turori and 95X at the Masteron Stadium in Santa Rosa. The National Team of Demot, on the other hand, have missed out at the opportunity of playing at home - at least for now, unless more Demot-hosted matches pop up in later rounds of the Knockouts. Demot will face the Sultanate of Oontaz in Mar Sara, Valanora in the Round of 16. The final highlighted matchup of the Round of 16 is the "Dash Clash" as Kimi-Suomi squares off against Gyatso-kai in a battle for Hyphen supremacy at Sabinal Stadium in Sabine and Caddonia.

 Vilita and Turori [4] - [3] Qasden
				
	GOALS:	Vilita and Turori 	:: 14' Kunaro Tlikara:: 20' Tukaara Milanzi:: 58' Mikele Alasita:: 81' Naraiza Ruaplal           		
	STATS:	Vilita and Turori 	:: Possession: 56%:: Shots: 11:: Corners: 24	Qasden 	:: Possession: 44%:: Shots: 8:: Corners: 8
	Lineup:	[GK] Reino Kononen, [D.] Planio’o Nrujsa, [D.] Narri Sebapilo, [D.] Tero Alatalo, [ML]  Fyin Miateal, [MC]  Cuoabaza Orani’aoa, [MC] Limu Katarakhna, [MR]  Mikele Alasita, [FC]  Kunaro Tlikara, [FC] Tukaara Milanzi, [FC] Clarana Refiami			
	Bench:	[FC] Minjiakuj Sklinai, [FC] Loala Inkabu, [M] Lumlao Noauryua, [M] Naraiza Ruaplal, [U ] Trezisi Rokopolis, [D] H’munao Cagomia, [GK] Ukamai Talingri

by **Valanora** » Thu Jan 12, 2023 8:05 pm

Round of Sixteen
Vilita and Turori 5–3 95X
Pluvia and the Saxean Isles 2–3 Banija
Baker Park 0–0(1–0 AET) Hapilopper
Kimi-Suomi 4–3 Gyatso-Kai
Valanora 1–1(2–1 AET) Canadian Dominion*
Demot 3–5 Sultanate of Oontaz*
Farfadillis 1–2 Qasden
Squornshelan Remnant States 3–1 The Cordian Isles
*Scored by Quebec

Quarterfinal Fixtures
Vilita and Turori vs Banija @ Skyhaven Citadel, Skyhaven, Demot
Baker Park vs Kimi-Suomi @ Caddo Park, Caddo, Sabine and Caddonia
Valanora vs Sultanate of Oontaz @ Angelotic Temple, Longview, Valanora
Qasden vs Squornshelan Remnant States @ The White Fortress, Gladerial, Valanora

by **Kimi-Suomi** » Fri Jan 13, 2023 5:39 am

After a 12-2 aggregate run in won us Group C, the Huuhkajat of Kimi-Suomi were back in the AOCAF Knockout Stage as a group winner for the 2nd straight tournament. Tämä turnaus tuo meistä aina parhaat puolet... ja olemme siitä kiitollisia. Doing it the first time was special (as was the run to the semis after that) but doing it back to back was just fucking incredible and everyone knew it. Esko Laaksonen was certainly happy with the way this team has developed over the past few years but now that they were back in the playoffs, things would be very tough from here on out. Everyone knew that things wouldn't be easy at all...but how would things go this time?

Sabinal Stadium in Sabine and Caddonia would host our Round of 16 contest against the Bisons of Gyatso-Kai, the 2nd placed team from Group E and the #12 seeds in these playoffs. We knew that Wong Haru liked to attack as a preference and that the attacking threat they possessed would be a serious threat in this game, but this game turned into an absolute barn burner with 7 goals in total. It was 2-2 at halftime, with a superb group of goals from Yu Shichiro and Guanyu Jun being countered by Tero Salo and Valtteri Nordström, and many did expect the 2nd half to be more of the same. Substitute Topias Maxhuni would change the game in the end, his pace being certainly key towards the brace that Captain Kimi Airo would score in the 2nd half and while Dag'da Skirata did make things nervy late on, that wouldn't be enough in the end. 7 goals in 90 minutes but in the end, we managed to get through. Maybe we are clutch or something like that but no matter what, the Huuhkajat is still alive.

Our QF opponents will actually be quite familiar in the form of Group E winners Baker Parkin Kansainyhteisö. We faced the Commonwealth of Baker Park in the group stage 2 years ago, beating them 3-1 in Sabinal, and now we will go to Caddo and try to knock them off again. Either Banija or Vilita and Turori will await the eventual winners and that would be tough no matter what. Everything is feeling tuff and while we have beaten the Bees before, a lot can change in 2 years.
Taistelu jatkuu.
NOSTA KUIN HUUHKAJAT!

Schedule/Ajoittaa (Group C, all games in Banija)
MD1: vs The Lodge - Mugisha III Memorial Stadium L 0-1 (4th)
MD2: vs Kanadan Dominio [Canadian Dominion] - Tiones Lumber Field at the Wolf's Den W 4-3 (4th)
MD3: vs Banija - Stadium of the Restoration D 2-2 (4th)
MD4: vs Efnakinen [Efnakia] - Tiones Lumber Field at the Wolf's Den W 6-1 (1st)
MD5: vs Mlima Kijani - Mugisha III Memorial Stadium W 7-1 (1st/3-1-1/10pts/+11GD/#5)
------------------------------------------------
Ro16: vs Gyatso-Kai (E2/#12) - Sabinal Stadium, Sabinal, Sabine and Caddonia W 4-3
QF: vs Baker Parkin Kansainyhteisö [Commonwealth of Baker Park] (E1/#5) - Caddo Park, Caddo, Sabine and Caddonia

World Cup 81/82/83/84

BP rides belief to 9th Quarterfinal
by Oliver Stanley
The Post Chief Soccer Correspondent

CADDO, SABINE & CADDONIA--It's probably advice that many of us have been given at some point in our lives: a little belief can go a long way, be it self-belief or others believing in you.

Following 120 minutes of holding Hapilopper scoreless in Bexar, Manager Jennifer Prescott minced no words about the hero of the 1-0 extra-time victory that has pushed Baker Park another step closer to a fourth AOCAF semi-final berth in the last seven times the competition has been held.
"Gillian Albertson won that match tonight by herself for us. She made three or four saves that I was sure were going in. She's the definition of a warrior, proved it again tonight."

The Westwood Sprites Ladies keeper has a kindred spirit in her counterpart between the posts, who says he's one of her biggest rooters.
"Gill has the memory span of a fruit fly and I mean that in the best way!", says Rod Callaway, Shirley Metros #1 who previously was with Newport City. Both know the pain of playing in sides that concede by the truckload. "Everyone in the (NT) pool have different circumstances we have to face in club play, but some of those variables can be mitigated when you're in a squad (for a tournament) so it often comes down to individual ability, technical competence and mental toughness, and she has all three in abundance."

After graduating from Bristol High School in suburban East Liverpool, Albertson signed a pro contract with Lower Valley Lions in the National Conference, which gave up 96 & 100 goals in her first two seasons as a reserve keeper and spot starter, then cut the number to 73 in her only season as primary backup where she appeared in 14 league & cup fixtures. When Lions chose to revert back to single gender, Albertson accepted a $400,000 move to Westwood Sprites Ladies; earning the starting role halfway through her first season, which saw the club allow a WNL record 102 goals, she's held onto the job that's seen an improvement to 68 goals against last season, although tied for most in the league with the club stuck in 19th place in the table.

Prescott has been a constant supporter, along with NT Goalkeeper Development boss Elaine King. "She's resilient, she's assertive with her team, she's getting to the stage in her career where the experience and the adversity will come into focus in her mind. I expect great things from her in the near future", King opined soon after the squad arrived here from Bexar.

The Bees will be up against a Kimi-Suomi side that overcame a 1-0 defeat on MD 1 to cruise to the Group C title, with a 2-2 draw against Banija providing the impetus to close out the final two fixtures by a combined 12-2 margin before seeing off Gyatso-kai 4-3 in the round of 16. The Huuhkajat (Eagle-Owls) bested Baker Park in the nations' only previous encounter at Donna Cathedral in Mar Sara during the group stage of the last AOCAF; three members of the squad play their trade in the Commonwealth, with right back Heidi Itälä a teammate of Shelby Engels at Greenlea Ladies, and Annina Tuominen, along with her twin Maria both anchoring the Far Hills midfield in the National Conference. Andrea Kirby and Shonte Logan will likely team up in the starting XI for the Bees, both knowing the sisters well from their battles at Bergholz Caledonian and Crusaders, respectively.

