World Cup 93 - RP Thread

[Raspotochje]

KOTIGA DAILY NEWS - Sports

FOOTBALL WORLD CUP 93
COLD SHOWER AGAIN !

writter : Luka Trošić


Unbelievable, but it seems that we don't know how to play football. In eight games just one win seems an incredibly poor record.
But the question arises where we are going wrong and why our football is so far behind.
The answer is probably hidden in the infrastructure, which is weak in our country. The Raspotochje Football Association, the Ministry of Sports and the Government of the Republic have started work on renovations, completely new constructions of stadiums and football fields.
Currently, the national stadium is being built in the capital Kotiga, which will be more modern and bigger than the current one, and the Školjka stadium is being built in the city of Rudeš. The stadium will accommodate 42,000 spectators and will be one of the most beautiful in our country.


CONSTRUCTION OF THE NATIONAL STADIUM


ŠKOLJKA STADIUM-RUDEŠ

We also asked the president of the football association, Slavko Gretić, whether this is enough or if something else is still in play for the improvement of the national team.

"Certainly one of the key stages for the development of football is the construction of football fields and stadiums. In order to develop a sport and bring it to higher standards, infrastructure is also key. For example, basketball is a national sport that is much more popular than football. In basketball, magnificent halls have been built, the league is watched and watched a lot, and a lot of money and sponsors are turned in. Soccer is not so watched or popular in our country. The infrastructure is weak, and children have nowhere to go to play soccer if they don't have a playground. Then they will play sports for which the infrastructure already exists and is developed, namely basketball, handball and volleyball. And it is precisely in these team sports, apart from hockey, that we have the most international success. Unfortunately, football is still far behind these sports."

In any case, we hope that our players will at least fix the bad impression of the previous part of the qualifications and that we will finally start reaping the fruits of the investment in large stadiums and playing fields in the future.

[Ko-oren]

Greencaster Police Discover Illicit Goods from Ochre Islands
"It's so soothing though," says police chief Peyton Littleton, "and the smell is remarkable"

Illegal greenery in shipping containers was discovered in the early morning in the east Greencaster docks area, with police chief Littleton crediting an anonymous tip from a Bostopian cargo handler, who has worked in Greencaster for a little over a year. "Never thought I'd be part of a detective story! This is all so cool!" he commented to this reporter from the Greencaster Daily, before being shielded from further questions by police. Chief Littleton did comment that the plants were 'soothing' and had a 'strong smell', and that the investigation as to the exact origin and nature of the plants was still ongoing. The captain of the Ochre Tate has been taken in for questioning, but was released shortly after.

Surbourneshire governer Barton Holland cautioned the media: "We don't want to make this story into more than it is. One of our national strengths has been neutrality, particularly in choosing sides between the Ochre Islands and Bostopia. Just because both nationalities were involved doesn't mean this is part of a broader conflict, but we are working with Greencaster Police and federal government agencies to keep that conflict off of our streets. While the investigation is ongoing, I'd like to ask you all to separate fact from speculation." Minister of Anaian Affairs, Sanena Tusrepindhen, commented further, in lieu of foreign minister Abodhiru Gelogathingun who was tied up by the meeting of the Ko-orenite Constellation currently ongoing in Santa Teresa. "We have asked the Ochre Islands authorities to assist us in tracking down the origin of the shipment. Like my Surbourneshirian colleague requested, please watch your reporting as any stance can be used by either side in the conflict to make a case. We aren't used to this kind of caution in our media, but rest assured that we are looking into the truth behind this incident."

[Juvencus]

LA SQUADRA ON A ROLL: STILL NO FAITH IN MADEIROS


"Victories against Lozho and Oflia do not feel enough" gli attaccanti supporter base says

Madeiros' hot seat spotlight seems to be getting more and more attention from Juven fans, whether a bitterness remaining from the lack of victories against either Nyowani Kitara or worse, Drawkland or the fact that the team seems to be utterly dominating everyone else. Reality is, gli attaccanti is on a five-win streak and is currently showing no signs of slowing down. But even after this sudden surge of improvement, including impressive away wins against immediate lower pot Brookstation with 1-4 and even Lozho more recently, fans are not happy with la squadra's performance.

It seems like unrealistic expectations have been placed on the team this cycle, entering 38th in the world but for the first time under non-Pandemic conditions to destroy the mental state of the players, off the back of consecutive 3rd-place finishes in the Cup of Harmony and the Independents Cup. One could think that it is certain that this team has exactly what it takes to take the group on a storm and secure its place in the world cup. Many fans actually predicted a first place finish for la squadra, but seeing as how much better and more convincingly either Drawkland or Nyowani Kitara have taken their wins, this feeling of optimism has turned sour.

One could think that this new rotation of stadiums is significantly hurting the home advantadge of the players and indeed, all home victories but 1 have been unconvincing, plus the only defeat the team has suffered was actually at home. "Unconvincing, how?" one may ask and the answer is simple. Drawkland had a significantly better footing throught the Revoda Sea Derby and it took gli attaccanti over 75 minutes to become dangerous, let alone score. By then, the Drawkians had already put 3 past our defence. Against the Licentian Isles and Oflia? Let's just say that the team struggled in those games against opponents it should have not struggled with, it was obvious that the team was better quality-wise and yet, they somehow struggled to overdo them and completely annihilate them. The only exception was the impressive victory against St Saratoga, but truthfully, it is just St Saratoga.

Away, the records have only just started to get better. Let us not forget the disastrous wrong-footed entry against Saterun at the first matchday of the qualifiers, Soares and Coste played incredible football and Urruchi was critical in front of the net for the most part, but the way the global minnows just managed to net 3 past the backline shows a lack of elite defensive mentality that the team needs to take more often. In Nyowani Kitara on the other hand, gli attaccanti had managed to build an advantadge. Although an one-goal lead, maintaining it for a big chunk of the game and fumbling it at the dying stages of the game is not exactly what a team that claims to be world cup-worthy should do. Madeiros did strengthen the core of the team for the coming games and the victories against Brookstation and Lozho away were more than impressive but even then, the trust is still not there by the fanbase.

The players seem to be thinking otherwise though, with multiple of them giving positive feedback about Madeiros in multiple interviews for various channels, news outlets et cetera. The biggest advocate for Dudu Madeiros is not in fact his former teammate Joaquim Martell, but underutilised Gioardano Limene(who was given the opportunity to play against Lozho and net 2 past them) as well as Pau Puig. Both players seem to be the staunchest defenders of the legendary player-turned-manager and they seem to be somewhat swaying the public opinion, but with most expressing a willingness to change their opinion once the results against bigger opponents improve.

[Stevencousin]

NATIONAL ECHO

---

Duke Motor Cybova-E will be installed in GAH Valley by Belasby Automotive Ltd

Duke Motor Cybova-E

Belasby EV (BEV), a wholly owned subsidiary of Belasby Automotive Ltd., has obtained a production license for the assembly of the Duke Motor Cybova-E electric van. According to a filing with the Stevencousin Stock Exchange, the Cybova-E will be manufactured as a locally assembled (CKD) model at a factory located in Belasby, Stevencousin.

The document also mentions that BEV is currently applying for an approval permit (AP) from the Minister of Trade, Commerce & Minerals (MTCM) as well as other approvals from relevant authorities to bring fully imported Cybova-E units (CBU) into the country for distribution purposes before the start of CKD operations.

In a separate statement reported by the National Echo, Belasby Automotive Ltd. said the plant will be specifically located in Duke TechoParks' Global AutoHub Valley (GAH Valley). Previously, the company had announced the acquisition of three plots of industrial land with an area of 55.3186 acres in the area. Cybova-E is a compact vehicle (for its class) measuring 4,460 mm long, 1,720 mm wide, and 1,875 high with a wheelbase of 2,725 mm. It has a cargo space with a capacity of 3,800 liters, and this electric vehicle (EV) is matched by a front-mounted motor with 136 PS (134 hp or 100 kW) and 180 Nm of torque, with a top speed of 100 km/h.

The electric motor is powered by an NCM (nickel-cobalt-manganese) lithium-ion battery developed by Duke Motor with an energy capacity of 50.3 kWh. It provides a range of up to 300 km, and full charging via an AC charger at a rate of 6.6 kW takes around 7.6 hours, or a DC fast charger at a rate of 40 kW takes 1.3 hours

---

Other News
- Billionaire Rubius F. Lightfoote set to launch $8bn takeover bid for Winewater Wasp - source
- Galaxy Investment Group wins $14mil theme park project
- Stan Mystic is among the names mentioned to be NT Head Coach
- Teemu Räikkönen bought by Fixmouth Firebolt for a transfer price of $240,000

[Aleirave]

Expedition to the Unknown
Eraman 4-4 Aleirave
Aleirave 7(!)-2 The Cannaland Islands

In the year 1321, a boy by the name of Reko'uho Fekelu was born to a poor family on the south shore of the island. Like many young Aleiravans before and since, he had many dreams in life, including following in the footsteps of his forefathers as an explorer of the open ocean. Unlike most of the others, however, he was actually able to live out his dream.

The culture surrounding open-ocean exploration had become significantly different since the early days of the isle and its people. What once was a pursuit anyone could partake in with a hastily-constructed ship and a couple of friends had become a more organized operation that not only sought to discover and settle new lands, but document their locations and learn more about the world of Anaia around them.

Reko'uho's first adventures on the ocean came as a stowaway on the sailing ship Afateha in 1340. Captain Nusene Po'ehu saw potential in the young man once he found him, and allowed him to stay on the crew full-time as a sailor.

While the Afateha had never discovered any new lands of its own, it was a valuable learning experience for Reko'uho, and over the years he slowly rose up the ranks of Captain Po'ehu's crew until, upon his passing in 1361, he passed command down to Reko'uho. Now that he had a ship and a crew, he was ready to set sail.

In early 1362, now-Captain Fekelu set out on his new crew's first journey on the magnificent flagship Vairafu. This ship was named after the 4th Petake of Aleirave, and names of Petakes were only reserved for the finest vessels in the land. Captain Po'ehu had earned this ship for his decades of service to the island, and now it was up to Captain Fekelu to carry on that service on his old ship.

Unlike those before him, Reko'uho had a purpose, he knew exactly where this ship was sailing. He had heard the early folk tales of the islands to the north, and he wanted to confirm they were real for himself, as well as map them for future generations. He wanted the legends to turn into reality, and he was going to make this happen.

A few months later, he seemed to find his success, as in June of 1362, land was sighted off the bow of the ship. His quest appeared successful, he had found those islands of legend!

He christened these islands, of which he discovered four, the Kia'u Islands, these islands (in decreasing order of size) being Ta'a Kia'u (Great Kia'u), Lokolu Kia'u (Little Kia'u), Akamata, and Te'ufole.

He returned to Lahaira in 1363 to tell the 10th Petake, Kupoharu, of the great news. He also asked the Petake if he could colonize these islands, which were found uninhabited, and claim them for Aleirave. He got the greenlight, and set up a settlement called Alikonora on the northern tip of Te'ufole, central to all the Kia'u Islands.

The Kia'u Islands and Alikonora itself would become valuable for Aleirave as time went on, with Alikonora becoming the home base for later explorations of Nova Calania proper, although it seems no attempts were ever made to settle anywhere but these four islands. They were content with what they had, they didn't want to overextend themselves. One has to respect that they put their own stability, their own ability to manage their realm, above colonial ambitions.

These days, nobody lives on the Kia'u Islands, they were left abandoned long ago after the Tereyevs took over Aleirave proper. Some Aleiravans still wish to return to them, but the Aleiravan and Eshian governments have made it clear that they do not have any plans to reincorporate them. They will remain a part of the past, a forgotten relic of days gone by, of the tales of old. As for Reko'uho? He's still remembered as one of the greatest Aleiravans to have ever lived, a role model for children who dared to dream. He would pass away in 1393 -- at 72, an old man by the standards of the time -- in Alikonora, a land that, if it weren't for him, would simply be the stuff of folktales.

Eraman - 4 (Petara 13', 59'; Grawira 34', 71')
Aleirave - 4 (Ho'uminalu 24', 31', 79'; Veshchik 43')

Aleirave - 7 (Veshchik 6', 30', 51'; Ho'uminalu 17', 81'; E. Tesuna'e 41'; Tyonko 70')
The Cannaland Islands - 2 (REDACTED 22'; REDACTED 45+1')

[Naixi]

The slight and barely-noticeable gap between the last commercial and the resumption of the broadcast ends. We see a cozy television studio, adorned in fall colors. A massive screen provides the set decoration for the background, where a mountain covered in green and gold foliage is visible. A leather couch commands the attention in the center right of the screen, while a single leather chair in the same design cheats off to the left.

On the couch sit two people. One, a man, is recognizable to Naixese viewers as Chia Kang, one half of the Channel 12 early-morning news show. He is confidently dressed in a lovely dark brown suit, with a tie and a pocket square in a matching shade of yellow. Sitting next to him is his female co-host (and rumored girlfriend?) Xiu Mei. She is wearing a flashy purple pantsuit, with heels that would hardly look out of place in a community theatre's costume room. Both are polished and charismatic, and speak every word with a ludicrous enthusiasm that would put a kindergarten teacher to shame.

In the chair is their guest this morning, a somewhat overweight middle-aged woman in a bizarre shirt. One side of the shirt is carnation pink and dark gray, while the other side is plain white, but with trim in a very bright and saturated shade of orange. She speaks with a folksy accent viewers will recognize as being from the suburbs of Qiawutian. She is rather missing some of the affected joie de vivre the hosts are projecting, though she is doing her very best by donning a big, stupid smile for the cameras.

CHIA KANG: Welcome back to Channel 12, it's your Chia Kang and Xiu Mei Morning Show. Today on the program, we're pivoting to sports!

XIU MEI: Your favorite, Chia Kang!

CHIA KANG: It's my favorite, I love sports! Did you see that Naixi-Fort McKinley game last night, Xiu Mei?

XIU MEI: I did; you know sports are not always quite my cup of tea, but the game was on, so I sat down and watched some of it, and wow, what a great finish!

CHIA KANG: It was fantastic, wasn't it?

XIU MEI: Wow, yeah, two late goals for Naixi, and a much-needed victory!

CHIA KANG: Much needed victory, although did you see that head injury the Fort McKinley goalkeeper picked up?

XIU MEI: No, gosh, what happened?

CHIA KANG: He's all right! He's totally fine, should be able to play in their next match, but during the game it was a scary moment. Good to see that everyone is taking head injuries so seriously, because they substituted him out.

XIU MEI: But he's okay?

CHIA KANG: He's okay, just a scare. It was almost a scare for the Blues, too, because we weren't sure they'd get there in the end! Hahaha! But they did, so it's three more points in the bag for the Naixi national team. Close call.

XIU MEI: It was, and I think we need someone to tell us a little more about it!

CHIA KANG: I agree! So today, on the Morning Show, we're pleased to have here with us, in the Channel 12 studio, someone who can tell us a little more about the game, because she was there!

YU MEI: I sure was.

CHIA KANG: Our guest is Yu Mei Jin, although I'm sure some of you viewers may recognize her.

XIU MEI: That's right, Xu Mei Jin, you have become something of a national celebrity since you were seen at a big game in the League of Two Sapphires a few weeks ago wearing this very shirt, which has one half that is your son Jen Ta's jersey, and the other that is your son Tak Hing's jersey.

