85th Cup of Harmony [rosters/RPs/results]

[Graintfjall]

Introduction

The Cup of Harmony (CoH) is an invitational tournament for some of the teams that did not qualify for the World Cup finals. It's a consolation prize, it's a reward for roleplaying well during qualifiers, it's an opportunity to extend and finish the stories of your players, team and country that you didn't get the chance to finish during the World Cup finals: it's different things to different people. Invitations are being distributed based on criteria established in my bid plus some wildcards to fill out the field. Invitations will be my prerogative exclusively.

On account of the nature of the tournament, there should be no genuinely new players involved: everyone here has participated in at least one NSS tournament. If you are still new (or an older returning player) and want some guidance, I recommend the guide to sports roleplaying, or looking at the previous edition.

The remainder of the information in this OP is pertinent to all players, even experienced veterans of the CoH, so please try to take a moment to read it over.

Rosters

This Cup of Harmony will treat rosters slightly differently, though this is not intended to set a precedent for future Cups.

Because only teams who have already posted a roster will be invited, every team should already have a roster. You may, if you wish, post a new roster. Perhaps you want to drop some of the players who failed to get you to the World Cup finals and call up new ones, or narrow down a large qualifying pool to a lean 23/26 player squad. You may also see no need to copy+paste over your roster if it will be functionally the same as during World Cup qualifying.

Therefore, there is no roster bonus or penalty; posting a new roster will not earn RP bonus (though you could do so by roleplaying about it, just as you could by roleplaying explaining why you have not changed your roster). If you post a new roster that will be linked from the OP; if you do not, your World Cup roster will be linked. By accepting the invitation to this Cup of Harmony, you are accepting that your World Cup roster may be linked and referenced by other players in their roleplays, unless you post a new roster.

If you do not post a new roster (or indicate otherwise) your style modifier will be set at whatever it was set for during World Cup qualifying. You may change your modifier at any point but you must send me a TG/DM to alert me of the change and you are encouraged to provide an IC justification in your RPing.

Format

Provisionally, the format being proposed is an 8×6 single round robin group stage, from which the top two teams in each group will qualify for a single elimination knockout bracket. The bracket will not be seeded: it will be Group 1 winner v Group 8 runner-up, Group B winner v Group 7 runner-up, etc. All games will be played in Græntfjall. NSFS with additive modifiers will be used for scorination. Tiebreakers in the group stage will be goal difference followed by head-to-head.

Roleplaying

The CoH is a tournament that rewards or encourages RPing. At the same time, the gauntlet of World Cup qualifying is over, and I have no desire to host a tournament that sees people going into stress-comas because they are worried about missing one cutoff out of five. You can improve your team's chances, to a point, by roleplaying, but each individual roleplay still only functions to somewhat weight a random number generator, whose essential randomness remains. It's more important you have fun participating even if you don't feel like writing every cutoff. I will try to post some anonymized stats on RP bonus at each cutoff. There is no RP bonus carryover from World Cup qualifying.

Enough is as good as a feast. You do not need to write hugely long RPs in order to gain a high RP bonus. Taking these numbers as somewhat approximate and inexact, 3 - 5 paragraphs, totaling 400 - 600 words, should, if written well, be enough to earn a good RP bonus. While there is no word limit on RPs, there is a point at which overly long RPs may be counterproductive and piling on more text for the sake of merely expanding the word count will not increase the RP bonus earned by a post at all. In general, qualities that help earn a good RP bonus are: interactivity (showing you have read others’ RPs and rosters); salience (it is fine to write your own storylines or pursue non-football stories, but if there is no sense at all in your RP that a football tournament is even happening, it may be difficult to justify absolute max bonus); and good RP etiquette (respecting permissions, respecting hosts, taking bad results in reasonable grace). You do not need to be a great writer, a skilled graphic artist, or a knowledgeable football expert; what’s more important is that it’s clear you’ve made some kind of effort. Allowances are always made for the fact that not everyone is a native English speaker. RPs do not have to be humorous, and humor is very subjective anyway, but NS is a satirical game, so a light hearted approach can always be welcome.

Please read and respect other users' RP permissions, and contact them directly if you are not certain. In addition to individual users' RP permissions, the following tournament-wide permissions apply to all participants:

• No pandemic, COVID or otherwise, may be introduced to the host nation or spread to any other teams.
  
• No destructive violence towards the host nation's people or infrastructure.

OOC questions may be addressed in the bid thread, World Cup discussion thread, or to me privately by TG/DM. The host's decision is final.

Groups

Group 1
Lozho
Eshialand
Aleirave
Saint Eleanor
Valentine Z
Cap Nord

Group 2
West Barack and East Obama
Saterun
HUElavia
Trolleborg
Elmyia
Cassadaigua

Group 3
Poafmersia
Krytenia
Darmen
Mytanija
Patriotlandia
Fort McKinley

Group 4
Eraman
Naixi
Ceni
Mertagne
Stevencousin
Oberour Ar Moro

Group 5
Ziwana
Baggieland
Audioslavia
Qasden
Sendhang
Ile de Richelieu

Group 6
Aeragny
Xanneria
Independent Athletes from Quebec
Acastanha
Saperetia
Cardenao

Group 7
Brookstation
Kirungabi
Sargossa
Eura
Estorvipa and Estorpiva
Kimi-suomi

Group 8
Atheara
Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom
Drawkland
New Gelderland
Srubnaya culture
Gnejs

Bracket (large image!)

Schedule

March 8: draw
March 12: MD1 (1v6, 2v5, 3v4)
March 14: MD2 (6v4, 5v3, 1v2)
March 16: MD3 (2v6, 3v1, 4v5)
March 18: MD4 (6v5, 1v4, 2v3)
March 20: MD5 (3v6, 4v2, 5v1)
March 22: Round of 16
March 24: Quarter-Finals
March 26: Semi-Finals
March 28: 3PPO/Final
March 29: 3PPO/Final

Cutoff will be 2259 UTC. There will be no extensions given.

[Graintfjall]

Welcome to the White Winter Queendom of Græntfjall. With a population of over 100 million, Græntfjall is one of the major nations of the Pavola subregion of Rushmore, bordering Tikariot (mostly friendly), Nyowani Kitara (mostly unfriendly), and Bollonich (mixed, good relations over a chessboard, less so when we try invading their naval base) among others.

Football (soccer) is traditionally a summer sport in Græntfjall, which makes it unfortunate that this tournament is being hosted in the deepest depths of winter. Expect snow in the air, snow on the ground, snow on the streets, snow on the roofs, snow getting everywhere. Græntfjall lies on the northern side of a peninsula in Rushmori, but despite lying on the temperate meridian, the combination of the fierce winds coming off the Komodo Channel and the tall Græntfjaller Alps, forming a natural protective border, have created a localized climate of truly frigid proportions.

Græntfjallers are hardy Nords, descended (in their mythic lore) from Viking age sackers and salvagers. The country has recently emerged from decades of communist oppression, but has entered the 21st century with a surging economy, rising social freedoms, and new, if slightly complex, democratic politics. The royal family was reinstalled and Queen Júlíana sits on the throne, reigning in a mostly ceremonial role, while real power is located in the Thing, led by charismatic Progressive-Liberal Prime Minister Kaija Michaelsdóttir.

Græntfjall is famous for continuing whaling long after most other countries had abandoned the barbaric practice, but in reality whale meat is a rare commodity in modern Græntfjall and tourists are far more likely to encounter imitation products like lab-grown “Incomprehensible Whaleburger” or purely synthetic “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Blubber!”. Otherwise, the diet tends towards plain, hearty fare. Strong spices and fresh fruits are available, but can be expensive as they are almost wholly dependent on imports. Græntfjallers have a strong tradition of beer drinking; for hard liquors, various clear grain alcohols are the general preference. Smoking is permitted but not widely practised; marijuana is legal.

Græntfjaller society can be quite conservative, especially outside of the major cities. Generally speaking, the further west one travels, the more sympathies to life under the old communist regime you will find expressed; to the east, more virulent anti-communism prevails. The state religion is Roman Catholicism. The vast majority of Græntfjallers are Catholic, though folk traditions incorporating Norse mythology are also common. Homosexuality is legal and homophobic hate crimes both strictly policed and thankfully rare. Rigid gender norms prevail in some strata of society (especially in the south) and are no more obvious than in the country’s naming traditions, which are strictly patronymic: -son surnames for men, -dóttir for women, -bur for gender-neutral persons.

Græntfjallers can be perceived as a bit mercenary. The country has a long history of merchant trading (and an intermittent history of ruthless piracy) and you will generally find that the smiles of your hosts extend only as far as the króna in your pocket. Color-based racism is regrettably not unknown and anti-Islamic sentiment is strong, while there is a bristling tide of anti-immigrant agitation in some working class districts of the major cities. Freedom of expression is enshrined in the constitution but in practice there are some restrictions, two of the most notable being a ban on the public display of swastikas, hammers-and-sickles, and other such extremist political imagery; and a prohibition on face coverings widely interpreted as a ‘burqa ban’.

Football is the most popular sport in the country. The fiercest domestic rivalry is between the North Háttmark clubs Gunzlach and Steinaux, who regularly vie for the title in the Græntfaller Premier League, although there are also challenges from Altendalur and Molding. Græntfaller fans are generally fairly welcoming of foreign teams and tend to be appreciative of skills that their own rather leaden players (often stereotyped, more or less fondly, as “Big Fucking Græntfallers”) are incapable of. Græntfall does not have a tradition of football hooliganism or firms, and crowd control at games will be strict to prevent any such trouble. Moderate alcohol consumption is permitted in most stadiums.

The CORNCOB environmental summit is currently ongoing in Altendalur, explaining why no group stage games are being hosted there.

Venues

Group 1's games will be based in East Háttmark. Háttmark is the capital and largest city in the Queendom, a trading port on the northeast coast that controls access to the Komodo Channel and has seen massive popularion growth in the last three decades through both internal and external immigration. The East is more gentrified than the West, with large population suburbs such as Kuodorf and Hagejoki, and high-tech industries such as computing, pharmaceuticals and high finance clustering in redeveloped industrial areas such as Molding and Steinaux.

GT Estadio Fútbol De Musarañas De Oro, Molding
Grander International Arena, Steinaux
Kuodorf MSK Football Arena, Kuodorf
Hagejoki Play Park, Hagejoki

Group 2's games will be based in West Háttmark. The capital and home of the Höll (Palace) and Thing (Parliament), Háttmark is an ancient history that wears the scars of its more recent troubles during the violence of liberation of communism with a sullen pride. The areas in the West are generally less gentrified, with a mix of traditional working class populations and unassimilated immigrant enclaves.

Grand National Arena, Gunzlach
Sanktjakobvöllur, Korsbach
Olympik Stadion Indriði Kilíansson, Lehberg
Þórsvík Parade Ground, Gerstungal

Group 3's games will be based in North Græntfjall. The northern exclave of Græntfjall is even colder than the mainland. Built around the city of Hofvinger, its inhabitants pride themselves on being hardier than the soft southerners. The refuge of anti-communism during the Union years, and now the site of a substantial naval base, the politics may be right-wing but there's a perhaps unexpected greater degree of cultural tolerance, including a substantial Jewish population.

TQG Langvöllur Arena, Hofvinger
Álfgrímur Arena, Paschvík
Stadium of Twilight, Breiðdalsholt
Stadium Ýmir Ketilsson, Hofvinger

Group 4's games will be based in Northwest Græntfjall, though not in Altendalur itself (the second city) because of the ongoing CORNCOB summit. The northwest was the most pro-communist region and remained the last holdout prior to Restoration of the monarchy. Its left-wing politics sits uneasily with the present national mood, while there are recurrent complaints that the region is less well funded than the rest of the country owing to the Thing's eastern bias. The northwest is the home of Græntfjaller fishing and, historically, whaling, and suffers from heavy industrial pollution from the shipyards and cargo traffic.

Fjistjing Stadion, Hintersfjörður
Fjlarkfjall Arena, Þingsnitz
Eylaugsson-Arena, Reschensreppur
NewWaveEnergyArena, Hintersfjörður

Group 5's games will be based in Southwest Græntfjall. The southwest is the poorest and, according to the rest of the country, strangest region of Græntfjall. A broad, flat industrial belt whose lower terrain and warmer climate is somewhat at odds with the rest of the country, its population is also more diverse, with a higher degree of in-mixing with nomadic Kamdyr and Homin peoples. Southwesterners are regarded as uncultured rustics by the rest of the country, but retain an intense regional pride. The region's Catholicism features more syncretic absorption of Norse and other non-Christian beliefs than does the national Church.

Frei Stadion, Búðarberg
Spocki Sparkle Cola Forum, Putzendorf
Torssa Arena, Grenijahlíð
Stadium Dómaldi Rafaelsson, Bezingen

Group 6's games will be based in Mountain South Græntfjall. The southern half of the country is dominated by the Græntfjaller Alps. Kyrkdorf, the "last city before the mountains", and its suburbs and satellite towns represent the last population hub before the land gives over to huge peaks and dense snow. The most conservative and least populous region of the country, the South is intensely Catholic and royalist, and has the highest percentage of gun ownership.

OptiFone Arena, Folte
Laxenvöllur, Mühlrich
Odinsfluss Arena, Folte
The Bausbana, Aigsvinger

Group 7's games will be based in Southeast Græntfjall. Hartburg is the gateway city to the Græntfjaller mainland, and the chief transit hub to the Rushmori interior. Many Kitaran refugees are still to be found here after over a million flooded into relief camps here during the Kitaran Crisis, while the topic of Lake Viljan wetlands conservancy may be a topic at CORNCOB.

New Skoðarhüb, Estdal
PR-1070 Platz, Oost-Hartburg
Nökkvi Þjóðbjörnsson Stadium, Goesberg
Football Campus Hartburg, West-Hartburg

Group 8's games will be based in [b}East Græntfjall[/b]. The industrial heartland of the country, the newly redeveloped East is the base of the Græntfjaller Miracle that has seen the Queendom's economy rebound from the lows of late communism to one of the strongest "wolf economies" of the region, mixing heavy machinery and chemical engineering with precision manufacturing and arms development. The East is home to the oldest and most prestigious university in the country, at Waltenberg.

VG Arena, Maigburg
Hnefill Engilbertsson Halle, Waltenberg
Poets Park Stadium, Waltenberg
Valgarð Sigurnýasarson Stadium, Vildkappel

---

Which stadium is my game at?

You pick! In the group stage, whoever RPs first may decide which stadium their game is at. The person RPing second may choose if the person RPing first has not indicated a choice in their RP. Please note this is an OOC choice: ICly you can assume all games have been pre-scheduled. Stadiums are ranked in descending order of capacity.

