World Cup 95 Roleplay Thread

[Brannfjord]

Blekebakken Stadion –After the match against Zwangzug

The Norvik brothers, as pretty much everybody at Blekebakken Stadion were in a complete state of euphoria. Everybody running crazy in the pitch as the fans invaded it to celebrate, the unexpected happened and everybody wanted to have a share of the moment with the players, the coach and their families. Brannfjord was in a party mood, as the President of the Republic decided to declare the next day a holiday due to the result of the match.

“We won; we have fucking won!” said Harald to Torstein.

“I shall concede, we have done it splendidly” said Torstein while patting Harald in the shoulders… Then continued saying “But this is only the first half of the qualifier, we have to visit them.”

“Don’t ruin the party, we have won 0-0! Only Brannfjord can do something like that.”

“We won what?”

“This is a morale win; we are second in the leaderboard… This is unexpected.”

“Definitely, unexpected, but we have to work more than before, as we have demonstrated that we have capacity to perform nicely here, eh?”

One of the friends of both brothers appeared, Ragnar Stavenes accompanied by Margharita Lund, his girlfriend. The four took a selfie with Emil Helsing, the star of the team, who happened to be close to the group of friends. “Enjoy the moment, we will continue working hard!” said Emil while walking and celebrating with more fans.

“This. Is. Brannfjord!” said Stavenes while fist-bumping in the air. Emotion was high, they knew that the moment was so surprising that not even the most optimistic fan could’ve had this in mind.

“I really hope we don’t get sanctioned for this” said Lund, while hugging Stavenes.

“Oh, come on. I guess the NSWC won’t do that with us. We are just harmless fans wanting to have fun after this game.” Said Torstein.

Harald, noting that Torstein wanted to clean himself after his pessimistic thoughts at the beginning of the qualifier, said “Oh, buddy… Don’t you remember who said we would be rock bottom? That we would suck balls in this? Don’t make yourself look like you’ve forgotten that…”

“Thank you for being such a supporting brother… I really didn’t expect that from you to be fair.” Said Torstein, somewhat annoyed after what Harald did. “See, I was pessimistic because I don’t trust people from Senja to take charge of a national team like Kjartan Martinssen has done. But now, it seems that I have to swallow those words, one by on, because the team has grown up into maturity a bit fast.”

Lund then added “That’s the pace we didn’t expected, though, being second- and one-point shy from a World Cup Champ in the leaderboard? Well, if you ask me, I can sign this and go with it.”

“There’s stuff that needs to be done in defence, I guess.” Said Stavenes while looking to the defenders drinking beer. Look at them, they need to be faster, as we suffered in this match because of this. Our players have to be a match, not a no match for attackers.”

“It helps that we could be a little bit stronger, it is in our genes, it is in the way how we are raised in the woods.” Said Harald, then he continued “Look, we fought till the end and that’s a big thing for me. I’m satisfied of this team and of this victory.”

“Harald, we now have to place the Eastfield Lodge and the Boring Paradise” said Lund, while laughing.

“Stavenes, I think you should do something there?” said Torstein.

“We have to go to the Eastfield Lodge, throw a party because I’m feeling a bit boring. We need to celebrate more and more.” Said Staveness while the rest of friends laughed at it.

“Let’s keep it up, guys!” said Torstein to Martinssen.

“He says that he doesn’t trus….” Said Harald before being slapped by Torstein.

“I told you to shut it, bro. Don’t make me stand in a ridiculous way in front of the national team manager.”

“Calm down!” Said the mother of the Norvik brothers, Sonja. She then said “Enjoy the match, or we will have to talk more at home on how you behave…” The brothers and family continued celebrating, it was a day of party at Blekebakken for sure that late night

[Cheetahs and reptiles Coalison]

So,the guy we had was kinda quite bad and then we sent him away,but then,now we kinda need a new guy for when this one leaves for real

EN|EN-NTN|PT|IT|EN-international|ES|show more
by Giorgio Giovanni Almeida

The current manager of the national squad of The Natanian Republic of Cheetahs and reptiles Coalison was formally fired from his employment and has until an yet undisclosed date to stay on the position,before being unemployed and needing to go the arduous process of looking for a new job,if he does not find anything to do until then.The National Confederation took said decision precipitately and on a seeming whime,when there is no known option to replace him when he leaves.The Politburo commented on the news and expressed preoccupation on the state and future of one of the symbols of our great nation.It is guaranteed that he will lead the squad at least until the end of the current WCQ,and being quite certain the fact that he will no longer stay for the next WCQ.

UPDATE:The curent manager of the national football squad will retire after a long career,when the time to leave his position arrives,he has already started filling the paperwork,since he was communicated of the National Confederation's decision.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

© Sporting Times Daily 2023
Heading towards not being famous anymore? BP on the brink
by Mindy Cartwright, National Soccer Editor

The halfway mark of World Cup 95 Qualifying finds the Commonwealth National Team in a hole that might possibly be too deep to escape from over the remaining seven fixtures.

While only having lost once thus far, the Bees find themselves eight points behind the leaders in Group 2 Eshialand, while having only three of the final seven matches at home. On the other side of the coin, they sit only 3 points from second place which would be good enough for a playoff spot.

The likelihood of failing to advance the Finals for the first time ever draws closer with each match drawn, a 15 tournament streak that is not only a record for qualifying from a debut but also the third longest active streak of consecutive World Cup behind Farfadillis and Vilita; the latter nation's withdrawal from the tournament means their streak was going to end regardless but BP also falling by the wayside will leave only the WC 84 Champions with the distinction of not missing out through the 80's and 90's cycles.

It's been said time and again that missing out on the Finals would not be a disaster for the FAC or the National Team; of the thousands of nations that have entered the 94 previous editions of the World Cup, the Bees have been fortunate to have earned one of the 32 berths on more occasions than all but about 1% of that total.

But from a perspective of longer term vision both into the future and looking to the past, there are questions that genuinely need to be examined.

Is it all going wrong?

Since winning DiBradini Cup 53, the Under-21 National Team have not won a group stage match at the subsequent three editions, while the Under-18's haven't come close to winning a third title in that age cohort.

Fewer players from this country are being signed to play abroad than was the case even just 5 cycles ago, not only as a result of the National League's contract structure but from general lack of interest in the talent available.

So the question has to be confronted—has Baker Park reached the ceiling of how far the FAC Development Charter's success can propel it in the international game? Has the rocket run out of fuel before being able to lift the payload into a higher orbit, or is a sub-space orbit the future?

Several people from outside the FAC were willing to give their thoughts on the subject without being identified, while a couple of people we talked to were fine with being quoted on the record.

Genevieve Seward is the Managing Director at Shiloh FC, in charge of both halves of the club—the women in the WNL 1st Division, the men in the NL 3rd—and was the Academy Director for 8 years before assuming the top job 3 seasons ago, giving her a perspective that is unusual in the sport.

“I wish that we'd given the Charter an upgrade about 5 or 6 years ago, I pleaded with Dave (Carlson, former FAC Executive Director and primary architect of the Development Charter system) that we needed to review some of the elements because the circumstances had evolved. Why we never got around to it baffles me still today. I don't hate the system conceptually, but it hasn't done for us what we thought it would.”

Because of its location in southwest Ezra, Shiloh is competing with half a dozen other rivals in pursuing youth talent for the club's Academy, almost all of them fielding mixed gender squads in competition through the FAC Academy League structure; they are one of six WNL teams that have a corresponding men's side in the third tier and of that group are one of the four (Sherwood Forest, Ravens and Ridge Raiders are the others) that compete in FACAL Division 3-A, the lowest tier for coed academies.

“We want to be able to bring along potential talent that can help us compete in the (WNL) First Division, but everyone else in the state with coeds play higher (in the academy pyramid) than us. No question it's been something of a boon to the men but it is a net loss for the entire club overall.”

Shiloh FC's men are among the group of clubs that rise and drop between the 3rd Division & the FAC Shield, which Seward also points to as a weakness even as she touts it as something of an advantage.

“What we have right now is a player pool where the men are just good enough and the women are just not quite when they play separately in the first team, but honestly I don't think mixed gender academy teams have been a successful undertaking, certainly not under the current league structure.”

What is the story at clubs that have men and women both playing in the top flight? Well, it's complicated, as Terrence Irving, Director of Player Development and Academy U17 Head Coach for Southend AC explains.

“Obviously if you look at our record, the Academy League has been one of the best things to happen to our academy, but has it translated to player development within the Charter system for us? If I'm honest I have to say, well...no. Or more conditionally, maybe? “

Irving has won the Academy Premier League three times and the Division 2 title once along with the FAC Academy Cup but his point is about the wider impact of that record on producing talent for the senior club squad and to a tangential extent the BP National Team.

Carly Logan, Alonzo Boyle and Ian Dickerson turned pro with Southend, but none of the trio came through the academy, although there are currently 6 men and 7 women in the respective first team squads who trained as youth players with the club; but that has only translated into mid to low table finishes for both sides over an extended length of time as rivals Ezriquay United and Midtown AC for the men have capitalized on their single gender youth development to leave the Railmen in their wake.

A Bridge Too Far?

A long-time youth club coach is 100% sure when the Development Charter began to break down.

“The National Conference was an interesting idea, but that's all it ever should've been. A decision to go with a mixed gender National Team was brilliant but wanting to go with a step by step adoption of mixed gender professional play...silly. All that's happened since that point has been a dilution of what was from the start a flash of genius.”

The “flash” was the original Charter which laid out an invitation for children at post-Kindergarten age to kick a ball and run with a group of other children for 25-35 minutes at a time; it wasn't a clarion call to something brand new but a re-framing of an activity that is as old as time itself.

What is supposed to pass as a “soccer game” between two teams of eleven 6-year olds each is an affirmation of the joy of childhood; at the end of the hour or so, none of the participants really worries about the outcome and whatever post-match activity that's planned takes immediate precedence in the mind.
The FAC Charter sought not to change that experience but to reinforce the memory of the activity, suggesting to those parents doing the coaching simple ways of including the entire group during practice prior to games, emphasizing positive encouragement and displaying good behavior.

The introduction of the Development Charter was not first time any of these ideas were stressed, but the principles of “soft competition”, motor skill development and the inclusion of all participants became the foundation for the first courses in coaching development.

“There's a sense that the chickens are coming home to roost from the push for mixed gender domestic play. I think the longevity of the national team up to now is just good leadership and plain luck.”

Many of the clubs that comprise the National League Championship and 2nd Division have seen significant turnover among the managerial ranks over the past several seasons, with long time bosses retiring to open the way for up & coming coaches that have proven their worth with other sides.

Only one former manager of a NLC/NL2 club that was contacted responded with something more than 'no comment':
“Its [sic] not unthinkable that NT rosters will look old-timey in another two cycles”

The meaning of which is a player pool consisting of strictly domestic based players.

“Here's what the worst case scenario consists of: no players at overseas clubs so the only competition is domestic except for the few IFCF qualifiers which will eventually result in no advancement. The NT player pool is strictly domestic based, but not at the same level that our BOF/WC80 players were—because the Charter isn't producing talent at the same level—and that drops us further behind.”

That is the opinion of a current club official when asked to imagine what the professional game might look like five years from now. “The first thing that needs to be done is to unravel the Academy League from how it looks now. Mixed sides isn't working on a practical level for anyone except the Conference. There's too much inconsistency in the quality of play and it's hurting the women more acutely."

(continued in Part 2)
_____________________________________________________________________________
Lineup vs Hapilopper

McCormack; Jones, Kucera, Schulman; Park, Olivera, Vetter, Boyle; McDavid; Harris (C), Engels
bench: Dickerson, Walker, O'Connor, Garfield, Morgan, S Logan, Riley, Coleman, Ikiedieze

Lineup vs Cardenao

Callaway; Morris, O'Connor, Walker; C Logan, Garfield, Morgan, S Logan; Riley; Coleman, Diaz
bench: Rossi, Obodime, Jorgensen, Olivera, Syzmanski, Martini, Ikiedieze, Hardison, Khan

[Brenecia]

THE ROZELLE OBSERVER
New stars offer glimmer of hope as reeling Patriots recover
Uther Cartwright

Brenecia's stuttering start to the campaign has recovered in magnificent fashion, a crushing victory over the hated enemy to the west putting to rest any doubts in Camden's ability to secure key results. But just as important for the long-term is the fact that, at long last, new talents are coming through to replace the tired late-20s and early-30s journeymen of yesteryear, whose talents were too great to overlook.

1. Cahara Riordan
The one everyone expected. She missed the Copa Rushmori through injury, so has had to wait her turn for a debut, but her club form with Treason has been exceptional, going from strength to strength. The leftback was perhaps not the most dazzling in the A-League and her transfer was a surprise to some, a cause for concern to others; was she truly going to find regular minutes? But her exceptional defensive work has been showcased in the Zenith, and now for the national team. Brenecia's stocks in other positions have had their peaks and their troughs, but for whatever reason, the nation can always depend on excellent fullbacks.

2. Colwyn Rajskub
With a dearth of defensive midfield cover, Camden surprised many by turning to 22-year old Colwyn Rajskub. Of the three holding midfielders who played against Nephara, Bede Cheschon is not a pure destroyer and just turned 30, Marietta Briggs is more an exceptional national servant than an exceptional player, and is also the wrong side of 30, while Cathal Reventas was injured. Enter Rajskub, a scrappy, scruffy Southern Star destroyer, who has, over the course of three caps, already picked up two bookings and will miss Brenecia's next game with suspension. What a king.

3. Jasper Auchland
A tall, decisive North Hall defender, Auchland is, rather unlike most dour northern centre-halves, actually pretty decent with the ball at his feet. With Camden fairly desperate for defensive cover, Auchland was thrown into the deep end when suspension took out Hamish Jeong, and debuted with a start against Havynwilde. Though Brenecia were far from fluent, his ability to step out of defence and spray the ball confidently down the wings helped de-constipate the side in phases of possession, while he was indomitable in the air and showed a wisdom far exceeding his 22 years.

