World Cup 93 - RP Thread

by **Audioslavia** » Sat Feb 11, 2023 5:47 pm

IMPRISONING REPUTABLE BROADSHEET SPORTS JOURNALISTM BEHIND A PAYWALL SINCE 22XX, IT'S

Trigintillion Reasons Why
The Aesthetic catches up with Shamrock's Teen Sensation Marc-Antoine Trigintillion at Project Sports Museum's newly opened Swing Suite

The Swing Suite, named after Karditani soccer player Sweet Swing, who played against the Bulls in that Baptism of Fire final, is the slightly more ornate of the boxes atop the exhaustively symmetrical off-pink building that now houses Jeremy Jaffacake's newest venture, the Project Sports Museum. With a view out towards the Hunter's Sea, if you squint past seventeen high rise office buildings, the rooftop cafe-cum-VIP-lounge is Grand Forum's number one place not only to buy a ham and cheese croissant for sixteen hundred percent what you'd pay two kilometres away, but also to photograph bright young football stars to go with your ruthlessly worthy broadsheet articles on modern football.

Marc-Antoine Trigintillion's inclusion into Ager Alaba's first World Cup qualifying squad drew plenty of raised eyebrows, especially after his largely inconsequential appearances from the bench in matchdays one and two. Hardly a fixture in Shamrock's strongest eleven - Edith Fillar remains first choice at left wing, with newcomer Huayramarcan Gabriel Sayritupac occasionally providing cover and even young Pasargan Bodi Laszlo getting more minutes on that side of the pitch than young Marc-Antoine - former Zozi boss Ager Alaba clearly sees something in the winger that his club manager, Chromatik Aleksandr Ivanovich, does not.

And Ager Alaba's trust has been repayed in matchdays three and four, with Trigintillion providing the assist for the only goal against Astograth and rifling home the volley that put former champions Equestria to bed last month. The new found fame and attention was enough to earn the left midfielder a whopping six minutes of play time for Shamrock against Laivana in return.

"I can wait my turn at Shamrock, I've always known it'll take time to bed in" says Trigintillion. "That I'm getting these chances for Audioslavia is... strange? I mean it's been a dream since I knew what footballs were and why it was imperative I kick them onto the heads of big strikers, but I was expecting it to be the height of my career, not the start, y'know?" he continues.

When asked what he makes of his almost instant arrival into the public psyche, Marc-Antoine Trigintillion smiles, but not confidently. "It's a ride"

A ride it certainly has been. After failing to make an impact in his first two games for the national team, and with only one single assist to his name among various substitute appearances for Shamrock, Marc-Antoine's selection was initially criticised not only by the back pages of the nation's newspapers, but everywhere stupid people have a voice in the modern world. Which these days is, well, everywhere. The most noticeable thing about the young winger is not his skill, nor the fact that he talks with his face and has possibly the worst poker-face in existence, it's that he has no hair at all.

"I had it as a kid. Alopecia. Lost my eyebrows at 13. It was... it was shit? I mean of course it was shit. It didn't matter that I was captain of the football team at school, any time I did anything wrong I was that bald shit"

*
"Anytime I do anything wrong I'm that bald shit" :- Marc-Antoine Trigintillion

When asked whether or not his affliction affected his game, he simply shrugs. "I mean sweating into my fucking eyes, that was a problem". After trying various headbands and even vaseline on his forehead to cover up his sweat pores - effective, but just made him even more self-conscious - Marc-Antoine instead opted for two extraordinarily fluffy bright green wristbands which he has become accustomed to using as windscreen wipers. This itself may have accounted for Audioslavia's opening goal, early in the second half of the game against Equestria. Drawn towards the shiny diminutive flo-green windmill on the left, Equestria's full-back was out of position for Helios Roy's burst through the middle and therefore helpless to stop him shooting low under the goalkeeper's outstretched leg.

With games against Obrela and Boring Paradise coming up - two teams with vastly different levels of experience but, advantageously for the Bulls, around the same handful of KPB points, is Trigintillion eyeing more game time, and more time to - to use a verb he's begun to tire of very quickly - shine?

"I'd like to say I could earn my place in the squad but, well, it's the other way around, isn't it? I play well for Audioslavia again, I might force my way into Shamrock instead of, or maybe alongside, Edith [Fillar]. I've made it clear, I can chip in at full-back, I can play centre forward, I can go in the middle, anywhere you want. The more game time I get, the more I test myself, the more useful I'll be in claret and green"

Trigintillion and I wander through to the other side of the suite, from where you can see the outside of the Kirola Arena, the home of Audioslavian football, in the middle-distance. It's a destination where Marc-Antoine - and he tells me I'm allowed to say this - hopes to baldly go where no man has gone very recently: To take Audioslavia's national team to a World Cup once again.

*generated by Midjourney AI, lightly edited

by **TJUN-ia** » Sat Feb 11, 2023 6:03 pm

By Peter Davis

After we split the opening set of this WCQ, the Jagaurs of TJUN-ia were starting to get back into the groove of playing in the famous long grind we all know very well. Li Xiu Ying was happy with how things started, despite the obvious loss, but she also knew that things had only just begun and that anything and everything was still possible at this very early stage. Losing to Srednjaci did indeed suck...but we had 20 more games left to figure out before anything was truly set in stone.

The National Stadium had to wait until MD3 to host our first home game of the campaign, but that long wait would be cushioned by exactly the circumstances of this first game as we would welcome Pot 3 Savojarna to the JagBase for this early big-time clash. We knew that a team ranked 37th in the WCC was certainly going to be a tough test to try and overcome and fair play to them, they certainly played the way they wanted to play and we certainly struggled a bit when it came to trying to unlock their defensive shape. Both Malhrani al-Kalhrani and Jackson Smith-Scott had multiple chances to try and take the lead and while their keeper held firm, Savojarna had chances of their own that certainly had to be dealt with by Sputnik Brykilawa. The defining moment of this whole game would come off a corner in the 74th when Kim Choi-ya sent one into the box which would end up being headed into the net by substitute defender Zelina Marquez, a moment that certainly shook the foundations of the National Stadium to its core. That would end up being enough to secure the dub on the night and send us back into the Top 3 after 3 MDs.

Then came an interesting road trip to Tollington Park in Mosfleet to face Elmyia and considering how Srednjaci turned out on MD2, you just knew that we were going to be more cautious than normal against a hungry home side looking for a 3rd win from their opening 4. This game would see an early goal as a defensive error from Maria Grosso allowed Malhrani al-Kalhrani the space needed to fire past Ernest Butler...but that was basically that. Multiple chances would come, especially through al-Kalhrani and Vesper Benedetti, but no more would find their way past the 2 people with gloves on. That would mean back-to-back 1-0 wins for the Jaguars and 2nd in this group, certainly in the mix as we near the 1/4 point.

This next cycle coming up will be critical for the early momentum of this group as we take on both our fellow Top 3 in some huge-time games. Salam Liljamie Stadium in Al Kalifa hosts its biggest-ever game as this group's current surprise package in Varavel comes to town before we head on the road to our biggest road test of them all - vs the Cormorants of Nephara, unbeaten and #11 in the WCC, at the legendary Farham Arena in Sabrefell. The big tie matchups already...vs the Pot 12 and Pot 1 teams. Funny how it works sometimes, you know? GO JAGS!

MD1: @United Bongo States of America (265) W 3-1 (1st)
MD2: @Srednjaci (101) L 0-1 (5th)
---------------Boot It!---------------
MD3: vs Savojarna (37) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City W 1-0 (3rd)
MD4: @Elmyia (124) - Tollington Park, Mosfleet W 1-0 (2nd)
---------------Boot It!---------------
MD5: vs Varavel (284) - Salam Liljamie Stadium, Al Kalifa
MD6: @Nephara (11) - The Farham Arena, Sabrefell
---------------Boot It!---------------
MD7: vs Archalit (183) - Stade de la Victoire, Roi Ville
MD8: @95X (159) - City Stadium, 95X City
---------------Boot It!---------------
MD9: vs Caribbia (222) - Estadio Universidad Carlandas, Carlandas
MD10: @Ziwana (82) - Ziwanicell National Stadium, Birnin-Likulu
---------------Boot It!---------------
MD11: vs Baggieland (71) - Beregozera Stadium, Szensky
MD12: vs United Bongo States of America (265) - Tallawah Stadium, Port Town/Portuaria
---------------Boot It!---------------
MD13: vs Srednjaci (101) - Ke Kahua Pāʻani o Pua Aloalo, Kepu Manu
MD14: @Savojarna (37)
---------------Boot It!---------------
MD15: vs Elmyia (124) - Zebra Stadium, Toropo/Almadinat
MD16: @Varavel (284) - Stadion Glendoorn, somewhere in Varavel
---------------Boot It!---------------
MD17: vs Nephara (11) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City
MD18: @Archalit (183) - Archalit Olympic Stadium, Charkara
---------------Boot It!---------------
MD19: vs 95X (159) - Estádio do Pacífico, Rio Pacífico
MD20: @Caribbia (222)
---------------Boot It!---------------
MD21: vs Ziwana (82) - Tiankong Stadium, Tiankong
MD22: @Baggieland (71) - Dartmouth Hill, Hawthorn

by **Stevencousin** » Sat Feb 11, 2023 7:03 pm


Formation [3-4-3]
Bryngeirsson
Popyrin - Wardana - Theophilus
Hollinpriest (C) - We - Laksmana  - Heyricke
Bradshawes - Walworke - Berjana


Transfer :: In
- 


Transfer :: Out
-

CLUB::		Cassaholm Academy
STADIUM::	Cassaholm Academy Compound, Cassaholm [50,000]
MANAGER::	Stacey Leeber, 61  
ASST. MANAGER::	Adam Tradewinters, 48 
SPONSOR::	Sundock Organic [Food Co.]
TEAM::
No.   Pos.  Nation   Age   Name [Caps/Goal]
01    GK     GRF   17   JÓNSI Bryngeirsson [0/0]
12    GK     SQR   18   Hoashi Gonshiro [0/0]
13    GK     SVI   17   Lambert Chatterton [0/0]
02    LB     SVI   17   Slywrth Theophilus [0/0]
14    LB     SVI   17   Dario Arduino [0/0]
03    CB     PCU   18   Wisnu Wardana [0/0]
15    CB     SVI   18   Gianluca Bianco [0/0]
16    CB     SVI   18   Eugenio Villaneuva [0/0]
04    RB     PYA   18   Rustam Popyrin [0/0] (V.C)
17    RB     SVI   17   Enzo L. Santoro [0/0]
05    LM     HTR   18   Gustavo Heyricke [0/0]
18    LM     SVI   18   Gregario Basile [0/0]
06    CM     PCU   17   Satria Laksmana [0/0] 
07    CM     QAD   17   Jackson We [0/0]
19    CM     SVI   18   Edmundo Abreu [0/0]
20    CM     SVI   17   Rafaello Longo [0/0]
08    RM     SVI   18   Daxsanna Hollinpriest [0/0] (Capt.)
21    RM     SVI   17   Gustav Winterbridge [0/0]
09    FC     ANU   17   Suria Berjana [0/0]
10    FC     HTR   18   Gyles Walworke [0/0]
11    FC     SVI   17   Invictus Bradshawes [0/0]
22    FC     SVI   17   Leo Angelis Purificação
23    FC     SVI   17   Marco D'Ortona [0/0]

Cassaholm Academy is a football academy based in Cassaholm, Stevencousin. Founded in 2018, the club competes in the National U-21 Youth League (U21 NYL), which competes among youth teams, youth academies, and reserve teams from the country's premier league. Nicknamed The Youngbloods, they won the NYL U21 League and the NYL U21 Cup in their inaugural season in 2019. Since its inception, Cassaholm Academy has had a fierce rivalry with Cassaholm Confidential Youth, another team based in Cassaholm. The rivalry between them is referred to as the Cassaholm Derby by supporters of both clubs.

The company that owns Cassaholm Academy, Cassaholm Academy Ltd. is a special purpose company (SPV) established to guarantee the financial sustainability and commercial growth of the club. Apart from the football business, the company is involved in other business activities related to the oil and gas, marine, and construction industries, with all revenue going to the club. Cassaholm Academy is hosting the Cassaholm Grassroot Trophy in 2020 and is partnering with companies like InfoTrex in providing training scholarships to talented but underprivileged children. In its inaugural season, eight teams took part in the Cassaholm Grassroot Trophy which lasted for approximately six months. Participating teams are given grants, courses and partnership programs to help them manage the finances, training and management of their respective clubs.

by **Squornshelan Remnant States** » Sat Feb 11, 2023 7:33 pm

Comments on the Conflict in Farfadillis from potential SCFA Presidential Candidates . . .

Former Algolia Manager Dolvin Antal: "I don't see that it has much to do with football or the SCFA at all. It's tragic of course, and I wish for a speedy end to the hostilities and a return to peace. But I don't feel it's the role of a football association president to make international politics and war his business."

Megabrantid SC Financial Director Maimu Lagopol: "War is antithetical to football. It's a terrible human tragedy and also, frankly, bad for business. It destroys everything it touches, and it can't end soon enough."

SCFA Executive Secretary Ivar Saranov: "It's a deplorable state of affairs when one nation commits acts of aggression against another. Even more so when that aggression comes between people of one nation. I think that the people of the Confederacy will want to see their government involve itself in bringing peace to the region."

Confederate Deputy Secretary of Arts and Culture Morwen Vilane: "I salute the brave soldiers fighting to defend their homelands, and I call on the leaders of Farolera, Rulandea, Szoirsia, and Induja to come together to put and end to this senseless violence. I know the Foreign Secretary is very involved in making sure all Confederate nationals in Farfadillis are safe and secure, and out of the country should they wish it."

Former Emperor of Squornshelous Sweyn Petrov: You have collect call from . . . Sasava Confederate Penitentiary . . . do you accept the charges? "It's a very ugly business, of course, legitimate grievances on both sides you see. Alex Terán is a man I have a great deal of respect for, he's a man of the people, and his people love him for it. I think the leaders of this nation would do well to be better acquainted and more closely aligned with him."

