Campionato Esportiva 36 - Everything

[Tumbra]

Cutoff. Scores will be edited into this post.

MATCHDAY 1

Group A
Tumbra 0–0 South Newlandia scorinated by Squornshelous
Esportivan Darmen 3–2 Slembana

. Group A               Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Esportivan Darmen       1    1   0   0     3    2   +1     3
2 South Newlandia         1    0   1   0     0    0    0     1
  Tumbra                  1    0   1   0     0    0    0     1
4 Slembana                1    0   0   1     2    3   −1     0

Group B
Irithoren 1–1 Bongo Johnson
Fhulghamous Peninsula 3–3 Xanneria

. Group B                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Bongo Johnson                              1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
  Fhulghamous Peninsula                      1   0  1  0    3   3   0    1
  Irithoren                                  1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
  Xanneria                                   1   0  1  0    3   3   0    1

Group C
Sylestone 2–1 Ceyne Isles
Nova Anglican Admin Zone of Esportiva 2–2 Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison

. Group C                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sylestone                                  1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
2 Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison             1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
  Nova Anglican Admin Zone of Esportiva      1   0  1  0    2   2   0    1
4 Ceyne Isles                                1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0

Group D
Cap Nord 2–0 Boring Paradise
The Licentian Isles 1–0 Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom

. Group D                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cap Nord                                   1   1  0  0    2   0  +2    3
2 The Licentian Isles                        1   1  0  0    1   0  +1    3
3 Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom                  1   0  0  1    0   1  −1    0
4 Boring Paradise                            1   0  0  1    0   2  −2    0

Group E
BET Njaza 2–3 The Hannasean Federation
Macbon 1–2 Capital Cove

. Group E                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Capital Cove                               1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
  The Hannasean Federation                   1   1  0  0    3   2  +1    3
3 BET Njaza                                  1   0  0  1    2   3  −1    0
  Macbon                                     1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0

Group F
Ares-y-Penthesilea 1–3 Brenecia
Acadiana 1–1 Gouvanarch

. Group F                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Brenecia                                   1   1  0  0    3   1  +2    3
2 Acadiana                                   1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
  Gouvanarch                                 1   0  1  0    1   1   0    1
4 Ares-y-Penthesilea                         1   0  0  1    1   3  −2    0

Group G
Dod Rava 2–1 Damukuni
Lozho 0–0 Natanians and Nosts

. Group G                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Dod Rava                                   1   1  0  0    2   1  +1    3
2 Lozho                                      1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
  Natanians and Nosts                        1   0  1  0    0   0   0    1
4 Damukuni                                   1   0  0  1    1   2  −1    0

[Ceyne Isles]

CEYNE ISLES
Preferred Formation: 4-4-2
Style Modifier: 0
Playstyle: Like a crap lower-league Nepharan team, because they basically are. Big, strong and hardy.
Kit Supplier: from Anglatia
Captain: Vivi Conlan
Nickname: the Pirates
Pronunciation Guide: "You'd have to be insane to live in Ceyne."

Fortunately, Ceynes' young side of relatively okay players are basically unchanged from last time around.

I Give My Opponent Permission To:
=================================
Choose My Goalscorers:        Y
Godmod Goalscoring Events:    N
Injure Players:               Y
Godmod Injury Events:         N
Red Card Players:             Y
Yellow Card Players:          Y
Godmod Other Events:          N
=================================

Tactics

First-choice lineup.
Built together through a handful of journeymen, most of whom have little professional experience. The Ceynes league is about as bad as professional leagues go. They play a physical, aggressive and direct style, with a little bit of creative flair just enough to liven up an otherwise predictable attack.

Staff
Manager: Kay Meriweather (NPH) - Age 57
A journeywoman manager who has spent the bulk of her career in the Nepharan third tier. Her post is full-time, requiring her to build networks and improve development in the nation.

Goalkeepers
1 - GK - Leoni Joyce - Age 36 - Cranequin City (NPH)
12 - GK - Casey Stafford - Age 29 - Rutland FC (CDG)
18 - GK - Trish Kellermann - Age 24 - Arrowhead Lake

Casey Stafford is by a distance the best goalkeeper Ceynes have ever had, athletic, powerful and agile. Mostly because Ceynes traditionally haven't had very good goalkeepers. But she was genuinely magnificent during Ceynes' fairytale run to the bronze medal.

Defenders
2 - RB - Trici Lea - Age 21 - Stahlburg City (NPH)
3 - LB - Irina Salisu - Age 23 - Endeavour Brenecia (BRE)
5 - CB - Micah Kpozo - Age 25 - New Brinemouth
6 - CB - Cromwell Thorne - Age 35 - Rosbank Town (BRE)
13 - CB - Gerhard Lukonde - Age 30 - Knetyohai City FC (CMT)
19 - RB - Zara Gandolph - Age 24 - New Rozelle
22 - LB - Cryss Riedler - Age 23 - Roschester Pride
24 - CB - Gale Ngom - Age 29 - Roschester City

Trici Lea, a Nephara youth international, is an astonishingly fortunate pickup, and may be the enduring legacy of their bronze medal run. The defence is largely gutted from two years ago, and looks the distinct weak point of the squad as things stand.

Midfielders
4 - HM - Phenalope Carden - Age 33 - AFK Imperialismus (ZRH)
7 - RM - Niall Kuol - Age 29 - Thor's Rest Storm (COR)
8 - CM - Morgan Brandis - Age 33 - Randwick Town (BRE)
11 - LM - Meretricious Keane - Age 27 - Atlético Augusta (DAR)
15 - CM - Garrard Lavelle - Age 24 - Locksley (NPH)
16 - LM - Berenice Tzaha - Age 29 - Waterfleet (TLI)
18 - HM - Deandra Maker - Age 26 - Eriksson Icecaps (COR)
20 - RM - Kamalde Alexander - Age 22 - Freeport Sharks
25 - AM - Zander Coleman - Age 27 - Wyndham Athletic
26 - CM - Emile Cruickshank - Age 25 - AFK Imperialismus (ZRH)

A new core is starting to shine through, but there's still a role for the old guard to play. They'll be playing a straightforward 4-4-2 and the role of Carden and Keates is primarily to keep things quiet, win the ball and get it moving forward down the wings. They're seasoned and clever enough to get that done. Tzaha and Kuol are a bit more than just straightforward crossers, though, offering some trickery and deftness.

Forwards
9 - ST - Sanguine Kamau - Age 32 - Hanai Breakers (CMT)
10 - ST - Remus Talabec - Age 20 - Raven River (NPH)
14 - ST - Moran Rivers - Age 24 - Falston Bohemians
17 - ST - Ingrid Gravehurst - Age 30 - Real Pablo FC (BOL)
21 - ST - Howe Carrigan - Age 31 - Baptists (SFD)

The Pirates actually have quite a capable striker corps at this stage, and it appears that for the most part the combination of Kamau's athleticism and Gravehurst easy ruthlessness in front of goal will be first-choice, with the towering figure of Birch an obvious Plan B.

[The Licentian Isles]

Licentian National Football Team

Underneath a Wightling fog, much longer has passed in the Isles than you might naturally think. It’s unclear to outsiders exactly how much time it is, but given this Licentian national team is now managed by Caitlin Fraser, who was just retiring from football the last time Licentians appeared on the international scene, and is now in her mid 60s, it’s probably apparent some time has passed. Licentian football has developed under the fog – whether it’s developed well is likely to be proved in the next Campionato, and World Cup.

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Head Coach – Caitlin Fraser

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Formation – 4-1-2-2-1 (Skill Modifier - -3)
Maybe a return to traditional Licentian football, or perhaps the natural result of a former international goalkeeper managing the Cyan-and-Gold. It’s a defensive side, and one that relies greatly on a talented holding midfielder who is ready to dip back into the defense in order to create a back five in defensive situations. The sole centre forward should be expected to create everything from a long ball forward. Whether that actually works as an attacking strategy is yet to be seen.

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Squad:

Goalkeepers:

Seth Hughes – 30 years
Darcey Campbell – 25 years
Luag Dunbar – 20 years

Right Backs:

Kara Lewis – 26 years
Miles Pirie – 25 years

Centre Backs:

Maisie Turner – 32 years
Oliver Johnston – 22 years
Louis van den Berg – 24 years
Fearghas Kerr – 23 years

Left Backs:

Natalia Mackay – 27 years
Curstaidh Munn – 23 years

Holding Midfielders:

Rosa MacPherson – 34 years (CAPTAIN)
George McNeill – 24 years

Centre Midfielders:

Mùirne Purser – 29 years
Steven Barclay – 31 years
Noëlle Bakker – 19 years

Right Wingers:

Arran Taylor – 21 years
Stephen Shields – 28 years

Left Wingers:

Patrick McDonald – 26 years
Hamish Lynch – 20 years

Centre Forwards:

Aoife Gunn – 29 years
Ivy McEwan – 25 years
Morven Little – 25 years

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Kits – Created by Kirola Sports of Audioslavia:

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Visitors to the Licentian Isles for international matches should note that there are a number of football hooligans, known on the Isles as “casuals”, who are always liable to cause disruption and possibly attack fans travelling to the Licentian Isles. Travelling supporters are advised to wear team colours wherever possible (as casuals will not attack fans wearing colours without provocation), and avoid areas of the Isles populated by violent casual groups, along with trying to avoid these groups at matches. Most casual groups will be easily identifiable by banners they carry or songs they sing. Groups to avoid (with associated club and parish) include:

Jolly Roger (Garton Bay Pirates, Montfort Parish)
Capital City Squad (Montfort North End, Montfort Parish)
Real Celts (Gaelic Club, Abingdon Parish)
Colliery Casual Crew (Colesham Rovers, Colesham Parish)
Island Riot Squad (St Bart’s United, St Bart’s Parish)
Licentian Border Squad (St Thomas, St Bart’s Parish)

Nations should also note that some casual or ultra groups may travel in force with the Licentian national team for international matches outside the Isles. Not all are violent, but most will carry flares and large banners, and make use of them to build up the atmosphere during a match. If your nation bans this kind of behaviour, please make the FALI aware so that we can warn fans travelling to your nation in advance.