4. Talla Fetch
Following an injury to Idina Alderwood, a debut was handed to Fetch, who was seen off the bench against Havynwilde and Fort McKinley. A lean, sharp product of the Chromatik collegiate system, Fetch is not only invaluable in the squad's performance in trivia nights (particularly in Classical Anaian Literature) but has shown a willingness to run at defences and cause problems. "We're trying to encourage that in her," Katua Byrne told the press, the veteran winger surely being among the highest sources of praise possible. "The fact is, she's the most modest woman you'll find, but she can be and is so much better than she thinks she is."

5. Cessair Meade
Okay. So. A reasonable case could be made that nominating a 28-year old goalkeeper with dozens of caps is cheating. But after Olwyn Fife's form dipped, and Meade went from strength to strength in the club game - culminating in a move to high-flying Soldarian FC - and has now seemingly reclaimed the starting job, with a bevy of clean sheets following an excellent game against hated Nephara.

[Independent Athletes from Quebec]

Independent Athletes from Quebec (IAQ) - World Cup 95 Team
WINDOW 5 - v. Sannyamathland, @ Krytenia

26-PLAYER ENTRY

Expected XI vs. Sannyamathland (3-4-3): Jeon S.M.; Kim G.S. - Salihamidzic - McKinley; Mariano Kang - Dyxkeson - Vegeta - Watson-Lukwago; E. Kweon - Poulin
Expected XI vs. Krytenia (4-2-4): Sheppard; Delisle - Cizeron - Higgins-Mah - Yabusele; McTavish - Wawanolett; Korniloff-Kouyate Hamisi - M'bah-Pinho - Woodcarver

GOALKEEPERS (3):
Fabien Kalulu-Flaubert (La + Querida, FFD), Jeon Seung-Mook (Brattleboro FC, CDG), Innes Sheppard (Urrheddiao, CMT)

DEFENDERS (9):
Pierre-Karl Cizeron (Liria, MYT), Alain Delisle (Mipojoseon), Coralie Higgins-Mah (Alnio, CMT), Mariano Kang (Rulandea Kosta, FFD), Noel-Hercule McKinley (West Couno United, TMB), Sinisa Salihamidzic (Montreal Koreana), Donovan Watson-Lukwago (St. John's Arsenal), Frederic Yabusele (Atletik, MYT)

MIDFIELDERS (6):
Jean-Christophe Babin (Sabrefell Moths, NPH), Mathinna Bouck (Rulandea Kosta, FFD), Joelinton Dyxkeson (Brantisvogan, SRS), Samuel McTavish (Lakewood City, TMB), Vegeta (Brantisvogan, SRS), Rebecca-Anne Wawanolett (Chromatik, CMT)

FORWARDS (8):
Billie Blue Hamisi (Urrheddiao, CMT), Hong Yeong-Sahm (Lhor, CMT), Kim Chae-Young (FC Inter Nantwich, TMB), Anna Korniloff-Kouyate (Atletik, MYT), Eloise Kweon (Sabrefell Moths, NPH), Oberon M'bah-Pinho (Tihon, MT), Corneille-Theophile Poulin (Avondale City, SYL), Zinaida Woodcarver (Crisibless, NPH)

Ahead By A Century

PART 5 - What You Saw Was A Lie

The moment Claire had fired the shot, she had realised that she made a mistake.

Shit, was all that Claire said, as she lowered her position with the rifle. It would be an overstatement to say that she was shocked. She may have made an error, and she did acknowledge that she should have thought out a little bit better before firing a shot with the ceremonial rifle, but she did not collapse. All this time, Claire had thought the running target was maybe a stag, one of those that would roam now and then in the hills. Maybe a moose, which had roamed this part of the country in hundreds if not thousands. In one of the rocky walls of the ravine's cliffs, she couldn't exactly see much below past the dark contours and should she be charged, this could hold some water in the court.

In any case, however, it was all too clear that she had made an error. Claire Lundrigan wasn't meant to use the rifle for that purpose after all. The rifle was an instrument intended for celebratory gun salutes back in the main grounds, with the Upper House members were designated for the task (that being year 10-12, separate from Underlassmen-Upperclassmen distinction that would go years 9-10 vs. 11-12), and her decision to wait on the cliff walls a little bit longer to fire, instead of where all the other boys and girls were heading towards, was poorly thought out on her own end. So what she had thought out to be a cool shot with additional smoke over the ravine, that she was originally going to do so with a single round of custom bullets that were made available to her, was instead used to shoot Alexandre, and the repercussions of it may not be so magnanimous if caught.

The rifle left a light trail of smoke and the fear came. A shiver had hit Claire's shoulders, reminding her of the weight of her actions. She immediately realised that she had to run back to the stadium for the main festivities alongside the other girls. May I be forgiven for whatever that may have happened, thought Claire, as she quickly climbed her way up the cliffs with every effort and speed she could place to herself. What a horrible mistake I have made, and one scary like that...what would my maman think of this, someone who shot a man without fear...

The way back to the main core of campus buildings did not take a lot of time, though it did seem like Claire had taken hours to get there than the usual matter of minutes. While doing so she did not blank herself out immediately, even as both the guilt and the rush of the attempt heading back had left her mind cloudy and lost while she attempted to zig-zag her way to the Levana, the main dining hall used for both student-wide and private functions. It was a mix of feelings she could not describe right away, and there was not much that she could remember of those who had noticed her rushing her way back there with a still-hot rifle. All of this had passed her quickly. It would only be some time after when she would find out that she was lucky none had considered her running all the way back to be anything out of ordinary, perhaps owing to the festive nature of the weekend.

When Claire had gotten back to the balcony of the Levana Hall, the dinner was close to being over, but the party music had already started from some distance away in the lesser-used ballrooms, Claire knew that wherever she would go, somebody's going to notice him. The particularly-intimate nature of this year's homecoming festival did not help either - the presence of Alexandre's father, Caspian, the Duke of Halifax; the Heos and the Youngbloods, not to mention a certain GreGG Valdes and the Krytenians with their own entourageother high-profile guests, only added to how crowded the Dining Hall was - and Claire knew that she had to wait it out and perhaps come a little bit later, maybe just in time to join her fellow girls who had volunteered for the celebratory gunshot and cannonball firing at nine p.m.

---

Early November 2062 was an awkward time for Heo Seung-Geon to come visit the Avon-Gillespie campus. His father, Myeong-Shin, had just been appointed as the bench coach for the Saint John Green Sox, and both him and Seung-Geon were persuaded by their grandfather. Dr. Heo Dong-Soo, the Head of The Chunchugwan Institute of History (CIH) which chronicles all Annales of the Shin-goryeoite Dynasty, and the Royal Archives of Shingoryeo (RAS), where the Royal House of Jeongs hold their respective records, was particularly insistent upon them visiting the AGS on an odd weekend, and persuaded them that Seung-Geon's visit to the AGS property would not only be a good time for his grandson to take time off from Joongyeong, but also to have him see three of the pupils who had spent much of the time growing up with the Kingston native - sophomore Claire Lundrigan, senior Ezra Shainberg, and a certain junior Alexandre. Seung-Geon, while not particularly enthusiastic considering the hectic performance and practice schedules he had been running as trombonist at his first year with the Conservatoire de Joongyeong, reluctantly accepted in the grounds of seeing them.

Standing at six-foot-ten tall (or around 209cm, for those asking for a specific number), and barely weigh more than his parents, Heo Seung-Geon was a tall, barebones of a man his parents, a hall of fame third baseman Myeong-Shin and volleyball coach Naomi, were. his longcoat was found to be slightly oversized even when Seung-Geon had picked the skinniest possible fit he had requested. Boarding an overnight train at the Joongyeong's Gare de l'Est station with his grandfather, who seemed to be satisfied with every step of the way his grandson had taken in his presence, Seung-Geon slept quickly into the night, and despite his father having joined them as the train stopped at Saint John Central station, slept for most of the eleven hours that had passed between Joongyeong the Avon town station.

Having spent a full day at the Avon-Gillespie school, where he certainly had the pleasure to meet the students who seemed more interested with his father for understandable reasons, and chat with his grandfather and father, who he had little time to talk during the baseball season, Seung-Geon felt both at ease and slightly out of place at the Avon-Gillespie campus. This was no different at the dinner, where he was seated right alongside the Youngbloods. In some ways this came a particular relief as the Youngbloods, unlike Seung-Geon who was alumnus of another prestigious college in Bugil halfway between Songak and Joongyeong, held strong connections to the school with Benoit's name still fresh having led AGS to three state titles in gridiron football. Having largely spent a more or less relaxed existence away from the pressure that his father and grandfather had lived under for his foundational years, Seung-Geon found enough joy in asking Benoit and Pierre, the former Royal Quebecois Olympic Committee chair, their time with the school and the memories with the leafy covens of the school that they admitted had not changed in the past half-decade.

After about an hour of it, however, Seung-Geon decided that he needed to take a puff somewhere outside. While the conversations were interesting enough, and he's had decent conversations, Seung-Geon also knew that much of it was rather done as a duty to his grandfather, whose love for him felt a bit overwhelming at times. Being eighteen he had relatively little reasons to seek much nightlife out in the Avon-Gillespie homecoming, and he had barely found opportunities to talk to either Claire, who he remembered fondly as a 'younger sister' with joint vacations, and Alexandre, who looked up to him highly as a fellow brass player. He knew that Alexandre was busy with his own duties as rugby captain and a prefect, yes, and the Duke of Halifax's presence definitely did not make it easier (moar security? moar inconvenience for peeps in general), but Claire, he couldn't find her at all. Just the schedules did not match.

The balcony outside one of the private dining rooms was where Seung-Geon comfortably found himself. Quickly unlocking the packet of B&H cigarettes from his coat pocket, Seung-Geon slowly sipped a glass of cherry brandy while smoking a cigarette. It was a perfectly dark night, with little to no light to be seen in sight. Most visitors, who would usually visit this campus with rare frequencies, would not notice how close the Levana Hall were facing against the cliffs, and several accidents over the years have caused the balconies to be kept off-access barring rare occasions.

Seung-Geon, who bore his own streak without actually displaying them so flamboyantly as his Kingstonian friends or Joongyeongite colleagues would, had one of those. He chose not to care about them. But he would not be the only one to risk being on the balcony either, however, as he would turn around to look at a stranger who had rushed her way from the side-doors to the balcony. A tall woman wearing her uniform and a jacket, she looked too familiar and child-like for Seung-Geon, who immediately recognised that this was Claire.

'Goodness me! didn't expect to see you here, Seung-Geon,' said Claire's voice. She looked genuinely surprised, perhaps not expecting Seung-Geon to stand in her way right as she was about to take the detour and join the dinner. Claire's original thought process, whether successful or not, was to pretend that there would be some semblance of normalcy before heading intot he celebrations. They could hear a little bit of murmur coming from the other dining rooms, and a couple of misfired shots made their way coming from other parts of the campus.

'Claire, is all okay?' Seung-Geon answered back. He was also surprised, but unlike Claire who worried every bit of the worldly worries, held little to no suspicion about the sophomore's possession of what looked to be a celebratory rifle. He quickly brushed off whatever the feather or conifer leaves on his coat sleeves, before giving her a quick embrace. 'Where were you the whole time? Please don't tell me you were out there the whole time while the ole Doc and everybody else were looking for you.' He asked.

Claire had to devise something else, maybe tell something else. 'I had to pick up stuff for the girls - you know, my house is on the other side of the ravine, and we forgot about it til like halfway into the dinner lines.' Claire flushed as she answered, feeling slightly nervous about the explanation. In all fairness, this was partly true - she did have to bring a couple of items, but this did not include her trying to act cool by firing an early shot into the ravine. But was she answering them out of nerves? Likelier than not.

Seung-Geon quickly became thoughtful, but decided not to ask further. He had a feeling that it was not the best time to do so, and she seemed more busy than not. 'My dad and grandpa are inside, you should go say hi to them - you know how fond the pops is towards Sir. Asher and whatnot,' said Seung-Geon, giving a light smile back.

'Of course, can you just promise me one thing though?' asked Claire, in hopes he would listen. 'Something really really urgent, and that you can't tell anybody.'

'Sure,' Seung-Geon nodded in response.

'Don't tell anybody where I was if they do ask,' Claire said faster. 'Just tell them that I had to go back to Robinson Hall, and that I was in a hurry but got lost, and had barely made it in time for the celebratory shoot-off into the air. And don't tell them about the gun,' she looked at the gun, before resuming to speak. 'The shoot-off's going to be a bloody mess - I don't know how to hold onto one without shaking!'

'No worries, now carry on in that case,' said Seung-Geon, as she tapped her right arm. Claire almost immediately ran across the balcony, before heading to the direction of the football stadium.

---

Seung-Geon remained in the balcony. Watching one cigarette after another slowly burn in a thin, grey line, he slowly sipped a glass of Cherry Brandy and would watch over the next ten minutes as individual flashlights would emerge, some at the bottom of the ravine but most heading that way from the top of ravine. From the trajectory of the lights, as well as growing boom of noise surrounding him both on the lounge and below, Seung-Geon seemed to have gotten a gist that something was wrong, and that perhaps there might have been a serious accident right below that's been causing homecoming celebrations to be disrupted.

Quite unusual if anything, thought Seung-Geon, as his ears were now surrounded by the continued noise, the people shouting and whispering that Alexandre, the Prince of Abitibi, had been shot down in the ravine. But no way that somebody would mistake him for anything. For a brief time, he tried to tie the dots together with possible theories as to what may have gone wrong, but nothing seemed to have made sense. The cannons and the shoot-off were supposed to happen elsewhere, and there would have been no reason for Alexandre to be all the way down there.

Could this have been an accident? That's the immediate thought flashed into his mind, right as his grandfather, the previously-mentioned Dr. Heo Dong-Soo, opened the door. Wearing a dark suit with his Royal Moogooongwha Order medal pinned to the breastplate, he walked hurriedly to his grandson, his facial expression half consisting of worry, half uncertainty. 'Seung-Geon,' said Dr. Heo in high register, something that Seung-Geon would immediately notice as a matter of urgency. 'Where the hell were you?'

'Grandpa, I was just enjoying some fresh air-' he tried to answer.