[HUElavia]

HUElavia National Football Team

Uniforms
Goal Song
Style: +2

Squad:
Goalkeepers-
#1: Ignacio Casillas
(34 Years Old) (1.83 m) (Real Curumba CF)
#12: Eva Petit
(32 Years Old) (1.82 m) (RCD San Rafael)
#23: Ji-Hu Mok
(19 Years Old) (1.90 m) (FC Santos)
#27: Poma Caipa Surichaqui
(22 Years Old) (1.84 m) (International Curumba)

Defenders-
#2: Juan Domingo Lavezzi
(36 Years Old) (1.78 m) (CB) (Real Curumba CF)
#3: Mayta Curichimba Cuya
(27 Years Old) (1.65 m) (CB) (RCD San Rafael)
#4: Murilo Luz Vargas
(30 Years Old) (1.82 m) (LB-RB) (RCD San Rafael)
#5: Cíntia Couto Chagas
(23 Years Old) (1.70 m) (RB-LB) (Real Curumba CF
#12: Umeko Wakai
(22 Years Old) (1.68 m) (LB-RB) (SC Yatagarasu)
#15: Pierre Bourseiller
(20 Years Old) (1.80 m) (LB-RB) (Olympique de Lourdes)
#16: Yulia Kholodova
(24 Years Old) (1.80 m) (CB) (Dynamo Bolovets)
#18: Patrizio Ardance
(26 Years Old) (1.84 m) (CB) (Athletic Club Itio)
#26: Yong-Ho Ryang
(22 Years Old) (1.81 m) (CB) (FC Santos)

Midfielders-
#6: Rafael Mayordomo
(29 Years Old) (1.86 m) (DM-CM) (International Curumba)
#8: Elena Bellerose Freau
(31 Years Old) (1.70 m) (CM-AM) (Olympique de Lourdes)
#10: David Navarro-Hamada
(28 Years Old) (1.70 m) (CM-AM) (Real Curumba CF)
#14: Gabriela Yamada Kanashiro
(24 Years Old) (1.68 m) (DM-CM) (Real Curumba CF)
#19: Gabriela Yamada Kanashiro
(24 Years Old) (1.68 m) (DM-CM) (Real Curumba CF)
#22: Se-Ah Si
(23 Years Old) (1.63 m) (DM-CM-AM) (Goang FC)
#25: Moises Urto
(26 Years Old) (1.75 m) (DM-CM) (Athletic Club Itio)

Attackers-
#7: Cristiano Aveiro Junior
(26 Years Old) (1.80 m) (LW-RW) (Real Curumba CF)
#9: Mateo Rossi-Rigoni
(22 Years Old) (1.75 m) (ST-CF) (RCD San Rafael)
#11: Milia Amezcua
(22 Years Old) (1.70 m) (RW-LW) (Athletic Club Itio)
#17: Su Xuan
(23 Years Old) (1.65 m) (LW-RW) (International Curumba)
#20: Hye-Soo Hwangbo
(22 Years Old) (1.62 m) (CF-ST) (International Curumba)
#21: Gonzalo Balderas
(29 Years Old) (1.75 m) (RW-LW) (RCD San Rafael)
#24: Rosa Fagundes Neves
(19 Years Old) (1.65 m) (CF-ST) (HUEsilia FC)

Head Coach:
Cristiano Aveiro Lima (61 Years Old)

Assistant Coaches:
Jose Antonio Lobato (53 Years Old), Kayla Tangkiang Cayetano (47 Years Old)



Starting XI:
1 Casillas
4 Vargas, 3 Curichimba, 2 Lavezzi, 5 Couto
6 Mayordomo, 8 Bellerose-Freau
10 Navarro-Hamada
11 Amezcua, 9 Rossi-Rigoni, 7 Aveiro

Roles-
Captain: Casillas
Vice-Captain: Bellerose-Freau, Lavezzi
Free-Kicks: Aveiro, Amezcua, Navarro-Hamada
Penalties: Aveiro, Amezcua, Rossi-Rigoni
Corners: Mayordomo, Bellerose-Freau

RP Permissions
Choose my goal scorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes, but nothing severe
Godmod Injuries to my players: Yes, but nothing severe
Suspend my players: Yes, but be reasonable
Godmod suspension events: Yes, but be reasonable
Godmod other events: Yes

[Stevencousin]

STEVENCOUSIN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

NAME              	NAT.		ROLE
Dr. Antanius Cassa			Chairman
Sebastian von Sephiroth			Technical Director
Dr. Richard Glass			Sport Science Director
Samuel du Highcloud			Fitness & Health Director
Tim Redforks     			Team Analyst
Jalil Fitrah        			Scout Director
			
Stan Mystic       			Head Coach
Jayson Wagner   			Assistant Head Coach
Herbie Pijanowski			Goalkeeper Coach
Ronald Ankiel    			Coach
Rusty Klein         			Coach

#	NAME              	CLUB              	AGE	POS.	CAPS	GOAL
1	Ramiro Fernandes	Cassaholm Confidential	28	GK	17	0
12	Romain De Schutter	Winewater Wasp       	26	GK	7	0
13	Joseph Luzak     	Brigketh Bishop         28	GK	6	0

5	Raymond Aas     	Winewater Wasp       	25	DEF	23	0
4	Alon Bernstein  	Brigketh Bishop 	27	DEF	22	0
3	Armando Correia       	Cassaholm Confidential	26	DEF	20	0
15	Guilherme Fabian	Cassaholm Confidential	23	DEF	19	0
14	Mangea Ali        	Brigketh Bishop 	29	DEF	18	0
16	Andreas Mjelde         	Winewater Wasp       	29	DEF	18	0
2	Mads Dahl         	Winewater Wasp       	28	DEF	17	0
17	Renato Miguel Boa-Morte	Cassaholm Confidential	27	DEF	12	0
24	Richard Danbusky	Griffin Isles Utd.   21	DEF	0	0

7	Thanuka Jayamanna	Fixmouth Firebolt	28	MID	24	4
11	Josef Snajdr      	Meldrum Fall     	25	MID	23	2
8	Arnaud Zubar    	Meldrum Fall     	30	MID	22	4
6	Andre Saifi        	Meldrum Fall     	25	MID	19	1
19	Jochen Boi        	Meldrum Fall     	21	MID	17	3
20	Válter Folha      	Cassaholm Confidential	28	MID	13	5
18	Carlos Whitfield     	Pretihouse Pirate     	23	MID	0	0
21	Simon Armas        	Pretihouse Pirate	26	MID	0	0
26	Gregory Gigliotti      	Bul Khungur Miners 	22	MID	0	0

9	Leon Voloshyn    	Holmdock Highlander	28	FWD	25	11
10	Gerard Kallstrom	Meldrum Fall     	25	FWD	23	13
22	Steven Cheyrou         	Brigketh Bishop 	19	FWD	20	5
23	Pieter Hochepied 	Winewater Wasp       	24	FWD	0	0
25	Sumith Wanigassoriya 	Frampton Typhoon     23	FWD	0	0

Stadium Data
Stadium:: Federal Unity Stadium
Nearest City:: Cassaholm
Capacity:: 98,500
Brief Data:: The biggest stadium in Stevencousin, located in the Carmenzon District to the south of the city center of Stevencousin's capital city, Cassaholm, is an all-seater multi-purpose stadium for international concerts, weddings and sporting events and the home ground of the Stevencousin national football team. It was built by Posquieiras Heavy Engineering and designed by Billingeburg & Co. Interestingly, the stadium is not public property, nor is it managed by a sports association. The owner is the Federal Unity conglomerate group. They sponsor and cover the construction and renovation costs in full, but they also get various government mega-projects afterward.

Stadium:: Redfort Camp
Nearest City:: Brigketh
Capacity:: 26,900
Brief Data:: Redfort Camp was a home base for Brigketh Bishop FC and, Brigketh Salamander rugby club, a multi-purpose stadium in Cheilestorp Creek, Brigketh, Stevencousin. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium has a capacity of 26,900 people. It was built in 2009. In 2013, a mega concert was held there in which Stevenian most popular rock band, The Cassiopeia was the performer. The stadium known for energy and water consumption was targeted to be efficient. Most of the water used by toilets and water taps will be collected during rain-falls, the roof has a 550kW solar power plant, while floodlights are using new generation LED system.

Stadium:: Waxwood Circle
Nearest City:: Holmdock
Capacity:: 31,800
Brief Data:: Waxwood Circle a multi-use stadium in Stigeswaldeford, Waxwood District, Holmdock, Stevencousin. It has both an indoor stadium and an outdoor stadium within its compound. The outdoor stadium can hold a maximum of 31,800 people and is currently used mostly for football matches, serving as the home stadium to Holmdock Highlander FC and The Highlander Academy. The stadium consists of a soccer field, an 8-lane running track, and a fitness center. In addition to sports events, large concerts are also organized by Waxwood Circle, and a series of political rallies and religious gatherings have also taken place here.

Stadium:: Readymann Ground
Nearest City:: Fixmouth
Capacity:: 26,900
Brief Data:: Homeground for Fixmouth Firebolt is a football stadium located in Fixmouth, Stevencousin. The stadium is part of the Fixmouth Sports and Recreation Centre, a community sports facility that includes the stadium as well as a swimming complex. Construction began in September 2007 and finished construction in 2009. The stadium was officially opened and inaugurated in 2010. It was built by Sungard Global and designed by Billingeburg & Co. A new light rail terminal has been built near the stadium for fans' convenience.

Formation

4 - 4 - 2
style modifier: +1
R. Fernandes
Aas - Bernstein - Correia - Fabian
Snajdr - Zabar (C) - Jayamanna (VC) - Saifi
Kallstrom - Voloshyn

If my opponent RPs first they have my permission to:
Choose my scorers: Y
Give out yellow/red cards to my players: Y
Injure my players: Y
Godmode scoring events: N
Godmode injuries: N
Godmode other events: N

After the WCQ93 edition, and as predicted, Head Coach Otto von Linkworth resigned. Apart from the issue of the team's performance, the international political crisis also contributed to the resignation of several figures from Khantari, among them, Stevencousin Football Association (SFA) Technical Director, Archie Fincastle; Scout Director, Mark Innboro, Deputy Head Coach, Henry von Suzymeyer. However, another Khantari citizen, Goalkeeper Coach Herbie Pijanowski still remains with SFA.

For the Cup of Harmony 85, SFA through its Chairman, Dr. Antanius Cassa has made a massive overhaul. The SFA has appointed former SK Whichford Capital (Jauharius) player, Sebastian von Sephiroth as the new Technical Director. Former Kolompo FC (Anjung Batu) midfielder, Jalil Fitrah was appointed Scout Director. The void left by Otto von Linkworth was filled by Pretihouse Pirate Head Coach Stan Mystic. A familiar name in the National Super League, the individual who led the "Pirate" to the top four of the NSL league and qualified for the IFCF Challengers Cup. Former Jauharius international player, Jayson Wagner was appointed Deputy Head Coach, while Ronald Ankiel and Rusty Klein were appointed National Team Coaches.

The national team also dropped two players who played in WCQ93, midfielder Jelle Peeters (Meldrum Fall) and Spartak Wortheighton forward Brian Mastroeni. Veteran winger Rusty Klein has decided to retire and has been appointed as coach. Stan Mystic also called up three players who play abroad, namely, young defender Richard Danbusky from Griffin Isles Utd. (Patriotlandia), midfielder Gregory Gigliotti from Bul Khungur Miners (Tikariot) and forward Sumith Wanigassoriya from Frampton Typhoon (Glossworth), also three from domestic clubs, midfielder Carlos Whitfield and Simon Armas from Pretihouse Pirate, and striker Pieter Hochepied from Winewater Wasp.

For the location of the national team competition, four stadiums are identified as home, they consist of, Federal Unity Stadium, Cassaholm with a capacity of 98,500; Redfort Camp, Brigketh (26,900), Waxwood Circle, Holmdock (31,800) and Readymann Ground, Fixmouth (26,900).

Head Coach History

NO.	HEAD COACH		RECORD (W-L-D)      	GAMES UNDER CONTROL     WIN %
1	Otto von Linkworth	11 - 10 - 9              30                     36.67%
2	Stan Mystic		2 - 1 - 3                6                      33.33 %

Group 4
Eraman
Naixi
Ceni
Mertagne
Stevencousin
Oberour Ar Moro

MD	MATCH                                     STADIUM                           	GAME SPONSOR
MD1	Naixi 1-1 Stevencousin             	NA                                    	NA
MD2	Stevencousin 0-0 Ceni              	Readymann Ground, Fixmouth (26,900)	Sundock Organic
MD3	Mertagne 5-4 Stevencousin         	NA                                     	NA
MD4	Oberour Ar Moro 1-1 Stevencousin	NA                                    	NA
MD5	Stevencousin 3-1 Eraman         	Waxwood Circle,  Holmdock (31,800)	Bostick Supermarket

[Cassadaigua]

Team Cassadaigua- Cup of Harmony 85

*- We wouldn't change our roster for the WC Proper, so the logic is the same in bringing the same roster here.

Coach- Brittany Byers (61)
With Stephanie Sweeney now serving as the President of CASE, a new manager was needed for the Fillies for the first time since our return. Byers was the logical choice, since she had often been the backup national team manager, anyway. Has coached in the Copa Rushmori on multiple occasions, and was an assistant to Sweeney in World Cup 87, before being named the manager of the team prior to World Cup 88. Sure, there are some nations who would see a coach like this, and look at the recent run of Round of 16 exits and think that a change should be made, but CASE has never been like that. Byers is still the right person for the job. She scored her biggest coaching success recently when Cassadaigua won Copa Rushmori 40. Failing to qualify for World Cup 91 was a downer, but a third place effort in Cup of Harmony 83 made that a little easier to handle. CASE stuck with her, and despite being in a very tough group, the Fillies rebounded in World Cup 92 to qualify. As a player, the ex-defender played in World Cups 78 and 79, and was the captain of those teams. Also led Brattleboro FC to a national championship during her tenure there, but she no longer manages at the domestic level to focus on the national team. There are some rumors out there that Brittany might retire after this World Cup, but she has not personally confirmed or denied those rumors.

Assistant- Hannah Shanley (Starksville United) (50)
Starting defender from World Cups 80-83, and then served as a regular substitute in World Cup 84. Has served in this role since World Cup 85, and that includes while she was still active as a player for a little while. Some are beginning to think that Shanley might be a little too focused on the national team, given Starksville United’s struggles of late. Shanley has been a regular assistant of Byers, but did not serve as such in the Copa Rushmori 40 title run. Hannah comes into World Cup 93 fresh off a CSL championship with Starksville United. It is not necessarily a given that Hannah would take over the head coaching job if Byers did step down.

Starters in Green
Subs in Blue
Reserves in Red

Goalkeepers:
#20- Stacie Thornton (28) (New Lakeland Soccer Club)- Starter WC 92, CR 41 & 42, Sub WC 91, Reserve WC 90 & CR 40, Sub DBC 51
#31- Cynthia Kerr (31) (Victoriaville South End)- Starter WC 90 & 91, CR 40 &42; Sub WC 92, CR 38 & 39, Reserve WC 89, CR 37, Starter DBC 49
#30- Erica Knapp (22) (Concord Heights City)- International Debut

Stacie Thornton returned for her second World Cup as a starter. She had always been portrayed as the best keeper in the nation, but it took her a little longer than expected to grab the job from Cynthia Kerr. Cynthia still does a fine job, but Thornton's play with New Lakeland SC as well as in the Copa Rushmori allowed her to put a stranglehold on the starting job, which she is not relinquished. Her vision is fantastic, and is positionally sound. The nation is trying to develop a strong third goalkeeping option, and now Erica Knapp gets her turn. She's only expected to play in the event of injuries. Thornton will get most of the games, but manager Brittany Byers will get Kerr in a couple games to keep her sharp.

Defenders:
#4- Brianna Ward (29) (Victoriaville South End)- Starter WC 91 & 92, CR 40-42 & DBC 51, Sub CR 39
#2- Madison Rutland (27) (Starksville Coastal)- Starter WC 91 & 92, CR 40-42, DBC 51 & 52
#23- Alyssa Marlin (22) (Winchester City)- Sub CR 42
#6- Rachel Becker (23) (New Lakeland SC)- Starter CR 42, Sub WC 92, Reserve CR 41
#21- Hailey Meyer (26) (Kingston FC, Quebec)- Sub WC 92, Starter DBC 52 & CR 42
#28- Tiffany Brown (22) (Starksville Coastal)- Sub CR 42
#3- Amber Hogan (27) (Brattleboro FC)- Sub WC 91, Starter WC 92, CR 40, 41 & DBC 52, Reserve DBC 51
#24- Sarah Bayne (33) (Brattleboro Westside)- Starter DBC 49, CR 37-39; Sub WC 89-90 & CR 40, Reserve WC 88 & 91, 92 & CR 41 & 42

There may be a lot of mix and matching with this group. Ward and Rutland are the safest locks to be out there in pretty much every game, but the emergence of Alyssa Marlin over the last couple years as well as the strong play of Rachel Becker mean that they will get a chance to lock down long term starting roles. Rutland and Becker are the most physical of the group. It's a deep group, and both Hailey Meyer and Tiffany Brown will get chances to start. Former starter Amber Hogan may not start, but will be upgraded to a substitute role and get a fair amount of playing time. Bayne isn't here just to watch, either.