STR: 1
SRS: 1

Scoring:
STR: Kewell 88'
SRS: Hjort 10'

Lineup: Shimski; Norling, Harkhan (Panoss 74'), Keresh, Sauber; Hedberg (Damnagoras 74'), Nisarizo (Sevet-Ibilx 63'); Stern, Zazagan, Maksimov (Ditou 88'); Hjort

SRS: 1
VEZ: 0

Scoring:
SRS: Bondarov 84'

Lineup: Shimski; Bakken, Titov, Jagdish, Halfariani; Hashemi, Birhat (Volam 78'); Bondarov, Damnagoras (Nacar 78'), Yonte; Ness (Fridtjofs 80')

Qualifying Schedule & Results:

MD01: AUD 0-1 SRS @ Arena Kirola (cap. 72,000), Cathair, AUD
MD02: SRS 3-1 RYF @ Flanoil Arena (cap. 50,350), Traal, West Flania, SRS
MD03: STR 1-1 SRS @ TBA
MD04: VEZ 0-1 SRS @ Fate Stadium (cap. 333,000), Naypyithaw, Burma, Val Z
MD05: SRS  v  AER @ The Lutenstaad (cap. 75,000), Lutenblag, Molvania, SRS
MD06: ASG  v  SRS @ TBA
MD07: SRS  v  EQS @ Olympiastad (cap. 47,550), Arkintoofle, Megabrantis, SRS
MD08: OBR  v  SRS @ TBA
MD09: SRS  v  BRP @ Pheldagriff Stadium (cap. 45,620), Yassaca, Sivolvia, SRS
MD10: MUR  v  SRS @ TBA
MD11: SRS  v  ESL @ Admiral Cherenkov Stadium (cap. 71,200), Santraginus, Isle of Squornshelous, SRS
MD12: SRS  v  AUD @ Vogsphere Arena (cap. 90,000), Vogsphere, Isle of Squornshelous, SRS
MD13: RYF  v  SRS @ TBA
MD14: SRS  v  STR @ Sunergy Field (cap. 37,550), Hunian, Algolia, SRS
MD15: SRS  v  VEZ @ Bridger Lane (cap. 72,406), Damogran, Algolia, SRS
MD16: AER  v  SRS @ Centerby Stadion (cap. 36,000), Vorácy, AER
MD17: SRS  v  ASG @ Megabrantid Financial Field (cap. 69,245), Brantisvogan, Megabrantis, SRS
MD18: EQS  v  SRS @ TBA
MD19: SRS  v  OBR @ Malgacorp Arena (cap. 29,350), Hensha, Megabrantis, SRS
MD20: BRP  v  SRS @ TBA
MD21: SRS  v  MUR @ Green Heart Center (cap. 20,760), Han Wavel, Han Dold, SRS
MD22: ESL  v  SRS @ Eshialand City Superdome (cap. 75,000), Eshialand City, ESL

by **Tikariot** » Sat Feb 11, 2023 7:55 pm

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

Alexandra Garrard: And I'm Alexandra Garrard. Breaking news tonight, we are getting more reports from the deadly landslide in Soharr and also updates on the Xark Blizzard.

There also are reports of increasing political and economical ties between Tikariot and Anaian nation Cardenao.

Tikariot has been eliminated from the World Baseball Classic and the qualifying campaign for World Cup 93 continues, more about that in sports.

Kelvin McDonnell: As we had reported earlier, Western Soharr has been the scene of a massive landslide. TBC correspondent Anita Freley reports from Soharr.

The latest reports from emergency responders, the big landslide in Western Soharr has claimed at least 300 lives, with more than 100 persons still listed as missing. The landslide was likely caused by ongoing torrential rainfall that weakened the side of a mountain enough to cause the disaster. It buried large parts of Wenford, a small town at the foot of the mountain, under metres of mud and soil. Eyewitnesses say that everything happened so fast, it was impossible to warn others.

The Commonwealth of Quebec and Shingoryeo's Silver Star are working with local authorities and TEMA (Tikariot Emergency Management Agency) to take care of the survivors. Græntfjall has offered the use of its specialist emergency response team, the so-called White Rats, to Tikariot, foreign minister Brynjúlfur Brynjarsson has announced. “The White Rats have considerable experience responding to mountain rescue scenarios in the Græntfjaller Alps, as well as dealing with heavy weather conditions across the White Winter Queendom, and we hope they can be of help to Tikariot in dealing with these weather events.” Tikariot's Minister of Public Safety, Aurelia Fenwick has expressed her deepest gratitude toward our Northern neighbour and foreign minister Daniel Longobardo said that he is grateful for the close, friendly relations the two nations have and that Tikariot is open towards any cross-border cooperation at any time. The Prosaic Union of Gnejs is sending an expert team of dogs that have been specially trained to detect humans, while several other nations also have announced that they will be participating in the relief efforts with specialised equipment and humanitarian aid.

Alexandra Garrard: This just gets to show you how fast everything can change.

Kelvin McDonnell: Absolutely. And it is great to see this many of our friends and neighbours coming to help, I have heard great things about the White Rats, they are an absolute elite agency.

Alexandra Garrard: In unrelated, yet still somehow related news, the north of Dhaencunor and Xark are getting battered by a blizzard of unknown proportions. Heavy snowfall and gale-force winds have brought the area to an absolute standstill. Airports and roads are closed throughout the whole region and while power outages have been reported, the electric grid so far is still mostly providing residents with electricity and heat. TEMA has dispatched emergency crews and the Græntfjall Red Cross also is sending personnel to aid with efforts to keep residents safe. So far local weather stations are reporting over 30 centimetres of snow and no signs of letting up.

The Tikariot Weather Service urges residents to avoid all non-essential travel and remain in safe places. They also still advise to be prepared 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.

Kelvin McDonnell: In politics, the Anaian nation of Cardenao and Tikariot are tightening their political ties with the announcement of the CIAASIT Treaty which will include the services of the Tikariot Intelligence Service and provisions for shared intelligence. Foreign minister Daniel Longobardo has said in a news conference that this will help strengthen Cardenao's position in political conflicts. This follows an announcement of expanded trade agreements between the two nations which already had quite wide-reaching agreements for coffee and cinnamon exports from Cardenao.

Alexandra Garrard: Tikariot has been eliminated from the World Baseball Classic, but is still going strong in the World Cup 93 qualifiers. For more information, over to the TBC Sports studio with Alistair McIntosh.

Alistair McIntosh: Thank you, Alexandra, and good evening ladies and gentlemen from TBC Sports! As Alexandra already mentioned, Tikariot is continuing its dubious tradition of exiting World Baseball Classics in the Round of 16. After splitting the first two games with Zwangzug, the series favourites took both games three and four to advance to the quarter-finals, where they will meet Banija.

But on to more positive news, which is coming from the World Cup qualifiers. In game three, the Snowy Owls met the Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison in Fort Viljan, here is Duncan Haldane with the highlights.

Game three of the qualifiers kicked off in the Citadel of the North and anybody who was hoping for a footballing spectacle would leave dissatisfied both with the result and the game itself. Heavy snowfall affected both the pitch and the teams, leading to a game that was very low on scoring chances on both sides. While the tireless work of volunteers before the game as well as the under-soil heating meant that the pitch was free of snow, it was very difficult to play on due to melted water making it very slippery and in some places muddy. The guests opted for a very defensive approach in the hope of salvaging one point from the game, parking the proverbial bus with only very few forays into the Tikariotian half. The first half saw a grand total of four shots with only one actually on goal, leading to much frustration among the Snowy Owls.

Brian McAllister re-adjusted the formation and approach for the second half, with the hosts trying for more shots from the distance to take advantage of the slippery pitch conditions. Unfortunately, while the number of shots increased, the number of goals did not. What did increase, however, was the number of tackles, fouls and yellow cards, which led to Cheetah Coalisoner centre back Mihai Ioan Ionescu getting sent off in the 87th minute after a second booking. In the end, the Snowy Owls had to content themselves with one point in a game that they will want to check off and put behind them quickly.

Tikariot 0-0 Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison

| Litman - Skogensberg 48', Ongaro ( 64' Steingrímsson), Szomogyi 75', Arncross - Blacklock ( 70' Sedar), Dagenais ( 49' Monaghan), Vainionpää - Nurmsalu, Conway ( 65' Connolly), Haparanta ( 80' Sheffield)

| Ubiraci 80' - Natenoghodi Natena ( 49' Norõwada), Xaxim ( 74' Ionescu 87'), Irima ( 85' Natenaghaneghegi), Natenaghanagha Natena - Iraity, Nàrà'zyw, Petrescu ( 50' Silveira), Tibiriçá - Rhinić ( 74' Akaju'y), Sinusić 82'

Alistair McIntosh: After this disappointing result, Tikariot went to welcome their neighbours República Guanacasteca in Avanaroch's Paladon Park. Here is Veronica Bradford with all the information.

Thankfully both weather and pitch conditions at Paladon Park were infinitely better than in the dreadful goalless draw against the Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison on matchday 3 to take on the República Guanacasteca. The Pigs came into the game with one draw and two losses under their belt and were keen to emulate Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison's feat of stealing a point from the favourites. And this plan saw its first severe setback after only two minutes when Callum Baines sent a sharp cross from the right side that Oriannor centre forward Jardel Connolly converted with a powerful diving header, giving the Snowy Owls an early lead. Many fans hoped that Tikariot could use this early goal and build some momentum, but the Guanacastecans had decidedly different plans.

In the 15th minute, Ricardo Linton sent striker Sean Fuller on his way toward Vincent Litman with a beautiful looping pass and Fuller showed his tactical acumen in fully anticipating the path, allowing him to beat the offside trap and coolly slot the ball past Litman for the equalizer. But that was not all because only two minutes after the goal, captain Dylan Monterroza went for goal from a freekick about 25 metres out. He aimed for the top right corner and would have hit the back of the net with laser precision if Litman had not managed to redirect the ball against the post with his fingertips. Unfortunately for Tikariot, the ball bounced right into the path of Kenneth Ingram, who just had to put his foot to deliver the one-two punch.

It took the hosts some time to recover from the shock before switching gears and starting to increase the pressure on the tactically extremely disciplined Pigs. Driven forward by Kathleen Chamberlain, Tikariot started to pepper Sergio González' goal with shots from all distances, but the 20-year-old keeper of Alianza Guanacasteca prevented a second goal with a series of spectacular saves. After 35 minutes, Chamberlain whipped in a sharp corner that found Jardel Connolly's head. He could not redirect the ball toward the goal, though, but the ball fell to Adrian Grimaud, who did not hesitate and blasted the ball right under the crossbar from close range. Despite keeping up the pressure, the Snowy Owls did not manage to generate any more dangerous scoring chances, mostly due to Dylan Monterroza's brilliant direction of his defenders.

Leah Robbins replaced Jordan Jillson after the break and the game started out far more balanced than the first ended. In the 54th minute Ricardo Linton did not just surprise the Tikariotian defense but also the majority of his teammates with a pass from his own penalty box that seemed destined to harmlessly sail across the sideline but somehow curved just enough to bounce back towards the centre of the field, catching Pierre Sukunda completely out of position. This allowed Kenneth Ingram to run toward Vincent Litman completely unopposed and he looped the ball over the Parakleion keeper to put Guanacesteca back in the lead. McAllister responded by taking Sukunda off the pitch and bringing on Easton Aird. Just like after the guests' second goal, the Snowy Owls immediately increased the pressure again and test the Monterroza-led defense.

Nine minutes after the go-ahead goal, centreback Stian Farnsrud went on a marauding run down the left side, leaving right back Daniel Venegas coughing in the dust before sending a searching ball into the Guanacasteca box where Jardel Connolly slid into the path of the ball, pushing it past González for his second goal of the game. Tikariot continued its high line pressure on the guests and Chamberlain sent Nighthorse down the left side with a sharp diagonal pass. The Port Rhovanyon striker put the ball past Venegas, who in an attempt to stop Nighthorse from advancing on goal pulled the Tikariotian's jersey, which the referee could not help but award with a yellow card. Unfortunately for Venegas and Guanacasteca, he had already been booked in the first half and was given his marching orders after only 71 minutes.

While the Pigs tried their best to withstand the onslaught despite the numerical disadvantage, their spirited performance was not rewarded with a point when two minutes before the end of regulation time just-subbed-on Þorgríma Vigdis picked up the ball in the Tikariot penalty box and went for a run across three quarters of the pitch avoiding opposing defenders. She flicked the ball over to Callum Baines who took advantage of the tiring Guanacasteca defense and slotted the ball right through to Adrian Grimaud, who took the ball with the first touch and circled it around González to give Tikariot a late victory.

Tikariot 4-3 República Guanacasteca
2' 1-0 Jardel Connolly (A: Callum Baines)
15' 1-1 Sean Fuller (A: Ricardo Linton)
17' 1-2 Kenneth Ingram (A: Dylan Monterroza)
35' 2-2 Adrian Grimaud (A: Jardel Connolly)
54' 2-3 Kenneth Ingram (A: Ricardo Linton)
63' 3-3 Jardel Connolly (A: Stian Farnsrud)
88' 4-3 Adrian Grimaud (A: Callum Baines)

| Litman - Skogensberg 8' ( 62' Sirois), Jepson, Farnsrud, Jillson ( 46' Robbins) - Sukunda ( 55' Aird), Chamberlain ( 88' Þorgríma Vigdis), Baines - Nighthorse, Connolly ( 65' Armitage), Grimaud

| González 9' - Orellana, Rosas ( 89' Vargas), Monterroza, Góndola, Venegas 71' - Calderón 13' ( 88' Waston), Linton 20', Marín ( 81' Campbell) - Ingram ( 73' Peralta), Fuller ( 90' Ramírez)

Alistair McIntosh: For their next two games, Tikariot will now go on to meet Raspotochje away before returning to Tikariot to take on Oscioru at Ceramadhion's Lamarr Field. Back to you Kelvin.

Kelvin McDonnell: Thank you, Alistair. That's it for this edition of TBC News, make sure to stay tuned in for more news on the Soharrian landslide relief efforts.

OOC Disclaimer: Stadiums and news graphics have been made with Midjourney. The TBC logos are my creation.

by **Kelssek** » Sat Feb 11, 2023 8:25 pm

Draws are a problem, admits St-Louis

A 2-2 draw against British Covelandia cast a shadow over Zoé Goh-Lemaire’s first goal for Kelssek as manager François St-Louis admitted it was a poor result that could pose problems at the end of the qualifiers.

