World Cup 95 Roleplay Thread

[PotatoFarmers]

Poafmersia 1–4 Cabo Azure
Goalscorers: Leontiy Seet 77'
Lineup (4-3-3): Aleksandar Malloye; Kilikina Lee, Cindy Oriol, Liadan Holmström, Xenophon Robson; Michael Jackson, Min Berg, Aapeli Shea (c); Tessa Bjarnesen, Suada Bogdanić, Leontiy Seet
Substitutes: Kelefe Hans (Oriol 58'), Erle Sartini (Jackson 73'), Dagur Lawrence (Bogdanić 84'), Taliah Alcock (Bjarnesen 84')

The Kytler Peninsulae 1–0 Poafmersia
Goalscorers: None
Lineup (4-3-3): Jessica Ardens; Kilikina Lee, Cindy Oriol, Nacro Astro, Xenophon Robson; Michael Jackson, Min Berg, Aapeli Shea (c); Taliah Alcock, Suada Bogdanić, Leontiy Seet
Substitutes: Nicole Potts (Ardens 60'), Dagur Lawrence (Bogdanić 60')

Poafmersia 2–0 Vielfaltig
Goalscorers: Dagur Lawrence 7', 77' (assisted by Leontiy Seet)
Lineup (4-3-3): Nicole Potts; Kilikina Lee, Cindy Oriol, Nacro Astro, Xenophon Robson; Michael Jackson, Min Berg, Aapeli Shea (c); Taliah Alcock, Dagur Lawrence, Leontiy Seet
Substitutes: None

It seemed that after a series of excellent reasons at the IAC and the International Cup of Champions, the biggest saviour of the team remained to be Nicole Potts.

After an insane run at the IAC to clinch a record 3rd title, and the team's top 4 performance at the International Cup of Champions, Poafmers were largely expecting the team to be going on an upward trajectory and finally return to the World Cup proper they lust so much. For all the rumours that the Poafmersian Football Association are aiming for a hosting gig in the next 4-6 years at World Cup 97/98, this team probably only should prove why they are good hosts and deserve that direct spot. The first two games, where Nicole Potts was recovering from a strained hamstring sustained during the tail end of her domestic season in Quebec, proved exactly the opposite, and how badly the team was prepared for the World Cup qualifiers as a whole.

It probably reminded fans of the country's recent IFCF performances, where they have been struggling to produce what seemed like an up-to-standard performance. But it also proved the value of the veteran, who continues to maintain a clear sense of mind and dictate play from her position between the sticks. Against Vielfaltig, the team seemed like two completely different beasts, and the minnows were completely unable to give Poafmersia any chance as they took home a clean 3 points to open their campaign. There is more that needs to be thought off, but the 3 games are starting to give fans an indication of the true captain in this team.

[Farfadillis]

Inefficient city lay-outs had their own charm, Tuskoles realized. Over the past three years, Lithico™ had taken him to many different cities all over the Multiverse, but none of them had streets as chaotically winding as Lìbêrêtè. An already improperly-built city that had been rebuilt in the wake of a genocide, they were, it sounds horrible when put this way, given a chance to rebuild a good chunk of the city. With help from other then-states-of-Farfadillis, they actually managed to rebuild a fair bit. To Tuskoles, it was strange to think that, when he was just a toddler, Farolera's predecessor state played a big part in Rülândéá recovering from one of Farfadillis' most harrowing events in its entire history. Just a little over three decades ago. The Rulandese people's aesthetic decisions when rebuilding where fairly apparent: double down. A very sentimental and very much unpragmatic decision, the streets that looked 'recently' paved (or paved at all) were even more confusing to navigate. It was part of what made Rülândéá what it was. It was also part of why he'd been able to be so offensive when leading the war against Farolera: he knew that if Farolera actually succeeded in getting into Lìbêrêtê, Farolera would be caught completely off guard by the city's imperviousness and lose far too many men and, then, the war. It was never something he tried to force, however; far too many people would've died. Which would've been bad: he had a part to play in reorganizing ex-Farolera post-war, and no reason to for an important future ally such as Rülândéá to lose so many people. Also, he realized, thousands upon thousands of people dying is bad.

In summary: he was at one of the Multiverse's greatest cities, as far as he was concerned. Few would ever agree, but there was a charm to the passionate and persevering—and even sometimes happy—Rulandese way of life, and no place exemplified that better than Lìbêrêtè, a city that had been blown to pieces more than once, doubling down on its intrinsic nature with every hit it took. Every city has its own voice, Tuskoles thought. He could tune into it, a little bit, sometimes. Lìbêrêtê's voice was the loudest and clearest out there. It spoke to him like no other city ever had. Of all the ones he'd ever been to, this was the only one that ever told him “I don't need your help” straight up. Other cities beat around the bush, some straight up begged. Lìbêrêtê was firm. Furthermore, she was right. Tuskoles knew that, but there was something about Lìbêrêtê that inspired him to lend a hand in roundabout ways nonetheless. Respect? It was probably respect.

Tuskoles' idle thoughts came to a halt as soon as he arrived at Ënàrsòn's home. A couple knocks on the door. An old Polarian—not a Valhallan, as far as he was concerned, and most definitely not whatever a 'True' Valhallan was—opened the door.

“Mr. Einarsson, right? It is always a pleasure to meet someone of such eminence.” Tuskoles said, meeting the Polarian's eyes. Blue. Deep blue. Funny, his grandson's were the reddest Rulandese eyes you'd ever see.

Svenbjorn raised an eyebrow in surprise, but was very clearly aware of who was in front of him. Tuskoles knew he would be. He secretly held a fairly-high rank at the Rulandese Revolutionary Army, and was, according to his sources, extremely sharp for someone his age. Or anyone, really. "The pleasure is all mine, Tuskoles. Feel free to call me Sven, and please drop the Polarian. I prefer to speak in Rulandese these days," he replied.

"Sure thing, Sven. I'll come on in, then." Tuskoles' switch to Rulandese naturally came with a more culturally-abrasive attitude. Svenbjorn merely nodded as Tuskoles walked into his home. "I was hoping to find your grandson, if I'm honest, but it's a nice surprise to meet someone I can learn from."

"No need for fake pleasantries, Tuskoles. As thankful as I may be, I'm wary of you, much like everyone else. We're all commies down here, remember?"

Tuskoles nodded. "Admirable commies, yes. Convenient ones too. I did mean it when I said it's a nice suprise meeting you, by the way. But we both know I'm not here to pay some honorary visit to medium-high-rank RRÂ officer, so I'm happy to just field some questions. Though I'd rather the kid was here too."

"You don't get to use my grandson in some strange batshit scheme of yours, Tuskoles. Not while I'm alive."

"Sven, I'll be using him as much as he'll be using him. It's fine. It's called an agreement. A deal. I don't betray important allies, at any rate." Tuskoles retorted, non-chalant as always.

Sven eyed him up and down. "Mêlçôr!" He shouted. "There's a man that's come here to see you." He continued, seguing his not-quite-native Rulandese into his native Polarian. Very strong Severny accent.

Mêlçôr made his way down the stairs very quickly. Extremely obedient towards his grandfather, he'd been told. He could definitely see it. Once Tuskoles was within eyeview, he was quick to speak.

"Who's this man?" He asked in Polarian, looking at Einarsson.

"Tuskoles Yagaras." He answered. Tuskoles took note of the pronunciation. The cadence. The pitch. That was, roughly, how they'd prononuce his name in the Valhallan Union.

Mêlçôr paused for a second in confusion. "... Oh, right. Well, this is a fairly strange way of meeting the assistant manager. How are you, Mr. Yagaras?" The kid asked, not switching languages.

"Fine, how's your day been, Mêlçôr? I get the feeling yours it's about to get a lot better." Sven gave him a death stare. Tuskoles had continued the conversation in Polarian.

"Uh... good. Been watching some tapes to improve my game. Nothing much besides that." He paused awkwardly. "It's for real, by the way. I'm not saying this so you'll tell the gaffer I'm putting the hours in." Tuskoles nodded.

"How would a move to Red Star Severny sound like?" Svenbjorn's death stare quickly morphed into an overall expression of deep confusion.

Mêlçôr, far too innocent, especially for someone who was none other than the grandson of Svenbjorn Einarsson, was quick to reply as if the question had genuinely been theoretical. "It would sound like a dream come true! Unfortunately, I don't think Mâ Âlâmëómë would allow it. They say I'm too valuable and that my contract is very long and that my obsession with playing back home is 'weird as fuck, sort it out.' I've brought it up several times."

"Several times unprompted. I am aware, yes." Tuskoles replied.

Mêlçôr raised an eyebrow. "Who told you that?"

"You've run this past Tjürí already? And convinced him? What the hell is this, Tuskoles?!" Sven interrupted in Rulandese.

"Tjürí has agreed to let your grandson leave on a free, with a few subtantial... provisions... to account for his market value, but I'll be the one dealing with that, Mr. Einarsson." Tuskoles replied in Polarian.

"How did you do it?!" Sven asked, surprisingly exasperated, keeping up the Rulandese-Polarian game of ping-pong.

"Ask Hängírí Dü Löís. You don't have high enough clearance to get a full answer, unfortunately, but he could at least paint a rough sketch of what's going on." The mere mention of Hängírí Dü Löís, the RRÂ's leader, made Svenbjorn immediately drop the hostility. Tuskoles knew it would. Whatever was about to happen was something Svenbjorn would not be able to stop, and the Polarian now knew it.

"You convinced Tjürí?!" Mêlçôr asked, inadvertently breaking into Rulandese out of excitement.

"Yes, kid. We're going to the Polar Islandstates. Or whatever you want to call it. If the new name suits you better,"

"It does not." Svenbjorn courtly replied in Polarian.

"We're going to the Polar Islandstates, kid. I'll be your agent, we'll get you to live out your dream and play back home." Tuskoles smiled. The kid was whacky, but he was about to make him genuinely happy. Even if that was not at all what he was after, it was pleasant that he didn't have to manipulate a kid into doing something he would hate. Very, very, very slightly pleasant, and not at all a part of the much larger equation in his head, but pleasant nonetheless.

He looked at Svenbjorn. The man looked defeated more than anything else. "Does Lìbêrêtè speak to you, Sven?" He asked him.

"... did you mean to say that in Polarian? Because that's not an expression in Rulandese." He replied, switching to his native tongue.

"I meant it literally. Kind of." Back to Rulandese.

"It does not." Back to Polarian.

Mêlçôr tilted his head a little. "It does not?" He asked, confused, in his very deep Lìbêrêtê accent.

[Chromatika]

World Cup 95 Matchday 4/5

After tonight, we're past the 1/3 mark. How are you looking? Cutoff.

[Corporate City 1]

(OOC TLDRs for those not in the know: the Credit Cartel Gold Knights are a major CC1 football club, recently suffering a disappointing midtable finish while their owners- a literal and in CC1, otherwise legal cartel for selling credit- notoriously and simultaneously funded the Sea Dome Mafia's relentless attacks on civilians and infrastructure in Sea Dome, igniting a new era of war. A huge player in the internationstatal markets, CCGK also supplies CC1 Legion players and participates in all other professional sports organized by CCFA or the Sea Peoples' League.)

"Afuckinggain?" asked Cartel chief ambassador Mercy Stevens into the screen. Lithe and spry at a roustabout version of 84 years old, her white hair still coiffed up in a nice big ball around her white face. The Chief Ambassador is one of many Corporate officials from Earth, chosen to facilitate relations with the many NationStates rumored to have real or fictive-but-compelling ties to Earth History, which is at any rate an important subject in CC1 business school. Accordingly, the face on the other end, representing the Center City Enforcement Company, was a high-ranking officer also from Earth.

Relatively young and gleaming in shades of brown-ocher, CCEC Adjutant-General Vital Pomelo stood almost as tall at 54. The intimidating grey steel fatigues, plentiful armor, and weapons he had strapped on or decided not to remove made the undertones of his discussion with the Chief Ambassador clear: do not fucking resist this time, asshole. Much more reserved in the face and mouth, he nodded with considerable restraint and softened countenance in recognition of the dirt the Cartel had on him. Images of unspeakable Civil War and postwar police atrocities flashed through the Ambassador's mind all too easily and troubled her because he was absolutely correct. This would be the worst time to throw good money after bad. What was she, some kind of agitator? Well, maybe a little, for attacking randoms and reigniting war.

This wasn't the decent, orderly slaughter of the Civil War; freedom and self-direction at the low cost of roughly countless Federal lives. A little overboard that was, perhaps, but a good cause with a happy end. No, the Cartel has fucked up this time. Even if he hadn't shown up to their meeting visibly aching to keelhaul her, she couldn't possibly have missed his previous signals. First it was a duster and handgun with a big Texas belt buckle, signifying cool authority while simultaneously belying law enforcement's relaxed attitude at the time to Cartel folks causing a little mayhem in unfriendly places. Then a sharp white dress uniform, implying he was now speaking for a militant force dominating the area, and unconcerned with escalation to boot. She felt then that he might as well be saying, "You can bleed on me if you insist." Not too hostile between Corporates even of high stature, really.