For any more information on Licentian casuals, please contact the FALI (OOC – discuss by TG or Discord).

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My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Preferred starting lineup: Take the highest listed players first, with some leeway on that
Preferred Goalscorers: No real preference
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes, but I decide severity and how long they will be out for
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out red cards to my players: Discuss by TG/Discord
Godmod other events: Discuss by TG/Discord

Fair play and respect are important to Licentian players, and they should not be depicted as going outside the bounds of normal behaviour during a match without prior permission. Player ages are correct as of the first matchday.

[Cap Nord]

Was it clinical? Maybe. Two goals, a clever combination over the wing via Williams just before the break and a successful penalty to seal the deal in minute 52 had sufficed for three crucial points. In a three-game group stage, every stumble was costly as the Rekans showcased but Finchley saw a notably mature performance by his team. Even the center-back combination of Vennema and Pedersen, who received a lot of criticism in advance, did well against an admittedly slightly underwhelming Paradisian offense. Tomorrow morning, the Whalers would board the train to Lakewood for the second chapter of the tournament but for now they enjoyed some well-deserved rest in one of the high-rise hotels near Bencoolen City Stadium. Pazron Finchley was looking forward to a good night's sleep after a tiring day but decided to patrol the hallway one last time before hitting the hay.

Room 503 - Williams & Veensma: Rohan Williams was still doing one of his live vlogs, taking questions from fans and discussing the other games in the group. Pazron accepted that he did so as he knew it helped the Nephara-based forward to unwind, but had a clear deal about wrapping it up at eleven o'clock. Across the episodes, the background comments from Veensma (there was a "Giving me Hell-a" jingle in Rohan's soundboard) had become a running gag and the followers admired having the ad-rem midfielder live on air.

Room 505 - Sawyer & McEnroy: Goalkeepers are always a special kind and these two were no different. They always got in bizarre bets against one another and tonight, it had been Sawyer who took it up. As the Lozhoan coach passed by their door, he saw the Clachonoch goalie sitting stoically, whilst her Fallwich counterpart calmly pinned washing pins on her face. She had difficulty saying it out loud as her cheeks got pierced but the "Thom claims I can't put fifty on my face but he's gonna eat dirt here. I'm almost there. We'll get shuteye straight after" somehow was comforting. Somehow.

Room 507 - Pedersen & Vinquist: A dead-pan silence. Finchley could imagine how Glenn Pedersen had set the alarm clock for seven sharp, to ensure he would be ten minutes early for breakfast, so he could enjoy his still water and dry muesli with minimal human interaction that way. Pedersen did so two minutes to ten, to ensure lights out at ten exactly. So far, Finchley was still on the fence whether he was a positive or a negative influence on Torill, but the NT debutant seemed to vibe with the quirks and mannerisms of her more experienced teammate: the coach had noticed she also started to color sort the training cones.

Room 509 - Marzinn & Barnes: Matching Johannes Marzinn with the right roomie had been a hard nut to crack but polar opposite Barnes seemed to do the trick: they also lived one floor apart in Sylestone so Marzinn had grown accustomed to the bubbly, chatty personality of Barnes. The goalkeeper who usually reacted poorly to small talking seemed to accept and even enjoy the endless monologue of Barnes. But Finchley had also noticed how Jody Barnes helped Marzinn in his pregame routine and formed a sounding board for the introverted goalie. Maybe she was unexpected future captain material.

Room 508 - Moersleutel & Bjerkness: It was hard to miss the sound of racecars or explosions passing the room. The two left-footed players shared the experience of going abroad at a young age and had battled the lonely nights in luxurious apartments with a low-key gaming addiction. Still, if it meant they would stay away from the nightlife and its vices, it was the lesser of evils to Finchley. With a quick nudge, the Lozhoan made clear that this would be their last map. Or second-to-last. Or… A fresh Bjerkness made the difference, as had been demonstrated against Boring Paradise.

Room 506 - Myrrheim & Carstensen: Some people become the captain because of the length of their stint with a squad but Simon Carstensen had simply assumed the spot one day and no one dared to contest it. Because he is the best player, because he oozes leadership and in all fairness, because people knew he could be a vengeful cunt if barred in his ambitions. But also because he breathed football 24/7. Even now, he was analyzing the Licentian victory over our well-known neighbors and would not stop rewinding passing sequences. Pazron knew that only the kind and gentle Myrrheim would not lose his patience over that.

Room 601 - Sangaré & Clark: Finchley had worried about Danny Clark before the tournament. After winning Player of the Year in the Premier Division, the papers had been all over the place to prove that he needed to start but his specific skills suited Finchley's plan better when coming off the bench. If this frustrated Clark, it was not visible tonight as he went through the setlist of bus DJ Sangaré for the upcoming game. The Lhor forward was underused but instrumental for the atmosphere and Finchley only was allowed to move to the next room after sharing a few Lozhoan bangers.

Room 603 - Barrington & Bissett: It had taken Finchley a bit to understand that they were good roommates even if they seemed to be hanging in bed and focusing on their smartphones. The duo were highly similar in footballing toolbox and extreme opposites in appearance (between freckled ginger Bissett and dreadlocked, deep black Barrington) but shared an interest in wasting their time on videos of internet pranks. Finchley suspected them of swapping the sugar with little sacks of salt this morning but they didn't bat an eye when he insinuated so. As he walked to the next room, there was frantic laughter.

Room 605 - Gronseth & Tofte: A new match, the only girls-only room and Finchley was not convinced yet. In the past, the rooms had been gender seperated but Finchley had done away with that and focused on interests and personalities. Both were relative newcomers and going by the silence in the room, Finchley would reshuffle them for the qualifiers. The outspoken Tofte cared about fashion and dates and seeing the world. In an opposite corner, Gronseth was having a videochat with her young daughter. Neither looked forward to having a lot of gametime but Finchley knew the importance that all twenty-six felt well as the team spent weeks together in a cocoon.

Room 607 - Dahl & Askelund: And he would probably swap them around with these two, who were seated on the bed quietly and nodded as Finchley told them it was about time. Askelund is a young parent as well, so that could figure. And maybe Dahl could use that Tofte energy: there was something a bit gloomy in his demeanor, the continuous feeling that he could never live up to the enormous talent people attached to his name. In all fairness, Finchley himself had not yet figured out how to use Max Dahl best as either Veensma or Carstensen mastered the roles he could play better.

Room 608 - Brymsaeter & Poulsen: After two calm knocks, the room appeared to be empty. Finchley recalled how he accidentally paired the two early on in his tenure, with assistant Van Nooten explaining too late how they represented a cultural rift in Capnordic society: active NUP supporter Poulsen versus the artistic, openly leftist Brymsaeter. The Lozhoan gaffer had just assumed people designated them with their footballing, not their political position… During that international break, Finchley noticed how they addressed one another as 'cunt' and 'jackass' respectively and assumed he should separate them in the future. Both requested during a one-on-one with the coach to be coupled again. Neither would ever admit that to the outside world. But here they were or technically, there they were as…

Room 606 - Jackson & Breuker: … they were in the room next door, playing cards. 'Spades' is a tactical game and the guys claimed they did it for fun but from the look on their faces, you would swear the stakes were tremendously high. Poulsen and Brymsaeter were continuously berating one another over a bad choice as Jackson and Breuker grinned by the side. They were two bulky, outdoorsy types who didn't care about keeping up appearances. What you saw was what you get with those two, both part of the handful who carried a tattoo. Jackson had a pair of axes on his calves but Breuker was probably the most spectacular one, having a dirtbike jumping over a pile of flames across his back. In cards, they usually won. Finchley knew they cheated but Poulsen and Brymsaeter had not yet figured out how.

Room 604 - Vennema & O'Sullivan: At last, the final one as it approached a quarter past eleven. As he heard nothing, Finchley almost walked past it without a knock but somehow O'Sullivan knew about his trajectory and opened the door as the national manager walked past. "He's well asleep," she smiled and it was the best news Finchley could get. Van Hilvaren had confided in him about Vennema's fears and his struggle to fall asleep, which had gotten worse as the central defender became a favored scapegoat for both club and country. But a game like this, a clinical performance from the back four, could help to turn that around. Were there better Capnordic right backs than Pat O'Sullivan? Probably. But Pazron Finchley realized he had not thought about the actual game of football all evening. In the grand scheme of things it mattered, but not that much.

[Damukuni]

DAXSun Ventures plc
proudly presents
The 36th Campionato Esportiva
THE ESPORTIVAN CHAMPIONSHIP

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"OK, what went wrong?"

Jilly looked over her battered and slightly bruised troupe in red and grey. She'd seen the looks on her players' faces before: during the three weeks of intense training to scrap together a team for this edition, they'd played a few scrims against a few top teams in the Damukuni football system. While these were mostly show matches, there was still a competitive air, and they'd played for adoring fans. But their spirit began to falter after the third of the five matches they'd played: AC Shinzoba destroyed them 4-0 *at* Naruto Shinagawa Field. While they were able to recover their last two matches - a 1-1 draw against East Town Eagles and a 2-1 win against SuperWings - they looked pretty deflated. After the Shinzoba rout, Jilly had taken the captain, Janâina Rodrigo, aside for a while, because the latter was practically inconsolable. Today, Rodrigo and the only goalscorer, Garnier, looked pretty confident. The rest of the squad were deflated balloons sprawled out on the benches.

"mmmm mmmmmm mmmm mmmm ... mmm ..." came a mumble from near the back.

"Speak up; I can't hear you!"

The figure appeared to levitate above the rest of the mountains of flesh and bone for a moment as it attempted to repeat itself.

"Our back figure was getting exhausted ... I think ..." It was Myer, the goalie. One glove was hanging off his right hand; he had apparently gotten the Velcro stuck too tight and was resorting to using the side of the bench for leverage.

"How so?" Jilly pressed.

Myer didn't respond; he was trying to rip his glove off with his teeth. Thankfully, however, Journi Breckinridge, who subbed in for Chickenleigh at minute 70, piped up.

"It was Ascaso and Caballero! They kept rushing our right! I tried to keep them at bay, but they just kept rushing us!" Journi looked ready to cry. Rodrigo hugged her.