“There’s no excuses for that. It means we’ve used up some margin for error, but it’s always the case that we have to finish our side of the job,” St-Louis said, adding his players had been complacent in the second half.

Goh-Lemaire scored six minutes into her second appearance for the national team, volleying in Bryan Hartpoach’s cross. Goh-Lemaire put on the expected team-player script after the match, talking about how scoring her goal didn’t matter when the team dropped points, but couldn’t entirely hide her elation when she effusively credited her club manager at Passerine, Brigitte Coppinger, for helping make a dream come true.

“It’s been a lot of hard work and she’s been really strongly behind me, pushing me towards this accomplishment, so I’m really grateful for what she’s helped me to do, to grow as a player,” said Goh-Lemaire.

Danielle Maradrogba put Kelssek two goals up in the 39th minute as she took a slide-rule pass from former Association Ariddienne teammate Êsêkïl dí Völará through the defensive line and powered a shot past the British Covelandia goalkeeper. It all seemed like job done and time to set the cruise control, and that was precisely the problem. One scare quickly came on the stroke of half time when the ball was put into the Kelssek net, but the British Covelandia player was ruled marginally offside.

It was clear some planning for a response during the interval took place - or failed to. British Covelandia came out with greater intensity in the second half and Kelssek didn’t adjust to the change in tempo. Rocked briefly by conceding, St-Louis threw on Eamon Breault to shore up the midfield. But the fire wasn’t entirely put out and loose play in possession let the full back get into the byline to fire in a low cross that Loisé Camserhe was unfortunate to deflect past Cassie Mrythe in the Kelssek goal.

Goh-Lemaire is the third national team debutant to be brought in by St-Louis as he seeks to build a Kelssek team with his own imprint on it. Known for sending his club team blitzing down the flanks last season taking advantage of having two of the world's best wide players at Strathcona Internationals, with Kelssek he still benefits from having Bryan Hartpoach. St-Louis reiterated the dynamic, fluid approach that the younger generation of Kelssek players has been rediscovering will be his recipe going forward.

KELSSEK 2 – Breault (53’), Buené (59’)
Mrythe, Buené, Lambert, Camserhe, Earrach, Breault, Lapierre (Ducharne 66’), Ó Tuathail (Mann 73’), Hartpoach, Taleb (Ahmad 66’), Maradrogba (Goh-Lemaire 73’)
TANIRINTHIA 1 – Payne (81’)
Exhibition Place, Kirkenes (attn. 28,550)
BRITISH COVELANDIA 2 NaN (50’), Camserhe (o.g. 86’)
KELSSEK 2 – Goh-Lemaire (6’), Maradrogba (39’)
Mrythe, Earrach, Camserhe, Bream, Holman, Lafrenière (Breault 58’), dí Völará (Robin 74’), Hartpoach (Heer 80’), Mann, Goh-Lemaire, Maçon-Petrault (Lapierre 80’)

by **Huayramarca** » Sat Feb 11, 2023 9:38 pm

A Day in the Life of: Bryan Tello

By Carlos Humala

Speaking of Bryan Tello is speaking of great talent, humility and determination, characteristics that have made him establish, by hard work and dedication, as a legend of the Huayramarcan National Team. A significant player, one that has built identity among the fans, one that is the face of the National Team when playing, the one in charge of scoring goals and causing discomfort on goalkeepers. The Guayaquil-native player has given us a day to be with him, to talk and follow what he usually does in a game day, this time, it’s a match at Bollonich, for the 4^th matchday of the current World Cup Qualifiers.

It all starts early, Bryan thinks that is important to be awaken early and keep strict control of his circadian cycle, that means sleeping and waking up at a fixed moment of the day, everyday. He yawns, then says “Well, that’s it. It’s 6:30 a.m., I know, but I must be disciplined with how I sleep. I try to be disciplined and sleep at 10:30 p.m., it means that I’ll have eight hours of sleep guaranteed, ready to be fresh and active in the field.” He wakes up and drinks water, according to him, it should be the first thing our bodies taste in a day “Drink water, your body needs it always.” Then sits and prays, common sight for him.

After a 10 minutes prayer, Bryan comes to talk again, then says “I like to wake-up early, normally, my reaction timing will be better than my teammates ones due to it, also my muscles are active, something that can help if we decide to do some warm-up in the morning, a soft one because it’s matchday.” Then, I ask him about how he decided to play football “Hmm, football for me means entertainment, I wanted to scape from my daily routine back in Cumbayá, as I was walking back and forth from home to university while I studied philosophy. You know, if you believe in the fact that one might have a soul, that we need to provide it some pleasure, we need to provide our body some emotion.”

Tello continued to elaborate his answer, as I asked him “So, it was a thing to satisfy your need for something new?” Tello said “Yes, it was and it still is a driving force for it. See where we are now? I didn’t imagine that I would play three World Cups, visit a lot of nations and be a competitive player with some success. Discovering new feelings, new heights, new friends, and all what it means to be a professional footballer is something that makes me feel alive for good.” As it seems, Bryan is a player who’s driven for curiosity and a need to taste new experiences, but there’s something deeper we have to find about him.

“Why weren’t you satisfied with your routine?” He takes some time to answer, but continues “Studying philosophy made me find a new version of me, one that needs something new, one that makes me satisfy my need to excel and be the best on what I do. Ironically, I didn’t found myself excelling at philosophy, so I decided to give it a go (to football) and try myself in the call-ups that Omar Caicedo did back when we didn’t had a national team yet.” “Aha! So, Bryan tends to be somewhat of an egotist, he wants to be the best, he wants to set always a high standard of him, that’s an interesting point that I can think” I told him that, then said “You’re right, but in a healthy dose of egoism. I don’t want to be associated as a selfish player, I just want to enjoy success and give my family a reason to be proud of me, as they were disappointed when I took philosophy.” Said Tello.

“Why?” I asked, then he said “Well, they thought I wouldn’t have enough money for a living, that’s why they tried actively to discourage me to study, but I resisted and graduated from it. I actually enjoyed it because it made me find my real version of myself.” Bryan stood up and asked us for some time, as he wanted to take a shower, he added “I’m actually liking the fact that you’re making me vent my past and recognise how far I’ve done. We will continue in some minutes.”

Shaping an identity, a real reason to live your life, that’s what Tello has found in football after evaluating himself, taking some time to understand his own aspirations and cure some situations from its past… Not only that, it also means that he has managed to progress quite a lot, as he explains his situation as being in a point of stagnation. That’s the magic of football, a sport that changes lives for good, such as Bryan had experimented it a couple of years ago.

“Come back again! Said Bryan after finishing his shower, being fully dressed for the interview.” I entered, but with a different concept of Bryan, a player that has a life like a commoner does, with the same dilemmas and existential issues that had to address to be in a better place, psychologically-wise. I asked him “How the history of greatness started for you in the National Team?” Tello answered resolutely “My parents told me, they said ‘you may have to play to have something for a living’, then I decided to test myself and turns out I was a great fit, Omar called me immediately and said ‘you’re into my project, I’m sure that you’ll fit nicely.’ And I was surprised, so I got called to play the World Cup 85 Qualifiers.”

“How did you do to evolve as a player, coming from a neighbourhood and having almost zero experience as a footballer?” I asked, Tello took some time to remember and said “That’s an interesting question to be fair. As I was getting into this, I tried to get myself completely submerged and tried to investigate in internet about the routines of the multiverse’s finest, that would require a lot of discipline, for sure, but I was in complete disposition to do it, I wanted to give, and still want to give Huayramarca with my best when possible.” “Attention to detail of some top players of Nephara when we faced them back in World Cup 85, Ko-orenites at 86, Audioslaves at 87 and so on, it has been a path of knowledge and discovery of interesting routines that have made us reach this place, quite far, but we are still discovering things.”

“What did you feel when you went to Metropolis Alligators?” Tello smiles “Oh, it was like a milestone for me, reaching the point of leaving Huayramarca to play with the best in the multiverse, specially at a team that is quite a formidable competitor at IFCF competitions was great, it took some time to accommodate myself to the fact that I was in a different country, but I got support from my family, fans and the institution. I felt myself comfortable when I debuted, as I scored within the first minutes of the match, since then, it has been a great path so far with the Alligators.” Then, Bryan added “Reaching so far in some competitions abroad, being a great force in Valladares is always motivating, something that helped me to improve my level, to provide Huayramarca with a new set of skills that I was constantly learning and I have implemented successfully with the National Team.”

I asked “what kind of skills?” Tello said “discipline, self-control on my daily routine, and a sense of being a better player when reading the room during a match, being able to interpret the rival and try to overcome their efforts through my dedication and support to my teammates.” Then, we continued “Has this been possible with the help of your teammates?” Tello said “Of course, we, as team, have evolved quite a lot during the years, we have developed some nice chemistry and our talents in where we play, different circumstances in our lives have been useful to achieve it.” For example, “Sayritupac and Ian Mamani have been able to improve their field vision, their football IQ has gotten better and better through time, their experience abroad, and contact with different working methods have developed such a skillset they have.”

Bryan Tello had to go with the team, as it was already time for brunch, as the team’s nutritionist has decided to let them enjoy food quite early from matches, so they can have enough energy and be lighter weight-wise during the match. During the lunch, we saw the curious facet of Bryan with the players, the Tello that people love and appreciate, the dude who talks with everybody, has a paternalistic attitude and supports his teammates by counselling and by providing tips to get better.

Joking, taking with the players, getting involved with the team and manager and providing ideas for constant improvement, that’s Bryan Tello for you; a player with a high sense of camaraderie, leadership and empathy. After that, it was the time for the conversation with the manager, one that got quite interesting as they were examining closely how Bollonich was able to defeat Farfadillis 2-4 on the road, a shocking result at group 4 of the Qualifiers. Blâás Âgínsôgnó took some time to be careful and prepare a plan to avoid being shocked by the locals in the match, it was matter of planning how to do attacking transitions, keep high intensity and be clear in the objective of the match, outscoring the rival or keeping things always favourable for Huayramarca.

As time was coming, we asked Bryan about what he prefers to do when going to the stadium “I love to read books, be it from philosophy or tactics, I want to have some key concepts on mind and be able to replicate them through the game, not being predictable, instead, a walking pandora box. Aside from it, listening to music, perhaps some rock-like songs Dream and Make it from the iconic Tikariotian band of Emerald Palace.” He added “I love to dream, I love to make those dreams into a reality, that’s how I enjoy life. And I also want to contribute to the young players here with that, be a builder of their dreams and ambitions, guide them to beat my legacy; that’s how I’ll be satisfied.” They boarded the bus, and Tello bid farewell, so it was thing of following what the Lion King could do in the pitch. As the players came into the field, the small group of 1,000 Huayramarcans asked for photos and some autographs, then match came and Bollonich imposed their home status with an early goal. Huayramarca had to work from behind, but a double from Tello (a header and a filtered pass) managed to put the Condors in the lead, just to be equalised before halftime.

A 2-2 draw, in a hostile environment at the road will always be good, Huayramarca has some room for improvement and arrangement that has to be done before the decisive match against Sargossa at Guayaquil, a match that will see two teams with unbeaten record, although the Corsairs are in a perfect pace with a 4-0-0 record. Bryan Tello said some words “A point is better than no one, it is good to recognise that we need to improve, to have a clear frame of what to do and be able to prepare ourselves for the match against Sargossa. We need to be aware that it will be an important match, so we have to be focused on getting the optimal scenario for us, through grit, constant improvement and determination to be the best.”

In the next episode, we will have a talk with Gabriel Sayritupac, one of the most interesting players of the Huayramarcan National Team, one that was able to overcome difficult situations in his early years and became a football star for Huayramarca, one that has been able to shine internationally at IFCF-sanctioned competitions in the past. A decisive player that will talk with us to settle an example for those who struggle with alcoholism.

by **Valanora** » Sat Feb 11, 2023 9:39 pm

Elune pondered her situation as she floated aimlessly through her current location and how she had wound up in this particular perdiciment. She remember a promise to a being even older than she to scout out parts of an unknown region of space to her and combat a growing darkness, where the darkness itself was a creature to whom she would have to do battle with. It had been a bit of a grueling process, yet through the grace and strength granted to her from her ascension to godhood by the Lady Gladerial, she had managed to whittle it down through time until it was but a shadow of its once great encompassing self. The beings that had inhabited this world had attempted to aid the darkness and struck out at the elven goddess, yet like a lamb to slaughter, she put those day to with a strike of her blade. In terms of martial prowess, she was not going to be made undone, she had honed her skills in life and godhood and it would take some overwhelming, divinely inspired talent to be able to best her through the means of martial ability.

Unfortunately for Elune, her current situation could not be solved through the strength of arms as her initial confrontations had been able to be done so. Would it have been that easy, perhaps she would not have been here for what felt like many decades now, though understanding the scope of time had long since been a challenge she had given up on, as the initial endless darkness had forbade her the ability to easily track the passage of time. Perhaps it had been mere months, perhaps it had been centuries, she was entirely unsure, even since having shrunk the darkness into nothing but a mere shadow that was contained by the light of a nearby star and moon. The sun gives the star not assuming a debt be paid by that it can continue to share the brilliance that is the light with the worlds of the system even when they are not facing it. That radiance continues from dawn till dusk and until dawn comes once more, so long as the path remains open to do so. A path that she had cut her way through, slashing and slicing and piercing with bow and blade until the forces of the dark were brought low.

Her victory however also brought her defeat, for when a realm is completely made up of darkness and that has not known light since perhaps even its inception, the sudden onslaught that it brings does not always result in the expected consequences. Elune found that out a difficult way, have crusaded against the darkness until it was all but removed from existence only to find herself not upon solid ground. She was lost in this distant realm, not even sure if she was in the same level of existence or plane as that of her beloved Silverymoon and all of her children. They were like as not to be quite frustrated and concerned about her absence, whether it had been bought months or many many years since last she had spoke with them. Hunger could not take her, the absence of breathable air in the vaccum of space neither could snuff out the life of the elven goddess, for the divine are not so easily perished. Yet she could not escape either and if she could, she knew not what direction to be heading or if she needed to attempt to pass through a different plane of existence altogether.