'Must you really smoke? You have a long career ahead of you, not in living the life of a writer or critic that artificially requires you to shorten it, but as a brass player. As a master of the sound, your lungs are everything, and I'm sure Marina has asked you to quit smoking the other day.' Dr. Heo said, reminding Seung-Geon of what Marina Eckert, his trombone teacher at the Conservatoire, had advised. Dr. Heo, by this point in his sixties, was an active smoker, but he tried his best to avoid smoking in public capacity, something that had caused him great troubles considering his positions.

'Sorry grandpa,' answered Seung-Geon as he quickly killed the stump with his feet. 'You know I'm really trying my best. Perhaps not the easiest especially with the great-grandpa passing, and you know, just a lot.'

Dr. Heo only smiled back at him. 'My pride, let's not go further with this apologies nonsense,' he answered, slightly lifting his voice. 'Have you not seen the Lundrigan girl? I'm surprised Claire has not come to see you, here or at the dinner. I would have checked, but as you could see, the Duke of Halifax had asked for a couple of requests regarding the eventual declassification of Bejia-Flor files, and for some reason the stately affairs can't seem to stop me here.'

Seung-Geon thought for a brief second, his right hand at lightly gripping his chin to suggest his processing, before deciding to stick to the promise. 'No, I have not, grandpa,' answered Seung-Geon, his voice firm enough in establishing confidence. 'I'm sure she's with her girls, and presumably Princess Adelaide, to do the celebration shoot-off, no? I will be there in a moment - all that's everybody here's talking about is how they have brought 1750s cannons from the old Royal Navy ships-'

'Shoot-off's called off, don't bother,' Dr. Heo shouted back in his northern Acadie dialect of Shingoryeoite Korean, giving a light gesture to wave off said suggestion. His voice stayed high and fast, the tone of the tonal dialect more than enough to suggest the seriousness. 'Prince Alexandre is shot, apparently found bleeding on his shoulder off a significant gunshot. Horrible, horrible sight with bleedings everywhere, they say. You and I will stay the night, but under caution, and your father heading back to the hotel in the town proper.'

Sometimes it was hard for Seung-Geon to figure out if his grandfather was really distraught with the words of Alexandre's wounding, or if he had just accepted that yet another event would follow Alexandre, the Prince of Abitibi whose escapades have been well known in the outlets at home including The Latest Whistledown. From what he had seen based on conversations with his grandpa, the Dr. Heo Jr, or his 98-year old great-grandfather the Dr. Heo Sr., whose socialist, republican tendencies have been well known (and propagated, mostly by their detractors), Seung-Geon could figure out that what him and the peers had thought and experienced from Alexandre were very much different than the court. While Seung-Geon had viewed Alexandre as an adorable clown, whose personality certainly fit that of a tuba player, he could also see why his grandfather seemed worried more often than not whenever Alexandre was mentioned anywhere.

'Will do,' said Seung-Geon, before asking his grandfather. 'But what about Claire? Should I still go and check with her?'

Dr. Heo the junior was not amused. 'Don't you have so thing called phones? I'm sure you could text and just meet her wherever the hospital ward is. Maybe here - perhaps they could bring in doctors flown in - or maybe to Oakwood. Lord knows - let's just not hope for the worst.'

[A m e n r i a]

Who? What?

"Hi, hello everyone! I'm Jang Sori and I'll be your host for today. Last time, we talked about the Mutiara Stadium, which hosted and will continue to host qualifying matches for the 95th World Cup. You might be thinking "Hey Sori, why is it called the World Cup when the nations participating are from all over the Greater Omniverse?" Well, honestly, I have no idea, but we'll touch on that subject today! Our Multiverse, I mean, not the naming of the event."

What is a Multiverse?

"Simply put, it's a collection of universes. If this is the first time you've heard of Amenria, or watched something from here, chances are, you're from a different multiverse than ours. As you can see on the map, there are several universes within our multiverse we have made contact with. The colours and symbols you see here are to represent the general characteristics of societies in these universes. We'll get to each one on later episodes."

"Now you might be asking "Hey Sori, aren't you skipping some numbers there?", and the answer is, not really! There were universes that had designated numbers you don't see here, but they no longer exist. They're gone. We don't know where, or how they disappeared, but all we know is that they're not in our multiverse anymore. I know it sounds scary, but nothing lasts forever (except God of course), not even universes. There's life and there's death, there's creation and there's destruction. There wouldn't be space for all of us if every universe ever created is existing all at the same time...At least that's what our physicists say."

"You see those four places attached to The Subconscious? We call them the Extradimensional Realms because they're not exactly universes like how we know them. They work on completely different rules, where what we know about time and space don't even apply there. As the map suggests, you can access them from The Subconscious, but there are doors in our universe that lead to The Cube, and before you ask, no, you can't just waltz in whenever you want. The government, most likely the Ministry of Spirituality and Supernatural Occurrences, control all the known access points in Amenria, and would probably cordon off any new ones they find. You need special permission to go in...or find an access point before they do, but good luck with that. This probably explained why I've never been there myself, although I heard it's pretty cool."

"As you may have guessed, the blank circles represent the universes we know to exist, but we haven't really made contact with, so we're not quite sure what are inside them. As for Dread, well...it's dreadful. You do not want to go there. Only two people, Lord Michelle and the villain TV went there and came back alive, and we all know how he turned out, so maybe don't try going in there. On that note, I'll end the episode. Enjoy the rest of your day, byeee!"

[Drawkland]

"Do you realize what's at stake here?" Elias Keys asked the general group in front of him.

There was a small pseudo-party in one of the lounges of the Elite Eleven Complex. None of those who sat in that lounge were mortal. A few of the Elite, namely Mike, Elias, Ross, Jaxon, and Richard, accompanied Nicole, Cam, and Sarah, of the current Kick Corps. It was a strange reversal of how things had been for over a decade. Usually it was the Elite who were facing an important duo of games going into the week, while the trio of girls sat alongside them wishing they were in that same position. Now it was Nicole and friends who would have the hopes of Drawkian fans across the country on their shoulders in the next pair of weekends, and the Elite members who sat, enjoying their libations with reckless abandon.

"Besides the fact that we need all the points we can get at any time?" Nicole Warren chuckled, taking a sip of her drink. When she put the glass down, she resumed her position of leaning against the side of Mike Rodney.

"Not just that." Elias put up his finger, like the oint_up: emoji with its correspondent :nerd: emoji. "The Kick Corps currently sits at 13 total matches without a draw. This is actually a big deal. Of course, the longest streak of matches without a draw in Kick Corps history is 27 straight games, achieved by the Elite Eleven, the most elite of any team to don the Kick Corps moniker-"

"Shut your nerdy ass UP!" Sarah Arrowsword interjected loudly. The metabolism, and thus, the tolerance of an immortal is heightened to much higher a level than the average mortal. Even so, Sarah always found a way to push the boundary. The litany of empty bottles on the lounge table provided ample evidence of this fact. "Who in the actual fuck CARES about that record? Do you really think we aren't going to suffer a single one-pointer within the next dozen plus matches?"

"Of course not," Elias replied, pretending not to notice Sarah's level of inebriation. "But at 13, you're merely a couple matches off from second place. If you manage to go this two-week set without allowing a tie, you'll tie the current runner-up record."

"Excuse me," Cam Cross decided to join in the discussion. "Personally, I would prefer to win all the matches. When I go out on the pitch, I intend to score as many goals as possible. I'm trying to win games. Full stop. End of sentence."

"Well if we're being technical," Ross Hunter joined in support of Elias, "Two wins would tie for the record, so Eli is still in the clear. Surely you won't complain about six points from two bottom feeders at home?"

"Somehow, Svalbardycity isn't a bottom feeder," Nicole butted in. "They're the best team that wasn't expected to contend in this group. Secondly, that doesn't mean we care about your stupid stats nerd things. I have to agree with Cam here. We just want to win games. It's not like we're not drawing on purpose."

"Personally, I'd rather we have taken draws instead of out last few losses." Cam added to Nicole's sentiment. "You can look over the footage. I was trying as hard as I possibly could to get that equalizer against Yuezhou. Deliang was simply dealing that day. I had like a half dozen shots and he got them all no problem."

"Four shots, to be precise," Elias corrected. "Just trying to keep things honest here."

"What can you expect from a Pot 1 team?" Cam responded in kind, taking another swig from her tallboy of straight liquor. "The top team in the group is always top notch. You can ignore the rank in almost every case. The top pot team is dominating nine times out of ten."

"Unless that pot one team is the Elite Eleven representing Drawkland!" Sarah roared. "Those motherfuckers would give up three goals to any team with the balls to challenge the defense in any way. I can personally attest to like a hundred games that you all let up a bunch of goals."

"Only ninety-one," Elias muttered.

"Case in point!"

"We don't need to fight about it," Mike decided to speak up, emboldened by the elbow sent into his ribcage. "We all know that no matter who is representing the Kick Corps, we always try our best. Bar none."

"Just because you're whipped doesn't mean we can't trash talk!" Sarah exclaimed. "Watch this. Drawkland won't give up three goals to either of these next teams. Cumulatively. I'll make sure of it myself."

"We'll see about that," Richard replied with a laugh. "I don't care where the game was played, losing to a debut team with a no-name roster is humiliation."

"You weren't there!" Sarah replied. "You weren't in the belly of the beast."

"Then prove me wrong in the belly of ours!"

[Sajnur]

SEVEN FROM SEVEN!

WCQ95: Sajnur remain perfect at the half way point!

WCQ95 - Sajnur Results

Attestaltarragaby 0–2 Sajnur

Sajnur

Goals
Samiryan: 9' (Merelu), 70' (Parci)

Lineup
GK: Avordyn
RB: Baziru
CB: Pracia
CB: Verjez (c)
LB: Martenko
CDM: Bauman [Latvala 71']
CM: Merelu [Pavlov 56']
CM: Parci
RW: Parjazu [Dakher 65']
ST: Samiryan
LW: Taranov

Ceni 0–1 Sajnur

Sajnur

Goals
Naulo: 89' (Ciuru)

Lineup
GK: Avordyn
RB: Jorse
CB: Raglan
CB: Murje
LB: Isarghie [Martenko 69']
CDM: Latvala [Pavlov 69']
CM: Bauman
CM: Siafik (c) [Merelu 62']
RW: Taylor [Valera 65']
ST: Naulo
LW: Ciuru

Sajnur 3–2 Pasarga

Sajnur

Goals
Valera: 46' (Merelu)
Taylor: 50' (Jorse)
Ciuru: 85' (Siafik)

Lineup
GK: Kirai
CB: Baziru
CB: Raglan [Pracia 60']
CB: Murje (c)
RM: Jorse
CM: Merelu [Siafik 72']
CM: Parci
LM: Karaji [Martenko 60']
CF: Taylor
CF: Ciuru
ST: Valera [Naulo 77']

Pasarga

Goals
Magana: 15' (Kárpáty)
Biró: 21' (Kárpáty)

Lineup
GK: Přibyl
RB: van Blijderveen [Bazzi 85']
CB: Szôts
CB: Žužinjak
LB: Svatoš [Szöllôsy 71']
CM: Orsós [Lafontaine 58']
CM: Ba
CAM: Kárpáty
RW: Pálffy [Földessi 71']
ST: Magana [Salai 58']
LW: Biró

Equestria 0–1 Sajnur

Sajnur

Goals
Valera: 37' (Jorse)

Lineup
GK: Avordyn
RB: Jorse
CB: Raglan (c)
CB: Latvala [Baziru 67']
LB: Martenko
CDM: Bauman
CM: Pavlov [Dakher 60']
CM: Merelu
RW: Parjazu [Samiryan 60']
ST: Valera
LW: Taranov

Sajnur 3–2 Salish Republic

Sajnur

Goals
Samiryan: 22' [Parci]
Jorse: 45'
Naulo: 66' [Siafik]

Lineup
GK: Avordyn
CB: Raglan (c)
CB: Latvala
CB: Pracia
RM: Jorse [Baziru 78']
CM: Parci [Siafik HT]
CM: Merelu
LM: Karaji
CF: Parjazu [Taranov 66']
CF: Valera
ST: Samiryan [Naulo 64']

Maraonia 0–1 Sajnur

Sajnur

Goals
Ciuru: 58' (Parci)

Lineup
GK: Kirai
CB: Raglan [Baziru 80']
CB: Verjez
CB: Murje (c)
RM: Jorse [Pracia 65']
CM: Bauman
CM: Pavlov
LM: Isarghie
CF: Parci [Dakher 65']
CF: Ciuru [Parjazu 73']
ST: Samiryan

Maraonia

Lineup
GK: Del Rosario
RB: Matasovič
CB: Mosinmann
CB: Fonseca
LB: Čankovic (c)
RM: Antonákis [Di Lorenzo 54']
CM: Dechambeau [Domenach 65']
CM: Proença
LM: Martinez
ST: Carvalho [Lacosteau 65']
ST: Grosjean [Pavlákis 70']

Sajnur 3–2 Squornshelan Remnant States

Sajnur

Goals
Taylor: 49' [Jorse]
Ciuru: 56' [Parci]
Naulo: 87' [Valera]

Lineup
GK: Kirai
CB: Raglan [Dakher 78']
CB: Verjez
CB: Murje (c)
RM: Jorse 58'
CM: Merelu
CM: Parci [Siafik 63']
LM: Martenko
CF: Valera
CF: Ciuru [Samiryan 63']
ST: Taylor [Naulo 70']

Squornshelan Remnant States

Goals
Sargsa: 19' (Aaltonen)
Avachinsky: 62' (p)

Lineup
GK: Blaha
RB: Norling
CB: Titov (C) [Volam 89']
CB: Van
LB: Drenel
CDM: Saigir
CDM: Sevet-Iblix [Hashemi 78']
RM: Aaltonen
LM: Shakhnovich [Ksudach 59']
CAM: Avachinsky [Byqvist 78']
ST: Sargsa [Ness 89']

[Tanirinthia]

Multiversal Sport Match Report

Category
Association football
Location
Emerald Park, Riuwiee, Tanirinthia, Universe M1

Scoreline
Tanirinthia 2 [1] – [1] 1 Cap Nord

Tanirinthia Scorers
O'Brien - 28'
Payne - 82'

Cap Nord Scorers
Bjerkness - 35'

Archivist's Report
Back on home space-time to watch a hard fought match against the third seeded team of our group (or as the Tanirinthian fans thought a charity team of volunteers in aid of endangered animal species, which led to a not insubstantial portion of the crowd supporting Cap Nord as we are a nation of animal lovers, this should be noted as a cover to discontinue). After an entertaining first half where both sides managed to get onto the scoresheet Bjerkness equalising things for Cap Nord with a wonderful solo effort that took advantage of the slightest of openings by our defence that they cut through like a knife through butter. Both teams were in search of a winner and fans of attacking football certainly got an entertaining half and were it not for strong performances from both goalkeepers the scoreline would have ticked over a fair few times. However in the end it was Bridget Payne who got the winner for Tanirinthia where a hesitation from Cap Nord defenders Luuk Vennema and Glenn Pedersen allowed her to pierce through the defensive line and thunder the goal home past Marzinn who although got a finger to it the pace of the shot meant they were unable to keep the winner out. Cap Nord (or the Endangered Animal Saviours) got a standing ovation from portions of the crowd as they they left, and several members of the press wanted to interview the players and the ministry has reported the cover line to the charity as been getting many calls asking to donate.