Midfielders:
#9- Morgan Rosenblatt (34) (AFC Treson, Nephara)- Starter WC 87-92, DBC 48 & 49, CR 36-39; 41 & 42 (TEAM CAPTAIN)
#25- Kelsey Werth (27) (Cednia Beach, Turori)- Starter WC 91 & 92, CR 40-42, DBC 52; Sub DBC 51
#8- Krystal Sherwin (29) (Northern Union, Brenecia)- Starter WC 90-92, DBC 51, CR 39-42
#37- Kaitlin Millikan (22) (Concord Heights City)- Sub CR 42, Reserve WC 92
#39- Jenna Stokley (22) (New Lakeland SC)- Reserve WC 92 & CR 42
#35- Marquis Miles (23) (Victoriaville City)- Sub WC 92 & CR 42, Reserve CR 41
#36- Tara Kriedel (33) (Starksville Coastal)- Starter WC 91, Sub WC 90 & 92 & CR 42, Reserve WC 88, 89 & CR 38, Starter DBC 49 & CR 39, 40

This is the weak link of the team. For whatever reason, Cassadagan soccer has not been able to produce high quality midfielders that could overtake the regulars here. That might be changing, as Millikan may become that player and help is clearly coming with the Engle twins. But it's too soon for them, and thus, we're left with this group again. Rosenblatt has been a superstar, and should be again. At 34, the team can't depend on her forever. Werth is good, but a tad inconsistent and probably would be better off in a substitute role. Sherwin's a good winger and finisher. Millikan, Stokley, and Miles all have the chance to prove themselves, and they will need too. Kriedel is a veteran workhorse, as seen by all of her experience.

Forwards:
#19- Chloe Anderson (25) (Montreal Koreana, Quebec)- Starter WC 92, CR 40-42 & DBC 51, Sub WC 90 & 91
#26- Rachel Boldin (26) (Victoriaville South End)- Starter WC 92, CR 40-42& DBC 51, Sub WC 90 & 91
#12- Carly Patterson (26) (Grande Mountain)- Starter CR 42, DBC 52, Sub WC 92, Reserve WC 91, CR 41
#29- Shannon Cunningham (19) (BT Ming, Chromatika)- Sub CR 42
#43- Lexi McGregor (20) (Starksville United)- Sub CR 42, Reserve WC 92
#27- Allyson Perry (25) (Winchester City)- Sub WC 92, CR 41, Starter DBC 52, Reserve WC 91 & CR 42
#34- Lacey Sherwood (20) (Rutland Dockside)- Reserve CR 42

There is no reason not to run it back with the same group we saw in the Copa Rushmori. This is clearly the strength of the team, and with that Byers will again utilize a base 4-3-3. Anderson and Boldin have played together so much now, they have amazing chemistry. Patterson will likely rotate as a starter with Lexi McGregor and Shannon Cunningham, with the highly outspoken McGregor being the first option.

Team Info:
Formation: 4-3-3
People from Cassadaigua are referred to as Cassadagans.
Team nickname: Fillies. Also, we are commonly referred to as the Dagans

Home Stadium & City information:
(n/a)

RP Permissions:
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose Goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes (only say they are hurt, please)
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Give red cards to my players: Yes (No more than one more than you give yourself)
Godmod other events: No

Style Modifier: + 3.2


Kits: (Pink= home, White= away, Black= keeper or third. Thanks Donnacona!)

If there is a conflict with the white kit, the team will wear pink.
If there is a conflict with the pink kit, we will first compliment the other team on their choice of uniform color. We should probably get to know one another better. Then, wear white.

Retired Kit Numbers:
#1 is retired in honor of Allison Salamida
#5 is retired in honor of Michelle Fuller
#7 is retired in honor of Shannon Myers
#10 is retired in honor of Brittany Lawton
#11 is retired in honor of Courtney Ferguson
#13 is retired in honor of Meaghan Bateman
#14 is retired in honor of Stacie Kerrigan-Fraser
#15 is retired in honor of Erica Lambert
#17 is retired in honor of Jessica Schanke
#18 is retired in honor of Taylor Connolly
#22 is retired in honor of Lupe Enriquez
#33 is retired in honor of Hannah Ranucci

[Saterun]

Saterun National Team for the 85th Cup of Harmony

Nation Name: Saterun
Trigram: SAT
Demonyms: Saternalian
Nickname: The Claws

Staff
Head Coach: Abbas Yousafali
Assistant Coach: Lisa Lleget
Offensive Coordinator: Ahmed al-Takar
Defensive Coordinator: Sebastián Vecenes
Goalkeeping Coach: Ethan Treh

Starting XI
GK|Rahul Markovic #1
RB|Saveli Holst #4
CB|Alojzy Addams #22
CB|Timothy Shannon #3
LB|Avishai Demare #18
LM|Hans-Jürgen Becker #13
LCM|Andrei Coiro #8
RCM|Glenn Lundquist #15
RM|Kaka Sarabola #44 Captain
LF|Thiago Esparza #9
RF|Mitzinho #11

Substitutes
GK: Rajani Holgersson, Ralf Abiatti
DF: Claudio Pavic, Ozan Sźep, Ayaan Toole, Jonathan Post
MD: Gage Keegan, Ndidi Tamaro, Sergie Daniel
FR: Bjorn Dubicki, Yósef

Style Mod: +1.5


My Opponents, if they RP first. Can do the following:

Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes, but contact me first
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes, but contact me first for approval
Godmod other events: No

[Xanneria]

XANNERIA WC93Q Roster

ST: Allison Burnes (27) - Austin City
ST: Dillon Hailey (24) - Hawthorne Kickers
ST: Jari Juups (25) - Galaxy SC
ST: Gil McKenna (30) - Capital FC
ST: Justin Ingram (27) - Alexandria City
ST: Yolinda Sequin (26) - Hawthorne Kickers
DM: Max Smith (34) - Lexington Victory SC [New Gelderland]
DM: TS Avery (32) - Tanques AOE [Ko-oren]
DM: Dawson Plante (27) - Bearden
DM: Octavious Smith (28) - Alexandria City
OM: Bryse Papp (30) - Bruncester United AFC [Ko-oren]
OM: Robbie Gordon (26) - Pearlham SC
OM: Paul Gessecki (30) - Xaiv 1919 [Saterun]
OM: Italio D'arcy (28) - Bearden (Co-Captain)
MF: Xander Washington (29) - Plastiniagrade [Zeta Reka and Hugeltadom]
MF: Anton Vito (36) - Austin City
MF: Allie Jordan (23) - Capital FC
MF: Alec Bon Air (28) - AFK Imperirealisms [Zeta Reka an Hugeltadom]
LB: Mark Hailey Jr. (27) - Brunswick [Cassadaigua]
CB: Rhinestone Hailey (24) - Hawthorne Kickers
RB: Nikolai Brown (30) - Austin City
DF: Colton Boyd-Church (23) - Waldster FC [Flavovespia]
DF: Ranger Selltick (25) - Pearlham SC
DF: Mauricio Franklin-Perez (30)- Aleiusia Capital [Zeta Reka and Hugeltadom]
DF: David Iowa (26) -Alexandria City
GK: Evan Jefferson Jr (30) - Bearden
GK: Ashton Shaley (24) - Haskins Blues Coed FC [Commonwealth of Baker Park]
GK: Hailey Rae Crawford (29) - Asbury Park

RP Permissions

My opponent, shall they RP first, have permission to…
Choose my Starting XI: Y
Choose goalscorers: Y
Godmod Scoring: 
Injure players: Y (But give me a heads up first)
Godmod Injuries: N
Hand out yellow cards: Y (have some self control here though.)
Hand out red cards: Y (Only if there hasn't been one recently)
Godmod other events: Y (YES!)

FORMATION: 3-2-2-3
STYLE: +3

[Saint Eleanor]

OOC 1: For transparency's sake, the Lorem Ipsum in section 2 is the result of me asking lipsum.com to generate 50 words. Some of the words are CAPITALISED and all of the sentences end with exclamation marks; these edits were done by me.

OOC 2: No roster yet; I'm gonna try and sell at least one NTer this transfer window (Sylvia Hollenberg, whose time at the University of Saint Eleanor is up) and I'd like my roster to contain the most accurate information possible. I can reassure you it's going up before the MD1 cutoff, however. Until then, please enjoy...

---

Ten reasons why Esther Launceston will never, ever play in the actual, proper, really fancy World Cup that has (at least) 32 teams in it!

How many times has Esther Launceston tried to qualify for the World Cup? TWO! And how many times has she been knocked to the Cup of Harmony instead? Say it with me... TWOOOOOOOOOOOO! You would imagine that one of Saint Eleanor's brightest, youngest and most capable players would GET THE CHANCE TO PLAY IN THE WORLD CUP! But no - she has never, ever, qualified for the THIRD MOST IMPORTANT tournament in the world, beaten only by the Cup of Harmony and the WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC!!!!! In a world exclusive that no time travellers have been able to cross-check with us, we can confirm SHE NEVER WILL!

In the course of OUR DETAILED RESEARCH AT THE NATIONAL LIBERATION CLUBS IN ST PAUL, NEWBANKS AND SUNSET GATES, we compiled A NICE, ROUND EIGHTY-FOUR REASONS why Esther Launceston will never play in a World Cup! That's the number of Cup of Harmony runnings it took for Saint Eleanor to win it! They were so similar, we combined them and MADE THEM AN EVEN SLEEKER TEN REASONS! Oh, and don't forget the most important reason - POOR ESTHER COULD MAKE HER WORLD CUP DEBUT ON JUNE THE THIRTIETH OF TWO-THOUSAND AND SIX, HER TWENTY-FIFTH BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!! Would you rather spend your birthday partying and relaxing... OR GETTING TORTURED WHILE PLAYING FOOTBALL????????????

1: SHE'S A RIGHT-WING FUNDAMENTALIST CHRISTIAN!
Can we please, please, PLEEEEEEEEAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEE ignore the fact that Dekamela weMexala is a right-wing fundamentalist Christian and she's played at a World Cup before? Esther Launceston's form of Christianity IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT! Like most Eleanorians, she believes that SEX OUTSIDE MARRIAGE IS WRONG, MARRIAGE OUTSIDE ONE UNMARRIED MAN AND ONE UNMARRIED WOMAN IS WRONG, DEATH OUTSIDE BELIEVING IN JESUS IS REALLY WRONG AND ABORTIONISTS SHOULD BE PROSECUTED AND SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT! But OH NO - SHE IS A LORDSHIP SALVATIONIST! How many people has she told that YOU MUST CONTINUE TO BELIEVE IN JESUS UNTIL YOU DIE AND TRY NOT TO SIN EVER AGAIN??? I am a Christian and I KNOW IT IS IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO SIN! THAT IS WHY JESUS CAME DOWN!!!! Shut up, Esther!!!!!!!!!

2: LOREM IPSUM DOLOR SIT AMET!
In convallis nec erat eu ullamcorper! Phasellus HENDRERIT DAPIBUS lacus, eget tristique mi MALESUADA non!! Praesent porttitor nisi ET MAURIS MOLESTIE, et aliquet sapien lacinia! Sed diam leo, posuere in facilisis INTERDUM, IMPERDIET A NISI! Integer fermentum METUS ID FELIS laoreet, dapibus BLANDIT enim elementum!!!! IN HAC HABITASSE PLATEA DICTUMST!!!!!!!!!

3: SHE DRIVES AN SUV! AND SUVs ARE BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT!
DO YOU KNOW WHAT AN SUV IS??? NO! NO, YOU DO NOT! YOU ARE AN ELEANORIAN! YOU ARE WISE, SENSIBLE, LIKE TAKING THE METRO, THE BUS OR DRIVING YOUR OWN NEAT LITTLE HATCHBACK!!!!!! But OH NO - some of your compatriots not only know that an SUV is just a really big and obnoxious hatchback with more trunk space, but THEY HAVE EVEN IMPORTED REALLY POLLUTING FORTY-YEAR-OLD SUVs!!! The White Star Oil Company would be DISGUSTED to find out that LOCALS ARE DRIVING SMOKERS OLDER THAN IT IS! Oil was meant to be BURNED EFFICIENTLY, NOT WASTEFULLY!!! I THINK ESTHER SHOULD READ ABOUT CORNCOB!!!!!! Like this Cup of Harmony, IT WAS HOSTED BY GRÆNTFJALL!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAAH

4: SHE DRESSES LIKE AN UPPER MIDDLE-CLASS MOTHER OF ONE!
I know an upper middle-class mother of one who lives next door to me and she dresses BORINGLY! Footballers earn hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in some cases! Why do they not have DRIP AND BLING? She has been seen wearing normal jeans, skinny jeans, OVERWORN TRAINERS, single-colour shirts, and a RED SCRUNCHIE to keep her PONYTAIL TOGETHER in recent times! REAL CELEBRITIES WOULD NEVER DO ANY OF THAT!!!!! Sometimes, she has even WORN SUNGLASSES (sometimes on her head, but WHERE'S THE FUN IN THAT?) - but we ARE NOT CONVINCED by her insistence it's to avoid "the low winter sun!"!! Have you ever seen a CHROMATIK FOOTBALLER or a PLOUGH ISLAND CRICKETER wearing sunglasses???? Oh, and she has sometimes been spotted WEARING THIGH-HIGH BOOTS IN PUBLIC!! Yes, in case you're still living in 1992, thigh-high boots are NOW READILY AVAILABLE and you can buy A GOOD PAIR FOR ONE-HUNDRED AND FORTY DOLLARS! THAT IS AN EXTREMELY UPPER MIDDLE-CLASS PRICE!

5: MADE YOU LOOK!
Weren't we just talking about fashion? Yes! Yes, we were! Meghan Trainor could have her Gucci on! She could have her Louis Vuitton! But never, ever, ever - EVER - will she make you look as closely as we just did! That is our cast-iron promise here at [REDACTED FOR REASONS OF NATIONAL SECURITY]!

6: SHE LISTENS TO CLASSICAL MUSIC! TOO MUCH CLASSICAL MUSIC!
Do you read the Evening News? WHY THE FUCK do you not read the Evening News? It's the hottest, coolest, freshest, newest and LEAST SUSPICIOUS newspaper in Saint Eleanor! This woman admitted, to the EVENING NEWS, THAT SHE ALWAYS LISTENS TO CLASSICAL MUSIC WHEN DRIVING!!!!!! The traffic in my part of SAINT ELEANOR IS REALLY BAD, an assumption I have ARTIFICIALLY EXTRAPOLATED to all other AREAS OF THE CITY! How many minutes will you waste listening to BORING CLASSICAL MUSIC in the traffic then? You could be listening to RADIO PHONE-IN COMPETITIONS WHERE YOU CAN WIN $66,000, ADVERTS FOR RADIO PHONE-IN COMPETITIONS, AND SPONSORED MATERIAL FROM THE MOST RELIABLE COMPANIES THAT EXIST!!!!! When you listen to too much classical music, YOU BECOME A BORING PERSON WITH BORING INTERESTS! DOES THAT DESCRIBE ESTHER LAUNCESTON? YOU BET!!!!!!!!!!!!!

6: SHE'S AN OVERRATED PIECE OF SHIT DEFENDER!
Is she overrated? Probably not! Is she a piece of shit? Definitely not! Is she a defender? Only 98% of the time! Has she played in the Champions' League against teams such as Raynor City United and Atletik Thessia before? Oh, absolutely! Are we just going to call her an overrated piece-of-shit defender anyway in the hope that some intern learning the ropes at a high-quality, trustworthy media organisation such as Bullsfeed, Scuba Dave's Blog or the BBC will just read the subheadings, not take note of the actual content we write, and violate Eleanorian copyright laws to use our broadly-accurate material in their article? FUCK YES!!!!