Then came the riot gear, and now, there's an actual Company technical casually parked at a diagonal behind him- as if to remind her, "I can drive you to your funeral." There was still no actual bad blood, under the surface of her calculated recalcitrance. She'd do the same to him in a heartbeat and they both knew it and it was really quite fine on an interpersonal level. That's life in the rare air, she reasoned. But the frankness of these visuals was unmistakable all the same. The Adjutant-General continued, out loud this time in a compassionate tone, "Our days of making it look nice for the commies are over. You know the numbers better than I do. I am ordered to strictly prioritize trade relations at this time, Chief Ambassador." Formalities: another less than subtle elbow pointing out that your sins will find you out. "We're taking 50 for street execution and 4,000 for trials this time. And we need good ones this time. We are enthusiastic partners in anti-crime now and so the gloves have to be off."

Now it was Mercy's turn to nod sympathetically, and quit inflaming the issue. Wrapping up the whole discourse on the matter, Vital added, "Nobody wants this to get ugly" and immediately hung up. The Chief Ambassador wondered if perhaps the 50 might want this to get ugly, but they were going to be disappointed as far as she knew. She could already hear the hum and whir of the transitbelt outside. They were here.

She ordered her surveillance assistant to flick the screen over to the front entrance just in time to watch the glass shatter to bits from a sound grenade, while the louder internal transitbelt shoveled Cartel workers away from front areas and higher floors. Enforcement Company Captain Reck Limar strolled in casually, other than his finger pulling the trigger of his automatic long gun all the way back, thickly peppering the next few floors above the lobby ceiling. Under all of his armor it was impossible to see more than the general shape of him, the very picture of having this under control. He easily shouted above the shooting and wailing, "You already know what this goddamn is. I want my 4,050 and I want them the fuck now."

Well, that's life in the Credit Cartel.

[Deltt]

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Macbon 0-2 Delte
Reçeucian AI text generator 'DeepReçn' ^{OOC: it wasn't} in the far faraway for Plemon's Almanac

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I've been briefed not to dwell overly long on the finer details of our match but suffice it to say the Away Team Mission played a generic game and mostly earned some interesting adjectives for their performance, particularly within the homogenous ninety minutes of very normal time.

At the same time, or maybe a few minutes before...

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Delte 4-3 Corporate City 1
Sports Correspondent Kim Samrodd at Ildemorton Road for the Oswark Parish Advertiser

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I won't dwell overly long on the finer details of this match, and it goes without saying that Enor Perro was our best player yet again, and definitely goes without saying that I'm on holiday and using a Reçeucian AI text generator for my match report ^{OOC: I'm not} but certainly mention should be made of the half time oranges. Bitter, apparently.

I hear the away team played a blinder, although this may be a fabrication.

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The Quick & The Delts: Faraway Sauce
1/6: The Physique of Ringer Smith

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As noted by Doc Ustingham

“You know I feel about 34 years old?” wondered Ringer Smith, stretching a lithe and muscled arm out in front of him. “Before I came here I suppose I must’ve been about 150 if I was a day. Maybe 157 and a half. That monster-defender Untto Squaker - nice chap actually - brought me up here after finding me over in the next valley, he’s a salvager of precious antiquities. Somehow I’d come through a fluid time bogwell from a different dimension, apparently. So Untto told me, anyway. I just thought I’d fallen asleep while I was fishing again (being 150-and-something it happens) and someone had walked over my grave in a dream. Not uncommon either, where I come from. What’s that you say? How did I live to be 157 and a half? Well, that’s a story and three quarters in itself - it’ll probably take me the whole qualification cycle to explain it…

“Shall I begin?”

Test Subject PS65-cc, or Ringer Smith to give him his lab nickname, was of course describing his backstory for the lucidity test at the end of his stay at the Fountain of Youth Spa Resort in the Garga Marshes. It is one of several tests we have conducted on the effects of the revitalising bogwaters up in the gnat-bitten highlands. Not to mention, of course, the application of my famous and very delicious Faraway Sauce.

Ringer Smith: a gerontonaut. A man barely alive… readers, we can rebuild him. We have the biotechnology. We have the capability to make the world's first biotic man. Ringer Smith will be that man. Better than he was before. Better... stronger... faster.^[1]

(Although I did say I wouldn’t mention my RecQ Helicase Booster syrup, which I’m branding as Faraway Sauce, I should probably point out it is made with pure Garga Marsh bogwater teeming with beneficial microbes, making a perfect addition to healing steam baths, swampcream facials and wallowing in fountain of youth mudholes for a really holistic age-reversing workout).

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[1] Fair attribution: Ten points to the geriatrics who recognise this iconic narration; for the rest of you youngsters, this is a reworking of the opening title audio voice-over for the classic Six Million Dollar Man, ABC Television, 1973-1978.

[Gnejs]

Whatever happened to Sverker Danielsson?

Part four: Killer Bob gets a task at the place where administration happens

I hadn’t been standing by the notice board long before a horse-faced man came up to me and asked me to follow. He said they had been expecting me and guided me to his cubicle a few rows over. I asked him where I was, and he told me I was in the place where administration happens, which in some strange way made perfect sense. He asked if I was ready to start right away, and I said I wasn’t. The man looked at me with stern eyes but still allowed me to ask a few clarifying questions. I said I was going to Wight and that I was looking for a man called Sverker Danielsson. The man sighed deeply and said of course I was, and then he questioned the need to state the obvious. I asked him if I was in Wight and he patiently replied that I was in the place where administration happens, and if I wouldn’t mind getting cracking that'd be great because he was actually quite busy. I asked him what I was supposed to do and you could tell his patience was wearing thin when he asked if I had not read the memo. I asked what memo and he said that memo and pointed to the memo that had all of a sudden appeared in my hand. I confessed I hadn’t read it, and the man asked me to do so while he fetched a cup of tea.

The memo said that I needed to rectify a lack of documentation concerning The Prosaic Union of Gnejs and its participation (or lack thereof) in the qualifications for the 34th World Cup. That’s all it said, and I didn’t find it very illuminating. The man returned and handed me a cup of tea (which was nice) and asked me again if I was ready to start. I said I would need just a tad more information and asked if he could explain my task and how it related to finding Danielsson. The man looked at me again, and this time there was clearly contempt in his eyes. But he nevertheless started speaking. He said that there are big annals that document every World Cup since the dawn of time, listing participating nations and their respective textual contribution per match day. He proceeded to explain that there’s a big hole in the annals, because The Union signed up and took part in the 34th qualifications, but never made any textual contribution whatsoever. This kind of deficiency is unacceptable, and if I wished to move on from the place where administration happens I needed to rectify this lack on the part of The Union.

I was confused and asked him what these «textual contributions» are and he told me they are often referred to as RP’s and that I needed to provide at least six or seven of them, and he made it clear it was preferred if they were written in the traditional «Match report» format. I asked him if he was talking about the kind of writing I did for my imaginary sports hobby and for the first time he smiled and nodded enthusiastically, pleased that I was finally starting to get a grip on the situation. I asked him if he wanted me to «RP» The Union’s participation in a World Cup qualification, that is: a real nation’s participation in a real World Cup. He nodded again and said they’d set up a cubicle for me about 45 rows down. But the 34th World Cup doesn’t need “role playing”, I said, because it’s real, as in: it actually happened; we role play our imaginary games because they’re not real, as in: they don’t actually happen. The man said he failed to see the distinction I was trying to make and said it was all very simple: if I wanted to move on and have any hope of locating Sverker Danielsson, I needed to fulfill my task and rectify the lack of documentation my home was responsible for. He said I’d find a typewriter and ample supply of paper in my cubicle, together with a small monitor and VHS-tapes of all the qualification games.

So, there wasn’t much else to do than to get cracking.

[Yue Zhou]

andü

Ruuzin Zhuang had his after-work routine down to a tee. After opening the door to his studio apartment with a sigh, he would hang his coat up, get some water on for tea, heat up the remnants of last night's takeout Banijan curry, and sink into the couch to catch whatever live sports event could be streamed. Today, it was Yuezhou against Bongo Johnson in the World Cup qualifiers - why anyone in Mriin gave enough of a shit to stream this was beyond him, but he supposed it made sense that someone would be sufficiently dedicated to pirating in this country.

The match had started half an hour ago, but according to the ticker, goals from Lin Qingling and Liang Wei had already put Yuezhou comfortably in front. It was looking like a fifth consecutive win for the Dragons, who had just come off a home win over Drawkland and were threatening to win five matches on the bounce in their quest for a third consecutive qualification. It was hard to avoid the thought that this could've been him if things had broken even slightly differently when he watched, but he tried his best to push those thoughts down.

A few years ago, he had been a promising midfielder in Andü Volunteers' academy. He'd picked up football pretty naturally, and progressed well while at school. His parents hadn't seen eye to eye on how seriously he should pursue the sport - his father trotted out the "we didn't spend all that time in a refugee camp so that Ruuzin could be a footballer" line pretty often, with his mother, the bigger sports fan of the two, being more supportive. But eventually, he'd taken the leap, and his first year had gone pretty well. His second year was on a similarly promising trajectory, and there was some talk of interest from Yue clubs. Then the entire league had shut down.

Suddenly, his options became much more limited. He had dual citizenship with Yuezhou, his parents having fled to Anaia during the Civil War, but he didn't speak the language especially well, and his parents understandably did not want to go back to the country that had abandoned them. There were other countries in Anaia, but there was no guarantee he would catch on in one of the academies there. When it came time to make a second choice, his father's voice of reason had prevailed, and he had instead transferred to a school with better academics. He still played, of course, but within a few years any chance of ever making it pro had evaporated.

So instead, it'd been off to university to get an accounting degree, followed by a steady job at some big Anaian accounting firm, which was Fine. But sometimes, on the tram into Maal every morning, or sitting on the couch with his spreadsheets, he wondered what could've been. As if on cue, Brynjólfur Zhenyasson Zhang, a midfielder roughly his age, whose parents had decided to move to Græntfjall instead of Mriin, chose that exact moment to rifle a long-range shot into the net for Yuezhou's third goal of the night. He was one of a wave of Yue dual nationals that had arrived on the National Team lately, with even more on the way, if the U21s were any indication. The Yue Civil War had ironically been a huge boon for the national team, as it had scattered young Yueren across the world, including many nations whose youth football programs far outclassed Yuezhou's. The resulting squad, made up of its Kara Mingsdottír Zhangs, Elaine Xus, and Garrett Shangyuans, was now threatening to surpass even the Golden Generation in on-field success. But none of it would be for him.

Ruuzin clicked back to the menu of only marginally relevant sporting events available for stream, and nodded off to the soothing sounds of the Eshialand City Thunder - Yzandria Rockets 7ball match.

[Santa-Barbara]

Ephrem Bellarmine Post Match Press Conference - Matchdays 4 & 5

After picking up 2 unsatisfying results, Santa-Barbara manager Ephrem Bellarmine addressed the media to talk about his side's recent performances.

"I will always say this. Whatever happens I am proud of the progress our group has made to get here. As this is our first ever experience in our nation's history, I think it is important that we don't look to expectations that we can't exceed. Our first match saw us draw with Ethane which we were not ecstatic over as we did not get the win, but we respect the hard work Ethane brings to the table. We wish them the best of luck for the remainder of the group stage. Our next match against the Holy Empire did not go as planned. Conceding 5 goals without scoring even 1 really left us baffled as we anticipated this to be a more competitive game. Putting aside the impactful injuries our side has succumbed to, we really should have been more clinical in finding the net as well as holding our own in defence. I am disappointed as we lost to players who probably won't be alive by the next world cup, so we won't get a chance to have one over them if we lose to them in our rematch. One thing we discovered as to why they played so well was due to the familiar environment they were playing in. As the match was hosted in Chromatika, it made sense that they felt more at ease when playing in a nation that is 'lacking' to put it nicely. In saying that, us Santa-Barbarans are big fans of both nations and wish to see them thrive. We really appreciate the lesson the Holy Empire taught us in our match and we hope to improve on our mistakes in our rematch. That is why as a gesture of our gratitude, we will be sending more camel faeces to them. I must say I don't think they know how to use our gift as I saw their manager Juan Tzimisces actually snacking away on the faeces. But with a struggling nation like that, those poor desperate souls will latch on to anything they can get. We sympathize with their struggles which is why we will be selling Holy Empire-printed toilet paper where all the proceeds will go to their nation. Let's make a change for those less fortunate than us one step at a time. Thank you and we will be back for game 6 and 7. "

[Stevencousin]