YU MEI: I was, yes I was.

XIU MEI: At it's only been uphill from there, hahaha! Well, that game ended in a draw, and both your sons scored. The cameras just could not stay off you, and we all just felt for you so much because you celebrated both goals equally, you were rooting for both teams, clearly... were you happy that game ended in a draw?

CHIA KANG: We should say, that game was between Chongjibo and Sheshou.

XIU MEI: That's right, one team from Chumeichang and one team from Qiawutian.

YU MEI: Uh, yes. Yes, I was there! I was there! I was very happy, because both Tak Hing and Jen Ta scored goals, and I love watching both of them play so much.

XIU MEI: Were you happy that game ended in a draw?

YU MEI: Yes, definitely. Well, I don't know about definitely! But it sure saved me the trouble of consoling one or the other after a loss, you know. There are some sports where you, you know, can't have a draw! So somebody has to win! A sport like, uh... oh, gosh... I don't know... uh...

XIU MEI: It's okay, I can only think of one sport too, hahaha!

CHIA KANG: Hahaha! Now, Tak Hing is 21, and Jen Ta is 17, right?

YU MEI: Right.

CHIA KANG: So tell us, did you always know that your boys were both going to be professional athletes? When you were raising them in... gosh, uh, Qiawutian, right?

YU MEI: Yes, in Qiawutian. Um, did I think they would be professional athletes? Well, yes, I suppose so. They were always playing, you know, and like many parents we were so happy to have Liang's Pitches to put them on and have them run around and stretch their little legs and, you know, learn teamwork and stuff like that, and so it's just been so nice to see that turn into something that can be a career that they love, and... yeah.

CHIA KANG: Now, turning to more recent events, you were at the game last night in Qiawutian, right?

YU MEI: Yes, I was watching the boys.

CHIA KANG: And something really great happened, right?

YU MEI: It did.

CHIA KANG: What was that?

YU MEI: Well, we won, first of all! Hahaha. We won, and of course, Tak Hing scored one of the two winning goals.

CHIA KANG: He did, assisted by...

YU MEI: Assisted by Jen Ta!

XIU MEI: Oh, that's so great!

YU MEI: It is, it was very exciting.

CHIA KANG: Folks, if you haven't seen the goal, go and check out the highlights for the game, we should have them up on the Channel 12 socials, it was a great goal. Just a simple long ball that Jen Ta took out of the air... he was sort of drifting back into midfield from a forward position, and then just swiveled around and swoosh this great little through ball to Tak Hing, and he scored.

YU MEI: Yup!

CHIA KANG: Does it just warm your heart to see them combining for a goal?

YU MEI: Yes. I just like watching them play together.

CHIA KANG: Yeah, of course. Now! I've been asking you all the softball questions! Xiu Mei, you've got the spicy ones!

XIU MEI: Yes, I do! Yes, I do. So: Yu Mei. Which one of your sons is more focused on football?

YU MEI: Oh, gosh, I think it's about the same.

CHIA KANG: No, no, no, you can't get out of this!

XIU MEI: Which one? Which one?

YU MEI: Oh, I don't know. Tak Hing, but only because he's been playing longer, hahaha!

XIU MEI: Hahaha, yes, playing longer so more focused, right. He sure was focused during that great goal!

YU MEI: He was, he just bashed it in there!

XIU MEI: He did. So, now, which one of your sons is more ambitious?

*long pause*

YU MEI: Tak Hing.

CHIA KANG: Tak Hing, really? Now, that one, you actually answered. Why do you say that?

YU MEI: Well, I just think... oh, I don't know. Tak Hing is very dedicated, and has always said he wants football to become his career, and that's all he's really ever wanted. He's just... laser-focused. He doesn't let other stuff get into his head, you know?

CHIA KANG: Does Jen Ta let stuff get to his head?

YU MEI: Well, no, not like that. He just has always had interests that are more all over the place. Varied. He always loved to draw, and he was great in school at sciences, and loved music. Loves music, he still loves music. And he's always been a really amazing player, just like his brother. He just... lets his mind wander a little more.

XIU MEI: Hmmm. What is life like now, with both of them on their own, playing professionally for domestic clubs? Which son do you see more?

YU MEI: Oh, Tak Hing, for sure. Yes, Tak Hing. Mostly because, you know, I live in Qiawutian, I live in Hai's Ferry. Tak Hing plays for Sheshou; they're just right across the river at the Sha Dadao, you know. Jen Ta's in Chumeichang. So, he's off on his own, doing his own thing.

CHIA KANG: Do you miss him?

*long pause*

YU MEI: Yeah. Yes, of course.

XIU MEI: Now, it's interesting that you said 'Tak Hing' for all those questions, because - Chia Kang, you're going to have to be my source on this - but isn't Jen Ta's team at the top of the table in the League of the Two Sapphires?

CHIA KANG: Chongjibo are top, yes.

YU MEI: They are, yes. And don't get me wrong, little Jen Ta is a really great athlete, and I am so proud of him. You know, I wouldn't be wearing him on my shirt if I wasn't proud of him! But he's just... oh, I don't know. He has his own world, and I let him be in his own dream world, and don't expect to understand what's going on in there. He has all kinds of new friends, and new connections, and new things to see over in Chumeichang. He makes it back here to Qiawutian to visit every once in a while. But even then, he's going to see these friends who he's made, that I'm just not familiar with. I just don't go into the details of his life with him quite as much. His head is just in the clouds a little bit.

XIU MEI: Well, maybe it takes having your head in the clouds to be successful sometimes.

YU MEI: Yes.

CHIA KANG: That's right, maybe his head is in Cloud Nine, because that's where Chongjibo are right now, and that's where fans of the national team are right now, because we're still doing really well in qualifying, and Jen Ta has been doing great... Tak Hing has been doing great. Thank you for giving us these two great players to watch week in and week out, and thank you for being with us this morning!

XIU MEI: Yes, thank you!

YU MEI: Thank you for having me!

CHIA KANG: All right, stay put, we're gonna be back after a few messages.

Matchday 7

Yakk 1 ⇨ Khad, Sahkmar ⚽x1, Kirminov, Xi (Naanbagred), Lhi, Openka, Ayil-Orbat (Tibie), Tsedinaat, Orgaat, Boryozov (Agart), Oryaangabar
Naixi 0 ⇨ Cai, Pao, Geng, Dong, Tian, Fen, Dai (Yuen), Ti, Yuan (Cao), J.T. Jin (T.H. Jin), Hsieh

10' Yellow Card ⇨ Xi (YAK)
30' Goal ⇨ Sahkmar (YAK)
38' Yellow Card ⇨ Dong (NIX)
43' Yellow Card ⇨ Boryozov (YAK)
52' Yellow Card ⇨ Fen (NIX)
72' Substitution ⇨ Dai OFF Yuen ON (NIX)
75' Substitution ⇨ J.T. Jin OFF T.H. Jin ON (NIX)
84' Substitution ⇨ Ayil-Orbat OFF Tibie ON (YAK)
84' Substitution ⇨ Xi OFF Naanbagred ON (YAK)
88' Substitution ⇨ Yuan OFF Cao ON (NIX)
91' Substitution ⇨ Boryozov OFF Agart ON (YAK)

Matchday 8

Naixi 2 ⇨ Cai, Pao, Geng (Shao ⚽x1), Dong, Tian, Fen (Yuen), Dai, Ti, Yuan, J.T. Jin, Hsieh (T.H. Jin ⚽x1)
Fort McKinley 0 ⇨ S.P. Davis ✚ (J.D. Beard), A.R. Morris, D.C. Young, S.G. Smith, Miller, J.H. Davis, Clark (Gray), Allen, E.C. Beard, S.W. Smith (J.W. Morris), D.G. Young

5' Yellow Card ⇨ Dong (NIX)
21' Yellow Card ⇨ J.T. Jin (NIX)
39' Yellow Card ⇨ Ti (NIX)
47' Yellow Card ⇨ E.C. Beard (FMK)
55' Substitution ⇨ Clark OFF Gray ON (FMK)
58' Substitution ⇨ S.P. Davis OFF J.D. Beard ON (FMK)
68' Yellow Card ⇨ Pao (NIX)
69' Yellow Card ⇨ J.D. Beard (FMK)
69' Substitution ⇨ Hsieh OFF T.H. Jin ON (NIX)
79' Substitution ⇨ Fen OFF Yuen ON (NIX)
82' Substitution ⇨ Geng OFF Shao ON (NIX)
85' Substitution ⇨ S.W. Smith OFF J.W. Morris ON (FMK)
86' Goal ⇨ Shao (NIX)
88' Goal ⇨ T.H. Jin (NIX)

[Xanneria]

XANNERIA TOURISM GUIDE : West Troy

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

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

Dayton is a small province located in Northwest Xanneria

A beautiful place to visit.

This is the capitol building.

Port McDaniel is a prosperous coastal city on the northwest side of Xanneria. It's a provincial capital and is home to a lot of activity in both shipping and tourism. One of the big selling points of Port McDaniel is its old school architecture as seen here with the red brick capitol building.

.

Boat Parking is as cuthroat as car parking....

Like any good Xannerian port city, Port Mc Daniel has its share of fishing. Here in the northern suburbs we see a fishing dock, a coast side resort, and water....

Industry

Trains!

A Lot of industry ends up here in Port McDaniel. Loads of trains end up here in Port McDaniel as it is one of the largest ports on the west coast.

The Sweet Spot

This is the famous Olympias Building.

Olympias is one of the largest Sugar importers in Xanneria. The building is among the most iconic in all of Port McDaniel. Here you see a shot taken from the opposite side of the Harbor.

Position of Power

Designed by a firm called "Zeon"

Outside of Port McDaniel lies the West Dayton Nuclear Power Plant. As mentioned earlier in another RP Nuclear Energy is one of the primary energy sources in Xanneria. The West Dayton Plant was one of the first and is one of the most famous examples due to its famous architecture.

Tourism? In my Northwestern Province? It's more likely than you think.

Common sight in central and western Dayton

Tourism is actually one of the larger industries in Dayton. Cabins like these dot the landscape as people flock to rural Dayton looking to get away from it all.

Tunnel through....

It's very mountainous in Dayton

Tunnels like these are a very common sight on major roads in Dayton. Especially here in Central Dayton where a line of ridges forms the middle at one of the most narrow parts of the province.

Old School mining towns!

What was once a Lumber Town is now a mining town.

Once the mountains of Dayton were a buzz with lumberjacks. When the trees didn't grow back as fast, the population didn't either. But thankfully this part of Xanneria has been rescued economically from ruin by recent discoveries of coal in the last few decades. This whole time the forests that were cut down by many a lumberjack are now being mined under by miners.

XANNERIA - 4
Hailey 18' 62'
Burnes 33'
D'arcy 90+1'

---

HUELAVIA - 1
Cristiano Aveiro Junior 81'

XANNERIA - 6
Juups 10' 43' 77'
Gessecki 19'
McKenna 22'
Vito 88'

---

GORTOLEKUA - 1
TBD 38'

[Flavovespia]

The next instalment of This is Flavovespia, looks at the media, and specifically in this case, Television. Television is one of the key media sources for many nations, and Flavovespia is no exception. From the early days over 100 years ago of the first broadcaster, to digital, satellite and Internet streaming, Flavovespia is home to many channels. There’s a combination of publicly owned state broadcasters, to independent broadcasters, regional services, and even international channels, enough to satisfy practically all tastes.

Despite the hundreds of channels, there are 7 main channels, which are largely seen as the default channels. All TV sources receive them, and outside of special events on other channels, these 7 will make up the majority of viewership at any one time. Part 5 of This is Flavovespia is an overview of the first 4 of them, almost always Channels 1-4 on any TV set:

FTV1

Flavovespia TeleVision is the publicly owned state broadcaster of Flavovespia. Formed in 75BU as Greater Waldster Television, it was the first, and for a while only television broadcaster. The FTV channels show no external advertisements, being a state owned broadcaster, funded through the government budget. The FTV channels have always been broadcast nationwide, despite suffering a lack of income during the time some cities pulled out of the CCGW. Nevertheless abolition of FTV is a fringe view, and it almost always has a perception of default, comforting neutrality.

FTV1 is the premier channel of FTV. It’s prime time shows can often draw in a TV audience of millions. Some of its most renowned shows include Smoke and Mirrors, a crime and mystery drama, Quizmaster, considered one of the nation’s toughest quizzes and an honour to win, and the Great Flavovespian Song Festival, a song contest for each municipality to compete in, winning it (or entering a memeworthy song) making the artist famed in Flavovespia. News at Nine is known as the main source of news, to be a newsreader on that is the pinnacle of TV journalism and presenting.

In Football terms, it hosts Friday Football Fever, a football themed talkshow before the 8pm kick-off on a Friday evening, Scores Today, a 5:15pm 15 minute summary of the football results, and a highlights show, Super Saturday, at 10pm. Of the 10 live games each weekend, FTV1 broadcasts 4, the Friday 8pm kick-off, a Saturday 12:30pm kick-off, and usually 2 Sunday games. FTV1 will also usually host about half of Flavovespia’s international games, a couple of Flavovespia Gold Cup games each round and one semi-final. Any Flavovespia games in a major tournament, a game with qualification on the line, and the Flavovespia Gold Cup and League Cup final are broadcast jointly between FTV1 and ICTV1 under government rules as a Diamond Category sporting event.

ICTV1

The Independent Corporation of TeleVision is the next biggest broadcaster in Flavovespia, and seen as a rival to FTV of sorts. An independent commercial broadcaster, as well as advertisements and big prize shows, it also owns subscription service channels such as the ICTV Sports and ICTV Drama network. Formed to give competition to FTV, the channels have often gone head to head, especially at primetime on FTV1 and ICTV1, and prominent TV personalities switching from one to the other induces a fair bit of tabloid news.

ICTV1’s success has come from big money game shows and quiz shows, as well as some reality TV shows. Exact Match became the first ever show in Flavovespia to award £1m to a contestant. PopUp became a show that created some breakout stars, even if it had a reputation at one point for one hit wonders (with “hit” sometimes doing a bit of heavy lifting). It’s not all reality TV and celebrities however, the gritty drama Mortium is a popular mystery show that ICTV1 broadcasts.

ICTV1 has a role in football broadcasting too. Scores on Saturday, running from 12:30pm to 5:30pm, is a studio broadcast announcing the goals as they go in and the games as they come in. ICTV1 usually broadcasts a Sunday game, with the other 2 on ICTV Sports. As well as any Diamond Category events, ICTV Sports also broadcasts the other Flavovespia games, and a Flavovespia Gold Cup game each round.

UTV

UTV became the third terrestrial broadcaster, when space over the frequency bands was opened up to create a new TV channel. UTV came along, and despite claims that the U stood for United, UTV was the name, it never was an acronym. It was also a commercial broadcaster, so advertisements are broadcast on the channel, and it will host some big prize shows. UTV also became the first channel to really try and look overseas for shows, for better or for worse it added some variety to terrestrial TV.