The winner will advance to face off between the battle royale between defending champions Banija and top ranked Vilita & Turori in the semi-final; Pamela Scott's Kadongo Kamu have not dominated opponents during their defense, but have come through the adversity, seeing off Pluvia & Saxean Isles in the last round, while the Eel-Cat Things followed up their perfect group stage by holding off a game 95X side to advance.

lineup vs Kimi-Suomi:

Callaway; S. Knight, Hughes, Freeman (C); Olivera, Shanahan, Kirby, S. Logan; Baum; Riley, Obulundi

by **Oontaz Dert Li Ng** » Sat Jan 14, 2023 8:16 am

The Sultanate of Oontaz was no stranger to the Round of 16 of the AOCAF Cup. The Sultanate had already made it into the first round of the knockout stage of Atlantian Oceania’s premier football competition at only the third time of asking, but they were quickly and immediately eliminated by Osarius by a score of 2-0. The Lions of Sand and Sea made it back to that stage of the competition in the 54th AOCAF Cup, and for the first time in their history the team managed to beat Farfadillis on penalties to move on to the quarterfinals, where their run was finally stopped by Eshan. The Sultanate bounced back two editions later in the Equestrian States only to be met by fierce resistance on the part of Banija, who would eventually emerge as the victor in the Round of 16 clash between the two thanks to a late goal from Isaac Georgiadis, the first victory in what would become a bit of a rivalry between the two teams in the near future. The Lions of Sand and Sea were beginning to make a habit of qualifying for the knockout stage of the AOCAF Cup in even-numbered editions as their next Round of 16 appearance was in the 58th AOCAF Cup, but once again the Lions met their match in Siovanija and Teusland, who knocked them out of the running in a similar scoreline to the one that Banija had inflicted on the Sultanate two editions previous.

The 60th AOCAF Cup would be the tournament that would finally buck the trend of the Sultanate of Oontaz qualifying for the Round of 16 of the competition in even-numbered editions. And it would be none other than the Sultanate’s burgeoning rivals Banija that would land the killing blow to the Lions’ hopes of continuing this little streak of theirs, if it could even be called that, with a Kuma Bultum header to crush Oontaznik hopes and dreams yet again. Was it even fair to call Banija a rival of Oontaz though? The trajectory of the two teams could not have been more different at this stage, with Banija clearly on the ascendancy in the wider world of football after having already staked their claim as being among the best in Atlantian Oceania while the Sultanate of Oontaz continued to be mediocre in the mid-tier of AO. But normal service would resume when the Lions of Sand and Sea qualified for the knockouts of the 62nd AOCAF Cup, along with the now-customary elimination in the round of 16, this time at the hands of a resurgent Starblaydia, and it truly was a resurgent Starblaydia that the Sultanate had the misfortune of facing at that stage. The Lions of Sand and Sea literally did not know what hit them, and once the dust had settled, they were on the wrong end of a 5-1 loss in the knockout stage.

True to form, the Sultanate made it through to the knockout stage of the 64th AOCAF Cup, and yet again the Round of 16 proved to be the furthest that the Lions of Sand and Sea could go through as they were beaten at this round once again, this time by the Busoga Islands. The Busogans were once part of Banija, although they had already attained their independence (hence the fact that they already had their own football team in AO), but in a roundabout way, it could still be said that Banija played a part in the Sultanate’s failure to make it into the quarterfinals of the AOCAF Cup yet again. And the Lions of Sand and Sea would follow up this performance by failing to qualify for the next two editions of the AOCAF Cup before the Sultanate finally qualified for the Round of 16 in an odd-numbered edition of the Cup for the first time in their history. But once again that ended in failure and heartbreak for the Lions as the Eel-Cat Things of Vilita and Turori proved too insurmountable of an obstacle for Oontaz and the Sultanate was eliminated in the first round of the knockout stage yet again by a score of 4-0. Many Oontazniks could barely even remember that they had managed to make it into the quarterfinals of the AOCAF Cup once before as they had become so used to seeing their team bow out of the competition at the Round of 16. But perhaps things were about to change for the better against Demot, but then again, it was Demot. It could just be a repeat of the same old tired story again.

The match between Demot and the Sultanate of Oontaz was, unexpectedly, a very crazy one. Everyone, even the Oontaznik fans who had turned up to watch this match live, was expecting Demot to run away and never look back, just like what had happened to the Sultanate at the hands of Vilita and Turori in the previous AOCAF Cup. Demot predictably took the lead in the 9th minute courtesy of a Mary Eades goal, and as soon as it went in, the groans of an entire nation could be heard all the way to Mar Sara in Valanora. It really did look like it was going to be AOCAF Cup 67 all over again, and Demot were going to walk over the Lions of Sand and Sea. But then Abdelqader Jalmasani appeared from nowhere to score an early equalizer with a curling effort into the top left corner, and suddenly everyone realized that this was most definitely not going to be like the last time the Sultanate was in the Round of 16. Nothing much had really changed in this Oontaz team between then and now; most of the players who took part in that heavy defeat to Vilita and Turori were still part of the current Lions roster, including Jalmasani himself. But now there was a sense of hope and belief in the Oontaznik side of the stadium that maybe things were going to be different, that they wouldn’t be smacked by a side from a higher pot than their team this time around.

Dawn Washington would restore Demot’s advantage at the half hour mark, only for Tonto Lopes to put the Lions back on level terms in the dying minutes of the first half. The back and forth between the two teams would then continue on into the second half, and once again it was Demot who drew first blood through Irene Colon’s header from a corner kick, which was soon nullified by a stunning free kick from Jose Miguel Carrasquel from 25 yards away. Then, somehow, the tables turned and it was Demot that found themselves staring down the barrel of a Round of 16 elimination after both Ortizan Karisma and Donnie Ong came on for the Sultanate and immediately made their mark in the game. Nobody was really sure if there was a team who was trying to play for penalties, but what was certain was that both Karisma and Ong didn’t want to put themselves through the lottery of a penalty shootout, and they made sure to do exactly that. The two of them worked together to give the Sultanate the lead this time around, and eventually after many attempts, Karisma finally broke through Demot’s defenses and scored the Lions’ fourth goal to give them the lead for the first time in this game. Ong would then go around the Demot keeper in the last minute of regulation to secure the lead and ensure that the Sultanate of Oontaz would move on to the quarterfinals of the AOCAF Cup for only the second time in their history.

Now that they were on this unprecedented run of form, the Lions of Sand and Sea wanted to know just how far they could push themselves in this competition. There was a chance that they would finally be able to set foot in the semifinals of the AOCAF Cup for the very first time, but standing in their way was the only team to have beaten them in this edition of the Cup so far: Valanora. The Sultanate had never won against the Marauders before, and they only had one scoreless draw from way back when as a positive to draw upon with regards to their opponents. Then again, perhaps now was the best time for the Lions of Sand and Sea to finally get one over the hosts. It was a difficult task for sure, almost impossible even. But everyone also thought winning against Demot was impossible, and look where they were now.

             DEMOT 3 - 5 SULTANATE OF OONTAZ  
        EADES (9')       JALMASANI (22')
  WASHINGTON (30')       TONTO (45+2')
       COLON (51')       CARRASQUEL (68')
                         KARISMA (76')
                         ONG (90')

by **Banija** » Sat Jan 14, 2023 4:51 pm

Onto the last 8- Banija outlasts Pluvia and the Saxaean Isles, 3-2, to move onwards to the last 8 of the AOCAFs

SKYHAVEN, DEMOT- "These knockout stage games are never easy at a major tournament." Said the Banijan NT's manager, Pamela Scott. "No matter who you're playing, no matter their stature- things can always get wonky, and you can't rely on others to help you out. You've got 90 minutes, no matter how you start, to figure shit out, to change things on the fly, and do whatever it takes to reach the next phase of the tournament. While, of course, balancing the understanding that there could be future games to play. How to manage that? I guess that's my job."

And that's exactly what happened. Pluvia and the Saxaean isles stunned this sky-high crowd in Demot, with a 7th minute header to take a stunning 1-0 lead over Banija to start the game. Things were looking bad for Banija. They had some ugly performances in the middle of the group stages of this tournament. Was that inconsistency catching up to them at the first hurdle? It was bad for Banija. The goal was early, gave P&SI the momentum, and more importantly, would allow them to simply sit back. Consider the fact that they conceded just twice in their five knockout stage matches, this was going to be a serious challenge for the Kadongo Kamu to try and get past.

But the team was able to weather the storm, stay calm- and stick to the prescribed game plan. "The team's leaders- people like myself, Gereh Kama, Tairu Conateh, etc... Our veterans, were able to calm the team down." Sarafina Ikpeazu, the captain, told reporters. "Keep the team calm, keep the traveling support calm, and just work our way back into the game. 7 minutes isn't a lot, and 83 minutes left to play is a metric ton. We simply had to stick to the gameplan that Pam set out for us, and trust in her, and our own ability, that the goals would follow. And fortunately- they did follow." The captain was the first one to score for Banija, equalizing the game in the 41st minute, just shortly before halftime. Pam Scott could've been forced into a halftime substitution if they hadn't scored by that point- but ensuring that they didn't go into the half trailing was crucial. It allowed the gameplan to simply play out.