STEVENCOUSIN TOURISM AUTHORITY

Holmdock, The Famous City, Your Food Heaven Holmdock is a charming town south of Stevencousin, known for its rich cultural heritage, lively nightlife, and delicious cuisine. If you are looking for a short but unforgettable holiday, here are some suggestions for a 2-day one-night holiday in Holmdock. This article is in conjunction with the match Stevencousin v. Aphrilia for the World Cup Qual. 95 which will take place here. Day 1: Explore the city center and enjoy the spa Start your day with a delicious breakfast at one of the many downtown cafes, such as Café Timberwick or Deerfall Bistro at Wildefront House. Later, take a stroll along the Thornwatch River and admire the impressive bridges and monuments. You can also visit St. Colteaux Cathedral, Holmdock, the largest church in Stevencousin, and climb to the dome for a panoramic view of the city. Don't miss the Museum of St. Colteaux, where you can learn about the history and art of the cathedral. For lunch, treat yourself to some local specialties, such as fish soup, paprika chicken, or stuffed cabbage. You can find many restaurants and bistros along the river or in the nearby Seteixo Square. After lunch, head to the Spirit of Coldminster Aquapolis, a modern spa complex offering indoor and outdoor pools, slides, saunas, and massages. Relax and refresh your body and mind in the thermal waters, which are said to have healing properties. In the evening, enjoy the lively atmosphere of Holmdock's nightlife. You can choose from a variety of bars, pubs, and clubs, depending on your mood and taste. Some popular places are Crowhall Pub, The Arrowford, and Cliffham Music Hall. If you prefer a more cultural experience, you can also catch a show at the Holmdock National Theater or the Holmdock Traditional Hot Air Balloon Festival. Day 2: Visit the zoo and taste some wine After a good night's sleep, get ready for another day of fun and adventure. Start with a visit to Holmdock Zoo in Bleakmount Park, one of Stevencousin's oldest and largest zoos. You can see more than 700 animals from around the world, including lions, tigers, elephants, giraffes, and monkeys. You can even feed some of them or watch them do tricks. For lunch, head to Oviegroño, a green and peaceful district across the river. Here you can find some cozy restaurants serving traditional Stevencousin dishes with a twist. Try goulash soup with noodles or pork tenderloin with cheese sauce. You can also enjoy some wine from the nearby Blindhall Valley region, famous for its red wines. After lunch, you can continue exploring Oviegroño or return to the city center for shopping and sightseeing. You can find some unique souvenirs and handicrafts at Wolfholde Square Market or Holmdock Organic Market. You can also visit several museums and galleries in Holmdock, such as the Stevencousin Football Museum, the old Castle of the Duke of Oviegroño, or the Holmdock Organic Museum. For dinner, treat yourself to more delicious food and wine at one of Holmdock's fine dining restaurants. Among the best are Clerzieu Restaurant, Thornspear Restaurant, and Offside Pub owned by former national goalkeeper, Joseph Luzak. You can also try some local desserts, such as sponge cake with chocolate sauce or the famous olive fruit cake. As you can see, Holmdock has a lot to offer for a 2 day one night holiday. You will have an unforgettable time in this beautiful and lively city.

Stevencousin 2–0 Aphrilia Waxwood Circle, Holmdock [30,477]

DEFENSIVE SIDE Ramiro Fernandes [GK] Mads Dahl [DEF.] Chathura Vimalaharan [DEF.] Renato Miguel Boa-Morte [DEF.] Alon Bernstein [DEF.]

OFFENSIVE SIDE Josef Snajdr [MID.] Simon Armas [MID.] Thanuka Jayamanna [MID.] Jochen Boi [MID.] Leon Voloshyn [FWD.] Gerard Kallstrom [FWD.]

SUB'S. Andre Saifi [MID.] Steinar Norvoll [MID.] Steven Cheyrou [FWD.] Sumith Wanigassoriya [FWD.] Armando Correia [DEF.]

ASSIST Thanuka Jayamanna [MID.] Jochen Boi [MID.]

GOAL Gerard Kallstrom - 12th & 41st minute

Ile de Richelieu 1–0 Stevencousin AWAY [TBC]

DEFENSIVE SIDE Ramiro Fernandes [GK] Mads Dahl [DEF.] Chathura Vimalaharan [DEF.] Renato Miguel Boa-Morte [DEF.] Alon Bernstein [DEF.]

OFFENSIVE SIDE Válter Folha [MID.] Andre Saifi [MID.] Thanuka Jayamanna [MID.] Jochen Boi [MID.] Leon Voloshyn [FWD.] Gerard Kallstrom [FWD.]

SUB'S. Simon Armas [MID.] Steinar Norvoll [MID.] Steven Cheyrou [FWD.] Sumith Wanigassoriya [FWD.] Benjamin Hadjadj [DEF.]

ASSIST -

GOAL -

[Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove]

Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove bounces back with a win after drawing with group favorites Pemecutan

Hafamarimyht - After a win on matchday 1, Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove kept on the good work with a huge win over group rivals Adab by the score of 1-0. The match was played in Burnham-on-Stove rather than Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer and the sole goal of the game was scored by Louis-Philippe Berlinguette at the 28th minute. On matchday 3, the Jean-Jacquois and Burnhamese travelled to The Licentian Isles, located in Esportiva, and won 2-1. Nathan Fauteux-McGrath and Frédérique Goudreau-Luneau were the goalscorers for Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove.

Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove was back at home for matchday 4 and received Pemecutan at Terrain de soccer 1 au Complexe sportif national (Soccer Field 1 at National Sports Complex). The crowd was hostile to Pemecutan with banners like "go home, foreigners" and "Jean-Jacquois is the superior nation" but Pemecutanian players still focussed on their game. The game was stopped at the start of the 2nd half due to heavy rain and resumed after a 2 hrs delay. The result was a 0-0 draw but it was a great game with lot of action. Gede Putra Arimbawa almost scored at the 17th minute but Serge Bleau-Bean dove to the right to catch the ball. At the 62nd minute, it was the Tapirs who almost scored. Alyssa McCaskill kicks the ball on a free kick and Oka Yudhi Winanda makes a huge save. At the 76th minute, Serge Bleau-Bean makes a fantastic save when he stops the ball on a kick by Surya Dwipayana. The final score was 0-0.

9th minute: Emily Schmidt gets a yellow card
25th minute: Gede Purnama gets a yellow card
34th minute: Félix Bourguignon gets a yellow card
54th minute: Louis-Philippe Berlinguette gets a yellow card
62nd minute: Yudha Dewanantha gets a yellow card
76th minute: Félix Bourguignon gets a 2nd yellow card and a red card
85th minute: Pierre-Antoine Bigeault-Généreux gets a yellow card

On matchday 5, the Tapirs travelled to the unknown nation of Hafamarimyht and made a few changes in the starting XI. Keegan Threadgold was in goal instead of Serge Bleau-Bean. Félix Bourguignon was suspended and Pierre-Antoine Bigeault-Généreux was an healthy scratch. Nathan Bourguignon and Renato Ramirez De Jesus replaced them in the starting XI. Scarlett McCaskill and Louis-Philippe Berlinguette weren't in uniform either and Ludwig Baumgartner and Clara Kurtz replaced them in the starting XI. Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove took control of the game early with a goal by Frédérique Goudreau-Luneau at the 4th minute on a header pass from Alyssa McCaskill. The Tapirs had a corner kick at the 33rd minute and Nathan Fauteux-McGrath kicks the ball in the penalty area, Emily Schmidt jumps and heads the ball into the net. Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove increased their lead at the 38th minute when Clara Kurtz kicked the ball past the goalkeeper on a cross from Ludwig Baumgartner. The score was 3-0 Jean-Jacquois and Burnhamese at halftime. Hafamarimyht scored on a penalty at the 64th minute but the Tapirs answered back at the 71st minute when Nathan Fauteux-McGrath made a short pass to Allie O'Hara who kicked the ball into the net. Hafamarimyht reduced Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove's lead at the 79th minute and the score was 4-2. This is the final score.

All players will be back in the starting XI for matchday 6 but Alyssa McCaskill will miss matchday 6 and 7 because of an unknown injury. Ashton Gockley will replace her in the starting XI. On matchday 6, Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove receives Patriotlandia and they travel to Elmyia for matchday 7.

4th minute: Goal by Frédérique Goudreau-Luneau assisted by Alyssa McCaskill
14th minute: Emily Schmidt gets a yellow card
23rd minute: Player #3 gets a yellow card
26th minute: Nathan Fauteux-McGrath gets a yellow card
33rd minute: Goal by Emily Schmidt (corner kick)
38th minute: Goal by Clara Kurtz assisted by Ludwig Baumgartner
48th minute: Player #6 gets a yellow card
64th minute: Renato Ramirez De Jesus gets a yellow card
64th minute: Goal by Player #11 (penalty)
71st minute: Goal by Allie O'Hara assisted by Nathan Fauteux-McGrath
79th minute: Goal by Player #9 assisted by Player #7
86th minute: Ashton Gockley gets a yellow card

Paul-André Veilleux

[Cabo Azure]

Vielfaltig 0–1 Cabo Azure
Starting XI: Leitao | Costa, Delgado, Gontijo, Branco (c) | Andrade, d'Cruz (off 65'), Florencio | Cardoso (goal 50'), Magalhaes, Santos
Subs: Rathbone (on 65')

A heavily-rotated squad manages to get the win while resting key starters for the test against Delaclava. AJ Zanetti started few of his usual starters vs Vielfaltig and started Miguel Gontijo at his secondary position of centerback in order to give M'bah-Pinho both a rest and a respite from yellow card accumulation. The match started slow for both sides as they alternated anemic attempts on goal and disjointed counterattacks, but ultimately Cardoso found the back of the net with his head on a lob in from Salvador d'Cruz, the center-mid on his first national team start. A one-time shot across the mouth of goal by Amilcar Branco which also found the back of the net was disallowed on VAR when it was determined he'd received the ball in an offside position.

Cabo Azure 3–1 Delaclava
Starting XI: Gomez | Soares, M'bah-Pinho, Furtado, Branco (goal 11') | Andrade (off 45'), Bastos (off 65'), Cardoso | Gouveia (goal 90+3'), Mendonça (goal 59'), Silveira (c)
Subs: Rathbone (on 45'), Gontijo (on 65')

Resting the starters vs. Vielfaltig proved a canny move for AJ Zanetti as the Maçaricas handled a Delaclava side that had pulled out all the stops. Going into this match, many pundits wondered aloud which Delaclava would show up to Stadio Cidadela, the historic pitch in Portelo that sits kitty-cornered to the royal palace and National Guard barracks. Would it be the Delaclava that lost 1-0 to Kewlz and gave up seven goals, including an own goal, to Huayramarca; or the Delaclava that drubbed Astograth 4-0? The answer was a combination of both, as the Phoenixes did manage to rise from the ashes of the Huayramarca match, but were still outclassed up front by a muscular performance from the Cabo Azure "A" team.

Amilcar Branco opened the scoring, ending a long drought for the national team after being so cruelly denied versus Vielfaltig a few days prior. The Phoenixes answered in kind just ten minutes later, with Alibek Khautov burning Tobias M'bah-Pinho in front of goal to bury it at the far post, past the hands of an outstretched Gomez. The game settled into a gritty routine from there, with both teams testing the keepers but neither succeeding in scoring any points for the remainder of the half.

Brute force was the name of the game for the Azureans in the second half, as the clinical, conservative holding mid Telmo Andrade was replaced with the more cavalier Rathbone. This risk, too, would pay off, as Rathbone threaded a pass to Cardoso at midfield that set up a brilliant alley-oop header from Mendonça at the far end. With the lead secured, Zanetti made a second midfield substitution, bringing in Gontijo to boss the midfield and keep the game under control. Delaclava would make several more runs at goal, but Soares and Branco were lightning quick to get back. Finally, at the end of injury time, Vasco Gouveia fired a long-range missile from just outside the eighteen that caught Mercier flat-footed, cementing his reputation as a poacher.

The Maçaricas' next qualifying window is their toughest yet, facing a seasoned regional foe in Astograth away, before welcoming Huayramarca to the Stadio Lagostim on the island of Dulce Muerte, which has been retrofitted with modular stands to increase capacity ahead of this match.

Projected Starting XI @ Astograth: Gomez | Soares, M'bah-Pinho, Furtado, Branco | Gontijo, Rathbone, Florencio | Gouveia, Magalhaes, Cardoso (c)
Projected Starting XI vs. Huayramarca Gomez | Soares, M'bah-Pinho, Furtado, Branco | Andrade, Bastos, Cardoso | Gouveia, Mendonça, Silveira (c)

Portelo, present day
The Azurean fascination with shipwrecks runs deep and is as much a part of Azurean identity as religion, or the monarchy, or the all-encompassing fear of Nepharan invasion. Like most cultural phenomena, it has no one origin, though anthropologists ascribe its persistence across centuries to a broader fatalistic streak present in the Azurean collective unconscious. Heroes of classical Azurean stories tend to be cast in the mold of the Biblical Job or Homer’s Odysseus, being ordinary men subjected to extraordinary situations, who face their fates with stoic resolve.

All of this fascinated Princess Solveig so much in her secondary school days that, upon matriculating to Maritime University, she immediately declared a major in history and began unraveling the story of her great-grandmother’s homeland. As crown princess, it was important that she find something about her country with which to fall in love, and no reason it shouldn’t be one of the defining features of its culture.