UTV garnered a reputation for it’s bold decisions when choosing shows, some of which paid off, others, best forgotten really. The Buzzin Record Show saw the drinks company Buzzin sponsor some impressive athletic feats, but also caused controversy when a stuntman jumped 10 caravans on a motorbike whilst on fire, a stunt that caused one MP to demand the show was banned. It’s rather relaxed attitude to nudity, swearing and other activities once described as “decadence and debauchery” lead to regulatory investigations, but also drove engagement. BattleZone has also been one of its long running successful shows. 128 contestants enter a set of physical and somewhat comical challenges, leading to one final contestant to take on the incredibly tough Final Frontier.

Sports broadcasting has never been a particularly big part of UTV, and that includes football. However it has often filled the weekend morning schedules with some highlights of Club football from other nations. ICTV Sports holds the right to CAFA and LigAnaia events, as well as a few marquee leagues, but UTV will often seek out deals for up and coming leagues, especially if a Flavovespian plays in them.

Local and Live

Local and Live, often nicknamed L'N’L, are a collection of state broadcasters, each for a different region in Flavovespia. The regions they represent have chopped and changed over time, but now they align with the 10 regional Parliaments of Flavovespia. Whilst Local and Live produce some shows that are shared across networks, or indeed are broadcast nationally, their primary purpose is local broadcasting. The hour long local news and discussion show at 8pm is a key part of their network. With different identities across the nation, it’d mean the fourth channel on most TV’s would depend where in the nation you were, as to what Local and Live network you received. The days of digital and Internet streaming increased accessibility to the other networks in the nation, but Local and Live networks still serve a purpose. Local and Live has also been a stepping stone into the media industry for several prominent personalities.

Local and Live have the Flavovespia Gold Cup as a marquee footballing event. From each round up to the semi-finals, the network can broadcast up to 10 games, with each region choosing a match containing a local side. Whilst there’s overlap, especially once it gets to Round 3 and beyond, in the earlier rounds, it can bring attention to smaller sides, especially as FTV1 and ICTV1 only carry 1 game per round. Local and Live also produce a non-league highlights show for each area, and broadcast some Alliance Shield games Live.

[TJUN-ia]

By Peter Davis

After a demolition of Varavel gave way to a tight loss in Nephara, the Jaguars of TJUN-ia were now 4-2 and clearly in the battle for best of the rest right now as the gap to the top had risen to 6 points. Of course, there are far worse situations you could be in after just 6 games of a long process, but that gap to Nephara seemed like one that may be impossible to catch...but that was OK. The goal was always just to make the dance, no matter if by winning the group or the playoffs, so Li Xiu Ying wasn't too concerned just yet. But she also knew that things had to improve at some point and she hoped to do just that in these next 2 games.

Up first was Archalit, a BoF team that was 2-2-2 under the command of Krystol Mays. Unfortunatly for them, they would end up playing this game at the Stade de la Victoire in Roi Ville and that would basically spell certain doom as the hungry crowd wanted blood and we certainly would prove that in a 10-goal crazy ass game. They did manage 3 goals in this game, 2 from "Marathon Champ" Jose Gee and 1 from "The GOAT" Duke Sondas but the main character of this game would actually be "RNGesus" Roland Baker, because he rolled snake-eyes and it fucking showed. We managed 7 goals in this game as Malhrani al-Kalhrani managed a hattrick, a brace was achieved by Yomakaji Shimigatsu while both Kofi Marshall and Vladzov Błaszczykowski headed home off set pieces to complete this 7-3 result. Interestingly enough, Nephara drew with Savojarna - meaning the gap was down to 4 points.

Then it was back on the road to face the legends known as 95X at their own City Stadium and while Air Lakeleigh was known for producing mediocrity internationally, facing a team on the road always comes with risks especially for a team who's only losses so far were on the road. So we certainly went out there and took this game very seriously, with an early goal for Ever Rabbitdream being cancelled out by a brace from Jackson Smith-Scott past Campbell Moon before the 1st half was over. An early 2nd half goal from Kim Choi-ya would make things feel like they were over and done with, but with Jadyn Pond brining the deficit down to one, the final 20 minutes certainly felt tense as all hell. But in the end, we just about managed to hold on to the 3 points and that was certainly pleasing to us.

With Nephara drawing to Elmyia, the gap at the top has suddenly come right down to 2 points and everything appears to be back within touching distance after 8/22 games. The next period will feature two interesting opponents as 1-win Caribbia heads to the Estadio Universidad Carlandas before we head out to fucking Birnin-Likulu to go and play Ziwana again, a team we seemingly cannot avoid in this era of WCQ and who are currently P3 and 4 points back on us. Things are going to get very interesting across this middle period...so I hope you're buckled in for a potentially bumpy ride. 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 W 7-2 (2nd)
MD6: @Nephara (11) - The Farham Arena, Sabrefell L 1-2 (2nd)
---------------Boot It!---------------
MD7: vs Archalit (183) - Stade de la Victoire, Roi Ville W 7-3 (2nd)
MD8: @95X (159) - City Stadium, 95X City W 3-2 (2nd)
---------------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

[Alasdair I Frosticus]

OOC - while I want to catch up with a couple of other RPs that have referenced Nozis and dadaist art, with my away match against Damukuni taking place this scorination round, I had to get this RP out of the way - I'll try and catch up with other RPs next time. My thanks for your patience.

INT. DI BRADINI'S RENTAL VILLA IN DAMUKUNI

Fayah brings in a tray of food and puts it on the table. The bowl of dates is in one corner. As Fayah leaves the room, the Monkey slips out of Di Bradini's lap and disappears under the table. Smith leans over the food tray, his hand hovering over the dates. But he chooses some cheese and bread instead.

SMITH
And they made the calculation in the map room?

DI BRADINI
(nods vigorously)
This morning. Qolleb and the boss Notional Situationalist. When they came out of the map room, we were given a new spot in which to dig... out away from the camp.

SMITH
(resigned)
The Well of the Souls.

Di Bradini nods, moves to the food. He picks up a date, then changes his mind and drops it, taking a bunch of grapes instead. Smith picks up a chicken leg in one hand and a date in the other, his mind distracted. Fayah enters the room just in time to see Smith flip the date high into the air and try to catch it in his mouth. It bounces off his chin and falls to the floor. Smith looks sheepishly at Fayah. Fayah picks up the fallen date and puts it in the dirty ash tray she is now removing. Mysterious Local speaks in a slow, raspy voice without looking up.

MYSTERIOUS LOCAL
Come. Look.

The two men go and huddle over the old man. The Monkey peeks up over the edge of the table at the array of food. He picks up a date and disappears below the table. Mysterious Local points to some markings on the lower part of the headpiece.

MYSTERIOUS LOCAL
This is a warning... not to disturb the Ark of the Oneiromancer.

SMITH
Just want I need.

The Monkey's paw comes up over the edge of the table and grabs another date.

SMITH
How 'bout the height of the staff? Did Qolleb get it off of there?

MYSTERIOUS LOCAL
Yes... it is here.

Smith, nervous, goes back to the food tray, picks up another date. When he turns back to the men, the Monkey's paw grabs another date.

We see the headpiece in closeup on the table. Mysterious Local's crooked
fingers trace a line of markings along the bottom section to
the break in the piece.

MYSTERIOUS LOCAL
It says it is... ten jMysterious Locals high...

DI BRADINI
About seventy-five inches.

MYSTERIOUS LOCAL
Wait! I am not finished...

Mysterious Local's finger moves across the break as the markings continue on the sun medallion.

MYSTERIOUS LOCAL
(reading)
"And one jMysterious Local to honour the Oneiromancer whose Ark this is."

Smith, still holding the date, exchanges a long look with Di Bradini.

SMITH
You said their top section was blank. Are you absolutely sure?

Di Bradini nods.

SMITH
Qolleb's staff is seven and a half inches short. They're digging in the wrong spot!

Di Bradini and Smith begin to laugh. Mysterious Local gives them a glance and returns to his wine. Di Bradini leans over and kisses the old man.

DI BRADINI
(to Mysterious Local)
A home run, my friend, grand slam!
(to Smith)
We have a saying in Starblaydia - "A little luck is better than much smartness." Smith, pardner, you are very lucky fellow.

Smith hoots. Then he takes the data in his hand and flips it high in the air. He opens his mouth to catch it, but it doesn't come down. He has inadvertently thrown it into a bowl of a hanging lamp. This makes the men laugh even harder.

Smith goes over and picks up another date. He turns laughing to Di Bradini and doesn't see as the Monkey's paw comes up, slowly, takes another date and begins to withdraw. Suddenly the paw is stricken with palsy and the unseen Monkey goes into its death throws. Di Bradini watches the paw as though
hypnotized. Finally the paw slips from sight and we hear a solid THUMP! on the floor. Di Bradini walks around the table and
looks at the floor. The Monkey lies dead among a mess of date pits.

Smith is in a happy world of his own. He throws his date high in the air. He positions himself under it and waits for it to drop in. Here it comes. Right on target. As it's about to disappear into Smith's mouth, Di Bradini's hand flashes in and grabs it. Smith looks mystified and disappointed. Di Bradini motions toward the dead Monkey.

DI BRADINI
Bad dates.


EXT. RISE ABOVE THE DAMUKUNI DIGS - MORNING

The Damukuni Digs are laid out below like a painting. Trucks, bulldozers, local workers and Notional Situationalist supervisors are everywhere. The excavations themselves are extensive and somewhat random-holes have been dug and then abandoned, foundations and passageways unearthed and then deserted. Beyond the main digs, a crude airstrip has been created.
Di Bradini points to what appears to be a mound of dirt with a hole in it near the center of the activity.

DI BRADINI
There! That is the map room!

SMITH
What time does the sun hit the map?

DI BRADINI
Just after eight.

SMITH
We haven't got much time. Where are the Notional Situationalists digging for the Well of Souls?

Di Bradini points out into the desert a short way beyond the main area of activity. The desert turns to sand dunes out there, the surface undulating into the distance. Several trucks and men are out there and a bulldozer is lumbering noisily toward it.

SMITH
Okay. Let's go.

AMONG THE TENTS - MORNING

Smith and Di Bradini move stealthily among the tents. Smith carries a smooth wooden staff almost seven feet tall. They stop between two tents and look across a path at the entrance to the map room. What appeared to be a mound of dirt is actually the roof on the ancient building. The hole/entrance is a five-foot square skylight. Smith looks around, then walks to the edge of the hole and looks inside. Di Bradini him, producing a length of rope from his robes. Smith drops the staff into the unseen map room as Di Bradini ties the rope around on oil drum. When it's secure, Smith wastes no time disappearing down it into the map room.

INT. MAP ROOM

Smith is down the twenty feet to the floor of the room in seconds. He tugs on the rope and it immediately gets pulled up. Smith looks around with real wonder and excitement; it’s the same excitement he felt in the recent World Cup qualifier victories against Borisuelo and Damukuni. The room is lovely, with elaborate wall carvings and frescoes, all lit by the bright stream of sunlight flooding in from above. This beam of light leads Smith's eye to the far end, and the room's truly remarkable feature: built into the floor in meticulous relief is a miniature stone model of an ancient city of Damukuni. Already, the sunlight has worked its way down the far wall and is edging onto the miniature of the city.
On the floor, to the skylight side of the miniature, is an elaborate line created by embedded mosaic tiles. The evenly spaced slots in the line, each accompanied by a symbol of a time of year, are for the base of the staff. Smith pulls the headpiece from his robes - it has been welded together - and reaches for the staff.

EXT. ABOVE THE MAP ROOM - DAY

An extremely nervous Di Bradini has the gathered rope in his
hands and is trying to appear casual as he inches back toward the oil drum. There is now a good bit of activity going on up here.

NOTIONAL SITUATIONALIST
Hey! You, the skinny one!

Di Bradini jumps about three feet. The NOTIONAL SITUATIONALIST is standing in an open space ten yards away looking at Di Bradini.

NOTIONAL SITUATIONALIST
Yes, you. What are you doing there?

Di Bradini gestures his innocence.

NOTIONAL SITUATIONALIST
You remind a bit of that famous Starblaydi footballer. What was his name? Simeone something? Well bring that rope over here, you cur.

The Notional Situationalist starts back toward his major concern: his jeep is stuck in some sand beyond the next tent. Some Local Workers are trying in vain to budge it. Now another Notional Situationalist has backed his truck up to it. Di Bradini can think of nothing to do expect obey. With a worried glance at the map room, be begins untying the rope from the oil drum.

INT. THE MAP ROOM

The moment has arrived. Even the tension of the circumstances cannot distract Smith from the purity of what he is about to do. All his calculations are adjustments complete, Smith takes
the Staff of the Oneiromancer and places it - CLINK! - in the right depression on the base line. This is as active and exciting a moment as any archaeologist and national football team captain can dream of and, at heart, that is exactly what Smith is. The sunlight catches the very top of the headpiece and moves within a fraction of an inch of the tiny hole in its sun.

The edge of the sunlight moving across the miniature city is still a good two feet beyond the spot Qolleb has settled on. And now that line of light is broken by the shadow of an ornate sun at the top of the staff.

Smith's face reflects his concentration. And then his immense pleasure. He sees what he came for.

Out of the miniature city, one small building is being lit by a tiny beam of sunlight in the center of the shadow of the metal sun. And by some trick of ancient artistry, this one building responds to the sunlight like none of the others. The golden light permeates it: it seems to glow. The building is in a direct line with Qolleb's - all the other calculations by the Oneiromancer’s henchman were right - but it is a foot and a half beyond it.

Smith is on his knees at the miniature city, a special tape measure in his hand. Smith has the tape strung from Qolleb's mistaken spot to his own correct spot. He gets his reading, leaps up and crosses to the erect staff. He pulls the headpiece off the staff and hides it in his robes. He quickly breaks the wooden staff in two and throws the pieces behind a pile of debris. Then he moves quickly to beneath the skylight.

SMITH
(stage whisper)
Di Bradini.
(he waits, then louder)
Di Bradini!

More waiting. Nothing. Smith looks around for some alternative means of escape. The room doesn't offer any. He looks up at the skylight again.

SMITH
loudest)
Di Bradini!

A long pause. Then something comes down. A makeshift rope. Really just a bunch of clothing tied together - tunics, robes, pants. But what we see first and most prominently, the first section of Smith's escape rope, is a bright Nozi flag. Smith beams and climbs.

LATER… INT. THE TENT

While trying to avoid a Notional Situationalist patrol, Smith finds himself in a tent set up for rather comfortable living. He has just started to cross it when he hears a loud, excited grunting. He turns toward the sound. In the corner, tied to a chair and gagged is Margaret. Smith rushes to her, and snatches the gag from her mouth.

SMITH
I thought you were dead.

MARGARET
They were throwing me around like a rag doll.

SMITH
Have they hurt you?

MARGARET
No. Not since I got here. They just asked about you - what you knew. The Oneiromancer's henchman’s got the hot's for me. I've been playing that along. Oh, Smith, get me out of here.

Smith pulls out a knife and then stops suddenly, thinking.

MARGARET
What's wrong?

SMITH
(putting the knife away)
I have to leave you here for a little while. I know where the Ark is. If I take you out of here they'll start combing the place for us.

MARGARET
(louder)
Cut me loose!

SMITH
Keep your voice down.

MARGARET
(screaming)
I said get me out of -

Smith pops the gag back in her mouth. Her eyes widen in fury and she grunts obscenities at him.