"You shouldn't be this hard on yourselves. I know Shinzoba got you by four during training, but we need to keep our heads up. The Natanians are next; they're our hardest opponent on paper. A 2-1 loss isn't the end of the world, guys... Come on, let's get some ice cream or something. Y'all need a good pick-me-up. You guys played a good game; you just weren't ready for the side-rush offence. Not every team is going to blitz you like that."

With those words, she picked up her clipboard. "Last one out of this locker room pays for the ice cream!"

No one could rush out of the locker room fast enough.

[Natanians and Nosts]

Mureșan-Antonescu criticized after tie at CE first match

Natanians and Nosts tied Lozho nil-nil at the first round of the 36th Campionato Esportiva,which led to critiques on Johann C. Mureșan-Antonescu's choice for the competition's squad.
Benching Ubuntu,the man-goal,and using a pair of strikers to "gain mobility on the attack" according to his own words,the magic square formed by Ionescu,Martinescu,t'Brāhinni and Ademélsson-Vit did not score a single goal.Yes,that same t'Brāhinni from the BoF,over 20 years ago,where Mureșan-Antonescu himself played and when Ademélsson-Vit wasn't even born yet!And the worst part of the match was not not even scoring a goal,but the fact that Lozho missed some serious opportunities coupled with the fact that Whitcliffe was inspired that match.
The main player for Lozho was Zoufal Cerezaki who broke chances and hopes for Natanians and Nosts to score as easily as understanding mitosis.The 4-3-3 developed by Brett Zimberg was effective in not leaving Natanians and Nosts comfortable to play for a good 50 minutes of the match.The crucial moment came with a combination of Mureșan-Antonescu replacing t'Brāhinni on the Natanians and Nost side,with Marc Benson needing to leave for Pazrick Zouzal after not feeling well after a foul benefitting Lozho,and after the match the news from the Lozhoan side of things was that he was already feeling way better,ready for the next and everything was just precautive worry;said free kick at the 25th minute of the second period booked the young Caeso Júlio Probus,and saw Paxton Obamovich send the ball righ below the upper post and be captured by Daniel Whitcliffe.Paxton sento the ball three times onto the posts on the last ten minutes of the match,which were a complete desperation for both sides to try to take more than one point.
The ugly football played by Natanians and Nosts already casts doubts if the team will be able to advance past the group stage,and if the attack will actually be freer to move and buld plays and not just fail miserably at scoring,and if the deffence will be able to withstand teams with a more organized and persistent attack.
Next matchday Lozho will face current group leaders,Dod Rava.Natanians and Nosts will face Damukuni at Lakewood City Arena,on the same city where Trenton Park is located,Lakewood,where Natanians and Nosts will play all of its group stage matches.The line-up for the encounter with fellow BoF 60 deutants will be the same as with Lozho:Whitcliffe - Ret;Constantinescu,Ionescu MI;Tralto - Wafa,Probus;Ionescu FM,Martinescu - Ademélsson-Vit,t'Brāhinni.

[Ko-oren]

Nizm prevents embarrassment as Irithoren keeps up with Bongo Johnson

The opening match of our second Campeonato Esportiva saw a better-than-expected Irithoreni squad go toe-to-toe with Bongo Johnson, but for a while it looked like the effort and enthusiasm was all for nothing. Fiqawit prevented an offside trap from working some ten minutes into the game, giving away the opening goal as Loulwa Ard was never getting a hand to that mighty chip, and the 1-0 remained on the board until the final twenty minutes of the game. In the meantime, Fiqawit picked up a yellow, as did Zeina Subar and Kayan Faj'an, for professional or last-line-of-defence fouls. Loulwa Ard also helped prevent the worst, where Bongo Johnson could have easily put up 2-0 or 3-0 on the scoreboard. Either through great tackling (with or without a booking) or a save - as well as some less-than-perfect finishing - the 1-0 remained.

With seventeen minutes to go, Akhirunnahr found teammate Nael Nizm on a long ball, that he controlled with one touch for the first time on the day, then he spun around his defender and found the low near corner for the equaliser. As Xanneria and the Fhulghamous Peninsula also tied (3-3), Irithoren are in joint first place in the group for the time being. We'll take it! The crowd on Dhidiyah's Central Square went wild for the goal and the point, the singing, clapping, brass, and rhythm section keeping the good times going well into the night.

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Llamaphant Pro Baseball exit money funneled into new Irithoreni Baseball League

Fans of sports and economics, rejoice! In one of the stranger transactions of the last decade, the so-called 'parachute payments' made from the Llamaphant Pro Baseball organisation to the Ko-orenite baseball league partially ended up in the coffers of our very own tiny baseball association. The Ko-orenite government set out to promote sports across the Constellation - that's all nations with some political or ideological ties to Ko-oren - and not only supported cricket in Arhoren, Aymenoughshire-about-Oren, and Ponga & Waratahoren, they also took care of their oldest and largest ally, the small cape of Irithoren.

Irithoreni clay has been used for Ko-orenite baseball diamonds going back well over three decades now, the perfect blend of colour, uniformity, and texture, as well as supplying rubbing mud and baseballs for years. When you produce so many quality articles, people are anxious to try those out for themselves, and after a modest import of the baseball bats themselves, the Irithoreni started playing.

The sport took off in the cities of Qawit and Dhidiyah; Qawit is where much of the clay and leather are sourced and where part of the production process takes place. All goods flow through Dhidiyah, and perhaps they feel a little too self-important not to jump on the bandwagon. With the LPB being one of the biggest leagues in Esportiva, rivalling the biggest football leagues, the sport has also made it to Irithoreni TV, fueling interest for the league even further. To say that baseball will overtake football in popularity is perhaps a bit of a stretch, but especially as the sun sets, the lights come on, and families settle on the hills outside the outfield for picnics, games routinely sell out. Baseball is a pretty Irithoreni sport, as it turns out.

[Cheetahs and reptiles Coalison]

# name age position height club

starters:1-11 reserves:12-23

1	Ubiratã Ubirajara Ubiraci	32	goalkeeper	1,98	F.C. Loch Blue
2	Natenoghodi Natena		33	r. back	 	1,72	Napiini F.C.
3	Tata'a Tapixi Xaxim		32	centre back	1,80	High Plains F.C.
5	Mihai Ioan Ionescu		36	centre back	1,85	Goj Kyfé F.C.
4	João Miguel Irima		32	centre back	1,80	Pira Guaçu E.C.
6	Natenaghanagha Natena		33	l. back	 	1,72	Napiini F.C.
8	Indaje Nhakyrã Iraity		31	d. midfielder	1,85	Goj Kyfé F.C.
7	Meiruguassu Moacir Silveira	30	d. midfielder	1,76	Guassu Guaçu F.C.
9	Peri Ubiratã Tibiriçá		31	a. midfielder	1,77	F.C. Loch Blue
10	Rhinić				31	striker	 	1,77	F.C. Loch Blue
11	Sinusić				31	striker	 	1,77	F.C. Loch Blue
12	Cláudio Alberto Vieira		32	goalkeeper	1,96	High Plains F.C.
13	Napocenigi Natenaghaneghegi	32	centre back	1,90	Napigixo F.C.
14	Nozâ Norõwada			30	r. back	 	1,62	Napigixo F.C.
16	Natalagha Napiini		30	l. back	 	1,62	Natena F.C.
15	Mario Giovanni Petrescu		37	d. midfielder	1,75	Goj Kyfé F.C.
17	Martim Nhana'i Nhamokyrã	34	a. midfielder	1,75	Aruanãs Azuis F.C.
18	Nhanarã Norõwede		36	d. midfielder	1,84	Awaru F.C.
19	Na'arew Nàrà'zyw		36	a. midfielder	1,77	F.C. TatáResape
20	Tawato Inaje Akaju'y		29	striker	 	1,60	Cheetah Dinamo
21	Noledi Noniciwagha		29	a. midfielder	1,97	Goj Kyfé F.C.
22	Guaraci Ubiratã da Silva	35	goalkeeper	1,95	F.C. Loch Blue
23	João Guaraci dos Santos		36	striker	 	1,70	High Plains F.C.

captain's name is in blue




Style modifier:-5

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my goalscorers: Just make it be by Rhinić and Sinusić,with the ocasional goal of Peri Ubiratã Tibiriçá,anyone else's is rarer
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: No
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes (only two per game)
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes (but never the goalkeeper)
Godmod other events: No

[Cheetahs and reptiles Coalison]

Facts about Cheetahs and reptiles Coalison

Fact number 4:The head of government is composed by more than one person

The Supreme Soviet,the head of government of Cheetahs and reptiles Coalison,is composed of five people,elected by the inhabitants of the country to exert the function,and the one who is older amongst them is the head of State as well.



Facts about Cheetahs and reptiles Coalison is a blog by a Natanians and Nost girl and boy pair who would like to share a bit about that little-known country.Expecting to be updated weekly.

[The Licentian Isles]

Rosa, a solid start to the tournament for the Cyan-and-Gold. Are you happy with the performance out there today?

Absolutely. For obvious reasons we’ve focussed our preparations mostly on our own game, and what we know we can do on the park. We wanted to keep the Rekans under control with our defence, and use that long ball to create chances, and we did exactly that.

You spoke a little there about the preparation. Obviously, we haven’t seen a Licentian national side play in what was, at least for us on the Isles, a couple of decades. What’s it been like to bring those players together?

Yeah, I mean the last time the Isles played an international match, I was a wee girl! There are plenty of these players who weren’t even born, and the gaffer had only just retired from playing. It’s been great to bring players together who’ve only ever played together in the Inter-Parish Series, and some who have never played together.

How have you prepared to take on teams like Zeta Reka, who we might have known a lot about in the past, but are, much like everyone else, a bit of an unknown quantity to the Licentians now?

Whatever the deal was with that fog, it seems like much less time has passed for everyone else than it has for us, so knowing that we’ve had a lot of the old players in to help prepare us. Obviously we don’t know everything about the team, but that’s why we’ve focussed a lot on our game.

A good game for Aoife Gunn?