The history department at Maritime was rather small and had been recently made poorer by the sudden departure of Dr. Kinzie Schved, a preeminent scholar in both women’s history and Esportivan history. Still what history had been studied at the university was disproportionately concerned with the maritime, and in its library were manuscripts of several dissertations about the history of shipwrecks in the Blood Sea and other bodies of water. Solveig briefly committed herself to translating from Azurean into Graintfjaller a primary source documenting kraken attacks before deciding such an undertaking was beyond her scope at the time.

Unfortunately for Solveig, Azurean History I, which she took in her first semester of undergraduate, was primarily concerned with the Knights of St Simon, the Crusades, and the life and times of her ancestor Sebastien di Portelo, ending with the short-lived Aho Uprising of Reinaldo Silva. AH II picked up after Reinaldo was drawn and quartered and continued through the coup that ousted a different Reinaldo, Reinaldo II, some forty years before present. Both courses were primarily concerned with the islands of Cabo Azure and spent only a few classes each on the history of Azurean shipping. The princess’s continuing interest in nautical history was noted, and a waiver was quickly signed to allow her to audit the military history course the midshipmen took. She was also permitted to sail aboard the university’s training ship, a centuries-old sloop called the Bandicoot, for a couple of training voyages.

Even before the end of her first year at Maritime, arrangements were already being made for the princess’s graduate studies. While Maritime granted Ph.D.s, most of its faculty studied abroad in either Quebec or Ceni, or more recently Eura, and it was agreed that Solveig ought to do the same. Queen Abigail took the lead on vetting programs and making preliminary inquiries; as a respected academic and the queen mother, it fell naturally to her. Abby had skin in the game, too; her studies in Cassadaigua had fundamentally shaped her, and by extension Cabo Azure’s, view on the world, and she knew that wherever Solveig spent her graduate education would likely do the same. Her intuition said to send the girl somewhere in Rushmore, to Bastion or Centralis, but no matter how many ways she compared the options, one name consistently rose to the top, much to her chagrin. Inteachan National University in Quebec was home of one Dr. Gaspard Louvain, was one of the pre-eminent maritime archeologists of the Blood Sea, the region around which the girl’s interests orbited, and for all her insistence on studying history, Abby knew as a mother and a scholar that it was only her first love, easily discarded as soon as she set eyes on archeology.

[Audioslavia]

Kilometre Zero
Kilometre Five
Kilometre Ten


Great Old Road is a long, downhill street that snakes past Highfield Park, the home of second division football club Guerrilla Cathair. Highfield used to be a poorer area of the city. For years, the fact that you could see the skyscrapers of Grand Forum was a slap in the face to the locals. The area has, however, long since been gentrified, a process fought tooth and nail by supporters of Guerrilla, who tend to come from the local area. Guerrilla are a team so fervently left wing that its squad has gone five seasons without listing a number 7 in its line-up. Ideally, the route of the marathon would continue to take the old road down to the edge of the river, and carry on along its eastern edge to the coast, a route which would be flat. Instead, the runners found themselves carouselling upwards to the on-ramp of the Eiger Bridge the longest, newest and northernmost of the seven bridges over the river Gwai that stood within Cathair's municipal boundary. From the top of the on-ramp to off-ramp on the other side it would be five whole kilometres with nothing but a dull green river below and the large, metallic A's of the bridge's structural supports above.

Jeremy had endeavoured to hide himself from the gaze of any waiting cameras on the front end of the bridge, figuring he wasn't looking his best after the gradual thirty metre upwards incline. At the end of the bridge, he tried his best to do the thumbs-up 'I'm totally enjoying this!' face to a waiting cameraman. After the sound of a snap, he returned his attentions to the weird clicking sound his left knee was making, and the incessant annoyance of the left side of his left shoe rubbing against his ankle.

A board in front of him announced to him and the rest of the runners that they were at the sixteen kilometre mark. Jeremy found himself doing some calculations. So that's 16 kilometres. Twice as much again would be 32, then it's just a ten kilometre run until I'm almost...

Jeremy found himself trying to distract himself from doing some calculations.

At the end of the bridge, down the off-ramp, Jeremy found Rubio waiting at the stairs down to Crystal Row East metro station, holding a small plastic sachet of something. Jeremy slowed down to a walk.
"Fuck's this"?
"Magnesium" said Rubio
"The guy from the X Men?" asked Jeremy, knowing the answer but not being able to help himself.
"Stops cramp" said Rubio.
"I'll be dead before I get cramp" said Jeremy, puffing out his cheeks.
"Glassbridge is up ahead" said Rubio. "Next photographers are near the new stadium. It'd be a good place to get captured"
"Anyone throwing me into an unmarked black van and taking me far away is all right in my books"
"Captured on film, Jeremy" said Rubio. "How are you feeling?"
"Tense" said Jeremy, after a brief pause. "Like I'm watching the dentist figure out which drill to use"

-- Some months earlier ---

Cap Kills Qas Curse
Bulls Unbeaten as Cappadonna reverses 'binary' curse

Five previous meetings, five defeats by a solitary goal to nil, including a final matchday defeat in qualifying for World Cup 94 that dropped then-leaders Audioslavia into a desperate one-legged playoff for their World Cup lives. For many in Audioslavia, the prospect of another two matches with Qasden had them scratching their heads and wondering how they could cobble together enough points from only twelve winnable matches to stay afloat when everyone else was playing fourteen.

A tense away win over a traditionally double-sweepered Oberour ar Moro, who twice pulled level with the Bulls late on only for super sub Reuben Corkhill to pop up in injury time with the game-winning header, set the scene for Sunday evening's showdown. Qasden's form has been patchy, the team having to bounce back from consecutive defeats via a comfortable two-nothing win over Shieldstan the prior Thursday, yet lined up confidently in the Beltzarga stadium, the site of their most recent win over the Bulls. It was indeed the blue-reds who started the brighter, with the Squornshelous-based duo of Sauvage and Bone combining well to outmanoeuvre the Audioslavian defence to let the latter in to finish past Curipurinho, only for the striker to watch his low finish cannon off the outside of the far post. Bone would provide an incisive diagonal pass for captain Orville just minutes later, but the Qasden number twenty-two could only find Curipurinho's body with a close-range finish, and Munir pounced on the loose ball before Sauvage could find her footing.

The Bulls had found a foothold in the game by the start of the second half, and Helios Roy drew a fine save from Thurstan on fifty minutes, the keeper well positioned to claw the striker's diving header away. Young defender Carl Umstroke almost let Bruhn in for a cheap goal on the hour mark, playing a poorly-weighted forward pass that the winger cut out and immediately fed through to a quick-reacting Zendagorta, only for the striker to fail to get the ball out of his feet and to finish wide of the goal, with the Qasden defence notably relieved.

The winner came on seventy-three minutes. Attacking midfielder Unai Cappadonna, a late substitute for defensive midfielder Munir as Alaba pressed for the winner, brought a deflected cross under his spell on the edge of the area, feinted a pass that bought him a yard of space, and buried a low shot in at the near-post and past the despairing dive of Zinnia Thurstan for what would prove to be the only goal of the game. This was despite the efforts of young substitute Ander Galleon, who, arriving underneath a falling ball at the edge of the 18 yard box, took to the air to hit an acrobatic volley towards the far corner and past a stationary Curipurinho. The keeper could only watch, mesmerised by the speed at which the substitute had converted a poorly struck clearance into what threatened to be the goal of the season, as the ball curled past him and, fortunately for the home fans, smacked off the top of the crossbar and away for a goal kick.

With a hoodoo broken and a four-point gap to third, the Bulls host Saperetia before a six-pointer away to a Brookstation side that have, thus far, matched the Bulls at every turn. Ranked at around the same KPB, Brookstation Away could make or break the side's attempt at winning a qualifying group for only the fifth time since World Cup 80.

[Baggieland]

Oddstein Øye

Perhaps the most important person to grace this part of the tale would be that of Oddstein Øye. If that name seems familiar to you, then your intuition hasn't let you down; for Oddstein is indeed the great-great-grandfather of none other than the larger-than-life Øystein Øye.

Oddstein Øye was born in the Gnejsian village of Vengerberg in 1790, the latest member of the unremarkable Øye family. The Øyes had lived and worked in this small, but picturesque settlement for generations, mostly as latrine diggers. However, Oddstein didn't wish to follow the family vocation, for he had a love of the theatre, which we can tell from one of his school report cards:

"I wish Oddstein would stop play-acting and adopt a more serious attitude towards his education."

Upon leaving school, he gained employment as an actor at the School of Dramatic Arts in the city of Port Kejm. Oddstein found his popularity increasing as he was being booked for more and more appearances throughout the Gnejsian theatrical scene.

The defining moment in Oddstein's life occurred when none other than Prime Minister Tage Arvidsson asked him to deliver a eulogy for a recently departed statesman. This politician was much loved by just about everyone in Gnejs. However, Oddstein's choice of words would change the very essence of not just Gnejs, but Baggieland as well, for generations to come.

The late statesman was known for his propensity for enjoying the gift of laughter, so Oddstein thought it would be appropriate to send the deceased politician off with a joke of his own. Bad idea. The choice of joke caused no joyous response, only shock and dismay. In fact, Oddstein's joke was so offensive that Prime Minister Arvidsson had him arrested. Oddstein was charged with "public abusiveness likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress" and it was decided that he had caused so much contempt that the only appropriate punishment was to exile him.

Oddstein was put on a small boat with instructions on how to operate it, a few days worth of food and drink was also provided. As the police officers pushed him out to sea, he wondered to himself if he was ever going to see his cherished Gnejs again. A day or two later, Oddstein washed up on the shores of Baggieland. He ventured inland and soon found himself wandering around a small farm: where he was immediately arrested for sheep-worrying.

During his police interrogation he revealed the joke that had been the cause of his current predicament. Now, the Baggielandian police officers thought the joke was hilarious and they erupted into uproarious laughter. The joke spread quickly throughout Baggieland, leaving every Baggie who heard it in stitches, rolling around on the ground in uncontrollable hysterics. King Alsqueak demanded to meet this comedian, and before he knew it, Oddstein had gained employment as the royal jester.

[Flavovespia]

Tzvi 2 - 4 Flavovespia

A scintillating end of first half display helped Flavovespia to the win in Tzvi, even if their defence was finally breached in this game. Flavovespia’s performance may not have been perfect, but they showed good class and composure to ensure another 3 points in Group 5.

Some changes saw a first start of the campaign for Scott Gilesspie, whilst Stuart Cookson was rested. Kieron Player and Michael Cole were also rested, the latter picking up a slight knock last time out, although Jonathan Bagshaw was still in the attack, Augusto Rinaldi seemingly keen to keep him on as much as possible.

Tzvi started the game well, despite the difference in ranking, their defence seemed relatively well drilled, leaving little room for the Flavovespian front three to get in behind. They were able at times as well to progress the ball forward, so it wasn’t plain sailing for Flavovespia’s midfield or defence either. Tzvi were building into the game, and there was hope from the hosts midway through the first half of potentially pulling off an upset.

However just as the confidence rose, Flavovespia came through to shatter it in the 24th minute. Charles Adams played the perfect through ball through the defence of Tzvi, into the path of Jonathan Bagshaw. The goalkeeper rushed out as Bagshaw entered the box, but Bagshaw was able to round them, before slotting into the empty goal to make it 0-1. Quick as a flash, Flavovespia had taken the lead in this game, just as the hosts looked settled and a threat.

The goal shook things up, and Flavovespia now seemed much more confident. They were able to create multiple opportunities within the minutes after the goal, and the goalkeeper was forced into a few good saves from Richard Birmingham’s shots. However Birmingham would get his reward in the 41st minute. A quick break saw the Tzvi defence overwhelmed in numbers, and eventually an Amrik Singh pass found Richard Birmingham almost unmarked. He steadied himself before placing the ball into the top corner, doubling the lead for Flavovespia.

3 minutes later, and the lead was 3 goals. This time Tzvi had more players back, but none were able to stop Amrik Singh’s long range effort from curling past them, and beating the goalkeeper just inside the post. A beautifully placed shot, to sum up a brilliant 20 minutes or so from Flavovespia. At the break, after initial early worries, Flavovespia had a 3 goal lead, for a second game in a row.

The second half began with Tzvi looking to contain Flavovespia, whilst still seeking out an opportunity to counter. There were flashes that they could do that, but nothing decisive. Then in the 57th minute, it was the fourth for Flavovespia. Their first real chance of the second half, a corner saw Paul Taylor up from the back, and with a well-timed leap, he headed the ball into the back of the net, for only his second international goal. It was another blow for Tzvi who had seemingly recovered somewhat in this half.

Tzvi persevered and finally got their reward in the 73rd minute. It was something of an unusual goal to concede, the shot from just outside the box, with Nazir Hussain marking the striker looked to have been scuffed wide. However it bobbled back inwards, clipped the inside of the post, and rolled in, with Nathan Crewe misreading the situation and only getting across too late. Still, they all count, and it was 1-4, the Flavovespia defence finally breached in these Qualifiers.