SMITH
Look, you don't know how glad I am to see you. And I don't like doing this. But the whole thing will be shot if you don't just sit here quietly. They haven't hurt you in the last twenty-four hours, they aren't going to start now. I'll be back to get you in no time.

LATER… EXT. SMITH'S DIG - NIGHT

In the eerie conjunction of moonlight and torchlight, Smith and the other members of the Holy Empire World Cup squad step back in awe of their discovery: there,flush with the bottom of their pit, is a heavy stone entry door to an underground chamber. Special prying tools are produced.

WHAT THEY SEE

The Well of Souls is a spooky chamber thirty feet deep. The walls are covered with hieroglyphics and carvings. The roof is supported intermittently by stone pillars, the closest of which hits the roof very near the entry hole. The Well is quite large; as Smith and Di Bradini wave their torches, more and more of the room is revealed. Now the far end of the chamber comes into view. There is a stone altar down there and on this elaborated carved platform is a stone chest, big enough to enclose the Lost Ark of the Oneiromancer and protect it from the ravages of time. This altar appears to be the only place on the floor of the Well that is not covered by a strange, dark carpet of some kind.

SMITH
The Ark must be in that stone case.
What's that gray stuff all over the floor -

He breaks off realizing exactly what that carpet is. He blanches. Indiana Jones blanches.

Smith drops his torch to the floor of the Well. This is answered by the most horrific HISSING imaginable.

WHAT HE SEES

That dark carpet is moving. It's alive. It's thousands and thousands of deadly poisonous snakes. And the only thing that seems capable of avoiding this venomous groundcover is the altar. The snakes ebb and flow near it, but never encroach on it, as though repelled by some invisible force.

Smith shakes his head and talks to himself.

SMITH
Why snakes? Why did it have to be snakes?

DI BRADINI
Asps. Very dangerous.

Where Smith's torch had landed is a circle of snake-free floor.
The snakes hate the flame; they stay away.


INT. THE WELL OF THE SOULS

Fifteen torches have been dropped to the floor of the chamber, combining to make a good-sized clear zone. Smoke begins to fill the room. Several canisters of oil have been lowered into this space. Now, a large wooden crate is lowered slowly by rope. Rope handles are attached to each end of the crate.

Up at the hole, Smith gives Di Bradini a reassuring pat, takes a breath, and swings carefully onto a rope hanging from the hole.

EXT. LATER… SMITH'S DIG - JUST BEFORE DAWN

The sky is just beginning to lighten over the dunes to the east, making dangerously obvious the thin column of smoke rising from the entrance to the Well. Omar and his men are peering through the smoke down into the Well.

INT. THE WELL OF SOULS

Smith and Di Bradini are on the altar. Pushing together with all their strength, the heavy stone top of the protective chest begins to slide away. Smith and Di Bradini exchange slightly wary but very excited looks, then continue to push. As the Ark begins to be exposed, the air seems to almost vibrate, to become electrostatically charged. We hear what sounds like a low HUM. The sea of snakes around the altar draws back further from this presence.

As the top of the stone chest is pushed completely off and slams down beside it, we see THE LOST ARK OF THE ONEIROMANCER. It is awesomely beautiful, breathtaking. Its height, however, is increased by the two sculptured gold footballers mounted facing each other on the top.

Di Bradini is mesmerized by the sight. His hand starts to reach
out and touch one of the footballers, but Smith grabs him.

SMITH
Don't touch it! Never touch it!

The wooden crate stands open next to the stone chest. Now Smith extracts the wooden poles from its rings and begins fitting them through the rings in the Ark. This takes some manoeuvring by the two men, but soon they are able to lift the Ark clear of the stone chest and into the wooden crate.
They extract the poles, fasten the top of the crate and stick the poles through the rings of the wooden crate. They start back toward the space under the hole.

The fire strips have begun to dwindle, as have some of the torches. The snakes move slowly in toward the clear spaces. Smith and Di Bradini eye them nervously as they hurry along with their heavy load. Under the hole, they hurriedly attach ropes to the wooden crate and it is pulled up. Smith's concentration is on the tide of snakes.

SMITH
Hurry up! Why did it have to be snakes?

Di Bradini takes the next rope and climbs quickly out of the Well. Smith has picked up a torch and now throws it at a pool of snakes who are too close for his comfort. He turns and takes hold of the exit rope. He gives it a first tug and it falls down into the Well, landing partly beyond the ring of fire where is instantly disappears in a tangle of angry, hissing asps. Smith looks up at the hole.

SMITH
What the -

Smiling down at him from the perimeter of the entry are Qolleb and two Notional Situationalists.

QOLLEB
Why, Michigan Smith, whatever are you doing in such a nasty place?

Qolleb and the Notional Situationalists laugh.

SMITH
Why don't you fellows come down here? I'll show you.

QOLLEB
No thank you, my friend.
(he glances around him)
I think we are all very comfortable up here.

EXT. SMITH'S DIG - DAWN

Sunlight is flooding this tableau: Di Bradini and the Holy Empire squa are being held at bay by ten armed Nozis. The wooden crate sits safely nearby. The two head Nozis have the gagged Margaret held in their rough grasp.

QOLLEB
(down to Smith)
After all these years, it is most considerate of you to aid me in this way.

As Qolleb speaks, the Notional Situationalists take the gag from Margaret's mouth.

INT. WELLS OF THE SOULS

The lead Nozi smiles down at Smith.

LEAD NOZI
I'm afraid we must be going now, Dr. Jones. Our prize is awaited by the Oneiromancer. But I do not wish to leave you down in that awful place...
(he give a sign)
...all alone.

The Nozis move Margaret to the hole and, to Qolleb's surprise, push her in. Margaret falls thirty feet screaming. Smith drops his torch, braces, and catches her! Her weight knocks him to the ground, almost into the snakes. She looks around at the snakes, clinging to him more desperately as he struggles to his feet trying to unload her.

MARGARET
Put me down! Or I swear I’ll fling a rubber chicken at you!

Up at the hole, there's plenty of dissension.

QOLLEB
The random number generating girl was mine!

LEAD NOZI
She is of no use to us. Only our mission for the Oneiromancer matters.

He glances meaningfully around at the other Nozis.

LEAD NOZI
I wonder sometimes if you have that clearly in mind.

Qolleb feels how much he is the outsider, his own vulnerability. He backs down with the wisdom of survival. He turns to look down at Smith and Margaret. His manner is gallant.

QOLLEB
Goodbye, Margaret; may your scores always be random.
(a pause, then with respect)
Michigan Smith... adieu!

Qolleb and the others step back from the hole and unseen
Nozis slam the heavy stone door into place. Margaret screams. Her scream is accompanied by -

A huge WHOOSH! as air is sucked out and the chamber is sealed…

[Krytenia]

In The Black, Bring On The Brown
By Rami Niblick in Emberton

HERE we are, then. A little over a third of the way through this marathon qualifying campaign, and thus time enough for a little reflection.

On the surface, it's looking decent for the Dragons. There have been a couple of disappointing results, true, but both of them do have caveats attached. Tikariot, on another day, could easily have come a cropper on a soggy pitch at the Isserson; certainly, you feel that the Dragons could have potentially clawed back a point if they still had eleven players on the pitch in the last half hour. Small things, like Amanda Bach's rush of blood to the head, can sometimes make the difference in tight games, and Krytenia will hopefully bear that lesson well going forward. Their other defeat was somewhat less competitive, being outclassed by their gracious hosts in Baker Park, but this perhaps is to be expected. The Commonwealth have been a heavyweight at this level for some years, and Krytenia are still trying to rescale the ladder. If nothing else, it's a reality check as to how far the Dragons still have to travel to be taken seriously as a top-tier threat.

Aside from those two setbacks, though, the campaign has been successful in terms of results. True, they creaked past the CRC on Matchday One, and both Oscioru and Atheara gave Krytenia a hard time, but the fact remains that this Dragons side has executed where predecessors may have failed. Krytenia may not have taken any points from the teams above them in the KPB ranking table, but they haven't dropped any from teams below them either.

The big question, of course, is the same as it always is at this point in proceedings; can Krytenia qualify for the World Cup? To take that question at face value is patently ridiculous. So long as it's mathematically possible, of course the Dragons can make it in. The underlying dilemma is whether they will qualify, and the next two matches on the horizon will go a long way to answering that particular poser. First up is a trip to Inkwellistan, a side currently propping up the table with only a win over Strayan Rus to their name. If Krytenia want to prove they have what it takes to make it to Tumbra and Chromatika, they need to win this game and win big. Group Thirteen is looking like being an absolute meat grinder, and any side with serious thoughts of even making the playoffs knows that they can ill afford to drop points in such games.

Following that, there is what could be the most important game in the group for the men and women in sky blue, as Turori travel to the Isserson. On paper, the Eels should be looking comfortable in this game, and indeed they are yet to drop a point in the group. Krytenia, though, will not make life easy for their oldest rivals. They may be Triple Crown winners, but that doesn't make them invincible, and three points here would be so, so precious in the endgame of the group. This goes double considering the return match is on the penultimate matchday when there may very well be qualification implications on the line. If the Dragons can head into their match with Montaña Verde with an extra six points in the bag, it might just be time to start truly believing. Onward!

[Cap Nord]

With two sides struggling to produce a chance, one could question whether the confrontation in the 1st December Stadium was truly entertaining. But it definitely had high intensity and fanatic supporters in the stands, so the word 'captivating' summed up the atmosphere properly. Despite recent 1-0 home wins (or in part due to the narrowness of said scorelines), neither team could say they were on a roll so far. Both Trolleborg and Cap Nord had entered the qualifiers in the hopes that the trio of favorites in Group 12 would make mistakes along the way, opening up opportunities. But rather, it were the fourth and fifth seeds that dropped points and saw any playoff chances slip away. The tension, as they say, was simmering.

The halftime whistle was approaching when Brutil Skrta had a rare loss of possession, with Worbe tackling the ball upfield. Simon Carstensen picked it up and made a quick turn, looking for opportunities as Wittingem and Gronholm were out of position. Little movement in front of the Sandfjell player, especially as Williams was still off the pitch with the physio after a physical duel. Only Jorgen Bjerkness, who had been nearly invisible in the back pocket of Soren Wittingem, made a run towards Clark. It had to go fast but Carstensen drove the ball upfield for another second, scanning for alternatives. Eventually, the pass came, just as Bjerkness moved back to the sideline. What was first, the ball or the change in direction? Hard to tell, but if allowed William Schendel to pick up the ball with ease and now the Whalers were off guard. One pass, two passes, three and there is Torben Kranforde in front of Siel Leuwert, all alone: the Draiewikum goalie does not stand a chance.

There are a lot of exclamation marks to make about the goal from the Trolls, but the visiting teams keep themselves to question marks and pointing to one another.

[Thirty-five minutes later]

"And another loss of the ball from the Whalers. As even as the opening half was, as one-sided is this one. Trolleborg dominates with ease and keeps on besieging the goal from Leuwert. It feels like a matter of time now.

Poulsen, with a mediocre pass. And again possession is lost, this midfield is falling apart as we are looking to it. A glance at McEather but he stares at the situation, stoically. What options are left? In the meanwhile, Kasper Windass drops it in the box and there it is! 2-0! It was inevitable, the team from Morten Troghil receives what they deserve here. Four away games, four losses, zero goals. It is quite simple for Cap Nord, there are at least four stronger opponents in this group: the World Cup looks further away than ever."

[Twenty minutes earlier]

The rest of the team, still stunned by what had happened, slowly makes their way back to the pitch. Robert McEather watches it in a seeming trance. In two opposite corners of his locker room sit two young midfielders. They make no sign of standing up and remain hunched, alone with their thoughts.

Robert hesitates, that is his first mistake but a very human one. Then he thinks what the press will say and that is a far graver fault. Putting Simon Carstensen, the man who had single-handedly navigated the Whalers to Campionato silver, on the bench? Substituting Jorgen Bjerkness, the match winner of the last two confrontations against Ascvalion and West Barack and East Obama, at the half-time point with nothing lost yet? And, something which McEather barely dares to confess to himself, what would the King think of Bjerkness disappearing from the eleven. The national manager clears his throat.

"Go on then, guys."

The two look at McEather in disbelief, then to each other.

"To the field, you mean? Both?"

Robert doubts, again and again, but nods. Jorgen Bjerkness rises first. He doesn't utter a word, but his expression, fuming and refusing to look either Carstensen or McEather in the eye, says all one needs to know. His teammate follows suit, but not without an off-hand remark.

"That is truly some third-tier coaching."

[Nine minutes earlier]

He says it to no one in particular, but just loud enough.

"It makes you wonder why on earth we are doing tactical training sessions."

Simon Carstensen knows well enough it is that silent you can hear a pin drop as he makes his statement: that is what a late 1-0 score does. And as such, he is aware he will reach his target. A few consider a reply but are either too shy to go against the dressing room leader, or too experienced to burn their fingers on the prickly midfielder: discussions at this moment in time have no winners. But Jorgen Bjerkness falls in neither category. And Jorgen Bjerkness had forty-five frustrating minutes behind him. And Jorgen Bjerkness noticed the wide gestures with which Carstensen shifted the blame to him in front of the cameras.

"Doesn't matter when people give shit passes, or no passes at all, no."

It is the clearly faked lightness in the voice that puts everyone on edge. In seconds, Carstensen stands in front of the Fort Viljan player.

"Some people just ignore the plan and want to be the nation's darling again. Be the one who scores the goals, letting the other schmucks do the heavy lifting…"
"What are you implying?"
"I am not implying. I am just establishing that we scored like clockwork in the Campionato and then, for some reason, players need to be swapped in or out and poof! Six goals in eight games. Just a little stat."

Who swung first? It probably depends on what you see as a first. The first push? Fist? Punch? It only takes a few seconds before the central defenders, making use of their size, pull them apart but in the meantime, both have handed out a few well-placed jabs and hooks. They are both dragged to a corner and in the deafening silence, one can hear one of the veteran players mutter under their breath.

"It really can't go on like that…"

[Saperetia]

First Home Win
Saperetia 2-0 Lashnakia

This game was one of the first to sell all it's tickets for. Many fans are hoping that unranked newcomer Lashnakia will be no match for the men from the national team. They are currently sitting at the bottom of the table with only 3 points. Not much is known about their squad, but that doesn't stop the SAP 4-3-3, with Titus back from injury, lining up against the LAS 4-4-2:

Saperetia: GK Yakim (C) DEF Ipatiy, Celso, Diyan, Achille MID Lacy, Knobes, Vilfredo ATK Paavali, Antoon, Titus

Lashnakia: GK ? DEF ?, ?, ?, ? MID ?, ?, ?, ? ATK ?, ?

The game began in an unfamiliar fashion: Saperetia was finally the main agressor in the early game. As the Saperetian players moved around the field, they easily were breaking throuh the Lashnakian defence. Fans in the packed out stadium did not have to wait long to see for what they had come: A corner from Lashnakia in the 24th minute bounced a lot around the penalty area, but then suddenly was kicked out by Celso, and a one-two between Antoon and Paavli saw Paavli hit a beutifull strike from outside the penalty area to bring the Saperetian side up 1-0 in the 25th minute. And though the Saperetians fiercly tried to get a second in the first half, no efforts managed to find their way through. In the second half, the Saperetians calmed a bit down, which made the game a bit less one-sided. But after about 20 minutes, fans started chanting "WE WANT MORE!", which seemed to have an impact on the Crimsonites as in just the 72nd minute, a solo run from Antoon saw him chip the Lashnakian goalkeeper as the score was brought to 2-0. Despite the crowd continuing to pressure the swuad to score more goals, they instead decided to play it easy. This left the crowd a little dissapointed at the final whistle, but the vast majority were happy to have seen the team win in the National.