Seeing no other alternative, she attempted to reach out telepathically to the Elder Gods, as well as any of the elves on Silvermoon who might have been waiting for her call. "This is Elune. If any of my children can hear me, know that I am alive and I am... adrift in an unknown place or realm. If any of the Elder Gods are listening, your servant requires assistance should I be deemed worthy of such so that I may continue to fulfill my duties in service to you oh mighty ones."

by **Milchama** » Sat Feb 11, 2023 10:06 pm

"Good start"

"Great start"

"Really nice to see everything coming up Warriors"

"Agreed"

"It's nice to win in one thing"

"Yep, though we did win in two things"

"Fair enough"

"Still it feels like we're losing"

"Yep"

"Why though?"

"Because of media perception"

"What do you mean?"

"The media is expecting more from us this time and it feels bad"

"They literally hung a giant Mission Accomplished banner after the baseball team made it to the quarterfinals"

"Yeah the MBA has lower standards than the MFA, we knew this already"

"I guess that's fair, though they have fired a manager already while the MFA has not"

"Yeah and the football has generally overperformed expectations while the baseball team has not"

"I guess"

"Thus the mission accomplished banner"

"True"

"Or is it just an elaborate troll of Drawkland?"

"You know it might be"

"You just came up with this right now"

"Definitely but it still might be"

"Well it wasn't supposed to be that way"

"Right"

"Anyway, what about the football team?"

"We're in first place with an unblemished record that's wonderful"

"True"

"What else do you want?"

"I agree, what else is there to want?"

"So then we're good"

"Basically"

"So all we need to do is to keep winning"

"Yep"

"That's pretty nice"

"Yep"

"So then it's pretty clear what we need to do"

"What's that?"

"Keep winning"

"Oooh, I like that idea"

"Do you think we can do that?"

"Man I hope so"

"Me too brother, me too"

by **Srubnaya culture** » Sat Feb 11, 2023 10:32 pm

Srubnaya News Association Special News Broadcast

World Cup XCIII

At the end of game 4 Srubnaya is playing .750 after a loss to Lozho with the team scoring an additional 3 goals total. Which puts them at the 3rd seed in the cutoff. While this doesn't seem like too much of a setback it seems that Lozho is a team that Srubnaya can't beat. However, the game against Saterun was a 2-0 victory due to the perfect performance from the defense in that game.

Game 3 (Saterun 0–2 Srubnaya Culture- 3-0)
Uxtamazata Neapolis had another good performance this game. After some mishaps in the first 15 minutes he scored a goal from 15 yards out at 16 '. The defense tried their best to contain him, but this allowed his teammates openings that were exploitable, which is exactly what happened during minute 63 ' where Uxtamazata passed to Amatticus Saulius. After about 45 seconds of dribbling around defenders he performed a Bending Shot that went in.

From then on the defense was in control of the game, blocking a total of 2 shot attempts by the enemy team. Along with well placed tackles that set up possible goals that never were. It didnt stop their momentum though, and they played their hearts out for all 90 of those minutes. This is the type of effort Srubnaya fans loved to see from their team, and this was the type of effort that would win them a championship.

In the stands Srubnaya fans were cheering for their team. Having brought up a lot of the merchandise that Vladimir Ivanov and his marketing team had released Recently in order for fans to support their team. It was quite the spectacle to see the Black and Yellow that thousands of Srubnaya fans wore, as they chanted a multitude of encouraging messages to the players.

It was said that 15,000 fans appeared for that game, including some social media influencers who recorded the game live for their fans to watch. Gaining hundreds of thousands of views from across the nation and undermining the Presidential speech that was taking place about the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.

"Srubnaya put up another great preformance tonight indeed. These are the types of preformances that will win us the championship, we simply need to continue seeing these and our boys will end up holding the cup in no time"- Sports Critic Zarchal Ibram
Game 4 (Srubnaya Culture 1–2 Lozho- 3-1)
In game four Lozho pulled through after an outside shot from Paxton Obamovich at 88 ' put Lohzo in the lead. Before this Zed Zoan scored a Chip Shot off a well-placed pass from Fatrouza Smith at 17 '. This came after he had managed to beat the defenders to a deflection from Ariapeithes Kozlov. He even managed to put the ball between the Legs of Skula Johnson.

As for Srubnaya they scored their first goal and only goal at 33 ' when Uxtamazata Neapolis kicked an inaccurate Straight shot that was saved by a header from Palacus Konstantinidis who had managed to sneak past the defenders at the last second. From then on however some missed goal attempts at 48 ' and at 89 ' which both involved Uxtamazta Neapolis ended up causing Srubnaya to loose 1-2.

There wasn't too much action in-between those goals however, although possession switched between the two teams quite often. The average possession time only being for 20 seconds. As for the fan numbers, it was estimated that 40,000 fans had come to this game, since it was a home game, so while fan attendance could be better the 75,000 Capacity Srubnaya Stadium was faring pretty well.

"This was a disappointing performance indeed. The defense wasn't tight enough and it seems the last three games had gotten to their heads. They need to be able to keep their heads up though, because there are still another set of hard games coming up for them. Not all is lost if they can keep their composure."- Sports Critic Zarchal Ibram

Other News

Peace talks between our two warring Neighbors are still ongoing as Putin and Zelensky couldnt agree on where the new border should stop. While Putin wanted all the land he had taken, Zelensky wouldnt give up any of his territory. The fighting has become more feirce as more artillery shots can be heard along the border with Russian occupied Ukranian lands. Dogfights in the sky have also broken out with one even managing to penetrate Srubnaya airspace before both planes quickly turned tail and returned to their base.

A Training day
Vladimir gathered the team togther and began having them do drills, Uxtamazata Neapolis and Amatticus Saulius worked on scoring drills. While Chersonesus Lapadasues and the other mid feilders would work on passing drills. The defense would work on taclking and goal saving drills and then everyone would rotate after about 45 minutes. This training regiment lasted for 3 hours giving everyone ample time to practice.

Some loyal fans came to watch and record some snippets for the outside world to see, no longer than twenty seconds long. It was still more than enough to garnish social media attention with smaller networks broadcasting some of the goals that were scored in a
45 minute scrimmage game that took place right after the training was over. The score ended up being 3-4 which was a sign that everyone had made progress in the last year.

"I wonder if we will actually be able to make it this year" Uxtamazta said to the other forward Amatticus as they walked back to the locker rooms.

"If we can mimic the performances of the first three games we had, I know we will get to the knockout stage for sure." Amatticus replied.

"If we can do better than mimicking the performances of the last three games, we could easily make it to the championship round"

Added Chersoneses who had followed behind the two, he was carrying an energy drink with him while most of the other players were either on their phones or having other conversations.

"Thats a good point. Striving to be better would aid all of us in the long run." Uxtamazta replied after 3 seconds.

"Well, we are going to have to train more if that's the case, I'm sure all the other teams are training too, but not tonight, Its 9 pm and im looking forward to getting back to the hotel we were staying in for some sleep!"

Amatticus was indeed tired, as he had worked the hardest today. He was already lagging behind his two comrades, so it was probably a good idea for him to get some rest. Everyone else went to party or catch up on some of their favorite shows. There was also the fact that Amatticus stayed up late the night before, so he was going to need more than 8 hours to make up for what he had lost.

by **Guanacasteca** » Sat Feb 11, 2023 10:38 pm

David Arellano was, somehow, alive after the Guanacastecan Army HQs ere blasted by a dissident pilot decided to give them a taste of what the people in the nation was suffering. He was suffering pain; he wasn’t able to walk without support as one of his legs was crushed under rubble. Some days after that happening, the Government called the people to stand in arms against the army, to take some positions and try to force military officers to join the ranks of the “people’s revolution.”

It was, indeed, a convulse time for this Republic, still, a usual day at Pavola; the pilot who performed the act against the army was working things in Nyowani Kitara, perhaps a counterstrike against the military, learning from the experience of Kitaran dissidence during their massive conflict. Two forces trying to still beat the other, to gain effective control of the country and make sure to inflict a heavy hit, or even a KO defeat. A desire of freedom vs a desire of continuing and perpetuating a tradition of dominance against people, to keep military privilege flying high at Guanacasteca.

People attended the call from the government, they were in the streets demanding for a change on how military does things, or even its demobilisation due to the damage caused to the society in the form of: arbitrary arrests, executions and massacres in fear of possible opposition to their rule. People went near the barracks, everybody asking military officers to leave the barracks and join into the movement, to throw their guns away and create a new República Guanacasteca. At the south of Guanacasteca, officers were burning their gun stock and joining with the people into the protest, asking the same to other positions in the region in cities like Tibás, Cartago, Heredia, etc.

It was somewhat surprising and pleasant to see how the officers were acting peacefully, setting their barracks on fire and moving up north to ask their Northern counterparts to join into the gestures and movements. Meanwhile, at Carazo, in the north, people also joined to protest against the officers, but they weren’t in disposition to leave and support, instead, they were awaiting to see if things could escalate from the people, just acting like mere spectators. “Free Guanacasteca, Death to the Army!” was the chant, and also “Join to us, Let’s Build Freedom!” the protest, made by students of the local university, was successful on attracting people from all the western side of the Republic, pressing block by block to let the military officers unable to respond in non-lethal ways.

An officer of the army was expectant, he has his eyes on the sight of his rifle, awaiting orders from Arellano itself, who was close to the premises; he talked with a colleague who said “Are we really going to kill them?” The officer replied “If given the order to do so, we will do. It’s a matter of prestige and authority, we can’t lose our legacy of superiority among the inhabitants, we are the army, we are a glorious institution.” The colleague replied “They’re people like us, no point on keeping a fake pride while supressing and violating basic rights.” Officer Gutiérrez, who was with the sight, told him “Go with them, leave if you want.” The colleague left and threw his gun away, he wanted to join with the people as he wasn’t capable to hold a rifle against them and kill.

Gutiérrez, in the other hand, had different plans. “I don’t care anymore, he is a traitor, I’ll shoot no matter what, not even Arellano.” He adjusted the sight and aimed to the head of Captain José García, the defector, meanwhile people were clapping at him for his valiant decision. “It takes a lot of character to leave those pigs and join to the rightful side of the history.” Said a protester, García said “I can’t kill you all, I just want pea…” A shot was heard from inside the barracks, Gutiérrez aimed and shot García at his back, killing him instantly.

Acting in fear, in survival mode, the protesters took stones and Molotov cocktails to throw them inside the barracks, also, a protester ran to take García’s gun, shooting some officers in that moment before being killed. The shots were fired, people’s ire was present but wasn’t able to run unopposed by the army, who decided to open lethal ammunition against those in the crowd, killing approximately 235 people. Fate was sealed, Guanacasteca left ‘cold war’ and now was headed into a fully-fledged war between militarists and republicans.

by **Pemecutan** » Sat Feb 11, 2023 10:51 pm

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

10 am. The situation at the hotel is quite busy. Other delegations have arrived. At the same hotel as Pemecutan delegation, there's delegation from Soracana Islands and Cakranegara. Both are just arrived this morning. Just like Pemecutan, each country's delegation occupy 1 floor of the hotel. While on the other side of the hotel, Patih Madya Kusumajaya is waiting at the small meeting room in the hotel. He will have a private meeting with Gili Anakan's prime minister, Satya Eriawan. Kusumajaya is a little worry as Satya haven't arrive yet. They are agree to meet at 10 am.

"Kemala, are you sure about the confirmed hour?" ask Kusumajaya through the phone to his secretary. He listen carefully to what Kemala says. It seems that Satya deliberately stalling the time to avoid meeting with Cakranegara delegation.
"So how long will I have to wait?" he ask again. "Is it possible to change location? I think it's better that way to prevent anything that might happened," suggest Kusumajati.
He wait for confirmation from Kemala. "Alright. It's settled then. Thank you, Kemala," he say ended the conversation.

Kusumajaya stand up and walk away from the room. He ask the driver to prepare for the car. The meeting is officially moved.

Finally We Meet

Satya Eriawan waited patiently at the confirmed location. His meeting with Pemecutan Patih Agung have to be moved to avoid any clash with Cakranegaran delegation. Gili Anakan issue is very sensitive for them. The new location is the meeting room in another hotel that is also use by the delegations. It is Gili Anakan's delegation place of stay during the inter-states meeting.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Eriawan. Have you waited too long?" greet Kusumajaya while he shakes the hand of Eriawan.
"Not at all, Mr. Kusumajaya. Nice to finally meeting you," say Eriawan.
Both of them then sit on their position. As it is a private meeting, no reporters are allowed to capture the moment.

"How's Gili Anakan's? I always hope I can visit it sometimes," ask Kusumajaya.
"Everything is under control, Mr. Minister. Thanks to the military presence," answer Eriawan.
"No threats?" Kusumajaya ensure.
Eriawan nodded. "Since the bombing incident nothing is happening. The change of government in Cakranegara seems to bring more stability in the area," explain Eriawan.
"That's good to hear," say Kusumajaya in relieve.
"But honestly Mr. Minister. I don't really understand why do you want us to meet?" ask Eriawan in curiousity.
Kusumajaya clear his throat.
"I believe with Gili Anakan's presence, the issue will be mention. I just want to ensure about the condition there. How's people perspective towards Gili Anakan's status? And their allegiance," says Kusumajaya.

Eriawan pause for a second. They way Kusumajaya ask him feels like he is afraid of something.

"Mr. Minister. I can assure you that everything is fine. The polls opinion is still high towards Pemecutan. Nothing will change that," assure Eriawan.
"How high?" ask Kusumajaya.
"Around 70%," Eriawan answer firmly.
"That's not enough," murmur Kusumajaya.
"What do you mean?" Eriawan become more curious.

Kusumajaya sighing. "If Gili Anakan is force to do a referendum it will be chaotic. The opinion could swing hardly," Kusumajaya finally reveal his worriness.
"Do you think that might happen? I mean the referendum?" ask Eriawan.
"That's a high possibility," he paused for a second. "If the issue can't be resolved diplomatically referendum will be the last resort to see the opinion from the residents themselves," he explain.
"Can't I object the talk? It never cross our mind to be part of Cakranegara. We're good on ourself," said Eriawan with a fiery tone.
"It possible. But referendum result will end the possibility of the same topic be raise again," say Kusumajaya.
"Let's just hope no such things will happened. We already object everytime Cakranegaran government demand our recognition over their sovereignty. We already happy with this position," confirmed Eriawan.
"I'm happy with your statement," say Kusumajaya in a relieve.