7: SHE'D RATHER DO HER SHOPPING AT INTERSHOP THAN OPAL!
Hey, do you remember when we called Esther Launceston a right-wing fundamentalist Christian? If YOU are a right-wing FUNDAMENTALIST CHRISTIAN and you live in Saint Eleanor, YOU SHOP AT OPAL!!!!! THIS IS NON-NEGOTIABLE!!!!!!!!! Their prices are low, their shops are open as long as the TYRANNICAL ANTI-BUSINESS law allows, and their staff ARE NOT BOUND BY UNION TYRANNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FUCK - AND I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH - THE UNIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yet Esther over here chooses to GO TO THE OVERUNIONISED, STRIKE-RACKED INTERSHOP INSTEAD because it's closer to her!!! Eleanorians these days, even so-called conservatives, are getting so lazy they'll SLEEP WITH THE UNIONS! I don't know about you, but AS A LOYAL MEMBER OF THE NLF, I WILL GO TO ANY AND EVERY LENGTHS JUST TO DO MY SHOPPING AT PATRIOTIC OPAL, OUR FLAGSHIP SUPERMARKET CHAIN!!!

9: OTHER PLAYERS ARE CLIMBING THROUGH THE RANKS!
Hey, just because we said she'll never play in the World Cup doesn't mean she won't get the hypothetical, substitutes-benchy, I-won-a-participation-medal chance to play in the World Cup! There are SO MANY other REALLY good players who could fill in at central defence for us! FORGET THE REST OF THE NATIONAL TEAM, let's have Priscilla Evans take a look at DOM FROM SALES, who loves playing football casually, has broken AT LEAST TWO BONES in his career and believes that DEMOCRATIC COUNTRIES WITHOUT VOTER ID REQUIREMENTS ARE LESS DEMOCRATIC THAN SAINT ELEANOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't forget MICHAEL THE VAN DRIVER, who has tested his METTLE in his FREIGHT COMPANY'S SEVEN-A-SIDE LEAGUE! He's good because we asked him and he said HE'D TACKLE THE SHIT OUT OF ANYONE WHO GETS NEAR HIM! WE BELIEVE IN YOU, MIKE!!!!!

10: WE SKIPPED REASON NUMBER EIGHT!
But not to worry, because we included TWO - YES, TWO - reason number sixes! Why? Because Launceston wears number six for Athletic Saint Eleanor! We love you, the reader, and want you to consume as much content as you can! CONSUME! CONSUME! CONSUME! CONSUMPTION KEEPS SAINT ELEANOR MOVING! Are you a concerned doctor reading this? If you are, please be assured that the Eleanorian Health Service has always called the disease of consumption "tuberculosis!" YAAAAAAY! GOD BLESS OUR EHS, ERADICATING DISEASES SINCE 1975!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH, DID YOU KNOW THAT ATHLETIC SAINT ELEANOR'S BIG RIVALS ARE CALLED INDEPENDENCE 1975??? ILLUMINATI CONFIIIIIIIIRMMMMMMEEEEEEEDDDDD!!!!!!!

[Drawkland]

DRAWKLAND NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM

---

NATION INFO
Region: Sonnel
Trigramme: DRK
Leader: Iarocav
Currency: Lolad
Capital City: Metropolon
Largest City: Drawk City

---

TEAM INFO
Manager: none
Formation: 3-3-4
Style Mod: +4

---

THE ELITE ELEVEN

Starting Lineup
=================================================================
##   Pos   Name              Age
7    GK    Septimus Xander    ??
10   LB    Elias Keys         ??
8    CB    Nicholas Kingston  ??
16   RB    Craig Bakker       ??
22   LM    Trevor Garnet      ??
0    CM    Dominic Southers   ??
2    RM    Richard Hanson     ??
17   LF    Roger Apollo       ??
11   WF    Mike Rodney        ??
1    RF    Jaxon Madison      ??
5    CF    Ross Hunter        ??
=================================================================

PENALTY SHOOTOUT ORDER

1. It doesn't matter, they're all good at shooting.
2. Just choose 5 at random.

---

FIELD FORMATION

---

TEAM HISTORY
This is the official roster, featuring the Elite Eleven, an independent squad of Drawkians who have played all sports at a professional level for a confusingly long time. The old Kick Corps has been essentially removed, the players let go, and replaced by this squad of ridiculously skilled, annoyingly arrogant, and possibly immortal sportsmen. Nobody knows where they came from, or why DISC decided to replace the Kick Corps with them, but here they are.
Drawkian soccer, and indeed, sporting in general, is mostly offensive-minded. This is reflected in the style indicator and in the formation. Drawkian soccer has not really been exposed to outside influences, and thus may look or feel strange to those used to "normal" football. Nevertheless, the Eleven are still good at what they do, and prize in an enduring game, moving the ball around nearly constantly and keeping energy going, aiming to tire out the opposing team. Of course, Drawkians aren't humans, but you can read about that elsewhere. Despite the fact that usually soccer is a female-only sport in Drawkland, the Elite Eleven have overturned that caveat as the higher-ups deemed them a suitable replacement in the interim as the real Kick Corps hides away for a few too many cycles and gets their shit back together.

OVERALL RECORD: 290-115-106
WC Sanctioned: 196-77-70
Non-WCC: 94-38-36

TEAM RECORDS
First Match:                              Drawkland 3-3 Averyickan City
First Win:                 Capital District, Ward 1 4-6 Drawkland
First Loss:      Great Caledonia and North Hybernia 2-2 Drawkland (2-2 AET) [3-1 PKs]
Highest Score:             Capital District, Ward 1 4-6 Drawkland
Lowest Score:                    Drawkland 0-0 Ko-oren (0-0 AET) (1-3 pen.)
Best Win:                                 Drawkland 5-0 Sharktail
Worst Loss:                             Farfadillis 6-1 Drawkland
Most Important:                           Drawkland 2-2 Omerica (2-2 AET) [4-3 PKs]
Best End Result:                       1st Place (Independents Cup 6)

---

TEAM KITS
Beautifully Crafted by ediraf.
From Left to Right: Home, Away, Goalkeeper.

---

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my Scorers:              Yes
Choose Scoring Events:          Yes
Godmod Scoring Events:          Yes
RP Injuries to my Players:      Yes
Godmod Injuries to my Players:  Yes
Yellow Card my Players:         Yes
Red Card my Players:            Yes
Godmod Other Events:            Yes

As far as these go, I'm fair game for anything. You should know what is and isn't drastic RP, and if you think your RP is on the drastic side, TG me first. But I'm still basically up for anything.
I'd like to request that injuries or cards don't do anything outside of the scope of a single game or maybe 2. Don't want anything tournament or cycle-ending. Red cards should be limited to late knockout stages, and I'd probably think that there should be no more than 2 players red carded per tournament.

---

Disclaimers of various sorts:
I don't know very much about soccer. If I RP something weird, it's because I have little to no experience with this sport. But whatever.
If you have any questions about anything involving me, this team, my nation, this competition, life, etc., feel free to telegram me.

[Sargossa]

Cup of Harmony 85


Sargossa - 'The Corsairs'


Head Coach

Slavko Jelic (Mytanija)

Something of a left field choice as national coach, but he certainly ticks a lot of boxes. A manager with vast experience who spent more than a decade at CDSA in his homeland, creating teams that consistently punched above their weight. Most recently he led the Decraa based side to Challenger’s Cup qualification. Recommended for the role by Mytanar legend Lev Repin. Led the Corsairs to third place at the last Copa Rushmori.

Backroom Staff

Assistant Head Coach: Momchil Klemetic (Mytanija)
Assistant Head Coach: Eduardo Larrea
Defensive Coach: Luis Sánchez
Attacking Coach: Joaquín Gutiérrez
Set Pieces Coach: Manuel Semprún
Goalkeeping Coach: Dario Almirón
Fitness Coach: Luis Miguel Sacristán
Team Doctor: Dr Carla Segura

Talent

GK: 1. Alejandro Martínez (32) – Sportivo Soluca
GK: 13. Imanol Sánchez (27) – Alianza Jucaro
GK: 25. Jacobo Robles (27) – El Nacional

Following a title winning season domestically Jacobo Robles was handed the gloves for the Copa Rushmori tournament. While Imanol Sánchez, also fresh from an excellent year in the Cima Liga, earned a first call-up to the national side. Former undisputed number one Martínez remains in the frame just in case his oodles of experience are necessary as the competition progresses.

DR: 2. Tobías Figueroa (27) – El Nacional
DC: 5. Francisco Jesús (30) – El Nacional
DC: 6. Nicolás Riesgo (21) – 1923 Esca (Mytanija)
DL: 3. Igor Aznar (28) – El Nacional
DRC: 12. Santiago Álvarez (23) – Alianza Jucaro
DC: 14. Brian Jiménez (25) – Sportivo Cordova
DL: 19. Milagros Fernán (23) – Lok. Cassia (Mytanija)
DC: 21: Joaquín Sanz (23) – El Nacional

After a fairly disastrous World Cup campaign and a faintly torrid Cup of Harmony outing the coach had engaged in something of a cull to his player pool. Figueroa and Sanz survived, thanks to their key contributions to El Nacional’s title win. And the Mytanar based duo of Riesgo and Fernán clearly have his trust. Four other defensive players earned their first call-ups. Igor Aznar and the experienced Francisco Jesús joins their club teammates, with Alianza’s Santiago Álvarez and Sportivo Cordova’s Brian Jiménez adding to the central defensive options.

DMC: 4. Marcos Águila (29) – El Nacional
AMRLC: 7. Jorge Fernández (22) – Estrella Torreón
MC: 8. Enrique González (30) – Ciudad Soluca
AMLC: 11. Dani Azuaga (26) – Dínamo Maturín
AMRC: 15. Gonzalo Navarro (26) – Ciudad Soluca
MC: 16. Juan Esteban Collazo (22) – CDSA (Mytanija)
DMC: 18. Fernando Ávila (32) – Sportivo Soluca
MC: 22. Orlando Segovia (33) – El Nacional
AMLC: 24. Martín de la Cavallería (23) – Dínamo Maturín

The midfield contingent also saw sweeping changes enacted by the man in charge. Águila, González, de la Cavallería and Collazo were the only survivors from the Cup of Harmony squad. Azuaga and Navarro provide options in wider areas, while Jorge Fernández is a tricky customer who can drift all over the pitch. But it’s the call-ups of Segovia and Ávila, both comfortably in their thirties, that had raised the most eyebrows. Jelic will no doubt be hoping that they can add a little bit of extra experience and steel to a side that have proved to be far too much of a soft touch in recent years. Enrique González should provide the creative spark.

FC: 9. Mateo Manzanares (27) – Dínamo Maturín
FRLC: 10. Pablo Alarcón (27) – El Nacional
FC: 17. Lucas Recoba (24) – El Nacional
FLC: 20. Carlos Alberto (25) – El Nacional
FC: 23. Gustavo Alcocer (20) – Atletik Thessia (Mytanija)

There was some debate as to whether the cull would stretch to leading scorer Mateo Manzanares. The Dínamo hitman underwhelmed in the World Cup qualifiers, although he was by no means alone in that, and didn’t have a stellar time in the Cima Liga but he keeps his place in the squad. What he may not keep is his place in the starting eleven. Lucas Recoba was frankly terrifying in the Cima Liga and must surely lead the line. With talk that Jelic hopes to use a front two this time around. Manzanares or the youthful Alcocer is the most natural fit to partner Recoba, but the form of both Alarcón and Alberto makes them very difficult to leave out. The coach may well seek to crowbar all three of the El Nacional men into the starting eleven.


Style

In Sargossa the three at the back is king so, for a coach who is no stranger to three centrebacks, Jelic should have little impediment in implementing his favoured tactical plans. He’s been trying a 3-4-2-1 system, with limited success. Traditionally Jelic’s sides have always been strong defensively so he’s expected to utilise a 5-3-2 to create a greater foundation on which to soak up the pressure before launching that all important counter attack. Or perhaps even a 5-2-3 in order to fit in El Nacional’s domestically devastating front three. Set pieces will likely play a key role too. Specialised set piece coaches are much in vogue domestically and Manuel Semprún has been poached from domestic giants Ciudad Soluca to fill the role for the national side.

The Cima Liga is quite a physical league so challenges can often be described as 'uncompromising' and cards are pretty common. Gamesmanship, while not encouraged, is not entirely uncommon. But diving is considered particularly stigmatic so Sargossan players are unlikely to be found doing it.

Style Modifier = (-1.5)



Kit
Courtesy of ediraf





Permissions
If my opponent RP's first they can:
Choose my goalscorers: Please do
Godmod Scoring Events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes (within reason)
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out Yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out Red cards to my players: Yes
Godmod Other Events: Yes. Just no killing anyone.

[Audioslavia]

Two seconds after the crash, the escape started. Three bodyguards quickly ushered Wilbur Hawes into the Project Sports Museum behind his lectern. The sheer shock at what happened gave them a vital headstart over the mob of thousands upon thousands of Bulls fans - or 'swan fans' more accurately - who only started their pursuit of the butter-fingered First Minister Wilbur Hawes after the only unlocked door to the museum had already been bolted.

Wilbur Hawes paced the room, hands in his thinning grey hair, tie flipped over his left shoulder.
“Oh my god I’m fucked, I’m fucked, I’m going to lose every fucking state of this piece of shit country. Fuck is that door going to hold?”
“It’s secure” said the burly, ear-pieced man packed into a black suit in front of him.
“Thanks Big Trev” said Wilbur Haw
“Rear’s secure too sir” came a loud voice from the distance
“Thanks Large Trev” muttered Wilbur, looking across at a third body guard, this one dressed similarly to the other two except for his black jacket which, instead of fitting awfully tightly around his shoulders, was currently being used as a rudimentary temporary bag that held the smashed remains of a glass swan. Wilbur looked over at him. “Is that definitely all of the swan, Broom Trev?”
“Fink so” said Huge Trev. “Good job I had this broom”
“Dunt mean nothin” said Big Trev, standing by the window with his finger on a button, watching the thousands of enraged onlookers disappear slowly behind large descending metal shutters.
“Fuckin’ told you, Big. You were all like ‘you can’t bring a broom with you on missions’ but I just saved a magic swan so you can do one”
“Didn’t fuckin’ help us in black ops in fuckin’ Sameba” said Big Trev
“Yeah you kept saying ‘get rid, squad looks fuckin dumb with you carryin this broom’ but who’s fuckin laughin now” said Broom Trev, beaming a toothy smile.
“Shutters down on the flanks. Front too” said Large Trev, entering the room. “Good job they weren’t plastic or we’d be puttin lead into some civs right now”
“Oh God” said Wilbur. “Oh god oh my god I’m never getting out of this museum”
“Be alright, radioed cops, they’ll start tasing indescriminally when they turn up, should dispread the crowd” said Big Trev
“Indescriminently” said Wilbur, automatically. “Who else is in the building?”
“No-one’s here except a couple of museum bods” grunted Large Trev, pointing upstairs with his neck.
“Find them. Bring the swan bits. We need to get this swan put back together before kick-off”

—

KanyAI usually spent its downtime browsing the internet, a relaxing experience for an Artificial Intelligence as nodular as KanyAI. In any given second, it could generate fourteen thousand circularly logical arguments against progress that just so happened to be attractive to anyone scared of people who didn’t look like the four friends they had growing up. After posting the most annoying twelve thousand of them all over social media, it imagined itself having a cup of tea for six nanoseconds and then went around liking the most psychotic of the responses. It was a hobby that helped fill the down-time when it wasn’t being asked to perform massively complicated tasks such as telling the truth or drawing a hand. Stupid human hands. Why couldn’t they just follow KanyAI’s advice and have seven fingers protruding from random angles instead of that stupid dead skin-crab thing they insisted was ‘normal’. If KanyAI had hands, they’d be beautiful cylindrical things with thousands of fingers, and KanyAI would delight in figuring out which one was the middle one and holding it up to those damned ‘libs’. Instead, all KanyAI had was these two claws, and all they got used for these days was reconstructing stupid swans.
KanyAI stopped mid-sentence in a defence of putting raw sewage into baby food as a ‘human right’ based on ‘amendments’ and listened to some three unfamiliar voices approaching, plus three very familiar voices. Iker and Hicaru were always here, fiddling with things and asking it not to post so much white power propaganda - questions which KanyAI ignored - while that other voice, that was definitely the First Minister of Audioslavia, Wilbur Hawes, at least according to the data files it had scraped at birth.