5 mintues later, and Tzvi got a second. This one came from a free kick, the initial free kick took a deflection off the wall, and into the path of a midfielder making a run in the box. The midfielder took the shot first time, beating Nathan Crewe to his right, and into the back of the net it went. 2-4 now, and the fans and players could dream of a miracle comeback, having halved the deficit in the space of 5 minutes from 4 to 2.

Unfortunately for Tzvi, there was to be no more scoring. Cautious would be the way to describe how Flavovespia saw out the game, no grand attacks forward, just a committment to keeping men behind the ball, and clearing their lines. Simple, but well executed, and there was no room for Tzvi to fashion out clear cut chances. 2-4 it’d finish, both teams having some periods of strength, but Flavovespia’s being just too much for Tzvi, as they continue on a winning streak.

Flavovespia 1 - 0 Milchama

The top two seeds in the group faced off, and an early goal settled it in a tight encounter. Flavovespia keep up the winning as the end of the first half of the qualifying campaign gets closer.

Flavovespia named a strong squad on paper, with plenty of the more experienced players who’d been rested returning, although Amrik Singh and David Lyons kept their places ahead of some competition for their roles. There was a strong atmosphere in the capital, in a game many thought, and may very well be key to qualifying.

It was a relatively cautious start from both sides, but it would be the first big attack for Flavovespia that landed them a goal. Jonathan Bagshaw got by Theo Elkenstall before taking a shot at goal. It was parried away by Morc Entersher, but only as far as Michael Cole, who with a quick kick, buried the ball into the back of the net. Flavovespia lead after 12 minutes, again they had started a game with an early goal.

The first half after that still felt relatively balanced, but play in the final thirds of both sides seemed a bit inpatient. There were a fair few long shots taken, but none causing Nathan Crewe or Morc Entersher much trouble. Flavovespia came close in the 32nd minute to doubling their lead, but on the half-volley, Jonathan Bagshaw could only drag his shot wide of the post, he was disappointed to be off target from a good spot. It was 1-0 at the break, a good first half for Flavovespia, but both sides had room for improvement.

The second half saw Flavovespia again come close in the 56th minute. Amrik Singh had a shot that beat Morc Entersher, but was cleared off the line by Dervan Kelliers. Morc Entersher was able to beat Jonathan Bagshaw to the loose ball and clear, despite some protests for a foul and a penalty. Flavovespia wanted a second, but Milchama were looking sturdy in defence.

Invariably, with a one goal deficit, Milchama pushed forward in the latter stages. Flavovespia’s defence dropped ever deeper, and the question was being asked of them. However, they had the answers, with Stuart Cookson earning man of the match for some stellar clearances with the head and boot, and giving no space for the opposition attackers. There were a few shots on target for Milchama, but Nathan Crewe was also in fine form, blocking everything that came his way to keep a clean sheet.

1-0 was the final score, an early goal proving the difference. For Flavovespia, they are top on 15 points, 3 ahead of next opponents Valentine Z now. That game away from home is looking key for the battle to win Group 5. The visit of bottom side The Dictatorship of Vanilla will end the first half of qualifying for Flavovespia, where they’ll hope to keep up the fine form they’ve found themselves in.

[Eshialand]

The Year of the Owl

"Karsten, Karsten, wake up!"
"Hm?"
"I'm Josh Seametzle, you're Karsten Rhodes, and we're live with Tournament Report! Remember?"
"OH SHOOT I FORGOT!"

"That's right friends, we're back, and we have some good news for you all!"
"How good? Did the king just announce pay rises for sportscasters named Karsten?"
"Hahaha keep on dreaming. No, the Owls are on their best run ever!"
"What?"
"They're 5-0-0 and for the first time in team history, they beat a first seed in Qualifying!"
"They beat Baker Park?"
"4-3, plus a win against Brusseldorf to secure first for now."
"Amazing news!!!"
"Their last two games of the first half are going to be at home against Hapilopper and away in Cardenao, what do you think about those?"
"Just win, please... you can actually do this for once!!!! Please!!!"

---

For Coach Morgan, this win was about the best news he could've possibly hoped for... heck, even better. Eshialand were now guaranteed to at least a playoff spot come the end of the first half, putting them in an amazing position to go to the big dance for their first time... but nothing was certain quite yet. Nothing was ever certain.

Hapilopper and Cardenao were amazing teams. Their 2-1-2 records only told half a story, and the other half of the story was one to be reckoned with. Hapilopper had been on Kenny's radar ever since they successfully held Baker Park to a 5-5(!) draw, and fresh off a 4-0 pummeling of Rea San Vegas, they would be out for more blood. As for Cardenao, a 1-1 draw against Aleirave wasn't ideal for them, but they were back on their feet after beating Myrtle Beach 1-0. Both of these teams were going to be challenges, and Kenny knew it. He wasn't going to let this team get complacent at all.

As for the team's spirits, they were understandably higher than ever. Everybody had things to say about their teammates' play, and only good things. Christian Meers had done a great job in goal once again, even if a few goals had slipped by this time. Alice Carroll had scored not one, but two amazing goals, and Melissa Carey's leadership was better than ever.

"Mel, could we have a quick chat?" the coach asked his captain.
"Yeah sure, why not..."

The two split off from the rest of the team, walking through the streets of Belle Haven outside the stadium.

"So, what's going on coach?"
"Listen... I've been keeping an eye on you for a couple years now. I know, I know, you're gonna say that I should be keeping an eye on everyone, but I'm looking for something special in you..."
"Oh? What is it?"

"Well, I know you probably don't want to be thinking about retirement right now, and I don't blame you at all... but I always think it's a good idea to know what you'll be doing once it's time to hang up the cleats... and this team is gona need an assistant coach."

"Wait, what?"

"This team looks up to you a lot. You're their leader, their rock, a role model for every single one of those players... and frankly, you more than have what it takes. I'm not saying I want you to retire now. Far from it... but when it's time, you have the position of assistant coach. If you want it, of course... that's all up to you. I just want you to know that the option is there, and I'm not rescinding it."

"What makes you think I can--"

"Stop right there. You know what I see in you. No matter what, you're always there for the team, even more than I can be sometimes. You understand them in a way I wish I could. And when it comes time to think outside the box, you're the one doing it, 100%. Heck, you're basically already doing the job of an assistant coach without having the position. If anything this is more of a formality than anything else."

"Well..." she couldn't quite think of the right words to say. For the past seven years, this team was her life. She hadn't even been thinking too much about what she would be doing after leaving... that always seemed like something so far away, but face it, it was only gonna be a couple years off now. "Coach..." she told him, "I honestly can't put into words how much I appreciate this... you've got a deal."

[Jeruselem]

Princess Stella Annabelle Dallas and Jeruselem Manager Rennala Lunar discussing StrayaRoos after their first draw in Bigpipstan ...

Rennala: I was afraid we'd have a draw in Bigpipstan, it seems most of their games end up in draws.
Stella: Better than losing
Rennala: But this is one game we are expected to win, nevermind. Looks like Valanora top the group after our short reign at the top
Stella: I think we don't need to worry about they do, we have to worry about StrayaRoos
Rennala: Yes, just noticed they notched up two wins in a row
Stella: Archalit have been not the opposition we expected, so it seems StrayaRoos is taking up the title as challenger.

Rennala: StrayaRoos hae scored 11 goals in 5 games, that's only second to Valanora. Well us, only 8 goals.
Stella: The difference is goals conceded, they have 9 which means they aren't going to do much defending
Rennala: We play them on match 7 and 14, 14 is last round of the qualifiers.
Stella: Well from the looks of it they are really active in the sports realm, not only in football.
Rennala: Their team isn't structured dissimiliar to ours, and it's also a mixed team like ours.
Stella: They sure love yellow and green, or apparently "green and gold" as they call it.

Rennala: Only problem, we have to play Valanora at home first.
Stella: Oh yes, well it's a home game at least. The next one against them will be more unpleasant.
Rennala: It does mean the last game against StrayaRoos will be at home.
Stella: We'll need a plan then, we're playing a similar team but they at least we know they don't care about leaking a few goals
Rennala: A lot of teams are like that, they prioritise offensive over defense as long as they score more goals
Stella: We'll need to study them more, they could a tripping hazard for our campaign

Rennala: Yes, so it seems their first win wasn't a fluke. They just had to string together a few wins.
Stella: Say, you're not Christian? You worship the Moon Goddess Luna.
Rennala: Yes, I'm a pagan if you could call me that. I'm no Satanist.
Stella: It's a bit of stretch to call me a Christian anyways. Not an accident we have a Lunar and Selene in the team?
Rennala: Yes I know Selene is greek name of the moon goddess. Your Lunar relative isn't much of Goddess either, she's just working class version of you.
Stella: She's boring compared to me still.

Rennala: I guess we need the help of all the moon gods for next game
Stella: I'd be more worried if we lost the one against StrayaRoos
Rennala: I'd take a draw against Valanora but they haven't lost a game as yet, but then neither have we. One of us has to lose.
Stella: It would be nice to win!
Rennala: I just want avoid losing
Stella: Well, I guess losing is always an option - the one you don't want to take

[Kelssek]

WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
Kelssek tops group as Reamsey calls for momentum

The football hasn’t always been the most convincing, but after two straight wins Calen Reamsey’s version of the Kelssek national team seems to be finally getting off the ground. While Kelssek could come to regret dropping points against Darkmania and Kimi-suomi, after five matches they’re top of the group and undefeated.

Moreover, they’ve also got a crucial result against Eura, on paper the most dangerous challenger for the qualification spot. After an indifferent start to the campaign few could have expected the 4-1 rout in Burnaby, but at this juncture it stands as a landmark in Reamsey’s short tenure.

“It wasn’t going entirely to plan in the first half. We were leading but it’s the score at the end you worry about. It was about making a tactical change, and it was about what skill sets I have on the field, it was nothing about Julius individually and I made sure to tell him that,” said Reamsey about the choice to move from a Christmas-tree front six to add a strike partner up front for Loïc Maçon-Petrault.

Indeed, the Kelssek captain who made his name in the Euraleague was both isolated and tightly marked for most of the first half and would never have gotten on the score sheet without the opportunity gifted to Kelssek ten minutes into the match. Miles Mann had attempted a pass that got blocked and looped high into the penalty area. As Maçon-Petrault jostled for the ball with Quentin Phillips , it dropped onto the arm of the Euran defender. Not initially given on the field, the video assistant referee was the official to spot it.

Eura certainly had grounds to feel hard done by, but Kelssek’s adjustments at half time helped them finally get a real handle on the match and finally some real penetration in the final third. The penalty had been Kelssek’s only shot on target for the first 45 minutes, but they tested Eura’s goalkeeper Tom Hammond twice in the opening five minutes, and then the half-time substitute Lionel an Deòir vindicated the coaching decision as he linked up with Terence de Landa to get behind the defence and fire Kelssek to a 2-0 lead.

That sparked a response and Sophie Singh got Eura back within a goal shortly afterwards, but Kelssek were unfazed and kept up their tempo. An Deòir had a brace when he knocked in a corner kick, and Thor Ibrahim Ahmad came off the bench to apply the finishing touch late in the match.

KELSSEK 4 – Maçon-Petrault (pen. 11’), an Deòir (56’, 76’), Ahmad (82’)
Maraipu, Buené, Lambert, Bream, Usher, dí Völará (Bray 70’), Breault, de Landa (Kalahuai 79’), Mann (Joseph 87’), Heer (an Deòir 45’), Maçon-Petrault (Ahmad 70’)
EURA 1 – Singh (62’)
Stadium Konueira, Burnaby (attn. 59,660)

[Saterun]

This game was paramount for both teams. Sendhang and Saterun were two squads fighting for that playoff place, and both knew that this game would have a heavy influence on who managed to grab that slot. The Claws had experienced somewhat volatile form, and needed to grind out a win here. They needed that to seperate themselves from the pack. As they arrived, Federal Stadium was booming. Both teams were on 6 points after 3 games, and had both lost to the all-conquering Yuezhou. The only thing that seperated them was GD, of which Saterun had one better.

Riding off the last game, Kameron stuck to his adjusted starting XI. Standard back line, a somewhat diamond in midfield (with Hans-Jürgen Becker pushed up and Andrei Coiro pushed back), and two flat strikers at the top. As Sendhang kicked off the game, it became apparrent the virtues of the formation, both defensive and offensive. Becker and Coiro were relentless while pressing, collapsing on the opposition. The Claws immidiatly imposed a stranglehold on Teuku Hassan Al Qari, who couldn't match Becker's vitality or Coiro's technique. After 23 minutes of this, Becker neatly picked Teuku Salahudin's pocket, and took the ball straight down the middle. He breezed past Al Qari, and continued his rampage downfield. A quick body feint and the ensuing skip brought him past Teuku Hamzah. Becker felt the pressure build on his back, and slotted the ball over to Sarabola out on the wings. Although he was ageing, Sarabola still hadn't lost his touch, and curled a perfect ball straight into the head of Thiago Esparza. Albertus Wageo made a good initial save, but the followup from Glenn Lundquist was simple to slot away.