And the team came out like gangbusters to start the second half. We had them on the back foot, and Banija's stars were able to take advantage. Lolong Bokate was able to score in a crucial one on one situation, in his first start since Matchday 2 of this tournament, to give the Banijans a critical 2-1 lead in the 53rd minute. And then, just four minutes later, Bokate featured again, this time assisting a beautiful strike, from the 18, by Gereh Kama. He's one of the best in the world at what he does, eh? The 32 year old #10, who's a Champions League winner, mind you, bent it into the back of the net with precision. And just like that- entering the 41st minute, Banija was down, 1-0. After the 57th, we were up 3-1. That's the thing about a team like this- the talent levels are high enough, they are always capable of exploding.

P&SI scored in the 82nd minute to cut Banija's lead in half, but that would be the fulltime score- Banija 3, P&SI 2. "There's a lot that we're happy about with this win." Tairu Conateh, the team's star right back, told reporters. "We showed our grit, we showed our ability to overcome adversity, we proved to a lot of people that this team is just as tough as before. Credit to Pluvia- they were extremely competitive, and set out well on their mission to try and take us by surprise, win this match, and then march straight to the quarterfinals. But we did what we had to do- and if anyone wants to end this title defense, they are going to have to grind it out for 90 minutes. The title goes through us."

Big words from the two-time regional champion. But Banija may have met their match in the Quarterfinal- the tournament's top seed is Vilita & Turori. They've got a perfect 6 wins from 6 in this tournament, most recently coming away with a wild 5-3 victory over 95X. The two teams will compete at the Skyhaven Citadel. Remember, Banijan sources, and sources from the Vilitan Cove, are financially backing the resurrection of Demot football- so it's fitting that this quarterfinal happens at the Skyhaven Citadel, the greatest symbol of the cooperation between Banijans and the Cove. It is, indeed, a matchup worthy of a Final.

Not to mention, there's plenty of history with this matchup. At AOCAF 67, these two very team sides met- in the actual AOCAF 67 Final. It took place at The Battleground in Raynor City, as the two sides duked it out for a regional title. 90 minutes was not enough to separate these two sides, as the teams were level at 3-3. And it was star Banijan striker, Kausu Dione, who scored the game-winning goal, in extra time of that final, in his final ever international match- on his 35th birthday. Not to mention, the slim margins from when Banija played Turori in the quarterfinals of World Cup 92. We triumphed by the slimmest of margins, by 3 goals to 2.

"Look, there's almost nothing to choose between us for this match." Pam Scott, the Banijan manager, told reporters. "Look at the talent on both squads. Of course, look at the way Vilita & Turori have been playing- they are tirelessly working for their first regional title in a generation. This 6-0-0 start is a perfect one. They are clearly the favorites. But we're going to give them everything we've got. If they are going to win this- then damnit, we're gonna make sure they earn this every step of the way."

A massive quarterfinal. Only one AO giant will punch their ticket to the semifinal on this day. Which side will it be?

by **Vilita and Turori** » Sat Jan 14, 2023 6:50 pm

Eel-Cat Things Speed through to Title Rematch in Advance

Masteron Stadium, Santa Rosa, Demot :: The Vilita and Turori Eel-Cat Things had a tricky opening match of the AOCAF LXVIII Knockout Rounds as they were forced to face former AOCAF Champion and Long-Time Rival nation 95X, an opponent that was no stranger to upsetting a higher-ranked Vilita and Turori team early in the AOCAF Knockout rounds. It could easily have been a similar story in Demot as 95X raced out to an early 1-0 lead before the Eel-Cat Things responded with goals from Limu Katarkhna and Loala Inkabu to take their first lead of the game. After two goals from the bus drivers and Vilita and Turori's third from Clarana Refiami, the match was all level at the break with both teams having scored three times in the opening forty-five minutes.

The match would come down entirely to the performance in the second half and it was anyones game at that point. While the Vilita and Turori staff had still not fully embraced the idea of five substitutions in a match they did end up making a change at the break introducing recent Testiculos honoree Sami Samii'i and Viltia National Team rising star Treasvo Tlikara to the game. The duo would link up early in the second half to give Vilita and Turori a lead they would not relinquish from that point, though they would get a chance to expand their advantage late in the game. It was a highlight reel moment for another youngster, Minjiakuj Sklinai of Alikki-Corra AFC who had just come on as a substitute. On the first touch of the ball Sklinai was able to execute a Ninja-Kick on the ball and redirect it through the bus stop and into the back of the net for their 5th goal in just 6 appearances for the Vilita and Turori regional side.

It wasn't long after that the full time whistle would blow, saving the Eel-Cat Things from any potential 95X fight back and securing Vilita and Turori's place in the Quarter Finals. While there would be no 'easy' opponent at any point in the AOCAF Knockout Rounds but the Eel-Cat Things quarter final opposition was about as difficult as it would get with defending AOCAF Champion Banija the next team standing in the path of Vilita and Turori's first modern era regional title. Of course it was Banija that denied Vilita and Turori the AOCAF title one season prior and now the marquee matchup would come early in the knockout rounds, though at a venue in Skyhaven that some had petitioned to be the site of the AOCAF Final. Perhaps the influx of visitors and media alike to Demot for the high-profile rematch of the AOCAF LXVII will demonstrate the suitability of Skyhaven Citadel as a major competition final venue.

 Vilita and Turori [5] - [3] 95X
				
	GOALS:	Vilita and Turori 	:: 22' Limu Katarakhna:: 24' Loala Inkabu:: 35' Clarana Refiami:: 52' Treasvo Tlikara:: 88' Minjiakuj Sklinai          		
	STATS:	Vilita and Turori 	:: Possession: 53%:: Shots: 10:: Corners: 7	95X 	:: Possession: 47%:: Shots: 9:: Corners: 19
	Lineup:	[GK] Reino Kononen, [D.] Karek Edgeli, [D.] Tero Alatalo, [D.] Planio’o Nrujsa, [ML]  Lumlao Noauryua, [MC]  Limu Katarakhna, [MC] Cuoabaza Orani’aoa, [MC]  Fyin Miateal, [MR]  Imauka Lkomorak, [FC] Clarana Refiami, [FC] Loala Inkabu			
	Bench:	[FC] Minjiakuj Sklinai, [FC] Treasvo Tlikara, [M] Sami Samii’i, [M] Naraiza Ruaplal, [U ] Tukaara Milanzi, [D] Narri Sebapilo, [GK] Ukamai Talingri

by **Squornshelan Remnant States** » Sat Jan 14, 2023 7:45 pm

Finally, Some Good Fucking Defense
Salwan Mynhier, CADDO

For the first time this tournament, the Black-and-Reds defense conceded fewer than two goals.

Matched up against the Cordian Isles for a second time in both the AOCAF Cup and AOHC, the footballing Black-and-Reds held up their end of things. The tenth-ranked North Stars were unable to mount a sustained attack against Shimski's net, and were held off the scoresheet until the dying minutes. Yes, Nieminen was able to spoil the clean sheet late on, but garbage time is just that, garbage. The goals that mattered were scored in the first half, with Yonte breaking loose down the wing just three minutes in, and Bondarov following up after Yonte drew multiple defenders to her on another run just two minutes after that. Ness drove a dagger in just before halftime with a neat turn and shoot play at the top of the box. It's unfortunate that team lost focus at the very end, and I'm certain they heard about it from Groothuis post match, but when you're three-nil up after 80 minutes and have all but punched your ticket to the quarters its understandable if a few things slip. If they're going to have that lapse, it was the best time for it. Things only get more difficult from here.

Up next will be eighth-ranked Qasden, who withstood a stern test in escaping a surprisingly competitive Group F before defeating sixth-ranked Farfadillis to get here. The Vans will be a somewhat familiar foe for the Black-and-Reds. Sevet-Ibilx Kai and Cameron Allan are teammates at Brantisvogan, as are Surya Jagdish and Michelle McCracken at Brattleboro. Yonte, a longtime fixture in the Kelssek Football League, will be able to brief her teammates on her experiences against Rigby, Noel, Otero, and Starcutter. Qad strikers Bone and Sexton are also quite well-known to those Black-and-Reds who've played in the Superleague recently, as those two also make their living in the SRS. In addition to those personal connections, there have been five meetings all time between Qasden and the SRS, though not since the semifinals of the 65th AOCAF Cup. The record stands at three wins for the Blue-Reds, two for the Red-and-Black; could this be the best chance to even things up?