The meeting is ended with a joint lunch of both leaders. Their presence together drive the attention of local and regional media. Many speculations arise of what's happening behind the lunch meeting.

by **Qasden** » Sat Feb 11, 2023 11:09 pm

Munson Mania: Hope Hemorrhages Further
By Tex Preston
The frosty introduction to Qasden's next managerial era felt as frigid as an ice slush to the fleshy power cores. Somehow, that was a time we can now remember as one of warmth.

Valentijn Munson was identified as the nation's ace in the hole to supplement the country with footy good times following the devastation endured under her predecessor's final career remarks. Her nuanced envision of a centralized playing style, thought to be a revolutionary catalyst towards future play, has yet again failed to drum up any worthwhile results, johning the principality's most loyal and dedicated to question the very status of her employment just 4 matches in.

Coming off a rough welcome home in Destiny, few believed, for even a second, that optimism would come through in Qasden's monstratospheric mission against the group's one true titan, Græntfjall. The Rushmori Rangers of Ragnarok, at the time of the match, stood a hundred pennies ahead of us in a 3 dollar ranking system, meaning the bookies wouldn't even entertain the idea of an upset in front of an explosive crowd in Háttmark. The Snow Wolves, for their part, held up their side of the bargain with home fans, doing so by simply eviscerating our offensive attempts, dominating possession of play, and ruling out the weak and the wretched from a shamrambling defensive shack. The Qads put up their dukes, of course, even if their feeble attempts to stop the oncoming blizzard was to be all in vain. A pair of balls dropped past Thurstan over the course of the big 90, and before one could even recommend a brand of cereal to their friend (Tabby O's supremacy), the match was written like whittled wood. The performance was depressing, but hopelessly expected, given the nature of the whole environment the Blue-Reds had going into this match. Despite this low, the Vans, in all their unsaturated glory, decided to slap back at the haters by topping off one of the worst starts to a Qualifier campaign in national history.

Up on the board next was a visit to the then-unknown Talamia, an obscurer team coming off devastation of their own in a 1-5 thrashing at the hands of Adab. Ignoring the group standings up to this point, the match, by all means, looked winnable. The Hoopoes, despite quadrupling our goal count by thus point in the tournament, had a rather weak defensive showing, allowing a staggering 13 goals across 3 matches. Defense was not their forte, it had seemed, so by all means, even the most pessimistic of fans considered this game to give us something to work with. 90 dreadful minutes struck by, the locker rooms filled with tears of insurmountable disappointment. Genivieve Orville was lucky enough to nick in a header from an aloof-looking corner, but as the whistle's waiting waned, the back lot of bouncers just couldn't keep their cleats on for a few more minutes, precariously allowing the Talamians to sneak one in to spoil the first real sense of hope for victory. A 1-1 draw spawned a thousand sighs of somberness. After 4 matches, 2 against opponents considered beatable, the Vans could only scrounge up a measly 2 points, the worst showing for such a timeline in modern day history.

At this point, all eyes are daggered on Munson. Her celebrated quarter-final appearance at AOCAF lost its magic the second it cowered into the Qualifiers. Her ambitions broke social norms in ways no one expected, making people actually miss the eras of Zimari and Darsten. A horrid reboot to an organization that now stands at a mortifying 11th place out of 12. The jig is up, Valentijn and the Vans are gonna need a miracle to keep their ties together. Thankfully, their next pair of foes don't seem to contain any snow nor wolves, but the alignment of the 4 competing nations closest to us in ranking led soft-talking pundits to dub the apparent final gambit of Munson 'Murderer's Row'. Travelling back to Qasden, the Vans will kick this leg off with a reunion of sorts.

Natanians and Nosts have seen bouts with the Blue-Reds for longer than I care to properly investigate at this time. The twin Esportivan subregions find themselves as our nearest neighbor in regards to the group rankings, standing just 14 rungs below us. Like Calcio Calico, the baby blue's current state is less than canny, with recent L's to both Stevencousin and the Snow Wolves placing them just above us on the overall table. The good news is that they're no Græntfjall; the bad news, they're not no Talamia, either. The Double N specializes itself with a fierce back-heavy method of engagement, which, while certainly mixed in terms of results, can be a worrisome foil to our soft offense. Yuezhou grazed right past them, but where the N's show their fangs is with the result of their 2nd match: a victory over our first defeaters in Ceni. The unnervingness of the situation at hand is one that'll call for Munson's neck, and the bellows of satisfaction-starved Qads are expected to leave the walls of Merellin Park quaking for her head unless results can be made. Regardless, there will be, at least, one other opponent that Munson has to face before Judge Jury can Execute, and who better to be that pivotal piece than the Group Darlings themselves.

Normally, battling the Baptism of Fire champions is one to find interesting and joyful. After all, Kirungabi's smooth transition from newcomer to bracket buster has been welcomed ceremoniously by the chaos-seekers of qualifiers. Unfortunately for us, however, the volcanically defensive nature of these bronze star beholders introduce themselves in Qad media as the crux of careerhood for our 2nd Captain. While more focused on stopping a wayward ball, these Rushmori Rug Rats are far more capable of causing calamity for its opponents, first displayed triumphantly in their near-flawless domination of the first-timer's tourney in Mertagne, blitzing past Archalit to garner the gagner fresh outta the oven. That geothermal power hasn't steamed off any of its simmer in the qualifiers, either, as Kirungabi have shown themselves to be versatile adversaries tangoing with dangerous opponents, drawing things with the fearful Yuezhou and holding their overall GD to the humble 0. The devastation they could cause is palpable, and with Imisozi's Stade Inganji cheering them on, it's gonna be one hell of a fight for Munson's life in the Cup's early hours.

That's all I can report for now. Could the Vans finally wake up and garner the essential points vital to their role in this game? Or will Munson the Mole burrow the Blue-Reds further into consideration for her early departure? Stay tuned, stay updated, and stay alert for future reports, rising slowly from the simmering pot of the 93rd World Cup campaign!

by **Darmen** » Sat Feb 11, 2023 11:14 pm

Koronavia 0–2 Darmen
Toro; O'Hara (sub Candelaria 85'), Snyder, Böhm, Ó Madaidhín; Park (sub Tobias HT), Wolfe, van der Vennen (sub Weaver 62'), Aleshire (sub Falkner 75'); January, Hale (sub Lee 75')
GOALS Aleshire 36', January 71'

Darmen 1–1 The Republic of Covelandia
Carver; Perrin (sub Adler 78'), Ryer, Eriksen, Kneib (sub MacFarlane 70'); Trudeau, Lloyd (sub Fairburn 70'), Loritz, Spencer; Travers (sub Santiago 86'), Boon (sub Emmitt 86')
GOALS Boon 38'

Interior Secretary Acknowledges Concern About Notional Situationists
SCOTT CITY - Henrik Augustine, Secretary of State for the Interior, made several remarks today in his routine weekly press conference which will either go down as an important moment in Darmeni history or ultimately be relegated to the footnotes of a poorly peer reviewed 11th grade history text book.

"It has come to the attention of the National Investigation Bureau and by extension therefore the Interior Department, that a certain group known as the Notional Situationists has at least some presence in Darmen," claimed Augustine. Augustine further stated that the group, "... appears to be fairly young in its origins. Despite this, our intelligence suggests that it has established a network capable of sophisticated operations spanning multiple nations, regions and probably even dimensions."

Rumors about the existence of the group have been swirling around Darmeni social media and message boards for the past couple of weeks, with a number of conspiracy theories developing about the group and its motives. While most commentors seemed only curious about the group, others seemed worried that the group posed a serious threat and that it's activities could have disastrous effects for the world.

Augustine admitted that Darmeni authorities do not yet have a firm grasp on the group's intentions or even its ideology, although the Secretary seemed to think that the Notional Situationists were in the same boat on the latter point. "All we can say so far, with the limited information we have available to us, is that they seem to have a fascination with the occult. In particular, their leader, Rudolf Hittner, appears to be a rabid collector of ancient artefacts he believes have supernatural powers."

Secretary Augustine is reportedly seeking the help of Darmen's Ministry of Magic in collating a list of any ancient or magical artefacts located in Darmen which might pique the interest of the Notional Situationists and securing them in an effort to stymie the group's efforts in Darmen.

Sibyl Radcliff, head of the Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Artifacts, itself a subagency of the Department of Magical Research and Regulation, is fairly confident that the Notional Situationists won't be successful if they try to retrieve any magical objects within Darmen. "Our laws make it very clear that the local wizarding population is to keep objects which may be used for magic secure so that they don't fall into Muggle hands. I'm sure the Muggle Interior Department will be most pleased when we present our list of unsecured objects to them and they see how short it is."

Radcliff stated that the only potential object to her knowledge that might be of interest to the Notional Situationists is the ancient crystalline statue of Aloysius Bristlecone, a famous wizard from the 17th century. "It's public knowledge that the statue of Mister Bristlecone is located just outside of Piddleton deep in the Tyger forest. It's long been said that sitting on the statue's lap will allow one to see the future, but as far as my Department's aware, that's all hogwash."

Radcliff would go on to state, "Well actually, now that I say that, as far as my Department's aware, we're not entirely convinced that it actually is a statue of Mister Bristlecone. You see, the statue's proportions aren't exactly what the average viewer would consider human and the head's gone missing. No idea where its rolled off to. Frankly, we're not even convinced the statue has any connection to the local wizarding population, but don't tell that to the nearby Muggle bed and breakfast. Their... um, what do you call it... website is it... seems to make it clear beyond doubt that the statue and the myths attached to it are totally legit."

by **Xanneria** » Sat Feb 11, 2023 11:23 pm

Xanneria splits Melbergia / Milchama games
excerpt from - http://www.xtrasports.xan

XANNERIA - Melbergia came in and saw a good game of football, but it's the opponent that had the good game. The Maroons saw a hat trick from Dillon Hailey and excellent saves from keeper Ashton Shaley. The game was played at the CIty of Hawthorne Stadium with a crowd of 54,320. Dillon Hailey got things going in minute 20. A header from just beyond the goal area. Hailey added on just nine minutes later as he got by a pair of Melbergian defenders and directed a pass from Robbie Gordon into goal. Melbergia Got one in right before half after a penalty kick set them up. Xanneria took control in the second half, playing a much more slowly paced game, but that didn't stop them from scoring. Jari Juups of Galaxy SC got one past the keeper after a goal kick came right back at the Melbergians. Lastly Dillon Hailey finished up his hattrick with a brilliant goal. He deaked out Melbergia goalies gently tapping the ball by the sliding goalie then re-gaining control of it and shooting a nice goal from about 10 feet away.

XANNERIA - 4
D. Hailey 19' 28' 84'
Juups 55'

MELBERGIA -1
TBD 40'

The Milchama game was a bit different, and not in a good way. Misty weather and grey skies forecast a miserable day for the Maroons as Milchama won 3-2 and the game was never close as the score indicated. Milchama had the Maroons right where they needed them at all times. by time a half an hour was over they were already in a comfortable lead and would hold on despite a little bit of trouble late when they allowed a long distance goal. Milchama's Dee Schnieder stole the show though. A reserve traditionally on the Miclhaman national team, Schnieder was asked to start at forward for the team against Xanneria. Schneider took control of the situation early on when he took a shot on goal, a sliding Max Smith went to defend it but the ball hit his foot and changed trajectory to place where goalie Evan Jefferson Jr couldn't reach. Then Schneider took a pass from Elliot Flok who had already beat his defender and the keeper who in fairness was playing to far up, and then scored. Allison Burnes took a shot at the 35 minute mark to bring the Maroons within one. Milchame would never let them get that close again! Although, a long sniper shot from Allie Jordan made it a one goal game, but that was in the 92nd minute and the Warriors of Milchama held on.

Next weeks matchup against Southern Palm Islands will be pushed back in its starting time by one hour as the TV Broadcast on XTRA at 3:00pm will be coverage of the upcoming speach put out by by the Commandant of Xanneria in regards to conflict in Atlantian Oceania.

XANNERIA - 2
Burnes 35'
Jordan 90+2'

MILCHAMA -3
Schneider 11' 28'
Interlasskoti 77'

World Cup 81/82/83/84

© Sporting Times Weekend 2023
Bees take all the points ahead of showdown with Turori
by Mindy Cartwright, National Soccer Editor

The Baker Park National Team rebounded from an uneven opening international doubleheader to get their Group 13 campaign back on track with wins over newcomers Strayan Rus and repeat qualifying opponents Cheetahs & reptiles Coalsion, now moving into the solid heart of the fixture list as they welcome Turori to the BBP National Stadium followed by a trip to Santa Margarita for a second visit to the Estadio Metropolitano Maximo Encarcion in Montana Verde.

It will seem like just yesterday that the Bees and Eels faced off, although it's been since Eagles Cup 15 when they met in the 3rd Place Match of the Cocoa-bo Challenge Trophy—if you forget the fact that they also played home & home in the group stage as well, splitting away day triumphs for the second time in the EC. The other two matches between the nations were in the World Cup Final itself—yeah, they split those as well, 1-0 each way. This eighth matchup will probably not be the defining moment for either side on the road to Chromatika and Tumbra, but it can probably set the tone for how the rest of the first half qualifying will shake out.

The venue is the same, but the nation is certainly far different from the inaugural WCQ match for Montana Verde's Condors in cycle 88; Baker Park's 4-1 win was overshadowed by the events that occurred in a distant village, where a car bomb killed dissident priest Father Sebastian Mariano Ruiz; the return fixture at the Newport City Stadium was marked by a massive demonstration of BP citizens in solidarity with a handful of traveling supporters to highlight the killing along with the disappearance of President Diego Alejandro Santangel.

The nation has also made significant recovery from a massive humanitarian disaster in the wake of an earthquake and subsequent tsunami 2 years ago, to which the Commonwealth has contributed aid; the FAC will present a check to the FMVdF to help rebuild playfields and facilities for youth soccer in recognition of the members of the MV National Team that currently perform in the National League in Baker Park.