With a gap forming between the nr. 4 Pasarga and nr. 5 Patriotlandia, chances for qualification are dwindling. The next match is against afformentioned Pasarga, 4th in group and ranked 20th in world. Many fans see the match as almost impossible to win, but Mouhtenio claimed that he will "try to do everything in my power to try to put up a good fight."

Loss Against Tough Opponent "Tough"
Pasarga 2-0 Saperetia

Many fans saw the fixture bleak. Pasarga seems to be in the "upper league" of group 10, while Saperetia was in the "lower league." Even with no injuries and the squad at full strenght, fans hoped that an upset could be pulled off as the SAP 4-3-3 lined up against the PAS 4-4-2:

Saperetia: GK Yakim (C) DEF Ipatiy, Celso, Diyan, Achille MID Lacy, Knobes, Vilfredo ATK Gordie, Antoon, Titus

Pasarga: GK Přibyl DEF Svatoš, Sarrazin (C), Szölôsi, Hrvatin MID Topić, Kárpáty, Sebeôk, Pálffy ATK Salai, Magana

Of course, it was expected that Pasarga would be the more attacking side in the beginning, but nobody expected the first goal to come in just 3 minutes. But, a corner from Topić saw Magana head it in to bring the wanderers up 1-0. This goal seemed to bring the defensive spirit out in the Saperetians as they did not leave their own half, which seemed to work up until the 41st minute in which the second goal fell due to a beutifull bit of passing from Topić to Sebeôk to Magana to Sebeôk to Salai to bring the score to 2-0. This seemed to exhaust the already exhausted Crimsonites, but they managed to defend until half-time, where they walked to their dressing room, porbably dreading the rippin Mouthenio would give them. And whatever it was that Mouthenio said, it worked: Saperetia began to create chances. None of which were converted into goals, but, they at least didn't concede any more.

Pasarga was the last "tough" oponnent as against the rest, the currently 8th Saperetia seems to stand a chance. The teams are (in order that Saperetia is playing them): Oberour Ar Moro, who is 6th, Al-Tamazgha, who is 9th, and Abanhfleft, ranked 7th.

[Archalit]

---

"Good god, we suck," Jose proclaimed, referencing Matchday 7.

Roland Baker sat in the corner, contemplating life. "Goddamn it," he sighed, "I've been so far off-beat lately."

"ooOOOoooh, maybe I'll get a turn... for once," Kim Jin-Ham, reserve goalie, replied.

"Why did they have to put up a whole column for this," Kanoa Faye asked, "we really need a win soon."

"Not to put a dampener on the, well, pretty dampened mood," Krystol Mays started, "but it's probably over for us."

"HEY," Jose exclaimed.

"Don't deny it," Nikko Benito, a usual hothead, retorted, "we're one of the only teams without double digits."

"Well," Krystol Mays said, "on the plus side, Kirungabi also has eight points."

"At least they have a GODDAMN title," roared Nikko.

"Hey," Kanoa said, attempting to de-escalate, "let's just go in fresh to our next games, it can't be as bad as these last few days."

[Eshialand]

Disappearance
Eshialand 1-2 Valentine Z
Eshialand 1-1 Audioslavia

"Hello and welcome back to Tournament Report, I'm your host Josh Seametzle, and that guy slumped over the desk is Karsten Rhodes--"
"zzzz-ARGH! Wait, are we live?"
"Yes Karsten, we're live."
"...oh, can we get a do-over?"

"Cut!"

"I'm Josh Seametzle, he's Karsten Rhodes, something something Tournament Report let's get right to the action."
"How have the soccer team been doing Josh?"
"Well we drew Audioslavia!"
"Hey, that's good news!"
"About the only good news this cycle."
"Oh... well at least the team's still having fun out there, right?"
"It would seem so, but the Coach has apparently gone missing!"
"He WHAT?"
"He hasn't been seen with the team in about a week now. Apparently being on pace for Eshialand's worst cycle ever and being the worst 4th-seeded nation of them all is way too much for him to handle, so he seems to be taking a sabbatical from the team, to get things together."
"Do they know about this?"
"From what Melissa Carey told me, yes, but she doesn't quite know where he's gone to. Just... somewhere."
"So she's coaching them by herself?"
"Evidently. Can't muck it up much more than Morgan has anyway, at this rate."
"It's all in shambles..."
"On the bright side, there is one Eshian team still doing well."
"Huh?"

Josh then hands Karsten a piece of paper, showing Aleirave's results so far.

"They WHAT???"
"Mhm."
"This should be an absolute national embarassment for the Owls, I demand a recount, A RECOUNT!!"
"Calm down Karsten, things will get better."
"They will?"
"Of course! After all, I know what you've been doing with your paycheck, so I know about that magic expert you're visiting next month... never pegged you for that type."
"You WHAT????"

The broadcast cuts out as Karsten full-on lunges at Josh. Apparently some things are best left secret, who knew?

[Saterun]

The Promised Land: A Journey Through Saterun Football
By Kalvin Hsemer

Part 3, Chapter 2: A Place of Hope

For our first stop on this tour of Saterun Taças, we arrive in Daxler. The Daxler Intra-city Championship is widely regarded as the premier level in Taça football. The preliminary stage, which features 2 groups of 10 teams, draws an average of 15,000 fans to each match. The final, which has been held in the Adam Antwerp Arena for the past 12 years, has attracted upwards of 46,000 fans for some matches. But why is the DIC such a big event?

To find out the answer to that question, I sat down with Martin Sedgar, the commissioner of the DIC. Our discussion was lively and engaging, and especially eye-opening. But we'll get to all of that in a bit. First, some context.

About 14 years ago, in the southern industrial neighborhood of Escvel, a shoe factory caught fire. From there, it was only a matter of hours before the whole south side of the city was ablaze. Most of south Daxler is industrial plants and factories, and they all ahd something to burn. Another hour after the intial wave, the north side had also started to catch on fire. In total, about 12 million sols worth of materials, buildings, and property were destroyed, and 2,700 people lost their lives, with many more injured. The rebuilding of Escvel is still not complete, with the city government estimating it will take another two years. Sedgar thinks this is one of the primary reasons for passion behind the DIC. "The Daxler City Fire was a horrible event, truly horrible. I remeber that day so clearly. i had flown out to Ias the day before on business. My mother was back in Daxler. I was so scared that she had been hurt. Thankfully, she was fine. I was one of the lucky ones. Evn though I personally didn't lose anything, I still felt the effects. the whole city did." Sedgar belives in the uniting power of sport, and made this very clear during our time together.

"The fact that the DIC for that year started only a week after the fire was monumentous. People wanted something to be constant in their lives after such an upheavel, and that's what the DIC provided. Even though the city was still in shock, the DIC recorded record attendances, seeing about 23,000 fans on average per match, with over 52,000 for the final." The DIC would prove to be a powerful force. Not only did it provide people with mental stability. It also creates over 1000 jobs per tournament, excluding players and coaching staff. Of course, can a football tournament really heal a city? "I think so," says Sedgar. "In the purest form, it is something that unites people, brings them together. What Daxler needed after the fire was a sense of city identity. The DIC gave that. No matter what else was going on in your life, you could count on rooting for a DIC team, and you shared that with your whole community."

After our chat, I just had to see some of this first-hand. One of the perks of being an author/jounalist is that I often get match invites. After talking to some people and pulling some strings, I was able to get a seat in the DIC final for this year. Definitely the opportunity of a lifetime.

The city is buzzing. An entire avenue, Kallen Dr. is decked out in red and black, the colors of one of the teams comepteing today. Once you get to the stadium, it's completely mad. The employees are trying their hardest, but the fans have waited all year for this. Thankfully, I finally make it past security and check-in and are inside. The first thing you notice about the main entrance is the mosiac. Similar to the one in Tsear, this one commemorates the city as a whole. Set into the wraught iron above the entranceway, it is primarily purple, the city of Daxler' color. However, streaks of every color are visible. The words "One City, One People" are also included.

After getting a beer, I settle into my seat. This stadium is important not just to Daxler. It has witnessed some historic NT moments, like the WCQ 91 defeat of then-IAC champions HUElavia. The energy is just as big today. Just before the match starts, the announcer states that the attendance for this match is officially 46,560. That's approaching on full capacity. Soon, the match kicks off. It is between Tobacco Road FC and Summit Ridge AFC. Chanting fills the stadium. I'm sat at one of the nuetral sections, but swaths of red and green fill either end of the stadium. The atmosphere is incredible. The football's also pretty class, too. If the SFF ever decided to create a second tier of professional football, either of these teams would have a good shot at making it. Tobacco Road take the lead in the 13th minute from a header by Caesar Ibañez. One of the rising stars of the DIC, the 17 year-old is already being scouted by a number of A. Liga clubs. Unsurprisingly, he scores on the biggest stage in Daxler. Tobacco Road keep on the pressure, but Summit Ridge won't cede. A 22nd minute shot by Tobacco Road midfielder Johan Viklet just glances off the crossbar. There isn't any more action in the first half.

The second half gets off to a roaring start when Summit Ridge captain Kurt Handerventer is brought down in the penalty box. A minor on-field scuffle happens, but the referee is able to break it up. Road defender Kallum Xi is let off with a yellow. Handerventer has no trouble equalising from the spot, and it's all square. With five sub spots alloted, the high tempo is kept throughout the match. Tobacco Road are so close yet again in the 61st, but the effort from long range is just put wide by Summit Ridge goalkeeper Carlos Hixuata. 90 minutes comes and goes. With just 2 minutes left in added time, Ibañez stands over a freekick just over 21 yards out. Hixuata is frantically managing his defense, knowing full well this is within Ibañez's range. The ref blows his whistle, giving Ibañez the go-ahead. A Summit RIdge defender quickly says something to Hixuata, causing him to turn his head. This half-second drop of attention is all Ibañez needs. He loops the ball over the wall and off the inside of the crossbar, where is bounces in. Hixuata is furious at his defense, while the stadium erupts. Ibañez wheels off in celebration. Tobacco Road know they'll be getting a big-money offer for him next year.

And so Tobacco Road FC lifted their 6th DIC title. Throughout the day, I was struck by the level of passion evident in the ciy and stadium. Sedgar was right. The DIC is truly a uniting force. It provides a glimpse of hope and a promise that, even though the fire ravanged the city, it has something to be behind and in support of. No other city can match that feeling. However, no other Taça porduces talent like Anasb's Copa Capital.

[Kimi-Suomi]

We needed that last double-header, teimme varmasti. Winning 2-0 and 6-0 was undoubtedly an excellent way to get the confidence back up and you could certainly feel like the team was starting to believe in themselves once again in a group that certainly felt like it could change dramatically on the flip of a switch. Esko Laaksonen knew that things could get hairy if the Huuhkajat of Kimi-Suomi weren't careful...but how would this 4th double-header go down?

Up first would be Sudilinen (Sudilia) back at Pesä and considering Oliver Thompson's side was 3-3 entering this contest, many did feel that getting maximum points was going to be critical...but our visitors certainly came to play and there was practically nothing we could do to get the maximum this time. We took the lead twice in this game, both times through Kimi Airo, but Olivier Ouimet would respond both times to ensure the points were shared. A draw is better than defeat, of course, but it also meant we slipped to 5th and 4 points off the top spot.

It would be La Vherderoja up next as we had to travel to the land of chaos and explosions known as Farfadillis looking to just get out of there alive with some sort of dignity still intact against a very attacking side that could be merciless whenever it felt like it. They managed two quick goals in the early going thanks to Kolejes Marajis and Dénes Robineau being as accurate and annoying as you would imagine considering the circumstances, but Mika Noronen would get one back just after the start of the 2nd half to really make things feel really interesting for the rest of the game. Both Peter Nurmi and Tusales de Lovandá would be pushed into working hard for the rest of the game, deflecting as much as possible, but in the end, La Vherderoja prevailed in a 2-1 win that would send us back down to 6th in the table.

This season has been like a rollercoaster so far, consistently inconsistent to a laughable degree, but there still has to be hope that things will eventually be alright, right? The legendary Karpaatia ja Ruthenia (Carpathia and Ruthenia) will be coming to Pesä next before we have to all the way to Tähtiteräinen (Starblaydia) to face a team currently ahead of us by 2 points in the standings. Things look a bit rocky at the moment. Hopefully, this rollercoaster can smoothen out in our favour. NOSTA KUIN HUUHKAJAT!

[Pemecutan]

MD 7
Pemecutan 3 – 2 British Covelandia

Goal:
Rama Karyadi (33')
Leo Olivando (68')
Dewa Putu Mahardika (88')

Substitution:
Kadek Rai Partha <---> Bayu Dananjaya (49')
Ngurah Agung Rai Putra <---> Pandu Putu Agus Suwandi (62')
Alvino Bastian <---> Oscar Tri Atmaja (79')
Agus Setiahadi <---> Satya Permadi (81')

---

MD 8
Gnejs 0 – 0 Pemecutan

Goal:
No goal

Substitution:
Rama Karyadi <---> Satya Permadi (57')
Leo Olivando <---> Pandu Oka Jaya (64')
Agus Kusumajaya <---> Dwi Putra Ariana (79')

---

---

Chapter 1 || Chapter 2 || News

---

Chapter 3

Gala dinner. It is a typical event for a multinational event like this. It is a good place to display the host's hospitality, cultures and cuisine. We can get to know more about the host from this event. And the Second Inter-Nations Meeting is no exception. The opening day is ended with a gala dinner. While earlier at noon, a press conference and welcomed meeting was held. The event schedule is also being re-address. It divided into 2 main meeting. One will discussing about economy and trade. The other is about security. And it seems no room is there for discussion over Gili Anakan's status. Hope it will be skip.

At the dinner, all country's leaders are seating at one table. While the other delegations is seated one delegation per table. And we can enjoy the show perfectly. I am seated next to Cakranegaran Vice President who is represent the country this time. My other next is Prime Minister of Rarungan. What a seating arrangement. I try to be polite and talk with both of them. Despite I am more close with Rarungani Prime Minister, Arya Kelakan. Well, he is Pemecutanian descend, that's first. He is the first non Rarungani to be elected as Prime Minister. And he is already at office for 3 terms which is a great accomplishment. I agree to have a private meeting with him tomorrow.

And the vice president of Cakranegara? I don't know much about him. Except that he is Hambali's comrade. I believe he was a governor of Sembalun province before. The province I've never set foot on. I only ever go to South Saka and Selaparang Provinces when I'm there. And I've never visit the country yet after their referendum. Maybe I need to do it one day. And see how much the country has change. Hope it is coming to the better. I'm happy that the current government are more open to foreign countries despite their base image as a hardline nationalist.