Post radiation levels
Levels continue to rise at an unprecedented rate, the containment chambers and waste sinks are barely able to handle, [redacted] has suggested we may need to do an emergency vent

Archivist
William Fowler, Chief Secret Archivist

Clearance level
Gold

[Brusseldorf]

International

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sort by |latest ⮟|

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Living On A Prayer
November 23rd

How quickly time has flown! We find ourselves at the half-way point of the World Cup Qualifiers, and the outcome Group 2 is as yet unknown.

Group 2 Entrants

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Rea San Vegas (287)
Eshialand (68)
Brusseldorf (101)
Commonwealth of Baker Park (14)
Hapilopper (223)
Cardenao (44)
City of Myrtle Beach (206)
Aleirave (66)

Group 2 Half-way Point Review

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Rea San Vegas
The lowest ranked nation in Group 2 has had a tough start to life on the world stage. The minnows are currently repeating their Baptism of Fire efforts, taking a single point from the first seven match days. The draw of which we speak is entirely remarkable however, coming against group favourites in Baker Park.

Eshialand
Kenneth Morgan will be a very happy man at the minute. The Owls navigated almost unscathed to the seventh match day, save for a humbling at the hands of Cardenao. A reality check, one hopes, not a sign of fatigue, as Eshialand fans would desperately like their team to qualify. Their lead is good, but not insurmountable.

Brusseldorf
Overachieving in second place, but our position is precarious. One awry result could send Brusseldorf to fifth, where our ranking - and some pundits for that matter - believe we belong. Craig Foster will be desperate to maintain the play-off spot, if topping the group is not an option.

Commonwealth of Baker Park
Whilst their standings in the table may appear bad, Baker Park is uniquely situated. The footballing giants know all-to-well what it takes to qualify, and a late run is certainly not out of the picture. Still our favourites to top the group.

Hapilopper
Hanging on in equal fourth place, Nathan Ellis will be surely pleased with his team’s efforts so far. Hapilopper have been playing way above their class and have garnered much overseas attention. We think they may fall just shy of the play-off spot.

Cardenao
Have played to their strengths in the first seven games. They struggled against some low-ranked teams but managed to defeat Eshialand, a singular occurrence.

City of Myrtle Beach
Fans of Myrtle Beach should be proud of their team’s efforts. James Robinson has unfurled the potential of their nation to the world, and interest in Myrtle Beach’s footballers will no doubt have grown following some heroic upsets.

Aleirave
Aleirave and Eshialand seem to find their fates entwined, to the point at which we discuss World Cup qualification performances. A first half that Haulafo Paka'ula would strive to erase from memory. The Aleirave job could very well be vacant soon. A nation ranked 66th should be doing better than 6th.

Group 2 Schedule

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MD8: Aleirave v Rea San Vegas, City of Myrtle Beach v Eshialand, Cardenao v Brusseldorf, Hapilopper v Commonwealth of Baker Park
MD9: Hapilopper v Aleirave, Commonwealth of Baker Park v Cardenao, Brusseldorf v City of Myrtle Beach, Eshialand v Rea San Vegas
MD10: Aleirave v Eshialand, Rea San Vegas v Brusseldorf, City of Myrtle Beach v Commonwealth of Baker Park, Cardenao v Hapilopper
MD11: Cardenao v Aleirave, Hapilopper v City of Myrtle Beach, Commonwealth of Baker Park v Rea San Vegas, Brusseldorf v Eshialand
MD12: Aleirave v Brusseldorf, Eshialand v Commonwealth of Baker Park, Rea San Vegas v Hapilopper, City of Myrtle Beach v Cardenao
MD13: City of Myrtle Beach v Aleirave, Cardenao v Rea San Vegas, Hapilopper v Eshialand, Commonwealth of Baker Park v Brusseldorf
MD14: Aleirave v Commonwealth of Baker Park, Brusseldorf v Hapilopper, Eshialand v Cardenao, Rea San Vegas v City of Myrtle Beach

[Saint Eleanor]

OOC: For her efforts, Rachel McNamara - not Rick Goldsmith - will start against Cassadaigua on MD6. Tough call, I know.
MD5 and MD6 match reports coming this cutoff. MDs 7-9 (plus Saint Eleanor 1-0 Baker Park from last cycle) next cutoff; normal service will resume after that, or as soon as possible if I slack.

Channel 4 presents THE RACE TO THE WORLD CUP - World Cup 95, fifth qualifier game
YAK EMPIRE 1-1 SAINT ELEANOR (Tsagaantsoojiin Oryaangabar 64; Rachel McNamara 90+1)

Report by Candy Hewitt, Channel 4 football analyst: Late substitute Rachel McNamara delivered the goods at the Imperial Stadium of Yak in Alangabaat, the capital of the Yak Empire, to ensure that Saint Eleanor could survive what was always destined to be a difficult away game and come into the final two games of the first half with renewed confidence. The consensus before the match was that the hosts would put up a good fight, if not good enough, but they rose above expectations within the first ten minutes as they ushered away multiple Eleanorian attacks.
It would be more than fair to argue that this match got off to a slow start and Mihkeal Boryozov showed it when, pressured by Exandra Davies and what felt like everyone else on her side of the field, he clattered a marginal shot well wide of the mark. He was able to redeem himself later, however, sliding an easy pass to Sohkmaat Tsedinaat which the striker was not able to convert, instead hitting it against the crossbar for Arielle Richardson to easily collect.
There was indeed only one serious Eleanorian push before half time, Kichirō Matsuda bobbling off a well-intentioned pass barely to Steve Pilchard, who was able to make enough good of the chance that he forced Egered Khad to shove it wide. They were to prove better in the second half, with Rick Goldsmith unfortunate to have gotten a well-controlled volley of his own onto the post, and Angelica Northend winning and then taking a free kick that looked as though it would advantage her side before a home defender diffused the goalmouth scramble.
Tsagaantsoojiin Oryaangabar delivered the surprise for the Yakkians midway through the second half, however, almost singlehandedly pushing on a dribble that the Eleanorians struggled to contain, then making them pay the ultimate price for it from twenty yards out. Desperate to see to a second goal and destroy Eleanorian hopes as well as they did Cassadagan ones, he let on Jin Tinpeg with a smooth backwards pass when he could have done the deed himself - but the substitute midfielder's effort was sorry and floated high into the stands.
The match looked almost certain to end as it began, with the Eleanorians thwarted at every opportunity in their quest to make the match meet expectations. But eighteen seconds into the signalled nine minutes of stoppage time, Rachel McNamara bundled in the scruffiest, most well-disputed effort you are likely to see for a few weeks, hassled by almost the entire backline and even having her first attempt deflected almost out of play by the goalkeeper before bending the rebound in from an extremely tight angle. Both sides had excellent chances in the very last moments - Matsuda nudging a corner narrowly wide, Nyam-Oyush Sahkmar almost emulating Oryaangabar with a deflected effort that Richardson struggled to save - but it was not to be for either and a point would have to suffice.
Bridget Coombe is not one to make unmitigated successes out of games where Saint Eleanor quite plausibly could have done more - maybe even much more. She will make one out of this result, alright. Saint Eleanor have gotten into the Yak Empire, conducted the most intensive training they have ever suffered before the fact (albeit months before the fact), got drawn a more fortunate hand than they expected, tried and tried and tried to avoid the humiliation suffered by Cassadaigua - and, somehow, succeeded. It is hard to imagine the Dagans looking forward too much to their visit to the National Liberation Arena in a few days.

⨷ ⨷ ⨷ ⨶ ⨷ ⨷ ⨷

Carla Hawkins: "I'm viewing every single game as an opportunity to learn"
Chief Football Correspondent Jamie Rodgers runs the rule - and occasional disrespect for rules - with the national team's newest goalkeeper
Originally published on Friday 29th June 2007

Carla Hawkins has been typecast as all sorts of things over the years - aggressive, assertive, physical, hands-off, pragmatic, bookish and sometimes even typical. "I try my absolute level best to be as many of those things as I can. What's goalkeeping without a bit of chaos?"

You may be surprised to note that Hawkins was not overly involved with the proceedings of Newbanks CS when she went there. "There were some days that I only turned up becaue my presence was expected, but - for the most part - nothing to get too annoyed about. I was, I'd say, rather good at the whole maths and sciences thing, biology maybe not so much but definitely everything else. It was my coping strategy; I didn't have an awful lot of friends, although I did have a few, and I never felt motivated enough to carry on past Year 14 so I just did as much of the work as I could. When the computers were installed at the start of 1993, back when those things cost a pretty penny, I was even very politely asked to take part in an after-school thing where I'd playtest them, do my own coding and so on... honestly, the hard subjects do not lend themselves well to verbal flourishes and I imagine you can probably tell. At least not as good as football!"

Hawkins is one of only two survivors from 1994's Charles Trump Shield in this team; she was the goalkeeper for the Newbanks side that lost to Parkside CS, who supply Steve Pilchard. "There were a few proven quantities who volunteered, but the order was to only select students doing one or more extracurricular after that and I think I was pushed over the top because I was a member of the Computer Club. Keep in mind these were the days before the Newbanks United scouting network and before ICT was being offered as a Year 14 exam. That was a really, really good team, though: Frank Little was - irony of ironies - a beefy striker of the kinds you don't see anymore; Laura Bennett was the key midfield piece and a big fashionista, which reminds me of someone; Harry Jameson and Ben Reynolds led the backline, what have you. We took out University College in the semifinals, the Boys' Prep along the road in the quarters, Trident in the octos and a couple of little schools to get here but I'd say we underestimated Parkside a bit; they'd removed the two big beasts from the equation. Pilchard was an absolutely devastating striker on his day, but we pushed up far enough that he didn't do an awful lot and I want to say I only had to make two or three saves the entire match. The winning goal around midway through extra time did sting a bit, though, if only because I thought he was going to hit it instead of just floating it over to the wings."

Would she be willing to bite on any specific matches that helped her grow as a player? As it turns out, no. "I was turned down so much that I pretty much took three seasons out while United waited to form, which was its own learning curve in itself. From there... if we're talking about the team, blowing hot and cold most seasons but I'm thankful we've started to regularly place in the IFCF now. If we're talking about me, I'd say I've improved quite a lot on where I was! More and more, I'm viewing every single game as an opportunity to learn - where to move myself and the players, where to get in position where it's needed, how to push the ball out and perhaps why, acting like a nuisance rather than an out-and-out idiot, defending just about every possible situation and what have you. I would absolutely not be anywhere near the national team without all the little efforts I've been putting in every day in the league and other such places, nor did I imagine myself being there!"

She does, however, point out that I mentioned United's 1-0 away win over CASK Thorsborg in 2005's Challengers' Cup - one of the most famous wins in the club's history, followed up by perhaps its most famous penalty shootout - in the official team roster. "You honestly do the entire sporting community a service with those mini-bios, so thank you. The Harden [Stadion General Hardén] is the complete opposite of the Eastern Fields, or really any stadium you can be bothered to dream up. That was my first ever IFCF tie, I think, and I honestly did not expect us to come out of it with a win. If you're asking how we did it, I didn't have too much of a say in anything other than the back four, who I asked to stay back and vigorously mark anyone who got near; Kōji Katou, the captain, at the very least said he'd try his best, but when they failed I just got as near to the striker as my common sense allowed me to. The defenders stayed on the pitch for the full two hours and change, which was nice... and then for the shootout you'll be surprised to hear that I just dived randomly for four of them. I got Rikke Söderström that way and got the last penalty from Katie [Jekaterina] Smolov when I sensed a fraction of a second beforehand where she was going."

I would normally be the first to point out that Hawkins' addition makes an all-female goalkeeping squadron - but this has not been a normal conversation. "We could make a girl band out of it, honestly! Arielle [Richardson] on guitar... and backing vocals... Georgia [Wood] on drums, I'll do the main vocals and we'll see who else we can get for the backing track. Georgia has her husband already, I could date Ari, we could do concerts together and live in nice places around the multiverse and have as many friends as possible and go to events... so much fun! That's how I imagine it, anyway. Arielle likes being single, I like being single, and Georgia really likes it in Brightway." Anybody else? "Certainly If anyone has the musical talent, it's Exandra [Davies]; she can be very, very annoying when things are falling apart but perfectly fine on most occasions, which I'd say is how I'd vibe. Esther [Launceston] released a hit single for the [85th] Cup of Harmony... I'm not even musically inclined, why am I saying this? But she is honestly one of the nicest people I've ever met and I can't wait to get to know her more. Steve had excellent words for me a few years ago and has definitely appreciated my presence so far. Kichirō [Matsuda] is the most politically-aligned with me, which is to say we don't really care about it at all and will default to basic bitch chamber-of-commerce conservative if pressed. I haven't actually had any bad times with anyone, though, which is what matters!"