Rose McCormack turned away just 3 shots in claiming her 9th NT clean sheet against Strayan Rus in Shirley; Carly Logan, Serena McDavid and Freddie Altman provided the 3-0 cushion by halftime that allowed Jennifer Prescott to use the bench in the second half, with Elena Diaz adding a fourth on 71 minutes; Rod Callaway got back to form after the match in Atheara to claim the win against Cheetahs & reptiles, with Chandra Mack, Amy Knight and Christa Vuckovic's 31st international goal the total offensive output in a 3-1 decision.

Squad list MD 5-6

MD 5 vs Turori @BBP National Stadium, Belle Haven (72,000):
Johnston (C); Brooks, Kucera, Bauer; Eichorn, Wiley, Vetter, Altman; D'Amico; Coleman, Gibson
subs--McCormack, Allen, Edmonds, Park, S Logan, Boyle, McDavid, Price, Harris

MD 6 vs Montana Verde @Estadio Metropolitano Maximo Encarcion, Santa Margarita (41,000)
McCormack; Allen, Edmonds, Freeman; Park, Olivera, S Logan, Boyle; McDavid; Price, Harris
subs--Rossi, Kucera, Bauer, Eichorn, Vetter, Shanahan, D'Amico, Moorman, Gibson

by **Oberour Ar Moro** » Sat Feb 11, 2023 11:39 pm

"So, what does Reneuven do?" asked the attendee.

"We do bioslurping," said Ivon, the young man behind the booth.

"Bioslurping?" asked the man with slightly exaggerated interest. "What's that?"

"Well," Ivon wound up his pitch and dove in. "Bioslurping was designed to deal with groundwater petroleum contamination, hydrocarbons and benzene and the like. It uses vacuums to remove light non-aqueous phase liquids and their associated vapors. Bioslurping minimizes water table fluctuations, and our system allows for the discharge of groundwater."

Through this entire explanation Ivon had a water bottle in his hand. A water filtering bottle specifically, emblazoned with the logo for Reneuven. A free water filtering bottle for any CORNCOB attendee who stopped by the booth. It made perfect sense, to Ivon at least. Reneuven removed hydrocarbons from groundwater, the water bottle's filter removed impurities from your tap water. But at least 20 other booths at CORNCOB also had water bottles. And all the way back at booth 820 in Convention Site C, any visitors to the booth had a water bottle in their bag already. Or two. Or three. So Ivon had not given away any water bottles.

He had packed the several boxes of bottles he had ordered himself and took them to Regium International Airport personally. When he landed in Græntfjall he then packed the boxes into a rental van at Háttmark International and carted them to the convention center in Altendalur directly. He did not want to bring them back to the Dominion with him.

He was half inclined to start trying to sell attendees on the qualities of the water bottles more than bioslurping.

The attendee nodded. "I see," he said. "Do you have a brochure or anything I can take with me?"

"Absolutely. Here you go." Ivon put some information documents in the man's hand. "Do you need a water bottle? It comes with a filter."

"No, sorry, I've already got two. Thanks for your time." The man nodded and moved on to the next booth. Ivon seethed.

But coming up the aisle was another attendee. Ivon gathered himself up. Another chance to sell the fantastic concept of bioslurping, and the fantastic water bottles with Reneuven logos on them.

by **Ceni** » Sat Feb 11, 2023 11:40 pm

To Triumph, To Hope
Chapter Five: Caribbean Blue
Alternate title: The Risk Management of Ovaltine

Andrew Arrowsword and Liam Penderyn sat facing each other at their Whitehaven condo in silence.

The sunset in the distance had left reds and oranges streaking through the sky, but the light had faded. So Andrew and Liam sat facing each other at the table in the darkness, too.

They silently stewed over the radical proposition that Sarah had dropped on them like a leaden brick only a few hours earlier: She had asked them to join her on an immortality quest to the legendary land of TiSoFah. If they succeeded, they would live forever. If they failed, they would only live on in the history books alongside the names of the foolhardy filibusters who had thought that they could cheat death and live to tell about it.

How would the Quest work? They had asked at the fateful encounter with Andrew's half-sister, lubricated with copious libations. Sarah didn't know, or wouldn't say -- she had too much alcohol in her to think straight. Even by Drawkian standards.

After escorting Sarah to their guest bedroom, Andrew and Liam sat down to have a serious chat. And that's how they ended up at the kitchen table, facing the water, sitting in silence.

Liam broke the ice. "Are we seriously thinking about going through with this?" he asked. "If this isn't the literal definition of a fool's errand or a wild goose chase, I don't know what is."

"Wouldn't you enjoy spending the rest of our lives together" Andrew asked. "I mean -- we're getting to the point where we should think about getting married."

Liam reacted a bit more forcefully than he thought he would. "Marriage and -- this -- this -- this Quest are two totally different things!" He struggled to articulate his words. "I love you, but not to the point where I would want to risk everything that we have just so that we can keep your half-sister company while she goes off to do something totally and entirely rash!"

"Think about it!" said Andrew, this time perhaps a bit more pleadingly than he had intended. ""What better to demonstrate our commitment to each other, to conjugate our relationship?"

Liam stifled a chortle. "Conjugate? That's definitely not the right word."

Andrew started to blush. ""I -- uh -- er -- you know what I meant to say." But Andrew still could not muster the right word that he actually wanted to say.

But Liam continued on his rant, well -- rant interspersed with giggles. "We can conjugate any time we want, unrelated to this Quest or whatever... to the extent that we can biologically conjugate!" By the time he finished his thought, he had broken out in full-fledged laughter.

"Point taken." The word came to Andrew, finally. "To consummate!" he said forcefully. "To consummate!"

"If we survive," Liam said equally forcefully, with an emphasis on the if. "Like -- if we look at the cost-benefit calculations, there are a lot of costs, and not a whole lot of benefits."

"You're thinking too much like a risk management analyst," said Andrew. "Risk management -- in order to manage risk, you must understand risk. How do you avoid risk... and what makes it so risky?" He imitated the tinny voice on tape from the (in)famous Seinfeld episode.

"I think you should be talking about Ovaltine instead," said Liam, dryly, getting Andrew's drift. "Have you ever had that stuff? Why don't they call it Round-tine?"

"What is even Ovaltine?" wondered Andrew. "That's a pretty dated reference."

"Let's get back to the topic," cautioned Liam. "We tend to amuse ourselves with sitcom references on occasion, but that really distracts from the substantive issues on the table." He drank some water. "I don't want to go on this quest. It's just not the smart thing to do."

"This isn't about the smart thing to do," countered Andrew. "This is about a gut feeling. My gut says that we should go to TiSoFah to support Sarah and her friends. And because I want to spend the rest of time with you. I couldn't imagine living without you."

"Oh, boy, we can't argue with your gut," Liam said, totally ignoring Andrew's professions of love. "Your gut is included, oh, boy. That means we have to go with what your gut says."

"Intellect can be fallible," said Andrew. "Gut action actually allows you to make faster, more accurate, more confident decisions. Studies prove it!"

"Oh!" said Liam. "The old studies canard. Somebody studied it. You're right. You win!" The sarcasm dripped from Liam's voice like sugar droplets from a popsicle in the summer.

Andrew paused and took a breath. "It's the classic gut versus mind debate, head versus heart." he said. "Neither of us is going to give up right now. Let's sleep on it and see how we feel tomorrow morning."

"Deal," said Liam, still a little cranky. "But we should sleep in separate rooms tonight."

"Take the bed," said Andrew. "I'll sleep on the couch."

***

Liam awoke to the sound of Enya piped through the apartment's sound system. "If every man says all he can / If every man is true / Do I believe the sky above / Is Caribbean blue?" As he struggled out of bed, he found Andrew and Sarah munching on shrimp and grits with some Liberal Estates bubbly from New Gelderland.

"Good morning," Liam yawned. "What's all this about?"

"I wanted to apologize for how snippy I acted last night," said Andrew. "So I wanted to do something nice for you, sweetie poo."

"Sweetie poo?" chortled Sarah. "You guys are cringe."

"You weren't being snippy at all," said Liam. "If anything, I was being snippy with you."

"Kiss and make out," said Sarah. "Eww. What did you argue about last night, anyway?"

Andrew knew that Liam was right but didn't say anything to follow up on his instinct. Instead, he responded to Sarah. "We argued about going on the Quest to TiSoFah with you," said Andrew. "I wanted to go, but Liam didn't. I think he's right, though."

Liam opened his mouth to speak, but Sarah cut in. "The Quest to TiSoFah? How did you even have any inkling of our quest at all?"

"You told us about the Quest last night," said Andrew. "While you had a little bit too much to drink."

"I KNOW I had too much to drink," Sarah groaned. "My head hurts and I can't remember anything. But I really told you about the Quest?"

"'I'm afraid so," said Liam. "But about that... I think I want to go on the quest."

"You... want to go on the quest?" said Andrew. "Color me surprised."

"Well, I changed my mind," said Liam. "I'm not sure I want to put a ring on it just yet; that's just way too formal. But I love you, and if you want to go on the quest, I want to go with you to support you."

"What a romantic, undying declaration of your love," said Sarah sarcastically.

"It's decided, then," said Andrew, ignoring Sarah's barb. "We're going to TiSoFah."

by **Fort McKinley** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 12:12 am

It was never clearly established who ended up leaking the story of the “Fort Mack Four” to the media as they were in flight on their way to Kingston following the granting of political asylum about 3 weeks after their initial appearance at the consulate in Neorudo; there were enough specific details, yet as many gaps in the story that has been previously revealed here that no clear connection could be made to the Neorudo Constabulary, the Consulate itself, or even to the staff at the Neorudo Plaza Hotel where couples were treated like visiting royalty during their stay.

Of course there was more than met the eye in a battle for public relations.

Chief Superintendent Rick Harrison had been the site commander at the stadium, and when he arrived at the hotel the following morning for his investigation into the circumstances of what had transpired at the Cop Limy Stadium, he already had a strong feeling that this would be the beginning and end of the matter based upon the couple of hours the previous evening setting up this interview.

The meeting starting off on a lighthearted note.
“I had an encounter with an Agent Smith who very concerned about the welfare of...you specifically, ma'am.” He looked directly at Leslie Peter Gray, who stood out among the four for specific physiological reasons that were impossible to ignore.
The laughter of the couples was jarring to the 26 year veteran of the force, although as the meeting progressed he began to understand that there was a lot about these people he was never going to understand but that wouldn't be pertinent to the situation.

“Of course he was Chief Superintendent, Smiths are the most obnoxious social deviants in Fort McKinley. I am the partner of the most important player on the National Team, who is the son of the Commissar of Curundu Region and the great-grandson of Dr Allen, I'm 5'9 ½, taller than 75% of the population, I have fair skin and blonde hair. Aside from his duty as the head of the security detail, he also wanted to sleep with me. But he'd have had no reason to worry about me unless all of a sudden David Guy Allen turns up AWOL. Finding me was the fastest way to finding Dave.”

Harrison was quite taken aback by this blunt talk, and through the rest of the interview with the group and a short individual discussion with each separately, he connected all the dots in his mind and was able to conclude that they were genuine in their desire to defect from their homeland, and that they were content to apply for asylum in Quebec, and if that was rejected to ask Mertagne to consider the same.

His report to the Chief Constable recommended the matter be closed without comment, which would normally have precluded any media accessibility, but 55 minutes after the flight departed from Neorudo 18 days later, it was a breaking story across Anaia, AO, and the rest of the multiverse; there's never been comment from either couple although the strongest circumstantial case that can be made is they received some payment and provided details of varying precision.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Getting used to life in a different nation is difficult for many people, but for these newcomers it was even a bit more of a process than normal.
As mentioned, Fort McKinley was an isolated country where you knew what you were told and there was a predictability to everyday life that was soul crushing; Lee and Jason had gotten a glimpse into how the 'elites' lived through their respective relationships with the Guy Allens, although the differences were more stylistic than substantive—fewer restrictions on movement, access to better employment situations, availability of higher quality goods through the black market that was the nation's “dirty secret”--but in reality everything felt like there was a gritty patina of dread that covered the entire population and landscape.
Imagine a film shot in flat light that washes out the brightness of colors, a low contrast world in shades of pale and gray; as humans, people in Fort McKinley experienced the full spectrum of emotions within their close knit family units (a bit too close knit at a fundamental ancestral level), but as a society there was little in the way of joy, happiness, exhilaration, fun in the lives of Mackies.

As noted, these four people in their mid-to-late 20's enjoyed the company of one another, identical to millions upon millions of couples across the multiverse. In Kingston, Quebec & Shingoryeo they were the ultimate strangers in a strange land, starting off with their actual physical appearance.

One of the very first items on the agenda after arriving in their new home was figuring out exactly how much real worth they had. Smuggling much of their savings out over the lead-up to their actual defection, stashing it away in various banks throughout the multiverse for safe keeping, it still wasn't clear what all of that amounted to in terms of real money as opposed to the comparable worthlessness of the Ft McKinley Brass Tack; one of the days while in Neorudo was spent getting in contact with the financial institutions they'd entrusted with the bundles of notes that David had brought on trips to Jabal Akhdar, Reorganized Portugal, Sarzonia and of course Mertagne.

The rights to their story brought NS$150,000, of which they held back 25,000 to pay rewards to the various people who took risks to assist them; by the time they'd arrived in Kingston and temporarily set up in a mid-terrace townhouse by the government, they'd figured their assets were about NS$338,000 with 70% of that Dave & Lee's share and the remainder Kate & Jason's (although Dave gave his sister an additional 20K as a “pre-wedding” gift).

The first weeks were spent getting acquainted with the city and navigating the cultural barriers that they were encountering for the first time. The way they spoke, the unfamiliarity of the social conventions, their reactions to encountering things that they'd not experienced previously--all of this made them stand out as outsiders to the native population.

The women were able to establish neighborly relations with some of the women who lived along the row of houses around them, which provided a safety net that could be useful when there were things that needed clarification; the men busied themselves with searching for permanent housing, figuring out the best way to get around, and familiarizing themselves with places that would be frequented regularly.