Aye, she did everything we knew she could do. She may not have got the winning goal today, but her hold-up play in that centre forward position is what created the chance for Arran.

Was that a move that you practised on the training ground?

Yeah, exactly that. Myself, Maisie and Oli are all comfortable with sending those long balls forward to create a counter attack, and we know the pace that Arran brings off the right wing. He’s spent a lot of time practising those curved strikes, and that one was an absolute peach, so fair play to him.

What’s it been like to wear the captain’s armband in Cyan-and-Gold Rosa?

The biggest privilege of my life. I’m going to be coming out with the most ridiculous cliches here, but I’m not getting any younger, and while I’ve done it for Abingdon Parish and for Glenmount before, there’s something so special about taking that armband for the national team. I’m grateful to the gaffer and her coaches for picking me to do it, and I’m hoping I can do everyone at home proud.

Cap Nord up next - do you expect this to be the toughest game of the group stage?

Absolutely, they’re one of the favoured sides going into this Campionato, from everything we’ve been able to work out, and they play an attacking style that we’ll have to do a lot to match up against. Equally, we’ve got the challenge of travelling from one side of the country to the other for this match, which will present a unique challenge for a group that aren’t necessarily used to that much travel in a short space of time.

Thanks Rosa, and best of luck for the next match.

---

The Licentian Isles 1-0 Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom

Licentian Goalscorers - A. Taylor (61’)
Rekan Goalscorers - None

[Tumbra]

Tumbra 0-0 South Newlandia

TMB (4-2-3-1): 1 - V Jones; 2 - H Kennedy, 4 - I Ashburn ▮, 24 - M Toussaint (14 - D Cox, 70'), 19 - G Esposito; 6 - L McCormick, 8 - V Hicks (15 - S Philips, 70'), 10 - D Sartain; 7 - E Robertson (17 - A Browne, 82'), 9 - F Woodhouse (20 - M Hutchinson); 11 - C Henshaw (22 - S Fortier, 87')

TMB scorers: Nil

Player of the Match: Arnold Bois-Miller [SNL]

Tumbra held to draw by Elephants on opening day of Campionato Esportiva

STRATON: Tumbra were held to a draw by South Newlandia on the opening day of the 36th Campionato Esportiva, with the South Newlandians putting in a masterclass of a defensive performance to deny the Tumbrans any chance at the game-winning goal. Tumbran manager Peter Gabriel was roundly criticised after the match for the Black Eagles' failure to score a goal against a side widely regarded as behind the curve in football by pundits — the last time South Newlandia participated in a World Cup was in the tournament's 91st edition. The game was marred by a red card to Tumbran defender Ian Ashburn, which deprived the Tumbrans of an offensive option as right-winger Felicity Woodhouse was substituted off for Michael Hutchinson.

Gabriel, however, tried to focus on the positive aspects of the performance — including the clean sheet held by the team, and the debuts of new players for the national team such as Michael Toussaint, Gianni Esposito, Donovan Cox, Serena Philips, Amanda Browne, and Sylviane Fortier. Gabriel in particular focused on the two former-Saviglianos, who chose to take up Tumbran citizenship and whom offered themselves to be selected for the Campionato. Referencing a debate had on television before the Campionato, Gabriel said that Toussaint and Esposito were "extremely brave" to stay with Tumbra, their "adopted home", and even more brave to wear the colours of a national team that they "didn't have to."

Tumbra next play Esportivan Darmen — a collection of about fifty-five islands in the southwest of the region — in Couno. The overseas region of Darmen has a long and storied region in the tournament; having reached the third-placed playoff three times. Tumbra is expected to win, though with a recent lack of offensive output on the side of the Black Eagles, there is worry regarding the ability of the Black Eagles to push through and score. Any result other than a win is expected to increase pressure drastically on manager Gabriel, whose contract only runs to the end of the World Cup 95 cycle.

"All things to all people" — Labour signal opposition to Liberal budget in potential defeat on Prime Minister's end

STRATON: Prime Minister Stephen Williams' attempt to shepherd a Budget through Parliament has been dealt a severe blow after Labour signalled that they were intending to vote against the introduced Budget. Shadow Finance Minister Tristan Rodgers (Clark Central) decried the introduced Budget as one that attempted to be "all things to all people"; criticising, in particular, the imposition of an additional 1 percent increase on fuel duty as a "meaningless move" which "tries to be an olive branch to the environmentalists in Parliament while simultaneously appeasing his conservatives."

The Williams budget has been appraised by observers as a relatively centrist budget — even by Liberal standards — and has been observed as an attempt to get the centre-left Labour Party and the left-wing, environmentalist Alliance to vote for, or at least abstain, on the Budget to let it pass. A failure to let the Budget pass the 650-strong House of Representatives could mean the dissolution of Parliament; as Williams' government would have been deemed to have failed to procure confidence from the House. Liberal party spokespeople have said that the party are "in negotiations" with Labour and the Alliance to avoid this possibility. Current polling and projections would see Labour take a narrow lead in the House of Representatives, though both major parties would be well short of an overall majority — a situation which would mirror the April 2029 election, in which neither major party was able to form government.

Straton state government draws ire with proposal to close heavily-used expressway

STRATON: Governing Mayor of Straton Alice Tompkins has drawn ire both from sides of the political aisle for her government's long-term plan to close and redevelop the M-260 highway into a new high-density suburb. The urban redevelopment project has been a long-term policy of the Labour administration, yet has been constantly stymied by federal government reluctance to allow the closure of an expressway that has been in heavy use. Mayor Tompkins explained that the closure of the expressway would allow for "new developments in the west of Straton, helping to ease the long-term housing crisis and helping our city reduce its impact on the environment.

The plan for the redeveloped M-260 would see affordable, government-built housing built in the Rayners Valley district of the city. The plan would also see the extension of three existing metro lines, as well as a wholly new metro line, built to serve the new town; as well a bus interchange built around the largely residential development's town centre. Opposition to the development has largely been raised from Liberal members of the state assembly, but interestingly, Clive Harris, one of five members for the Loxley constituency, also raised his opposition — citing the presence of the M-260 as "vitally important" to goods and industrial traffic trying to avoid the very centre of Straton.

[South Newlandia]

Ellies splash Tumbran opening game party with trunk water

The Black Eagles were the clear favourites entering the opening game of the Campionato Esportiva in their god-mod stadium. There were many reasons – for one, they are the hosts. For two, they went to the CE championship four of the last five, including three wins – two of which came in South Newlandia. Understandably given this resume, they are the top seed of the tournament. For three, their dominance isn’t limited to the CE; the Tumbran team stands as one of the best dozen or so teams on the world stage. They have made the World Cup Finals in each of their last three attempts. No other Esportivan team appeared in more than one of those. South Newlandia, of course, is not even appearing on the list that encompasses 266 nations. For four, this was the opening game of the tournament, with the Tumbran team eager to send a message early with all eyes on them in a big stadium. Sure, they were playing with a limited selection of players, having elected to bring only players that earn their pay checks in Tumbra (the opposite of the South Newlandian selection). Nevertheless, the team has a lot of star power, including Ian Ashburn, Vicent Hicks, and Charlotte Henshaw.

There were a few things that favoured South Newlandia, though. Tumbra has been historically quite bad in this specific matchup – for example, the only one of the last five tournaments they didn’t appear in the final? It was the Elephants who knocked them out in the Semifinals. Actually, when I said a few things, that’s all the things. The Elephants were clear underdogs, and pretty much everyone in the stadium expected a Tumbra win to open their campaign, en route to a fourth title in six editions.

The two longest-tenured starters were the captains for the two teams, meeting in the middle to shake hands before the game. Even there, the mis-match was clear – Vincent Hicks, the Tumbran captain, was about to play his 192nd international match, despite being only 32 years old. Meanwhile, Elefantea, Brandon Irving, can’t match that kind of tally, but he is already 40 years old, likely entering his final campaign with the Ellies. Hicks won the coin toss, and decided that the Elephants would start with the ball in the first half. That ball was quickly lost by Alexander Lyon, with Hicks deciding that he actually wanted the ball after all, before finding Woodhouse, who fired her first ever Black Eagles touch towards the Ellies’ goal. Edward Khan managed to make the save, but the tone had been set early.

While the Hicks-Lyon matchup was one that the Black Eagles were able to continue exploiting, the Elephants managed to prevent any Tumbran goals, despite no shortage of opportunities. The best of those came after a slick double-pass between Hicks and McCormick and Hicks, with McCormick then sending Henshaw all by herself. The Tumbran had a step or two on Marc Westond, and only had Edward Khan in front of her. Trying to chip over the Elephant, she succeeded in missing his glove, but managed to find the crossbar instead, with Leon Mazza managing to clear the ball for a corner that didn’t really go anywhere.
After half an hour of Tumbran domination with nothing to show for it, the game shifted in a major way during an Elephant counter-attack. Luisa Johnson went down the left side without a real challenge, and played the ball into the middle for Nita Hanson. The South Newlandian cleverly did not touch the ball, letting it roll to Reid Gomez instead, who took a shot that hit the arm of Ian Ashburn just outside of the penalty box. Hannasean referee Caleb Webb initially decided to go for a red card, amid Tumbran protests. The Black Eagles argued that the contact was accidental, having been from a close distance. After a lengthy review, the referee decided that his decision would stand – the Black Eagles had just lost one of their key players, and would have to play the final hour of the game a man down.
The ensuing Free Kick was easily caught by Victoria Jones between the posts, but also represented the first Shot on Goal for the Elephants all-game. However, this was now a much more open game.

Entering the half, both teams were still looking for a goal, and both chose to make multiple substitutions. In the case of the Ellies, Hartford-Phelps brought de Wahr, Harrison, and Lombardo for Irving, Medrano and Lyon, with Reid Gomez taking the captain's armband for the first time in his career. The subs had the desired effect – Elefantea had been largely ineffective, Medrano was outmatched by Erin Robertson on the wing, and Lyon had struggled mightily; now, with younger players in the match, the Elephants were able to match the Tumbran speed.