I am not paying attention to either one of them as another performance is shown. It is a dancing sequence which I believe some kind of war dance. And out of nowhere, Cakranegaran Vice President lean on me and whispering.
"You looks so relax and happy here. Are you aware of the situation back in your home?" he says.
I am shock and confuse with the sudden words. I look at him intensely as he smile at me and back to his position as if nothing was happened. I turn myself to look at the performance in front of me. But my head circling around with his words. What's happening back home? The last thing I know is the discussion was halt until after the official appointment which happened this Friday. Is there something I don't know about? The rest of the gala dinner become dull as I can't enjoying it after that small incident.

Stay for Good

I can't sleep last night. That words makes me think a lot of things. I've tried to contact home. Lord Bongkasa not say any words. He said exactly what I thought that the discussion was halt. So do I need to worry again? I must focus on my meeting with Rarungani PM. Don't want to let him down.

PM Arya Kelakan looks fresh today. Looks like he got more sleep than I did. The talks was about an hour. Not much to be talk about. Always about investment. But that is something good to tighten our relationship. Keeping your ally as close as possible. Pemecutan heavily investing on Rarungan development especially after Cakranegara Anti-Monarchy War which drag the country after Cakra's royal family seek shelter in Rarungan. Pemecutan was there to help and we are still to this day. And Rarungan emerge to become the richest country in the archipelago.

"We're thinking to build a highway around the islands. That would be good to ease travel," informed Arya Kelakan.
"That's a brilliant idea. But have you consider train?" I give him another perspective.
"Well, that's good too. But it is more expensive to build. And we also afraid that train will kill the already presence water connection. The 3 large ports that we just build would be dead," he gives an excuses.
"I see. Well, I can contact some of our state-owned companies to jump in to help if you okay with it," I'm suggesting.
"Ah that's great. I will inform when the tender is open. Maybe we'll open for both road and rail network," he said.
"That would be great," I said.

The conversation then continue to other issue. Especially tourism and stock market. Ubung Stock Exchange (UBEX) is on an expansion. They have acquire Nilayam Stock Exchange before and eyeing for Rarungan and Toluiwa. Honestly, I don't really understand what's on the mind of this UBEX executives. Although they are inline with our intention to spread influence in the area. Probably.

---

Back to the hotel. Time really fly fast. It is almost dinner time. Talking with Arya Kelakan is always a great one. Maybe that's why I can be so close with him. We have a good connection. Oh wait, my cell is ringing.

"Hello?" I greeted the caller.
"My Lord. I hope you're safe there. Please don't come back to Pemecutan just yet. Stay there until the end of the conference," the caller tell me. He is my informant.
I'm confused. "What? Why? What's going on there?"

My mind become vague as he explain everything. There's a rumour underground that a huge demonstration will be held during the appointment day. And he is afraid that the event will turn into chaos.
"And who's behind all this?" I ask.
He is afraid to say it at first but I forced him to. But his answer is shocking me more than ever. Seems like the warning that came out from Cakranegara vice president yesterday might come true.

---

---

MD 9
Pemecutan v Indusse
@ Tegeh Kori National Stadium, Tegeh Kori, Puradhipa Capital Territory

MD 10
Kelssek v Pemecutan
@ Exhibition Place, Kirkenes

Starter
1 Septiandi Yusuf (GK)
2 Dwi Putra Kusuma (LB)
4 Satya Putra Laksamana (CB)
5 Gede Arya Damar (CB)
3 Alvino Bastian (RB)
7 Dwi Putra Ariana (LM)
9 Satya Permadi (CM)
19 Agus Setiahadi (CM)
8 Kadek Rai Partha (RM)
10 Dewa Putu Mahardika (AT)
11 Leo Olivando (ST)
Substitute on bench
23 Arya Dwi Prakasa (GK)
13 Panca Suputra (LB)
14 Surya Brata Wijaya (CB)
15 Oscar Tri Atmaja (RB)
31 Dian Wahyu Ananda (CM)
27 Bayu Dananjaya (RM)
21 Pandu Oka Jaya (ST)
Other Substitute in squad
34 Wira Putra (GK)
16 Satya Adi Lesmana (CB)
22 Ngurah Weda Aksara (LM)
18 Nengah Patriawan (CM)
23 Arya Tungga Wijaya (AT)
28 Raka Lokantara (ST)
Player role
Captain - Satya Putra Laksamana
Corner kicks - Dwi Putra Ariana (left), Alvino Bastian (right)
Free kicks - Agus Setiahadi, Dewa Putu Mahardika
Penalty - Leo Olivando
Injury
Wisnu Pramana

[Eastfield Lodge]

Pre-Qual Friendly 1: Koronavia 0–0 Eastfield Lodge
Line-up (3-3-3-1): Cammers - Harding, Debar, Da Silva - Hamilton, Lie, Pemberton (<> Karson 60’) - Brewer, Keckwright-Olivier (<> Strand 60’), Bob (<> Allred 75’) - Cyra (<> Pryor-Sandoval 45’)
Goals (Assists): N/A
Headline: Difficult draw for experimental Eastfielder team

Pre-Qual Friendly 2: Eastfield Lodge 2–2 Eshialand
Line-up (3-3-3-1): Ross - O’Lara, Soriano, Fawcett-Ferrand (<> Harding 72’) - Toure, Duncan (<> Lie 62’), Begum - Ockden (<> Ashby 72’), Armitage, Allred - Pryor-Sandoval (<> Dean-Jamal 62’)
Goals (Assists): Lie (78’), Dean-Jamal (84’ - Lie)
Headline: Late Wasps brace rescues Imperial Commonwealth

Pre-Qual Friendly 3: Ceni 2–4 Eastfield Lodge
Line-up (3-3-3-1): Gaber - Lillehammer-Lockwright, Salama, Sky-Afzal - Turcotte-Greene, Miles (<> Duncan 68’), Karson - Stevenson-Fury, Strand (<> Armitage 68’), Ashby - Dean-Jamal (<> Paree 45’)
Goals (Assists): Dean-Jamal (34’ - Ashby), Ashby (39’ - Karson), Salama (57’ - Strand; 82’ - Armitage)
Headline: Set pieces punish Ceni in Cenial

Pre-Qial Friendly 4: Eastfield Lodge 1–2 Commonwealth of Baker Park
Line-up (3-3-3-1): Gaber - Harding (<> Salama 72’), O’Lara, Lillehammer-Lockwright - Turcotte-Greene (<> Karson 72’), Lie, Begum - Stevenson-Fury, Armitage, Bob (<> Allred 72’) - Dean-Jamal (<> Paree 63’)
Goals (Assists): Dean-Jamal (32’ - Begum)
Headline: Spirited performance not enough to avert defeat to Baker Park

MD1: Cabo Azure 3–0 Eastfield Lodge
Line-up (3-3-3-1): Gaber - Harding, O’Lara (<> Soriano 71’), Lillehammer-Lockwright - Turcotte-Greene, Lie, Begum (<> Pemberton 54’) - Stevenson-Fury (<> Brewer 54’), Armitage, Bob (<> Ashby 81’) - Dean-Jamal (<> Paree 71’)
Goals (Assists): N/A
Headline: Same old story in WC opener as Eastfield Lodge outclassed

MD2: Eastfield Lodge 1–2 Zwangzug
Line-up (3-3-3-1): Gaber - Lillehammer-Lockwright, Salama (<> O’Lara 75’), Debar - Turcotte-Greene, Lie (<> Duncan 75’), Karson - Brewer, Strand, Ashby - Dean-Jamal (<> Pryor-Sandoval 66’)
Goals (Assists): Strand (66’)
Headline: Woodwork denies Eastfield Lodge victory in close match

MD3: Tecoia 1–2 Eastfield Lodge
Line-up (3-3-3-1): Gaber - Lillehammer-Lockwright, Salama, Debar - Turcotte-Greene, Lie, Karson (<> Begum 68’) - Brewer, Strand (<> Armitage 68’), Ashby (<> Bob 45’) - Dean-Jamal
Goals (Assists): Own Goal (11’ - Strand; 51’ - Karson)
Headline: Defensive calamities provide first Eastfielder points of campaign

MD4: Eastfield Lodge 1–0 Greater Kamilistan
Line-up (3-3-3-1): Gaber - Lillehammer-Lockwright (<> Harding 64’), Salama, Debar (<> O’Lara 76’) - Turcotte-Greene, Lie, Begum - Brewer, Strand, Ashby (<> Allred 64’) - Dean-Jamal
Goals (Assists): Dean-Jamal (2’ - Brewer)
Headline: Eastfield Lodge strike hard and fast for second win in row

MD5: Aleirave 3–0 Eastfield Lodge
Line-up (3-3-3-1): Gaber - Lillehammer-Lockwright, Salama (55’), Debar - Turcotte-Greene, Lie, Karson (<> Begum 68’) - Brewer (<> Stevenson-Fury 78’), Strand (<> Armitage 57’), Ashby - Dean-Jamal (<> Paree 78’)
Goals (Assists): N/A
Headline: Salama’s rush of blood costs Eastfield Lodge as Aleirave run riot

MD6: Eastfield Lodge 2–0 Cassadaigua
Line-up (3-3-3-1): Cammers - Harding, O’Lara, Debar (<> Soriano 56’) - Toure, Duncan (<> Lie 73’), Begum (<> Karson 81’) - Stevenson-Fury, Strand, Bob - Paree
Goals (Assists): Paree (32’), Stevenson-Fury (85’ - Toure)
Headline: 2nd seeds shocked in New Lodger City

MD7: Sannyamathland 3–4 Eastfield Lodge
Line-up (3-3-3-1): Cammers - Harding, O’Lara (<> Soriano 63’), Debar - Toure, Duncan (<> Lie 63’), Begum - Stevenson-Fury, Strand (<> Armitage 72’), Bob (<> Allred 72’) - Paree
Goals (Assists): Debar (21’ - Bob); Paree (24’; 45+2’ - Strand; 87’ - Allred)
Headline: Paree hat-trick salvages 7 goal thriller in Sannyamathland

MD8: Eastfield Lodge 2–0 Cormoe
Line-up (3-3-3-1): Cammers - Harding, Soriano, Debar - Toure (<> Turcotte-Greene 59’), Duncan, Begum - Stevenson-Fury (<> Ashby 68’), Strand, Bob - Paree (<> Cyra 68’)
Goals (Assists): Bob (43’ - Paree), Cyra (72’)
Headline: 3 wins in 3 - Can we actually qualify this time?

Likely line-up to play Eraman/Ingont (3-3-3-1)
Cammers - Harding, Soriano, Debar - Toure, Duncan, Begum - Stevenson-Fury, Strand, Bob - Paree
Suspended: N/A
Injured: N/A

[Nyowani Kitara]

President Muhoozi Kulan, at CORNCOB

President Muhoozi Kulan had just gotten to the CORNCOB conference. He was riding a political high. A large, bipartisan majority of MNAs had voted to endorse his proposal to join the Common Rushmori Community- with 210 members, aka 70% of the body, supporting his proposal. Of course, there was opposition from all sorts of corners, let alone within his own party- but there was a huge majority for it. The CRC was 'on the brink' of accepting Nyowani Kitara's application, with Nyowani Kitara expected to be fully admitted to the CRC by the end of World Cup Qualifying.

There was, of course, all sorts of stuff going on in the world. Primarily, of course, within Pavola- Nyowani Kitara's next door neighbor to the west, Tikariot, having a devastating landslide that leaves hundreds dead. Interestingly enough, it also uncovered a previously unknown cave network. He had instructed his foreign ministry to release a response to that.

Press Release of the Nyowani Kitara Foreign Ministry Regarding the Tikariot Landslide

"Earlier this week, there were devastating landslides in Wenford, Tikariot- our western neighbor. Our condolences go out to Tikariot. Tikariot was with the people of Nyowani Kitara in our darkest times, when the Akongo regime reigned and a devastating civil war hit our nation. We would want to be with our neighbors in their difficult times, as well. Unfortunately, we are not a nation with a huge set of resources- we cannot offer large funds. However, I have instructed NYK embassy officials to help identify any Kitaran civilians who have been affected, dead or alive. And any Nyowani Kitaran citizens with relatives in the area should contact the Kitaran Embassy.

Furthermore, the President has instructed a limited amount of doctors, with the acceptance of Tikariot, to go to the area and help any lives. Pavolans must stick up for each other in the toughest of times, and we expect to do that."

And to the East, more chaos going on. Guancasteca was quickly falling into a state of civil war- something that was not great for Nyowani Kitara. Obviously the country was just getting out of its own most recent state of civil war, and had just its first successful and peaceful transition of power, from one political party to another. For one of its largest neighbors to be entering a state of civil war, was highly concerning.

Not to mention- while Nyowani Kitara was fairly stable, it wasn't as if the borders were necessarily hardened. Already, there were rumors that many Guanacasteca rebels were operating out of Nyowani Kitara, which was something that his country would need to deal with- quickly. They did not have the power to truly intervene in a civil war, but President Kulan did not want to exactly start off his term by allowing his country to be the Playground of Destruction for their eastern neighbor's civil war.

There was also the fact that, privately, there was a great fear that even if they did want to combat that, by force, that they may not have the power to do so- although that was something that he'd never say out loud.

He hadn't received communication from the Guanacastecan government- yet. And well, his cabinet was heavily divided on the issue, as it was. So the foreign ministry had to issue yet another statement.

Press Release of the Nyowani Kitara Foreign Ministry Regarding the Guanacastecan Situation

"With plenty of violence afoot in Guanacasteca, we urge for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in our eastern neighbor." President Muhoozi Kulan told a session of the National Assembly. "All of Rushmore should be paying attention- if left unchecked, this is a situation that could spiral out of control, and Nyowani Kitara, as a frontline country, could bear the second worst brunt of this- after, of course, the Guanacastecan people. I urge Rushmore's great powers, like our allies in Corvistone and Bastion, to take an interest in this conflict, and urge our brothers forward to the negotiating table."

But neither situation was front of his mind, for the moment. What mattered most? Was the CORNCOB conference. Why was he here? He wanted to show that Nyowani Kitara was more than just a recovering nation, that had just came out of an absolutely brutal civil war. That Nyowani Kitara could actually contribute on the world stage, and be part of a solution of the problems of the day.

So when it came turn to speak, he spoke from that POV.

"I would like to thank you all, for this great invitation to this conference of nations." The President told his fellow delegates. "Sustainability, green energy, natural resources- these are absolutely crucially important things for the future. We are all here because we want to look forward. Our ways of the past, are over. Fossil fuel guzzling nations abroad, like Banija? We must be good stewards of the Earth. Not just for our children, but for all creatures. These animals, this biodiversity, etc... All that is powerless." He went on to speak about how Nyowani Kitara would 'vigorously' try to implement any agreement reached here at CORNCOB, and how poorer nations like his would need assistance from big countries- third rail, yes, but an issue he felt passionate about.

He sat down, smiling. He was ready to get down to business.

---

Sports Brief: World Cup Qualifying

Matchday 7: Rudolph von Katzenstig 37th minute strike enough for three points in tight, 1-0 victory over Srubnaya Culture

KARORA- In a tight contest, a rotated Nyowani Kitara earned a 1-0 victory over Srubnaya Culture, with a 37th minute strike from left midfielder, Rudolph von Katzenstig. "Look- we needed to start this two game homestand positively, and these three points are three points. IOur home form hasn't been good enough- but this is a good way to get it back on track. We were ball dominant against a quality opponent, did not allow them to snuff out much of anything, and although many may say it was boring- this was effective." Said the gaffer. NYK did not go forward a ton, netting just three shots on target- but, with 72% possesion, their opponents could not put a single shot on target. So much of the game was simply our team passing between the midfielders and defenders, which is not generally in our character- but it did the job.

