World Cup 93 - RP Thread

[Kelssek]

LMP’s late winner earns first win of the St-Louis era

Dropped points and a late winner were the story of the kick-off to Kelssek’s World Cup 93 qualifying campaign and to the tenure of François St-Louis at the helm of the national team. Kelssek were complacent in defence after Miles Mann gave them the lead at home against Sendhang, conceding a cheap equalizer that left their bench boss shaking his head.

All seemed to be going to plan when a well-worked interchange down the right flank opened up space for Miles Mann to dribble into the box and beat Sendhang goalkeeper at the near post from ten yards. But Kelssek clearly dropped a gear in the second half and were much too passive for long stretches, allowing their opponents to easily get back into the match.

It was against the run of play but far from a surprise when Sendhang equalized off the boot of Nanang Wirajuda. Issac Lafrenière misplayed a speculative long ball to give away possession in midfield, and Keylar Samoi barrelled right past Taylor Barris and unleashed a powerful shot that Ryan Terlock saved, but only managed to direct into the path of Wirajuda, who simply had to hit the open goal from 20 yards.

They then went to South Covello where they dominated possession but lacked a cutting edge, labouring to break down the defence until Loïc Maçon-Petrault tucked away Bryan Hartpoach’s incisive ball across the six-yard box for a late winner.

With 73 per cent possession and 24 shot attempts, the night seemed destined to end in frustration for Kelssek until they finally connected with a moment of quality that proved enough for them to overcome the world’s 146th-ranked team.

Kelssek manager François St-Louis said after the South Covello match that he expects more from the players in the matches to come as they adapt to a new approach.

“Roles are shifting for players, and some are playing different roles and will be expected to do different things, to take leadership and to step up in the team. I want more dynamism on the ball and off the ball, and as we continue I’m going to expect more and more.”

He added that playing Colm Ó Tuathail in a more central position than the left wing where he’s made his name was something they’d been working together on. “Players like Colm, to have longevity at this level means always adapting your game, and he knows he’s not going to rely on speed to get past defenders but he has a range of skills he can use. It’s all about doing what makes you most effective for your team.”

St-Louis handed international senior debuts to Loisé Camserhe and Puxjodaskar Lohánares, cementing their commitment to play for Kelssek amid new interest from Farfadillis, who both would also have been eligible to play for prior to today, in players from its overseas diaspora.

“I’d discussed with both of them what roles they would play in a Kelssek squad, and communication on that was all very clear between us. It’s not about claiming players, but keeping promises and agreements we’d made. I’ve also spoken with players who want to hold out to play for different countries, and everyone has their own reasons. I’m glad to have them both as we charge towards qualification.”

KELSSEK 1 – Mann (35’)
Terlock, Buené, Camserhe, Lambert, Barris, dí Völará (Ducharne 85’), Lafrenière (Taleb 76’), Ó Tuathail (Heer 71’), Mann, Ahmad (Lohánares 85’), Maçon-Petrault (Maradrogba 71’)
SENDHANG 1 – Wirajuda (68’)
Exhibition Place, Kirkenes (attendance 37,224)

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SOUTH COVELLO 0
KELSSEK 1 – Maçon-Petrault (87’)
Salinas, Earrach, Bream, Camserhe, Barris (Holman 64’), Breault, dí Völará (Ducharne 80’), Hartpoach, Mann, Ahmad (Maçon-Petrault 73’), Maradrogba (Lohánares 80’)

[Kandorith]

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Shinonome Kyoai - International

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Kandorith restores faith in the national team

The Kandorese National Football Team got off to a disappointing start in the World Cup qualification campaign, with a 0-0 draw against Bongo Johnson followed by a narrow 0-1 win against Rouyoute . This result puts significant pressure on the team and their manager, Kaya Michiyu, as they strive to reach their goal of qualifying directly for the World Cup.
By Natsumi Miyasaki
Sports

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.  Group 8                              Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Tjorl                                  2    2   0   0     6    2   +4     6
 2 New Gelderland                         2    2   0   0     6    3   +3     6
 3 Eura                                   2    1   1   0     2    1   +1     4
   Kandorith                              2    1   1   0     1    0   +1     4
 5 Osarius                                2    1   0   1     7    5   +2     3
 6 Jeruselem                              2    1   0   1     2    2    0     3
 7 Gran Saguaro                           2    1   0   1     7    8   −1     3
   Sylestone                              2    1   0   1     1    2   −1     3
 9 Rouyoute                               2    0   1   1     1    2   −1     1
10 Bongo Johnson                          2    0   1   1     1    4   −3     1
11 The Cordian Isles                      2    0   0   2     4    6   −2     0
12 Quakmybush                             2    0   0   2     0    3   −3     0

The match against Bongo Johnson was played in front of a home crowd and was expected to be an easy win for Kandorith. However, despite their dominance in possession and shots on goal, they were unable to find the back of the net. Despite their best efforts, the team was unable to convert any of their opportunities, and the match ended in a goalless draw.

Despite the disappointing start, Manager Kaya Michiyu remains confident in the team's ability to bounce back. "We have a talented group of players and we are working hard to improve our performance," Michiyu said. "We know there is a long road ahead in the qualification campaign, and we are fully committed to achieving our goal."

In their away match against Rouyoute, Kandorith finally managed to secure a win, but it was not without challenges. The team struggled to assert their dominance and control the tempo of the game. However, they managed to secure a crucial goal in the second half, which proved to be the difference-maker in the end.

The new additions to the team, such as striker Kenshi Maeda, Mori Nakamura, and central back Satoshi Omori, have yet to make a significant impact on the field, and fans are eagerly awaiting their performances in upcoming matches. With the upcoming schedule ahead, Kandorith will need to quickly find their form if they hope to make a serious push for World Cup qualification. Not just finding their footing on the field again, but they have the battle to fight to keep the spirit of the fans alive with such a disappointing start to the qualifiers.

The Kandorese Football Association has expressed their full support for the team and their manager, stating that they believe in their ability to bounce back from this slow start. The association also emphasized the importance of the team's continued development, both on and off the field, as they strive to reach their goal of competing on the world stage.

As the qualification campaign continues, the Kandorese National Football Team seems to be facing tough opposition when looking at the current state of the team, and they will need to bring their best game if they hope to reach their ultimate goal of qualifying for the World Cup. Despite the early setbacks, Manager Kaya Michiyu and the team remain determined to reach their goal and make the Kandorese people proud.

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Hiyashi announces plans for newest upgrades to their services

Hiyashi Corporation Announces Plans to Integrate All Systems into a Seamless, Centralized Network
By Hiromi Sugihara
General

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Hiyashi Corporation, one of the largest competing corporations on the Kandorese market and a leading provider of services and technology to the Kandorese people, announced today its plans to integrate all of its current systems into a seamless, centralized network.

Under the leadership of CEO Kiyomi Hiyashi, Hiyashi Corporation has made it a priority to streamline its services and make them more accessible to the people of Kandorith. The new initiative, known as the "Hiyashi One" program, will centralize all of the corporation's services into one network, making it easier for customers to access and utilize them.

According to a statement by Hiyashi Corporation, the integration of its services will be powered by advanced AI technology, which will work to connect all aspects of the daily life of the Kandorese people. From home security to financial services, entertainment, and more, the AI will seamlessly link all of Hiyashi's offerings into one central system, making it easier and more convenient for customers to access and manage their services.

The "Hiyashi One" program has been met with widespread excitement and anticipation by both customers and industry experts. The centralization of Hiyashi's services is seen as a major step forward in the integration of technology into daily life, and many believe it will serve as a model for other corporations to follow.

In conclusion, Hiyashi Corporation's plans to integrate all of its systems into a centralized network represents a major shift in the way the Kandorese people will access and utilize technology in their daily lives. The "Hiyashi One" program is set to make a significant impact in the near future, and the corporation is confident that it will provide its customers with a seamless, convenient, and efficient experience.

[Brenecia]

Super Top? 4 - 1 Brenecia
(4-3-3) 12 - Corder; 2 - Sidle, 22 - Fitz, 5 - Shrine, 3 - Culpepper (25 - Chalk 79'); 8 - Conway, 19 - Seager (4 - Briggs 57'), 26 - Meskela (11 - Covolan 79'); 7 - Wakering (15 - Wake HT'), 21 - Lofthouse (9 - Baker 67'), 16 - Alderwood
Goal: Alderwood 59'

Brenecia 0 - 0 Acastanha
(4-3-3) 12 - Corder; 17 - Hadley, 18 - Killen, 5 - Shrine, 3 - Culpepper; 23 - Sitko (8 - Conway 67'), 4 - Briggs, 26 - Meskela (11 - Covolan 81'); 15 - Wake, 21 - Lofthouse (13 - Stokes 67'), 10 - Byrne (16 - Alderwood 75')

THE ROZELLE OBSERVER
Wright teetering on brink after catastrophic start to campaign
Uther Cartwright

Already under a significant amount of fire and with public perception turning fast, Derdriu Wright, despite being only the second manager to take Brenecia to a medal finish at the World Cup, is thought to be very close to losing the job.

Brenecia were already handed an unforgiving draw that boasted not only the daunting Vilita to overtake, but ambitious sides in Delte, Acastanha, Pluvia and Sajnur breathing down their necks, as well as the pedigree of Bears Armed. But even the most pessimistic assumptions would have had Brenecia pegged to take care of business against lowly Super Top, a side that took just two wins from eight Baptism of Fire games as they crashed out in the groups.

But while all Brenecian eyes were on debutant Irina Alderwood, the latest poached Nephar to pull on the navy and white, it was the Super Top's own left winger, Ednaldo Pereira who would take the plaudits on the night. Two goals and an assist capped off a brilliant performance in which he may have ended Esther Sidle's Patriots career in excruciating fashion, twisting her this way and that as he punched holes relentlessly in Brenecia's scattered defence. Patrick Fitz also struggled mightily to deal with the onslaught, and it is perhaps significant that both Fitz and Sidle have been omitted from Wright's second squad selection.

Wright put the result down to 'moments of quality', a vague handwave that did not account for the fact that Super Top were good value for their win, though they did score all four of their shots on target as Phoebe Corder was uncharacteristically very fallible, beaten twice at her near post. Alderwood's debut goal was, ultimately, a footnote. Were Super Top just that good a side? Seemingly not; they shipped six in defeat to Hopal next week.

Brenecia did vastly improve in their next match against Acastanha, but not showing up and simply forfeiting would also have qualified as a vast improvement compared to what had come before. The Patriots seemed once-bitten twice-shy, reluctant to come out and assert themselves against the strong, attack-minded Arrows.

It was in truth a dull, dire, grim affair, made worse by the downpour of rain in the second half that made even the simplest of passes a roll of the dice. Vaida Meskela again struggled to produce the cutting edge in midfield Brenecia needed, Katua Byrne was invisible, and Maerhen Wake tried to do far too much himself. Crying out for crosses, Lofthouse was left isolated and ultimately replaced.

A scoreless draw wasn't the worst result in isolation, but the Patriots needed a serious response after their chastening defeat. Derdriu Wright has shown a belated willingness to try new things, but on current evidence, this throw of the dice isn't working out, and she won't get too many more chances to find the right mix in this kind of form. A difficult trip to Delte looms in the next fortnight, and then the one the fans have circled their calendars for, the visit to Vilita. One suspects the Patriots wouldn't mind an attritional 0-0 there. A future in which Brenecia boast just one win in their first five or six appears worryingly plausible, and that, surely, would be the end for Wright.

BRENECIAN NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION - FORTNIGHT 2
Goalkeepers: 1 - Cessair Meade (Rammsissil, VIL), 12 - Phoebe Corder (Ituraitz FC, ASG), 20 - Casper Harder (Sparta Zijweg, AUD)
Defenders: 2 - Aine Cooper (Rozelle), 3 - Nimue Culpepper (Sabrefell Athletic, NPH), 5 - Athelney Shrine (Falourr, EUR), 6 - Hamish Jeong Harcourt (Vermillion Rage, NPH), 17 - Caoimhin Hadley (Sabrefell Athletic, NPH), 18 - Iucharba Killen (North Laithland, NPH), 22 - Ruadri Wheater (Carsby, BRE), 25 - Shara Chalk (Southern Star)
Midfielders: 4 - Skaidrina Briggs (Southern Star), 8 - Iseult Conway (Wirr Tsi, CMT), 11 - Lienke Covolan (Vermillion Rage, NPH), 14 - Bede Cheschon (Kingsbury United, TMB), 19 - Tamara Seager (FK Arsika, MYT), 23 - Rajmund Sitko (West Cuono United, TMB), 26 - Vaida Meskela (Makosile, VIL)
Forwards: 7 - Aneurin Wakering (CS Saint-Remy, KSK), 9 - Siobhan Baker (Anomalies, CMT), 10 - Katua Byrne (KT Itzalovalle, AUD), 13 - Mor-Rioghain Stokes (Mountainside, EUR), 15 - Maerhen Wake (1830 Cathair, AUD), 16 - Idina Alderwood (Sabrefell Moths, NPH), 21 - Jadwiga Lofthouse (Yassaca, SRS), 24 - Cyprian Korsak (Kingsgrove)

Super Top 4 - 1 Brenecia
Brenecia 0 - 0 Acastanha
Delte vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Ile de Richelieu
Vilita vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Sajnur
Bears Armed vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Pluvia SI
Novaros vs. Brenecia
Pratapgadh vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Hopal
Brenecia vs. Super Top
Acastanha vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Delte
Ile de Richelieu vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Vilita
Sajnur vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Bears Armed
Pluvia SI vs. Brenecia
Brenecia vs. Novaros
Brenecia vs. Pratapgadh
Hopal vs. Brenecia

[Stevencousin]

Book2you Sport Selection: Books in the market

Chapter 5: Understanding the "Box-to-Box" Midfielder's Role

In the game of football, there is a position that serves as the heart of the game, namely the midfielder. The midfielder's position aims to create an attack while cutting off the flow of the opponent's ball. Midfielders, also universally called midfielders, are required to have a balanced ability in terms of tackling, dribbling, passing, and kicking at the goal. Therefore, the midfielder position there is a specific role in it. A central midfielder is a player whose role is evenly divided, between attacking and defending, for a team in a football game. Players with the role of central midfielder have the ability to pass the ball to attacking midfielders or on other occasions cover the movement of opposing players. The role of a central midfielder is not specifically regulated and usually appears in a 4-3-3, 4-5-1, or 4-3-2-1 formation.