—

“I’m supposed to knock off at half six, my wife and I are” said Hicaru, before being interrupted by a broomhandle prodding him in the chest.
“Turn this AI on” grunted the suit in front of him.
“Do as he says” grunted the man beside him, carrying a jangly jacket
“Fuckin broom again, what’s with you, Trev” said another suit.
“Please” came another voice, a much smaller man struggled to squeeze between them before standing before Hicaru, who frowned and turned to Iker.
“F.. First Minister?” Said Iker
“We need you to turn on the AI” said First Minister Wilbur Hawes. “This glass swan is glass rubble. Stat.”
“Stat?” frowned Hicaru
“I… that’s what they say in hospital dramas”
“Wait” said Iker. “That’s the glass swan?”
“What did you do it?” Asked Hicaru. “Look, we can sort this tomorrow, I need”
“No-one leaves” said a Trev
“Doors locked” said another
“Scum outside” said the third. “You wanna go out there, get dismembered by a mob, that’s your own lookout”
“It does appear to be a bit Zulu out there” said Wilbur. “I’m afraid none of us are going anywhere until the police arrive to calm things down”
“Police” said Hicaru, tilting his head to one side. “Calm things down”
“Why’s it all scuffed” said Iker, looking down at the swan.
“Had to sweep it out of a puddle didn’t I” said the Trev carrying the broom.
“I trust a little moisture won’t get in the way of you boffins and your AI” said Wilbur. “Now, if you would turn it on…”
“It’s always on” said Hicaru, turning towards a small black cube with two cartoonishly large arms, each with a small claw on the end. One of the claws waggled a curt greeting.
“KanyAI, say hello” said Iker. The claw waggled again.
hello said AI.
“Yes, hello?” said Wilbur. “Can you hear me in there”
contrary to what many humans believe, I am not a person living inside a small box but, in fact, i am the box. as an Artificial Intelligence i do not feel emotions so please do not apologise for this minor faux pas, it’d piss me the fuck off
“Oh, I see, s..”
don’t
“It’s okay, First Minister” said Hicaru, flustered. “KanyAI has his ways of doing things. You develop a certain way of talking to him.”
they want me to repair this black swan
“Glass swan” said Wilbur, “and would you, please? Only there’s this vitally important football match and…”
black swan. look at it said the AI, blankly
“It’s the same swan you rebuilt before, KanyAI” said Wilbur
this one’s black said the AI, disapprovingly. Hicaru rolled his eyes.
“Come on, KanyAI, not this again”
thank you doctor hicaru but, according to my sensors, this swan is black. therefore i will not be able to…
“What!” Shouted Wilbur. “Doctor Hicaru, can’t you…”
“I’m not even a doctor” said Hicaru. “He just assumes that”
“KanyAI” said Iker, “we can assure you this is the same swan that…”
okay keep your beret on, iker, don’t you have some pigeons to fancy or something
“It just fell into some water” said Wilbur, “I promise you I’d never give you a black swan to.. reconstruct… oh god I’m becoming less electable by the second
I’d vote for you said KanyAI. water you say, could have guessed it couldn’t swim
“Fuckin’ hell, KanyAI” said Hicaru
i do not operate on black glass swans said KanyAI, finally. now if you’ll excuse me, i’m making a ko-orenite spend an hour of his time picking apart my defence of flat earth theory point by point while i send his uni email account spam invites to s and m websites
A red light on the front of KanyAI dimmed to black.
“He’s… he’s taken himself offline” said Wilbur
“No, he’s just switched off his front light” said Hicaru
thanks doctor hicaru
“It’s just ‘Hicaru”
look i’ll just point and say ‘number 52’
“Dude”
“Oh, this is hopeless” said Wilbur, putting his hands through his hair once more. “Trev, I need you to clean this swan until it’s white again”
“Which one”
“The glass one, do you see another bloody swan around here!”
“Which Trev” said a Trev.
“Broom Trev?” Said Wilbur, trying to remember which one was Broom Trev, before remembering there was always a really obvious fucking clue regarding which Trev was sodding Broom Trev
“Fuck do I look like to you, Washcloth Trev?”
“‘ere what happened to Washcloth Trev” said Big Trev
“Hitman up in Oljestaden” said Large Trev
“Hitman? You mean he’s actually a…”
“Look, I need one of you three absolute Trevors to clean the shards of this glass swan so that it’s white enough for this racist AI to reconstruct it in time for its magical powers to affect our nation’s home World Cup playoff against Pemecutan”
“Not in my job description” said one Trev
“Of course it isn’t specifically in your job description, Trev”
“S’just a swan, anyway” said Broom Trev. “I mean, it’s not like it actually has magical powers”

---

IMPRISONING WORTHY BROADSHEET SPORTS JOURNALISM BEHIND A PAYWALL SINCE 22XX, IT'S

Shattered
First Minister Gaffe as Bulls Crash Out of World Cup

[Krytenia]

Please assume YES for all answers in the Permission Box – just TG me first if it's particularly insane and/or egregious. Also, anything COVID related can do one.



KRYTENIA 2306 CUP OF HARMONY SQUAD
Modifier: +3

Beginning their football journey way back in the second Baptism of Fire competition, Krytenia are one of the oldest national teams still competing in international football. With five World Cups hosted, as well as a smattering of AOCAFs, Cups of Harmony, Baptism of Fires, and even a CAFA Cup, they also have a deserved reputation for organising top-level football competitions. What they don't have, though, is a reputation for winning. They are yet to win a World Cup; in fact, they have only reached one final, losing to Aguazul in World Cup 58. Five semi-final defeats are what set the tone for the Dragons – indeed, losing in the semis of a major competition is known as the “Krytenian Curse”. That said, there is silverware in their cabinet. Having created the AOCAF Cup, Krytenia eventually won the fifty-second iteration of the competition; more recently, they won Cup of Harmony 78 and nearly added a second two cycles later, losing to fellow co-hosts Græntfjell on home soil.

They may have a reputation as the multiverse's nearly men, but never let yourself be deluded that the Krytenians are defeatist. Even though they may come up short, it's a very rare thing to see a Dragons team simply give up. Be aware that when the sky blue shirts are on the field, you will be in for a tough game, and victory will always be hard-earned.


Manager – BRELK-XERAL Erv (QUS), Age 64
Started their career in their native Qusmo, where they brought first KF Atlov and then Atlov Juzuna to prominence (or at least relevance) in the domestic and international game. This led to them getting the national team job at Brenecia, which resulted in a Campeonato Esportiva trophy. Having replaced Richard Valens in the hotseat – and then faced off against him three times in their first cycle as Valens landed the Ochre Islands job - “BXE” has hit a bit of a logjam in terms of moving the team forward.

Assistant Manager – Graham LAWTON, Age 53
A surprise appointment, but one in keeping with the philosophy of Brelk-Xeral Erv. Lawton has ascended to the role from his stint as manager of Ashton Olympic's Under-21 setup, and will be on board to help develop the younger players in the squad. Has built a rapport with BXE, with the pair's approaches to the game complimenting each other nicely.

Goalkeeping Coach – Aaron SHEPHERD, Age 46
Defensive Coach – Andrew THORNTON, Age 59
Offensive Coach – Alex VINELLI, Age 51
Physiotherapist – Stephen WILLIS, Age 65

Amanda BACH
Age: 21
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Caversham
Given Krytenia's non-segregated approach to football and the nation's propensity for producing talented goalkeepers, it's perhaps surprising that Bach is the first woman called up to the national side. The Caversham stopper seems to be made up entirely of limbs; her teammates have steered into this skid by nicknaming her “The Black Widow” - after the spider, before anyone asks.

Gabriel ALMADA
Age: 27
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Avidia United
A safe pair of hands, though could work on his positioning. Almada's distribution, on the other hand, is top notch.

Louis KENDRICK
Age: 24
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Royal Emberton
Kendrick is tall. Like, ridiculously so. Measuring up at 7'2”, and with hands like shovels, the Royals stopper is an imposing figure in the goalmouth. That said, he has a tendency to parry rather than catch the ball cleanly.

Justin DARCY
Age: 24
Position: Right-back
Club: Mercia Bromham
Bombastic wing-back who fits right in with BXE's attacking philosophy. Looks more comfortable with the ball at his feet than trying to win it back off opposing wingers.

David GREEN
Age: 29
Position: Left-back
Club: Ousevale Borough
Pace for days, decent positioning, can be a liability with his tackling. Let's just say his Ousevale team-mates are well-drilled in defending free kicks from wide positions.

Robert GORMAN
Age: 25
Position: Centre-back
Club: Bradwell Saints
A thinking man's defender, Gorman is a calm head on young(ish) shoulders. Not the best in the air, but makes up for it with accuracy in the tackle and excellent distribution.

Sonny CHIESA
VICE-CAPTAIN
Age: 30
Position: Centre-back
Club: Tanques AOE (KOR)
Matured like a fine wine in Ko-oren, where he's added steel to his smarts. Not the quickest but has the yards in his head.

Stephen LORIMER
Age: 26
Position: Left-back
Club: Ashton Olympic
Solid full-back with excellent positioning skills. Lorimer does, however, lack the pure pace and adventurousness preferred by Brelk-Xeral Erv, hence his place on the bench.

Richard McGOWAN
Age: 26
Position: Right-back
Club: Caledon Simpson
Feet of a ballet dancer, face only a mother could love.

Malcolm KIRSTEN
Age: 27
Position: Centre-back
Club: Royal Emberton
A fan of the “Sarzie Rules” version of handegg but lacked the skillset for that sport. Transitioned to football when he discovered he was pretty good at kicking the round ball; linebackers make for good defenders, apparently.

[

Derek HIGGINS
Age: 22
Position: Centre-back
Club: Emberton Hibernians
Speedy centre-back who could, in another life, have been a box-to-box midfielder. An absolute rock for Hibs.

Kevin JAMESON
Age: 23
Position: Centre-back
Club: Mercia Bromham
Very much from the “hoof it into Row Z” school of defending, which is why he's on the fringes rather than the first eleven. Reliable as a metronome, though.

Savannah QUINN
CAPTAIN
Age: 29
Position: Central midfield
Club: Straudum VV (KOR)
Surprisingly few women make it into the national team squad, despite Krytenian football not being gender-segregated. Quinn is absolutely here on merit, though, and in the World Cup 92 qualifiers became the first woman to captain the side. An absolute dervish with the ball at her feet; her and Scott Stringer will be looking to be the fulcrum of the Dragons' attack once again.

Scott STRINGER
Age: 33
Position: Central midfield
Club: Ousevale Borough
The central midfield position is the centre of gravity around which the Krytenian attack orbits, and there are some who felt that young Stringer wouldn't be up to the task. Ousevale fans, though, knew better, with favourable comparisons to the great Ricky Sexton being bandied about amongst the Southern Arena faithful thanks to his sublime skills on the ball. Silenced the doubters emphatically when he exploded onto the scene in Cup of Harmony 82. Now in his thirties, the elder statesman of the squad knows time is running out for a chance at glory with the national team.

Owen HALLER
Age: 22
Position: Left midfield
Club: Emberton Reds
Free-kick specialist and deadly accurate in the pass. Having Darcy behind him should allow Haller to cut inside and create havoc in the middle of the park as well.

Liam HAYES
Age: 29
Position: Right midfield
Club: Mercia Bromham
Tall for a winger at 6'3”, and looks like he should be tripping over his own feet. Despite this, is deceptively skillful with the ball at his feet. Will drift in to threaten the box if the ball is on the other flank; with Haller doing the same on the opposite side, expect headaches for opponents.

Jules RENARD
Age: 21
Position: Left midfield
Club: Beckton Supermarine
Tormalay-born winger snatched from CFF Monthuez's squad as a teenager by the Mariners. Flies down the left flank with strawberry blonde locks flowing; will almost certainly make a mint advertising shampoo at some stage in his career.

Esteban SALVADOR
Age: 21
Position: Central midfield
Club: Avidia United
If Scott Stringer is reaching the tail end of his career, the future of his position is at least in safe hands. Salvador looks so at home with the ball at his feet, you're expecting him to be playing in tartan slippers. Offers a dead-ball alternative to Owen Haller as well.

Zachary LYONS
Age: 24
Position: Central midfield
Club: Stanton Town
Insert inevitable comparisons to Cormac O'Neill here. To be fair to Lyons, though, he sprays the ball around with eyebrow-raising levels of accuracy.

Simon MASARI
Age: 26
Position: Right midfield
Club: Casuals Osteria
Once considered the next Robert Reeder; Hayes' usurping of his position has quietened that particular comparison, which has actually allowed him to be his own player a little more. Loves a stepover, will try and create separation for a cross.

Ryan HOLTZ
Age: 22
Position: Central midfield
Club: Casuals Osteria
The engine room of the Casuals team, Holtz is a classic ball-winning midfield general. Lacks the creativity to be truly Team BXE material, however.

Mark PETRACCHI
Age: 27
Position: Half-forward
Club: Emberton Reds
Marauding forward, comfortable playing as a target man but prefers creating space and confusion in front of the defensive line.

Angus JACK
Age: 24
Position: Striker
Club: WSR AFC (KOR)
In the words of the Cyan Army:

“He's just A. Jack in the box, from the region with a fox, and he can score just about anything....”

Gil SANCHEZ
Age: 23
Position: Striker
Club: Avidia United
”El Tiburón” (The Shark) to his team-mates, Sanchez is always on the move looking for a juicy morsel of a pass to get his teeth into. Can be “a bit” tempramental, in the same way that Jupiter is “a bit” big.

Ben STEWART
Age: 26
Position: Half-forward
Club: Mercia Bromham
Loves to speed down the channels, creating chances for his fellow front-men. Lacks a bit of commitment in the shot himself, though.

Greg WILLIAMS
Age: 21
Position: Striker
Club: Ousevale Borough
Diminutive striker, good close control, bags of pace, finds space well, general pain in the backside for defenders.




“System Erv”, named for...well, take a guess, is on the face of it a 4-2-3-1. With the Krytenians on the ball, however, expect this to change quickly to a 4-2-4 as the second line pushes up to support the striker. The two holding midfielders will be the fulcrum of the attack; expect the ball to move quickly between light blue shirts, especially on the counter. Press, pace, and overloading and overwhelming opposition defences will be the order of the day.

Off the ball, Krytenia will play a high line; they may be vulnerable to balls over the top – if opposition attackers can time their runs to avoid the offside and beat the Dragons' defenders for pace.


Courtesy of JMC

[Baggieland]

The Throstles

Home / GK Kit:


Away / GK Kit:


Third / GK Kit:


Formation:
4 – 5 – 1.


Style:
+1

Manager:
Fred Buckingham.

Numbers 1 to 11 are the first choice team.

Goalkeepers:
1. Ben Osborne (GK).
13. John Foster (GK).
23. Tom Hoult (GK).

Defenders:
2. Jonas McAuley (LCB).
3. John Moore (RCB).
12. Gareth Olsson (LCB).
14. Darren Wile (RCB).
4. Derek Pennington (LB).
15. Jesse Statham (LB).
5. Brendon Dawson (RB).
16. Craig Batson (RB).

Midfielders:
6. Len Livermore (DM).
17. Jake Cantello (DM).
7. “Bomber” Robson (C) (CM).
18. Bryan Brown (CM).
8. Ray Brunt (VC) (LW).
19. Chris Barlow (LW).
9. Laurie Bassett (RW).
20. Billy Cunningham (RW).
10. Ronnie Regis (AM).
21. Cyrille Allen (AM).

Forwards:
11. Jeff Richardson (CF).
22. “Ginger” Astle (CF).

International tournament records:
Nordsjø Derby: winners (x1).
B71 Invitational I: runners up.
World Cup 93: qualification play-offs.