Gradually things began to fall into place and their circle of acquaintances grew after a few months; both couples grew comfortable enough that they started to make plans towards cementing their own futures by getting married.

by **Pasarga** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 12:15 am

As the SuperLiga shifts its focus back to Pasarga, leaving the season it spent in Valladares behind it as it moves forward in the new day, certain realities do have to be addressed. Torgos and most of the northern half of Pargis are in dire need of restoration following the events of the failed coup by the rebel parliamentarians. The economy of the duals islands has never been one that has been overly productive or could be looked at as an example of what an economy should be, it is especially struggling with the new and unexpected burdens that come in needing to repair and restore many different areas that were devastated by the conflict that took part in the northern part of the island. The clubs themselves are likely also to feel the brunt of this, with only a handful of clubs in the league likely not to be effected by the ongoing repair process, likely with reduced revenue in gate receipts and season tickets, plus all the usual match day driven income that projects to be lower over the next one to three seasons.

With this financial forecast for the league and the entire pyramid as a whole, the PFA broached a controversial topic with the league. That of course being additional commercial sponsorships for the teams from foreign corporations that could provide at least a temporary injection of cash into the club and league as a whole. It is controversial as the league, as well as the First Division which preceded it, has been without shirt or stadium sponsors since its inception. Sport was a game that was based on merit and not money, perhaps one of the reasons that in some corners of the dual islands that Tani is considered one of the "evil" clubs of the league alongside Galatica with all of their millions. However with anticipated cash flows being short and the need to maintain good revenue streams for the clubs, especially for those that are qualifying for international club competitions with any sort of regularity, being extremely high, it was an idea that had to at least be considered.

It ended up being decided unanimously that the clubs were going to go ahead with the idea of acquiring sponsors for their shirts, at least for just the immediate future while places like Torgos, Troubalose, and most of the norther portion of Pargis continues its rebuilding effort. This decision was quickly hopped on by regional neighbor Tikariot, where a number of different businesses and companies quickly submitted their bids for sponsorship rights for the clubs in the SuperLiga. The result is all sixteen teams that are currently slated to take part in the SuperLiga for the upcoming season have all acquired sponsors for their shirts, although no team was willing to truly ruffle the feathers with attempting to get a stadium sponsor. Given the IFCF stance against such, it is likely for the best that this was the path that the clubs have decided to take, avoiding any sort of kerfuffle with the governing body for the majority of those international club competitions, while in the short term ensuring their financial competitiveness with the very leagues they will battle with for the right to sign players to.

by **Nyowani Kitara** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 12:35 am

OOC Note: This newsletter has a slight anti-socialist bent, but they are fairly strict about the whole 'sticking to sports' thing

Nyowani Kitara Football Weekly
The voice for the working people of Nyowani Kitara

Nyowani Kitara follow up 2-2 home draw with Juvencus with a 4-2 away win over Ethane for a four point window

Kitarans celebrate the first of four goals in their away victory over Ethane

DEWAYO, NYOWANI KITARA- Time for the second double Matchday of World Cup Qualifying. Matchdays 3 and 4. Of course, nothing could possibly be decided at this point- with 18 matchdays left, after these, it's important to not put too much stock into individual results. But NYK's manager, Liang Wei, spoke about how points mattered all across the campaign- points earned early in the campaign mattered just as much as points earned at the end. "Look, I did not make the schedule. Our final five matchdays of World Cup Qualifying, we won't take on either half of the Sonnelian duo- Juvencus or Drawkland. This is the time to get strong results, and try to do our best to earn points against them, especially at home. We are in Pot 1, remember- we should act like it."

The first contest saw Nyowani Kitara play an emphatic match, against Juvencus. Our high-powered attack, scorers of 8 goals in the first two games of qualifying, were leading the front lines for this squad. "We've always known that we have talented strikers in this player pool." Said the manager, Liang Wei. "We just want to be able to get them the ball, and ensure that they are in a position to bury their shots into the back of the net." And that is exactly what happened. Owino Odede heading home a cross from Armani Okombo, the team's captain(and CL finalist), to give Nyowani Kitara a lead at home, after just over a half an hour played.

But it's extremely difficult to play matches such as these. "Look- Juvencus is a nation that believes that they should be in the World Cup- because of the talent levels within the nation." Said NYK's captain, Okombo. "They've got attacking talent, defensive talent, etc... They're littered with high-quality talent across the board." So just because we scored first, does not mean that they were down and out of this game. Far from it, actually. That probably reinvigorated them. While we took the slimmest of 1-0 leads into halftime, it did not last long into the second half. It was the Brinemouth striker, Joao Pereyra, who would be the beneficiary of a bunch of sensational team passing, finishing beautifully in the 53rd minute.

Suddenly, this 1-0 NYK lead was a 1-1 game. And Juvencus was looking to turn up the heat. "They were asking questions in areas where, frankly, we did not have answers." Said Arvid Handsdotter, the star Kitaran central midfielder. And his words after the game were so correct. A 65th minute hit from distance, as Michelangelo Santini, with plenty of space in front of him, drilled it from 25 yards. The Kitarans defended it well- the scouting report says to give him space, because both his straightline speed and quickness give him an ability to blow by you. But he can keep pulling off shots like that consistently? Well, he'll be a superstar.

Suddenly, we were down 2-1 at home, and we needed to fix things. Right the ship. But we've got the players to do so. Handsdotter. Okombo. Angonga. Wang. All dudes who have proven it, at the highest levels, time and time again. Rely on your stars in your moment of need, right? And trailing, in the second half, at home, is most definitely a moment of need. And those players would be at the core of Nyowani Kitara's equalizer. A Handsdotter overhead through ball that released Wang Jiahui to be in on goal with numbers, who then passed it across for an easy tap-in for Angonga. 2-2 score, which would be the final.

"The spoils split on the day- not great, but not bad." Said former NTer Sigmund Mickelson, who is now a television analyst. "We led 1-0 at halftime- wanting to be able to hold onto those three points would've been nice. But we were also down 2-1 after 65 minutes- so on that hand, it is a point well earned. Ultimately, we were never just going to barnstorm through this Qualification campaign, unscathed. A draw at home against Juvencus is a solid result, from that perspective- don't let them get ahead. The return leg is going to be brutal- but we'll deal with that when it comes. This is a campaign we started with back to back wins, remember. All that matters is that we get our ducks in a row for our trip to Ethane."

What a difference three cycles makes, huh? World Cup 90 Qualifying. Nyowani Kitara drawn into a playoff with Ethane, who are then ranked in the top 15 in the KPBs. We were up 2-0 in the first leg, at home, after 85 minutes- and we ended up drawing the game, 2-2. Of course, in the second leg, they ran us off the pitch, with a 3-0 victory, putting them into the Finals and putting us into the playoffs.

Now? The tables are turned entirely. Three cycles later, it is Nyowani Kitara who sits at 15th in the KPBs(and top of the table), while Ethane are a mid-level team, ranked 148th. For the players who remember that trip to Ethane a few cycles ago, this was always going to be a big game. "Look- obviously we've had World Cup success to cancel out WCQ90." Said Odede Angonga, the team's leading goalscorer. "The last time we went there for a World Cup Qualifier, it was a nightmare- that 3-0 loss sending us home. We want to turn our history around in this building, and see what we can get done."

And that is exactly what we did to Ethane. We bounced back from the 2-2 home draw against Juvencus, and this team attacked with ferocity- scoring three first half goals to take a 3-0 into halftime, therefore ending the game before it had ever really gotten going. That half, away from home, was dominant. "One of the best halves that I have ever seen this team play." Said Liang Wei. And he would not have been wrong. Handsdotter, almost by himself, was far too much for the defenders to handle. He set control of the pitch in the midfield, and the team went from there- generating attacks through the center of the pitch, and scoring on their fair share of those opportunities.

3-0 after half, and 4-1 after the 68th minute... In a game that finished as a 4-2 victory for Nyowani Kitara. Angonga, Handsdotter, and Wang Jiahui all scored in the first half, while Kanj came off the bench and scored a goal of his own in the second half. "That type of performance is the goal, is always the goal- that's how we have to play as we pursue three points away from home." Wang Jiahui told reporters, grinning. "We controlled possession, we hit them with all sorts of things. We blew them off the pitch, and that's a performance we're happy with. But this is World Cup Qualifying, we understand how this works. Pat ourselves on the back today, but tomorrow- we're watching film on Drawkland, as we get ready for the Titanic NYK @ Drawkland match on Matchday 6.

by **Savigliane** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 1:29 am

OOC Note: Some background information might be useful to read this - the synopses of my previous line, found here, should help.

ESCAPE
1. pregavo per momenti come questo

...flicked forward to Grimaldi, who holds the ball up, with runners on either side...

...he hesitates before going right, where it's Michael Durand to latch onto it, Lukic in hot pursuit...

...Durand cuts inside, fires on goal!...palmed away by a diving Novak, but into the middle of the box...

...fighting for it is Vatrican and Kovacic, Kovacic tries to send it clear but it's deflected into the path of Bianca Fiore...

...who shoots and sends a beautiful shot into the back of Novak's net! Savigliane has leveled in the first leg of the qualifying playoffs, off the superhuman run from none other than captain Bianca Fiore! And the away crowd is chanting her name as loud as anything, and what a moment this could be for the Swans of Savigliane...

BI-AN-CA! BI-AN-CA!
BI-AN-CA! BI-AN-CA!
BI-AN-CA! BI-AN-

"Prime Minister? Can you hear me?"

The startled Bianca Fiore looks around, stops white-knuckling her armchair, and pulls herself together. Her assistant - Pietro, if she's remembering correctly? - waits in front of her.

"Um, yes. What is it?"

"I've got Monsieur Caqueret, Signora Baudino, and President Rizzuto waiting outside for you. Shall I bring them in?"

She sighs, scrabbling around in her desk for whatever notes she'd been able to dredge up before she dozed off. "Give me thirty seconds to get something, and then bring them in."

"Of course, Prime Minister."

"Thanks for taking the time." It's increasingly been her starting the meetings recently rather than Evangelista Rizzuto recently - that should bring her joy, but something about it doesn't sit right. "Look, we all know that the first few months of the coalition haven't exactly been smooth sailing. But we've all done our parts to try to get our parties behind this unlikely arrangement, and I appreciate all your hard work in that."

"Cut to the chase, Bianca," replies the acerbic Lia Baudino, the leader of Fronte!, a communist anti-portal group. "What are you offering us to stay on board? Because I would love for the last six months to have meant something."

"To have meant something? We've had the Intelligenza raid Interdimensional Travel Task Force headquarters and shut down the entire operation. We passed a ban on dangerous whole-nation transport, bringing the entire coalition together as well as members of the opposition. We've brought ourselves closer to our new neighbors in Anaia and passed programs to facilitate Anaian travel to get Saviglianos more connected to the new world we've landed in. Isn't that progress?"

Baudino waves a hand dismissively in response. "Yeah, we've advanced your pet issues. But Fronte's always been split on the portal, and those against it want to see something that'll stop them from joining Populistas. You're acting like someone with a way bigger majority than...what it is after last week, two seats? Three? We've been subjugating our non-Portal policy needs to you and Ligue-Est, of all people, long enough. Not that Ligue-Est is doing any better, with Saint Laurent of all people picking their MPs up-"

"We're doing better than you, thank you very much." Bianca, mildly annoyed, turns to face Yves Caqueret, the leader of Ligue-Est, who looks significantly less smug than usual. "But yes, defections to Une Nation do sting. And at the rate people are dropping from Ligue-Est, we are facing a vote of no confidence in your tenure, Prime Minister. So I'd imagine Lia and me both have some demands of this operation."

Bianca sighs. The weekly extended check-ins with her coalition partners are rapidly becoming daily crisis meetings, as MP after MP declares they can no longer support the coalition. Communists, religious fundamentalists, and the party of neoliberal business interests are hardly normal bedfellows. Not that anything about the current situation is normal.

"The number one priority has to be portal policy still - how can it not? We all know what's at stake here," she adds, seeing Caqueret's guilty look away and Baudino's rolled eyes. "But yes. Shoot."

"We want a government commission studying communism in the AREIMA nations, to start," Baudino says, measuring her words as if she's seeing how much she can get away with. "With actionable discoveries. There are a lot of nations on all sides of the political spectrum that don't seem to need to follow the economic rules of our reality. We want to see how far we can push it."

"There's no way we're doing that if it's just communism," scoffs Caqueret. "You want this coalition to fall apart? None of us are picking up seats if it comes to it."

"Add whatever you want to the commission," Baudino replies. At the heart of it, more than anything, the three have been brought together by their hatred of Populistas. "That's what we're focusing on."

"Consider it done," Bianca says. "Yves?"

"We're considering bringing up an amended version of the SAP act," Caqueret replies. "It's been drafted internally, and I can guarantee full support of Ligue-Est."

"You promised us the votes last time it came up, Yves." The failure of the Savigliane Against Portals act in Fiore's first month had threatened to rip the coalition apart.

"This time, everyone is on board. I'll resign if that's not true."

"What's the amendment?" Baudino buts in.

"We...some of us want to strike 6.b.iii," Caqueret says, slurring through the name of the subclause like a guilty child.

"6.b.iii? Which one is-"

"That's commercial-only portal usage," Evangelista Rizzuto interjects, without looking up from his phone.

Fiore snaps her eyes back to Caqueret. "That's not happening," she says.

"I'm not giving up hope yet," the Ligue-Est leader replies, "but I think either you pass this, or I'm out as party leader. They're very into the idea as serving as a commercial link between the old and new worlds."

Baudino thinks, then adds on: "I can't get all of Fronte! on board with that. Maybe with a bigger majority, but people will rock the boat if it's about to sink anyways."

Rizzuto looks up for seemingly the first time all meeting. "Could I have a moment alone with Bianca?" The other two exchange knowing glances and file out. The former party leader locks the door behind them.

"Nice of you to start paying attention," Bianca starts, almost neutrally.

"Enough to know what's going to work and what's not. Look, you can't have Fronte! and Ligue-Est if they're that far apart on policy. And you and Fronte! don't have a third coalition partner, not with that many votes. Populistas want you out, ASD are with Populistas, and those two and Ligue-Est are basically half of the votes gone right there."

"They want to open a fucking portal, Evangelista," she replies defiantly.