Carla Hawkins... annoyed? Not if you catch her in the mood for a good chat, where she can be dignified and quite imaginative, to say the least. Add to that a sense of diligence, a bit of sarcasm and a need to avoid even further disillusionment of the kind she had to put up with last decade and you get a player who's proven her worth enough to be called up for the national team.

[Polar Islandstates]

SOUR CHERRIES
Introduction
Bjarnarey
Volume One
Bjarnarey
** ** ** ** **

An errant bow wave from a passing speedboat rocked the jetty, and he almost slipped on the slick wooden planks. The very tops of the following waves broke over the edge of the pontoon as it rocked back into their path, and they lapped half-heartedly around the soles of his boots. He watched as the puddles eddied around his feet, nourishing the algae and sea-moss, before sluggishly trickling away back into the lagoon. Somehow, this ingress of water seemed to improve the traction underfoot, and he pressed on towards his destination, cursing the name of the city.

Dusk was falling. In theory, anyway. Recently it didn’t fall so much as tentatively creep up on you, taking longer to do so with each passing month as though the days were trying to cling on to their final moments. Alexsandr wasn’t sure why that would be. They all seemed the same to him these days. Nonetheless, as darkness encroached around the edges of the celestial sphere above him, a stubborn path of weak yellow sun continued to drift down towards the stagnant city below as if refusing to allow it to finally accept the advances of the cold Valhallan night.

Below the path, night was already here. Too insipid to penetrate to any depth, the light appeared to leave the lagoon alone altogether at this time of year, meaning the inky blackness was never too far away. A shimmering memento mori that needed the chug and churn of passing boats to froth it up and belie its abyss kissing appearance. Instead of sinking into that void, the sun was rejected. By dismissing the warmth offered to it, the lagoon reflected the light back up into the streets of the city, where the wooden buildings lazily gathered it and allowed it to percolate at its own pace.

Alexsandr had been to many true canal districts in his time - the south-side of Cathair, the mouth of the river in Sant’Elia, Karbijnhavn docks, Suzhou, Bridgetown, even the Elfsteijn Archipelago of the capital had similar qualities - and in each, the presence of the water seemed to bathe the area in a glorious technicolour; a life-affirming wash of light and motion, where sunbeams appeared to dance mischievously across your face and sparkle in the air around you. This wasn’t the case in Bjarnarey. Whatever the reason; whether it be the fact the buildings sat on and in the water, rather than being cut through with channels, the geography of the basin below, or even just the latitude; here, the light seemed exposed. The reflections only went so far, sucking you into their constructed world of stillness, and infusing the city with a pale, vulnerable light.

Though he knew many who had fallen for its unique charms, he’d never truly warmed to Bjarnarey himself. He had to concede that there was nowhere else quite like it. The Bjarninger had a particular way of moving, a peculiar and sure-footed gait that was influenced by the slick boards they used to get around their city, and a personality to match. A sort of solidity and seriousness ran through the local population, as if to make up for the transience and fragility of their environment, that was nonetheless cut through with a significant seam of eccentricity which must have had its origin from the same base.

They were proud of their city, and rightly so, but right now he could have done without being there. Aside from the ever-present risk of slipping and falling into the lagoon, The Barge had never been a particularly fruitful hunting ground for the Ospreys, and the Bargemen sides so often populated heavily by locals who had ‘the walk’ had usually had the measure of his own side. The city tasted of disappointment to him as a result. Nonetheless, a promise was a promise, and he told his friend he’d be there.

He checked his map and cursed to himself. Half of these buildings had upped moorings and moved since the last update, and he was largely guessing at this point. Why had he chosen this location in the first place? A small café, well off the beaten track and tucked away down a side canal in a floating city. It made no sense. Didn’t he know Alexsandr had turned down multiple pundit roles on television to do this? The Terns had underperformed badly in the recently qualification campaign, and there was plenty of analysis to be done, and plenty of money to be made for those able to do it. And Alexsandr needed money. He’d received the last text message from his contact in the Ensign Tower with a grim face. Turned out grass-roots revolutionary movements had a financial burden even his deep pockets would be unable to fulfil.

A brisk breeze chased him up and down over a little humpback bridge that had been placed over one of the smaller canals, hastily bolted into place and ready for a quick removal should a larger vessel come along, and then he saw it. Creaking and swaying, and cowering from the dominating presence of the hotel opposite; the Ocean Café. Unusually for Bjarnarey, it appeared to have metal windows installed in an attempt to avoid the rot that afflicted much of the building stock, although in this instance it appeared the main impact they’d had was simply to replace rot with rust, and patches of orange-brown on the boards outside the front of the café indicated it had been a long time since this particular establishment had moved around the city.

As he got closer, Alexsandr shivered, stepping into the direct shadow of the hotel opposite and reading the faded sign above the door. It looked like an absolute dive. And not the cheery, folksy, “oh you’ve got to go there, that’s the reeeal city right there” kind of dive that got sold to tourists, either. It was more like the “is this building going to sink if I slam the door too hard” kind of dive. Nonetheless, the windows were frosted with condensation from the warm and humid interior, and the orange lights inside were blazing.

Alexsandr pressed his hand to the cold handle and pushed the door open. It was warm inside, and he stood in the doorway whilst his eyes adjusted to the light. Wooden panelling covered the interior, and a television in each corner was showing a muted summary programme of the Terns campaign – one of the editions Alexasandr had turned down. In the far corner, a display of local interest had been placed artfully around a table underneath a faded banner proclaiming it to be the ‘Second Best Museum in Hove’. This implied a pretty low bar for the best one, and pretty heavily suggested the list stopped at two. Along one wall, some black and white photographs of military campaigns alongside some old medals and patches told the story of a previous café owner, and a sad looking rubber plant clung to life desperately underneath a collection of football scarves from around the multiverse that were hanging form the ceiling.

Taking in the aroma of damp, old fryers, and bad coffee, he stepped fully inside and closed the door behind him, expecting the inevitable sway from the building rocking on its mooring, but still being unable to stop himself from taking a compensatory half-step. He looked around the grubby tables, but could see no sign of his friend, so walked over to take a seat at a free table. Ten pairs of eyes followed him in silent surprise. The nation’s best ever footballer had just walked into the backstreet café they were taking shelter in, and they watched him picking up a discarded newspaper carrying headlines of The Party’s latest attack on freedoms and start delicately placing sheets from it onto the table in front of him to protect his expensive pea coat from the ubiquitous grease.

“Sorry, Alexsandr? Is that you?” asked a stunned but familiar voice from the table in the opposite corner, breaking the heavy silence like a firecracker.

It began to rain outside, and as Alexsandr looked up, a sudden scent of sour cherries crossed his senses as he recognised the face...

** ** ** ** **
Bjarnarey
Volume One

[Saint Eleanor]

Channel 4 presents THE RACE TO THE WORLD CUP - World Cup 95, sixth qualifier game
SAINT ELEANOR 1-0 CASSADAIGUA (Graham Lawson 71)

Report by Candy Hewitt, Channel 4 football analyst: Graham Lawson's first international goal proved to be the winner for Saint Eleanor against Cassadaigua, their nearest Group 14 rivals on paper, at the National Liberation Arena - consigning the Rushmori side to sixth in the table, with the halfway point approaching, while pushing the hosts to second with results elsewhere. What promised to be an exciting clash of tactical cultures almost immediately fizzled out, with the Eleanorian midfield dropping back to ensure that the Dagan frontline could not find a way through. There were a couple of decent, testing chances made in the opening segment; Carly Patterson's close-range attempt, shepherded miles wide of the post from a promising position and with "only" two Eleanorian defenders closing down, was not one of them.
Perhaps contented with the fact that the waves of Dagan attacks had bore no fruit all this time, it is no wonder that Saint Eleanor required 36 minutes to really get going in the attacking department; Angelica Northend had surprised everyone by connecting with a happenstance clearance and pushing far ahead of the mass in the Eleanorian penalty area, although she was understandably not in a state to make the final connection and Stacey Schalberg had to push her shot out for a corner kick. In keeping with the Eleanorian stratagem, the number of players in the Dagan box numbered merely a handful and while the corner was swept out wide enough for Rachel McNamara to connect, her effort was gathered well by Schalberg.
The Dagans proved to be more threatening after the break. Lexi McGregor's excellent effort from distance, a few minutes in, had no right to be saved; the resultant rebound from Lauren Engle should have absolutely gone in - instead of just about scraping the side netting - and everything about the move was a powerful statement of intent. McGregor was the main line of attack for the rest of the match; Shannon Cunningham also did well for herself, although none of her efforts were so dramatic. But where was Patterson? You would struggle to argue that even she knew - she didn't record a single shot on goal. As the visitors' attack got more and more blunted - especially as regarded Patterson - Saint Eleanor had more and more of a rationale to strike.
Bringing Lawson on for David Newcastle was possibly the most important thing Priscilla Evans could have done to make the squad more proactive, with the rest of the lineup having already gotten in sync and Newcastle himself barely playing much of a part. The fact he was neglected in most attacks after his substitution was also a tactical move to throw off the opposition; anybody watching the game would have suspected McNamara herself to be the main actor, having lodged two good second-half chances that would have evaded Schalberg on most other days. Questions were raised when Sylvia Hollenberg, the beneficiary of a relatively large-scale counterattack and welcomed by acres of green space, decided to push a through ball to Lawson instead with twenty minutes remaining. Nobody was asking why he boomed past the Dagan back four and swung a cool effort plumb into the net in a matter of seconds after that.
Finally, this was a match you could get behind. Chloe Anderson, another late substitute - although certainly not a "desperate" one, as The Reporter has made out - nearly equalised a moment later, but Sam Newbridge was there to meet the moment. McNamara, who was actually desperate to extend the Eleanorian lead, hammered on the base of the post from a tight angle she had no say in. Tiffany Brown, of all people, arguably should have won a late penalty, but it was ruled there wasn't enough contact. And as if the drama needed even more drama added onto it, Kaitlin Millikan just - just - got the very last touch of the game, off a corner that overran the allowed stoppage time, as narrowly over the bar as it is possible for a shot to go.
Undoubtedly this is the result Evans would have wanted: it was her opportunity, or at least one of two, to avenge Tinhampton's 2-1 defeat against the same opposition that eliminated them fourteen cycles - twenty-one years - ago. Even beyond these disputes, putting away the second-best team in the group after an incredibly unkind opening run offers a much-needed boost to Eleanorian hopes, one that would not have been expected mere weeks ago; the general mood is already on the up heading into the visit to Starblaydia and all the return games; some members of the camp are already discussing whether the White Stars could hurdle Baggieland, five points clear at the top, to automatically qualify for the World Cup for the first time ever. For now, though, the challenge is to ensure that performances like this - solid, cohesive, pragmatic and ultimately successful - are repeated eight more times.

⨷ ⨷ ⨷ ⨷ ⨷ ⨶ ⨷

Kavezalea Felaraneta: "So I'm the complete opposite of a normal person - what gives?"
Chief Football Correspondent Jamie Rodgers rounds up the interviews for another cycle by chatting with an emerging new fan favourite
Originally published on Monday 2nd July 2007

This time last year, Bridget Coombe was willing to describe Kavezalea Felaraneta as "an agent of chaos." Really? "Most people in attacking mid are pretty much meshed with the strikers; you've read that Steve Pilchard was a striker when he was with Parkside school. I just stand back, move a little as the case demands, watch the front three or four and strike. I score sometimes... but helping the big guys out? My MO in plain sight, over there."

Like many of the new arrivals I've interviewed, Felaraneta cared little for school (the Eleanorian Academy though it may have been), although not so little as to fall into the dregs. "I was the average Eleanorian; I didn't make a lot of friends at school and tried my best at everything. But at the same time, I like throwing my hands about - not too far, of course - making points in the most dramatic way possible and basically shouting at people not to get this shit absolutely fucked up. So I'm the complete opposite of a normal person - what gives? Well, people loved me! I didn't make friends, as I've said, but I was pretty much surrounded by people every now and then who wanted me to sign their shirt on Year 14 leavers' day or play games with them, I think because I was recognisable from so many places.. Those weren't friendships; those were my way of talking to people and having fun."

Felaraneta was more successful in his Charles Trump Shield adventures than most - he won the competition in 2001. "Most people will say we had an easy ride all tournament because we didn't face a serious team until the semis. We had to start from the first round that year, we didn't have Wunderbar [Kichirō Matsuda] yet and I can tell you that Queenston was absolutely dangerous. I need to stress that Bill Patrick is a hero and he was very good at drilling us at the back; we won 1-0 but without the extra push, I say we get knocked out and everyone laughs at us. We beat Whitehammer 5-1 in the final, but that was a really good team that just broke down for reasons I haven't yet worked out. Who can I name from that squad? Rachel Jenkins deserved the Golden Backpack although I can see why she wasn't interested in continuing to play - she was an artsy person, a little bit - and I'd like to wish her good luck in the ZRH. Michael Mills was the main man in that team although I'm also disappointed he's left the game, this time to work in some restaurant. Robby Ellis and Katy Wilson, the goalie and the centreback, are both with Indy seniors now and they are two of the best in the business at their age; I can't wait to see where football takes them but I do hope it takes them somewhere within the sport this time!"

When asked for the three games that most influenced his playing career, Felaraneta opts for his first ever "serious game," when the Academy picked off the Guzmán-Cress Academy - the youth team of Valladares' Nacional - away from home en route to an aggregate win to start the Rising Stars Cup in 2002. "Did we go 1-0 down after something like five minutes? Yes, and I'd argue it was a stroke of individual genius; look at the replays again if you want. At the very least, Wunderbar probably agreed; you can tell because he didn't lash out like he did against Fiskadaha in the next round, worked pretty well with me and teed me off for the equaliser early in the first half. When play restarted, we were pushing for a winner - really the goal that would give us the advantage ahead of the home leg - for the longest time, but I got the ball with something like fifteen or twenty minutes left and handed it off to Mike without a second thought. Amazingly, he didn't play it off to Libby Freeman but just banged it and scored the best goal you've ever seen at that level. That was when I figured out I was going to be a good player... pretty good, yeah."