In the second half, playing against just ten Black Eagles, the Elephants were suddenly much more even. They even managed to put some good pressure to potentially score themselves, and remained especially dangerous with corners and free kicks. Having gotten one of the latter in the 65th, Hanson was looking for one of the tall defenders in the box. Leon Mazza, playing an excellent game, had a chance for a goal to shock the Tumbran crowd, but his header ended up just a few inches above the goal.

The Tumbran team still continued to be the side with more chances, even down a player. In the 75th, they did actually manage to put the ball behind Khan and into the net. After Sartain played a dangerous ball up front, Henshaw tapped it backed to Robertson, who scored with a beuatfiul goal from just outside the penalty box. However, the assistant had correctly identified Henshaw as being off-side on the previous pass, disallowing the goal.
With the game now deep in the three minutes of added time, Tumbra had a final chance at a winning goal with a corner in the final seconds. Browne brought in a dangerous ball, finding Donovan Cox, who nearly made history in his Black Eagle debut. His header did beat Khan, having gone against the direction the keeper was headed; but Bois-Miller, positioned at the right post, managed to head out the ball, saving a point for the Ellies.

Next, the Elephants will square off against Slembana. The returners lost a close opener against Esportivan Darmen, and the Elephants will certainly not take the game lightly. The team will play the same starters again.

[Hannasea]

Posted on the In Brief section of the GS SuperSports+ website.

Gray’s stunning form gives Black Butterflies tingle of hope

One of the most hapless teams in Esportivan football has, in the words of coach Kate Grant, “the chance to be slightly less abjectly bad than usual” thanks to young star striker Remi Gray, who has lit up the Capnordic league with her performances for Lydholm Forened and showed off her goal scoring prowess against BET Njaza with a tidy brace in the Black Butterflies’ opening day win at CE36 in Tumbra. The game at the Two Rivers Stadium was a goalfest, finishing 3–2, with the Hannasean victory largely due to Gray’s poaching instincts. Though the 9–3 goals-on-target margin in BET Njaza’s favour reflected a busy day for Kayla Cole, who made 7 saves, it also reflected Gray’s incisiveness, converting both of her chances as she turned in crosses from Mikayla Ross and Abby Allen. BET Njaza had taken an early lead through a Liam Fitzgerald strike, and though Ross pulled one back for the Black Butterflies, the Njazans led at the half thanks to a powerful header from Adaora Nwankwo to turn in a Booa Kusama free-kick. But Gray’s second-half goals turned the tide and Cole’s 85th minute save of an Abner Odinga. Grant clarified her comments after the match: “I said less abjectly bad, I didn’t say good”, while admitting Gray was a “special talent”.

OOC: I used BET Njaza’s CE 35 roster, assume any errors are Hannasean comms misidentifying players.

Also in the news:

• Cameron suggests regional cooperation on terror financing and tax evasion “must not impinge” on Hannasean tradition of banking secrecy
  
• Choughs eye return to WBC with “30% less grumpiness”
• New ministry initiative to target green energy and renewables
• New space telescope, the Surprisingly Large Array, to be constructed in Hannasean Alps
• NIMBY Party surges in local elections in blow to Cameron housebuilding agenda

[Tumbra]

Cutoff. Scores will be edited into this post.

MATCHDAY 2

Group A
South Newlandia 4–2 Slembana
Tumbra 1–1 Esportivan Darmen scorinated by Naixi

. Group A               Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 South Newlandia         2    1   1   0     4    2   +2     4
2 Esportivan Darmen       2    1   1   0     4    3   +1     4
3 Tumbra                  2    0   2   0     1    1    0     2
4 Slembana                2    0   0   2     4    7   −3     0

Group B
Bongo Johnson 1–2 Xanneria
Irithoren 2–2 Fhulghamous Peninsula

. Group B                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Xanneria                                   2   1  1  0    5   4  +1    4
2 Fhulghamous Peninsula                      2   0  2  0    5   5   0    2
  Irithoren                                  2   0  2  0    3   3   0    2
4 Bongo Johnson                              2   0  1  1    2   3  −1    1

Group C
Ceyne Isles 1–0 Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison
Sylestone 2–2 Nova Anglican Admin Zone of Esportiva

. Group C                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sylestone                                  2   1  1  0    4   3  +1    4
2 Ceyne Isles                                2   1  0  1    2   2   0    3
3 Nova Anglican Admin Zone of Esportiva      2   0  2  0    4   4   0    2
4 Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison             2   0  1  1    2   3  −1    1

Group D
Boring Paradise 1–2 Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom
Cap Nord 5–2 The Licentian Isles

. Group D                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cap Nord                                   2   2  0  0    7   2  +5    6
2 Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom                  2   1  0  1    2   2   0    3
3 The Licentian Isles                        2   1  0  1    3   5  −2    3
4 Boring Paradise                            2   0  0  2    1   4  −3    0

Group E
The Hannasean Federation 2–0 Capital Cove
BET Njaza 1–0 Macbon

. Group E                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 The Hannasean Federation                   2   2  0  0    5   2  +3    6
2 BET Njaza                                  2   1  0  1    3   3   0    3
3 Capital Cove                               2   1  0  1    2   3  −1    3
4 Macbon                                     2   0  0  2    1   3  −2    0

Group F
Brenecia 1–1 Gouvanarch
Ares-y-Penthesilea 1–2 Acadiana

. Group F                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Brenecia                                   2   1  1  0    4   2  +2    4
2 Acadiana                                   2   1  1  0    3   2  +1    4
3 Gouvanarch                                 2   0  2  0    2   2   0    2
4 Ares-y-Penthesilea                         2   0  0  2    2   5  −3    0

Group G
Damukuni 2–2 Natanians and Nosts
Dod Rava 0–0 Lozho

. Group G                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Dod Rava                                   2   1  1  0    2   1  +1    4
2 Lozho                                      2   0  2  0    0   0   0    2
  Natanians and Nosts                        2   0  2  0    2   2   0    2
4 Damukuni                                   2   0  1  1    3   4  −1    1

[Fhulghamous Peninsula]

DISCLAIMER: Gaelic Gamers is an independents sports blogging website created by four cousins with a common liking and passion for sports of all kinds and is in no way or form affiliated with or organized by any official news organization in the Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft. All statements and opinions posted here are our own and not anyone else's.

---

Gaelic Gamers
Presents...

The Football Fallacies
with The Man from Markovsky

THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE WILDEST RIDE I'VE EVER BEEN ON

Hello and welcome to The Football Fallacies. Right, so clearly there is still some stuff that needs to be worked out before any of us can say that the Fhulghamous Peninsula is going to be a contender for the Campionato Esportiva. That much is clear to pretty much everyone that’s got one working eyeball, and I’d even hazard a guess as to say that even blind people can see that the Peninsula isn’t going to be going anywhere near the Campionato trophy anytime soon. And this probably isn’t the game where I should lose my head in full view of each and every single person who’s decided to subscribe to my own little corner of the Internet because Xanneria is actually quite the Esportivan powerhouse, but that’s entirely beside the point. The entire reason why the Fhulghamousian FA decided to sack Wellington Acuña and go for a new manager in the form of Donovan Chase was because they (well, most probably, just Governor General Petrarchos Kulbano) saw that Acuña was underperforming with his squad and wanted to upgrade almost immediately. But right now, I’m not sure if Chase is the upgrade that His Governorship was looking for. Sure, I might have said that Donovan Chase might just be what the Peninsula needed, but that was before I saw him and his tactics in action!

Christ above, where the fuck do I even begin with trying to break down this game? I guess right at the beginning, where we usually do it, huh? Oh bloody boy, those first ten minutes were really something, huh? Now, I’m not going to go so far as to say that this squad is practically an aging squad; most of the guys in this team are still on the peaks of their career or are just beginning that slow drop to the decline that we all associate with footballers hitting that dreaded number 30. In any case, sometimes defensive football is actually better for some of the older footballers out there because they don’t have to rely so much on pace or technique or other such skills that usually decline once they get past 30 years because all you really have to do is get in the opponent’s way. But fuck me, even that wasn’t enough to stop Xanneria from finding the back of the net inside of four minutes! Bruno Bravo, you are literally a Fleftic Premier League defender! I don’t care that the Football League of Xanneria is miles ahead of the FPL because they’ve been in the IFCF for longer than we have, or that Allison Burnes is the same age as you are, or that they’re a forward wearing the number 2 shirt. You just got burned down the right flank! That’s just not on, man!

So now what was Donovan Chase and his men supposed to do? Not panic, for a start. They still had 86 minutes plus how much added time was going to be appended at the end of both halves. Nobody had to lose their heads, and everything was going to be all right. But nope, that’s not really the Fhulghamousian way, is it? So now, just three minutes after conceding the first goal of the game, the Colonists dropped the ball once again! Tilemachos Dermentzis got swarmed by two (two!) maroon shirts and literally passed the ball to a third maroon shirt, and after a handful of passes, Xanneria 2-0 up. Christ above! Yeah, sure, Tilemachos, you’re playing in the Fhulghamousian Premier League, a league that doesn’t even make it into the Campeonato de Campeones de Esportiva! But even for just your own self-respect, you would think that you would actually know not to pass to your opponent even if you’re being double teamed. Like, goddamn it, man! You really make it hard for this old man to continue watching Fhulghamous games. But kudos to Jari Juups, he had to work to actually get the ball into the back of the net. Thanks for that, Thanasis Tsiros, I guess.

Now what was it that I said that the team should do at the start of the previous paragraph? Not panic? Well, thankfully, the message finally got around to these idiots, and they finally looked like a halfway competent football team afterwards. But bloody hell, you bastards! The first ten minutes really put you all in a hole that’s pretty much impossible to dig out of. If I wasn’t talking about this match with the benefit of hindsight, I’d be absolutely losing my shit trying to figure out how the fuck these Colonists are going to get something back out of this quagmire. Fuck it, I don’t even know how they managed to get out of that situation, and I watched this game live on my laptop on a dodgy streaming website in the middle of the night! Or maybe it was because I was watching in the middle of the night that I barely understood how the comeback actually became possible. Nevertheless, what I did see was the Fhulghamous Peninsula huffing and puffing for the better part of thirty minutes before something remotely resembling an actual scoring chance for the Fhulghamous popped up, and wouldn’t you believe it? It was actually the chance in which they scored their first goal of the game! Giorgios Agiasmenakis took a pot shot at goal and somehow it went in. I think the ball might have taken a deflection off of somebody, but a goal is a goal at the end of the day, right?