"Yeah, so they can sell AREIMA goods at a wildly hyperinflated markup. You think that portal isn't getting amortized to shit in the pricing? Nobody is going back to the old world. It's not on the table right now. But if Une Nation hears that we're open to this..."

"Funny how the solution is the exact coalition partners you wanted originally."

The former party leader shrugs. "Lucky me. I suppose we could take it to a leadership contest, though."

Bianca has nothing in response to that, and Evangelista Rizzuto knows it. He grins. "Think about it!" he adds with a flourish, then follows Baudino and Caqueret out the door.

by **Yue Zhou** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 1:46 am

Ma Announces New Lithico Initiative
Li Hongwen, the Nangang Daily

Controversial tech billionaire Ma Ailun has recently announced his plans to start a new business, Lithico, specializing in the end-to-end production of lithium-ion batteries. In a press conference this morning, the former CEO of the Jolt automobile company before selling the corporation to "travel the world", promised that the new corporation would make electric cars truly viable through vertical integration and next-generation battery technology. "We are reaching a new age of global development," said Ma in a separate statement to the Nangang Daily, "and global problems require global solutions. That's why we're leveraging global supply chains and global technology to globalize lithium-ion battery research, development, and manufacturing. We have some solutions in silico that we're very amped about bringing to the consumer stage."

Ma, who was last seen in Induja, Farfadillis, is reportedly covering startup costs with his own private fortune. However, when asked if he was seeking outside investment, or if, like Jolt, he would be fully self-funding the venture, he simply replied: "it takes a village". Whether this is related to the entire village in Farfadillis that the Jolt automobile company recently purchased is an open question. However, Ma also noted that he would be attending the CORNCOB climate summit "as a private citizen", possibly to seek government investment in his venture, although it is also unclear whether he would be allowed in. At the minimum, the recent convert to "Green Capitalism" suggested that he had already identified and was "preparing to obtain control of" a large source of low-cost lithium.

While it is unclear where Ma plans to obtain so much low-cost lithium, as well as what the rest of his business model actually looks like once the lithium is obtained, he's historically proven his doubters wrong time and time again. Can the titan of Yue business pull it off again? It's still unclear, but given the recent surge in Jolt's valuation, it doesn't look like too many Yueren are betting against Ma Ailun.

by **Kirungabi** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 2:09 am

← PREV — KIG Sporting Bulletin no. 1093

First Lady Musabyimana Uburiganya Hails Qualifiers Logistics Success

IMISOZI - First Lady and Kirungabi Itangira Guhera director Musabyimana Uburiganya has lauded the work done by the Kirungan state, together with the Kirungan Football Federation (FEKIFUT), to ensure that Kirungabi's home matches of the World Cup Qualifiers were a logistical afterthought for arriving teams. Thanks to preferential, fast-track and pre-approved treatment at Imisozi International Airport, rapid transfers to express-line long-distance buses, and the organization of efficient police cordons and escorts along the routes between Imisozi, Ville Amahoro, and Abongereza, the national teams of Yue Zhou and Stevencousin enjoyed "a shining example of Kirungan hospitality, passion, culture, and attention to detail," according to the First Lady.

"Kirungabi, as we all know, is a country blessed and cursed geographically," the First Lady explained. “We have our beautiful jungles, our roaming okapi, and our life-giving soil, but the hills and mountains of the territory make transport an ever-present challenge. Even so, everyone under the Kirungabi Itangira Guhera umbrella — including FEKIFUT — and the meticulously planned action of the Kirungabi Development Front made hosting our first international sporting events outside of Imisozi a resounding success.”

The honour of being the first away opponent in the World Cup 93 qualifiers went to Rushmori nation Yue Zhou, which headlined a sensational 3 - 3 match and cemented the official debut of the Kirungabi Itangira Guhera Olympic Park Stadium in Ville Amahoro as one to remember. Transport for the Yueren and Kirungan players was arranged via land, in specially-hired, double-decker long distance buses between Imisozi and the southern planned city. “The transport to Ville Amahoro presented no real challenge to the arriving team,” assured the First Lady. “The trip took around seven hours and both Kirungabi and Yue Zhou arrived in Ville Amahoro well rested and looking forward to meeting the pitch for the first time. National Routes A-1 and A-2 were cordoned off one-way at various stages of the journey to ensure the athletes had a safe and comfortable trip.”

More pressing, however, was how travel to the further northern city of Abongereza would fare — via road, the trip may take between 9 and 14 hours, depending on the traffic on the improved dirt stretch of National Route B-10, which borders Lake Uruforo, and the condition of the road itself, which is susceptible to flooding and rain damage in the wetter seasons of the year. “Traveling to Abongereza presented a bigger challenge,” admitted the First Lady; “we worked to try both air and land travel methods for future matches, and we found that both worked just as well.” Both the Stevencousin and Kirungabi national teams traveled to Abongereza from Imisozi via chartered Air Kirungabi flights to the northern city’s improved gravel airstrip, with travel between the airport and accommodations in Abongereza also arranged by the KDF and FEKIFUT. The return leg to Imisozi, enabled by fair weather and dry roads, was carried out via land in similar vehicles to those used to transport the teams to Ville Amahoro; the total travel time was around ten hours, and both Kirungan and Stevencousin players assured RTK that the journey across northern Kirungabi’s coffee plantations and the glistening shores of Lake Uruforo was “plain sailing” and “beautiful.”

Off the back of a moderately motivating pair of results for Cyril Kamembe’s national team, losing 3-2 to Ceni away and later defeating Stevencousin by the same scoreline in the Abongereza Olympic Arena, the Baptism of Fire champions have been preparing to host Qasden in the bustling capital of Imisozi in the country’s second-largest stadium, Stade Inganji. “We have a breath of fresh air before our next big logistics challenge,” joked the First Lady. “Hosting Qasden in our capital will be a tremendous honour as always, and it will certainly make transport and the organization of supporting events for the public far easier and also closer to the people. But honestly, it gives us time to organize the transport accommodations for the final nominated venue, Stade Mutoni Mwanzilishi in Mwanzibashi.”

While Mwanzibashi is closer to Imisozi than Abongereza, and the optimal route would take the athletes to their destinations solely via National Route B-10, Mwanzibashi is the second-largest city in Kirungabi, and traffic into the city, particularly on the eve of multitudinal events and festivals, often descends into terminal gridlock. “The road route is still a possibility, with the help of the police and the KDF,” affirmed the First Lady. “If the solution is impractical, we would like to experiment with ferry travel via Imisozi; we estimate the travel time will be the same, but before we have to verify we can fulfill the demand without hampering the routines and livelihoods of ordinary Kirungans.”

August Abihayimana Says Traveling to Asylum-granting Græntfjall "Feels Like Home" — NEXT →

by **Atheara** » Sun Feb 12, 2023 2:40 am

☵ Athearan Sport Ordering News
ASON.com.ahr/football/wc
The website for all your Athearan sporting needs, and many non sport related stories!

Football > World Cup
Consistency Continues as Atheara Win and Lose

MATCHDAY 3 RESULTS
Atheara 4 - 1 Inkwellistan
(20') R. Ellington
Kirov Solmatzka (23')
Azel Nieroth - Albrin (30')
Krisseo Tori (77')
Zack Dawnbridge (81')

(69') R. Hazuki []
[] Mikel Horzabath Krygorf (74')

MATCHDAY 4 RESULTS
Turori 1 - 0 Atheara
Turakia Diijelhma (90')

(51') Jeremy Duncace []
(88') Zimmerman Brusteric []

Matchdays 3 and 4 come to an end, and it's safe to say the team has been consistent so far. I know it's only four matches into the qualifying session, but we seem to be on a good run of form right now. Now, I know the team did lose a match but come one it was to one of the best teams in the world, literally. And plus if we're judging by the scoreline you would say "Oh an unlucky loss, just one goal" but I think the team has a different mentality. They seem to be challenging themselves, and I know it. I actually overheard a bit of the conversation that some of the players were having after matchday four, saying that they want to do their best and everyone is ready for whatever they have to do this cycle. Talk about determination! I won't share how I overheard this, but just note a lot of other people heard the same convo. Now, let's get into analyzing as Atheara faced off against Inkwellistan and the famous Turori, who are currently ranked the 3rd best team in the multiverse. Of course, we start with Inkwellistan.

Matchday 3 was a bit of an odd one to say the least. The odd thing was the match, everything else was relatively normal. A packed stadium with home and away fans (As we played in Schengen Stadium, as the team announced they would be playing there against lower ranked teams). Now, a lot of action had happened within this match which means I'll be covering the first half for this paragraph. Immediate scoring just happens within the first half, as by the 20th minute mark, Inkwellistan forward R. Ellington had received the ball from midfielder S. Bager and proceeded to run forward into a suitable position, and he striked the ball just as he had entered the box in order to beat Mugel Krygorf who was in net to give the away team the 1 - 0 lead. The away fans celebrated, but they would be doing so for long. Because just 3 minutes later on the 23rd minute of the match, Mryzlav Koralsko and Reuben Callister - Lundwichs proceeded to play a great two one play as Koralsko passed it to Kirov Solmatzka as he blasts it inside. It was an immediate 1 - 1, which would only get better from here. Azel Nieroth - Albrin drived on the right area of the field as Atheara's 4 - 4 - 2 was showing itself it's strength, as he drove into the box while passing the ball to Koralsko. Doing the surprising thing, Koralsko lobbed the ball above the defense as Nieroth - Albrin collected the ball and striked it past the keeper to make it 2 - 1 for the home team.

3 goals already? It was just the first half, but the second half would have much more drama than that. As the second half kicked off, Atheara controlled the ball smoothly and just waited it out while Inkwellistan tried to take the ball in order to mount an attack, which was a mistake. On the 77th minute, Mryzlav Koralsko was subbed off 10 minutes earlier and the team had received a free kick after a foul was done on Zakaria Nourenzi (Who was subbed in for Solmatzka). Krisseo Tori was given a chance in order to prove himself and he did. Just a few metes outside the box, Tori kicked it with a swivel of a curve and beats the goalkeeper to give Atheara a 3 - 1 lead on their home, which was showing a comfortable stride to victory. But earlier on before this moment, something happened. On the 69th minute, Ernhart Janevoch - Ikerstuv was driving the ball forward as Atheara launched a counterattack. But out of nowhere, Inkwellistan's R. Hazuki made a bad tackle and a harsh one on Janevoch - Ikerstuv and the referee showed the defender a red card. A small fight ensued, but it was quickly dissolved. Another booking happened before Tori's goal, as AMF J. Peterson who was substituted in had the ball and wanted to strike a 2nd goal for Inkwellistan, before Mikel Horzabath Krygorf (Who was also subbed in) rushed out of the box to tackle him. It ended up with a booking for Mikel and a free kick for Inkwellistan which was failed to be converted. And considering this paragraph is long, I will make another one.

Several minutes after Krisseo Tori had scored his goal, both teams were exhausted. But Atheara wanted to strike at goal one more time, and so that happened. After a failed attack done by Inkwellistan, Atheara immediately decided to pounce on the counterattack one last time. Some beautiful passing and dribbling later, the ball was at Zack Dawnbridge's feet, just outside the box. Two defenders came rushing at him, but he kept his cool, as he stepped away from the two defenders pressing him as he took the shot and beat the goalkeeper, into the bottom right corner as he shot the ball with a low curvec shot, his signature shot had striked again. The entire stadium applauded the two teams for a great game, as the managers shook hands before heading off into the locker rooms. Atheara had scored another 3 points, even if it wasn't a clean sheet. A win was a win. However, the team couldn't rest immediately as they would have to prepare against Turori, on their home ground. Knowing that their opponent was one of the top three teams in the world, The Blue Guard prepared heavily in training.

And thus the match came, matchday four between Atheara and Turori. Throughout the entire first half, both teams were rather back and forth. While Turori tried their best to chip down Atheara's defense bit by bit and Atheara trying to mount up a strong enough conterattack to take the lead, nothing worked out for either side as the first half ends in a 0 - 0 draw. But the second half would have all the drama of the match. Just on the 51st minute of the match, six minutes after the second half had kicked off while trying to rush back in order to keep the formation stable, Jeremy Duncace and Naraiza Ruaplal had clashed upon eachother while also trying to fight for the ball. And considering Duncace was the one to start the clash, he was booked with a yellow card while Ruaplal would get a stern warning. And then quite later on as the clock hits the 88th minute marker, Zimmerman Brusteric had tackled forward Nua'oma Aikiki, and it wasn't a good tackle and it was in the box. Brusteric was booked and Turori got a penalty, but Rickers Van Hedekurthen was able to save it. While the team were thinking they would be getting a point out of Turori, by the 90th minute mark Turakia Diijelhma was able to free themselves from Atheara's marking and pressing in order to secure a loose ball and score Turori's winner. And after such a hectic matchday three and four, here is the list of goals and assist.

TOP GOALSCORER:
Zack Dawnbridge - 4
Terez Lindenhalfesch - 1
Kirov Solmatzka - 1
Azel Nieroth-Albrin - 1
Krisseo Tori - 1

TOP ASSISTER:
Mryzlav Koralsko - 3
Zeeke Red - 1
Zimmerman Brusteric - 1

CLEAN SHEETS:
Mugel Krygorf - 1
Mikel Horzabath Krygorf - 1

And with all of that out of the way, Atheara prepare to face off against Montaña Verde and Krytenia.

WORLD CUP QUALIFYING SCHEDULE
MD 1 v. Baker Park (3 - 0 W)
MD 2 v. Strayan Rus (1 - 0 W)
MD 3 v. Inkwellistan (4 - 1 W)
MD 4 v. Turori (0 - 1 L)
MD 5 v. Montaña Verde
MD 6 v. Krytenia
MD 7 v. Tikariot
MD 8 v. República Guanacasteca
MD 9 v. Raspotochje
MD 10 v. Oscioru
MD 11 v. Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison
MD 12 v. Baker Park
MD 13 v. Strayan Rus
MD 14 v. Inkwellistan
MD 15 v. Turori
MD 16 v. Montaña Verde
MD 17 v. Krytenia
MD 18 v. Tikariot
MD 19 v. República Guanacasteca
MD 20 v. Raspotochje
MD 21 v. Oscioru
MD 22 v. Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison

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