He then discusses his involvement in Independence 1975's 3-0 home win over Athletic Saint Eleanor the following year. "It's not that well-known that I actually played my first ever league game against Juventud; I'd say tell Daiki [Fujiwara, who told SESB that "I think everybody should make their debut against Juventud if they get the chance if only so they have a good first time"] but Wunderbar was there too so I think he'd be better placed. That match was the real turning point of the season; we'd just gotten off a draw against Good Hope, which was the first of the season - after nine games - and if Athletic beat us then they'd have gone top of the table instead. We didn't have any real tactics, just hold back in defence, pump the counterattack and pray. We didn't need to pray because, well, they weren't that good - same story as the Trump final - and we were comprehensive in every single aspect of the play. John Tresco was not very good at man-marking me - I evaded him almost every single time, dodged Wlad Wlad as well because Esther I figured was quite good, scored one, set up the other two... no wonder they signed Bridget. To be honest, I'm surprised I wasn't noticed too much: I'm nineteen, tall, black and I do random shit most days, how do you not notice me?"

He then returns to the IFCF - this time discussing the last sixteen of the 2005 Challengers Cup, which Indy began by defeating CF Outineau of Kelssek 3-0 on their patch. "I've played against more Valladar teams in something like five years than anyone deserves to sit through in a lifetime of IFCF. Thankfully, this was Kelssek. They weren't what they used to be the previous year or before, judging from the fact Bridget, of all people, moved back home before the season began, but all the conversation before the match was like [Sebastian] Ellex-Mar and [Molly] Taylor and everyone else are no slouches, they'll beat us up if we don't pay attention. I was thinking, look, I've never heard of any of their defenders and I'm pretty confident one of them [captain Tobert Usher] didn't get his name spelled right, what hope for the rest? I came up to Liddy [manager Lydia Sharp] the night before like we can get the attackers here and here, I'll stick around, punch the ball, force them into an offside trap they don't know about and boom! It got seriously embarrassing when Dortmün Çídh got their number twice in the first thirty and from there we got Jon Harp off the bench to finish the job."

Felaraneta is the second member of the Sochean diaspora to be called up for the national team, after Melcheta Pazorzal, who served between the 91st and 93rd World Cup cycles. "Not doing alcohol is the biggest part of my Muslim faith; there's one mosque in Central district and the most people I've ever seen there was my wife and a couple of random strangers. There's still a group of people who don't do alcohol but go out every now and then and talk about random shit. It still exists. It's on hold because Esther [Launceston] is still recovering, although she's been an honorary observer for our last and only two dinners this year. Bridget is an absolute legend no matter that she plays for our rivals and she will answer just about any question on tactics you can. The other Indy players - Wunderbar; Dave Newcastle; oh my good heavens, I'm honestly surprised there are only three this cycle - are also excellent chaps and I go with them to the café or wherever they please. Other than that, as I've said, surrounded by admirers, don't reciprocate the appreciation. I'm not snubbing you, I just stay in my own lane, you see? If any of you want a chat or a meetup, talk to me and I'll set up a date, hopefully in a couple of weeks from when we meet."

There's little to be said about Kavezalea Felaraneta that hasn't been covered in this interview. He is astute, perhaps too astute, has an excellent sense of tactics and positioning, knows his boundaries and pushes himself to do more when he can. This is commendable enough already. How much more so in a few years?

[PotatoFarmers]

Huayramarca 0–0 Poafmersia
Goalscorers: None
Lineup (4-3-3): Nicole Potts; Kilikina Lee, Cindy Oriol, Liadan Holmström, Xenophon Robson; Erle Sartini, Sylvia Fusco, Aapeli Shea (c); Tessa Bjarnesen, Dagur Lawrence, Jackson Handris
Substitutes: None

Poafmersia 3–0 Kewlz
Goalscorers: Dagur Lawrence 28' (assisted by Erle Sartini), 63' (assisted by Jackson Handris); Tessa Bjarnesen 88' (assisted by Jackson Handris)
Lineup (4-3-3): Nicole Potts; Kilikina Lee, Cindy Oriol, Liadan Holmström, Xenophon Robson; Erle Sartini, Sylvia Fusco, Aapeli Shea (c); Tessa Bjarnesen, Dagur Lawrence, Jackson Handris
Substitutes: Min Berg (Fusco 60')

Its the midway mark.

If this was 10 years ago, Poafmersia would have loved such a short qualifier. The team had the energy to burst strongly, and they might have produced way better performances to get into the World Cup proper.

But this was 10 years later. The team has taken much longer time to improve and get themselves to the tempo and pace of the World Cup. With Cabo Azure getting 7 straight wins in the first half, our Red Panjias might find it rather difficult to get a direct ticket to the World Cup, and can only contest for the 2nd position. And everyone has to remember that only the runners-up could make it to the playoffs. Its no longer the top 3 in a 10-11 member group, but just the top 2 in an 8 member group.

# Group 7                                    Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Cabo Azure                                   7    7   0   0    19    3  +16    21
2 Huayramarca                                  7    4   1   2    20   10  +10    13
3 The Kytler Peninsulae                        7    4   1   2     7    9   −2    13
4 Poafmersia                                   7    2   3   2     6    5   +1     9
5 Kewlz                                        7    3   0   4     8   16   −8     9
6 Delaclava                                    7    2   2   3     8   11   −3     8
7 Astograth                                    7    1   2   4     7   11   −4     5
8 Vielfaltig                                   7    0   1   6     4   14  −10     1

Poafmersia now travel to Cabo Azure aiming to stop their streak, with the team coming back with 5 consecutive clean sheets. The team found its form in defence, but the bigger issue was dealing with Cabo Azure's unstoppable offence - 19 goals in 7 games, and 3 against in the same amount. The bigger issues that the team faced was its offence. Sources mentioned that the team did not manage to do well in training in terms of offence, and this would be the team's biggest issues for the next 2 games.

[Sylestone]

World Cup 95 Matchday 8/9

For some of you it feels like we've been in Qualifying for Forever Now but trust me, there's only four more cutoffs to go!

[Deltt]

---

Delte 5-1 Juvencus
Sports Correspondent Kim Samrodd at Ildemorton Road for the Oswark Parish Advertiser

---

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 Untto Squaker's behaviour. We must remember he's from the next valley along. (Very unpredictable people).

At the same time, or maybe a couple days later...

---

Delte 1-0 Bears Armed
Sports Correspondent Kim Samrodd still at Ildemorton Road for the Oswark Parish Advertiser

---

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 Hennequin Perdu's behaviour. We must remember he's from the River Republic. (Very emotional people).

---

The Quick & The Delts: Faraway Sauce
3/6: The Acuity of Ringer Smith

---

As noted by Doc Ustingham

“Before that,” continued Ringer Smith, intermittently listing the Kings & Queens of Andossa Se Mitrin Vega from Dorian I to Sonya XVIII in order of reign with dates whilst also referring to when he fell asleep on the porch of his Quiet Cottage At The Edge Of The Cosmos, fell through a fluid time hole and ended up in the Garga marshes, “I’d taken a position as ‘Gentleman Interregnum’ for the Wightling Revival Committee, probably offered on account of my multiversal status since the mid-sixties. Anyway it was no ceremonial position you know - I actually signed the Declaration of Foxchester with my own hand.

“Omnishambles of the highest order…” he added, muttering, “absolute shower… what a bunch of…” and so on and so forth, “… elves,” he finished.

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.

The acuity of Ringer Smith, though. For a centenarian and a half, he’ sharper than a steel trap; sharper than any pang as ever wrenched a confession from the lips of a prisoner in the cells of the Inquisition; sharper than if he’d lived on Tewkesbury mustard, sharper than the little end of nothing or the crack of a pistol or the gore-soaked lashes of a whip; he’s sharper than a Polarian comeback.

(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’s almost magically realistic replenishing properties can be seen and felt within fourteen days of regular application - but they are not permanent. As if! Order an annual subscription today, to keep your youthful athleticism topped-up indefinitely. All proceeds go to the Hypergerontological Research Unit at Saint Skolda’s Hospital in Oswark.)

[Cabo Azure]

Cabo Azure 3–2 Poafmersia
Starting XI: Gomez | Ferraz (red card 48'), M'bah-Pinho, Furtado, Branco (goal 25', off 60')) | Gontijo, Bastos, Cardoso (goal 64') | Gouveia (off 55'), Silveira (c), Mendonça (goal 40')
Subs: Santos (on 55'), Costa (on 60')

A nearly unchanged roster gets the job done at Stadio Cidadela, the historic stadium wedged between the Royal Palace and National Guard barracks on the island of Portelo. One key difference between this match and the previous fixture between these sides in the first qualifying window was the presence of Red Panijas goalkeeper Nicole Potts, who denied several cheeky attempts from the Azurean forwards, especially Gouveia, early in the first half. Potts, who plays for AJ Zanetti's St. John's United in Quebec and Shingoryeo, alongside Tobias M'bah-Pinho, was injured for the first part of Poafmersia's qualifying run and came on partyway through the team's match against the Kytler Peninsulae.

With Potts denying the obvious shots out of hand, it took a rocket from Branco from outside the eighteen to open up the scoring. Dagur Lawrence quickly answered with an elite one-time shot that caught Gomez flat-footed. With the match tied, both teams got the lead out with increasingly dangerous shots on goal, but it was the QPL goal hound (and that other type of hound) Pio Mendonça who found the back of the net off a cross from Bastos to put the Maçaricas up going into the locker rooms.

Early in the second half, Poafmersia got the chance to equalize when young Lo Ferraz threw an errant elbow into Michael Jackson's cheekbone and got a straight red for his trouble. Perhaps emboldened by the collegial atmosphere, Tobias M'bah-Pinho took issue with the sendoff and confronted the referee, looming over the Graintfjaller referee. Sverre Christiansson, who is 5'2½", was having none of it and issued a yellow for dissent, Tobias's second of this qualifying window.

Playing with ten men, Miguel Gontijo joined the defense and kept a renewed Panijas attack at bay, while Zanetti subbed on the always-reliable Marcelinho Costa to provide some relief to tired legs in the backfield. After a sustained back-and-forth, and against the run of play, Amilcar Branco got off another rocket which Potts barely tipped over the bar. Cardoso managed a header off the resultant corner to give Cabo Azure the win.

Cabo Azure 5–1 Kewlz
Starting XI: Gomez | Costa, Furtado, Delgado, Soares | Gontijo (off 60'), Florencio, Rathbone (c) (goal 80')| Ventura (goal 13'), Magalhaes (goals 25', 55'), Santos (goal 90'+2)
Subs:D'Cruz (on 60')

A heavily-rotated roster provides an opportunity for some of the bench players to flex their muscles in front of a keyed-up home crowd at Stadio Sao Vicente. Os Pastorinhos' home ground, which normally seats 5,000, was expanded using modular seating to 12,000, with most of those sitting on large metal bleachers that were wheeled off barges from Sao Simone. All told, the influx of people is estimated to have doubled the town's population, and added fifty percent to the population of the whole island of Sao Vicente. The town's guesthouses were booked solid by the FAF for players, staff, and officials, but several hospitality companies stepped in to fill the gaps, docking a small cruise ship and providing same-day boat transportation from Sao Simone.

The visiting team and staff were put up in the village of Ponta Flaca, a forty-five minute drive on unimproved roads north to the far side of the island, where they were allowed to use the facilities of Ponta Flaca FC, a second-division Azurean football team. While the players were put up in a bunkhouse associated with the rock quarry that is Ponta Flaca's largest employer, some of the support staff were billeted with families who normally billet players for Os Esqueletos.

The offensive depth displayed in this match stands in start contrast to the backfield, where M'bah-Pinho's proclivity for drawing yellow cards has cast some doubt on this team's long-term reliability.

Projected Starting XI @ The Kytler Peninsulae: Sapeteiro | Costa, Furtado, Delgado, Soares | d'Cruz, Andrade, Rathbone (c)| Ventura, Magalhaes, Santos
Projected Starting XI vs. Vielfaltig: Sapeteiro | Costa, Furtado, Delgado, Soares | Florencio, Andrade, Rathbone (c)| Cardoso, Magalhaes, Santos

Portelo, 90 years ago {M-75}

The sun had just dipped below the Colina Real, prompting the stage crew to switch on the massive electric bulbs and illuminate the palace courtyard like a football pitch. The temperature dropped, too, but the combination of alcohol and movement compensated for most of the guests. The newly-minted Princess Isabella took a long drag on a filterless cigarette, felt the smoke scrape at her lungs, and wondered not for the first time whether she knew what she was getting into. Reinaldo, her prince, was still in his suite with his ever-present gaggle of naval officers and dignitaries, and he’d been gone long enough that she wondered idly whether they’d smuggled a whore into the palace for him.

Reinaldo was, in her estimation, a good man, or as good a man as could be expected under the circumstances. He would one day be king, succeeding his uncle King Carlos, for whom Reinaldo could barely disguise his contempt. In his fifties, Carlos was rotund where his nephew was athletic, ponderous where Reinaldo was aggressive, and reclusive where Reinaldo was gregarious. Carlos had never married, and the persistent rumor was he preferred men, which made Reinaldo’s disdain for him all the greater. Reinaldo and Isabella’s wedding ceremony, therefore, had been superlative, overwhelming, exhausting, as befit what Reinaldo continuously reminded everyone was the first royal wedding in a century, since his grandfather Adolfo had married his grandmother Antonia.

Isabella had shed the voluminous gown from the ceremony as easily as she shed the polished persona she presented to the press. She was much more herself in her reception outfit, a white A-line dress with a gold pendant, her mousey brown hair parted simply down the middle. That had been her conceit to Reinaldo; a fairytale, royal-wedding ceremony, but a rock-and-roll reception. The guests she saw trickling in, mostly foreign guests or those from other islands with nowhere to go, had largely gotten the memo; she saw leather jackets, flared trouser legs, and platform shoes. The band setting up had the look down as well; shoulder-length hair, round-lens sunglasses, and electric guitars hooked up to big amplifiers. In fact the lead singer was a dead ringer for…

She laughed, for the first time that day. The lead singer didn’t look like Isaac Wells, frontman for the Meadowlarks; he was Isaac Wells. The Meadowlarks were an up-and-coming four-piece band from Johnstown in Quebec and in his unending quest to make her happy, or at the very least impress her, Prince Reinaldo had booked them for the reception. Smiling, she looked over her shoulder at the phonograph in her bedroom, which still had their latest album on its turntable where she’d been listening to it the night before. The lead guitarist plugged in, tuned up, strummed a few chords. Facing the microphone at the head of the stage, Wells checked his watch.