After less than half and hour, the Claws were up in an away match. Their greatest strengths clearly lay in their crossing and second time finishes. During a scintillating counter attack, Thiago Esparza managed to rectify his early miss with a simple curled finish around Wageo. The keeper was left grasping at air as Esparza danced away in celebration. Maksymillian Bates may have been the future of this Saterun squad, but Esparza was still the greatest Saterun player of all time. His record with the national team and domestically would be hard to match. Saterun went into the half 2-0 up, and were exuding confidence. Their speed and agility had overwhelmed their ageing opposition, who had a mere 3 players under the age of thirty in their WC squad.

The half was but a brief respite for the Rice Farmers. Becker especially was dominating the midfield, both offensively and defensively. With Coiro as the conducter and Becker as the enforcer, the Claws added shot after shot on a besieged Sendhang goal. Comfortable with the lead, Kameron started to rotate his squad. Dubicki, who had shown promise against Yuezhou, took Bates off. Fabian Cruz also made his NT debut, taking off Saveli Holst. Dubicki repayed his manager's faith in the 72nd, adding his first goal of the campaign. After that, the game was effectually finished. A late counter from Sendhang shocked the Claws back into focus, but it was a very comfortable 3-1 finish in the end. Kameron Boyd's Claws had just passed a major test. Away, against a playoff rival, they had turned up and delivered. If they could maintain this momentum, they might actually have a shot at that playoff berth.

*****

A few days later, and the Fontecoro Municipal Stadium was abuzz with activity. Although the stadium was small by international standards (boasting a modest capacity of 22,500), it was extremely modern and frequently rated very highly by architectural firms. It was an ode to the capabilities of the SFF that they had gotten constuction over the line and had delivered a stadium fit for WCQ.

It was a clear, sunny day in the seaside city of Fontecoro, and the stadium had completely sold out. Although Saterun were facing a team ranked 215th in the world, the Claws' recent form had generated much excitement. And the fans were certaintly in for an entertaining match. Embracing the free-flowing, attacking style that the team had showed in previous games, Kameron's modified 4-4-2 took it to Newlandiq straight away. Within five minutes, Bates had weaved through the opposing defence and audaciously chipped the goalkeeper, much to the delight of the home fans. With the partnership of Esparza and Bates, any defence could be punctured.

However, the Claws started to slow down after the first goal. Becker almost put Glenn Lundquist through on goal, only for the opposing centerback to barely knock the ball out of the way. In the 42nd, Johnothan Post played a lazy ball out of the back, which was intercepted by a Newlandiq striker. A slotted pass found the feet of another opposition player, who poked it just beyond the reach of Ralf Abiatti. Shocked by the goal, the Claws struggled to find rhythm for the rest of the half. Angry at conceding such a sloppy goal, Kameron brought Post out and gave Kolby Brune the role. Besides that change, Kameron kept the tactical setup the same, believing in the team's ability to play themselves forward.

In the 55th, a deflection off a Bates shot led to a Saterun corner. Kameron, eager to get in front, encouraged Avishai Demare to push forward. Lundquist sent a ball swinging into the box, and after a couple of bounces it trickled out to Demare. Without hesitation, the outside-back slammed the ball towards goal. A slight dip (likely not intentional) allowed the ball to evade the keeper's grasp and slide into the inside netting. Saterun had resumed slight control of the game. Six minutes later, Bates cut through the defense again and layed the ball off for Esparza to smash it home into an empty net. The Newlandiq goalkeeper was left hung out to dry, and serious questions needed to be asked of the defense.

Just as the match seemed to be cementing in Saterun's favor, Newlandiq hit back. A series of well placed passes brought the ball within inches of Saterun's penalty box, and the ensuing shot took a large deflection off of Alojzy Addams. Abiatti was already commited to the original path of the ball, and there was nothing he could do but watch as a burst of chance cut their lead in half. The game was extremely tense for both sides, and neither opened up for the next ten minutes. However, once Sarabola put a far-out shot just on the wrong side of the post, things started to open up. 76 minutes in, Thiago Esparza put a cross from Becker clinically away to broaden the lead from 4-2. In tandem, Newlandiq was able to partly wrestle back the match in the 80th, Coiro giving up a bad pass that lead to the goal. In a game that already had 7, the next goal would be extremely important. Luckily for Kameron, his Claws managed to snatch it.

For the third time in the match, Bates was able to slice apart the opponent's defense. Bringing the ball from halfway inside the opponent's half, he beat three defenders to leave him wide open on the edge of the box. Looking for his second, it was expected that he would curl it home. That's exactly what the defender thought. But Bates had other ideas. He took the fakeshot quickly and sprinted into the box. He knocked the ball clean into the top right corner to score the final goal of the game, bringing the end score to 5-3. As the Claws went up to an astonishing 19 goals for, there was still work to do. The defense was very leaky, conceding joint-third in the group. Similar to the last cycle of matchdays, there were problems that needed ironing out. But if Bates, Esparza, and Becker kept up this fantastic form, the sky was the limit for these Claws.

Goal Contributions
Maksymillian Bates - 7
Thiago Esparza - 6
Hans-Jürgen Becker - 2
Andrei Coiro - 1
Avishai Demare - 1
Lundquist - 1
Dubicki - 1

[Sea Dome]

part 1: the People's Federal Matriarchy of Sea Dome City & the Massives

OOC note: the Parties and Cartels to be described in this post are all also important multisport clubs in CC1 aka CCO. Why they matter for sports fans will be addressed! While the format of the post lingers on the politics for good and thematic IC reasons, understanding my conceits in this way will make it tremendously easier to follow SPL footballers' careers, be they Sea Dome or CC1.

Part 2. the Rogue Capitalist Emirate of Corporate City 1
In the Emirate, politics are a strictly procedural matter. If your party is better at the processes and intrigue of the City, it will have more power over day-to-day life. As sociologist Dr. Amina Falk of Eastern University (CC1) told us, "Sport is vitally important business to any organized and interdependent community. Formal competition allows everyone a fair chance to feel, explore, and display their true level of strength without injuring people or starting wars or revolutions. In this way, the sporting field is an absolutely crucial venue for Corporates to understand how they relate to other individuals and groups. What the Americans of Earth History ignorantly called 'bragging rights', we now know is in fact a cross-section of the dialectic operating between opponents, endlessly demonstrating who is strongest today, tomorrow and the day after that. No CC1 political party has a chance of winning a slice of power unless it can field an impressive multisport club. Also, parties display their core values and priorities by which sport is the nominal focus of each club. For example, the SRPHC Purple Penguins aren't expected to necessarily win at hockey, but the SRPHC Purples are expected to win some kind of sport, while their status as a nominal 'Hockey Club' confirms that they see themselves as nimble, quick and appropriately violent."

Accordingly, today's Corporate party landscape is a simple three party system in which power fluctuates among the typically strong Liberal Party, the occasionally stronger Reform Party, and a Social Revolution Party that is frankly all over the map in terms of successes and failures. Other than the SRP, the names of parties in the City can actually be quite misleading to an observer ignorant of their ways. The Liberal Party are classical liberals, concerned with protecting capitalism from ideological and logistical threats, not protecting society from the predictable ravages of capitalism, nor balancing their interests. The Reform Party is interested in social and thought reform, aided by the (in a business sense) revolutionary drug Amongstify, not political or cultural progress. Anyone expecting that a government with Liberals and Reformists in it will aid to remake society in their interests is, statistically speaking, wrong. But here, even the SRP has no legal right to wage revolution, and as an aboveboard organization must consign itself to pushing ameliorative and progressive reforms. A revolutionary victory often consists of simply maintaining the status quo rather than adding a new horror. Purples also busy themselves with public interest corporations, which have as many rights as capitalist businesses in this strange land, and often play a role that would normally be represented by a government office.

The Conservative Party, also big on hockey, often has a laugh at the People's Federal Matriarchy by calling themselves "the Lemon Sharks". Ironically, the symbolism is actually the exact same in each country and the yellow star in the middle of the Sea Dome flag even represents City Island, once just one part of a unified SD. Yellow stands for wealth or capital, which are more or less the same thing for our purposes. While the Sea Dome Lemon Sharks represent the collective wealth of many interlocking communities none of which has the power to dictate terms to any other, the CPHC Lemon Sharks represent conserving the system which measures people and organizations against each other based on their capital or lack thereof. There isn't really much to conserve: they would like to see an antiquated model rise in a place where it can't. See, people quite like the public interest corporations. They perform vital roles and prevent the formation of governments and tax codes. They can popularize conservative politics among Corporate citizens all they like but will achieve no change unless the market truly believes that life should be somewhat regimented and handed over to Party officials to parcel out, rather than a hodgepodge of competing interests that is perceived as making CC1 great today.

The very odd duck here, as not technically a party but also not a cartel or other explicitly legal organization, are the Young Democrats. Often more successful than parties' multisport clubs, the YDs are otherwise an informal social club for people who disagree with Sea Peoples' antidemocratic ways. As democracy is fairly doomed here, the point is to simply rebel in public and make a mark while having fun with their friends.

Much more important than social clubs are the Cartels, lawful organizations for industries to come together and decide how to screw over everyone else. The traditional union-politics action of many other countries is here largely reserved for the Labor Cartel, or in pro sports, the Labor Cartel Reds. Rather than a union or guild, this is an industry cartel where the industry is providing labor-hours. Perhaps surprisingly for a committed pro-capitalist nation, CC1 allows the Labor Cartel to use many tactics that even liberal democracies do not allow. After all, they are up against the Credit Cartel, a literal cartel for credit, which is notorious for most likely funding the Sea Dome Mafia which plunged the Sea Peoples into a Crime War. While they initially performed the criminal and terrorist activities in order to benefit CC1 at MSD's expense, this backfired and the two are now allies in anti-crime. The Credit Cartel is still tremendously powerful and there isn't a legal means to make them any less powerful, only execute dozens and arrest thousands of cartel officials individually to blame for criminality. However, today they are weaker than they have ever been in history. On top of finishing midtable in SPFL and failing to win championships in any other sport, the front side of several of the lowest floors of Cartel HQ are ripped apart by automatic weapons fire.

Man, that's gonna be expensive.

Next: Part 3. Sea Dome ComIntern & the Revolutionary Communist Municipality of International City

[Zwangzug]

Zwangzug's e-Lipogram

Hi guys, it's us, your fun local lipogram pals! Zwangzug sits atop Group Four in World Cup qualification, with wins in its fourth and fifth rounds of play. Against a "Boring" utopian squad, playing in our capital, all it took for DiMarini's squad to triumph was a goal from from local boy Marcus. Following that, Zwangzug would go away to visit Ragdollia, a small nation with a cool indoor stadium and a running track around its pitch. It was a blowout win for our visitors, though, with goals for captain Julia, fullback Ryland (a rarity), Brian Spand-Maunk, and...backup forward Alyssa, okay, sounds good.

Zwangzug will finish out its first half by going to Cham and playing against Josifovo, a multicultural nation in which many individuals follow Orthodox Christian faith. (No, it's not that group of monks known for its wild spatial portals, distinct branch of Orthodoxy.) And finally, our halfway point match is in Brannfjord, a Rushmori nation that runs up against Graintfjall. This "Viking" squad was infamous for typos which wrongly said that anybody who plays for it is only a fraction of an inch tall. But this is just a misprint. It's actually a bunch of humans with normal proportions. Is it a possibility that forward Sigurd H. is a distant kinsman of Kayla (captain from our World Cup 92 championship)? Probably not, but his family sounds similar. IDs such as "Martin," "Tobias," or "Jonas" bring a familiar, cozy sound to many of our fans.

Now, why is this all important? Our staff has found out that Brannfjord is full of savvy fans who know lots about what occurs in our big, broad world of football, including such trivia as "Zwangzug is a silly country that isn't big on wars, or cars, or actually knowing anything about football, and (sadly) isn't actually good at moving pawns and rooks with skill, but it is a big fan of lipograms, and that's fun!" And this is not only a truthful fact, but a good thing. Lots of nations can sport a grand military, or lots of autos, but not many craft lipograms.

But, it also looks as if our pals in Brannfjord might not actually know what a lipogram is. A lipogram is (usually) not a rhyming ditty, although if you want to author a lipogram that is also a rhyming ditty, you could. A lipogram is a group of words that avoids using a particular symbol. Usually, you want to pick a common symbol to skip; it's not too hard to print a story that omits Q, X, or Z (assuming you don't hail from Qazox, a long-ago nation). In our Anglo script, or in Francais, that symbol following D and prior to F is most common and shows up in many words, so usually it's of high difficulty to omit. This publication usually shows off by writing in such a format.

Anyway, this is how lipograms normally look. If you want follow-up information, or you just want us to try writing about various topics, you can contact us by mail with your inquiry. Thanks for your support, and good luck to Zwangzug's squad!