There are four types of midfielders, namely defensive midfielders, central midfielders, attacking midfielders, and left/right midfielders. One of the specific positions of a midfielder in a football game is a typical box-to-box midfielder. What is a box-to-box midfielder? A box-to-box midfielder is a midfielder who is effective in both attacking and defending. Box-to-box players are hardworking players. They are always working in the field. It can be said, where there is a ball, there they are. Therefore, they will usually be the players with the highest distance coverage on the field, or in the top list for this aspect. The simple meaning is that a player who acts as a box-to-box midfielder is a player who can attack and defend equally well. Midfielders with the role of box-to-box midfielders usually have qualified abilities in terms of playing stamina, controlling the ball, tackling, and shooting at goal.

The characteristics of a player with the task of being a box-to-box midfielder can be seen when trying to grab the ball from an opposing player, then directly involved in developing an attack in a short time. To take advantage of box-to-box midfielders, the 4-4-2 formation is the most suitable option. In this formation, the two central midfielders can act as box-to-box midfielders. In addition, the 4-2-3-1 formation can also take advantage of the box-to-box midfielder role. In a 4-2-3-1 formation pattern, usually, a box-to-box midfielder is paired with a player who acts as a deep-lying playmaker. Four famous box-to-box in the NSL league: Válter Folha (Cassaholm Confidential), Lilan Ranaweera (Meldrum Fall), Miro Linic (Oldkamps Outlaw) and Stephan Imhof (Screaming Cleric)

above is part of the chapter in the book titled Soccer: Art and Performance, by Benjamin T. Longbow

It can be ordered through book2you.com

[HUElavia]

Aust Scor 2-4 HUElavia
(REDACTED 34', REDACTED 87' | Balderas 3', Rossi-Rigoni 20', Cachi 73', Tarragona 90+2')

HUElavia 3-0 Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom
(Aveiro 7' (P), Nascimento 48', Yamada 90')
Estadio Capital, Curumba

Blasting through the Gate!

HUElavia opens World Cup 93 Qualifiers with a blistering 7 goals in two entertaining matches!

Another year, another World Cup Qualifier. HUElavia returns to the qualifiers looking to redeem themselves after falling short for a Playoff spot in the past two cycles. This time, the team was looking to contend directly for a Playoff Spot and get the most out of their matches. This time around, the team was determined to not play down to their opponents, especially against the "easier" teams that took points from Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos in the previous cycle. The opening two games had an away match at debutants Aust Scor and then facing off a direct group rival in Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom in Estadio Capital (90,000) in Curumba.

The first match saw HUElavia dominate the match from the get-go. In the 3rd minute, Frasier was running along the sideline, being covered by REDACTED before she gave a cross, which saw REDACTED miss his heading clearance and Balderas got over them to head the ball past REDACTED into the top corner of the goal, making it 0-1, and Balderas celebrated with his teammates in joy for the goal. In the 20th minute, a pass from Si went past the legs of REDACTED, which reached Rossi-Rigoni and he gave a one-time chip shot over REDACTED to go into the goal, making it 0-2, with the home crowd silenced and a big grin on the players for the cheeky goal. In the 34th minute, a pass from REDACTED reached REDACTED, who gave a shot past Petit to make it 1-2 at the half. In the 73rd minute, a shot from Rossi-Rigoni took a deflection off the post past REDACTED, where Cachi was on the rebound and slotted the ball into the empty goal, making it 1-3. In the 87th minute, a corner was won for Aust Scor where a corner by REDACTED was taken and REDACTED leaped over Kholodova to get the ball past Petit into the goal to make it 2-3 with hope being brought up for Aust Scor. In the 90+2nd minute, a corner taken by Cachi went into the box and Tarragona leaped over REDACTED to head the ball past REDACTED into the goal to make it the definitive 2-4 and the important 3 points to start out.

The second match was more of a domination for HUElavia, especially against a direct rival in the qualifiers. In the 7th minute, a foul by REDACTED over Amezcua left the referee to point to the penalty spot without hesitation, as Aveiro stepped up and sent REDACTED the wrong way as the ball was blasted into the top corner of the goal, making it 1-0 and the HUElavian crowd in joy for the goal. Despite some shots from HUElavia and seldom few from Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom, but the half saw Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos lead 1-0. In the 48th minute, Navarro-Hamada was on the ball, being covered by REDACTED when he saw a wide open Nascimento wanting the ball, where he gave a pass and Nascimento gave a blistering curve of a shot that went past the reach of REDACTED into the top corner of the goal, making it 2-0, sending the crowd into delirium to make the stadium rumble from the cheering and jumping, while Nascimento had a great smile from finally ending his goal drought with the National Team. In the 90th minute, a cross from Navarro-Hamada reached into the box, where REDACTED missed their clearance and the ball bounced for Yamada to chest the ball down and blast it past REDACTED at point blank into the goal, making it 3-0. The crowd jumped once more in joy to make the stadium rumble while Yamada had a great smile from getting the goal that secured the 3 points for HUElavia to keep good momentum in Group 14.

After 2 Matchdays, the two victories see HUElavia sit in 1st Place with 6 Points and +5 GD, with Milchama in 2nd with 6 Points and +2 GD, and surprisingly Olastor in 3rd Place with 6 Points and also +2 GD. HUElavia will travel to 4th placed and Pot 1 team Savigliane, where any points grabbed against the Group Favorites would be considered as a miracle for Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos. They follow up with a home match against Katterimunk in Estadio Antonio Fernandez Sganyodaiyo (56,000), in Rebes, which will have its first ever HUElavian game in the city. The fans are hoping for good matches and survival in these next two games, while the team continues to train diligently and study film to understand and take on their opponents. So far, the rotations are working and the fresh legs on the team may come in handy as the qualifiers go on. Here's to hoping we can do well in our first serious challenge against Savigliane.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

[Srubnaya culture]

Srubnaya News Association Special News Broadcast


World Cup XCIII

Srubnaya Starts off 2-0 with the team scoring a whopping 5 goals total. Which puts them at the 2nd seed in the cutoff. We can expect a similar qualification performance to that which took place in the Baptism of Fire, and with a little bit of luck we may be able to make it past the first round this year. Spirits are high for soccer fans around the country, as sentiment and support has increased exponentially in the past couple of months. Most likely due to the charitable acts the players regularly commit on a daily basis.

Game 1 (Ethane 0–2 Srubnaya Culture- 1-0)
Uxtamazata Neapolis came to play this game, he ended up with a goal at 15 ' and another goal from an assist by Chersonesus Lapadasues at 63 '. The defense also stood strong today as Ariapeithes Kozlov managed to come up with 2 saves which denied Ethane any goals for the entire 90-minute period. Its not known how many Srubnaya fans attended this game, but estimates range from 25,000-30,000 which means that people really did use the subsidies how they were supposed to.

Game 2 (Srubnaya Culture 3–1 St Saratoga- 2-0)

While St Saratoga saw their team captain scoring a goal at 33 ' it wasnt nearly enough to compete with the preformance shown by Srubnaya. Uxtamazata Neapolis scored a goal from 20 yards away after a fake out pass from Amatticus Saulius at 20 '. While Amatticus Saulius managed to score a corner goal at 42 '. Chersonesus Lapadasues then went on to score a goal from 7 yards out after a well-placed pass from Sakā Armesius at 73 ' which sealed the fate of St Saratoga and allowed Srubnaya to advance to second place.

Other News

Singer Nicki Manaj will be doing a tour of Srubnaya this year, making her the first African American musical artist to tour the country. The tickets can be found on a multitude of websites and there are said to be 25,000 slots left out of the 60,000. Many people are excited for the concert with one person we interviewed saying "This will probably be the best concert we have for a while". The Concert is set to take place sometime in June.

[Huayramarca]

A Day in the Life of: Lucien Alszeghy

“Yawn”, Bone cracking sounds are listened at the Hotel Villamizar at Pando, one of the most important cities of the Huayramarcan “Cocoa Axis”, home of some of the biggest cocoa plantations through Anaia. Lucien Alszeghy is waking up after a repairing sleep, prior to the match against New Portland Republic, the second matchday of the World Cup Qualifiers. Alszeghy looks at his phone, listens to some rap music before taking a shower and then brushing his teeth.

Anxiety is notable on his face, he has been thinking about this match and how this could be his “baptism” for the Huayramarcan National Team, playing for the first time in front of the fans of the nation that opened its arms to help him, when only a child, after his family had to fled Farfadillis due to constant war and threats against them. “It was a hard trip, but one you embrace after watching how far you’ve made it” says Lucien while speaking to the cameras, “It has made me appreciate Huayramarcans and their attitudes, and now I’m eager to represent the nation that has adopted me.” With gratitude for the chance, Alszeghy feels some sense of responsibility, hence he looks somewhat nervous after his shower.

“How did you started your path in football?” We asked him, he was smiling and trying to remember how, then said “It all started in Ruland, I was trying to pave myself a path among the stars there, but disgrace struck and we had to move. Fortunately, the fever of World Cup Qualification, back at WC 90, was strong here and football in communities was booming, I got into a team at Sechura, Sociedad Petrolera, got through their academies and tried to do my best there, had some showcasing and that’s how Omar Caicedo called me for the U-18 WC.”

“How Omar knew about you?” We got notified from Sociedad Petrolera that we would have to play some exhibition matches against some local teams. Our manager didn’t tell us that we would have been under the lens of scouts or even Caicedo itself, we noticed him at the end of the match where he was pointing me, a friend said ‘Your time has come, Caicedo is pointing at you’ and I got excited.” After sipping some water, Alszeghy continued “I got goosebumps when called, knew that my chance had come already and my efforts were producing some fruits, fruits that I’m enjoying and I hope to continue to enjoy.”

“You said that Caicedo called you, what did he told you?” Alszeghy said “He greet me and then said ‘I’m liking your talent, I see something good in you, a bright future that you might be able to start exploiting with us. You’re welcome into the U-18 team.’ Those words were like heaven for me, I was floating around in excitement, I shook his hand and then left to tell my parents about it.” Now, it comes the interesting part, how his parents could react to the opportunity of Lucien being called for the Huayramarcan National Team, would they support at first chance or wouldn’t they do it and would encourage him to ask for Farfadillis?

Lucien was sincere and said “I didn’t had any hesitation to tell my parents, although I had some fears that they would reject it or wouldn’t agree with me to pursue a real football career like some of my idols in Ruland. It was a surprise that they accepted, they encouraged me to pursue my dream, they said that they would support me, no matter which nation I could end choosing.” I was sincerely surprised, as it was quite a quick response and somewhat unexpected answer, especially when he had chances to be called by Farfadillis in the future, I asked “What was the reason that drove them to accept your choice for Huayramarca?” Lucien replied with serenity “They are grateful with Huayramarca because how the people received us, without prejudice, after fleeing Ruland and the chaos we had to live there. That’s it.”

It was time for lunch, yes, already, and the players had to go to the lounge of the hotel to eat earlier than usual, the reason? The dietician suggested the team to eat earlier, in order to avoid clogging the body with food, something that would affect their playing performance through the match. It shall be considered that the energetic factor is important, as the players can have better disposition to play with the calories, they could consume from the different food options they had. From pasta to salads, all fruit and vegetable-friendly foods for the players to have enough energy and feel as light as possible for the match.

Lucien was having a conversation with Bryan Tello, the legend of the National Team and who is expected to guide Lucien to the floodlights of multiversal football, to grab the attention of the cameras with stunning performances in the field when scoring. Tello is known for being quite paternalistic with young players, often teaching them how to act in the field, how to intimidate the rivals and avoid being “heated up” by provoking acts from the rival.

We came close to Tello and asked what he thinks about Alszeghy, Tello said “He has a big future ahead, and I’ll make sure to bolster his opportunities with some help and counselling. I hope my experience could be useful for him.” He then messed with Lucien’s hair, he was laughing and then Alszeghy said “I appreciate how this team is, they all are quite open and supportive with me, also with Marcelo (Huanca), Carlos (Cedeño) and René (Matsabanda). This is very important as it helps us for our growing process in the National Team.” Tello then added “We have the same goal, we want to win, and if we manage to integrate them faster and better, the more we will enjoy success in the coming future.”

Attitudes like this one have helped the team to carve some good reputation, although there’s room for improvement, it is great to see there’s comradery and a common sense of goal achievement in the team. After lunching, the team would relax for an hour before having a meeting with the managerial staff where tactics will be defined for tonight’s match. It was quite interesting to see Alszeghy taking a notebook and making some annotations from what the manager said, asking some questions and also making sure to fully understand the plan for the night, eager to perform in the best way possible in front of the home crowd for the first time.

Time to leave the hotel and take the bus to the stadium, we had to ask Lucien about some rituals he does before any match, he said “I just listen to music and I try to flow into it, to channelize my feelings and get some inspiration for the match. Then, I pray and no more, nothing really special like some crazy guys here.” That in reference to the ritual of Gabriel Sayritupac of jumping five times at the centre of the field or Bryan Tello’s custom of sleeping in the bus. We left for a bit, as we can’t accompany the players into the dressing room nor listening to the conversations from the managerial staff.

We were about to kick off, feelings were high at the stadium and fans were chanting some of the new songs that “La Banda de la Alpaca”, the official supporters’ group, has created recently. Lucien was walking to the field, it was noticeable that he was thinking about the scenery of the fans, and also their chants. To the tune of of ¡Qué lo sepa el mundo!, the team jumped into the pitch and drowned the sounds from the local audio, no way to actually listen to instructions or anything else that could’ve been said.

“Dale, dale, dale, dale Huayra!; dale Huayra!, dale Huayra!
¡Qué lo sepa el multiverso! (Let the Multiverse know)
¡Esto es Huayramarca! (This is Huayramarca!)
La selección que pone huevos (The team that plays with grit)
La que lucha hasta el final. (The one who fights until the end)
En las buenas y en las malas (In the good or bad times)
La banda siempre está aquí (The group will always be here)
36 millones, apoyando, con el corazón. (36 million people supporting with their hearts!)”

Lucien was sweating and he had, once again, goosebumps, he hadn’t had the chance to be at a football match with such an environment before as a player. He could’ve had experimented what the Rulandese do at their stadia, but this was quite different, it was sheer passion exploding through the field and he feeling it like he hadn’t done it before. Still, he was feeling that but had to go to the bench as the manager had asked him already to be ready for the second half of the match, as a possible replacement of Bryan Tello or playing together in case of need.

As New Portland Republic was leading 0-2 at the 25th minute, Alszeghy looked somewhat worried about his chances in the match, perhaps Blâás could prefer for somewhat experienced players to try to pull a comeback as soon as possible. Fortunately for Lucien, Huayramarca equalised it before the half time and Blâás asked him to warm-up, as he would likely be placed as a second striker at the end of the match.

He had to keep warming up, Huayramarca scored the third goal and he now had a chance to enter earlier into the field, perhaps he could do something for the match. At the 70th minute, history was made for Lucien, it was his turn to play, the fans applauded him while waiting what the now dubbed as “the next big thing of Huayramarca” could do in the last minutes of the match. Lucien was working with Bryan Tello at the front, trying to generate some danger against the team managed by a well-known manager in Huayramarca, Martín Zubeldía, who was already putting double marking on Alszeghy, as he knew what the youngster can pull off when inspired.