“We’re the Meadowlarks,” he said awkwardly to the sparse crowd. “And we’re happy to be here.”

At a nod, the bassist started the intro to the lead track on the album Isabella had on her phonograph, and she moved her hips tentatively in time. It was a slow burn that teased with a near-acapella first verse before exploding at the chorus.

”Birds flying high, you know how I feel
Sun in the sky, you know how I feel
Breeze just drifting on by, you know how I feel
It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life for me
And I’m feeling good.”

The lead guitar picked up the lick, and Isabella lost all control, whipping her hair across her face and swaying her wrists in time with the syncopated rhythm. The recording studio didn’t do them justice, just as she knew it couldn’t. As the song wound down, she became aware she wasn’t alone on the balcony; Reinaldo had joined her. In a white button-down shirt and flared black jeans, grinning from ear to ear.

“I told you I’d surprise you, my queen,” he said.

“I’m not your queen yet,” she corrected him, “And I thought you were just being crude when you said that.”

“You’re the closest thing to a queen this country’s had in a long time,” Reinaldo said, eyes flaring. “Get out there, embrace it. Feel close to your people.”

So she did, taking in what amounted to a private concert of her favorite band. Reinaldo danced with her, his movements hilariously exaggerated. They danced in the middle of the floor, surrounded by people, none of whom seemed quite sure what to make of Isabella now that she wasn’t the picture-perfect princess they’d seen at the altar that afternoon.

At set break, Isabella and Reinaldo took a seat at the well-adorned table reserved for their use. Reinaldo didn’t last long before he broke off to rejoin his posse, leaving Isabella alone. The solitude suited her; a natural introvert, she’d been around people entirely more than was her wont, and she was debating turning in despite the electric atmosphere of the concert. As if on cue, a man approached the table, clutching an envelope. What could this be?

“Your Highness,” he said with a neck bow, “Best wishes.” He was an older man in naval dress whites, his once-handsome face now jowly, slicked-back hair streaked with gray. Isabella recognized him; Julio Carrasco, the king’s sometime concubine. While Carlos’s attentions were notoriously fickle, Julio had deftly used them to his advantage, scoring a senior instructor position at the academy that guaranteed him a naval pension and the status conferred without ever setting foot aboard a ship.

Carrasco presented her the envelope, slid it across the table. “Don’t open it yet,” he said coyly. “It contains a secret about your new family that may save you one day, should you need it.”

[Stevencousin]

STEVENCOUSIN TOURISM AUTHORITY

Discover the Tranquil Oasis of Pretihouse Agrotourism Resort in Stevencousin Sandymoor - Nestled in the heart of the picturesque Sandymoor region in Pretihouse, Stevencousin, the Pretihouse Agrotourism Resort, affectionately known as PRATOR, is capturing the attention of nature enthusiasts and those seeking a serene escape. Operated by the esteemed Pretihouse Agriculture Corporation, PRATOR is a sprawling 600-acre agrotourism haven that seamlessly blends modern luxury with the charm of rural living. The resort boasts an impressive array of accommodations, including 12 contemporary villas and a traditional Stevenian house named Mitraloft. With the capacity to comfortably host up to 28 guests at a time, PRATOR provides an intimate setting for those looking to unwind in a tranquil environment. Each air-conditioned apartment within PRATOR features two separate bedrooms, a spacious living room, a fully equipped kitchenette complete with a minibar, and a well-appointed bathroom. The guests are treated to a Zecrarth and nutritious breakfast, setting the tone for a day of exploration and relaxation. Adding to the allure of PRATOR is its in-house restaurant, serving delectable Stevencousin cuisine. Guests have the opportunity to savor the local flavors while enjoying the breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. The resort also offers a terrace and a designated picnic area, allowing guests to immerse themselves in the natural beauty that characterizes Sandymoor. For families with children, PRATOR has thoughtfully included outdoor play equipment, ensuring that younger guests have ample opportunities for recreation. Additionally, the resort provides a bicycle rental service, encouraging guests to explore the vast expanse of the agricultural site and its surroundings. Conveniently located just 27 miles from Frostgrave City Airport, PRATOR offers ease of access for travelers seeking an idyllic retreat. Whether you're a nature lover, a family looking for quality time, or a couple in search of a romantic getaway, Pretihouse Agrotourism Resort promises an unforgettable experience at the intersection of luxury and natural splendor.

Corrupt Petrostate 0-2 Stevencousin TBC [AWAY]

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

OFFENSIVE SIDE Carlos Whitfield [MID.] Gregory Gigliotti [MID.] Thanuka Jayamanna [MID.] Steinar Norvoll [MID.] Gerard Kallstrom [FWD.] Leon Voloshyn [FWD.]

SUB'S. Steven van Oudenhove [DEF.] Josef Snajdr [MID.] Simon Armas [MID.] Jochen Boi [MID.] Steven Cheyrou [FWD.]

ASSIST Carlos Whitfield [MID.] Simon Armas [MID.]

GOAL Jochen Boi 79th min. & 86th minute

Aeragny 0-0 Stevencousin TBC [AWAY]

DEFENSIVE SIDE Ramiro Fernandes [GK] Chathura Vimalaharan [DEF.] Guilherme Fabian [DEF.] Steven van Oudenhove [DEF.] Alon Bernstein [DEF.]

OFFENSIVE SIDE Carlos Whitfield [MID.] Josef Snajdr [MID.] Thanuka Jayamanna [MID.] Jochen Boi [MID.] Phillippus Rautenbach [FWD.] Sumith Wanigassoriya [FWD.]

SUB'S. Armando Correia [DEF.] Gregory Gigliotti [MID.] Steinar Norvoll [MID.] Gerard Kallstrom [FWD.] Leon Voloshyn [FWD.]

ASSIST -

GOAL -

MATCH DAY	MATCH	ARENA	CITY	MD SPONSOR
MD01	Stevencousin 5-1 Corrupt Petrostate	Federal Unity Stadium	Cassaholm	Sabretooth Investment
MD02	Stevencousin 3-0 Aeragny	Redfort Camp	Brigketh	KeyCommerce
MD03	Ko-oren 2-4 Stevencousin	TBC	TBC	NA
MD04	Stevencousin 2-0 Aphrilia	Waxwood Circle	Holmdock	BlackOxygen
MD05	Ile de Richelieu 1-0 Stevencousin	TBC	TBC	NA
MD06	Stevencousin 2-3 Beefsteak City	Readymann Ground	Fixmouth	Spitfire
MD07	Mertagne 1-1 Stevencousin	TBC	TBC	NA
MD08	Corrupt Petrostate 0-2 Stevencousin	TBC	TBC	NA
MD09	Aeragny 0-0 Stevencousin	TBC	TBC	NA
MD10	Stevencousin v. Ko-oren	Federal Unity Stadium	Cassaholm	VioletFalcon
MD11	Aphrilia v. Stevencousin	TBC	TBC	NA
MD12	Stevencousin v. Ile de Richelieu	Redfort Camp	Brigketh	Arthurlie Foods
MD13	Beefsteak City v. Stevencousin	TBC	TBC	NA
MD14	Stevencousin v. Mertagne	Waxwood Circle	Holmdock	Anthro Capital

[Gnejs]

Killer Bob’s WCQ34 Match reports
MD2. Gnejs - Northern Caesarea: 2-2

I don’t remember watching this game as it unfolded back then, but I do remember the succeeding days when all the papers, radio shows, news reports, my parents and my Friends wouldn’t stop talking about it. It was the first time The Union hosted another nation for an international competitive game. Nobody knew what to expect, really, but whatever expectations people did have were most likely exceeded when The Dandelions came away with a point. I remember Daniel Sorksson came to school wearing a Dandelion jersey the next day, with «Larsson» on the back, and he was instantly the center of attention and everybody wanted to be like him. Apparently his dad had been to the game over in Port Kejm the day before and drove back all the way to Hagen with that shirt for his boy. It was way too big and it looked ridiculous on him, of course, but man how we all wanted to have one. You couldn’t just buy one of those jerseys back then. You could get IFK Hagen and Allmänna Gränd ones, of course, down by the stadium and training grounds, and you could probably get a shirt from some of the other big teams somewhere niche downtown (I remember Lisa Stål used to wear a moss green Briskeby BK shirt, but her mother might’ve been from those parts so maybe she got it from somewhere else). But not Dandelion jerseys. This was the first time we had any Dandelions playing like that and it was all new, and exciting. Daniel wore that shirt for two weeks straight before his parents forced him to wash it. When the autumn snow started falling he used to wear it over his jacket during recess. I remember I tried to make my own shirt, where I took one of my father’s white sweatshirts, cut off parts of the sleeves and painted it green and yellow. It didn’t come out right though; it was the wrong shade of green. I wore it at home nonetheless, but I never brought it to school.

How Baggieland got a Rock of Friendship

Part two: A letter from Off-Rock

Dear mother,

I write to you from out in the big world Not-of-Rock.

It was indeed a great honor that I, as a representative of the House of Molineux, was chosen as one of nine Union Emissaries to go forth Off-Rock in search of a remedy for our ailments. It is no easy task, however, being a beacon of civilization within a world steeped in barbarism and uncouthness.

The boat ride down south to continental Rushmore was bad enough, with high seas and brutish sea-monkeys manning all the stations, but my real ordeal started when I disembarked and started trying to engage with locals. They all scurried around like little worker ants, minding their own business, and seemingly completely uninterested in aiding me in my noble endeavor. I tried to explain it to them, of course, that they had a unique opportunity to aid their betters, but alas all I ever received was the proverbial cold shoulder and the occasional sputum, even when I threw gold coins in their faces. My pleas to common men that I be taken to their leaders fell on deaf ears, and whenever I walked up to castles, temples, parliaments or whatever else they call the places where their power resides, I was rebuffed, often harshly, when I demanded they have their king/emperor/president/prime savage or whathaveyou present themselves before me and kiss my ancestral gold ring.

It is ironic, mother, that we should need go out into lands of darkness to find a cure for the fungal plague tormenting our fair Rock, when it is no doubt dirty foreign fungi that is at root of the problem to begin with; such a vile organism could clearly not have Come-From-Rock. I can almost feel it, walking these streets, the lingering stench of deprivation permeating every fiber of these beings being. From the filthy alleys of Pavola to the frigid fields of The Vatmark, I have searched for someone worthy to come to our aid but the World-Off-Rock has proved an utter disappointment.

Until now! It was only yesterday that I came across an upstanding lady at an establishment called the Three-Legged Pirate, situated on an islet way west of the Goose Coast. This Madame Xianggu, by all indications a true aristocrat, has dazzled me with her vast knowledge and good manners, and she has listened intently when I have detailed the horrid situation our great Union finds itself in. And more importantly, I have come to realize that this fine woman is likely not just some low-level patrician, nay, it seems to me that she has the favor of a king! This may very well be the answer I have searched for, and I will keep you updated, dear mother.

Yours truly,

Fandango Molineux, first of his name

[City of Myrtle Beach]

Never Back Down

---

I thought we were going to fail. I thought we were going to curl up in a ball and cry for the entire match. I think that's what half the Myrtle Beach fans were doing at the beginning. And yet, somehow, we won. In the eleventh hour, too. Everyone is sitting there, waiting for the match to end so that both teams could get a point and everyone could go on with their day... then here comes Jacob Haraan, ready to put Myrtle Beach out of their misery... and he slips. Mathis scoops up the ball, kicks it across the field to Norris, he runs it down, passes to Farmer, and he shoots and scores. 1-0 for Myrtle Beach in the 88th minute.

The stadium, obviously, erupted into chaos. It stayed that way for several hours. Eshialand fans sat shocked in the stands, confused on how their beloved Owls could lose in such a humiliating manner against a feeble under-200 rank team, and Myrtle Beach fans trashed the place and then roamed the streets all night. I feel bad for those Eshialand fans who got a hotel on the beach; half of the city was on the beach that night, celebrating their amazing win. I don't think those fans will be coming back again. Although, in our defense, they were the ones who chose to get a hotel in downtown Myrtle Beach instead of a more respectable area like the Outer Banks or Wilmington.

Despite the madness, the Myrtle Beach team themselves was quite... solemn as they entered their locker room. I mean, it was understandable- they were incredibly close to getting a draw and missing out on that World Cup dream. Fortunately, they did not draw or lose, so I'm sure they were quite happy under that cover. They were just focused on that next match at Brusseldorf's home stadium. Last time, Brusseldorf scored 5 goals on Myrtle at our home stadium, so next time... who knows. It'll be bad.

---

If getting one goal on top of Eshialand caused the breakdown of social order, I don't even want to know what happened after we shut out Brusseldorf 2-0. I didn't stay after the game- I did my job, taking pictures in the team locker room for the media, and then I flew home. Really, the whole match was kind of like a dream. Stevens scored first, 28 minutes into the match, and everyone thought to themselves, "Well, here we go again. We're gonna score a couple of goals, and then Brusseldorf is going to send us back to the stone age." Lo and behold, Marcev Steyr comes running down the field, he shoots, and he... misses. At first, everyone was thinking, "Did that really just happen or am I dreaming?" Thankfully for the Myrtle Beach fans, it was not a dream, and the score stayed 1-0.

The biggest controversy of the game (at least in my opinion) was when Brusseldorf was given a penalty after a Myrtle Beach fan threw a boogie bomb to Max Byers, who threw it at the ground in front of him, forcing Brusseldorf striker Teddy Wolfenden to, well, boogie. The Myrtle Beach fans were obviously upset, and after beating up the fan who threw the boogie bomb, started yelling at the ref who gave the penalty. The argument was that since a fan threw the bomb in, the team should not be penalized. Unfortunately, the ref was not convinced even after a second boogie bomb was thrown in (it missed the ref and made Perkins start dancing).