Sure, it’s a great goal, but it’s still only one goal, and the Colonists still had a one-goal deficit to Xanneria that they had to make up within the next 45 minutes or else they were going to start the 36th Campionato Esportiva with a big fat L next to their name. 45 minutes might seem like a lot of time to a pleb like you or me, but trust me, out there on the pitch, it might as well be just the blink of an eye. At the other end, Xanneria had all the time in the world to hold on to the lead. It wasn’t as if the Colonists were threatening the Maroons day in and day out in terms of finding a gap to score that all-important second goal. In fact, it was Xanneria that was still getting chances to grow their lead even further, and Thanasis Tsiros was always going to be the goalkeeper putting in the lion’s share of the work in this particular match. But he’s just human, and there was always going to be at least one attempt that was going to elude the poor bastard and help Xanneria extend their lead even further. And once Bryse Papp unleashed that killer shot from outside the box, it was pretty much over for the Peninsula.

Again, now what? Panicking had already cost the Fhulghamous dearly on at least one occasion, so that clearly wasn’t working out well for them. And they aren’t getting enough shots on target, or just enough shots in general, to trouble the Xannerian defense all that much. Something's got to bloody give, surely. But which one was it? Was it going to be the Fhulgs finally getting their act together for long enough that they could get at least one chance on target again? Or were the Xannerians just going to say “fuck it” and take the Colonists out of their misery? Well, honestly, I didn’t know what I was expecting, but I will admit that I had to pick up my jaw from the floor at the end of the ninety simply because it was nothing like I thought was actually going to happen. With twenty minutes to go, it really did look like the Peninsula was going to get anything out of this contest except an L. But then on comes some guy named Alibek Sokolov, some son of a Pridnestrovian immigrant or refugee or whatever who decided to settle in the Fhulghamous because it reminded them of home (somehow), and after a few minutes he jumped higher than a salmon during spawning season to nod home the Colonists’ second goal of the game. And while all that was happening, I was just sat in front of my laptop saying, “What?”

But that wasn’t even the end of it. Now the situation was 85 minutes on the clock, Fhulghamous Peninsula down by three goals to two. After Sokolov had scored his goal, the Colonists suddenly decided to take initiative and get a boatload of possession going for their side, although of course that didn’t mean anything if they were just passing the ball side to side and not trying to create a chance or whatever. But here’s the thing. The Fhulgs were actually trying to find that third goal that would draw the game for them and allow them to salvage a point in this Campionato. Like, it wasn’t really an impossible task now that they had the ball and got the Maroons scrambling around trying to preserve their own grip on the three points, but they still had to put the ball in the back of the net or else it was just for nothing. Enter Priamos Kontoulis. Now it probably speaks volumes about the amount of effort that I actually put into making these posts that I have no idea if Kontoulis is actually a threat from outside the box, but if I didn’t know about it then, let’s just say that I know about it now. Unfortunately, the rest of the Campionato field will now be aware of this fact as well, meaning that the guy’s most probably not going to get a lot of chances to just unleash a thunderbolt from outside the box. Then again, Evan Jefferson Junior might actually save the shot if it hadn’t taken a deflection so who really knows at this point?

Anyway, that's all that there is from me now. If you've got any thoughts or comments of your own about our game against Xanneria or predictions against Irithoren then feel free to leave them down below. Until then, I've been the Man from Markovsky, still hoping that I won't be disappointed yet again in my own country.

  FHULGHAMOUS PENINSULA 3 - 3 XANNERIA     
     AGIASMENAKIS (41')       BURNES (4')
          SOKOLOV (70')       JUUPS (7')
        KONTOULIS (85')       PAPP (52')

[Natanians and Nosts]

Two-two,two ties!

At Lakewood City Arena,in Lakewood,Natanians and Nosts and Damdukuni played for the second round of the 36th Campionato Esportiva.
The match started with Damukuni pressuring the Natanians and Nost team,ccreating good opportunities,mainly with Kanazagawa.The match progressed with Damukuni still going all out,and eventuallyopening the score,when Garnier made an individual play and his shot was better than Whitcliffe's skills,making Damukuni 1x0 Natanians and Nosts at the 25th minute.Natanians and Nosts was still kept from attacking,with a clear dominance from Damukuni,when Probus stole a ball from Barfly and initiated a counter-attack,crossing to Wafa who passed Mihai Martim Martinescu just beyond the midfield,who beat three deffenders and gave a powerful shot into the net,tying the match on the 32nd minute.Three minutes later,Damukuni once again toook the lead when Aloysius Smart kicked a free kick,from 29 metres.Damukuni had a great opportunity that resulted on a beautiful catch by Whitcliffe at the third and last minute of stoppage time.
The second period saw Natanians and Nosts with Márius C. Mureșan-Antonescu in place of Ademélsson-Vit.Damukuni returned unchanged.At the first few minutes,Kanazgawa again had a great performance,forcing Whitcliffe to make hard deffences.Garnier bounced the net on a corner,but his frustrated scoring was in vain,as Barfly had just pushed Caeso Júlio Probus far away from the ball.Twenty-eight minutes into the second period,Rato Ret and Laço Tralto left for Mihai Caeso Domicianus and Michel Carvalho.Two minutes later,Msqutaj Cbh and Vwd Uzl tok the places of Kazanagawa and Aloysius Smart,respectively.The changes made Damukuni's attack more fiery,while Natanians and Nosts focused less on counter-attacking and more on building play on the other hand.Thirty-five minutes was when the tying goal was scored by Flávius Március Ionescu,who had received a pass from Rodion Mihai Waffa,stuffing the net.Three minutes of stoppage time.Fourty-seventh minute,Garnier again nearly put into the net and Msqutaj isolated the reboot.Damukuni 2x2 Nataniasn and Nosts.
To advance to the knock-out stage, Natanians and Nosts needs a combination of results.As the other match in the group was also a draw,Natanians and Nosts and Lozho are tied with two points each.In case of defeat Natanians and Nosts gets eliminated,independently of the other results.Natanians and Nosts advances in case of victory,the other nation to advance would depend on the other match's result.If Natanians and Nosts and Dod Rava tie,the match between Lozho and Damukuni must also end up a draw,and the one to advance alongside Dod Rava and depend on tie-breaking criteria,otherwise the winning nation goes on.The match against Dod Rava will also happen at Lakewood City Arena and the starting 11 will be the same as today's:Whitcliffe - Ret;Constantinescu,Ionescu MI;Tralto - Probus,Wafa;Ionescu FM,Martinescu - Ademélsson-Vit,t'Brāhinni.

[Cheetahs and reptiles Coalison]

Last season ahead...

It was informed that Jack Kramer will not renew his contract and will leave Aruanãs Azuis F.C. at the end of the next season and will become a free agent,due to the policy regarding entry and leaving of the football system of Cheetahs and reptiles Coalison,where players can't be brought nor sold,not inside nor to/from outside the country.The Natanians and Nost midfielder is a star on the team and was called up on to the national squad on multiple ocasions,being part of the first third-place campaign at the Campionato Esportiva 33.
The reason stated by the athlete was that he would like to further his football and pursue a career somewhere he could face different teams,eve though he is thankful for the time spent at the club and the love received by the supporters.
Jack Kramer is currently representing Natanians and Nosts at the 36th edition of the Campionado Esportiva.

SOURCE:Natanians and Nosts' media.

[Xanneria]

A quick burst propels Xanneria to win
source http://www.xtrasports.xan
(OOC NOTE: This is essentially an exagerated version of a game I watched in person where a team gave up two goals in quick succession during a small drizzle and lost 2-1)

TUMBRA - With a draw against Flughomous Peninsula a good game was needed. A 2-1 victory over Bongo Johnson, a former power in the region, helped out. While it wasn't the prettiest game, it ended in a 2-1 win over Bongo Johnson and boy was it a weird one! Much of the talk about the Peninsular game was the quick strikes that Xanneria got and the teams insistence on putting Rhinstone Hailey in at right back when Nikolai Brown was a much better choice. Hailey does have chemistry with her brother Mark who was started at left back, but she's coming off an injury filled season at Banija's Rukunbi FC where they gave up over 140 goals in part due to her lack of playing time. Many said she came back to early and many think this was proof of that.

For the Bongo Johnson game the Maroons took that same synergy approach with siblings in the defense, but this time the brothers Ranger and Hibernardo "Hibs" Selltick were starting at right and left back, with David Iowa a traditional Right Back moving over to center. It did fine for the maroons but in the early stages a Bongald pass to Brad Beefheimer saw the Bongos go up 1-0.

But the real savior for the Maroons? The seasonal weather! right after halftime about 50 or so minutes into the game a pop-up shower drove through the area of the stadium. Well more like a sprinkle, but it peppered the field with water and for the remaining 42 minutes traction was decided by RNG. The big benefactor was Allison Burns. Burns went to take a shot that many would say was reckless as she absolutely punted the ball from the penalty marker and it should have easily been saved by Peter Bransell but he slipped trying to plant his foot for the dive and he flopped when he should have flung. Then just a few minutes later a slippery field got the better of Chaplain Crabtree and Shawna Isley was able to recover the ball and score a rare goal for a defensive midfielder. Other than that the Maroons and Bongos really did nothing as it was obvious that the storm had an effect on the rest of the game as shown by the amount of time the ball went slowly out of bounds.

XANNERIA - 2
Burns 51' 
Isley 60'
Bongo Johnson - 1
Beefheimer 17'

[Irithoren]

Irithoren submits Esportivan Union application

With a swirly gesture, Zeina Nayla Fizairdah penned the last signature under Irithoren's Esportivan Union application. Eight signatures embellish the document, one for each member of the Assembly of Irithoren, ranging from elaborate, looped autographs to simple initials. Much preparation went into the document, with the country's small Department of Justice studying the treaties with Ko-oren as well as the exact wording of each condition of entry into the Union, to see whether a case could be made that membership of the Constellation and the Union would be possible at the same time. Scrutinising well into the evening for weeks, the final judgment was that Fizairdah could be the Prime Minister to lead Irithoren into new, uncharted territory: an equal cog in the machine of the Esportivan economy, a leading member of the meritocratic Constellation.