He had his first chance at the 82nd minute, Gabriel Sayritupac served a pass, Alszeghy decided to get into the box and dribble a defender, but his shot went softly into the gloves of the Portlandian goalkeeper; Tello came and motivated him to keep trying, the fans also did the same by applauding the chance. The first kiss of Alszeghy to the Huayramarcan crest came only six minutes later, Bryan Tello took the ball from a cross of Abraham Mendoza, instead of trying to score his hattrick, he passed the ball in-depth to Lucien, he went 1v1 against the goalkeeper, he gently lifted the ball over the keeper and scored the fourth goal of the match for Huayramarca.

Lucien went crazy celebrating, he jumped off the ad billboards and kissed the crest of the Huayramarcan National Team on his jersey, then cried while being group hugged by most of the team. The match ended with another goal, but from the Portlandians, letting this business settle with a 4-3 victory for the Condors, a needed one after tying 3-3 at Pyazhnaya. We had chance to talk with Lucien once again, he said “Dude, I’m so happy for finally achieving it, I’m living part of my dream.” We left him so he could celebrate, it was a great night and experience to follow one of the best prospects Huayramarca has for the future, Lucien Alszeghy, a player that I’m sure will give us many victories, goals and joy.

[Milchama]

"I'm out"

"Agreed"

"We've already had two things to think about and this is one too many"

"Yep"

"But we can't miss a cutoff this early"

"Nope"

"It's much too early to think about such things"

"Yep"

"So what can we do?"

"Well what we're doing right now?"

"Which is?"

"Watching and waiting for the cut off"

"Well not exactly"

"Why not?"

"Because we're writing right now"

"Oh yeah good point"

"But man am I burned out"

"Yeah I got nothing"

"This is unfortunate"

"Most unfortunate as I would like to be able to do something but like man I don't know what to say"

"Well we're in first place"

"That is nice"

"And we're doing alright in this event at least"

"Definitely better than the baseball team"

"Definitely better than those losers"

"So we got that going for us"

"That's nice"

"Anything else?"

"Not really"

"This feels perfunctory"

"It's because it kinda is"

"Should we put that in print?"

"Nah but we should talk about our new favorite past time"

"Which is?"

"Complaining about how everybody spells our demonym wrong"

"Oh yeah"

"It's MilchamIan with two Is"

"There are two Is in MilchamIan"

"We are not Milchaman"

"That's weird and sounds bad"

"And if you say that or your newspaper says that you are a bad person and should feel bad"

"Really really bad"

"Yes you"

"Right there you!"

"You in particular should feel terrible"

"How could you butcher our name like that?"

"What the hell man?"

"Seriously bro, what the hell?"

"Don't do it"

"Put the I in Milchamian"

"That's what we're called"

"It's our demonym"

"Be nice"

"Be respectful"

"Put the I in Milchamian"

*This has been a public service announcement from the Warrior Peoples of Milchama*

[Yue Zhou]

Catching Up with Li Jing in Retirement

"I'm Tang Zheng with the Jiangdong Daily Post, and we're visiting the home of retired Dragons, SC Jiangdong, and Steinaux superstar Li Jing. The longtime Dragons captain retired from international play after what was probably a heartbreaking finals loss to Saint Eleanor, and then retired from play in the Yue Super! League at the conclusion of the following season. Now, the ex-midfielder lives at home in Jiangdong and is working on his coaching licenses while enjoying a hard-earned retirement. Hello, Li Jing!"

"Welcome to my home!"

"How has your retirement been, brother?"

"It's been good! My wife (former Footballer’s Wives: Græntfjall star Qiu Chun) and I have been getting to do a lot of very relaxing travel."

"Like the travel you used to do as a footballer?"

"Much better. Of course, you get to visit a lot of places during qualifiers and for IFCF and everything. But not every country is a big destination for business trips. And when you travel after the season, you want some nice beach to unwind and not think. But travel now is different. I had a lovely trip to Xinhua with Chun a few weeks ago, for instance, and we are hoping to visit Naixi as well."

"That's good to hear. And we have heard that you are working on your coaching licenses as well. Is a Yue Super! League return in your future - perhaps more time at the Meridian?"

"Well, that depends on if Jiangdong will have me, of course! But it would be lovely to return to the YS!L and manage, especially now that it's starting to get on its feet more. But I'd also be interested in some sort of youth coaching role. I think this is a country with a lot of footballing talent, and I think I'd like to do my part to nurture that."

"Yuezhou has never sent a team to the Juvenile CR, but I'm hearing rumors that they might soon. Is that something you might be interested in?"

"Let me get my badges first, haha! But that would be a great opportunity, and I'd be honored if the FA even considered me for a role there."

"Speaking of the national team, we know that your career didn't finish in the best way there. Why not give it another go, with Yuezhou looking much improved in the KPB?"

"Well, of course, it was heartbreaking to lose the Cup of Harmony final in the way we did. That is a big regret of mine, that we lost that final, and the manner in which it happened, which I don't quite remember but what I'm sure was very troubling."

"Can you elaborate?"

"Well, we'd been so good defensively previously in the tournament, but whatever lapses that occurred - or maybe it was just brilliant skill from Saint Eleanor, I'll leave it for the viewers to discuss - really hurt us. When that especially bad thing happened defensively, I know the gaffer was pretty upset. But, you know, we kept fighting until the end, maybe, and there's nothing else you can do about it, unless there was, in which case we didn't keep fighting after all."

"Some pundits were calling you the Yue man of the match in that final, as well as one of the best players in that entire finals run."

"Well, I don't know about that. But it was a great run. It's a shame that it ended in the way it did, unless we were blown away by superior technical skill, which is possible, in which case we did well just to make it that far. And whether or not I was involved in the two goals that we did score, I think we can all agree that conceding four goals was just too much to overcome, unless we had a bunch of chances that we missed, in which case we were frustrated to not do better on the attacking end of things."

"So, why not go back for another run?"

"Well, I don't think it's what was best for me or the team. On my end, you know, I'd already had a great international career - something like twelve, thirteen years? - as well as the time I spent at SCJ and at Steinaux. I was content with where I ended up, you know, and I wanted to spend more time with my family. In a sense, I don't think I had anything left to prove on the field."

"And for the team?"

"I think it was just time for a new generation to show what they were made of. Every generation gets its chance, and when you see the things that Kara Mingsdottír Zhang is doing, and Hong Guo and Yang Xie and Fang Yuhui and all of those midfielders, well, they didn't need a 38-year-old man clogging up the works. No, I'm confident that the Dragons' best days are still ahead of them."

"That's all the time we have. Thank you, Li Jing, for inviting us over and for discussing your career and your future."

"My pleasure. Take care, guys."

[Eraman]

I - II - III - IV

V
THE ELEVENTH GENERAL ELECTION
TUN MAHA PETARA

Eraman was prosperous under the reign of the fourth Bendahara of Eraman, Tun Maha Petara. The discovery of vast oil and gas reserves in Eraman a few years prior to Tun Maha Petara's bendaharaship transformed Eraman. The economy was booming. The country's gross domestic product tripled. The people were happy and the Eraman Nationalist Party (ENP) was at its strongest point. However, politics in Eraman remains turbulent.

Tun Maha Petara was planning to remain in power for a long time. And knowing Eramanian politics so well, he had anticipated any move to oust him from the bendaharaship. Tun Maha Petara's reign saw the rise of commoners into important positions. It was done to curb the influence of the royal houses in active politics which Tun Maha Petara saw as a direct threat to his bendaharaship.

The other royal houses in Eraman were of course not happy with Tun Maha Petara. Mustari Bramabali, a member of the House of Bramabali, the ruling dynasty of the Bakti Kingdom was the first one to challenge Tun Maha Petara. Mustari Bramabali, with the support of Tun Maha Petara's deputy at that time, put up a strong challenge but lost narrowly to Tun Maha Petara in their bid to win the party presidency during one of the party elections.

In retaliation, Tun Maha Petara sacked his deputy at that time which he did 3 more times during his 21 years reign as the Bendahara of Eraman. The first sacking was a challenging one as a lot of important people in the party voiced their disagreement with the decision. But with the ENP so strong, Tun Maha Petara had no problem sacking everyone who was not aligned with him which he dubbed as party cleansing, and still managed to win the ninth general election with ease. The second and third sackings were easy for Tun Maha Petara, with everyone firmly behind him.

But things changed we he sacked his fourth deputy president before the eleventh general election. The sacking of Nura Rabima, a popular and charismatic figure from the deputy presidency of ENP sparked chaos in the country. The streets of Anara were filled with hundreds of thousands of Nura Rabima's supporters calling for the resignation of the fourth Bendahara of Eraman, Tun Maha Petara. Tun Maha Petara though was unfazed by the massive riots and still went on with his plan by putting Nura Rabima behind bars for abuse of power.

Nura Rabima's supporters then form a new party, the Labour's Justice Party (LJP). With Nura Rabima in prison, his wife, Wani Rabima was made the first president of the party. Wani Rabima led the effort in forming the Alternative Front with two other major opposition parties; the Eraman Traditionalist Party (ETP) and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) just before the eleventh general election.

The lead-up to the eleventh general election was tense, especially in major cities where people are fed up with Tun Maha Petara's autocratic rule. It was the first general election where Tun Maha Petara felt the heat. However, despite the dissatisfaction, it was still not enough to overthrow Tun Maha Petara from power as the National Front was triumphant again in the eleventh general election with a two-thirds majority, albeit losing some urban seats. The opposition parties were of course disenchanted after the result, little did they know that it was only the start of their journey.

[Patriotlandia]

Page 15
I came to my senses in the captain's quarters. The room swayed violently from side to side as the ship was rocked by stronger and stronger waves. I could hear the crew coordinating the effort to keep the Flambeau afloat only to be interrupted by the thunderous sound of crashing waves on the hull of the ship. As I got out of the bed, I was swept away as the whole cabin leaned to starboard. I crashed heavily into the desk, knocking an ink flask over the newly updated map. Gathering to my feet quickly, I realized that the previous weeks of work and adventures had been for nought as the ink flask shattered and ruined the vellum that had been painstakingly drawn since our departure.

My sorrows were soon interrupted by a loud cracking sound. As I made my way outside, I saw that the main mast had given way and the crew was actively trying to cut away at the rigging before it could cause more damage to the ship. My second Gérard Gévodon found me on the dec. Years of cannon fire had left his hearing significantly impaired, leading to him gaining the nickname “Sour”, so we could communicate with hand signals. We made plans to hunker down once the mast situation was sorted. With just a skeleton crew to keep the ship pointing into the wind. The men below deck started to entertain themselves in between patching holes in the hull or tying things as they got loose in storage. I have no doubts that many songs and stories were shared to pass the time until the seemingly eternal storm made way for a serendipitous sunrise. With the skies clear, the whole ship could be heard celebrating as crewmates made sure everything was still in working order.

We didn’t have to sail for long however as the crowsnest reported land ahead. As we prepared to make our way there and explore, the first snowflakes fell gently.

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Results
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Patriotlandia 2-0 Saperetia
Parc du Nord (23,859), Alexandrie, Province of Foubrac
The National team met with Saperetia only shortly removed from their last matchup in the most recent Baptism of Fire competition in the round of 16. Patriotlandia had come out ahead after extra time. Both team fielded similar starting elevens so fans on both side were anticipating a great match. This time however the men and women in blue had a special advantage hosting the game on home soil. Parc du Nord was sold out as fans flocked in to see their national heroes in person. It would not take too long for them to have something to cheer about as Langlais and Rodin would both score from their respective wings to give the team a two goal lead heading into the half. The style of play tightened up in the second half with Saperetia being able to sucessfully apply their defensive tactics and block any opportunity from building. At the final whistle, both coaches shook hands under the roar of fans, but this will not be the last time these teams meet this cycle as Patriotlandia's national team will travel to Saperetia to close out the group stage.

"Having played them before really helped the nerves I think", said manager Jean-Alexandre Carignan after the match. "We knew they had a very defensive play style and we needed to capitalise on any opportunity we were given. We will see them again soon, but I think the players are creative enough to surprise them with new plays next time around."

Patriotlandia @ Estorvipa and Estorpiva (91)
Patriotlandia now faced a tougher foe in front of their home fans as they traveled to Estorvipa and Estorpiva. In the hostile environment, the defense caved first has Fabian Prasutagusic score for the Estorians. Roberta Kunaplenko stormed down the wing past Loïc Laflèche before finding the lone striker in the box. As the team headed down the tunnel down 1-0 at the half, JAC made a few changes to the formation to spur some offense. Glenn Wils was brought in at striker while Alexia Brant replaced Evan Lachapelle at midfield. Patriotlandia was able to create more in the second half by counter attacks penetrating deep into Estorian territory. The blue team would eventually tie the game up has a Dzyamid Ushkevich foul led to a Desrives free kick. The specialist scored on a brilliantly placed ball that eluded the opposing netminder despite their best effort. The game would end in a deadlock with both teams wondering if they left points on the table.

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Upcoming matches
----------------------------
Patriotlandia vs Britonisea (117)
Petro-Pat Navy Memorial Stadium (62,000), Port-la-Ville, Province of Abelanne

Patriotlandia @ Flavovespia (36)

[Pratapgadh]

NOTE: Text in

box

is the host Devarsh Singhania's narration

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Fire Network presents

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Videsi Khel (Foreign Game)

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Episode Two - Chittorgarh Capital Club Part 2

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The sun rises over the city of Chittorgarh and sunlight lits up Sighania's room. Singhania's alarm goes off, waking him up. Singhania, still in sleeping mode, looks into the camera and says "Samay aagaya hai mitron. (The time has come friends.)" The scene then switches to the Capital Dome, the home ground of Chittorgarh Capital Club. The camera shows the sheer size and magnificance of the stadium through various angles and shots. Singhania and Chauhan get on the field as they share a few laughs.

This... is the fort of Chittorgarh Capital Club. The Capital Dome, established in 1990, was just a mere playing field then a proper stadium. It was later developed further in 2010 when the government decided to further invest in the sport. This is where the Capital Club dismantled many of its rivals. Years ago though.....

Chauhan says "This stadium is pretty special to me, I pretty much grew up here. Other than the National Stadium, this was the only stadium that was like a meeting place for all football fans of Chittorgarh. It especially felt like a religious place during Capital vs United matches." Singhania talks "Yes, this is where the Capital Club ripped apart its opponents, like that match with Athletic Union where Capital won by 11-0!" Chauhan's smile fades, "Well it definitely used to be like that."