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by **Valanora** » Sat Jan 14, 2023 8:32 pm

If the Marauders were overlooking a rematch the Canadian Dominion and eyes focused on the Quarterfinals, they nearly got an unexpected early exit from the tournament by the way of their foes. For whatever reason, this marks back to back tournaments where Canadian Dominion has given the Marauders all that they could handle and seem to have unlocked the key to playing against the team from the Eternal Empire. There will probably be many a scout looking at footage from the pair of games that the Dominion has played against the Marauders and trying to analyze every little bit of evidence that they can to glean whatever information they can that has allowed this relative newcomer to the footballing scene have the sort of success that they have had against the Marauders. While it has been quite some time since the Marauders have been at their peak, where even the most difficult of matches would see the team roll through as if they were unphased, the team does still command a huge amount of respect and has built itself back up into being one of the better teams in the sport.

Luckily for the Marauders, knockout matches go into extra time rather than are decided on the balance of the ninety and in the extra half hour, they found their second gear and were able to apply the sort of suffocating pressure in possession and out of it that the team has been world renowned for for decades. Whether there is any truth to the belief that the Marauders are likely to be changing their formation in the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers under their new manager from Eura, there is no getting around the ingrained mental philosophy that the national team has, which is to retain the possession when able and press when out of it. The technical gifts and the strenuous training of the more technical attributes that footballers have make the Marauders one of the most difficult teams to try and break through the middle or sustained attacks, you have to usually find a breakthrough on the counter or hope for a mistake or miscommunication in the back. There will almost always be the slant towards attractive, positive football and that came into full effect in the extra half hour.

It would eventually be Selim Estrada Barrientos who would find the winner, having come on as a substitute towards the tail end of normal time, adding his name to the scoresheet for the Marauders along with Ludwig, who added to their tally with a strike a few minutes shy of the hour mark that had brought the teams level. Barrientos has shown himself to be something of a super sub for the national team, something that he has been off and on for Raynor City United, where Eastwood watched the midfielder grow into his own. Eastwood and the previous staff did not take away anything from the midfielder despite not being the every match starter for United, knowing that a club of that stature and quality has depth in most positions and a schedule that requires a lot of rotation, where Barrientos still gets plenty of meaningful game time at the highest levels. It proved its dividends with his thirty yard screamer with eight minutes before the penalties were looking set to be had, and giving a huge amount of relief to the thousands of fans in attendance who had gotten anxious as the teams neared that full time whistle.

The scene for the Marauders now shifts over to the Angelotic Temple in Longview, one of the most majestic temples in all of the Empire and where the Marauders will reengage with the Sultanate of Oontaz. The two teams met in the group stage and the Marauders were able to get a win, though it was a hard fought battle to get all of the points over the finish line. It is a Sultanate that sprang a huge surprise in the second round with an explosion of five goals and it does beg the question what sort of team that the Marauders are going to face. With their spirits like quite high after such an outpouring of goals and in a win against a closely matched team in Demot, it will be a game that is like as not to truly test the mettle of the Marauders. The Sultanate will no doubt be looking to not just get back for the loss in the group stage but a mental hurdle, as they have never been able to find a way to defeat the Marauders in their entire history. For the Marauders, they will have to take the game against the Canadian Dominion as their wake up call and to be hyper focused for the match ahead and follow the game plan to a T. Do that and another victory in one of the most beautiful stadiums will hopefully be on the cards.

by **Qasden** » Sat Jan 14, 2023 8:46 pm

Kitties Over Chaos: The Uncanny Descent into Familiar Territory
By Chas Sassafras
When I was approached to write a brief report over the events going into the Round of 16, it would be somewhat of an understatement to say I didn't expect to receive a callback at all. So, to keep the sponsorships-a-coming, let's take a tall gander at what just went down at AOCAF 68.

Following 3 rounds of gameplay for everyone involved, it was time to get the training wheels off and really dig deep into the nitty gritty of a good tournament arc: the single elimination knockout phase. The 16 best performing teams out of a field of 36 got the honor of entering the final gambit for an AOCAF title, where one must endure and conquer 4 matches against progressively more aggressive and talented squads. Against our somewhat nihilistic judgements, the Vans made it through as one of 2 3rd place finishers to end up with 9 points. Thanks to those victories against the group's lesser known entrants, Qasden was able to eek out another run for the trophy they so desperately can't obtain. Getting ahead of myself here, let's keep going.

The Octofinals sheds the diversity of group stage host nations before cramming everyone into one of 3 Glorious Southwest demagogues: Sabine & Caddonia, Demot, and most famous of all, Valanora. These countries would serve as cruxes to the 4 quarters of tourney play, each getting one, sans the Elven Empire. Seeds were listed and national teams were matches in shotgun weddings to the death, a great way to start the rest of our lives together! The Vans, as the #2 of #3's, got the honorable mention of a position in #14, forcing them to bake bread against one of the biggest baking brahmas in AO: Farfadillis. Now, The Blue-Reds have quite a history against La Vherderoja; a history that is, honestly, kind of a bummer. The anarchistic island giants had the grace of bestowing upon us one of our first L's in regional play, way back in the sporting infancy days of AOCAF 51. Overtime, the Farves would serve as a Probst to snuff out any dream runs early before we could even reach REM. A proponent of play-ins and octos (but never quarters nor semis), the Qasden-Farfadillis throwdown was always one for the weekends, ending in close, but sound advancements for the red and lime nearly every time. There would be one run, however, in which the Vans were able to take the W over the WC Winners; albeit, we'd get our asses returned stamped by Ko-oren the next day. Suffice to say, tensions for this match at Raynor City's Hellgate...were pretty mellow on our side. Don't get me wrong, we still wanted to win, but I suppose the reintroduction to an impossible beldam to overcome seemed to bring a melancholy form of sanguine to the fans unironically wearing cat ears (sorry, masses of the Vanorian capital). An Octos finish after the abyssmality of World Cup 92 felt swallowable to the average João. Hell, some probably would've wanted it to stop there. After all, we got bets on the line here. And while, yes, that can be a valid form of rationable pessimism, may I offer a rebuttal in the form of the match's synopsis? What a tale. The taliest tale that I could ever inconceivably tale. So inconceivably, in fact, that I'm not going to. Thanks to how inconceivable it is, of course, not me.

Alright, fine, here's a quick recap that you actually clicked for. The match groaned for the Blue-Reds as expected in the beginning, with a sultry defensive double standard saw the outflanking of our left backs before a hook, line, and sinker past Thurstan 23 minutes before the half whistle's bellow. Now, I'm not gonna point out any names, but it was a weak showing point for the dude in the #29 Calcio Calico kit. It was the assumed start of our tavern's end...until a comeback came out of the southernmost shoe on the pitch. A 74th minute screamer from benchwarmer, Marco Bruno, kept a collective of worn-out twenty-somethings in the game. 15 minutes later, an aloof nudge of the ball gave way to a slightly controversial goal from Jaylyn Bone right beside the net, igniting a dagger in both the hearts of sports betters and AO social media outlets everywhere. A long, cumbersome stoppage time was all that was needed to defend, and a match believed to be discouraging would prove victorious. 2-1! Triumphant Qasden has bested Farfadillis for the 2nd time in AOCAF history. The rejuvenated fanbase rejoiced, ecstatic to dump more money into the Vanorian economy for hotel rooms and overpriced footy games in Gladerial. While we may have committed a crime against the lime (Mertagneans crying rn), the doubling of U's brought with it a new partner for our rosy blueside national color: black, with a little bit of white. It's the repatriation of one of our most notorious matchups in recent history: the Clash against the Confederacy.
The remnant states of a once mighty Squornshelous, the Squornshelan Remnant States are looking to remnant state all over the place in their 1st bid for a title since coming ever so close in the aftermath of our Articala bout with them back in AOCAF 65. The Black-and-Reds are back on the Blue-Reds' radar, and they're closer to upending us once again than ever before. SRS won their group in goalfest after goalfest, a scorched earth strategy that destroyed the confidences of defender egos everywhere (including their own, at times). The sure fire hearthrob attempt at a Golden Boot continued to escalate in their own Octo rematch against the Cordian Isles, who they beat so badly, they felt compelled to take revenge in the AOHC. Now, the Confederacy returns to face us, caked in decorated contracts from some of the multiverse's most prestigious football institutions. The odds are against us here, but of course, that's where the money is at the end of the day.