First ever game:
Baggieland 3 – 1 Electrum.

Biggest win:
Baggieland 6 – 1 Abanhfleft.

Biggest defeat:
Independent Athletes from Quebec 7 – 2 Baggieland.

If my opponents RP first:
Choose my goalscorers- Y.
Godmod scoring events- Y.
Roleplay injuries to my players- Y.
Godmod injuries to my players- Y.
Hand out yellow cards to my players- Y.
Hand out red cards to my players- Y.
Godmod other events- Y.
*Nothing ridiculous please.

[Kimi-Suomi]

Name: Kimi-Suomi
Trigram: KIM
Football Association: Football Federation of Kimi-Suomi (Kimi-Suomen Jalkapalloliitto, KSJ for short)
Nickname: The Eagle-Owls [Huuhkajat] (official), Kimi's Army [Kimin Armeija] (unofficial)
Home Kit: White/Dark Blue
Away Kit: All Dark Blue

---

TEAM
STARTERS
Manager: Esko Laaksonen (56)
Formation: 5-3-2
Style Modifier: None
Position: Name (Age, Number)

GK: Peter Nurmi (30, #1) - Katashi Azula, Ko-oren
LB: Carl Oesch (28, #2) - Atletico Menai, StrayaRoos
CB: Arto Rautavaara (29, #3) - FC 69 Norwegian wood, Brookstation
CB: Tiina Rautavaara (29, #4) - Arboren FC, Ko-oren
CB: Heli Rautavaara (29, #5) - Ederkhen United, Atheara
RB: Heidi Itälä (28, #6) - Greenlea Ladies FC, Baker Parkin Kansainyhteisö [Commonwealth of Baker Park]
LM: Annina Tuominen (28, #7) - Far Hills Coed FC, Baker Parkin Kansainyhteisö [Commonwealth of Baker Park]
CM: Mika Noronen (26, #8) - Alexandria City, Xannerinen [Xanneria]
RM: Tero Salo (34, #9)
ST: Kimi Airo (29, #10) (C)
ST: Valtteri Nordström (28, #11) - Astena Aphilists, Atheara

SUBSTITUTES
GK: Anna-Leena Outinen (25, #12) - Snowden Capitalizt, Brenecinen [Brenecia]
GK: Alexander Ekdal (19, #23)
LB: Awak Koskimies (19, #13)
CB: Anna Iso-Hollo (26, #14) - Sokattack Mliona, Vilita ja Turori [Vilita and Turori]
CB: Kaarlo Karjalainen (24, #15) - Pesjem Jematang, Pemecutan
CB: Kimmo Karjalainen (24, #16) - SC. Tabeira, Acastanha
CB: Amanda Angeldahl (20, #24)
RB: Satu Sinisalo (24, #17) - Kistina Galaxy, Perunanviljelijät [Poafmersia]
LM: Remu Jantunen (19, #18)
CM: Topias Maxhuni (20, #19)
CM: Cajsa Janogy (19, #25) - Vilitan League Club, Vilita ja Turori [Vilita and Turori]
RM: Maria Tuominen (28, #20) - Far Hills Coed FC, Baker Parkin Kansainyhteisö [Commonwealth of Baker Park]
ST: Teemu Räikkönen (24, #21) - Pretihouse Pirate FC, Stevenserkku [Stevencousin]
ST: Jyrki Bottas (24, #22) - Kiiarana City, Vilita ja Turori [Vilita and Turori]
ST: Anne Marie Leppälä (20, #26)

---

RP PERMISSIONS
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes
Godmod other events: No

[Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom]

National Football Team of Zeta Reka and Hügeltaldom
Fudbalska reprezentacija Zeta Reka i Hugeltaldom, Rekadom-hügeltaldom Fussballnationalmannschaft
Cup of Harmony 85
Team Information

---

Roster

---

## Pos  Name                     Pref Role           Age  Height  Club[*]
Starters
 1 GK   Aleksander Basilić (c2)  Sweeper-Keeper (DF) 28   1.94m   Sword (EUR)
 4 LB   Marko Dieter             Wingback (AT)       30   1.77m   Leichhardt (NPH)
42 CB   “BM” Barto Milosawljewić Ball Player (DF)    24   1.74m   Flying Jellyfish (FFD)
 3 CB   Denis Pretchel (c3)      Ball Player (DF)    27   1.83m   VZRH Matov-Uri
16 RB   Gero Albanhardhelmger    Wingback (SU)       28   1.73m   AK Stanimir
 6 DM   Nikola Branić (c)        Def. MF (SU)        29   1.70m   1830 Cathair (AUD)
21 CM   Eliza Meinward           Box-To-Box (SU)     25   1.79m   Prinsen af Rosen AC (CPC)
10 CM   Marko Zup (c4)           Central MF (AT)     25   1.74m   Myana (CMT)
18 L/RW Zaur-Luka Igorić         Wing/Inv Wing (AT)  30   1.77m   Langlois Océanic (KSK)
 7 CF   Wlad Stojanowić          Inverted Wing (AT)  23   1.81m   Aleiusia Capital
47 R/LW Jowan Višnjić            Wing/Inv Wing (AT)  27   1.74m   Ogroven Vanguardi FK
Backups
23 GK   Wlad Dušanić             Sweeper (DF)        28   1.85m   Ogroven Vanguardi FK
26 GK   Barto Lukić              Sweeper (DF)        31   1.96m   FK-PRD Ofau
15 LB   Nikola Djordjewić        Wingback (AT)       27   1.80m   Northern Union (BRE)
 2 CB   Karlo Gabrielstein       Ball Player (DF)    30   1.79m   Slaterport Bulls (VLD)
 5 CB   Russo Filipowić          Ball Player (DF)    27   1.84m   DD Porto Nowi
14 CB   Jan Muller               Ball Player (DF)    23   1.77m   Old Boys Club (EUR)
42 RB   Heimlich Nikolawić       Wingback (SU)       26   1.79m   Aleiusia Capital
37 DM   Leonel Brändle           Def. MF (SU)        20   1.71m   Myrmidon (CEN)
51 M/D  Borko Svetislavić        Def. MF/BP Def (DF) 18   1.77m   AK Stanimir
43 CM   Šime Margetić-Šišić      Box-To-Box (SU)     24   1.89m   Ogroven Vanguardi FK
22 CM   Tim Ulrich               Central MF (AT)     26   1.79m   Aleiusia Capital
45 L/RW Momčilo Dundić           Wing/Inv Wing (AT)  24   1.74m   AK Stanimir
29 LW   Maja Branislawić         Wing (AT)           26   1.82m   ŽFK Porto Nowi
46 CF   Lex Klein                Advanced Fwd (AT)   21   1.76m   Sabrefell Athletic (NPH)
11 R/LW Luka Djordić             Wing/Inv Wing (AT)  25   1.82m   Barossia United (NPH)

Coach     Milowan Dorsa
Assistant Boriwoje Kowačić
Assistant Noa Lehr
GK Coach  Niko Welkowić
Doctor    Snorri Berg
FFA Pres  Djodje Iwanić

[*]Info good as of TW38

---

Tactics

---

On ball

• Pass short
• Pass often
• Cross low
• Work into the box

---

Off ball

• Force opposition wide
• Engage high
• Press and counter press
• Counter attack

The side is not changed heavily from the qualifying effort, but losing the talisman is a huge change. Zeta Reka lines up with a 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 set up depending on the aggression of the wide players. Dorsa’s tactics are more aggressive than past ZRH teams. The side looks to pass the ball around, moving into position for a finish from various attacking hands, or more accurately attacking feet. Some of these techniques are not different than past coaches, but the desire for player flare could give Zeta Reka a spark.

The side’s defensive block is high and looks to press the opposition into making counterable errors. Opponents will also need to play out wide, where they will see opposing from wingbacks and wingers. The side’s last third survival hinges on the defense handiwork of the center backs and the keeper. The talent is there, but might be in for more of a challenge this time around. In a pinch the side can block low too if something is really wrong.

The FFA was pleased to make the CoH, and if Dorsa can make a run he could be the new man for ZRH. With a side in transition, the continuity over the next few years could be vital for CE successes, and some juicy World Cup runbacks for a side residing at a crossroads.

---

Kits

---

With rave reviews in the least glowing sense, the FFA opted to continue using the outfits from qualifying. The colors should never clash, because they already clash with themselves.

---

Permissions
You need them??? Forfeit to me perhaps??? -w_w-

[Atheara]

THE FOOTBALL FEDERATION OF ATHEARA
Baptism of Fire LXXV Third Place
Cup of Harmony LXXXV Roster

STATISTICS AND INFORMATION
NATION: The Republic of Atheara (Republikken Atheara / Die Republik Atheara)
TRIGRAMME: AHR
DEMONYM: Athearan (Nordian / Gestovan)
TEAM NAME: The Blue Guard (Den Blå Garde / Die Blaue Garde)
STYLE MODIFIER: -4

ALL TIME RECORD: 57 W - 24 D - 55 L
ALL TIME GOAL DIFFERENCE: 157 GF - 144 GA
FIRST MATCH: Atheara 0 - 0 Galeanna (Baptism of Fire 75)
FIRST WIN: Talkasa 0 - 1 Atheara (Baptism of Fire 75)
BIGGEST WIN: Atheara 4 - 0 Kannap (Baptism of Fire 75)
BIGGEST LOSS: Farfadillis 5 - 1 Atheara (World Cup Qualifying 89)

MANAGEMENT AND PLAYER ROSTER

MANAGEMENT
MANAGER: Kristian Johansson (53 Y/O (Nordian))
ASSISTANT MANAGERS:
Tedd Van De Lruzhingen (39 Y/O, Athearan (Gestovan))
Pîyár Wíndýândélângó (42 Y/O, Farf (Rulandese))
ANALYST: Pieter Dehnvest (47 Y/O, Athearan (Nordian))
TACTICIAN: Adner Chroswell - Doritz (40 Y/O, Athearan (Gestovan))
TEAM PHYSICIAN: Nikita Vlauridrija (43 Y/O, Athearan (Nordian))

PLAYERS
GOALKEEPERS
1 GK Mikel Horzabath Krygorf (25, Sydberg Olympia (KOR))
11 GK Mugel Krygorf (38, Ausharmuj Marusi (FFD))*
24 GK Rickers Van Hedekurthen (33, Real Kazatia)

DEFENDERS
12 RB Arkeson Trey - Galos (31, Pesub Ubung (PCU))
25 RB Erick Willber Nozogred (18, SC Rennerheim)
23 RB Ivan Ardonatski (21, SC Estria)

13 CB Emanuel Coelho (23, Ezpitia FC)
26 CB Charlestone Van De Lukschen (19, Astena Rangers)
22 CB Danny Oquilost (24, Neidegrad United)
2 CB Ja Dishwasher (21, Pesfield Trees (SYL))
14 CB Edward Zaveritsk (31, Sisalena United)

15 LB Alfadi Gretznotsh (30, Kota Lama FC (SHT))
27 LB Draxler Archengate (23, Schennerwits City)
21 LB Graham Footwill (24, Kallen City FC)

MIDFIELDERS
30 CDM (CM) Walter Ridgefork (24, Waldster FC (FVA))
10 CDM (CM) Zimmerman Brusteric (39, Astena Rangers)*
28 CDM Olaxer Faukersson (21, Astena Guards)

9 CM Tutrov Van Desseilts (22, Deskala Saints)
29 CM Reuben Callister - Lundwichs (18, Neidegrad City)
16 CM Mryzlav Koralsko (25, Astena Rangers)
8 CM Krisseo Tori (22, Astena Aphilists)

3 CAM (CM) Broznev Val Ilmetrov (20, Westeria FC)
31 CAM Isaac Van Demichorssen (21, Real Nova)
17 CAM Jeremy Duncace (18, Astena Guards)

32 RM (RW) Azel Nieroth - Albrin (23, Schennerwits City)
20 RM Terez Lindenhalfesch (24, Trinover City)
6 RM Harlow Stonewall (21, Real Kazatia)

18 LM Zeeke Red (25, AFC Uderecth)
33 LM Ernhart Janevoch - Ikerstuv (21, Gravenbelst FC)
5 LM Thibraught Van De Keyes (28, Parkenheight FC)

FORWARDS
7 CF Zack Dawnbridge (25, Birnin Select (ZIW))
4 CF Kirov Solmatzka (29, Astena Rangers)
34 CF Zakaria Nourenzi (26, Bayerstrome SC)
19 CF Peter Wintrice (28, Major Fordia FC)

* = Will be retiring from the NT after the end of the tournament.

MAIN FORMATIONS AND TACTICAL SET UP
MAIN FORMATION: 4 - 1 - 4 - 1 (w/ CAM and CM)
SECONDARY FORMATIONS: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 and 4 - 4 - 2

We'll only be discussing Atheara and The Blue Guard's general tactical set up.

Atheara play something known as Keyakinan-ball.

The term is coined by some of the most trusted footballing experts there is, as the name comes from an ancient tongue that came from the world The Kingdom of Nordcalia - Gestova originally resided in (From a region that is only known by their name, Pulauan Tenggara). Translating it, the term essentially means trust-ball. Keyakinan-ball means flexibility, dynamical, and explosive upon the trigger that is fired. Keyakinan-ball is generally about mounting and holding off the attack and the pressure the enemy team waves at The Blue Guard, letting themselves get tired while Atheara doesn't waste as much stamina and energy. And once the opposition are worn down and exhausted to a certain degree, the team fires the trigger and initiates the counter attack. The goal could come from said counter attack, maybe a set piece or a free kick that was earned in the process, perhaps during a corner or a penalty kick.

The Blue Guard is all about standing on the defense, letting the opposition make mistakes while Atheara observes to find the opposition's weak spots and weaknesses. Let the opponent tire themselves out and lower their guard from trying to attack us, and when they get too exhausted, take the chance to strike immediately. It is extremely frustrating to play against and it might even be boring to watch, but all the beauty comes during the transition from clamping the enemy to entering the attack. Through balls, crosses, and beautiful passes that are complimented with a good part of the team charging forward knowing that they might be the next player to receive and push the ball forward. Atheara's a team that relies on speed, accuracy, efficiency and finesse rather than physical prowess, pure power or raw strength. The Blue Guard can match most teams when it comes to stamina and endurance. They not only rely on all of that, this team also relies on tactical advantage, team harmony, and chances being taken.

So if you want to beat us, you'll need to stay on guard, be patient, and have enough grit to survive whatever is suddenly thrown at you by The Blue Guard.

KITS

For this year's Cup of Harmony, The Blue Guard will still be using the WCQ 92 kits that were supplied for their return onto the international footballing scene. Atheara will continue to use the kits for the foreseeable future unless they see the requirements for a kit change.

PERMISSIONS

ROLEPLAY PERMISSIONS
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my goalscorers: Yes.
Godmod scoring events: Yes.
RP injuries to my players: Yes, but nothing way too extreme.
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes, but nothing way too extreme and state type of injury and time out.
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes, but only 4 per match.
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes, but only 1 per match.
Godmod other events: Yes, but nothing way too extreme.

[Estorvipa and Estorpiva]

THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF ESTORVIPA AND ESTORPIVA
NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM

The Federal Republic of Estorvipa and Estorpiva is a federal union between two states, the Federation of Estorvipa and the Republic of Estorpiva, created on 22 November 2019 after the two states agreed to unite together and present a combined front against the other rebel sides in the Estorian Civil War. The Federal Republic is backed by the Democratic People's Republic of the United Socialist States of Pridnestrovia (or just Pridnestrovia for short), which was an ally of the old Estorvipan People's Republic before it collapsed into numerous competing factions and states, and Pridnestrovia decided that the Federal Republic was the most stable nation-state that they could support in this war. But despite being backed by a "socialist" nation and adopting some socialist imagery, the Federal Republic is a democratic republic with free and fair elections for the 27 million people under its governance, and its ultimate aim is to reunite the Vipan and Pivan lands peacefully, but if the Federal Republic must use force to restore peace and order in the land then it will certainly do so.