In 2025, the Chittorgarh Capital Club made its entry into the Pratapgadh Super League or just The Super League. It was a big deal as the PFA had finally allowed these legendary clubs into their tournaments. The fans' expectations were through the roof and the experts predicted that the winner of the league would either by Chittorgarh Capital Club or Chittorgarh United. Well, it ended up quite the opposite as the Capital Club finished tenth out of twelve clubs, barely avoiding relegation with just three points.

Chauhan, sitting on a wooden chair in a dark room, says "It was certainly a frustrating season for me as I had tons of expectations. I'd also say we were quite overconfident as we had been dominating others this whole time. It was eye-opening for me and the entire team. Fans went ballistic at us. I wouldn't expect anything less." Singhania while looking over the Capital Dome field, says "The 2025 season was truly a disaster for the Capital Club. Lavpur United ended up winning the league and the Capital Club even failed to qualify for The Memorial Cup. The excitement of the fans turned into hatred. Demands were made to completely overhaul the team. Some fans even said-" The scene switches to a Gujarati Capital Club fan from Chittorgarh saying "Vāhiyāta badamāśō mūrkhanī jēma ramyā. Tē'ō'ē kyārēya kēpiṭala klaba jēvī suprasid'dha ṭīma māṭē ramavuṁ na jō'ī'ē. (Absurd rascals played like fools. They should never have played for a legendary team like Capital Club.)"

Chittorgarh Capital Club even lost both their derby matches against Chittorgarh United. The first match at home ended up 1-3 and the second match at the National Stadium ended 2-1. Losing to United is more unacceptable for the fans than losing to any other team. The 2026 season ended on a better note for the Capital Club as they finished 6th in the league and reached the semi-finals of The Memorial Cup, losing to Chittorgarh United... ouch. They then lost the third-place playoff against Rajendragadh United, but they still did quite well than expected after their inaugural season.

Chauhan says, "That season brought some hope. It felt like the team was getting used to the league and the other teams. It seemed like we got a proper footing into the game now."

The Capital Club also found a new sponsor, Jeevan Insurance, which allowed them to invest more into their talent pool and facilities. Chetan Dandekar, who played for the national team in the qualifying stage of the 89th edition of the World Cup, signed a two-year contract. The Club made some big moves, which made it seem 2027 was going to be their year.

Not exactly, however, as they finish seventh in the league and lost in the first round of The Memorial Cup, a not-so-good year for Capital Club. Then came the 2028 season, where the club yet again failed to qualify for The Memorial Cup, and NJ Mumbai Athletic Club, who had only played one season of the Super League after being promoted, won the league.

Chauhan, feeling a bit annoyed says "Yeah, I only remember that season for my rants in the lockerroom *chuckles*. What can I say? Things were shit." Singhania, while walking around the city, looks at the camera and explains "After the season, Dandekar unsurprisingly decided to no re-sign with the club and moved to NJ Mumbai Athletic Club, which had earned quite a good reputation after its win in 2028. 2029 had good things for Chauhan and the club, though."

When Chauhan least expected it, the club performed and ended up getting bronze in the Super League, surprising fans and experts alike. The team yet again managed to reach the semi-finals before losing to the rising Vikramaditya Sports Club and losing the third-place playoff to Shri Chaturvedi Gurukul or SC Gurukul. The key player in this season was Shankar Aggarwal who became the club's top scorer for the season and even led them as captain a few times.

But yet again, that happiness was short-lived. In the first match of the 2030 season, Shankar ended up getting injured and ruled out for twelve weeks. The season was not just a disaster... but an embarrassment.

Chauhan grabs a handkerchief and wipes the sweat off his forehead, "We not only played terribly, but we also ended up getting relegated after finishing eleventh. N- no one expected this from us. Despite the poor performances we were the last team expected to ever face relegation. But there you go."

It made multiple headlines and the fans showed their displeasure by burning their shirts and merchandise. Some fans even switched to supporting Chittorgarh United which had also won the 2026 season of the Super League. The team, coach, staff, investors, and Chauhan, were all distraught.

Chauhan says "We lost our sponsor after that, quite a lot of fans, but most of all, we lost our pride. I had turned the great club that belonged to my Grandfather and father into a complete joke." Chauhan wipes his tears with his handkerchief.

Despite Chittorgarh Capital Club being promoted after playing the 2031 season of The Challenger League, the damage was done and the club had lost quite a bit of popularity. Even after their return in the 2032 season, they again failed to qualify for The Memorial Cup.

Singhania and Chauhan sat in a room, both holding a glass of lassi (Indian or Bharatiya sweet milk drink), where Singhania asks, "How do you feel about the current state of your club?" Chauhan replied "I'm trying my best to bring back those days when the Capital Club was respected and loved. I feel lost in my quest, however. No matter what I do, it just doesn't work out. I might as well give up and sell the club to someone who could actually do justice to the legacy of the club." The scene cuts to the slightly old and damaged logo of the Chittorgarh Capital Club at the front of the Capital Dome with Singhania narrating.

The fall of Chittorgarh Capital Club is still quite a depressing one for all football fans, even Chittorgarh United fans, who used to love the derby, but not anymore seeing the state of the club. Despite its fall from relevancy in the current competition, we will always remember and acknowledge the legacy of the club and its inspiring history of promoting football in Pratapgadh. If Umesh Chauhan hadn't found the Capital Club, there's no doubt that football would have never even gotten to this stage.

Singhania, who is now at the airport preparing to leave Chittorgarh, talks to the camera, "I as a fan of the Chittorgarh Capital Club, hope that one day they finally get their glory days back. For now, goodbye and join me in the next episode where we talk about the exceptional rise of the NJ Mumbai Athletic Club. Dhanyavaad (Thank you)" Singhania turns away and goes inside the international departures area.

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End of Episode 2

Hopal 0–1 Pratapgadh
Scorers: Manas Kumavat 21' (Pratapgadh)
Yellow Cards: Rahet Zardari 62' (Pratapgadh)

Pratapgadh 3–0 SajnurScorers: Manas Kumavat 10' (Pratapgadh), Washid Noorani 56' (Pratapgadh), Ritesh Shambharkar 76' (Pratapgadh)

First XI vs Super Top (251)
1. Devendrapal Singh CF
2. Washid Noorani LW
3. Ritesh Shambharkar RW
4. Chattur Srivastav LM
5. Vijay Malhotra CM (C)
6. Vishwaroopa Thakur RM
7. Gangadhar Gupta LB
8. Kanhaiya Gadodia CB
9. Tushar Kauntia CB
10. Rahet Zardari RB
11. Pratik Surana GK

Substitutes
12. Manas Kumavat CF
13. Sarvesh Vengurlekar RM
14. Neelamjeet Gulati LB
15. Ramesh Patil RB
16. Sadeem Udnani GK
17. Mehul Parte LM
18. Ekachandra Parekh CB

First XI vs Bears Armed (133)
1. Manas Kumavat CF
2. Washid Noorani LW
3. Ritesh Shambharkar RW
4. Mehul Parte LM
5. Vijay Malhotra CM (C)
6. Sarvesh Vengurlekar RM
7. Neelamjeet Gulati LB
8. Kanhaiya Gadodia CB
9. Tushar Kauntia CB
10. Rahet Zardari RB
11. Pratik Surana GK

Substitutes
12. Devendrapaal Singh CF, LW
13. Vishwarupa Thakur CM, RM
14. Gangadhar Gupta CB, LB
15. Ramesh Patil RB
16. Sadeem Udnani GK
17. Chattur Srivastav LM, AM
18. Ekachandra Parekh CB

[Oberour Ar Moro]

Mathieu de Thébaudières had no idea what to do with his binders and handouts.

The Minister for Resources had hoped that he would have handed out his summaries and folders to his fellow members of the Oberour Ar Moro Cabinet. Chancellor Serapion d'Eaue-Bonne had tasked the Ministry for Resources, and Brieuc personally, to represent the Dominion at the Convention Of Rushmori Nations on Climate, Oceans, and Biodiversity in Altendalur, Græntfjall.

Mathieu had a lot to talk about. The number of environmental businesses that he was bringing, the salesmanship of Oberour Ar Moro as a leader in the field of environmental remediation. The arguments he would be making for the market's ability to accomplish green ends. His pan-Rushmore proposal STOVER (Synergically Trussing Our Vital Environmental Resources), a conservation program that would combine a little sustainability with a lot of open access to direly needed raw materials from across the region.

As of yesterday, Brieuc had been preparing his presentation. Practicing his talk in front of the mirror, his wife giving gentle advice. Readying a joke at the expense of Minister for Culture Santig d’Aunay about the Oberour Ar Moro National Teams terrible start to World Cup 93 qualifying. And then Eura decided to blow up a target with a new type of missile and so Breiuc was sitting behind so much scrap paper.

"It is finally time for us to respond to Euran saber-rattling," said Turiau de l'Enfant in his soft, hoarse voice. The cabinet meeting's entire agenda had been gifted to Minister for Defense de l'Enfant after Eura announced the ASM-52 Kingfisher.

That old soldier detailed Eura's hypersonic missile, head slightly bowed as he spoke from memory. Turiau de l'Enfant was the longest serving member of the Cabinet. Hell, he'd been Minister for Defense under Maulde de Froit-Mantel two decades ago. It is impossible to know but the speculation was that he was the runner-up to d'Eaue-Bonne for the position of Chancellor. Turiau was staking his quite substantial reputation on this argument, Mathieu thought.

Once Turiau had finished, Minister for Intelligence Philippe de Croiseus deployed every drop of oleaginous charm he could muster, mostly because his ministry had clearly missed the boat on Kingfisher. "Eura has never taken a public anti-Oberour position," he said, gesturing broadly. "Euran officials are saying publicly and privately that Kingfisher isn't a necessity or a particular response to any nation. This has nothing to do with Oberour Ar Moro, and is no threat to us." The smile on de Croiseus was too wide for his face, and Brieuc was certain he had too many teeth.

A meaty fist pounded the conference table. "Do you trust the Eurans?" Magister Militum Rolland Mau-le-Vaut was splenetic, as always. The head of the armed forces unleashed a spittle-flecked tirade of blood and thunder, warning darkly about hypersonic missiles obliterating sailors as they slept.

The lantern-jawed Minister for Foreign Affairs Azaf le Trutenier spoke next. "Any concerns about Kingfisher can be addressed through diplomacy," he claimed. The dovish le Trutenier put on his best former-academic's airs and continued. "Oberour Ar Moro has been ignoring the value of closer ties with all of Rushmore. But we are addressing it. Minister de Thébaudières is participating in CORNCOB. And I have previously presented my Ministry's proposal for applying to join the Common Rushmori Community. The Nyowani Kitara National Assembly is voting on this very thing, the Chancellor should consider this as well."

It was nice of Azaf to mention his existence, Mathieu thought, though being used as a prop really showed how extraneous he was.

The group of self-regarding men quietened and turned to the head of the table. Chancellor d'Eaue-Bonne was a cipher, as always. His head was bowed in thought, a pen in hand tapping against a pad of paper.

Mathieu knew that Serapion d'Eaue-Bonne had an impressive ability to give his Ministers just enough rope to hang themselves. The Chancellor may be an autocrat, but even he had to consider his position in relation to the ambitions and desires of the ministers around him. Though if he wanted to make his cabinet meeting specifically about Euran missiles, he clearly seemed to care about this subject. He was giving his Minister for Defense a lot of latitude.

Turiau de l'Enfant spoke again quietly, almost as though it was an afterthought. "The humblest farmer is permitted to guard his sheep. And to give notice that he has a dog for that purpose as well."

The Chancellor looked up. "Does the ministry have a sheepdog that can do the job?"

Mathieu thought he saw the slightest upturn on the corner of Defense Minister's lips. "The Ministry has some candidates."

"Bring them to me."

"At once, Chancellor."

[Qasden]

---

Cold Open: Humble Fumbles at Campaign's Origins

---

By Tex Preston

---

The long hill upward was always going to be an ominous presence for a recuperating Qasden, but no one expected it to be so upfront fresh out of the stables.

---

The Vans were dealt a deck far from bleak going into the 93 campaign's opening acts: a natural balance between a tricky Ceni and a suspiciously easy Stevencousin were at play. The tiny Ruhsmori island in the former was to greet us with open arms and cold feet, but the City Centre skylights showed no snow on their toes with a near total lights-out domination of Calcio Calico from the get-go. The Cenians' brood of old and new were quick to capitalize on the indecisiveness of the Vans' direction of playstyle, making keen work out of the shreds of a feeble defense. Thurstan's top aids were overwhelmed on multiple occasions, leading her to bruise out her sides from a barrage of shots and shots on goal. Vice Captain Varnham stood no chance against her aggressive opposition, and with nets only being tossed passed one pair of gloves, the fear of shutout slowly caved in the craniums of a desperate defense, eager to prevent anymore deficits in the dying minutes of the match. A stroke of luck from a late No'Bell grazer kept the Qads on their toes to soften the blow, but the Battle of Volatus Millennium Stadium was already doomed to be lost. 1-3 would kick off Munson's managerial debut at the Qualifiers, a depressing (but not completely unexpected) start to the hellish highway ahead. The dread was already beginning to seep out from its murky muck-riddled habitat, but the defeat would feel more desirable had its succeeding match been not equally as devastating.

Stevencousin was a complete unknown in the World Cup circuit, skipping a limey Baptism of Fire in favor of straight qualis. Ambitions were high(ish) for the Qads in their opening home match at Hotchskarth Cabin, given the perplexity of the mystery among new squads being considered weaker fronts. While that may be the case in previous instances, these lion lovers were not all that bushy-tailed to be the group punching bag just yet, proving that point by drawing blood against the mighty Græntfjall in their own opening match, snagging 1 of the 4 goals scored in front of a home crowd. That final tick in their backstory before our battle would only further our destined battle of balance, helping the Vans establish one of the most boring games in a town already famous for being boring. Despite both defenses seemingly rebounding from earlier woes, neither offense was able to do much to scare off the keeper from score-gating, leading to a dull 0-0 draw in front of 35,000 yawning fans. To Stevencousin, this could be seen as a success. To Qasden, it was devastation. With 6 points up for grabs, and with dozens of possibilities to score a goal being prevalent, one 1 of each would be acquired at the end of 180 minutes of play. In years past, this'd be an embarrassment to the country at large, but Munson and the modern Blue-Reds don't have the luxury of lament, as their mid-table pot spot fortells the long trail ahead to be just as, if not, more difficult in the coming days. The next 2 matches are to be away's, with the first leg being a sobering haunt in a winter wonderland.