Can the Vans keep getting hotter to find their way back to the semis? Could Qad contracts with Superleague teams be terminated as a result of this matchup? Will Megabrantid ever not be taken for Megagranted? Stay tuned, stay updated, and stay alert for news not pertaining to that last one, live from wherever I care to give a damn.

by **Valanora** » Sat Jan 14, 2023 8:49 pm

Quarterfinals
Vilita and Turori 0–1 Banija
Baker Park 1–2 Kimi-Suomi
Valanora 4–2 Sultanate of Oontaz*
Qasden 2–4 Squornshelan Remnant States
*Scored by Poafmersia

Semifinal Fixtures
Banija vs Kimi-Suomi @ Hatire Memorial, Capri, Valanora
Valanora vs Squornshelan Remnant States @ Artani, Mar Sara, Valanora

by **Vilita and Turori** » Sun Jan 15, 2023 8:56 am

The Grand Championship of Demot is over, and the Eel-Cat Things have lost, again, to a Banijan side devoid of players on Vilitan League rosters. The performances of Left Back Opio Ssambwa in shutting down the Vilitan starlet Kunara Tlikara for the entire 90 minutes have drawn particular interest from Vilitan League clubs who may be looking to make a move for the promising Kitara AA Defender. While Vilita and Turori may be out of the AOCAF Cup without a trophy yet again, it was a victory for host nation Demot. Though eliminated in the Round of 16, Demot's hosting of the premier quarter final fixture between Banija and Vilita and Turori has been praised as "Seemless and enjoyable" by many visiting fans and a twii.tur campaign has called for Skyhaven to be considered as a potential site for this cycles third place playoff match.

 Vilita and Turori 0 - 1 Banija	
	Goals:	               
	Team:	Reino Kononen, Karek Edgeli, Narri Sebapilo, Planio’o Nrujsa, Fyin Miateal, Cuoabaza Orani’aoa (Sami Samii’i 71'), Limu Katarakhna, Mikele Alasita (Naraiza Ruaplal 71'), Kunaro Tlikara, Clarana Refiami (Tukaara Milanzi 92'), Loala Inkabu (Minjiakuj Sklinai 45')

by **Kimi-Suomi** » Sun Jan 15, 2023 11:10 am

After a 7-goal barn burner kicked off our 2nd knockouts quest, the Huuhkajat of Kimi-Suomi were still relieved they managed to survive that scare against Gyatso-Kai and advance into the AOCAF Quarterfinals for the 2nd tournament in a row. Tapa, jossa olemme paranemassa, etkö ole samaa mieltä? Now we're getting back into the nitty gritty of this stacked region and everyone knew that things would be pretty fucking tough...but Esko Laaksonen didn't give up hope. "We've made it farther than this before, we have what it takes to do it again." It was a confidence usually unheard of in situations such as this but considering how far this team has come since its international debut, it wasn't actually unfounded either. We certainly had a chance. And that may be all we need.

Caddo Park would host our 2nd ever Quarterfinal against Baker Parkin Kansainyhteisö, better known as the Commonwealth of Baker Park. We have faced Jennifer Precott's Bees in an AOCAF, a 3-1 win, but that was in the group stage and not in a knockout tie. Facing these Bees in a do-or-die scenario was expected to be more challenging than meeting them in group stage play...and fact backed up in the 23rd minute thanks to a penalty won by and scored by Erika Riley after making Peter Nurmi go the other way. We certainly tried to mount the comeback after that and just before halftime, our efforts were rewarded through Valtteri Nordström slotting past Rod Callaway. The second half was tight all fuck, not going to lie, as both teams pushed the other into trying to make a mistake and ultimately allowed them to take the lead in this crucial goal. The bench was indeed called upon plenty of times, with both teams looking for anything that could win them this game, but nothing seemed to be working...until the 81st minute. Mika Noronen was allowed too much space with the ball, passing it to Satu Sinisalo who then squared it up to a rising Jyrki Bottas in the box...who managed to send it past Callaway and into the net. 2-1. The final minutes of this game was a slog, one in which the Bees gave us everything they had in order to try and send this game to extra time, but in the end...we held on. Kimi-Suomi held on. For the 2nd straight AOCAF, we will play 2 more games. One of them will be a Semifinal. Vitun uskomatonta.

This team has come so far over the past decade of development and grinding...and now, we're back to where we were 2 years ago. Beacsue we're playing Banija again. It had to be them. The last time we met in a semifinal, they beat us on penalties in an all-time classic. We face them on their turf in the group, only for HawkEye to grant us a point in an all-time classic. Now it is time for part 3, with either Valanora or the Squornshelan Remnant States awaiting no matter what happens. Hatire Memorial in Capri is about to witness the completion of an AOCAF Trilogy...but who will rise above the other this time?
Olemme osoittaneet arvomme kaikesta huolimatta. Nyt taistellaan ja katsotaan, kuka seisoo viimeisenä.
NOSTA KUIN HUUHKAJAT!

Schedule/Ajoittaa (Group C, all games in Banija)
MD1: vs The Lodge - Mugisha III Memorial Stadium L 0-1 (4th)
MD2: vs Kanadan Dominio [Canadian Dominion] - Tiones Lumber Field at the Wolf's Den W 4-3 (4th)
MD3: vs Banija - Stadium of the Restoration D 2-2 (4th)
MD4: vs Efnakinen [Efnakia] - Tiones Lumber Field at the Wolf's Den W 6-1 (1st)
MD5: vs Mlima Kijani - Mugisha III Memorial Stadium W 7-1 (1st/3-1-1/10pts/+11GD/#5)
------------------------------------------------
Ro16: vs Gyatso-Kai (E2/#12) - Sabinal Stadium, Sabinal, Sabine and Caddonia W 4-3
QF: vs Baker Parkin Kansainyhteisö [Commonwealth of Baker Park] (E1/#5) - Caddo Park, Caddo, Sabine and Caddonia W 2-1
SF: vs Banija (C2/#9) - Hatire Memorial, Capri, Valanora

by **Banija** » Mon Jan 16, 2023 2:09 pm

64th minute, Abel Wesoloski-Okafor standing over the ball at the penalty spot in a 0-0 contest

Wesoloski-Okafor had gotten up from the bone crunching tackle given by Cuoabaza Orani’aoa. The midfielder had been just a step behind the Banijan star striker- and had no choice but to try and go in for the sliding challenge. The match between these two teams was simply too tense, too tight. Whenever Banija met one of the teams from the Vilitan Cove, traditionally they had been wide open, free-flowing contests, headlined by a dizzying array of offensive talent on both sides. Last year's AOCAF Final- a final at that- was a game where 6 goals scored between the two sides in 90 minutes was not enough to separate the two sides. It was a 7th, scored by Kausu Dione 114 minutes into the game, that would finally give Banija the trophy.

And think about Banija's contest against World Cup 92 favorites Turori, in the quarterfinals of that very tournament. A 3-2 contest itself. So how this match had played out was surprising to most viewers, including the managers. But instead of a free-flowing contest, where offensive talent and strategy had ample opportunity to show itself, this match in Skyhaven was the opposite. This matchup, between two of the top 3 teams in Atlantian Oceania, was not going to come down to all that offensive talent. It was coming down to a battle of wills, grit, and a bunch of last ditch defending, coupled with elite goalkeeping.

Reino Kononen, the Vilitan who plays his club football for Soldarian in Valanora, was on top of his game. 4 saves to this point, with Hebron Rao making 3 at this point for Banija- although she had gotten lucky when Clarana Refiami hit the post in the 52nd minute. But Wesoloski-Okafor had been fouled by Cuoabaza Orani’aoa, after a great through ball by Gereh Kama. The Equestrian referee had absolutely no choice. He had blown his whistle, pointing to the spot with an obvious call. A yellow card was shown to Orani'aoa, and who else to step up to the penalty spot besides Banija's star striker? Wesoloski-Okafor had done this many times before.

Plus, Kononen was inexperienced. One combined international cap entering this tournament. Wesoloski-Okafor was at triple digit caps. Over 50 career international goals. No way Kononen would be ready for this moment, right? As he got up, he ensured himself that he wouldn't talk to anybody. As any V&Ters tried to speak to him, he shut them out completely. "I'm hitting this penalty- I'm putting us through." Wesoloski-Okafor thought to himself. Gereh Kama walked up to him, and said the same thing- so did a few Banijans. Kononen's face, V&T's goalkeeper, was unreadable. Once Abel placed down the ball and the referee blew his whistle, the striker stepped forward to shoot.

The penalty was decent- he went to the keeper's left, but did not get it far enough towards the corner. Kononen was all over it- the V&T fans gave a roar as he saved the penalty with two strong hands. Wesoloski-Okafor was first to the ball after the rebound, nobody around him except for a sprawling goalkeeper- but he blasted his foot through it. 8 yards from goal, and completely skying the rebound. He looked around, in shock. Vilita & Turori fans were ecstatic, and Wesoloski-Okafor was almost in shock. His hands were over head.