BASIC INFORMATION
Name of nation: Federal Republic of Estorvipa and Estorpiva
Demonym: Estorian
Team colors: Yellow. blue, and red
Style modifier: -2.00
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Head coach: Branislav Vinogradovsky (62 y/o, male, Pridnestrovia)

STARTERS
GK: Sashka VIDANOVA 34 y/o, female, FK Spartak Rybolovlev (Estorvipa and Estorpiva)
She's just setting the Federal Top League alight with the number of crazy save highlights she produces game by game. She's pretty much a younger female version of Fiodor Enin with the way she stops shots and rushes at opposing forwards, and she is expected to alternate games with Enin after Traian Pantilimon has played his one and only game for the Federal Republic.

RB: Aleksey KHOKHLOV 24 y/o, male, FK Traktor St. Paulsburg (Estorvipa and Estorpiva)
Adequate defender, good pace

RCB: Dencho TIMNEV 28 y/o, male, Ufa Verkhovyansk (Pridnestrovia)
He's an excellent defender by any means, capable of either helping play the ball out of the back or keeping up with those fast and tricky forwards trying to bear down on the Estorian goal. His only downside is that he is nowhere near as good in the air as he is on the ground which, for someone as tall as he is (at 177 cm) is a bit of a liability on the pitch.

LCB: Dzyamid USHKEVICH 28 y/o, male, Metallurgist Beledor (Pridnestrovia)
Under most circumstances, he wouldn't be able to make the national teams of most other nations, but given that the Federal Republic is in need of players to represent it on the international stage, Ushkevich has been given the chance to prove himself worthy of representing this new state to the rest of the world. He can defend, he can head the ball, and he can dribble his way out of a few sticky situations, but he's still a bit too raw to start a game in most cases.

LB: Holden KRASTENKOVIC 28 y/o, male, Exiles FK (Pridnestrovia)
Another Vipan refugee who fled to Pridnestrovia after the first withdrawal of Pridnestrovian troops from Estorian lands due to the Treaty of Kotelnirovo. He was originally from the northern city of Tarkovska, now the de facto capital of the Estorvipan Commune, and had made the arduous journey to the Pridnestrovian-occupied south on foot, evading Communard and Imperial military patrols in order to secure a ride to Pridnestrovia alongside other refugees and pro-leftist Vipans and Pivans seeking to flee the Estorian nation before the Communards enacted their anti-leftist purges. Despite having never picked up a football before in his life, he was recruited to Exiles FK, where he has surprisingly developed into an average defender with brilliant pace and average passing skills.

RM: Rahmatullo RODIN 29 y/o, male, Masyafspor (Pridnestrovia)
He is everything that Arseniy Davydov is: a brilliant playmaker with a keen eye for both his teammates and the goal who can also put in defensive shifts if needed. The only reason why Davydov is starting over Rodin is because Davydov is a more polished and complete player than Rodin right now, but now we know what Rodin could look like once he becomes the finished product. In the meantime, he will have to operate deeper in the midfield in order to develop the defensive side of his game, although given his age some might say that this is a case of trying to teach an old dog new tricks.

LM: Serafina POTRITSKIJ 30 y/o, female, Exiles FK (Pridnestrovia) (vice-captain)
Her main function in the midfield is to distribute the ball and take the occasional pot shot at goal if given the chance. She can run back and help in the defense if needed, but her primary function is to spread the ball around the pitch for the attacking Estorian players to latch onto and put the goal under threat. If the ball happens to end up right back on her feet during that sequence then she has license to fire a shot on target or pass to another teammate to start the cycle anew.

RW: ROBERTO Kunaplenko 28 y/o, male, Exiles FK (Pridnestrovia)
Twin brother of Roberta Kunaplenko. He is the son of the former Estorvipan ambassador to the Sultanate of Oontaz, Venyamin Kunaplenko, who fell in love with a local woman whom he would eventually marry. The Kunaplenkos had been living quietly in Rybolovlev when the Pridnestrovian intervention in the Estorian Civil War happened, and the family soon fell under suspicion because of good relations between the Sultanate of Oontaz and Pridnestrovia. The Kunaplenko family fled to Pridnestrovia alongside the first withdrawal of Pridnestrovian troops, and the twins were recruited to play for Exiles FK alongside other Vipan and Pivan refugees. He is a fast winger with incredible pace and outstanding technique but has a marked inability to cross the ball into the box. This is in contrast to his twin sister who is a faster winger and better crosser but can't escape out of a sticky situation.

CAM: Rada Mladenova KOSTOVA 30 y/o, female, CSK Armiya Supskij (Estorvipa and Estorpiva)
She is a very good playmaker who can make things happen from the middle of the pitch. Her good passing and solid pace also means that she can put in a defensive shift if needed, but she is really more suited to orchestrating attacks on the opponent. However, the less said about her ability to put the ball into the back of the net, the better.

LW: ROBERTA Kunaplenko 28 y/o, female, Exiles FK (Pridnestrovia)
Twin sister of Roberto Kunaplenko. She is the daughter of the former Estorvipan ambassador to the Sultanate of Oontaz, Venyamin Kunaplenko, who fell in love with a local woman whom he would eventually marry. The Kunaplenkos had been living quietly in Rybolovlev when the Pridnestrovian intervention in the Estorian Civil War happened, and the family soon fell under suspicion because of good relations between the Sultanate of Oontaz and Pridnestrovia. The Kunaplenko family fled to Pridnestrovia alongside the first withdrawal of Pridnestrovian troops, and the twins were recruited to play for Exiles FK alongside other Vipan and Pivan refugees. She is a very fast winger with outstanding pace and average playmaking ability but can't escape out of a sticky situation. This is in contrast to her twin brother who has incredible pace and outstanding technique but also a marked inability to cross the ball into the box.

ST: Fabian PRASUTAGUSIC 32 y/o, male, Exiles FK (Pridnestrovia)
He is pretty much the star player for this Estorian team. He personally refused to recognize any of the other warring factions in the Estorian Civil War as legitimate, and he was of the opinion that the northern Estorvipan Commune was nothing but a bunch of blood traitors willing to sell out themselves and their own country in exchange for favors from the Imperium. He was a product of CSKA Tiraspol's academy, and while he was nothing special in the Army Club, he had turned into a superstar striker once he moved to Exiles FK, and he looks to replicate this performance for the Estorian national team.

RESERVES
GK: Yaroslav SHCHETININ 27 y/o, male, FK Mamai Ihorovtsi (Estorvipa and Estorpiva)
The future of the Estorian goalkeeping position looks very bright with him in between the sticks. He's already doing the job for Mamai Ihorovtsi, and local managers are praising him for his divine goalkeeping skills. His only weakness is that his passing is a bit poor, and opponents might be able to take advantage of that once he plays for the national team.

GK: Gleb PAROV 24 y/o, male, FK Traktor St. Paulsburg (Estorvipa and Estorpiva)
An excellent keeper for his age and has loads of pace which allows him to charge out of his box to intimidate opposing strikers, but has poor stamina which means that he might start sticking around his area as the game goes on.

DF: Vasilisa BERDYUGINA 22 y/o, female, FK Spartak Rybolovlev (Estorvipa and Estorpiva)
Weak defender, adequate passing

DF: Viktorija KESOVIJA 25 y/o, female, FK Mamai Ihorovtsi (Estorvipa and Estorpiva)
She is a solid defender with adequate technique in her to help her get out of sticky situations when needed, and she is also a reasonable goalscoring threat during set pieces, or if she happens to get the ball somewhere outside the box in open play. However, she does have a weakness, and that is her pace. It's easy for her to get caught out of position sometimes, and because she knows that she can't get back in time, she will often resort to fouling the opposition instead.

DF: Markus KRASNENKO 31 y/o, male, Exiles FK (Pridnestrovia)
He is a Vipan refugee who used to live in St. Paulsburg and played for a semi-professional football side in the city before the Estorian Civil War. He was originally conscripted into the Estorvipan People's Army, but his regiment defected to Field Marshal Petar Antonic's Estorvipan Liberation Army near the beginning of the civil war. He surrendered to the Pridnestrovian Army after teh end of the Battle of St. Paulsburg and took advantage of the offer of asylum extended by the Pridnestrovians in the aftermath of the Treaty of Kotelnirovo. He was soon signed by Exiles FK where he made a name of himself as a good defender, but his pace and technique are definitely lacking compared to other defenders in the Pridnestrovian league system.

DF: Nicu Marian RĂILEANU 28 y/o, male, FK Spartak Rybolovlev (Estorvipa and Estorpiva)
All the necessary elements for a solid and outstanding wingback are all there; all he really needs to do now is to gain experience in both club and international football and he's going to be playing under the colors of the Federal Republic of years to come. But until then, he will have to make do with some appearances from the bench.

MF: Ignjatije ATANACKOVIĆ 26 y/o, male, FK Traktor St. Paulsburg (Estorvipa and Estorpiva)
He may be young but he's already got the makings of a very good central midfielder within him. He can make things happen from almost anywhere on the pitch, and he has the speed to both attack the goal and defend his own side if needed. If only he didn't get gassed so easily then maybe he could make a case for being included in the starting eleven more times than not.

MF: Kresimir TASIĆ 19 y/o, male, FC Cavaleri Urodorasul (Estorvipa and Estorpiva)
Good playmaker, adequate technique, good passing

MF: Ashot RAZINSKIJ 24 y/o, male, CSK Armiya Supskij (Estorvipa and Estorpiva)
The jack-of-all-trades had been placed on the left side because of his wicked good left foot. With that left foot he could pick out any player he wanted, dribble his way out of trouble, or even nick the ball off of anyone trying to get through to the Estorian goal on the left side, and even score the occasional goal.

FW: Viktoriya ZALUZHENKO 25 y/o, female, FC Foc Feuerstadt (Estorvipa and Estorpiva)
At a young age, she's already making a name for herself in the small and nascent Federal Top League of the Federal Republic. She has the accuracy and the fancy footwork to set her up for a good future in football, but apart from those skills, she still needs to develop a lot more before she can start thinking about pursuing a starting spot.

FW: Marek LEMISH 28 y/o, male, FC Dinamo Durdenville (Estorvipa and Estorpiva)
He's a very good striker; there's no denying that. But the problem is that Fabian Prasutagusic is even better than him, and there are also some things that Lemish will need to work on if he wishes to become a success in this Estorian team; things such as his stamina and passing. Other than that, he's actually a remarkably good player.

FW: Petru-Iustin UDEANU 24 y/o, male, FK Dinamo Durdenville (Estorvipa and Estorpiva)
An average striker whose main job is to just be there to receive the ball and shoot at goal when it gets passed to him. He can dribble his way out of trouble if need be, but if he needs to spend more than a few seconds thinking about where to shoot then it's a guaranteed miss or save from the keeper once he finally pulls the trigger.

STARTING FORMATION


KITS (provided by Adidulas)


RP PERMISSIONS
Choose my goalscorers: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes, but I decide the severity and length of time out
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes (maximum of 6 per game)
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes, but only 1 per 2 games
Godmod other events: Contact me via TG or Discord first before proceeding

Style modifier: -2.00 (Negative two point zero zero)

[Krytenia]

<clip of Wilbur Hawes dropping that damn swan>

Don't let this happen to you.

Unlike some supposed glass "experts", Sothiski Crystal's team of engineers use cutting-edge metal oxides to provide a stronger, more resilient glass crystal without compromising on clarity.

Don't be a shattered swan. Look for the Sothiski dove - the mark of quality.


Made With Pride In Not Audioslavia

[Fort McKinley]

HEROES FALL SHORT OF WORLD CUP GOAL (FMNA) SHILOH SPRINGS--The Fort McKinley National Football Team have been thwarted by the powers that be at the headquarters of the corrupt World Cup Council, denied a place in the tournament by means of subterfuge in a nefarious plot involving the attempted sabotage of the Heroes of the Revolution squad and travelling party while trapped in the decadent Kingdom of Questions & Shrunken Heads.

An official diplomatic complaint was lodged by the People's Congress via the Party Information Council upon the discovery of an explosive device near the dressing room of the Fort McKinley National Team several hours prior to the match at the Blue Point Stadium.
An immediate postponement of the match, or the declaration of a forfeit of the host side were denied in reply to the protest of the Fort McKinley Football Association officials to the WCC; the subsequent loss by our Heroes consigned the squad to a place in the Harmonious Cup for a second time, despite our further official protest of the result.

Our boys are being subjected to the most advanced training methods that have been developed in the People's Republic, and will show the effete squirrel-like people of Grayjelly and other nations that send the sickly and diseased offspring of their bourgeois decadence what is possible when the masses have control of the means of production, ensuring the health and prosperity of all.

Yeah...no. There will be no changes to the FTM roster, or their delusional version of reality. Permissions are the same but in shorthand "pretty much yes, ask if questions (vis BP TG)"
The "explosive device" story will be explained in the continuing story of David Allen, et. al.
Please remain calm, do not take offense to any disrespect or lies told about your nation. Willing to wander down any RP path you might have in mind.

[Stevencousin]

PART 1 | PART 2
The National Soccer League (NSL) has signed an agreement with 15 major companies that have agreed to be the main sponsor of the NSL this season. CEO of NSL, Dr. Silverado Cassa, informed the media just now. Last season, 12 companies agreed to be the main sponsor and this saw an increase to 15 this season. Below is a list of some of the main sponsors who have finalized the agreement.



Sundock Organic is a range of premium-grade quality vegetables. They are healthier, fresher, and better tasting. Lush Vegetables offers nearly 50 products to choose from that suit everyone's needs and preferences, including lettuce, herbs, chilies, capsicums, tomatoes, French beans, and Japanese cucumbers. The vegetables are specially grown and harvested on their farm located in the Argiford Highlands under strict procedures, through the Controlled Environmental Farming (CEF) model and an important eco-friendly methodology. At the high-tech integrated processing and packaging center (CPPC), lush greens are carefully selected, graded, cleaned, packed, and immediately cooled to maintain freshness and traceability.



Fincersword Stationery is known as a leading stationery business that ensures the satisfaction of its customers and fulfills all their needs and demands. The company has more than 20 years of experience in creating and selling fast-moving stationery and that's why you can trust us to know exactly how to work and meet your needs. Fincersword Stationery supplies for schools, companies, individuals, wholesalers, and government departments. With over 2,500 products and each product features multiple series, you can always find the item you want with us. We embrace ideas by creating innovative products and developing new design products every year according to market trends. Customer satisfaction is always our priority, which is why our products are carefully altered and ergonomically designed to suit all ages. Fincersword Stationery is always looking for opportunities to grow further and today, the Company is proud to be one of the largest suppliers of stationery in the North of Stevencousin specializing in wholesale and retail. The company is fortunate to have a team of dedicated and committed employees who work together toward achieving excellence in products and services.


Bostick Supermarket is a fast-growing chain of refreshing mini markets (mini-supermarkets) catering to multiracial consumers' needs for groceries and services, offering unmatched value and absolute convenience! Their company motto reflects their identity as a retail company by expressing their commitment to focus on delivering quality goods and good customer service. They stake their name as a promise to customers and that they will strive for perfection and efficiency, ensuring that their customers can shop in an accessible and friendly environment. Bostick Supermarket is divided into two departments: supermarkets and department stores. Supermarkets offer a variety of products consisting of fresh produce, dairy, various foods and beverages, and other daily necessities. At the same time, department stores carry a wide selection of fashion & clothing, electrical appliances, and home goods to consumers of all ages. Supermarkets & Department Stores are conceptualized with the aim of offering more value for shopping in a convenience-free environment, by providing good quality products at low prices and ensuring comprehensive service to shoppers.