---

Whether we want to face them or not, the inevitability of battling Græntfjall was a pre-established nightmare now coming to light in the headlights of our team bus. The Snow Wolves of the Winter Queendom kept getting scarier with each swing of the hip following their esoteric triumph at World Cup 91, with each performance following further fueling a their title-spoiled fanbase. To compliment their recent acquisition of the elusive Eagle's Cup, Græntfjall decided to pick up the qualifiers again as an on-the-side hobby, brushing off their first two challengers like crumbs off a dirty plate. The impeccable work of Pasargan head coach, Ingþór Auðbjörnsson, coupled with a Starting XI worth near billions makes them one of the scariest packs of beasts to grace the modern day sport. So scary, in fact, that the fear factor only accelerated when their hungry eyes began to stare down the Vans as their next meal. It's the GT Estadio Fútbol De Musarañas De Oro in Háttmark they called for the match to be organized in, and for Munson's Vans, it'll be a damn miracle if points can be siphoned off this early against an impossible foe 100 ranks their senior. While it may very well be a harrowing start to the 2nd batch of battles, we can only anticipate the next one shouldn't be nearly as daunting. Hopefully, at least.

---

The Elothera Dapeda (what) of Talamia stands in the massive tracks made by the Græntfjallers before them, and while their resume going into the encounter isn't all that impressive just yet, the nerves are still heightened going into a do-or-die throwdown just four matches in. Following a bout with Adab, the Hoopoes join us on their home pitch following tough (but reasonable) losses to the Geese and Snow Wolves amongst our leaderboards. There really isn't much known about them, on our ends, not even an up-to-date roster. Suposedly, we're meeting them at the Ebdemar Au'tokra Stadium in Clinepalas, the nation's capital. The only recorded piece of evidence we could find of their existence appears to be at World Cup 85, where they proceeded to perform fairly decently and ended at a decent 5th place, booking them to a Cup of Harmony that'd see them get a big win over Chromatika before going quietly back into the night. Apparently, they really hate this place called Sörslúth, having battled them in 21 bitter fights beforehand. Strange, they are, but with the Vans' quest for honor at stake, these Black-and-Red returnees need to be stopped before the floodgates can let them in.

So that's where the campaign story stands. Can Orville and her struggling posse eep out more points before returning back home? Will Munson be able to regain approval from disappointed fans starved for flare and showmanship? This is where my report would naturally taper off, but we do have a special announcement I'm required to reveal, per my obligations as a player-turned-journalist.

---

The QasCup Charity Match, established and organized by the QAFA Kids Initiative (QAFAKI), is a steadily building showcase of sportsmanship labelled haphazardly with the intentions of bringing the beautiful game to more Qads than ever before. The glorified friendly stands as a monument of unity and, more importantly, gimmicky fun, with the competitive aim of putting on a show for a good cause. In past events, the QasCup has seen pretty silly matchups, like the time the Qasden National Team squared off against a collective of local players from the IceVans Pro League of ice hockey, or that other time when the NewVans played against office workers and celebrities under the guise of the catering giant, Feasties. This time, however, the battle for the Colorful Calico Cup has a very special guest opponent in an actual, real life, fully-fledged national team! Introducing the visitors of Qad City's Community Greens: the Natanian Republic of the Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison! These fearsome foes are ready to bring the fun in fundamentally good causes, ready to take on our beloved Vans at the midway point of qualifiers. Tickets will be going on sale in the waking hours following the nation's first bout against Kirungabi in the coming days. Can't wait to see you there!

---

That's all for this tired sap. Stay tuned, stay updated, and stay alert for our next report, live from the World Cup 93 Qualifiers!

[Xanneria]

XANNERIA TOURISM GUIDE : West Troy

xMapit is the most popular 3-d map service in Xanneria and they will be providing the street level images used in the following RP

Through use of street level mapping tools, the Xannerian Tourism Association will be presenting viewers like you with a chance to learn all about Xanneria. We will be usinsing xMapit a street level mapping service used primarily in Xanneria and other Esportivan and Rushmori nations.

Located in the South Central portion of Xanneria.

Gamble your cares away!

What a nice Casino, with......er.....scenic? views

West Troy is the home of gambling in Xanneria. Since the 1940s, West Troy has been home to many Casinos. Before the gambling was prevalent, West Troy was a manufacturing haven for southwestern Xanneria. This mix of industry and gambling has made Palace City a common setting for Police procedural shows. Even with Gambling being legal nationwide, Palace City still is considered the hub of gambling.

I swear this isn't a picture Brenecia

No Seriously...this is not a photo of Brenecia!

xMapit has the ability to allow for sphere pics, here is one of another coastal Casino and Marina. The industry was there first, thus a lot of the coastal casinos were built on any plot of land they could find, thus the weird mix of Industry and gambling.

.

Here's one thats very popular with tourists from Anaia

South of town the Casino's are way more "shiny". With the sea facing north, it was natural that the casinos would expand south.

Exit Palace City, Enter Arlo!

the view into town

Arlo is the Pronvincial capital of West Troy. The Smaller but just as exciting little brother of Palace City, Arlo bills itself as the "Best lil' ol' city in Xanneria"

Just like Palace City

The Casino's in Arlo tend to be smaller. Most are glorified restaurants and fun centers based around gambling, rather than the resort hotels you seem in most Palace City resorts.

Fool's Gold Mountain

The climb up Fool's Gold Mountain/size]

Just to the west of Arlo is Fool's Gold Mountain. At 10,250 ft, it is the tallest mountain in the Pinecrest Range. Many wealthy citizens have bought property at the base of the mountain.

[size=280]Industry

Clay Mining is a thing, no really!

This is a common scene in Southern West Troy, especially as you get closer to the border with Estra. This particular establishment, is the recently formed "Esportivan Koalin Company" a company that mines Kaolin and was formed by a merger of a Xannerian mining company and a non-Xannerian one.

Power!

Big Power!

This Power station in the tiny town of Dakota, is responsible for a large amount of power in Arlo and the entirety of the Southwest portion of the province. Whats unique is that this is one of the last remaining coal burning power plants left in Xanneria. In the 60s and 70s the nation went through a huge boon of Nuclear power reforms that converted the power grid over to nuclear. In the 80s large coal deposits were found in the Pinecrest area.

Just small town life!

Just chillin in a small town with my limo.

Your typical West Troy small town looks like this. a train serviced grain center where ranchers can but tons of grain and feed for their cattle and other assorted goods delivered by rail.

Mount Randall Johnson

We call this "The Big Unit"

At 1,107 ft Mount Randall Johnson is the third tallest mountain in the Pinecrst range and as you head east to East Troy, it's one of the many sites you'll see.

Border

We are up in the sky!

Here it is! The border of East Troy and West Troy. The best way to describe the neighbors out east, is that East Troy is simply West Troy but with less fun. They do have a big lake though.

XANNERIA: 1
Papp 41'

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Katterimunk: 0
NONE

XANNERIA: 0
NONE

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OLASTOR: 1
[TBA] 84'

[Cardenao]

Gurutz Basio had had a wonderful night so far. This trip had been his first from his native Küsbon to Cardenao’s capital city, New Cardonia, and he had gone to take part in his first ever fan fest in support of the national football team. He couldn’t quite afford to actually purchase match tickets, let alone traveling outside of the country on the pilgrimage to support the team abroad, but he could finally afford a fan fest. Gurutz couldn’t believe he had seen the national team play for the first time “in person” and the team had won with a 0-2 victory against Safiloa in Cardenao’s opening World Cup match.

Gurutz never thought he would be able to travel to the exotic land of New Cardonia as far away as it was across the Strait of Cardenao, all the way in West Cardenao while Küsbon was a little port city in East Cardenao. That sort of travel had historically been prohibitively expensive for a commoner like him who was resigned to cramped concrete corridors of the ‘Blue District’ as the slums of Küsbon were called. Gurutz lived in poverty, always had and seemed he always would, just like the vast majority of Cardenaoans regardless of where they lived, so escaping the high walls built to keep the Eshan invaders away was always a dream that would never come close to actually happening. For a large part of his life, that had been the truth, but recent times had brought change and good fortune to Gurutz Basio and his dejected community.

Küsbon’s location on the south western tip of Nova Calania meant it was uniquely positioned to serve as a high volume port for East Cardenao, and it wasn’t long until President Mihaly’s sweeping improvement strategy was funneling capital and opportunity into the city. Gurutz worked a variety of odd jobs through all of this, the work was hard and his supervisors demanding, but the pay was much better than anything else he had available and physical work was rewarding work, or so those supervisors said. He’d worked on crews clearing ground for that port, he helped pave the network of dirt roads the crisscrossed Küsbon, the government had even paid him to rip weeds out of newly created sidewalks and count and sort the number of flowers by color in government flower boxes throughout the city. He had liked that aspect of that career, the randomness of what the day held for you.

Be at the work center at 6am. Tell them your qualifications and you’d get assigned a job, practically everyone got a job. Even Gurutz’s ‘slow’ friend was getting paid to dig holes in the ground for sewage lines. Everyone was getting paid and the city was starting to come alive because of it, even the Blue District was slowly getting worked on with crews of government drones like himself coming in to clean the streets, pick up garbage, fix broken windows, bit by bit there was some pride coming back to the area. For the past while though, Gurutz Basio had been working a steady job that didn’t require him to come into the work center anymore.

Another benefit of Küsbon’s location in East Cardenao meant it was in the prime location to store and distribute materials, minerals, and equipment from the landmass while also bringing in material from West Cardenao. All of this together meant Küsbon was becoming an industrial hub, with forges, metalworking facilities, and elemental purification centers quickly being constructed. It was for one such workshop that Gurutz now worked for, and this unit in particular was responsible for manufacturing military hardware for the Cardenao armed forces. Two or three years ago, this sort of military production facility would’ve been an incomprehensible thing but that was the speed with which things were changing in the country.

The treaties with the nations of Banija and Quebec and Shingoryeo had meant blueprints and lists of ingredients for military hardware were provided to Cardenao and the arms race had officially started. It had been a little after that point when Gurutz had been hired to work in the production facility, and he did so with gusto. The job paid so well that he could afford to put away a little money every paycheck and he was determined to save enough to watch the national football team play one day. In recent times though, the workload had increased by a noticeable amount.

Mihaly had struck an agreement with the country of Pyazhnaya, something called an ‘amity and cooperation treaty’ where the countries basically agreed to support each other and do trade and all that sorta stuff. It also meant a huge influx of military technology for Cardenao as the terms of the treaty meant Pyazhnaya had opened their deep vault of secrets for Mihaly to bring to his nation. Gurutz was now manufacturing things from ammunition to missile guidance systems to naval vessel hulls to some things they don’t even tell you what you are and any questions asked are met with silence. He didn’t know what these were for and he didn’t care much, the pay was good and after several months, he had saved enough to see the national football team play.

Perfect timing with the World Cup qualifiers about to start. Unfortunately, Cardenao wouldn’t play a home match for a little while and Gurutz Basio simply couldn’t wait for that, who knows when life could meet an unforeseen end, so it’s better to live to the most while one can. And with that in his mind, he had purchased tickets across the Strait of Cardenao to New Cardonia so he could take part in the massive fan viewing for Cardenao’s opening match in the tournament. Fortunately, the fan fest itself and sitting in the Stadi Nacional to view the game on huge digital screens was 100% free, so Gurutz could save some of his savings to see the national team in the flesh one day! And so the time came for Gurutz to travel to New Cardonia to participate in the fan fest. He had a few last things to take care of, namely printing off the tickets, but one important thing above all else.

Gurutz Basio was a prodigious consumer of pepper and creator of hot sauces in Küsbon, always mixing and mashing new spices, peppers, and other ingredients together to create a variety of different sauces. They were all the rave in the little city, with most restaurants coming to carry some of what he made. He was considering spending some of his saved money on something to help him increase the volume he was able to produce at. Anyhow, before he headed to the ferry to travel to West Cardenao, Gurutz bottled up his latest hot sauce effort. He paused briefly, before decided to swirl the bottle counterclockwise instead of his traditional clockwise to help mix everything. After a couple flicks of the wrist, he was satisfied with the mixing and put that bottle in his pantry and strode out the door. That had been two weeks ago and now he was unlocking his front door.

Gurutz came in, dropped his luggage off and took a look around. All was where he had left it, which is always a reassuring feeling. A shower and a bit to eat was next he decided. After a particularly nice shower where the hot water was only interrupted three times, it was time for a snack. He tossed together some pupusas real quick and was about to take a bite when he stopped and shook his head at himself. No hot sauce, what was he doing! Basio got up, ambled over to the pantry and got out the hot sauce, applied liberally to his pupusas and took a bite.

Intense, searing heat that made his eyes water, but the fire that raged in his mouth wasn’t overpowering. No, it seemed the flavors of the pupusa were only…enhanced by this sauce, the chicharrón had such a deep flavor profile, it was glorious. Then, just as quickly as it had come on, the heat disappeared, leaving Gurutz with a totally spice-less mouth. What the hell was this hot sauce magic? He took a bite then another bite and experienced the same thing, a perfect heat that kissed the boundary of being too much, while accentuating the flavors of the dish before rapidly fading. It was…it was perfect. The perfect hot sauce, especially for those who might not want the time commitment that consuming a, say, Alcassar Fire pepper sauce requires to overcome. Basio’s mind immediately went to the Tikariotian show Conquering the Sun, such was the quality of this new sauce. He’d have to come up with a name but by the Gods he had something good here!

[Fort McKinley]

previously:
COH 83 finale
viewtopic.php?p=39728878#p39728878
AOCAF 67 continuation/wrap up
viewtopic.php?p=39841850#p39841850
viewtopic.php?p=39848834#p39848834

“Tell me some more about what they told you.”

We pick up the story of David Guy Allen, formerly the star forward for the Fort McKinley National Team, who walked away from a life of privilege as both a well compensated athlete and a direct descendant of the nation's founder, Dr Lester K Allen at the conclusion of the Cup of Harmony in Mertagne, along with his longtime girlfriend, Leslie, and his older sister Katherine along with her boyfriend Jason.

The quartet had planned and carried off an elaborate scheme that was multinational in scale and somewhat difficult to execute entirely from inside the confines of the People's Republic; while there was a sinister element to the depth of the state's suppression of outside influence, there was equally the absence of general competence or foresight. The Allen siblings had the advantage that they knew how to manipulate the system, as their father was a provincial governor—who would expect the great-grandchildren of Comrade Dr Allen to be dissidents?--to avoid extra scrutiny.

The couples calmly and methodically walked away from the stadium where Ft McKinley was playing their final match of the COH just moments prior to the final whistle and with the help of locals who'd agreed to assist, ended up outside of the Consulate of the Royal Kingdom of Quebec & Shingoryeo in Neorudo.