Just a minute later, Sarafina Ikpeazu picked up an injury, and Wesoloski-Okafor jogged over to the bench- still in despair over his missed penalty. 0-0 game in a quarterfinal, a massive tilt against Vilita & Turori, and he not only missed the penalty, but skied the rebound? He was distraught. But then he listened to his manager's words. "Abel- you're the best at what you do. You're one of the best in the world." She told him. "Keep your head up- I want you taking that penalty again. Remember- these are the ups and downs of tournament football. Mentality monsters. Don't let it effect you- we need you to win this one."

He listened to her, and nodded. He needed to put this away. And just four minutes later, he's have a golden opportunity. Dembo Savaneh played a diagonal through ball, and Wesoloski-Okafor got in behind the defense. But Karek Edgeli quickly caught up, with Sebapilo coming in hard from behind. He stepped left, and blasted the ball with his left foot, towards the near post. Perfect pace and placement- upper corner, the goalkeeper could not get to it in time. He threw off his shirt and roared, sprinting to the Banijan fan section.

"LET'S FUCKING GO!!!!" He bellowed, as the referee showed him a yellow card for taking off his shirt. He didn't care- yellow cards reset after the quarterfinals of a major tournament, anyways. Of course, his adrenaline was through the roof- giving your team the lead, just over 5 minutes after botching a penalty, well- doesn't get much better than that, does it? And it would be the game's only goal. Banija would survive two late yellows by their best centerback, Adin Wasawo, (first in the 75th, second at 90+3' for timewasting), and the #9 would be the hero. 1-0 on in this physical, physical match, to get back to the AOCAF Semifinals.

"They're no longer Cinderellas, they're just a damn good team" - how Banija is prepping for an AOCAF Semifinal re-run with Kimi-Suomi

CAPRI, VALANORA- AOCAF 68 is really giving off AOCAF 67 vibes for this Banijan team, isn't it? Quarterfinal contest against probably the pre-tournament favorite to bring this trophy home, and the Banijans get out of there with a 1-0 victory. Last time it was Valanora instead of Vilita & Turori, but the comparison certainly works for these purposes. Valanora, of course, was the host last time, and is the primary host this time (although matches have been held across Atlantian Oceania). And our semifinal opponent? Once again, we'll face off against a Kimi-Suomi side that surprised many observers by topping their group, and getting to this stage in the first place.

And that's where the comparisons end. That semifinal we had, one of the most physical, defensive matches that you'll see Banija play. "Look, generally, that's not our style of football, that's not how we want to play." Pamela Scott told reporters. "But we pride ourselves in being able to play all sorts of ways. If a game is defensive, we can get defensive. If we're able to open it up like we want to, we have the talent to really get after you. Our ability to play well, even when we can't impose our will on a game like we want to, is what sets us up for success."

But that game is over. Ikpeazu has picked up a knock, and will be missing for the quarterfinal. Wasawo, who looked to really play himself into the top centerback roles, will be suspended for this match because of the two yellow cards he earned in this quarterfinal. "Look, I can't deny it- those are huge losses." She told reporters. "Sarafina Ikpeazu has been at the core of what we do for nearly a decade. She's the latest in a long tradition of world class wingers from this country- and she wears that #7 with pride. But, as always, next man up. Dembo Savaneh is gonna have the opportunity of a lifetime, and it will be up to him to make sure that he snatches it."

Kimi-Suomi, as well, is a much different team. "Last time, people were calling them a Cinderella. They had no chance to get here, no chance to win while they were here." Said Gereh Kama, the team's #10. "But they are no longer Cinderellas. You can dream your way to a semifinal sometimes. But to two in a row? At some point you're no longer a Cinderella- you're just damn good at this sport. And we know this. We were in their group, and they won their last two games by a combined what- 12-2 or some shit? This is truly one of AO's top teams. They may not have the history of a Valanora, but they're every bit as good as the big nations in this region- like V&T, like Valanora, like us. And we know that better than anybody, having played them both last cycle and this cycle."

Those last two cycles, we played them twice- one that went to penalties, and the other that finished out a draw. How can this nation log our first ever non-penalty win against these guys? "Well- they've shown the ability to do quite a bit." Said Tairu Conateh, the team's right back- who was recently named the best right back in the world by the Testiculos. But going forward, this is absolutely one of the most complete teams in AO. Look at the goals they can score. Ended the group scoring 12 in 2. Scored four in their Ro16 match against Gyatso-Kai. Had some brilliant chance creation to upset Baker Park just a few days ago. We've got to make sure we aren't allowing them into open spaces, and winning those one on ones as defenders. When they break you down, bad things happen in a hurry- and we've seen them do it to us. Not again."

These two teams are familiar opponents by now- this semifinal, obviously, will be their third meeting in the last two cycles. And a lot on the line for both teams. Kimi-Suomi are trying to get a trophy to validate this generation- will this be the moment that they reach their first major tournament final? Or will Banija find a way again, reaching prominence by keeping alive our dream of going back to back, and reaching our second consecutive AOCAF Final?

by **Valanora** » Mon Jan 16, 2023 8:50 pm

Valanora Times
Changing Times

Some might wonder what can be changing with the Marauders having found success in the regional championship once more and are preparing for a semifinal clash with the Squornshelan Remant States in Mar Sara. As far as tournaments go, it has been what most have come to expect from the Marauders when it comes to the typical performances, barring really unfavorable draws or knockout ties. A close shave against Loyo definitely was the sort of wake up call that the team needed to ensure that they were ready for the rest of the gauntlet if the side was going to want to try and add another AOCAF Cup to their trophy case display in Capri. Even the close call against a team that the Marauders were heavy favorites against in the first knockout round to make them play much better in the following knockout round is something that more or less a minor trend in the history of the Marauders when it comes to these high level prestige events. All in all, this as about as typical of a Vanorian performance as one could expect, even having been eliminated in the last round would not have been that much of a shake up.

Instead it is news that comes from Raynor City on the eve of the Marauders game to the southwest that brings what could be a huge shake up to the game inside the Eternal Empire. With a process that has taken the better part of two seasons, Soldarian Football Club announced the sale of the club from its previous owner of Faeron Soldarian to that of consortium from Quebec. Lead by Prince Louis, the Earl of Nakan, the consortium had its four billion dollar bid to buy the majority of the shares from Soldarian, with the Soldar/ian family maintaining minority ownership of the club that Faeron's father founded in one of Raynor City's outskirt suburbs. Soldar, like Rolalas and Turmondale, has eventually been enveloped by the slow but continuous sprawl of Raynor City from its original founding location outwards. The consortium has fellow Quebecois nobility among its ranks, as well as some from Banija through marriage. It marks the first time a club in the Empire will have foreign ownership and it raises a lot of eyebrows, especially with the consortium's mission statement for the club allegedly to try and topple United from the top of the Vanorian pyramid. It will be quite some task and might start to shift the idea of Gladerial as being the villain in Vanorian football to that of Soldarian, given United's standing among even its rival clubs, Gladerial notwithstanding.

As for the Marauders themselves, they were up to the task that the Sultanate brought against them, showing a lot more fight in them and bite than what had been shown during the group stage encounter. As was suspected, the big win over Demot really had brought a lot of belief into the Sultanate squad and gave them the sort of morale boost they needed be prepared to give the Marauders a real fight. However playing in the Empire just gave the Marauders that little bit of an edge that they were needed to be as expressive and as free flowing as we are used to compared to the way that they had done against Loyo. Hawk added a first half brace, with Palminger and Miriam Troegner added goals as well as the team marched their way to a four to two win, never trailing in the match. Credit has to be given where it is due and the Sultanate gave the side a heck of a game, cutting the lead to two one and then three to two, but Troegner's goal in the seventy-second minute was the goal that ensured the Marauders would be moving on to the semifinals and would have two more matches remaining.

The Conferedacy is a team that has been building themselves up steadily and seem to be right on the cusp of emerging from the good teams to that of the elite teams and it becomes a match that the Marauders need to be awfully careful about. That the Remnant States were able to handle a Qasden side that had just knocked out Farfadillis also shows how strong they have become. Discipline and the endurance that Vanorians are known for could be the big difference between the two, as it looks to possibly be a game that could be back and forth. Both teams know how to get goals and in a hurry, which will no doubt be a worry for Eastwood with wanting to be more defensively sound. Yet the old adage is that the best defense is a good offense, which is something that the Marauders does in in quite a good quality. Might that it could be the difference and the Marauders finding themselves at the Battleground in a few days time to be competing for another regional title.

by **Squornshelan Remnant States** » Mon Jan 16, 2023 8:54 pm

Another Elf Game
Salwan Mynhier, GLADERIAL

A Squornshelan team has not beaten a Vanorian one since World Cup 38. That semifinal victory was, in fact, the only time any Squornshelan team has beaten one from the Eternal Empire. That goes for the the old Red and Black met up with the Marauders again in World Cup 39 in a finish for the ages, as well as for the only two matches in living memory, when a surprising Black-and-Reds team made the final in its very first AOCAF Cup back in the 65th edition, and most recently on the opening matchday of last world cup's group stage.