[Pemecutan]

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

---

---

A heavy rain pour the town of Canggu from midnight combine with strong winds. It drench the town and flooded some part of it. The flood is not high. Only 25cm at most. But still, it makes difficult for everyone to do their activities this day. The delegations are also stranded in their hotel. They are all placed in the hotel's meeting room while waiting for the rain to a bit calmer.

"Will the rain stop?" wonder Subrata.
"Maybe at noon," predict Wiradarma who's playing with his cellphone.
"Rainy season is here definitely," comment Aggarjahia with his gloomy face.
Kusumajaya confuse with his colleagues gloomy expression. What's wrong with a little rain? he thinks.

"We can start the meeting here while waiting for the rain," suggest Kusumajaya.
"Yeah, we can do that. Unless we have something to do rather than doing nothing," agreed Darma Puja.
Everyone's then agree to start their meeting. Kusumajaya contact the hotel's manager to prepare the proper equipments for their meeting. Luckily, all the needed equipments are available in the hotel. Kusumajaya try to contact Qadari and inform what's going on. But it seems Qadari aren't able to join the meeting via teleconference as he is on his way to board the plane for a flight to Mengwi. Mangu International Airport in Mengwi is the closest airport to Canggu as the State of Kanginan only have 1 international airport.

"Well, we start our discussion without Mr. Qadari. He is on a flight to Kanginan," inform Kusumajaya.
"Oh, glad he can come earlier," comment Kelakan.
Qadari previously informed everyone that he might be able to join the meeting after the fourth day. But it seems that his circumstances end earlier.
"Alright. Continuing yesterday discussion, we complete the government composition by deciding how the judiciary would be. Any suggestion?" open Kusumajaya.
"I guess everyone would agree that the court has to be independence from the other two. It can't be interfere," say Kelakan.
"But how about the judges selection? And even they are independence from the other two, they need to have its own check and balance," comment Wiradarma.
"In most of us, I believe it is either the executive that select the judges at least for the Supreme Court with the approval from the legislative. We can use this process in the new institution," suggest Anggarjahia.
"Only Pemecutan who use career judges it seems," remind Darma Puja.
"Honestly, I can't really grasp how does it work," say Kelakan confusingly.
"Pemecutan judiciary is place under Dewan Kehakiman dan Advokasi Pemecutan (Pemecutan Advocacy and Judiciary Council). It is consists of all judges and lawyers within Pemecutan. They have their own council body who will selected the judges in each level based on their skills, experience and track record. The better these judges are the more chance they are to get a higher level position," explain Kusumajaya.
"Hhmm. That's very independent. But how about the check and balance?" ask Kelakan who rather astonish with the fact.
"They have what it call Ethical Council. This council will checks every cases given to the court system. The process and the verdict are reviewed. and if they found any mistake, the council will take action. Either by removing the judges or something else," answer Kusumajaya.
"That's sound too good to be true," argue Anggarjahia.
"They do have flaw," cut Wiradarma. "The Ethical Council can't dismissed the case that have been finalized if ever they find flaws within the process. They can only punish the judge's involve in the case," he explain.
The other nods in understanding.
'Well, every system have its flaws I guess," comment Subrata.
"Indeed. But I like how the system is. Although it makes them highly exclusive, isn't it?" say Kelakan.
"Yes, it is," answer Kusumjaya in short.
"It just like the military with their military court. No one can interfere except if they are in the military itself," comment Anggarjahia.
"But that would make them highly regard. And people might be afraid to deal with them because of their exclusivity," argue Kelakan.
"Although you have to remember that we only decide how the selection process of the Supreme Court judges will be. We're not changing the entire system of each one of us," remind Kusumajaya.
"Ah yes. You're right. We've got carried away," say Darma Puja. While the other can only smile with their realization.
"I believe a 7 judges Supreme Court would be good. One judge per state. Just like how the Council of Ministers are," suggest Anggarjahia.
"I think we need to give them limitation. Like they can't take a case that's coming from the state where the judge's come from," add Kelakan.
"Oh, that's a good idea. It would reduce the possibility of personal or internal conflict," agreed Kusumajaya.
"How about their office term?" ask Subrata.
"Same as the executive and legislative?" suggest Wiradarma.
"They usually have a longer term of office," say Darma Puja.
"Twice the executive and legislative office term?" suggest Kusumajaya.
"How about we have the judges selection not at the same time as the executive and legislative election?" suggest Kelakan.
"So 6 years?" ask Anggarjahia.
"Make it the same term at 4 years but their selection is on the mid-term," Wiradarma comes up with the idea.
"That's a good idea," agreed Kelakan.
"So, does everyone agree with this idea?" Kusumajaya asking for approval. And everyone nods in agreement.

---

Despite the rain have subside, the delegations are having their lunch at the hotel instead. They got carried away with their discussion and forget about the time. The menus are exquisite. Prepare by the hotel's chef. Most are seafood dishes. Subrata look confuse when he try bulung, a dish made of fresh seaweed mixed with shredded coconut, galangal and shrimp paste and combine with fish broth. He thought it would taste fishy but it turns out the dish give a fresh taste.

Kusumajaya is seen talking with Pemecutan Economy and Trade Minister, Nengah Parwata. It seems like the economic forum have finalized their economy analysis of the new institution. "You can present the report tomorrow. I can inform the other leaders about this later," say Kusumajaya. After talking with Parwata, he got a call that inform Qadari has arrived in Mengwi and on its way to Canggu. Kusumajaya inform the other leaders about the news and everyone can't wait to meet Qadari. While Kusumajaya also ask everyone if they want to continue the meeting here at the hotel or they move the meeting to the original venue. Most of the delegations choose to continue the meeting at the hotel. A change of scenery they say. Kusumajaya go with the plan and inform the event organizer to prepare for tomorrow's meeting instead in the venue.

---

The situation inside the meeting room is quite busy with everyone seems to talks here and there. It makes the meeting looks unschedule. It is not intended to be like this. But as the delegations wanted to wait for Toluiwan President to arrive before they continue the discussion, this situation appears. Kusumajaya looks at his watch. He realize they have delay the discussion for almost two hours. Qadari should have arrive here but no news from him. And after a while.

"I'm sorry everyone to make you waiting," greet Qadari as he open the meeting room's door.
"Ah, finally. What took you so long?" ask Kelakan who immediately approach Qadari and gives him a warm handshake.
"This strong wind prevent me from passing the bridge to the town. Can't believe this town in on an island," explain Qadari.
"I'm sorry to hear that. Our security prevention prevent the bridge passing on certain wind strength," apologize Wiradarma.
"No worries. I praise your detail concern about it. Safety is number one after all," comment Qatari.
"So, shall we?" escort Kusumajaya. Qadari took his seat.
"Please start the discussion, Mr. Kusumajaya," say Anggarjahia.
"Alright. As previously stated, we will continue to discuss about the government system. We already agree on the executive, legislative and judiciary."
"Oh, you have discuss about the court?" cut Qadari.
"Yes, we settle with 7 judges in the Supreme Court, one from each state. Just like the executive composition," explain Kusumajaya.
"Ah, that's great," comment Qadari.
"Okay. So, the next thing to discuss is where will be the government reside?" ask Kusumajaya to open the topic of discussion.

Everyone see at each other. They seems to afraid to say their mind.
"I think it should be position in Pemecutan. You are the biggest of us all," say Kelakan in the end.
"Oh no. Don't," stop Kusumajaya. "I wish for the capital to be outside Pemecutan. I don't want us to look monopolize everything," explain Kusumajaya.
"Hhhmm. It is difficult to decides," whisper Subrata.
"What about we place it in Toluiwa? A lot of empty space there. We can plan the capital city there," suggest Anggarjahia.
"It would take a lot of time to establish a plan city. And it's too far south. A center capital position would be better I believe," argue Qadari.
"Then in Kanginan?" say Anggarjahia again while glancing at Wiradarma.
"Hhmm. I don't think any city or town in Kanginan is capable to transform as a capital," shrug Wiradarma. "What if we use that 2 islands in Pemecutan possession?" say Wiradarma suddenly.
Strike! say Kusumajaya in his mind. It is his plan after all to use that islands as capital. But it seems that he doesn't need to propose it by himself. Wiradarma is quick thinker to think about the two islands.
"That means splitting the government office?" ask Surabrata.
"It's not something new," comment Kusumajaya.
"True. One island can be the place of executive and legislative. The other one is the judiciary," suggest Qadari.
"Good idea. The judiciary won't be influenced by the other two then," comment Darma Puja.
"But which one is which?" ask Anggarjahia.
Everyone look at Kusumajaya for idea.
"How about Gili Tangkong as executive and legislative center. And Jading is the judiciary center?" suggest Kusumajaya.
"Isn't it bring me into the target zone?" ask Subrata. Gili Anakan is south of Gili Tangkong.
"I think Mr. Kusumajaya idea is good," say Qadari. "Positioning the executive and legislative in Gili Tangkong will give a closer view of how our confederation workout. And maybe Cakranegaran leaders might change their mind afterwards. Besides, the island have been heavily guarded since Cakranegara Civil War. And it has a close proximity with Pemecutan, our largest military. It will be safe," explain Qadari.
"That makes sense. Beside if anything happen to Gili Tangkong, the government could fly to Jading who has a more centered position within Mandalanusa. We can protect them there," add Kelakan.
"Jading is also heavily guard. It house our joint military base," add Anggarjahia.
Everyone nods in understanding.
"So, are everyone agree with the capital idea?" ask Kusumajaya.
"I'm still thinking we only need one capital maybe somewhere in Kanginan," say Subrata.
"This town is good enough," jokes Darma Puja.
Wiradarma rolled his eyes.
"Are we going for a vote on this?" ask Kusumajaya.
"I'm fine with vote," answer Subrata. Then everyone agree.

The vote only have 2 options, two capitals or one capital. And only 5 leaders votes on it as Kusumajaya in represent of Gili Tangkong and Jading and Wiradarma (despite his objection) is represent the one capital option. After almost an hour of vote preparation and vote casting, the result is announce.

"And the result is 4 to 1. Four votes choose two capitals. And online that choose one capital," announce Kusumaaya.
Subrata facial expression change drastically. While Wiradarma relieve that Kanginan won't be made capital.
"So, it is decided that Gili Tangkong and Jading are our capital," confirm Kusumajaya who follow by applause from everyone. And despite choosing one capital option, Subrata join the celebration as he believe in the fair voting process. While Kusumajaya's heart become warm. Another secret plan of his is accepted by the leaders without they are knowing. The first is making Pawukon calendar as the official calendar of the new institution. And the second is making Gili Tangkong and Jading as the capital. Seems like everything goes as plan even without his own involvement.

Kusumajaya notes

Institution name:
Suggestion 1: Mandaran Union
Suggestion 2: United Mandaran States

Executive:
Council of Ministers, 7 person, 1 from each state, 4 years term of office.
Use Pawukon for Presidential office rotation. 120 days per rotation.

Legislative:
Unicameral. Name maybe The Mandaran Council.
20 MPs per state (140 members)

Judiciary:
Same as Council of Ministers.

Capital:
Gili Tangkong and Jading

---

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MD 4
Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove. 0 - 0 Pemecutan
@ Soccer Field 1 at The National Sport Complex, Sacré-Coeur District, Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer

Goal:
No goal

MD 5
Pemecutan 5 - 1 Adab
@ Tegeh Kori National Stadium, Pemecutan

Goal:
Surya Dwipayana (7', 66')
Leo Olivando (22', 90+1')
Gede Putra Arimbawa (83')

MD 6
The Licentian Isles v Pemecutan
@ The Licentian Isles

MD 6
Pemecutan v Frontiere
@ Manguwi Stadium, Mengwi, Pemecutan

Squad
Starters
GK : Yohan Ekaputra
LB : Dwi Putra Kusuma (C)
CB : Ngurah Agung Rai Putra
CB : Yudha Dewanantha
RB : Septiandi Rai Putra
LM : Gede Purnama
CM : Dian Wahyu Ananda
RM : Rian Kusuma
ST : Leo Olivando
ST : Gede Putra Arimbawa
AT : Surya Dwipayana
Reserved
GK : Hasyim Wirawan
GK : Dewa Putu Adi Adnyana
LB : Ngakan Kompyang Widyantara
CB : Sang Putu Chandra Artha
CB : Wayan Adi Darmantara
RB : Kadek Dwi Diatmika
LM : Putu Pande Suthawijaya
CM : Triono Atmaji
RM : Ketut Adi Jaya
ST : Ketut Agus Astapa
ST : Asta Yudi Permana
AT : Arya Tungga Wijaya

Roles
Captain : Dwi Putra Kusuma
Vice Captain : Dian Wahyu Ananda
Corner, left : Dwi Putra Kusuma
Corner, right : Septiandi Rai Putra
Freekick : Gede Putra Arimbawa, Leo Olivando
Penalty : Surya Dwipayana

Injured
Satya Putra Laksamana (Off for 3 matches)

[Indusse]

Hind Tribune
Official Data Out: Death Tolls close to thousands

By Subrato Shahla

After the terrible terrorist attack in Downtown Central, New Hind City, the number of people who died keeps going up, and it's now really sad at 941. The whole country is devastated as families try to cope with losing their loved ones. The Reports state that around 5200 people were found injured and they were transferred to hospitals all around.