Marvin Jeon, the Consul-General and his chief Deputy, Alexis Park are seated in former's office, with the woman beginning her report in reply to the question at the top.
“This was not something done on the spur of the moment. At least a year's worth of planning and prep went into the 30 minute window that they had today. Allen and his sister are from the family of a very important official who is also the grandson of the founder of nation.”

“Wait, what?”

“Yes, news of their defecting would be a massive crisis, so it will more than likely be swept under the rug. One day Allen is the star player, next week it'll be like he didn't exist.”

“Wow. And you say that the team and everyone with them were hustled off to fly home?”

“The place is so insular and everything is a closed loop, so when they leave the country, cell phones don't work. They have zero diplomatic relations with anyone, so they can't even get in touch with anyone back home to get instructions or guidance. Internet, no good.”

“Did they say why they chose this consular office?”

“It was the closest to the stadium and they were able to make a detour to the bus station to pickup a small carry-on bag they'd stashed ahead of time that had their documents, different cell phones, cash. They also said that they knew that we were in the same region, at least previously. The sister, Kate...she explained that the average person in Fort McKinley has knowledge of the multiverse that a small child anywhere else would surpass. David Allen had come into possession of a radio as teen that was manufactured outside of the country, so he could pick up broadcasts from Baker Park by which he learned more about what was happening in the multiverse.”

The conversation continued for a good 25 minutes, at the conclusion of which Jeon was eager to meet the guests.

“Hello, I'm Marvin Jeon, Consul-General of Quebec & Shingoryeo.” He went around and greeted all four personally. “I am very sorry that you have been kept waiting, of course you will understand that we have protocols and procedures that have to be followed. Alexis has brought me up to speed on your situation and of course we are willing to begin processing your request for asylum. I need to speak with the Embassy, but as it was getting later into the evening I thought we should get your accommodations worked out first.”

The group had hoped originally to return back to the hotel where they'd stayed with the team and during the down time they'd spent at the consulate had been in contact in order to reserve two rooms. There was also the matter of their legal status if they left the consulate; as they didn't have physical possession of their passports, they could technically be considered to be in Mertagne illegally, but several rounds of phone calls, return calls, messages and direct conversations had put the various issues onto a single track. Dave ran through the situation quickly. “Mr Jeon we are your guests and if it's necessary for us to remain here we will do so. The hotel we were in the last few nights can also accommodate us, and we have our own financial resources to pay. We've also spoken to the local police, who would like to interview us tomorrow but have said as long as we are prepared to remain in the city that we be safe from arrest regardless of where we stay.”

Jeon was privately relieved that he wouldn't have to put the visitors up in the consulate as it would've required having at least one or two people—at this point Marvin and Alexis were the only staff on site and he would've been loathe to call people in on a Saturday evening.

“I've been impressed by your attention to detail, from what Lexi told me about your journey to arrive at this point, and I shouldn't be surprised that you have continued that diligence. Of course you are free to follow up on your plans, and if Lexi has your contact info, we wish you all a pleasant evening.”

___________________________________________________________________________________________

FORT MCKINLEY FALL IN OPENING MATCHES (FMNA) SHILOH SPRINGS--The Fort McKinley National Football Team will host their first World Cup qualifying match following a pair of shameful crimes committed in broad daylight by the capitalist oppressors of the World Cup Council against the Heroes of the Revolution.

The match against the soporific animal colony called Yakk was a sharp opening affair, as the side looked rejuvenated following the layoff since the OAF Cup in the dung mine Empire of elves called Valanora; it was a tense scoreless affair until the 56th minute, when the corrupt referee, who was like a mangy sheepdog with hair over his eyes going by the name of Orbit Henry Bonkers from West Barack Obama, whistled a penalty against Comrade D.C. Young, which was converted for 1-0 lead for the Yakkers.
The Heroes found themselves further handicapped when Comrade J.H. Davis was sent off after being shown a second yellow card in the 72nd minute. The damage was done, but the 10 man team resisted further attempts to increase the score by collusion between the home side and the officials.

The following match 4 days later required travel to the decadent, bourgeois region of Amnia, where mothers allow their children to roll freely in the muck with swine, which is familiar to all sons and daughters of the Revolution as the place where our boys participated in both the Baptism of Fire and the Cup of Harmony in the degenerate nation of Meringue.
This time the Heroes would be up against the Ocher Islands, where there is supposedly a place they harvest the excess body hair of their unnaturally hairy citizens for use as paint brush bristles & decorative trim on their disgusting capitalist clothing.
There was no pretense laid on about what the outcome would be, as the referee here, a Mr Jodhpur from Cousin Steven's Land, who was reported to smell of garlic and caraway seeds, was confident in his instructions delivered from NSWCHQ.
The final score was 5-1 in favor of the capitalists who were reported to have dined on gold rimmed china plates for their pre-match meal, served by alluring wenches in varying states of undress. It was clearly a rebuke to our boys for the double win series in World Cup 91.

The Heroes will now play the Group 2 favorite, 17th ranked Ko-oren--another repressive bourgeois sewer in the same region as the last foe; it will not surprise the FMNA if there is not a clandestine effort to deliver a win to the Oreos, in front of the crowd at the People's Revolution Stadium.
The current President of the World Cup Council is none other than Mr Julia Streathen. It would be an embarrassment to their wealthy benefactors and the entire multiverse if Fort McKinley were allowed to carry out the dictates of Comrade Dr Allen's teaching and prevail over the donut filled lemmings of Anti-Football Infamy. Pay attention closely to the result, as the following match will see yet another crossing of the Great Divide to play the Euran Oligarchy Town, where the Rushmori version of despicable capitalist repression is practiced in the heart of the Foxchester vermin cage.

**all in good fun, all misnaming and insulting is absolutely deliberate and IC, and does not in any way reflect the RL views of towards any nation or region by this user, the Commonwealth of Baker Park. In FTM, any loss is cheating by the powers that be and any win is because we are clearly superior as socialist warriors.

[Darmen]

Darmen 5–1 Damukuni
Toro; O'Hara (sub Perrin 67'), Snyder, Böhm (sub Eriksen 55'), Ó Madaidhín; Park (sub Trudeau 67'), Wolfe, van der Vennen (Loritz 85'), Aleshire; January (sub Travers 85'), Hale
GOALS January 28', January 43', January 63', Hale 72', Trudeau 88'

Darmen 3–2 Safiloa
Poirier; Candelaria (sub Adler 83'), Lucas, Kruse, Tittensor (sub MacFarlane 57'); Tobias (sub Hernandez HT), Svendsen, Weaver, Falkner (sub Ó Maoil Eoin 57'); Kinnaird (sub Santiago 83'), Lee
GOALS Lee 17', Svendsen 51', Kinnaird 72'

All Greens Face First Road Test After Fantastic Start
SCOTT CITY - The All Greens will leave Darmen to head to Koronavia for their first road match of the World Cup qualifying campaign following a superb opening weekend in which they won their two opening matches against Damukuni and Safiloa. For the first time since qualifying for World Cup 86, Darmen will start its qualification journey with a full reward of six points.

Koronavia, who enter the second weekend of qualifying with a 1-0-1 record following a 5-2 drubbing by the Holy Empire and a surprise 2-0 win over Cardenao on the road, have the potential to be a dangerous opponent for the All Greens. Darmeni manager Salvador Duchamp will be employing his first choice eleven in facing the hosts, hoping to continue the momentum from the first weekend to start the campaign off with a full 12 points from four matches.

"This is an important match for us," stated Duchamp as the team held its final press conference before leaving for the Anaian nation. "I can't think of a time when Darmen has won all four of its opening matches. The schedule only gets tougher from here on out, so to keep up our good start and build a gap between us and our competitors in Group 9 is vital."

If all goes well in Koronavia, Darmen will return home to face Covelandia in Darmen City to close out what has the potential to be another amazing weekend for the All Greens. After the unranked Covelandia scored five goals against an unthreatening Borisuelo, they were humbled by the Holy Empire 4-1. Darmeni captain Parthalán Wolfe appears confident ahead of the matchup while still recognizing the threat the Covelandians pose. "They've got some offensive firepower for sure, even scored against the Holy Empire. But we'll see how they do against the likes of a more experienced side like ourselves."

34 year old national team veteran Víedharr Svendsen took a different approach in expressing his feelings heading into the next matches. "I'll take, we should take, this campaign one match at a time. I've been with this team for quite some time, this is my twelfth attempt to reach the World Cup and I've, we've, only been successful twice. We've got to keep our emotions in check. Things only ever go tits up when we get confident, or hopeful even."

[Tikariot]

Kelvin McDonnell: Good evening Tikariot and welcome to TBC News, I'm Kelvin McDonnell.

Alexandra Garrard: And I'm Alexandra Garrard. Breaking news tonight, as reports of a large landslide have just come in from a sparsely populated region in western Soharr.

A lawsuit against hot sauce brewery Terra Combusta has sparked an international outcry.

In sports, the qualifying campaign for World Cup 93 has kicked off and Tikariot's first two games in the Round of 16 of the World Baseball Classic are over, we will bring you all the scores and more in sports.

In culture, the Paladon Open Air heavy metal festival has announced its first bands for the upcoming 27th edition of the event.

A major winter storm is headed for northern Dhaencunor and Xark, with heavy snow and freezing temperatures on the way. We will have a full weather update, including tips for how to stay warm and safe during the storm.

Kelvin McDonnell: As Alexandra had mentioned, a landslide in a mountainous region in western Soharr has caused widespread damage, leaving several homes destroyed and many residents displaced. The incident occurred about an hour and a half ago, when a massive chunk of earth broke off from the mountainside, cascading down onto the homes below.

According to local authorities, the affected area is sparsely populated. Emergency services were immediately dispatched to the scene, and rescue teams have been working tirelessly to search for survivors and clear the rubble.

So far, no fatalities have been reported, but several residents have sustained injuries and have been taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. Several homes have been completely destroyed, and many others have sustained significant damage, leaving residents temporarily homeless.

The cause of the landslide is still under investigation, but officials suspect that heavy rainfall in the region over the past few days may have played a role. The region is known for landslides, especially during the rainy season.

The local authorities have set up temporary shelters for those who have been displaced, and are working closely with the Silver Star and other aid organizations to provide food, clothing, and other essentials to the affected families. The government has also announced that it will provide financial assistance to those who have lost their homes and possessions in the disaster.

In the meantime, residents are being advised to stay away from the affected area, as the risk of further landslides remains high. The authorities have also warned people to be cautious when travelling in mountainous regions during periods of heavy rainfall.

We don't have any pictures yet from Soharr, but we will continue to bring you updates on this developing story as more information becomes available.

Alexandra Garrard: Meanwhile in Tikariot a lawsuit against Cape Tovaca-based hot sauce brewery Terra Combusta has sparked an international outcry and has been decried as frivolous. Ben Margate is reporting from Tovaca.

A lawsuit filed by a group of unnamed plaintiffs states that 'the company's products are too spicy and pose a serious threat to public health.' The plaintiffs argue that the hot sauces are so spicy that they can cause physical harm, including mouth burns, esophageal damage, digestive issues, and even death.

According to the lawsuit, the hot sauce manufacturer has failed to properly warn consumers about the dangers of their products and has instead marketed the sauces as a way to add excitement to meals. The plaintiffs argue that this is a breach of the manufacturer's duty to protect public health and safety and that the company should be held liable for any harm caused by its products.

This lawsuit has been widely denounced as having no legal ground to stand on. Several spokespersons from industry associations have told TBC News that the hot sauce labels in question are fully compliant with current TFSA regulations and have called the lawsuit frivolous. Experts have stated that the heat levels of hot sauces are well-known and that consumers are aware of the potential risks when they choose to consume these products.

TBC News legal consultant Graham Quick has stated that he expects the lawsuit to be dismissed on these grounds.

Kelvin McDonnell: In sports, the first two games of the World Cup 93 qualifiers are history, over to the TBC Sports studio with Alistair McIntosh.

Alistair McIntosh: Good evening ladies and gentlemen! The World Cup 93 campaign is underway and Tikariot is off to a great start, beating Montaña Verde in Port Tacassam's Dragonscrest Stadium. Duncan Haldane with the report.

The Snowy Owls kicked off the qualifying campaign for World Cup 93 with their first game against Montaña Verde in Port Tacassam. The 113th-ranked team in the multiverse went into the game as the underdog, but it was clear from the start that the team of coach Tobías Dávalos was not going to take this game lightly. From the beginning, they brought a very physical game that made it difficult for the home side to set up their fluid game. The first half was for the most part a battle in midfield with very few dangerous situations in front of either goal. Especially the more defensive midfielders Schutzán and Coco were outstanding in disrupting the Tikariotian midfield, forcing the wingers to fall back into midfield in an attempt to create a numeric advantage, but the extremely disciplined defence of the Verdeans stood fast.

The start of the second half quickly turned into a nightmare for Tikariot, as Montaña Verde came out of the break all guns blazing and in the 50th minute Primitivo directed a laser-precise pass right past a completely hapless Dominic Eovaldi, sending Tino on a lonely run towards Brian Merson in acres of space. The striker from Tumbran Straton FC kept his cool and slotted the ball past Merson, who tried his best to close down Tino, but to no avail. Brian McAllister took off Eovaldi and brought on Fort Viljan's Santeri Matinpalo in his national team debut and also subbed on Kathleen Chamberlain and Eric Ongaro. And especially the former was instrumental in the pendulum starting to swing the other way, bringing a creative spark into the Tikariot midfield, clearly also benefiting from the Verdeans starting to pay the price for their spirited performance in the first hour of the game. After 64 minutes it was Chamberlain who initiated a superbly executed counterattack, picking up the ball deep in the Tikariotian half and going on an irresistible run across half the field before slotting a pass right through to her boyfriend Morris Nighthorse, who curved the ball right around Moises, who did not stand a chance.

As Montaña Verde's legs became heavier, the Snowy Owls increased the pressure trying to find another crack in the defence, which came in the 78th minute when Arfon Davies went on a sweeping run down the right side. He cut a sharp cross into the box where Adrian Grimaud delivered a perfectly timed diving header that hit the back of the net, which would prove to be the deciding goal. It was a very hard-fought win that showed that Tikariot had managed to bring the spirit of their Copa Rushmori run into this campaign as well, but Montaña Verde was a very worthy opponent that should give a lot of other nations in group 13 a run for their money!

Tikariot 2-1 Montaña Verde
50' 0-1 Tino (A: Primitivo)
64' 1-1 Nighthorse (A: Chamberlain)
78' 2-1 Grimaud (A: Davies)

| Merson - Wallace, Thomas ( 66' Ongaro), Eovaldi ( 50' Matinpalo 62'), Yates ( 72' Robbins) - Aird, Gaffigan ( 58' Chamberlain), Davies - Nighthorse ( 87' Ixtlilxochitl), Armitage 56', Grimaud 52'

| Moises - Alcalá 69', Cambeiro 55' ( 55' Mercedes), Mandito, Juderías - Schutzán ( 56' Díaz), Coco ( 73' Israel) - Aramis, Primitivo - Tino ( Osito 80'), Indiano ( 56 'Monaguillo)

Alistair McIntosh: With this win on their record, the team around captain Brian Merson set out to conquer Krytenia when they flew to Emberton for the second match in the campaign. Here is Veronica Bradford with all the information.