Matchday 8: Big first half as Nyowani Kitara score three times in the opening 30 minutes, to land 3-1 victory over The Licentian Isles

PORT VILJAN- Up in Port Viljan, this Nyowani Kitara was ambitious, and really setting the tone. Instead of sitting back, they charged ahead to get what they wanted- and they were successful. Odede Angonga scored the opener just 9 minutes into the game, and was joined on the scoresheet by Handsdotter(17') and Kamzuni Chinwemwe(30'). Our visitors did not score until the 88th minute. "This was a great win- we got off to one hell of a start, and just as importantly, finished off the myriad of early chances that we created." Liang Wei told reporters. "This is the type of performance you need in Qualifying- high-energy, ball dominant, and putting away chances to take the points. Job well done- now onto the next."

The next window figures to be a much more challenging one. There's an intriguing tie against our neighbors, Brookstation. Ranked 57th in the KPBs, yet positioned just 6th in the table, they feel as if a win over Nyowani Kitara would be just the thing to get their World Cup Qualifying campaign back on track. Combine that with the fact that we beat them in the World Cup 91 Qualification Playoffs- and there will be a lot of interesting things happening here. On Matchday 10, we'll return to the capitol to take on St. Saratoga- a match that NYK are heavily favored in to take three points.

[Srubnaya culture]

Srubnaya News Association Special News Broadcast


World Cup XCIII

At the end of game 6 Srubnaya is playing .66 after a crushing loss to Drawkland. However the team scored an additional 5 goals total. Which puts them at the 4th seed in the cutoff. While this may be concerning for the team its still safe to say against Lozho seemed to have thrown srubnaya off sync a little bit. However, the game against Ofalia was a 5-1 victory due to the good performance from the offense in that game.

Game 5(Drawkland 2–0 Srubnaya Culture- 3-2)
During this game nothing went right of Srubnaya. While our strikers tried their hardest the enemey team had better goalies

After Drawkland scored at 15 ' and 18 ' the defense regained control. Blocking a total of 3 shot attempts by the enemy team. Along with a slew of well-placed tackles that set up possible goals that never were. It didn't boost their momentum though. Even though they played their hearts out for all 90 of those minutes. This was still 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, but they would need to stop losing games. Two was enough losses for the rest of the World cup.

In the stands Srubnaya fans were cheering for their team. It was quite the spectacle to see the Black and Yellow that thousands of Srubnaya fans wore for the 5th time, as they chanted a multitude of encouraging messages to the players, even during the loss they still supported Srubnaya

It was said that 18,000 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 Delegation speeches taking place.

"Srubnaya put up a decent performance tonight indeed. They just need to score more and keep consistency with their defence and losses like this will disappear. "- Sports Critic Zarchal Ibram

Game 6 (Srubnaya Culture 5–1 Oflia- 4-2)
In game 5 Srubnaya Regained control. They played better than in any other game and passed alot more, the training seems to have worked this time. So this was the effort everyone wanted to replicate for the next games.



"This was a redemption indeed. Scoring 5 goals and only allowing one to slip through is the eliete play we love to see from our squad. More of this will definitely boost our chances of winning the cup, we just need to keep up our momentum from here. "- Sports Critic Zarchal Ibram

At the end of game 8 Srubnaya is playing 0.62. Which means that srubnaya has fallen to the dreaded 5th seed under Lozho. This is concerning because it means we may not make the knockout rounds, however with some luck and some determination, our boys can make it back into the top 3 and secure a spot.

Game 7 (Nyowani Kitara 1–0 Srubnaya Culture- 4-3)
Srubnaya and Nyowani were evenly matched for most of the game. A defensive battle for the ages that saw a total of 10 missed shot attempts but in overtime at minute 92' a header from Kuma Negasu went in after a poorly angled shot from Josef Sparv. It was hard to say how long the Srubnaya team had actually ran out of steam though, as recordings of Vladimir Ivanov's immaculate halftime speech to his players for this game have caused many to attribute to the adrenaline rush our players felt to that speech. So it could be possible that the players were borrowing strength from God and that this match should have actually been a massacre.


In the stands Srubnaya fans cheered their hearts out. Fans of both teams did in fact; the stadium roared all 90 of those minutes. It was quite the spectacle to see the Black and Yellow that thousands of Srubnaya fans wore for the 7th time, as they chanted a multitude of encouraging messages to the players, even during the loss they still supported Srubnaya

It was said that 12,000 Srubnaya fans appeared for that game.

"Srubnaya gave their all but unfortunately our opponents had just a little more than our boys did, but im sure the next game will be ours no matter how tough it seems. "- Sports Critic Zarchal Ibram

Game 8 (Srubnaya Culture 1–0 Macbon- 5-3)
Not much happened in the game against Macbon, only 4 shot attempts were taken with 3 coming from Srubnaya. Uxtamazata Neapolis scored a chip shot at 28' which would mark the only goal. The two teams had a defensive battle similar to game 7, only this time Srubnaya would come out onto instead of their opponent.

Estimates have 50,000 Srubnaya fans attending the home game.

"The defense is doing alot better than last game, it seems they still have some steam left in their tank even after the loss to the 1st seed. hopefully this streak of going 50% for cutoffs will end here"- Sports Critic Zarchal Ibram

[Cassadaigua]

Well, there's some goals,
by Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

Through Cassadaigua's first six games, the Dagans were only able to find the back of the net on seven occasions, and that's just not going to get it done. This team is not set up to be defensively dominant like a Ko-oren, and with the present composition of the roster, there was really no excuse for the struggle. During a CSL season, you will see teams go through dry spells no matter how good they are, but in World Cup qualifying, there is no time for that. Veteran manager Brittany Byers is well aware of this, and declared that there would be changes to the lineup and told us who would be inserted into it, but still would not commit on who would not be in the lineup to compensate for it.

Lexi McGregor and Shannon Cunningham were going to get their chance to start, much like they did in the Di Bradini Cup last year. Kaitlin Millikan was going to get an opportunity in the midfield as well, and even though Morgan Rosenblatt has not been that effective, Byers said that Morgan would still be starting both of the games. When you are the captain, and a 34-year old veteran that has been through so many ups and downs with the national team, you have earned the right to have at least more than six games to get your act together and start playing better soccer. Kelsey Werth would be the one taken out of the starting lineup for the game, and she would post on social media before the game that, "I won't be starting tonight. Maybe I will get some playing time, but I am not bitter. It's a team game, and I hope that Kaitlin takes full advantage of her opportunity!" Most figured that Werth would be the one scratched for the lineup, but the tougher decision was going to be with the forwards. Against Cormoe, it would be Carly Patterson and Chloe Anderson that would not start. The fact that the game was scheduled to take place at Cassgo Stadium in Victoriaville and Rachel Boldin plays for Victoriaville South End was probably the decisive factor in Byers' decision. There would have been a lot of disappointed people in stands if the hometown player did not get a chance to play and obviously Boldin herself would be pretty pissed about it and would not take it as well as Kelsey Werth would.

So, now it was the chance for Lexi McGregor, the outspoken 20-year old, to step up and shine. We know how much she talks. How much she flaunts all her jewelry, and that she has a reputation for being too much of a partier before and after games, but the one thing that McGregor has always had an ability to do, in spite of all that, is to show up and play well when her team needs it most. While her and Shannon Cunningham have very different personalities, as the latter is seen as being a much higher character player, they've begun to get a little chemistry going with one another, something that did start in the Di Bradini Cup. That's another example of why the decision of Byers made sense, to not just insert one of them into the starting lineup, but to have them play together. Kaitlin Millikan was also a part of the Di Bradini team.

Right away, Cassadaigua took charge of this match, scoring the first goal of the game just three minutes in. Morgan Rosenblatt actually started the play, something that in itself was nice to see, but you could clearly that both McGregor and Cunningham wanted to get this game off right. Lexi made quick work of the Cormoe defense, but showing that she is a mature player on the field (if not off it), she had great vision to see that Cunningham had the better angle for the shot, and delivered the pass to Shannon, who knew what to do with it. The crowd at Cassgo Stadium erupted in cheers, not only because it was the first goal of the match, but because they knew how much the lack of offense had been talked about leading up to the game. In the 11th minute, McGregor scored her first of the match, coming off a corner that was expertly delivered by Krystal Sherwin to make it 2-0. Ten minutes later, Morgan Rosenblatt finally got rid of the zero in her personal goal scoring stats for this tournament, and the rout seemed to be on. In the 43rd minute, Rachel Boldin got into the act with a goal, set up nicely by Shannon Cunningham to make it 4-0 at the intermission. For Boldin, getting a goal on the field of rival Victoriaville City but being cheered as a hero was naturally a little extra special.

Normally, we could have seen some changes to the lineup at halftime or early in the second half, but Byers elected not to do that for this one. The first ten minutes of half number two were where Cormoe had their best chances, and soon the tide of possession would be back in the Fillies favor. One of the other new additions to the lineup, Kaitlin Millikan would make it 5-0 in the 64th, this also coming off a corner kick that Krystal Sherwin delivered beautifully again. Lexi McGregor's second of the match, in the 71st, concluded the scoring. Afterwards, McGregor showed that she will never just give the politically correct answer, "Great game by all of us today, obviously we had to win. Good things happen when I am out there on the field, and it's no coincidence that by starting me today we scored a bunch of goals. I hope this will mean even more chances to start. I know I'm gonna be back out there against whoever those guys are (Ingont), I can't remember. Hopefully, that will continue in the games that follow, too."

Away at Ingont, the goals were not as fast and furious, but the Fillies would prevail there as well, by the score of 2-1. McGregor scored another, coming in the 33rd minute, and Shannon Cunningham scored in the 50th to account for the two Cassadaigua goals. In this match, McGregor and Cunningham got the starts over Carly Patterson and Rachel Boldin. Kaitlin Millikan started again in the midfield, again with Kelsey Werth being removed from the starting lineup. Some feel that Byers would have played Werth and sat Krystal Sherwin here, but Krystal was coming off an excellent game where she was the best midfielder on the pitch for the pink and black.

So, now what? Brittany Byers said that those lineup changes would happen just for those two games that are now in the books. Lexi McGregor really stood out and backed up a lot of her talk, and Shannon Cunningham looked strong, too. These two are looking more and more comfortable playing with one another whenever we see them. But, if they are going to keep playing, then this will mean that others will have to sit. You cannot hold an eternal grudge against Chloe Anderson, Rachel Boldin, and Carly Patterson just because of the results from the first six games. They deserve to get back out there, and the sooner they do, the better. Neither Boldin nor Anderson stood out as much as McGregor and Cunningham did, though, in the two prior games.

Up next is a critical match against Cabo Azure while also playing Tecoia. I asked Brittany Byers what the decision will be for the Cabo Azure match. "I made the decision to give the kids the games Cormoe and Ingont, and they took full advantage of the opportunity that they were given. However, I am going to go back to regular lineup against Cabo Azure. We have a deep roster here, including up front, and I know the veterans have additional motivation and spark to have great games. I expect nothing less from them. Lexi and Shannon will be on the sideline, and we will use them if the situation calls for it. As for the Tecoia match, I am not making any commitments right now." Byers confirmed that this will mean Kelsey Werth is back in the lineup to replace Kaitlin Millikan. While Kaitlin played well in each of the last two games, she was not as impressive as Lexi and Shannon were up front. I also felt one of the more promising aspects of those games was the resurgence of Morgan Rosenblatt. Maybe it was because the opposition was weaker, but she looked more like the player that we are used to seeing in the World Cup. Despite all of this, if the offense sputters against Cabo Azure, Byers will be taking a lot of heat for her lineup decision. But, it's not an easy decision, and you can see the logic behind it. We'll give her the benefit of the doubt right now.

CASE MAKES DECISION: In other news, the Cassadagan Association for Soccer Excellence announced today that they will not be retiring Meghan Wolcott's #16. This came following a lengthy committee meeting of CASE executives, including President Stephanie Sweeney. Since Meghan retired from the team, it had been speculated that she might be the next in line for jersey retirement, and the number has not been worn by another senior team member since. Sweeney said of the decision, "The decision to retire a jersey number is not one that we take lightly, and we have had several discussions within CASE as to whether or not #16 should be retired for Meghan. This morning, we held a meeting to make a final verdict on the topic, because if we decided to do it, we would want to have the ceremony during this qualifying period. However, in this case, we felt that we would not retire the number. I have already spoken to Meghan about it, and I am not going to get into detail about the pros and cons that were discussed within our meeting room. Meghan Wolcott was a legendary player for us, and there are many greats that we could have had a jersey retirement for, too. It doesn't mean that she won't have a special place in our history."

This will mean that the #16 will be re-issued for the next qualifying period, unless one of the active players on the roster chooses to change their number to it. It's possible that CASE has decided to slow down on the retirements of lower numbers like this. Some have asked why #71 isn't retired for Rachel Schanke, but that's another player that may just be "close". The fact is, this team has not won any titles recently, and that's something that can put a great player over the top.

[Saint Eleanor]

World Cup 93 - seventh matchday of qualifying
Saint Eleanor 1 (David Newcastle goal 47', Esther Launceston red card 84')
Koronavia 0 (Mark Pördsen missed penalty 86')

World Cup 93 - eighth matchday of qualifying
the Republic of Covelandia 0
Saint Eleanor 1 (Adam Denby goal 33')

OOC: I'm short on time and energy and I promised Tikariot I'd do this. Vide. (This entire roleplay was cleared with Tik.)

---

TPL EXCLUSIVE: "My cousin plays in goal for Sword and Shield - but I didn't realise"

This newspaper can reveal - for the first time - that up-and-coming Pyathora Mariners goalkeeper Aviante Richardson is DIRECTLY RELATED to Eleanorian stopper Arielle Richardson through their paternal grandfather, James Richardson.

James, who moved to Saint Eleanor as a child in the 1930s, met his match on the island and gave birth to four children. The second-oldest, Simon, had a reputation for being diligent and is perhaps better known for siring the Cup of Harmony-winning goalkeeper, who has a degree in history from the University of Saint Eleanor, than for owning and operating the Canary Unchained café near the campus site. But his brother Bill - born just eighteen months later - rapidly emerged as the black sheep of the clan.

Born in November 1954, school reports about Bill when he was growing up in Deepchester district vary wildly. His primary school art teacher praised him as being "ruthlessly creative" in 1962 - but five years later, after making the step up to community school, his mentor was much less positive, calling him a "disruptive influence" and "apt to cause trouble." He thrived in the vocational subjects, however, with his woodworking teacher praising his "boundless energy" and her counterpart in the engineering department saying he was "committed when he knows what the task at hand is."

With a mixed record like this and a reported lack of friends, it was little wonder that Bill was struggling to make his way in Eleanorian society. Most of the people around him would have written off an advert taken out in a local newspaper just months before the War of Independence broke out - not The Reporter - asking for hands in a shipbuilding factory in Pyathora, Tikariot as an act of folly. He was probably convinced it was going to mark a step forward in his life, however: the National Liberation Front has no Bill Richardsons in the Deepchester region on file as having taken any part in the war effort.