---

Ambitious Fizairdah has overseen her nation's rapid development from a coastal backwater to a nation that can offer its population some luxury. With the good, though, comes the bad. Arguments in the Prime Minister's office are easily heard in adjacent rooms, and if loud enough, can be heard outside as well - that's how small the governmental quarters in Dhidiyah are. Hazem Qahwa might be the only Irithoreni allowed to enter the office during these moments to remind the occupants to keep it down, lest secrets and strategies are leaked to passers-by on the quaint, cobbled streets outside. Hazem, as secretary to the PM, was specifically appointed by Fizairdah when she entered office. Knowledgeable about economics, he advised previous PMs and councils, but his integrity and soft-spoken yet firm advice has always appealed to the ambitious PM.

Under Fizairdah, Dhidiyah harbour saw its tonnage nearly double. The country's most important source of income and trade, it employs a decent amount of people. The coastal population of Dhidiyah and Hurasan relied nearly entirely on it - Dhidiyah's entire status as capital is derived from it. The increase in trade not only brings prosperity to the quiet, rocky cape, it also creates a responsibility and a burden.

"Zeina, we don't have the staff to deal with even more containers. Let alone the machinery. Or the space! The crates are spilling out into the streets. I'll never complain about better business, but I don't want complaints from the neighbourhood coming my way. I just moved to Dhidiyah, got a place with nice neighbours and everything. The fishermen also have no place to go, we've taken up nearly their entire pier with more goods coming from elsewhere destined for elsewhere. And when the fish smell hits the city, you know there'll be hell to pay. And the noise - I have my people work nearly around the clock, and the people living on the boulevard need to sleep!"

"I'm surprised you say you don't complain about having more business, and yet here you are. We're working on the permits to have the harbour enlarged. It's all possible with the extra money coming in. We're handling important cargo for other nations now! You can't have forgotten about just ten years ago. People, out of a job, lined up outside my office and every business that could maybe have a job for them. We're growing, we're going places! Esportiva is starting to notice us!"

"I don't complain about the business, but I'm wondering what it's doing to Irithoren. Make things about economics and growth, creating bureaucratic procedure for everything - it's too much, too big, too fast for our small, slow country!"

[South Newlandia]

A short exploration of South Newlandian postcodes

The South Newlandian postcode system has existed for decades in order to ease the operations of the South Newlandian Mail. Actually, why am I explaining postcodes to you. You know what a postcode is, let’s just take a look at how they work in South Newlandia specifically.
Conveniently, South Newlandia is already divided into ten administrative regions. From the biggest, Elephant Valley, to the smallest, the Far North, each of those regions have their own first number. The Far North drew the short straw, having their postcodes start with 0, as the first numbers postcodes are ordered from North to South, as you can see in the map.
The next three digits are used to narrow down the area within the region, although most combinations are not even used at all – after all, for a country of just four million people, even the 10,000 combinations the first four numbers offer are entirely too many. Additionally, every region within South Newlandia does it slightly differently – for example, Elephant Valley uses the most different combinations thanks to making some comically small postcodes, with some containing less than twenty addresses. For another example, the Southeast simply laid a grid over their map and created perfectly square postcode areas. Of course, most of the grid ended up over water, so less than half of the postcodes were actually used.
You may have wondered what’s up with the fifth and final letter of the postcode – you were probably confused right from the start why South Newlandia needed that many in the first place. After all, that’s 100,000 different possible postcodes – one per 40 people, on average. The interesting thing is that fifth digit of South Newlandian postcodes is a verification number, which means that almost any postcode with a wrong digit gets flagged by the system immediately. This fifth digit is calculated by taking the first three digits and adding half (rounded down) of the fourth; and then discarding everything but the final digit. Of course, in practise, you will never have to do this calculation yourself, but it will be working invisibly in the background to reduce the odds of you entering a faulty number.
Let’s run through a few examples. Let’s say you want to send a letter of appreciation to Watts Phillipson for a clutch Blue Sox walk-off double. Rüsselsheim is located in the Southwest, so the first number will be a 6. Within the Southwest, the second letter is organised counter-clockwise except for Rüsselsheim in the middle. Addresses in Rüsselsheim always have a 9 as the second number. After that, the stadium has the additional numbers 4 and 2, so you would address the envelope to 69420 Rüsselsheim.
For another example, let’s say you want to pressure your local Newport representative about building a new cricket stadium on the outskirts of the city. Being located in the Northeast, the first number will be a 4, and the Southern half of Newport always receives a 2 as the second number. From there, the address of your local representative has the additional numbers 0 and 6, so you would send the letter to 42069 Newport.
The final verification digit is not strictly necessary, but it makes it vastly less likely that your mail will get misrouted by accident. If any digit in the postcode is incorrect, the postcode will immediately become invalid; so the mail won’t accidentally be sent to New Colk instead of Newport.

[The Licentian Isles]

Caitlin, thanks for joining us. A rough one today?

I don't think you can come out of any performance where you concede five goals saying anything else really!

How quickly did you feel the game got away from you today?

I think we were in that game, at least in some sense, for much longer than the scoresheet would give away. We were obviously behind the eight ball pretty quickly, Cap Nord started really strong to be fair to them, and we were always going to struggle to get a result from there.

But it sounds there like you aren't too upset with the performance, even if you are clearly frustrated by the result.

I think that's fair. When we scored, when we kept them out of the game for long periods of time, we were doing exactly what we set out to do. There was a level of quality there from the Whalers that we simply couldn't match, but we gave a good account of ourselves.

Is that strategy of focussing on set pieces one that we should expect to see against other big sides going forward?

Well, I don't want to give too much of my plan away, nor am I getting far enough ahead of myself to assume we'll have another game against a big side in this tournament, but we saw it work today. Aoife brings grunt up front, and she did really well at the back post for that first goal, and Natalia did a great job with her goal, a lovely strike.

For sure. Defensively, what changes after today?

I think I need to get the team to focus on not being drawn in to pressing a single player. It's an understandable reaction when you see a forward put a goal away as early on as Bjerkness did, but then you just open yourself up to what happened a few minutes later.

Lack of experience on the international stage showing there?

Yeah, although I'm wary of kicking the team too hard over that, it's not something they can control. We'll just have to learn from it and take that information forward.

Were you happy with the periods of the second half where the Cyan-and-Gold kept Cap Nord from adding more to their total?

Aye, it's what we talked about at half time and the team took it on brilliantly. Rosa did a great job of marshalling the side defensively, and there was more of a press where it was needed.

What about the next game? Do you feel positive about getting out of the group stage?

Like I said before, I don't want to get too far ahead of myself. We'll go out there and try to do what we did in the first match, and impress our own style of play on the game. If we can do that as successfully as we did against the Rekans, then our chances will be as good as anything we hoped for going into this Campionato.

Good luck Caitlin.

---

Cap Nord 5-2 The Licentian Isles

Capnordic Goalscorers - J. Bjerkness (3'), T. Myrrheim (7'), T. Poulsen (44'), D. Clark (69'), M. Sangaré (90+1')
Licentian Goalscorers - A. Gunn (17'), N. Mackay (48')

[Hannasea]

Posted on the In Brief section of the GS SuperSports+ website.

Hannasean subeditors run out of jokes about how bad we are just in time for Black Butterflies to qualify for playoffs

Two delightful goals from Remi Gray and Annabella Rose saw Hannasea's hateball team sweep past Capital Cove to secure a guaranteed spot in the Round of 16 of the 36th Campionato Esportiva. Showing a touch of class hitherto lacking in Hannasean performances, Gray's deft finish put the Black Butterflies up just five minutes into the game at the Bencoolen City Stadium, and the win, and with it advancement to the playoffs, was virtually sewn up before the half as Rose cut back to wrongfoot her defender and powered a shot straight through the keeper's legs. A slightly sleepy second half saw Capital Cove make little effort to fight back into the game while the Black Butterflies were content not to go for the third killing goal and pass the ball around, though Lily-Mae Murray came closest with an ambitious long-range effort that struck the post. If anything, the lack of drama in the win was the dramatic aspect, marking a change from previous Hannasean campaigns full of nerves and self-doubt. However, manager Kate Grant admitted that the Black Butterflies had been drawn into "on paper, the weakest group in the competition" and that, although their opponent is unknown at this stage owing to reseeding being needed after the group stage, whomever they face in the Round of 16 would "almost certainly be a significant step up". Pleasingly, the Black Butterflies have glided through their first two games without sustaining any injuries and with just a single booking, given to Rose for time-wasting. Grant indicated there would be "some rotation" for the final game against Macbon but that, given the reseeding, the Black Butterflies still "aimed to finish with a strong result".

Also in the news:

• Hannasean AMs likely to support Irithoren EU membership
  
• Lack of investment, overseas expenditure worry Coffee Ministry with a view to the "Black Caterpillars"
• Hannaseans lobby for fiscal rules at ECB: "Espo should not prop up deficits"
• Cameron ministry to roll out family support package in bid to shore up right flank
• Economists urge caution in response to uptick in unemployment: "Temporary blip"

[Tumbra]

Tumbra 1–1 Esportivan Darmen

TMB (4-2-3-1): 1 - V Jones; 18 - M Hawthorn, 14 - D Cox (5 - B Proudfoot, 77'), 24 - M Toussaint, 3 - Shim SY; 15 - S Philips (26 - J Hwang, 77'), 16 - V Leighton, 10 - D Sartain; 17 - A Browne (7 - E Robertson, 82'), 9 - F Woodhouse (21 - P Wilson, 85'); 11 - C Henshaw (22 - S Fortier, 85')

TMB scorers: Desmond Sartain (33')
ESD scorers: Moss Parks (70')

Player of the Match: Shim Seo-yeon (TMB)

Campionato campaign — and Peter Gabriel's job — on brink as Tumbra slump to second draw

COUNO: This was not the Campionato Esportiva campaign anyone expected. After two games, Tumbra are third in their group with two draws to their name, with another disappointing draw against Esportivan Darmen leaving the fate of Tumbra's Campionato campaign in the balance. The Black Eagles started the game off strong — with a goal from attacking midfielder Desmond Sartain after half an hour putting Tumbra ahead; but the sequence of play turned against Tumbra in the second half, with Esportivan Darmen scoring a goal through Earo United midfielder Moss Parks with twenty minutes to go.