With a hard-fought 2-1 win against Montaña Verde under their belt, the Snowy Owls came to Emberton to take on Krytenia, which many are seeing as a dark horse in group 13, especially with a 1-0 win over Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison in their first game. But anybody who was expecting some offensive fireworks as both teams are well known for their offensive prowess would be disappointed in a rainy Emberton. Instead of technical sparks and ingenious moments, the game resembled more a war of attrition, with every tackle a true challenge, especially on the very wet pitch that made both slides and shots unpredictable. The Krytenians had more of the first half as they felt more familiar with the tricky pitch conditions, but without being able to create any truly dangerous chances.

The second half started out with more of the same and it felt as if whoever would score the first goal would likely be able to win the match. And in the 55th minute, a sharp corner by Michael Gaffigan found the head of Dominic Eovaldi who would rise above the Krytenian defence, but would only manage a glancing header. The ball would, however, fall right for Morris Nighthorse and the Port Rhovanyon striker did not waste a moment, blasting the ball into the net from a short distance in the pouring rain of Emberton. Krytenia's efforts to equalize were brutally cut short just four minutes later when Cardenaoan referee Lemoyne Bailey had no choice but to send off Krytenian goalie Amanda Bach after she was faced with Theodor Armitage running at her completely unprotected and she stopped him in a somewhat rustic fashion outside of the box. After this, the Tikariotians did their best to preserve some strength on the difficult pitch, while Krytenia really felt the numerical disadvantage.

Krytenia 0-1 Tikariot
55' 0-1 Nighthorse (A: Eovaldi)

| Bach 59' - Green ( 71' Lorimer), Gorman ( 46' Kirsten), Chiesa 9' ( 79' Higgins), Darcy ( 71' McGowan) - Quinn, Stringer - Haller, Hayes - Petracchi ( 59' Almada), Jack

| Merson - Wallace ( 48' Skogensberg), Thomas, Eovaldi, Yates ( 60' Jillson) - Aird ( 89' Sukunda), Gaffigan, Davies - Nighthorse ( 63' Thesselborg), Armitage ( 46' Connolly), Grimaud 45'

Alistair McIntosh: Next up, the Snowy Owls will be facing Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison and Rushmori neighbours República Guanacasteca. Meanwhile in the WBC Tikariot is facing Zwangzug in the Round of 16 and after two games the two teams are sitting at 1 game apiece and it will be interesting to see, if the Owls can break their Round of 16 curse this time around. Back to you Kelvin.

Kelvin McDonnell: Thank you, Alistair. In other news, the Paladon Open Air, Tikariot's biggest and longest-standing heavy metal festival, has announced the first bands for this year's edition with Fires of Asgard, Serpent's Cross and Serrated Scalpel now confirmed. It also will feature the first Huayramarcan band in the festival's history with Apocaliptica making the trip to Paladon in what promises to be another sellout crowd of 75,000.

Alexandra Garrard: And finally, a major winter storm is headed for northern Dhaencunor and Xark, with heavy snow and freezing temperatures on the way. The Tikariot Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for the area, and residents are advised to take immediate action to prepare for the hazardous conditions.

The blizzard is expected to bring heavy snowfall with more than 40 centimetres of snow, strong winds, and extremely low visibility. Travel is expected to become difficult and potentially dangerous, with road closures and flight cancellations expected. The Tikariot Weather Service advises residents to stay off the roads and to avoid all non-essential travel.

Residents are urged to prepare for power outages and potential property damage. Stock up on supplies such as food, water, and medical supplies, and make sure your home is properly insulated and equipped with alternate heating sources.

Stay tuned to local news and weather channels for updates on the storm, and follow all official warnings and instructions. TBC News will continue its coverage of the storm with updates as they develop.

Kelvin McDonnell: That's it for this edition of TBC News, make sure to stay tuned in for more news on both the Soharrian landslide and the blizzard in northern Dhaencunor and Xanark.

OOC Disclaimer: Portraits have been made with Midjourney. The TBC News logo is all mine.

[New Gelderland]

New Gelderland upsets Jeruselem... to the dismay of Naked News Jeruselem

With two away matches -- including an away trip to the (in)famously naked third pot team of Jeruselem -- New Gelderland did not have high hopes for the opening duo of matchdays. But premature dismay soon turned into elation as New Gelderland marked two strong victories on the road for a much-needed six points in a sure to be competitive group.

The victory over Jeruselem was especially poignant for us given the massive disparity in rank between our two nations, and the latter's... let's say sordid reputation in the international community.

Jeruselem held possession for most of the game, with New Gelderland content to actively play defense against a comparatively strong Jeruselem attack. But something appeared to distract the opposing players, with the self-described womanizer Denny D perhaps focusing a little too much on the idea of playing against an all-female team and striker Jacob Geese-Frogg perhaps too confident in his own skills against a defensive backbone filled to the brim with players from Celtic Noviodunum, which has always (always!) been an overlooked side whenever they have played international club football.

So when Jeruselem would get too distracted in whatever context, New Gelderland would happy counterattack, with the Calder-McKenna-Longreach pipeline being particularly active today (after all, the three do play together at New Gelderland's second best club, Lexington Victory). Longreach was by far the player of the match, scoring one and assisting Jaclyn Swan-Weiss for the second goal.

New Gelderland most definitely jumped up and down in elation after such a seminal win.

This loss did not please quasi-state outlet Naked News Jeruselem from the home team, however.

In otherwise dry report literally repeating Group 8's scorelines word for word (which fans could, you know, look up on the Interwebs without sitting through copious nudity), Naked News Jeruselem expressed its displeasure at its home loss to New Gelderland.

"99th ranked New Gelderland defeated Jeruselem 2-0, which would [be] classed as an upset [sic]," bemoaned the naked Princess Mila (of course). "The team hasn't totally settled down, and it seems we haven't worked out our defensive system."

The princess expressed some confidence heading into Jeruselem's games against Quakmybush and Bongo Johnson: "On paper, we should win those games," she noted, "but then we should have [won] the game today [sic]."

We agree with Naked News Jeruselem with some aspects and not in others. First, we agree that Jeruselem had not gotten its defensive act together: A focus on too much offense, and overconfident offense at that, left Jeruselem's defense vulnerable to a precise Gelderlish counterattack... and New Gelderland most definitely did poke its lances in the right chink of the Jeru armour. At the same time, we feel that the narrative in Naked News Jeruselem totally disregards the solid play that New Gelderland brought to the table. After all, goals don't score themselves, and if we were to just listen to NNJ's side of the story without any Gelderlish agency whatsoever, the result would have been a 0-0 draw.

And we wholeheartedly disagree that Jeruselem "should have the game today" (to use the original, uncorrected words). With the way that international football is playing out these days, no team in a higher pot should ever count their chickens before they hatch, or convince themselves that paper tigers win matches. Because paper tigers do not win matches; teams out on the field win matches.

Naked News Jeruselem should keep that in mind... and perhaps they should add some substance to their news reporting, for their analysis was unfortunately as skimpy as their clothing.

[Ziwana]

“Once beaten twice shy”, who said this lied, United beaten twice by the Royals.

Most leagues have a Super Cup type event at the beginning of their footballing season. It is sort of a champions cup between the League Football Champions and the Domestic Main Cup Champions. It acts as a curtain raiser for the football season. As Ziwana strives for professionalism, the Ziwani Football Federation (ZFF) President, Nicolas Bayaram introduced the Charity Shield which is sponsored by Futurebank to not only be a curtain raiser to the season but also to be a chance to give back to the community. The revenue gained would be donated to the needy such as orphans, schools in villages etc.
The first Futurebank Charity Shield was between rivals Western United who where League Champions last season and Amangwazi Birnin who where ZFF Cup Champions. What a befitting matchup for a curtain raiser. Last season came to a close with a match between the two rivals in which the Amaclassico ended with Amangwazi Birnin spoiling their rivals title celebrations with a win at Amawashindi’s home. The Charity Shield match would provide a great opportunity for Western United to not only avenge their final day lose to their rivals but also start their title defence with momentum…………. However, Amawashindi would not be avenging last seasons loss on this day.
The Royals would produce an impressive performance that no only wowed their fans and neutrals alike but also beat their arch-rivals Western United 3 – 0 to lift the Futurebank Charity Shield in front of a 96000 people which included Ziwani’s leader, Their Royal Majesty Ngwazi Aisha and her boyfriend who happens to be a Banijan Royal (I won’t comment on this as I don’t want to break any laws).
Newly promoted Manager, Johnstone Sithole alongside all Royal fans where very happy and excited as the Amangwazi squad breezed past their fierce rivals in a one-sided affair. Charles Tembo continued to be a problem for the Western United defence scoring a goal and providing an assist for Francis Shaba and Victor Msukwa.


“We will defend our way to a Ngwazi League title”

A few days later Western United would start their title defence in style after avenging their previous two loses to their fierce rivals Amangwazi Birnin. Western United beat their rivals at their own home ground 3 goals to 1. Whilst they would continue to be dominant in their next few 4 games, scoring 13 more goals that wasn’t enough to be on position 1 on the log table. Position 1 would go the free spending ‘Glamour Boys’ Birnin Select.
The tradition in Ziwana during the transfer window is to usually promote reserve players to the first team. Rarely do clubs buy or sell players and if clubs buy players its usually a few players. However, Birnin Select have broken tradition by signing 6 players in one transfer window for about a record 26 million silivas or 5,200,000 NS Pounds. Apart from this they have also signed the first foreign player. The Peoples Team seem to be really serious in their title charge this season.
Birnin Select brought in the following players; Zack Dawnbridge, Hasan Hameed, Andrew Gondwe, Orama Bukani, George Rooney and Patrick Harrison. These players would attract thousands of fans who wanted to see these stars in action and they did not disappoint.
Select opened their Ngwazi League campaign at home in front of 75000 eyes against Tamaria Strikas. Zack Dawnbridge’s debut goal in the 14th minute would be what would separate the sides. George Rooney played as a defensive midfielder making the Peoples Teams defence hard to break down. This result would be followed by another 1 – 0 win a weekend later, this time away at newly promoted Zote Royals thanks to a goal from substitute Andrew Gondwe which Dawnbridge assisted. Matchday 3 would see another 1 – 0 win at home against another promoted side in Asghar Athletic Club from a Zack Dawnbridge goal. Whilst Birnin Select where defensively solid most of their fans where not happy with the number of goals, the side was lacking good clear-cut chances to score and this was worrying for the fans who thought they would eventually drop of at the top of the table. However, Select would not drop off in the next 2 games against big teams Ainheim Dynamos whom they defeated away by 2 goals from Orama Bukani and Steven Banda then defeated Red Falcons by a goal from George Rooney. In their first 5 matches Select had only scored 6 goals with no goals going past them thanks to a solid defence and also National Team Goal Keeper William Tembo who kept a 5-game clean sheet putting the Peoples Team at the top of the ladder. Another defensive team Al Quasim Athletic was second followed by the dragon that had to be slayed if Select was to win their first title in 17 years, Western United.

[Ceni]

Live blog: After months of rumours, Cenian FA confirms: Luke Longstar on his last legs

Well, folks, if you're a dedicated Cenisport reader, you'll know that rumours have been flying around about Luke Longstar's status as national team manager after an exceedingly poor Cup of Harmony campaign at home. Unfortunately, two recent losses as Ceni attempts to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in the post-portal era have served to give us more clarity on the rumours as the Cenian Football Association has finally issued a press release confirming Longstar's status as NT manager:

The Cenian Football Association is aware of the constantly circulating rumours that the CFA is considering firing Luke Longstar as manager of the Cenian national football team. While we have never explicitly confirmed or denied those rumours, the friendly loss to Eastfield Lodge and the World Cup qualifiers loss to Natanians and Nosts have perhaps been the last nail in the coffin for us. Resultingly, we have decided to communicate our expectations with Mr. Longstar personally and to offer the public some clarity on his status as national team manager. To be exceedingly blunt: If Ceni is not in qualifying position by the end of World Cup qualifiers, we will have no choice but to replace Mr. Longstar with another candidate.

That being said, we also wish to discourage speculation on Mr. Longstar's successor, as the Cenian FA does not have a specific candidate in mind at this time. We will not be answering any questions as to our criteria for a new manager, although suffice it to say that qualifying for the World Cup will be the major priority for whomever we may decide to bring on as Mr. Longstar's replacement.

For those of you who are not dedicated Cenisport readers... rumours have developed about Longstar's path after a devastating Cup of Harmony campaign, where Ceni lost to Juvencus and Yuezhou while drawing to Cap Nord to fail to advance from a home Cup of Harmony. We haven't done the math yet on that, but that's probably the first time that a home team has not made it out of the group stages of its own tournament in decades. Although Ceni reached the quarterfinals at the Copa Rushmori, it seems like that result will only delay the inevitable.

We'll update this post to come with more analysis as the story develops...

---

Update 1: 2 hours after initial post

Losses against the big fish, the CFA can understand... losses against the minnows, it detests.

Ceni's loss against regional rival and 94th ranked Eastfield Lodge should have been an indication for what was to come. Ceni's defensive system didn't work, its offensive system didn't score goals, and its midfield totally broke down, meaning that linkages between the offense and the defense did not exist. The result? A rather desultory 2-4 loss to Eastfield Lodge. Yes, that's right: We were not the team that had four goals on our side of the ledger at the end of the game.

Quite frankly, nobody could explain what was happening in the Natanians and Nosts game. They're ranked even lower than Eastfield Lodge, so nominally they should have been an easier opposition to face. But as our colleagues over at GelderSport remind us, "No team in a higher pot should ever count their chickens before they hatch, or convince themselves that paper tigers win matches. Because paper tigers do not win matches; teams out on the field win matches." And we cannot echo that strongly enough, because it looks like Ceni went to Natanians and Nosts with the attitude that anything less than three points would be a disappointment.

And, to be fair, some weird stuff happened over there.

As Marc-André Onasi advanced down the pitch to attempt to score, at least two Natanian players attempted to tackle him. Onasi fell to the ground in obvious pain, yelling that he had seen Ionescu tackle him. Unfortunately... there were two Ionescus on the pitch, and the referees couldn't quite figure out who had done what. No penalty was awarded, not even an indirect free kick... because they could not pin down the right Ionescu.