Still, there is hope.

Most neutrals will probably be salivating over the opportunity to watch the multiverse's top two sides battle for supremacy in the oldest regional final of them all. The Black-and-Reds, considered 5th-best in the region and 13th in the multiverse, are by no means the kind of long shot that the fourth semifinalist, Kimi-Suomi are (not that being a long shot has slowed Kimi-Suomi down in ice hockey of late). Despite not being on the best form, this team has managed to exorcise its group stage demons and found a way to win four straight en route to the nation's third AOCAF seminfinal in four appearances at the tournament. Caitrin Ness has been on a devastating run of good form up front, and has made up for the deficiencies at the back for the past several matches. If there's ever been a time since the Squornshelan return to international football for the Black-and-Reds to claim the first Confederate silverware, it's now.

by **Valanora** » Mon Jan 16, 2023 9:02 pm

Semifinals
Banija 1–1(1–1 AET)[4–3 PKs] Kimi-Suomi
Valanora 1–1(1–1 AET)[3–2 PKs] Squornshelan Remnant States*
*Scorinated by Quebec

3PPo Fixture
Kimi-Suomi vs Squornshelan Remnant States @ The White Fortress, Gladerial, Valanora

Final Fixture
Banija vs Valanora @ The Battleground, Raynor City, Valanora

by **Banija** » Tue Jan 17, 2023 5:44 pm

3rd minute of second half stoppage time out of 5, with Banija trailing, 1-0, against Kimi-Suomi

Pam Scott, at this point, had done everything in her power to try and sway things towards the side that she was coaching. But despite everything that Banija was throwing at them, it was seemingly not meant to be the night of the Kadongo Kamu. They were certainly missing Sarafina Ikpeazu, and feeling her absence from this crucial tie. They couldn't quite tie their attacks together, and a number of previously unflappable players had some poor games. Gereh Kama, who is a stud #10, struggled mightily against Kimi-Suomi on this day. He had firmly been in the pocket of the Rautavaara triplets in the back, so much so that Scott had no choice but to sub him out of the game, in the 63rd minute, as Banija was chasing.

But nothing seemed to be working. She threw on Uzoma for Savaneh in the 63rd minute as well, a double substitution, but they couldn't do much. Pam Scott wasn't defeated, of course- but as she urged her team forward, she knew that things were not looking good for them. This game was a lot like their contest with Vilita & Turori just a few days ago. Instead of the fast paced, free-flowing football that Banijan fans were accustomed to, it was another, defensive, very physical battle of wills. It had been Kimi-Suomi who had scored first on the day as well, with Valtteri Nordström hitting a diving header on a beautiful cross from Annina Tuominen in the 34th minute. Picture-perfect placement, nobody could do anything about it, and it had been a well-earned 1-0 lead. Not many opportunities for either side in the first half- but Kimi-Suomi had shown the killer instinct to take their chance when it was presented to them.

Kimi-Suomi had exactly 2 prime opportunities to double their lead, and probably put this game away. The first was just before halftime, when Demba Kouyaté fouled Tuominen just outside the box. A yellow card was shown by the referee, and they took the free kick. They had a player right in front of the Banijan wall, however. Their taker passed it to that player, who tapped it right back to the taker, who took the shot first time. He was able to somehow get the ball underneath the wall with tons of power and pace, and a diving Rao having absolutely no chance at it. However, he could not keep it entirely on frame, as Tero Salo watched his shot hit the outside of the post, and roll out of play, harmlessly for a goal kick.

And the second opportunity was in the 55th minute. Gereh Kama simply lost possesion with a careless pass, and the Banijans were caught flat footed. Our wingbacks had been pushing up, and were both way out of position. It was suddenly a four on two- Tero Salo, Noronen, and Kimi-Suomi's two strikers, against a pair of Banijan centerbacks. A great ball saw Tero Salo lay it off to a wide open Kimi Airo at the 18, and Airo hit the ball first time, but Rao made a fantastic diving save to keep it 1-0. The ball did go out for a corner there, but Rao was able to collect that as well. After that moment, they started to sit back a little and focus on defending, and invite in pressure. And although we had the lion's share of the ball from that point(and never let them get running when they did get the ball), we simply could not get ourselves a high-quality opportunity.

And that brought us to this moment. Just 2 minutes left in stoppage. Everyone can see that Banija is on the brink of going down, the latest giant to be slayed by Kimi-Suomi, as they found themselves on the brink of claiming giant status themselves within Atlantian Oceania. But it was at that point when Lolong Bokate, in desperation, swung in a cross. She saw Wesoloski-Okafor go up for it- would the star #9 hit it? The answer was no, as it flew over his head. But oh my... Who was coming in sliding, on the back post, to hit the sliding volley??

"CONATEH!!!" She yelled, as a sliding Conateh smashed home the cross on the sliding volley. The moment was stunning. A 90+3' equalizer, in an AOCAF semifinal, by Tairu Conateh? Stunning. Storybook. Amazing. The gameplan had gone to shit- but sometimes, the individual talent would be able to reveal itself at the game's crucial moment. Banija had been bailed out, we had survived- and suddenly, we were going to extra time. Could Banija clinch a spot to play in a 3rd consecutive major tournament final?

AOCAF 68 Semifinal Live Blog: Penalty Kick Shootout

CAPRI, VALANORA-

6:02 PM: The final whistle has blown! Here in the early game for the semifinals, for the third consecutive meeting, there is nothing to choose between these two sides. Banija and Kimi-Suomi drew after 120 minutes at AOCAF 67 in the same stage, for Banija to triumph. We drew again, at the Stadium of the Restoration, here in the group stages. And now, another draw. Penalties are demanded, for the right to play either Valanora or SRS at the AOCAF Final, In Raynor City.

6:04 PM: Tairu Conateh is wearing the armband right now. Sarafina Ikpeazu is hurt- a huge injury, looming large- the normal Banijan captain sustained a knock bad enough to keep her out of this semifinal. And she's definitely someone who would have stepped up and taken a penalty for Banija. He, of course, did score today's equalizer, in the dying moments, on a wicked volley. But who will step up for Banija? Normal takers, like Kama and Ikpeazu, are not available.

6:05 PM: Conateh has shaken the hand of Kimi-Suomi's captain, Kimi Airo, and the referee flipped the coin. Banija has lost the first coin toss, but won the second. Kimi-Suomi will shoot second, according to their choice, while Banija has ensured that the shootout will be occuring at the Banijan end of the field. Would we rather be shooting second? Of course we would. But that's not the way it has panned out. If we go out and shoot efficiently, this can still pan out. But who will be taking penalties...

(A few minutes of updates about random things, before Wesoloski-Okafor starts his long walkup to kick off this shootout)

6:09 PM: No surprise there- Abel Wesoloski-Okafor to take Banija's first penalty. He's the regular taker for the Banijans. That said, he missed a big one during the quarterfinals. So interesting that he's shooting first. Maybe Pam thinks that, with him shooting first, the less time to think about his old miss, the better? And remember- last cycle, against this very team, he buried a penalty in the successful shootout. The dual-national steps up and... Goal! He went for power and placement, and boomed it past Kimi-Suomi's keeper, in the upper corner. 1-0 to Banija.

6:10 PM: He jogs back to line, and Maria Tuominen jogs up to the spot. She's showing confidence- she was subbed into the game at the start of extra time, playing both ET periods. She grabs the ball, and places it directly on the spot. She's looking to be efficient at this- is this speed nerves, or confidence. And... it turns out to be confidence. She does a little jump step to send Rao to her left early, and just passes the ball into the net to the keeper's right. Well done to her. 1-1 after 1.

6:11 PM: Next we have... Lolong Bokate. He did not take one in the last AOCAFs. And yet, here he is- stepping up second. He doesn't have a ton of penalty experience- he generally does not take them for Banija when it comes to this point. But... He looks extremely comfortable in this spot. He stepped up and went for all power- and he was able to bury his. Nothing fancy, basically telegraphed where he was going- but he was able to hit the ball with enough pace and precision, that the keeper guessed the right way and he still couldn't get there. 2-1 to Banija.