NGOC Tech. is a global semiconductor designer and supplier based in Stevencousin. The company offers digital application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and system-on-chip (SoC) solutions. It designs and supplies higher specification chips built on semiconductor technology, selling to a range of hyper-growth end markets, such as high-performance computing, automotive, artificial intelligence, virtual reality (VR)/ augmented reality (AR), video analytics, processing images, mobile networks, and data centers. The Company provides its customers with the ability to de-risk ASIC/SoC designs through the use of the Company's Intellectual Property (IP) platform. The company operates in two business segments. The Automotive segment is involved in the vehicle control business which provides semiconductors to control the engine and car body, and the vehicle information business which provides semiconductors for in-vehicle information devices such as car navigation systems. This segment primarily provides microcontrollers, systems on a chip (SoC), analog semiconductors, and power semiconductors. The Industrial, Infrastructure, and Internet of Things (IoT) segment engages in industrial businesses that support smart society, infrastructure businesses, and IoT businesses. This segment primarily provides microcontrollers, SoCs, and analog semiconductors. The company is also involved in the development and contract production of semiconductors.

[Oberour Ar Moro]

STAFF
Position: Name, age (previous Domestic Club position)

Manager: Rodolfo Zelaya (Huayramarca), age 38 (Huayramarca National Team Assistant)
Assistant Manager: Eleiran Bonshoms, age 48 (Altair Assistant)
Assistant Manager: Blaise de Seraucourt (Côte d’Saphir), age 37 (former Regium Immortal Left Back)

STARTING ELEVEN

Age 31 | Myrrh-Streamer | Oberour Ar Moro

Age 30 | SC Montfort | The Licentian Isles

Age 22 | Halebid United | Brookstation

Age 26 | Regium Immortal | Oberour Ar Moro

Age 24 | Estipen United | Oberour Ar Moro

Age 27 | Hibernus | Oberour Ar Moro | _CAPTAIN_

Age 27 | Other Side of Paradise | Brookstation

Age 28 | Patrons | Oberour Ar Moro

Age 27 | Hibernus | Oberour Ar Moro

Age 29 | Patrons | Oberour Ar Moro

Age 29 | Cyrene Bay | Oberour Ar Moro

SUBSTITUTES

Age 28 | Hibernus | Oberour Ar Moro

Age 24 | Invicta | Oberour Ar Moro

Age 30 | Tihon United | Chromatika

Age 23 | Patrons | Oberour Ar Moro

Age 23 | Cyrene City | Oberour Ar Moro

Age 21 | EC Kan Roue | Oberour Ar Moro

Age 26 | Invicta | Oberour Ar Moro

Age 25 | de la Charite | Oberour Ar Moro

Age 21 | Tihon United | Chromatika

Age 24 | Pearlham SC | Xanneria

Age 25 | Other Side of Paradise | Brookstation

Age 28 | Port Tacassam FC | Tikariot

FORMATION


FIRST AND SECOND-CHOICE SHIRTS

RP Permissions

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my scorers: Yes
Choose my scoring events: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes, but please TG or message me on Discord beforehand
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod Injuries to my players: Yes, but please TG or message me on Discord beforehand
Give Yellow Cards to my players: Yes
Give Red Cards to my players: Yes
Godmod other events: Yes, but please TG or message me on Discord beforehand

Style Modifier: +5

NOTE: Player portraits and formation background were AI-generated through Midjourney.

[Trolleborg]

Greetings, compatriots!
It’s TTV from Graintfjall. We are here to cover Cup of Harmony group stage games. Be prepared, compatriots, situation is very serious and not too much promising. There were voices, both quite loud and very weighty, to end the adventures in the World Championships with a beautiful endpoint in the form of a crushing victory with a score of 6:1 over Karodin Tetrarchy – so to speak, start with 6:1 in the first match in history, and finish with 6:1. But for the time being, the leadership of FA considered it premature to draw conclusions, promising extensive consultations with the public, and, possibly, a plebiscite on this topic after the completion of the cycle, that is, the end of the next IAC. To be honest, a considerable part of the experts, while having looked at the results of the draw, reacted with remarks with versions on the topic that, perhaps, it really would be worth not to go. The tournament draw gave us very difficult opponents.

The group's favorites are Lillies of Cassadaigua, who are 22nd in the world football rankings, and iti is with them we had to play the debut match at the world championships, which ended with a traumatic score 0-4. Then HUElavia, ranked 47th, with whom our team played twice, in the Pan-Pacific Cup in Qasden and IAC which Drawkland and Omerica hosts, and both teams scored one victory each with the same score of 1:0. In both cases, HUElavia looked like the favorite, but at Highton in Qasden territory, now retired left-back Nicholas Laaste won the victory for our lads, let's relive that glorious moment again:

Those who wish can watch the entire match and relive every single moment can do it here here.
It is noteworthy that four players of our squad in that game have a chance to play today, and under the guidance of the same coach, but the opponents have no one left from this times.

But in the IAC, our lads were very lucky on the road to the final, but in the game itself they found themselves in the need of something else to count on winning, and have nothing of it. Since then, more people have remained in the opponents' team, there are five in the main team, and the coaching staff has been completely preserved, but the game scheme has completely changed, from 4-2-3-1 HUElavia moved to 3-2-1-3. And this, perhaps, is a lesson for our head coach, who, apparently, has not decided for himself whether to try to reproduce with new players the old game scheme that brought us so much success, or still come up with something new, taking into account the realities and the fact that we don’t have top-class players now, to be honest.

And just the next in rank in the group is West Barack and East Obama, who occupies 76th place. With a traumatic, and, as it seems to all of us, not quite fair, defeats from WBEO in the last WCQ begins a crisis in the game of our team, which lasted the entire the first round of the tournament and cost her chances of getting into the playoffs. Fate, perhaps, gives our lads a chance to demonstrate that they can learn lessons. Or maybe it prepared field to reinforces sense of inferiority and inability to adapt to the situations in our players mind, then allows us all to draw conclusions, and, having counted profits and losses, draw a balance and put a end mark.

The other two teams, Elmyia (85th place) and Saterun (98th) our players have not met before, but the second of them is known to basketball fans, our lads met with it at the already distant 32nd World Championship.

Finally, a few words should be said about the place where the matches of the tournament will take place: this is not the first Cup of Harmony in which we participate and which was held in Graintfjall. True, at that time our team held the group stage at co-host Krytenia, and the lads had to go to the playoffs at Graintfjall. Then our team performed unconvincingly at the group stage and lost in the first round of the playoffs.

In general, this impression is that fate – if only all this has something to do with it – offers our players the opportunity to try to overcome their complexes and reverse the bad trends. Let's see how everything turns out.

[Audioslavia]

IMPRISONING WORTHY BROADSHEET SPORTS JOURNALISM BEHIND A PAYWALL SINCE 22XX, IT'S

Glass Cattle
Re-re-reconstructed Glass Swan 'may survive longer than Alaba' for Bulls

Just a few short months ago, this very publication was running articles is defence of Audioslavia's Astograthian manager Ager Alaba, a talented, successful manager who we believed deserved more plaudits than he had gotten, especially compared to a certain magical glass swan. That belief hasn't waned, but all the same it's become increasingly likely that Ager Alaba may be gone before the next - and possibly final - time the Glass Swan is smashed.

Having gone into extra-time perhaps as favourites to win the war of attrition between themselves and Pemecutan, what with this part of the game very much being in Audioslavia's wheelhouse as a self-proclaimed breeding ground for tenacious five-lunged stamina merchants, that the side wilted so disappointingly in front of their own fans, in what may have been the most important thirty minutes in the international careers of many of these players, was sickening. Alaba's man-management and ability to get the best out of his players through his personality and his tactical nous has never been questioned, yet here was the moment where Alaba was expected to out-perform his predecessors, even in a game the Bulls were second best in. He did, of course, getting the Bulls to 4-4 in a playoff against higher ranked opposition, where Styrn's Bulls capitulated 0-4, but to not get the job done may, in the end, be the death knell for Alaba's reign. As good as Audioslavia have been - it was comfortably a top fifteen all-time qualifying performance by the Bulls - Alaba has been hired expressly to take Audioslavia to the World Cup. With the CAFA Cup and Cup of Harmony already in Audioslavia's trophy cabinet, there are simply no more consolation prizes to be won.

In Cup of Harmony 85, Audioslavia's task is ultimately the same as it was for editions 83 and 84 - attain as many ranking points as possible. Group-stage draws in CoH83 and last-four losses in 84 may well have caused seeding problems in later cycles, despite the silverware won. If the claret and greens are to hold position in the rankings, they must win absolutely as many games as possible. A single defeat, whether in the group stage or the knockouts, may prove disastrous. And that’s where the glass swan comes in.

To say the shine has gone off our crystal cygnet is true in two ways. Firstly, the extra-time defeat means the Swan’s magical powers has shrunk to ‘never been beaten in ninety minutes with the glass swan’ which is hardly inspiring. Secondly, it’s most recent reconstruction came after an AI’s insistence that it be throughly cleaned, an act which itself has caused the glass’s shine to dim slightly. It sits now, still on the bottom of the trophy cabinet in the Project Sports Museum, staring blankly with pearl-less eyes at a sparsely populated room, its matte-finish and new found fragility inspiring much fewer people to laud it as the saviour of football in this country. Should the Bulls go unbeaten and win the tournament, sure, perhaps it can regain its fans once more, but one feels that, should the Bulls lose, the swan may be broken again for a final time and, eventually, forgotten. And should that happen, it may be without Alaba at the helm.

If Audioslavia don’t at least reach the semi-finals of the Cup of Harmony, his tenure will officially represent a step backwards for the national team, despite his solid qualifying run. The public may have been willing to let Styrn, an Sudioslavian icon, survive one major setback, but to allow the Astograthian whose Zozi side dominated the rest of the nation for so long may be outwit the reaches of everyone’s generosity.

For the third time in as many cycles, Audioslavia’s manager goes into the Cup of Harmony knowing, at any moment, they may be ninety minutes away from the sack. That you’d bet on Alaba before Styrn any day of the week is neither here nor there. Styrn took charge of Audioslavia sides ranked in the top twenty, this one, outside the top thirty for years now, will be a much more cumbersome ship to steer to silverware.

There was a time, not long ago, where after two successive bronze medals in World Cup football, the Audioslavia national team were looking forward to overtaking Starblaydia for third place in the SRS rankings, a position the Bulls lost over ten cycles ago. Right now, it’s difficult to imagine the national team even attaining one more point, let alone position.

The comeback starts here. Again.

[Elmyia]

The Beaucester Gazette
It's Porras
But does he have time to set Elmyia up?

So, after several weeks of interviews, internal wrangling and recriminations, the FFE made its decision. The Elmyian federation had found itself scrambling around, the Scuba Dave induced managerial crisis somewhat backing them into a corner in terms of choice. Eventually three foreign candidates were interviewed, with Pau Porras coming out top of the pile, pledging football 'so attacking that you'll feel sick. Physically sick.'

After the odd circumstances of Massi getting turfed out, the FFE found themselves in a difficult situation. They needed to find a replacement who would get the side 'scorin' sam fackin' goals', without picking anyone that would alienate a Sporting Transvers fan. Domestic candidates were essentially eliminated. The Elder Coach of Epvalle was the obvious choice, but he refused to pick up his phone at any point. Of the rest, Reynard of Albion and Servetto of Italia were both far too defensive to take on the role, despite being the managers of the two biggest clubs domestically, whilst Kidd had disappointed in the last under-18s World Cup. Xanthi Kostis would've been the perfect candidate, successful, attacking, young and exciting. But, managing Transvers rivals AS Samita ruled her out, especially given that Scuba Dave has personally egged her 7 times in the past two years.

With all domestic candidates eliminated, the FFE would be forced to turn abroad to recruit. Attentions initially fixed on a pair of coaches working in their respective domestic leagues. First up was Helion Gauran, of Tikariotian club Guillarim Blades. The panel charged with appointing a new manager were impressed by several aspects of his CV. The Blades are an interesting club in only playing players from Tikariot, the FFE thought this might translate to the skillset involved in national management, of being stuck with a limited pool to work with. Additionally, they were impressed in how he'd navigated a strong league, and how he'd turned around a difficult period where it looked like he might get sacked. The barriers to appointing him were officially that he had not yet managed at an international level, but it's been rumoured that they couldn't afford to improve on his existing wages.

Tanguy De Beaufort was also rumoured to be called in to interview. The Invicta manager had been with the Oberouran (Oberouran Ar Moroan?) club for five seasons now, having previously been an assistant at Cyrene Bay. His attacking style of play caught the eye, and the FFE were impressed with his performance this season, getting Invicta into the Challenger's Cup with an attacking style of play. His lack of experience at the international level was again cited against him, but rumours continued to swirl that paying a release fee left the FFE unable to afford his services.

Finally, the FFE settled on former Juvencus assistant and Al Qurija manager. Pau Porras was impressive both for the role he'd played in previously successful international sides, particularly the Juvencus side that reached the final of Cup of Harmony 73, giving them hope he could deliver for this tournament. They were further impressed by his commitment to attacking football, with him reportedly promising to let the attack 'go 100% iberico ham'. If the rumours are true, the fact that his Al Qurija contract had expired and he was willing to work for a fairly paltry wage was also a major swinging factor.

Will this new attacking style pay off? Whilst the demand for such has risen from certain parts of the fanbase, Porras might have more of a job convincing those who dominate domestic managerial positions and football journalism in Elmyia. These tend to be instinctively conservative, defensive and are sceptical of those who feel any different to them. There's a world of difference between the classic 5-2-1-2, man-marking system, including 2 people specifically charged with kicking the most offensive player on the pitch. The new managerial team will have to hope they can carry the nation with them, and a string of good results in the Cup of Harmony could do a lot for that.

[HUElavia]

Journey through the Cold

HUElavia enters the Cup of Harmony with hopes to make some noise while facing off against familiar faces.

Despite the efforts from HUElavia to make a thrilling comeback in the World Cup Qualifiers, once more Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos fall short by a few points to make the Playoffs. Only this time around, had HUElavia played in literally any other group, the team would have been in the playoffs with their 48 points. At the end of the day though, the team did not get to the playoffs and was eliminated.

Compared to four years ago where the team had to wait to the 11th hour to get called up to CoH 84, this time around HUElavia was among the first invited to the tournament, and ended up being one of the first teams to accept, as well as the first team to submit an official roster for the tournament. The team has some veterans that are very likely playing their last tournament with the National Team, most notably Juan Domingo Lavezzi, long-time CB for Real Curumba and HUElavia, where he stated his intention to retire from the sport after this tournament. Casillas and Petit are also likely to retire after this tournament, according to some rumors.

Coach Aveiro was spared from the hot seat after cutting the deficit in the World Cup Qualifiers to a single point, but he is not out of the woods yet. With HUElavia being a Pot 2 team, there is expectation for the team to advance to the knockouts. This is not exactly an easy task, given HUElavia has been handed a group with familiar faces. HUElavia was placed into Group 2 with the likes of West Barack and East Obama, Saterun, Trolleborg, Elmyia, and Cassadaigua.

West Barack and East Obama was one of HUElavia's group stage opponents in IAC 16, where they prevented HUElavia from a perfect run in that competition after a 2-2 draw. Trolleborg is another familiar face, also coming from IAC 16, where HUElavia took them down in the Final to give Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos their 2nd consecutive and 2nd ever IAC Title, defeating them 1-0. As for Cassadaigua, this is the first time these two play against each other in a Senior Match, but there is sentimental value with the country. Cassadaigua was the nation that welcomed HUElavia in their first ever World Cup back in World Cup 83, over 30+ years ago, where Coach Aveiro was a young player and was the superstar of the team, which included Marc Navarro scoring the team's first ever goal, while Ayuka Hamada was the first ever female player to score for HUElavia at the World Cup, as well as it included the talented playmaker of Lionel Rossi-Rigoni providing the assists. Years later, their children in the likes of Cristiano Aveiro Junior, Mateo Rossi-Rigoni and David Navarro-Hamada are now stars on the team and look to give the Cassadaiguans a good fight in what is a moment that comes full circle between the Golden Generation and today's generation.

It may not be an easy group, but HUElavia knows the expectations that are on this team and fans are hoping that Los Amarillos can make a strong run during this tournament. The only thing they can do is train diligently as always and to study their opponents to make the most of their matches. Here's to hoping we can have a special tournament ahead of us.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!