That was perhaps the moment that caused the match to be lost. Onasi tried to argue, and that got him booked for disputing the actions of the referee. Typical Cenian — trying to argue legalese on the pitch — plus typical Quebecois hotheadedness really got Ceni in trouble, and things most certainly did not get better from there. Ceni would lose the match 3-2 in an absolutely devastating loss — in a fight for second place, Ceni cannot afford to drop three points to teams outside the top 100.

For those of you wondering, then: Those were the circumstances that prompted the Cenian Football Association to take drastic action, giving Luke Longstar an ultimatum.

---

Update 2: 4 hours after initial post

Longstar has issued his own statement here in response to the CFA's press release. Again, we'll print it again in full, but it's a lot shorter than the CFA's, so fair warning:

I fully intend to qualify for World Cup 93 in Tumbra and Chromatika.

Short and blunt. We absolutely respect Longstar for making a statement like this in the face of all the rumours; it definitely projects an image of a manager with his head above the political fray, willing and able to put the interests of the team first.

It's now up to our holy goddess Margaret to determine whether Longstar keeps his job or not. And if we were him, we'd invest in rubber chickens to sacrifice. Lots of them.

[Kirungabi]

---

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World Cup Qualifiers Matchdays 1 and 2: Kirungabi Scores 3 to Stay Afloat

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DOR 0 - 0 KIG

A frustratingly unremarkable World Cup Qualifier debut for Cyril Kamembe and the Kirungan national team, as Dod Rava's defensive style and lack of initiative did little in the way of opening cracks for Umuku, Niyonzima, Mutabazi, or Nduwayezu to exploit. When the ball was in Kirungabi's hands, it also failed to make it too close to their rivals' box. BoF star Rungayindo Gatabazi and Francois Mutimamwiza were both drafted in in the latter stage of the match, in place of both forwards, to inject some fresh blood into the team, but it was to little avail. Kamembe, visibly discontent, shrugged when asked for his thoughts. "If we had conceded it would have been worse, but it's certainly a little bit frustrating."

KIG 3 – 3 YZH

(13') Luo Nanwei (YZH)
(45'+1') (P) Luo Nanwei (YZH)
(49') Munyentwali Niyonzima (KIG)
(65') "Umuku" Nzafashwanimana (KIG)
(78') Jiang Jieren (YZH)
(89') Chitundu SIndikubwabo (KIG)

Kirungabi's first home match of the World Cup Qualifiers ultimately proved an intense and memorable dogfight. In front of a packed Kirungabi Itangira Guhera Olympic Park Stadium, the Kirungan squad initially got off to a torrid start, as an early defensive mistake from Patient Habimana caught Patrick Mutoni and Rugira Rurangwa off guard, enabling Yue Zhou's Luo Nanwei to smash a crossing ball past Bugasera. Though the post-concession regroup was quick, yet another clumsy error, this time from Jean-Luc Uzanabiryo, downed the Yueren scorer and conceded a later converted penalty. Halftime defensive swaps, including the entry of Hadrien Ubuzima, and a shock switch between Pascal Mutabazi and Rungayindo Gatabazi rejuvenated the Kirungan team into the second half; it didn't take long for a clinical counterattack to rupture through the Yueren defense, and for the now-recovered Niyonzima to score — bringing a much-relieving delight to the Kirungan fans in the stadium. A second, long goal came soon from captain Nzafashwanimana following a successful midfield spat, but just as a safe draw seemed to be on the cards, Yue Zhou upped the pressure. With Li Jianguo coming on, the foreign team weathered down Kirungabi's weary defense with a barrage of shots and lobs near the box, before a header from Jiang Jieren sealed the deal. Even so, with the Kirungan fans having left tonnes of sweat and generated megawatts of power from their anxious hearts, the Kirungan fightback was not over. A surprise fumble in the Yueren midfield enabled the Farve newhire Chitundu Sindikubwabo to initiate a counterattack from which he ultimately scored, with a flat strike down the left hand side of the goal sending Zhao Deliang flailing in vain. Head coach Cyril Kamembe's post-match assessment was succinct, even as the weight of his perspiration was obvious through his striped shirt: "The boys just had that dawg in 'em," he admitted, flustered but content.

---

[Al-Tamazgha]

L'ECHO TAMAZGHIEN

Struggling Mountain Lions Side Motivated for Clash Against World no. 1 Valanora in Maisonbleue

Azzedine Othmani

MAISONBLEUE - So far, so good.

Of course, it is easier said for the Mountain Lions of Al-Tamazgha. Having fallen off the group stage of the Baptism of Fire 80 on a very underwhelming, 2-2-3 performance where only three goals were scored (and conceded), the Tamazghans have come off to a sluggish start with back to back losses to Britonisea and Flavovespia.

Of course, the current ranking and experience gap between the Atlantian Oceania nation and the modern names of the Multiverse on the Qualification Group 10 were quite noticeable, almost to the point where it has been long touted by the international experts to be the 'Group of Death'. Thus, while there are favourites such as Valanora and Pasarga, nothing is considered to be guaranteed or sacred of results in this Group 10 of hype, pomp and circumstance.

With such small margins on a group like the Group 10 of the 2060 World Cup 93 Qualification round, everything matters detail-wise and players are expected to throw every possible effort into the game. This is very much the mindset Al-Tamazgha manager Laurent Assidon hopes to emphasise for the Mountain Lions as they will be welcoming current World number one, six-time world champions Valanora, to Stade-Alphonse-Diawara in Maisonbleue.

'We don't take things for glad, and we shouldn't,' Assidon said over telephone call in French with the l'Echo Tamazghien. 'Sure, the Marauders are World number ones, but there's nothing to suggest that we cannot beat arguably the most difficult side to play against in the world.'

It was only the last summer when Al-Tamazgha played in Valanora, as the 68th AOCAF Championship was held in Valanora and Demot. There the Mountain Lions have performed well, finishing with a 1-3-1 record on the group stage that would see them prevail against Cordia, 3-2, on a thriller that would see the nation shake in joy.

Of course, much had changed in the half-year since then, with the Mountain Lions suffering a horrific, 2-3-3 group stage finish at the 80th Baptism of Fire held in Mertagne, third-straight host of the prestigious first-time entrant (citation needed -e.d.-). Now also with two losses against Britonisea and Flavovespia to start off the tournament, media's worries around the Al-Tamazgha camp are starting to be felt early into the campaign, even with a long qualifying stage waiting for the Atlantian Oceania side.

That said, even with a poor form, the atmosphere for the early-qualifying fixture is expected to be very active and raucous. The excitement of the match has already started to flare up, with all the tickets sold out within three minutes of the ticket portal's opening. Currently the cheapest resale seats valued at around 600 Tamazghan Dirham (300 NSD, 100 Quebecois Pounds) each.

'An opportunity like this doesn't come by often, to play the World's top-ranked side who plays not far away from here we are at,' said Jules Ekoko, goalkeeper of both the Tamazghan national team and Taqwaa AC, one of co-tenants of the Stade-Alphonse-Diawara. 'It's going to be a challenge, but not an impossible one, and an upset is always going to be an upset. That's what we are aiming for, on the back of the support of our fans.'

[Pemecutan]

MD 1
Millenhaal 0 – 1 Pemecutan

Goal:
Agus Kusumajaya (55')

Substitution:
Rama Karyadi <---> Satya Permadi (69')
Leo Olivando <---> Wisnu Pramana (73')
Kadek Rai Partha <---> Bayu Dananjaya (77')

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MD 2
The Gothanita Isles 1 – 0 Pemecutan

Goal:
no goal

Substitution:
Oscar Tri Atmaja <---> Alvino Bastian (53')
Ngurah Agung Rai Putra <---> Pande Putu Agus Suwandi (67')
Komang Trisna Mahayana <---> Wisnu Pramana (72')
Agus Setiahadi <---> Satya Permadi (81')

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Chapter 1

Worry. That's what I feel on this flight. A charter flight that bring me to Asakote, the capital of Toluiwa. It was already planned. The meeting. But the timeline that makes me worry. There's another meeting back home that I should be attended. But this one is more important. Probably. I just hope Lord Bongkasa do the right thing in the meeting. This really is an unpleasant journey.

The charter plane that bring Pemecutanian Patih Madya to Toluiwa capital finally arrive safely at Asakote International Airport. A humid and dry weather welcomed him there. It is widely know that Toluiwa especially the southern part is not that fertile. It is mostly a savanna and grassland. But it is a good place to breed horses. One of Toluiwan many expertises. Pemecutan delegation is welcomed by Toluiwan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alif Syukran. Around 10 Pemecutanian ministers and deputy ministers are in the delegation. It is consist of 2 main focus, economy and people migration. Alif Syukran shake the hand of Patih Madya, Ngurah Agung Kusumajaya as a welcome dance is performed to welcomed them. It is a great experience.

"Has any other delegations arrived?" Patih Kusumajaya asking in a whisper.
Yes, Mr. Prime Minister. Delegations from Gili Anakan and Rarungan have arrived," Alif Syukran answer with a glimpse of smile.
"Ah, yes. You're also invited them (read Gili Anakan)," say Kusumajaya.
"Everyone's needed to be here. And they are an important issue too," explain Alif Syukran as they are arrive in front of the car that will escorted them to their hotel.

Patih Kusumajaya use the car alone together with Minister Alif Syukran. While the other member of the delegation is using another car. The car drive slowly crossing the roads into the city center. The city looks similar with cities in Cakranegara. Well, they are neighbors after all. And both countries share a lot of cultures and styles. Although each must have a uniqueness of their own.

"Here you are, Mr. Prime Minister," says Alif Syukran as they are arrived at the hotel. It's not too grandiose but it is comfortable. Toluiwa is not like Rarungan who is investing heavily on tourism. The country is new to tourism industry. Although they have many potentials.
"Thank you. And the meeting will be....."
"On Monday, Sir. You have another day to rest and follow our scheduled pre-meeting events," cut Alif Syukran.
Kusumajaya nodded. "Thank you. I'll check the schedule later," he said.

As Syukran leaving the room, Kusumajaya scan his room. It looks cozy. Not too fancy but nice. Each delegation is placed in 1 floor. The hotel however have only 3 floors. 4 if you count the lobby. So there might be another hotel to use for the accommodation. Kusumajaya read pamphlet of the meeting's schedule event which is put on the desk in the study room. He put a little smile as he find an attractive event. Horse riding. He always wants to try it. Although he might be have a time to squeeze one or two private meetings with Rarungani and Gili Anakan prime minister. They are Pemecutan closest allies in Cendana Islands. And he hopes it will always at it is.

The Meet of the Year

The look at the meeting room is rather intense. Patih Kusumajaya gather all of his subordinate for briefing. They are needed to be focus on the one vision that always being said. Cooperation, integration, influence.

"I think we can push the agenda here," says Minister of Economy and Finance, Mutia Amalia.
"Do you think so? I don't want us to be seen as a power hungry country," remind Patih Kusumajaya.
Mutia shake her head. "It won't be that way. The purpose of the alliance is to strengthen what's already done by Mengwi Agreement. This will closely monitored how each member countries progressing towards the goals that we have set in the agreement," explain Mutia.
"Don't you think it's too much to create an alliance or organization for this?" ask Minister of Trade and Industry, Gede Wiryajaya.
"I don't think so. It will reflecting our commitment to the agreement that we've made," Mutia paused for a second. "I know the agreement is pretty much young. It's just around a year. But if we really focused on this so why not? Makes it more real. Not just an empty agreement," add her.
"I got your point there, Tia. Although we need to be careful about this," remind Kusumajaya. "We do looking for an integration with these countries. Spreading our influence. They are already using Pemecutan Rupiah in their trading with us. We can't insult them further," say Kusumajaya.
"Our worry should be Cakranegara. This is a good opportunity to bring Gili Anakan issue. And make it noticable," interrupt Minister of Defense, Ali Sukmahadi.
Kusumajaya pointed at him. Noticing his opinion.
"We should have a talk with Gili Anakan delegation before the meeting. We need their help to avoid the issue," say Kusumajaya.
"I think we can arrange that, Sir" answer his secretary with a big smile.
"Good. Our time is limited so must be quick," he warned. Kemala Dewi, the secretary just nodded about the warning.
"Anyone else you want to meet privately, Sir?" she ask again.
Kusumajaya keep silent for a moment. "They didn't invite Acastanha, right?" he remembering.
"Yes, Sir. They don't," confirmed Kemala.
"Okay. So the option would be Rarungan or Soracana. We can persuade them into the alliance," say Kusumajaya.
"Noted."
"Both are our allies," murmurs Sukmahadi.
"They will easily joined us. The alliance, I mean. Their economy rely heavily on us," comment Mutia.
"The way I think Soracana will switch to one of our state in an instance if we ask them," wonders Sukmahadi.
"That's too much," argue Wiryajaya.
"Well, their referendum is quite close," remind Sukmahadi.
Everyone in the room start smiling.
"Okay, enough about that," stopped Kusumajaya. "Get me with Gili Anakan's PM tomorrow. The other two can follow after the opening of the meeting on Monday. Stay on the agenda about the economy alliance. That's all we want at this time. Got it?" review Kusumajaya.
"Yes, Sir!" everyone answers in unison.

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MD 3
Pemecutan v Polkopia
@ Tegeh Kori National Stadium, Tegeh Kori, Puradhipa Capital Territory

MD 4
Sendhang v Pemecutan
@ Stadium Persekutuan, Kambang

Starter
1 Wira Putra (GK)
2 Dwi Putra Kusuma (LB)
4 Satya Putra Laksamana (CB)
5 Ngurah Agung Rai Putra (CB)
3 Alvino Bastian (RB)
7 Agus Kusumajaya (LM)
9 Rama Karyadi (CM)
19 Agus Setiahadi (CM)
8 Kadek Rai Partha (RM)
10 Komang Trisna Mahayana (AT)
11 Wisnu Pramana (ST)
Substitute on bench
23 Arya Dwi Prakasa (GK)
13 Dewa Nyoman Mahendra (LB)
14 Pande Putu Agus Suwandi (CB)
15 Wira Kartika (RB)
31 Satya Permadi (CM)
27 Bayu Dananjaya (RM)
21 Pandu Oka Jaya (ST)
Other Substitute in squad
34 Heriawan Yudha (GK)
16 Vikram Shankar (CB)
17 Gede Arya Damar (CB)
22 Dwi Putra Ariana (LM)
18 Pande Putu Sukarwa (CM)
23 Dewa Putu Mahardika (AT)
28 Raka Lokantara (ST)
Player role
Captain - Satya Putra Laksamana
Corner kicks - Agus Kusumajaya (left), Alvino Bastian (right)
Free kicks - Rama Karyadi, Komang Trisna Mahayana
Penalty - Wisnu Pramana