Much less is known about his life in Tikariot, although it appears he is still humming away in his service as a welder in one of Pyathora's largest industries. What we do know is that he married a local woman a few years after arriving, and that she gave birth to Aviante Richardson in 1984. Aviante, who rose through the local club's ranks and is now serving as one of their backup goalkeepers, is Arielle's nephew: his father and Arielle's father are brothers.

While tracking down the teenager has proved elusive - he lives a fairly quiet life with his parents, has kept out of the kinds of trouble that infested Bill's childhood and appears to be focused on football first and foremost - our expert journalists were able to solicit comments from him while he was unloading his shopping at a local supermarket. He admitted that, although he knew about Arielle Richardson as a schoolboy, "I didn't make the connection until a few months ago - it's quite cool that we're related, however. Something must have been running in the water over there!"

Despite confessing his love for Pyathora - the city and the club - he also said he'd be willing to move abroad at some stage in his career, but that "it isn't an absolute necessity" and he'd only go if Mariners boss Vasil Janevski thought it would be best for him. And the big question: while he's eligible to represent Saint Eleanor due to his family connections, will he? "I think I'll stick with Tikariot, thanks. I might not have any more of a chance but at least I won't have people tarring me with the big, annoying Nepo Baby brush!"

[Oberour Ar Moro]

The New College Try
What Can Clairmonte University Explain About the Explosive Growth of Collegiate Football?

By Victor l’Avenier

When you think of Oberour Ar Moro football at this very moment, you may fix your thoughts on the national team attempting to qualify for their first World Cup. But many kilometers away from Abanhfleft and Saperetia, a university in Astraion is readying for what may be a comparatively greater challenge: Their first season in Renard League 3.

Clairmonte University is one of three teams joining at the Renard League at the League 3 level. A level which can be surprisingly competitive. "You look at Guérande University, our closest football playing neighbor," says Yuon Cailloux, Clairmonte's newly appointed head coach. "They've struggled to finish 10th of 11 teams. There's no guarantees."

If there are no guarantees, why is Clairmonte starting their own football program? And why are so many schools wishing to join them? One answer came from Dr. Ellidius de Tresurin, the President of Clairmonte University. "Football has the unique ability to invigorate a college campus," said Dr. de Tresurin as he announced the creation of the team. He then added: "Athletics will improve the student experience, and we believe that this will give further enhancements for our school."

The decision to add a football program comes after two years of consideration and the publishing of a 67-page study that laid out the costs and possible end results. And the costs were great. Millions of argenteuses to build a stadium. Even more to add practice facilities. On top of that there's additional administrative, athletic, and salary costs.

But the possible results, those "further enhancements" as Dr. de Tresurin said, are what have so many schools looking to add football. These school officials are picturing students, alumni, and city residents filling their stadiums. Imagining high-quality students competing to come to their school. Dreaming of their school making national headlines beyond obscure research. Salivating at the thought of alumni who are now well-to-do businessmen and Oberour Ar Moro officials returning to their schools and donating or partnering for the first time.

There is some evidence of this already. So many Renard League schools can point to newly expanded national profiles. Saintlily University reported at their alumni donor base has doubled since joining Renard League 1. Saint Isidore University cited increased enrollment after their IUCC championship. And after eight consecutive Renard League One championships, Bécherel University is now one of the most exclusive schools in the entire Dominion with an admission rate that has dropped to 11%.

Clairmonte Head Coach Yuon Cailloux can speak to this personally. When he played collegiate football at Hemon University, it was merely a club. "You could change in the gym showers with students who were there to go swimming or whatever. Then play on a common field while track ran around us. But when I was an assistant at the University of Airzis over the last few years, the team is dressing in an exclusive locker room, and walking into our own exclusive stadium. We were like the city's third major football team behind Invicta and Grand Rue."

This is certainly what Clairmonte wants. Clairmonte is currently a college without its own niche, a school for the Brobent at best. And even that designation is shared amongst other institutions. But they can dream of a time that a future Joeva au Paus will be on an Oberour Ar Moro National Team roster while playing for Clairmonte, and how that would advertise their school like nothing else.

This is a very common dream. Clairmonte is riding a wave that sees membership in the Renard League grow from one division of 12 teams in 1754 to 39 teams across three divisions in 1762. Alongside Clairmonte, the University of Perseis in Perseis and Saint Pergat University in Taviria are joining Renard League 3 in 1763. And over 20 further schools across the Dominion are at some level of consideration of applying to join the Renard League.

"As teams are added at the professional level, there is also proving to be plenty of room for expansion of the game at the collegiate level as well," said Pronele Tyrenlire, a professor of Sports and Event Management at the University of Vergia (A 13th place finish means Vergia was relegated to Renard League 3 for this season). "I think there is both room for college football to further tie into professional football in the Dominion, and for college football to serve as its own event with its own prerogatives."

"For a school like Clairmonte, football means we actually get to compete on the same field as Peristephanon, Cyrenense, or Porphyrogene University, and potentially defeat them", said Coach Cailloux. "Though, of course, first we have to beat Guérande."

[Huayramarca]

A Day in the Life of: Orlando Mina

By Carlos Humala

Few people in the national team, and all across Huayramarca, can talk about having a formidable physical strength as the one that Orlando Mina possess. 1.96 meters tall centre-mid, a lover of destroying rival game plans and ideas, a robust team player who provides the much-needed strength of any national team in football, with a respectable career and already considered as a top-class midfielder. All that success that he has had was built through hard work, dedication, and some pain in the process; Orlando Mina is now with us, to see how one of the best midfielders in the multiverse has forged his career, from the bottom to the top, from hell to glory.

Born in the streets of Guasmo Norte, one of the biggest slums of the Maritime Jewel of Calania, Guayaquil, Orlando has had some interesting experiences that have forged character on him, some lessons learned from that process have made him turn into what he is today. A socially-compromised person, who acts in support of different organisations and social movements in support of Black People in Huayramarca, and also in nations across Anaia, who wants to create a legacy of victory for a people that has been historically discriminated in Huayramarca. That’s Orlando Tello, a player who wants to speak in the field and also outside of it.

As we meet, before the lunch of the match against Farfadillis, a relaxed Orlando came to us, speaking with confidence and also rejoicing on what he did against Sudilia in the last match, as he scored a goal and provoked a foul who derived in the goal of Ian Mamani for that 1-2 victory away. I shake hands with him, and I got one of the strongest shakes I’ve ever received, to the point I say “Oof, Orlando, that was a hard one!” Mina smiles, then replies “Nah, that was my signature shake, a soft one.” Thinking about it, I really don’t want to receive a handshake of a euphoric Orlando Mina, that could be a nightmare, heh. Orlando sits and offers some soda drink for me, he is drinking water and joyously said “Water for me, soda for you. That’s life for an athlete… Specially before a match like this one, discipline should be tight, although I can’t lie I’m envying you for that soda, hahaha.”

As I sat, I asked Orlando “So, how Orlando Mina could describe himself in a word?” He said “Stoic” then, I asked him to elaborate further on it, he said “Well. I like to be disciplined on myself, building a strong body, training habits, a program for constant improvement. Those are things that I didn’t find in Huayramarca, as our football scene was amateur when I was growing into the sport. Montreal Koreana, and the professionalism of people in Québec helped me to get into the track and make myself sure of being good enough with discipline, rigorism, and the attributes needed to be a professional athlete.”

“Going back to the roots, Orlando, you grew up at Guasmo Norte in Guayaquil, one of the most difficult places to live in Huayramarca. This helped you to gain character?” He said, correcting me “Well, not difficult to live in… It’s matter of getting well along with the neighbours and avoiding those who can turn your life into shambles due to bad decisions or negative influences for you. Answering the question, yes, I was born at Guasmo Norte and I’m proud of it, my roots and experiences come from there, something I will never forget and I’m committed to deliver help for them.” Then, I said. “Excuse me, I used some wrong adjectives.” Orlando answered “Don’t worry, we all commit mistakes. The good part of it is that you can correct those.”

“There was a special connection with you and sports since a child?” Orlando gladly replied, smiling “Well, yes. I grew up watching a lot of folks doing some hard exercising at the gym located near my house, then some children playing football near the shores and piers of the Astillero Central, one of the most iconic shipyards of Guayaquil. I enjoyed watching some of those matches and training sessions, yet I was still too young to watch, but I told my mother to let me play there someday, she didn’t consider me crazy, although she said ‘give it some time, you need to grow up more’ I accepted her words, and waited for the moment.” I asked him about the parenting style of his mother, he said “She was quite strict, perhaps that’s the reason why I care too much on discipline and fulfilling my commitments.”

“Orlando, what about studies?” He said “I wasn’t the best performing student at my grade, but I was fairly consistent on it, even on mathematics. I completed high-school and got some vocational training as an IT technician.”, then I said “Ah, so fluent on technology and AI-setting up?” Orlando said “Yes, but not that far on the AI side of things, I can help setting up a server but not coding one.” Then he added “Although, I can code things for myself, especially stats and projections for my performance, so I get my body to work in something particular to avoid issues in a future.”

“When reached the age, what your mother told you about sporting activities?” He said “She simply allowed me, but conditioning me to not fail at any subject of my class. So, I decided to talk with Manuel Guagua, a trainer near my school, who suggested me the idea of playing football, but he told me that I needed to build muscles, as I was ‘too weak’ for playing at that moment.” I got to ask him “Did those words impacted you for the future?” Orlando said “Definitely, it was my first challenge and something I’ve become rather obsessed for. I got training at a gym, started with stamina building, then muscles; it took me a year to build something decent in order to play football at a good level.”

“After that year, did Manuel Guagua called you for a team?” Orlando said “Yes, as he noted the change and said ‘this guy has potential, so let’s put him into a team.’ Then, I got called into the academies of Sporting Club El Alto in Guayaquil, where I started playing as a centre back. They told me I’d fit in that position, but then they noticed something.” Mina laughed and added “That despite being strong, I wasn’t able to sweep hard the rival strikers because I feared injuring them.” That observation is, to be fair, quite surprising and unexpected to listen from somebody that is considered to be a top midfielder. Then, Mina added “They noticed that circumstance, but they forced me to play as centre back until I told them that I didn’t feel myself comfortable in said position. When I told them that, they were mildly annoyed, yet they accepted me to test myself in the midfield as a defensive one, but able to switch roles to a creative stance of the game.”

“So, due to the lack of aggressivity they argued when defending, they allowed you to go to the mid. How was that transitional period for you?” Orlando replied “It was a good one, as I got used to it quite fast. I wasn’t a wild tackler, but a smart one, and the midfield gave me some advantage at recovering balls from high or blocking rivals from attacking us. Height played good for me, as I was able to provide some strength and confidence to the midfield of the team. The coaches, who were annoyed at me for the request, were now satisfied due to my performance there, they told ‘He does have a good sense of positioning in the midfield. That’s something that can be promising for the future.” And indeed, that it was, you gave him a chance to be one among the best, and having a bright career forward in that position.

But life comes with struggles, and one has to be strong when finding one: “I was diagnosed with issues on my liver, hence I had to quit football for some time, as I had a lot of pain while breathing. It was a hard time for me.” Said Orlando, then adding “My mother was supportive all the time, she said that I would overcome the situation and be able to perform even better in the future in football.” Orlando was remembering, with some pain “I took a year in recovery, then I hit back the gym and the trainings. It was good to be back, and the adapting process wasn’t that hard, so I came back to my usual level and continued climbing higher and higher within the ranks of the academy.

“How did the Condor time come?” Mina said “It was Rubén Condori and Omar Caicedo the ones who supervised our trainings for two weeks, they were satisfied with my performances in the field and my attitude, so they called me and said “Well, Orlando, you’ll be into this project as one of the cornerstones in the midfield” Mom had, surely, reacted in surprise “She was crying” said Orlando “All your sacrifice has been worthy of this, now go for the top!” those were the words she said… Two days later she was killed in a pedestrian crossing for a drunk driver.” In a drastic turn of events, happiness turned into sadness for Orlando Mina, but he managed to find inspiration from the happening “I have made a promise to be the best, and I’m talking seriously, I want to achieve it and make her proud. I know she’s my guardian angel, the one who helps me in unnatural ways, and I’m glad of it.”

Orlando Mina took some time to clean his tears. Then I asked “It was a big hit, the kind that no one wants to suffer ever, and I’m sorry for it. How did you continue in football? How the inspiration came after it?” He said “Some of my friends, and even Guagua, knew about it and motivated me to achieve my dreams, to make her proud and also to my community and those who have put confidence in me.” “Now, let’s talk about the big jump to Montreal Koreana in Québec, how it happened?” I asked, Orlando said “Remember Cup of Harmony 79? Well, some of their scouts were interested after my performance in the quarter-finals, they said that they’ve been following me up during the whole tournament, but that performance was the push they needed to decide buying my transfer pass. Playing with them has been a gratification, a great experience that has made me grow as a person and as a footballer through discipline, high-level competition in a constant basis and more international matches. That’s how I’ve got some improvement during the last couple of years.”

“Orlando, when playing with the national team at home, what do you feel?” He said “happiness, proud and joy. Having seas of people out there and into the stadium supporting you and singing your name in choir is something that causes me goosebumps, it lifts my mood and makes me play even better. I reach a new high.” We asked him “How do you expect things to be in this matchday?” He said “We expect our 12^th player being there supporting constantly, noisy, and causing distress to our rivals. We need their support as a push, we need to make sure we can put fight and that we are here to make our dreams come true, not to be a non playable character. We want to be at the top, and we are aware that we will need to put up a fight.”

“Thoughts on the rival?” I asked, Orlando politely said “Good one, but we are also good. So, we will have a good match, I hope so.” Then, I asked “Any ritual or tradition prior to the match?” Mina said “Yes. I tend to talk with myself aloud, to motivate myself and provide some instructions on what to do; like, reading aloud the instructions given by the manager and make sure I understand it. That’s it, nothing too special or nitpicky from my side on it.” Orlando had to leave; the team was about to board the bus from the Huayramarcan Football Federation High Performance Centre to the Estadio Nacional at Chuquiago’s downtown.

The bus was engulfed into a sea of white, red and green shirts outside, motivating the players as they went to the stadium; fans were chanting supportive songs for the National Team, some others drinking beer or eating before the match of the day, an important one like any other match in the World Cup Qualifier. Facing Farfadillis gives the match an added spice, perhaps for what happened in World Cup 91 in the Group Stage, where La Vherderroja forced themselves a victory through sheer offensive power. Now, Huayramarcan fans are optimist about the game, knowing that there’s need to play hard and work hard to make themselves a path to the top of the leaderboard.

As the players were making themselves a path to the pitch, La Banda de la Alpaca, the official supporters group of the Huayramarcan National Team, displayed a tifo featuring a worker wearing the home jersey of the Condors, with an axe and finding some gold nearby, with the words ”Trabajando duro, haciendo nuestros sueños realidad” (Working hard, making our dreams come true), the fans also used fire extinguishers loaded with white and red coloured gas. Meanwhile, the stadium audio played the favourite song of Bryan Tello, “Dream and Make it” from the Tikariotian band Emerald Palace, Tello was screaming the lyrics literally, while we asked Mina for it and he said “Let the game begin, man!”