6:11 PM: Next for Kimi-Suomi is Kimi Airo, their captain. She struck home in the shootout two years ago against Banija. She's one heck of a taker, and she's got the confidence to bury one. She steps up and goes to the keeper's left and... SAVED! Rao makes the save! BUT OH WAIT! OH NO! The referee is blowing his whistle, as there's confusion. He points at the goal line, and shows his yellow card to the Banijan goalkeeper- he's indicating Rao stepped off of her line. The video replay show it tight, but he probably got it right. The Banijans are incensed- Rao has to be told to calm down from the bench, to prevent a double yellow in a shootout.

6:13 PM: After all that chaos, Kimi Airo is finally going to take her penalty. But she doesn't allow any of that to faze her. On take 2, she goes straight down the middle with a brilliantly taken Panenka penalty, as Rao goes to her left. Everyone's perfect after 2 rounds.

6:14 PM: Third for Banija is Kamara Touré. He came onto the pitch in the 119th minute, subbed on by Pam Scott with her fifth and final sub, in place of the 23 year old centerback, Bbale Luboobi. It was clearly a sub for the shootout. Of course, that's always risky business- it's tough to come off the bench, completely cold, and drill a penalty. That said, if anyone can do it, it's Kamara Touré, right? 35 year old veteran, has been with the NT forever, hell, has played here in Valanora forever. He steps up.. delays his run up...And hits it into the back of the net! His run-up was slow, deliberate- and send the keeper the wrong way. GK Peter Nurmi went to his right, and Kamara Touré went left. Well taken, well done.

6:15 PM: First 5 penalties of this shootout converted, eh? Valtteri Nordström stepped up to the plate. He was today's goalscorer for Kimi-Suomi, although he missed his penalty against Banija two years ago. An excellent striker, he'll look to keep this perfection from both sides going. The referee blows his whistle, and Nordström steps up, and... SAVED! SAVED! OH MY, WHAT A SAVE!

6:15 PM: Hebron Rao was all over this one! She went left, Nordström went to her left, and she got two strong hands on the ball to keep it out of the back of the net. She pounds her chest, as the Banijan crowd behind her roars. It's 3-2 to the Banijans after 3 rounds, and suddenly, a wave of momentum is coming on for this team. This next penalty can really put the pressure on Kimi-Suomi, right?

6:16 PM: It is Sergius Atieno who starts his long walk from the center circle to the penalty spot. The fourth taker for Banija. He's got a grin on his face- the 26 year old is brimming with confidence. Brimming with how much confidence, exactly? We shall see. Nailing this penalty would put their opponents in a dark place, reducing their margin of error to almost zero to come back in this shootout. He steps up, slows it down... And he does a hop step himself! Just a short hop- enough to get the keeper to lean one way, as Atieno simply passes it into the other end of the net. Cheeky, ballsy, late in a shootout in a major tournament semifinal- but he has no lack of confidence. He pumps his first roaring, as Banija leads this shootout 4-2.

6:17 PM: It's now the right back for Kimi-Suomi, who walks forward. The lead is dominant at this point- if Heidi Itälä misses, then that's game, set, match. But the veteran right back simply looks focused. The crowd is bellowing at her- trying their best to distract her. Rao's name is being chanted. But she steps up... And buries her penalty. Upper left hand corner. Rao went the wrong way, but didn't have a chance anyways, as it was taken with pace and power. Well done, 4-3 to Banija after 4 rounds.

6:18 PM: And now, we got our own right back, Tairu Conateh. If he hits, Banija will go a perfect 5/5 from the spot in this shootout, and clinch a spot in our 3rd consecutive major tournament Final. And of course he's gonna hit, right? It's too storybook. Just recognized as the best right back in the world. He was the hero in regulation, saving Banija with a last minute equalizer to even get to extra time. It's just a perfect ending, right? Conateh steps up and... SKIES IT! SKIES IT! OH NO!

6:19 PM: WOW. Absolutely stunning. The veteran had a chance to send us to the final, and he just skied it. Rumor has it the ball is STILL flying. Insane. Miles over the bar, he just shanked it in every possible way. His face is in his hands, as Kimi-Suomi celebrates. They have new life! Have they stolen the momentum here? Their fans, on the other side of the pitch, are making themselves heard, as the Banijan fans are in stunned silence. Even Pam Scott- she surely wasn't expecting that. She sits down, shaking her head.

6:20 PM: Kimi-Suomi needs to hit one more penalty to take this thing into sudden death. We've got Jyrki Bottas, their backup striker, walking up. He was an 119th minute sub himself, coming in cold off the bench for one of the Rautavaara triplets. They give Bottas the ball. He puts it down, set to take his penalty. Damn, that was surely the opportunity for Banija, right? It'll be so frustrating if he makes this. He steps up and... SAVE! SAVE! RAO'S SAVED THE SHOT FOR BANIJA, AND SHE'S WON IT FOR THE KADONGO KAMU!

6:21 PM: Oh my, the team is mobbing their goalkeeper! It was a great save. Bottas went to the keeper's right, and kept it on the ground- but couldn't get enough pace on it. Rao was all over it, just getting far enough with her reach to save the penalty, and kickstart the celebrations. The 3rd consecutive major tournament final that this team has qualified for- what a victory this was! Only one taker in this shootout who took part in the last shootout we had against these guys- but we won anyways! Insanity. Raynor City, here we come.

by **Valanora** » Wed Jan 18, 2023 9:40 pm

For decades none of the priestesses or priests in the High Temple at Mount Sumarja had heard the voice of Elune answer their prayers, even before the last Calling and all the events that happened therafter. It was rare to have your prayers answered by the Goddess, but it was not uncommon, nor was it exceptionally rare to find out that she had entered into the material plane and was walking among them. While both were uncommon, they were common enough that the prolonged absence of either was beginning to have a toll on the clergy that resided in the temple itself, as well as those that served in the other temples dotted across the entirety of the Empire. Their faith was not one founded on superstition or myth but one that came from actual events that until recently, a few had been there as witness to at least a few of the events from the Books of Elune. If this was a test of faith in the Goddess, it seemed one that was going on longer than what would have seemed apt based on all previous encounters with Elune that lead the people to believe in her benevolence in the first place.

What brought about even greater trouble was that when the last calling happened and Tobias Raynor was chosen as the new guardian of Silverymoon and ascended into Godhood as Faenor, it implied that Elune no longer held the mantle as the protector of the world. The Books of Elune taught the people of the Eternal Empire that not just those within the Empire were protected by Elune, but all peoples on the planet were under her divine protection and she saw it as her duty to defend the planet against all that would do it harm. While few doubted in Faenor's capabilities, particularly as it was revealed that his bloodline was a straight descendent from Yanwë, The Winged God of Wind, and leader of the Elder Gods, Guardian of The Cosmos. While Yanwë is the forbearer for all the elves in Valanora, the Raynor bloodline is the bloodline that directly descends from the Guardian of the Cosmos. Some believe it to be a result of the Raynors having mixed blood with the dark elves of the undercities, who claim their descent from Melikki, Elune's sister who was captured and tortured by demons until she became the first of the dark elves.

Yet for all the faith that they had that Faenor could fulfill his duties as the newly appointed guardian of Silverymoon, it begged the question as to what happened to the Goddess herself and why had she not answered their prayers then and in the decades since? Had she been felled in some battle of the cosmos that they would forever be oblivious to? Perhaps she had ventured to some other realm or plane or other area of space where it made communication with "her children" impossible? There was so much speculation as to what might have happened to the Goddess and yet they were still no closer to any answers decades since the silence had first befell them. It was unsettling and it troubled even the High Priestess, one of the few elves who had remained on this plane when the last Calling occurred, who had had the best connection with the Goddess. It had been her prayers in troubled times before that had either brought the Goddess to their plane or had her disperse one of the heroes she had in her service to aid the people in times of need, most often the case being the return of Jas Hatire, the legendary hero whom many in the Empire revered.

On this day, the High Priestess was having to put her duties aside and was instead in Raynor City as a guest of Lathwen Raynor and Faenor Soldarian, the Empress and King Consort having invited the High Priestess to join them in their suite at The Battleground to take in the Final of the AOCAF. The High Priestess rarely dealt with such secular matters, yet it was difficult to deny a royal invitation and so she had made her way from the High Temple at Mount Sumarja and traveled southeast to the Empire's capital hub. She had been told on the travel from the train station to the stadium that this was a particularly interesting game with two of the best teams not just in the region but in the sport vying for the title. After exchanging pleasantries with the royal couple upon making it to their luxury suite, the priestess began to make herself comfortable and watched with a bit of bemusement as she watched Laborious Hawk offering up a prayer to the sky before the kickoff of the game. However her bemused smile turned to shock when right before the whistle to get the Final underway, she heard a voice that she had not heard in some time.

"This is Elune. If any of my children can hear me, know that I am alive and I am..."

AOCAF LXVIII :: Everything Thread

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AOCAF 68 MD5

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