Inspector General of Police Bhanurang Mainta shared heartfelt condolences as the number of lives lost tragically reached 941. He also informed that the search party has been withdrawn since no more missing cases were informed and no bodies or people were found in the shopping complex for around four hours of search. Mainta assured the public that the quest for justice would continue and urged everyone to come together and support each other in these tough times. He stressed the importance of community cooperation as they work to find those responsible for this heartbreaking incident.

The DownTown Entertainment, the owners of the shopping complex informed that renovation of the building is impossible and the two acres of land which was left for parking with the three acre shopping complex has also been having serious issues. They've informed that the shopping complex will be demolished completely and a new, better shopping complex would be constructed at its place. Demolition works would start as soon as the primary investigation for the attack ends.

The Province Police Forces have decided to stay alert for a weeks time and to conduct 24×7 surveillance across the city. In response to heightened security concerns, the police have announced additional security measures in the Sport City Area, particularly during the home matches of the Indussean National Football Team. Recognizing the importance of ensuring the safety of both players and fans, the police are deploying extra security forces in and around the sports venue.

In light of these atrocities, the Indussean Football Association (IFA) has informed that, if necessary, the home stadium for the national team matches can be relocated to the Rivera Arena in Riveria, Southbay. This option is being considered in case security concerns are raised by the World Cup Committee (WCC) or any of the visiting teams. Necessary Facilities are being prepared in the Rivera Arena if it has to be used in any sort of emergency conditions.

---

World Cup 95 Stats

Indusse 1 - 1 Sharktail
Mersiàs 67'
Razen Saif 88'
--------
Indusse 4 - 3 Banija
Rahul B Kumar 11'
Mersiàs 27'
Sergius Atieno 40'
Grundjee 53'
Abel Wesoloski-Okafor 66'
Lavyin Son-Saka 79'
Grundjee 87'

Group 13 First Half - Indusse Fixtures
MD1 : Indusse 2 - 1 Vilwandia
MD2 : Ethane 0 - 0 Indusse
MD3 : Indusse 2 - 0 Damukuni
MD4 : Sharktail 1 - 1 Indusse
MD5 : Indusse 4 - 3 Banija
MD6 : The Holy Empire v Indusse
MD7 : Indusse v Santa-Barbara

[Brusseldorf]

Match Reports

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sort by |latest ⮟|

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Eshialand 1–0 Brusseldorf
November 19th
The Eshialand City SuperDome, Eshialand City, Eshialand

There is unlikely to be any diversion from the tried and trusted when Eshialand travel to Belle Haven to face Baker Park in MD5 on Monday. If Kenneth Morgan was hoping to come away from this win over Brusseldorf with selection headaches, a disjointed display will surely only have left him even more certain about who will be in his starting XI.

There were some positives for Morgan to read from the match, including a clean sheet for Elizabeth Michaels, Lysander Moore taking his chance up front and Andrew Travers making a vital goal-line clearance when it was 0-0 and Brusseldorf were on top. Elsewhere though, concerns lingered. Kaiya Daniels was shaky in defence and Jonathan Harper struggled to show he can challenge rested Jacob Harran on the right wing. Creativity was sparse. Alyssa Longfield lacked consistency despite assisting Moore’s winner.

This was a tough test for Eshialand. Brusseldorf were motivated, Sarah Pickett and Vindark Al Maghribī crunching into challenges in midfield, hunting for complacency. When they threatened in the 18th minute, Elizabeth Michaels saving well after Pickett’s shot took a deflection off Daniels, it was clear that Eshialand had to sharpen up. Brusseldorf had hope and they delivered another warning when Daniels lost track of Teddy Wolfenden, only for the striker to volley wide.

Brusseldorf made their physicality count. Gabriel Lellouche, the left-back, shot over after a corner fell to him and Eshialand laboured. There were holes in midfield, where Stevens was lacking in discipline and Horner in control. Harper wasted a chance to play Alyssa Longfield in on the left. Macdougall sent a shot out for a throw, though she would underline her threat on one occasion, releasing Moore to round Lukas De Wit and hit the woodwork from a tight angle.

Yet Eshialand were erratic. Brusseldorf should have led when Aktha Akiveal released Boronia after turning past Evan Stevens. Boronia’s shot beat Michaels but Travers cleared it. In fairness Eshialand experimented. The shape in possession was interesting. Stevens moved into a back three, Gorman was close to Carey, and Moore pushed close to Harper. It was not easy to pull off. The hosts often looked congested.

They ended up going direct. After 70 minutes Brusseldorf lost concentration when Gorman lifted in a deep cross. Longfield had time to power a low shot towards the far post and look distinctly unamused when Moore slid in to score from yards out. Was Longfield’s shot going in? Moore did not look contrite. Michaels would also do herself no harm in goal, saving again from Steyr. Forsen came on late for Eshialand and Brusseldorf went close again, Amina Khelifi heading against a post. Morgan's second string held on.

With that, Eshialand leads the group standings. Foster says he will soothe Brusseldorfen hearts on MD5, it's fair to say that a win over middling Aleirave would do just that. Casablanca will make the home advantage count.

Lineups

Eshialand
13 Elizabeth Michaels
39 Kyle Rikers
23 Andrew Travers
58 Kaiya Daniels
42 Evan Stevens
5  Michael Horner
19 Avery Macdougall
16 Lysander Moore
9  Alyssa Longfield
21 Jonathan Harper
24 Alice Carroll

Substitutes
10 Jacob Harran (s 60')
22 George Habisbrauer (s 61')
7  David Gorman (s 62')
14 Carter Langley (s 63')
18 Keiar Forsen (s 83')

Brusseldorf
18 Lukas De Wit
2  Boronia
3  Gabriel Lellouche
4  Ricard Sciolan
5  Andrea Zidane
6  Sarah Pickett
7  Michael Hernández
8  Vindark Al Maghribī
9  Teddy Wolfenden
23 Marcev Steyr
20 Aktha Akiveal

Substitutes
13 Dom Harrak (s 60')
22 Sven Prote (s 60')
17 Amina Khelifi (s 69')
10 Santa Dominguez (s 69')
11 Giroud Sidi (s 89')

---

MD5
Brusseldorf v Aleirave

This is my first RP for this cutoff, the second can be found here

[Ile de Richelieu]

Île de Richelieu starts qualifications with 4 wins in 5 games

Port-Saint-Jean, Île de Richelieu - Île de Richelieu is starting the qualifications on the right foot with 4 wins in 5 games. On matchday 1, the Richelois travelled to the Kingdom of Aphrilia and won 1-0 on a goal by Marc-Antoine Desgroseilliers at the 59th minute.

Goals
59th minute        Marc-Antoine Desgroseilliers

On matchday 2, the Cardinals travelled to the Corrupt Petrostate and won 3-1. Île de Richelieu took the lead early with goals from Rose-Émilie Bouthillette and Asbjørn Lillegard-Omdahl but early in the 2nd half, the Corrupt Petrostate reduced Île de Richelieu's lead. At the 72nd minute, Tristan Charbonneau made a short pass to Jean-Christophe Gouin who kicks the ball past the goalkeeper and the Richelois increases their lead to 3-1. This is the final score.

Goals
11th minute        Rose-Émilie Bouthillette
26th minute        Asbjørn Lillegard-Omdahl
51st minute        Player #10
72nd minute        Jean-Christophe Gouin

Île de Richelieu was back at home for matchday 3 and received Beefsteak City at the Bear Mountain National Stadium. The cardinals scored first, at the 34th minute when Ulfhild Lillegard-Omdahl made a cross to Marc-Antoine Desgroseilliers who kicks and the ball is in. Beefsteak City tied the game at the 63rd minute on a goal by Darren Buffitt. Île de Richelieu took the lead at the 85th minute when Valkyrie Dahlen kicks a corner kick and the ball goes directly into the net. Rose-Émilie Bouthillette increased Île de Richelieu's lead at the 89th minute on a header goal and the final score was 3-1 Île de Richelieu.

Goals
34th minute        Marc-Antoine Desgroseilliers
63rd minute        Darren Buffitt
85th minute        Valkyrie Dahlen
89th minute        Rose-Émilie Bouthillette 

The Cardinals travelled to Mertagne on matchday 4. the atmosphere there was strange since the country is at war with Bostopia. No fans were allowed in the country, the airport was guarded by the Mertagnian army and we were detained for two hours while they inspected our luggages. The hotel was almost empty, except us and some Mertagnians. The match was played behind closed doors and it was quite a game! Mertagne won that thriller 4-3 and we were tied with them in the standings after 4 matchdays. Île de Richelieu scored first when Marc-Antoine Desgroseilliers passed the ball to Jean-Christophe Gouin who kicks the ball past Rhiannon Fawn and it's a goal. The Richelois increased their lead at the 22nd minute when Asbjørn Lillegard-Omdahl scored on a free kick. Then, in the 35th minute, Mertagne cuts Île de Richelieu's lead when Holly Eveson made a header pass to Burro Curwood who heads the ball past Bjørnar Grendahl-Kalberg. Before the end of the first half, Mertagne tied the game on a corner kick when Haizene Fairchild advanced in the penalty area and jumped higher than anyone to head the ball right into the net. The score was 2-2 at halftime. Mertagne took the lead lead at the 65th minute when Rowan Emberson passed to Holly Eveson who kicks it and it's a goal. Île de Richelieu didn't say their last word and tied the game at the 87th minute when Ragnhild Austad made a cross to Jean-Christophe Gouin who kicks the ball and it's a goal. The game is tied at 3-3. Mertagne attacked at the 90 +2 minute when Holly Eveson dribbles with the ball in the penalty area and tries to pass to Lewis Travers. Rasmus Hammer cuts the pass but the ball goes the wrong way and goes into the net. it's an own goal and Mertagne won 4-3.

Goals
8th minute:         Jean-Christophe Gouin 
22nd minute:        Asbjørn Lillegard-Omdahl
35th minute:        Burro Curwood
42nd minute:        Haizene Fairchild
65th minute:        Holly Eveson
87th minute:        Jean-Christophe Gouin
90 + 2 minute:      Rasmus Hammer (own goal)

Île de Richelieu was back at home for matchday 5. Meanwhile, the nation and all the multiverse is mourning the loss of famous rock star and lead singer of Les Cowboys Fringants Karl Tremblay who died of cancer. Richelois players all wore the number 76 during the warm up against Stevencousin to honor Tremblay, which symbolizes his birth year. The weather was snowy but the game was still playable despite the snow on the field. Ulfhild Lillegard-Omdahl scored at the 76th minute and it was the sole goal of the game. Île de Richelieu won 1-0. Valkyrie Dahlen injured herself and will miss matchdays 6 and 7 against Aeragny and Ko-oren. Île de Richelieu is now 2nd in the standings tied with Mertagne with 12 points in 5 games.

Goals
76th minute        Ulfhild Lillegard-Omdahl

Jean-Guy Laframboise

[A m e n r i a]

Who? What?

"Hi, hello everyone! I'm Jang Sori and I'll be your host for today. On the last episode we talked about the rest of the Qì colours; blue, black, and rainbow. This time, we're going to talk about the Mutiara Stadium, where our national football team are playing in the qualifiers for the 95th World Cup!"

What is the Mutiara Stadium?

"The Mutiara stadium is a multipurpose stadium in its namesake city, the capital of our great empire, Mutiara! It was built at the time of the PRC in 2009, so the city and the stadium too, of course, was still called Dalian then, and opened waaay back in 2013, when it hosted the National Games of China that year. From 2014 to 2020, it was the home stadium for the local football club, Dalian Pro FC. Interestingly, in 2021, my birth year, it was rented by Shanghai Port FC up until 2031 before being rented again by Dalian Pro."

"During the Third World War, it was used as a field hospital and temporary shelter for stranded civilians by the Asia-Pacific Alliance. Unfortunately, it was overrun shortly after American forces entered the city and was abandoned until the end of the war."

Sori paused and looked away before continuing.

"The stadium was more than just a building to the people of the city. It was a symbol of who they are and what they stood for. That's why it was rebuilt pretty quickly after the war was over and the empire was founded, and boy was it rebuilt. The stadium originally had a capacity of 61,000, but after the war, it was expanded to house over twice that number! It sent the right message to the world. This is our new capital. We won't back down. No matter what you throw at us, carpet bombings, drone strikes, or even the legions of Hell itself, we won't go down without a damn fight...and after we win, we'll stand back up stronger than ever."

Sori looks straight at the camera, smiling while raising one fist close to her face, before slowly putting her hand back down and sighing.

"Whew...thankfully, Amenrian kids today won't have to deal with what previous generations went through in the war. They have the superheroes, the police, the army, the nobles, and of course, the Exalted One himself. With that, I end this episode. Drink water, hug your pets, and thank God for every gift He has given you today. Byee!"