A late goal by substitute Sylviane Fortier was chalked off for offside with just two minutes to go in regular time; which seemed to take the wind out of the Tumbrans' sails. Manager Peter Gabriel, who commented after the match, said "The game's one of fine margins; sometimes, unfortunately, it just seems Sylviane was on the wrong side of that margin today." Gabriel's job is reportedly under heavy pressure from the Tumbran Football Federation, with anything less than a quarter-final appearance in this home edition of the Campionato likely to result in the long-time assistant manager of the side losing his job.

For their last match, the Black Eagles head down south to the southwestern city of Bencoolen for a must-win game against Slembana. Captain and centre defender Ian Ashburn is expected to start, after serving a one-match suspension for being sent off against South Newlandia. Tumbra could still sneak through as one of two best third-placed finishers across the seven groups of this tournament, though a result like that would reflect badly on the Tumbran manager who has come under fire for not being able to provide in big tournaments.

[Tumbra]

Cutoff. Scores, overall table, and playoff seedings will be edited into this post.

MATCHDAY 3

Group A
Esportivan Darmen 2–7 South Newlandia
Slembana 0–1 Tumbra scorinated by Poafmersia

. Group A               Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 South Newlandia         3    2   1   0    11    4   +7     7
2 Tumbra                  3    1   2   0     2    1   +1     5
3 Esportivan Darmen       3    1   1   1     6   10   −4     4
4 Slembana                3    0   0   3     4    8   −4     0

Group B
Fhulghamous Peninsula 2–0 Bongo Johnson
Xanneria 1–0 Irithoren

. Group B                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Xanneria                                   3   2  1  0    6   4  +2    7
2 Fhulghamous Peninsula                      3   1  2  0    7   5  +2    5
3 Irithoren                                  3   0  2  1    3   4  −1    2
4 Bongo Johnson                              3   0  1  2    2   5  −3    1

Group C
Nova Anglican Admin Zone of Esportiva 1–2 Ceyne Isles
Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison 1–2 Sylestone

. Group C                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Sylestone                                  3   2  1  0    6   4  +2    7
2 Ceyne Isles                                3   2  0  1    4   3  +1    6
3 Nova Anglican Admin Zone of Esportiva      3   0  2  1    5   6  −1    2
4 Cheetahs and Reptiles Coalison             3   0  1  2    3   5  −2    1

Group D
The Licentian Isles 1–2 Boring Paradise
Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom 0–2 Cap Nord

. Group D                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Cap Nord                                   3   3  0  0    9   2  +7    9
2 Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom                  3   1  0  2    2   4  −2    3
3 Boring Paradise                            3   1  0  2    3   5  −2    3
4 The Licentian Isles                        3   1  0  2    4   7  −3    3

Group E
Macbon 0–3 The Hannasean Federation
Capital Cove 2–6 BET Njaza

. Group E                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 The Hannasean Federation                   3   3  0  0    8   2  +6    9
2 BET Njaza                                  3   2  0  1    9   5  +4    6
3 Capital Cove                               3   1  0  2    4   9  −5    3
4 Macbon                                     3   0  0  3    1   6  −5    0

Group F
Acadiana 0–1 Brenecia
Gouvanarch 3–2 Ares-y-Penthesilea

. Group F                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Brenecia                                   3   2  1  0    5   2  +3    7
2 Gouvanarch                                 3   1  2  0    5   4  +1    5
3 Acadiana                                   3   1  1  1    3   3   0    4
4 Ares-y-Penthesilea                         3   0  0  3    4   8  −4    0

Group G
Lozho 5–4 Damukuni
Natanians and Nosts 2–0 Dod Rava

. Group G                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Natanians and Nosts                        3   1  2  0    4   2  +2    5
2 Lozho                                      3   1  2  0    5   4  +1    5
3 Dod Rava                                   3   1  1  1    2   3  −1    4
4 Damukuni                                   3   0  1  2    7   9  −2    1

Rankings                                    Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts
01 Cap Nord                                   3   3  0  0    9   2  +7    9
02 The Hannasean Federation                   3   3  0  0    8   2  +6    9
03 South Newlandia                            3   2  1  0   11   4  +7    7
04 Brenecia                                   3   2  1  0    5   2  +3    7
05 Xanneria                                   3   2  1  0    6   4  +2    7*
06 Sylestone                                  3   2  1  0    6   4  +2    7*
07 Natanians and Nosts                        3   1  2  0    4   2  +2    5
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
08 BET Njaza                                  3   2  0  1    9   5  +4    6
09 Ceyne Isles                                3   2  0  1    4   3  +1    6
10 Fhulghamous Peninsula                      3   1  2  0    7   5  +2    5
11 Lozho                                      3   1  2  0    5   4  +1    5**
12 Tumbra                                     3   1  2  0    2   1  +1    5**
13 Gouvanarch                                 3   1  2  0    5   4  +1    5**
14 Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom                  3   1  0  2    2   4  −2    3
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
15 Acadiana                                   3   1  1  1    3   3   0    4
16 Dod Rava                                   3   1  1  1    2   3  −1    4
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
17 Esportivan Darmen                          3   1  1  1    6  10  −4    4
18 Boring Paradise                            3   1  0  2    3   5  −2    3
19 Capital Cove                               3   1  0  2    4   9  −5    3
20 Irithoren                                  3   0  2  1    3   4  −1    2
21 Nova Anglican Admin Zone of Esportiva      3   0  2  1    5   6  −1    2

*Equal record; IC coin flip (tiebreaker match) went:
Xanneria 3-0 Sylestone
Xanneria is therefore seeded fifth (won), while Sylestone is seeded sixth (lost)

**Equal records; IC coin flips (three-way match results) went:
Lozho 1–0 Tumbra
Gouvanarch 3–6 Lozho
Tumbra 4–0 Gouvanarch
Lozho is therefore seeded 11th (won 2), Tumbra 12th (won 1, lost 1), and Gouvanarch 13th (lost 2).
All matches were scored with RP bonus only.

Round of 16 matches

(01) Cap Nord vs (16) Dod Rava @ Bencoolen
(08) BET Njaza vs (09) Ceyne Isles @ Nantwich

(03) South Newlandia vs (14) Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom @ Ridgewell
(06) Sylestone vs (11) Lozho @ Hesham

(05) Xanneria vs (13) Gouvanarch @ Kingsbury***
(04) Brenecia vs (12) Tumbra @ Couno (Couno Port)***

(07) Natanians and Nosts vs (10) Fhulghamous Peninsula @ Fontwell
(02) The Hannasean Federation vs (15) Acadiana @ Marray

Matches paired together will face off against each other in the quarter-finals.

***Flipped to avoid group stage rematch.

[South Newlandia]

Ellies happily trumpet their way into Round of Sixteen

The Elephants had opened their Campionato with a lucky, hard-fought draw against defending silver medallists Tumbra, and struggled for long stretches against Slembana, especially on defense. Entering the final game of the group stage, the Ellies looked to be in good shape, but would likely still need a draw to advance to the Round of Sixteen against Esportivan Darmen, who have been a not-to-be-underestimated contender for years. Of course, scoring seven goals would also get the job done.

South Newlandia 7-2 Esportivan Darmen (4-0)
 4’ Johnson                        67’ Sims
14’, 37’, 52’ Irving           90+3‘ Mutton
33’ (P) Hanson                             
73’ de Wahr                                
87’ (OG) Symonds                           s

In Trenton Park, the home of current CEdC champions, the Elephants went to work immediately, with Luisa Johnson scoring after 193 seconds of play, having dribbled through the entire Esportivan Darmenian defense before beating veteran goalie Junior Wheeler; one of five starters for Cairo United. After that, the game turned into a vintage Elefantea performance. The 40-year-old veteran South Newlandian turned back time on the way to a hat-trick; scoring with a beautiful shot from a distance (with some assistance from Wheeler), grabbing a rebound after a strong shot by Reid Gomez that the goalkeeper could not secure, and after standing in just the right spot again on a corner in the second half.
Meanwhile, Nita Hanson had also scored a penalty after a foul by defender Allen Dirix, making the score 5-0 with not even an hour of play complete. With the Ellies able to sub off many of their older key starters, giving them a little bit of extra rest ahead of the knockouts, Irving came off after 58 minutes, bringing on Benjamin de Wahr. The young Curprum striker would later also record his first goal of his Ellie-career, after an Elephants counter-attack allowed the young, fresh striker to easily outrun veteran defender Gruffydd Kitchen. That brought the score to 6-1, restoring the five-goal lead after Thomas Sims scored on a free kick to get Esportivan Darmen on the board.
With the game still thoroughly out of reach, the Elephants would add insult to injury. Alessio Lombardo dribbled the ball down the right side, and played it sharp into the middle, looking for Gomez. Forced to try and make a play on the ball before the Elephant would surely score, Rorie Symonds put the ball into his own net for the final South Newlandian goal of the night. Esportivan Darmen would eventually add another goal of their own, with subbed-on youngster Anna Mutton finding the net in injury time.

With the win, the Elephants managed to win Group A, surprising many. As the only team to score double-digit goals in the group stage, they have obtained the three-seed, where they are going to meet a familiar foe - Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom. Despite losing their games against The Licentian Isles and Cap Nord, the Rekan team managed to sneak into the knockouts in second place in their group. Despite having shared more than a decade of time in the Campionato, the two teams have not met in the Campionato in nearly two decades, knockouts or group stage. This third meeting will decide who will move on to the Quarterfinals in Tumbra. The game will take place in Ridgewell, in the very box-y Kensington Stadium. South Newlandia will start the same eleven players they used in all of their previous matches.