So, Brusseldorf has the penalty, the man shoots, and... it's saved by Chase. Obviously, the Myrtle Beach fans are ecstatic that the prophecy has not begun yet, and Brusseldorf fans are upset that there's 20 minutes left in the game and they still haven't put down the beach. After the penalty, Myrtle Beach gains possession of the ball, and it's kicked around for a bit. Eventually, Campbell decides it's time to strike and kicks the ball way down the pitch where it connects with Brian Farmer. Farmer does a little jig to get around a few defenders, he shoots, and the ball slides right in, putting Myrtle up 2-0 after 79 minutes.

After that... well, not much else happened. Football's great and all, but it's pretty dull when the ref isn't doing something and the ball isn't between the feet of a striker. The bulk of the game is just... kick ball, receive ball, get tackled by some 6'10 dude. Seriously, how are they so tall? Either way, the whole nation (well, just the football fans) are looking towards the next match against Baker Park and their subsequent match against Hapilopper. They drew and lost to those teams respectively, but after wins against Eshialand and Brusseldorf... it's better now. Well, at least they're more confident.

# Group 2                                    Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Eshialand                                    9    7   0   2    30   16  +14    21
2 Cardenao                                     9    5   2   2    18   16   +2    17
3 Hapilopper                                   9    5   1   3    28   20   +8    16
4 Brusseldorf                                  9    4   1   4    15   13   +2    13
5 City of Myrtle Beach                         9    4   1   4    10   14   −4    13
6 Commonwealth of Baker Park                   9    2   5   2    25   21   +4    11
7 Aleirave                                     9    3   1   5    19   22   −3    10
8 Rea San Vegas                                9    0   1   8     9   32  −23     1

[Milchama]

"Lamerein is a dead man walking isn't he"

"Yep but it looks like the MFA has decided we're not going to qualify"

"CoH here we come"

"You know we've only ever done well when Vilita have hosted..."

"Whelp..."

"Yep..."

"What a good segue way"

Alexandria Times-Tribune-Sun-Moon-Sky-Picayune-Courier-Post-Pre-Forward-Current-Reader

Sports Section

A List of Controversies Surrounding World Cup 95 For Those So Inclined to Read It

Besides the usual elections that always seem to come up every World Cup and whatever interesting stories Quebec is telling or some weird national history that might be interesting to read but nobody paid attention to the vast majority of World Cup controversy tends to come off the field and not on it. Some folks say this is due to Margaret and those understanding that the results on the field are essentially random. Others because even the most lurid of controversies, Milchama and Graentfjall conspired to throw a game in the actual World Cup!, turned out to be nothingburgers as it's clear that based on the result, a 6-1 drubbing, nothing was in the offing to begin with. So instead of talking about what's happening on the field we're going to talk about what's happening off the field and use possibly shatter the 4th wall (everybody on Discord already agrees the 4th wall does not exist in Milchama so...) while we do it! Whose ready!

The first major controversy came during the host voting and preparation for World Cup 95. It was found that Vilita and Turori, two long standing nations, had cheated in past World Cups in several clear ways. This is mostly through the use of "puppet nations" who they used to facilitate more winning than would otherwise be possible. In clearer words, through the use of gambling syndicates, mob intimidation, and probably messing around with random number generators, Vilita and Turori managed to get Crystalikere to win World Cup and Oaker to become runner up in World Cup 22. Moreover, many nations that were thought to be long dead but important nations turned out to be part of a nascent Vilitan empire that went undeclared for some reason. This led to Vilita and Turori withdrawing from the World Cup and a current EWCC vote on further punishments. Many observers in Milchama expect a one or two cup ban in addition to this World Cup with the biggest question whether Vilita and Turori's KPB will be reset to zero as well. There is also the question of whether Vilita and Turori will be able to compete in the World Cup as separate nations with a puppet ban potentially coming into place as well.

The other big change was the move in regions. Many nations relocated away from Atlantian Oceania as the region was too awash in Vilitan influence and puppetry to create a new region of Arrosia. Milchama, for this newspaper, being the most notable but other big names including Banija, Valanora, Sarzonia, and whatever remains of Farfadallis also relocating to the new region. The diplomatic efforts of the new region to establish itself will be a political subplot to RPers who like to talk about politics. As we are not very much in that realm we will probably ignore this news. However, if you do have a clever acronym to name a football tournament please let us know.

That was plenty for one World Cup but there was a second major controversy and this one has to do with a very controversial Graentfjallian bid for the Cup of Harmony. The Graentfjall Football Association, apparently along with Farfadallis, put out a bid to host the Cup of Harmony with zero invites. This was meant by broad controversy across the multiverse as several nations called into question 1. the Constitutionality of the bid 2. whether the bid was a good idea and 3. whether the Cup of Harmony should exist in the first place. This controversy is still ongoing but it seems likely that the Cup of Harmony will continue in its current format as the bid was withdrawn. However, the controversy has not abated as many FAs have continued sniping in the comment section and even went to backchannel communications (aka the Discussion Thread) to continue the work. As of now there are three Cup of Harmony bids and we will look at them in order to see what we like and dislike in a desperate attempt to get more word count out of this RP and thus get invited to a Cup of Harmony because even though we've totally RP'd in every window and we're fine RPers we're just anxious like that.

The interesting thing about bid analysis is that unlike in the past there is no difference in scorinators, there is no difference really even in format between two of the bids. It's mostly a bribery contest to see who you like the most and trust the most. The two absolutely identical bids are from Delaclava and Astograth & Mytanija. The only difference between the two bids is who each WCC Federation trusts more with the responsibility of hosting the Cup of Harmony. Also, Asto and Myt made their bid announcement via song which is clearly a large plus. The MFA has been silent on their belief on who should host only saying "We are evaluating all bids and we hope that the World Cup Committee comes to a conclusion where the best bid wins."

The other bid is from Kytler Peninsula. The Kytlerians come from a legendary list of KPs including Kaze Progressa and Kura Pelland, who we apparently beat at least 5 times in World Cup qualifying/World Cups, and are a great host. However, they want to do a Cup of Harmony where teams are grouped based on rank so that Group A is the toughest group and so on down the line. While the MFA won't comment, we will. This is a bad idea and not just because it might hurt Milchama but because seeing deep runs from strong teams is part of the interesting bit of the Cup of Harmony and having that stopped because of a guaranteed bad draw seems like a bad idea. While we like the ideas of the Kytlerians we just can't get behind this bid.

Anyway, that was enough controversy for one post because by the way the Warriors suck and this Cup of Harmony thing really matters since we'll be in it after a campaign that can only be described as "nasty, brutish, and short." Lamerein out!

[Indusse]

Hind Tribune
Economics > An Overview

By Subrato Shahla

Indusse, under the leadership of President Baskar H Kumar from the National Democratic Party (NDP), follows a mixed economic system, combining elements of government intervention and free-market principles. All the economic and monetary happenings are overseen by the Central Bank of Indusse. The Central Bank of Indusse plays a crucial role in regulating the nation's monetary policies, adjusting interest rates to suit economic conditions. The government prioritizes spending in key areas such as defense, welfare, health, and education, underscoring its commitment to national security and social well-being. Indusse maintains an open trade market policy, with minimal restrictions, except for tariffs on exports. This approach shows the government's dedication to foster international trade and participation in an open free market.

As we explore Indusse's economy more deeply, certain important aspects become clearer. The mixed economic system, which is a defining feature of Indusse's approach, provides flexibility by combining both government direction and market-driven forces. This careful balance enables the country to benefit from the effectiveness of free-market principles while also tackling social welfare issues through thoughtful government involvement. The focused spending on Defense, Welfare and other factors shows the broader vision of fostering a robust and socially responsible economy.

As the country keeps moving forward, the careful management of these economic aspects supports its ability to bounce back from challenges and have ongoing growth. The Economic Policy of the nation could be further categorised for comparison and simplification. These categories are mainly the adaptability, social responsibility and global engagement categories. These are divided on basis of the focus and spending of the policy.

The category of adaptability reflect the nation's ability to adjust and navigate different situations. Social responsibility, another crucial grouping or category, signifies the government's commitment to taking care of its people's well-being, supporting areas like education, health, and welfare. The global engagement category highlights how Indusse actively connects with other countries in the world. This involvement opens up opportunities for trade, collaboration, and shared progress. The economic policy of nation has comparatively remained static since it's the same party which has been in power since the commencement of a democratic system rule in the nation.

---

World Cup 95 Stats

 Vilwandia 1 - 0 Indusse
Sibanda 71'
--------
Indusse 2 - 0 Ethane
Mersiàs 11'
Butea 67'

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 2 - 2 Indusse
MD7 : Indusse 3 - 3 Santa-Barbara

---

Group 13 Second Half - Indusse Fixtures
MD8 : Vilwandia 1 - 0 Indusse
MD9 : Indusse 2 - 0 Ethane
MD10 : Damukuni v Indusse
MD11 : Indusse v Sharktail
MD12 : Banija v Indusse
MD13 : Indusse v The Holy Empire
MD14 : Santa-Barbara v Indusse

[Elmyia]

The Overlap
The Story of How Elmyian Football Sold its Soul

The failure of the Football Federation of Elmyia to vote through a vote of censure on Paul Reynard for literally owning slaves came as a surprise to many. It shouldn't have. Elmyian football sold its soul a while back, now we're seeing the consequences of this.

An 11 man board - and they are all men - vote 9 to 2 against voting through his censure. This came during a wave of public opprobrium for Paul Reynard, which seems fair given that he has literally profited off abject human misery and suffering. It made very little difference to the board. One is chairman of Hellenic SC, given that Reynard's Corrupt Petrostate paymasters are also his that was to be suspected. Three more of them also hold directorships in companies that hold licences to extract oil in Corrupt Petrostate. Three more hold directorships in companies that refine oil from Corrupt Petrostate. That makes up a majority anyway, two more are well known members of the political right, hence 9 in favour.

This same board also approved the Corrupt Petrostate takeover of Hellenic SC too, another decision that has caused a lot of anger, albeit slightly less than this one. Both have allowed a state that routinely violated human rights and quietly condones the most extensive system of modern day slavery in the region. What now with Reynard? He's hardly done a stellar job for Corrupt Petrostate, will he be allowed to come back and coach in Elmyia?

So how did we get here exactly? Elmyia's footballing scene, prior to its global emergence, had always been a fairly quaint affair. Small in scale, yes the Mosfleet clubs dominated, but this was in a landscape where the best domestic talent was still a little more fairly spread, and old school managers sent out teams in long outdated formations for a physical tussle on dusty pitches. Not much of this sounds particularly worth defending.

Yet, compared to now it slowly starts to sound like something has been lost. At least then there were only two clubs that could afford to pinch your very best player for a fee you couldn't refuse. At least then fans were involved to some extent in the management and ownership of the club, and even when they weren't the owners were largely local and had a patrician sense of duty to their own patch. At least then the purpose seemed to be to fund your team to win titles because that would simply be an enjoyable thing to experience.

Now, as the world opens up, so much of this is gone. What would the main benefit of Hellenic winning the league be? What exactly do they represent when they enter IFCF tournaments? Sure, to an extent they still represent Greek speaking in Beaucester (as insteaded), but they do now also represent a regime that most aid organisations describe as 'actively evil'. Fans supporting their team have found themselves as unwitting prawns in a geopolitical game of chess. Chess might actually be a bit generous given the total brazenness with which the regime acts.

Perhaps it was unfair to put politics in football. It doesn't have the language or inclination to deal with it. The inherent partisanship of any football fan can really derail any attempt to find common ground on anything that is objectively bad. Hellenic fans, it was predicted, would quietly ignore the horrors of their owners and just enjoy the ride. Yet, instead, they've acted with outward hostility to anyone and everyone who brings their ownership into question.

'Cry more' was possibly an understandable response to teams complaining about their spending, posting it under an article about Corrupt Petrostate allowing their banks to repossess children's organs is not. Equally, I think most people should be able to agree that chanting 'we're fucking rich, we're fucking rich, we're fucking riiiiich' at Munster fans probably falls under the category of banter, sending the severed head of a horse to noted human rights lawyer and Petrostate critic Gino Martins wasn't.

Pundits have also been ill-equipped to deal with it. The language of your average football commentator is tailored to talk exclusively about football and managerial sackings. For every sage nod that slavery is probably a bad thing, comes a 'but you have to say fair play to their recruitment team'. It's not ground that they're comfortable on, no sooner has the regime been mentioned, then they'll have to crack on to talking about Kostis' struggles in finding a consistent winger to field.

Ultimately, the selling of Elmyian footballs sole has come as it remains far easier for fans, pundits and the authorities to focus on their own club and what they want. One thing Hellenic fans get right is that, simply put, most fans ARE jealous. Italia and Albion are cross at potentially losing their monopoly on winning, and the rest of the teams probably wish that they had won the lottery of being bought out by an arm of global evil. For all the shock of this decision, it was inevitable, and will continue to be unless fans, managers and players are willing to stand up for something besides naked self-interest.

[Baggieland]

Plan of Action

Fandango Molineux: "Lady Madame Xianggu, is it true that your most honourable king would be able to help Gnejs? Our current sickly state is most distressing."

Madame Xianggu: "My dear sir, it fills me with melancholy to hear of the Union's plight. I have already sent one of my messengers to inform the king of your most urgent situation. I have no doubt that Gnejs will be afforded the assistance it deserves."

Fandango Molineux: "That is the first piece of good news I have received in nearly three weeks on this hellish island. For as I travel the Rushmori continent in search of a remedy for this infernal vegetable plague, I have had no choice but to insert myself into the social circles of the great unwashed: a necessary sacrifice I must make. However, my chance encounter with you: a true lady and clearly of noble birth has made this quest most pleasurable."

Madame Xianggu: "Why thank you good sir, but kindly remove your hand from my buttocks."

Fandango Molineux: "Tell me, you ravishing beast, how many bonded men do you own on your land?"

Madame Xianggu: "In Baggieland, one does not speak of such things; 'tis not becoming of our highborn station in life. However… it is commonplace to talk of gifts promised in exchange for help."

Fandango Molineux: "My bonny Lady Madame Xianggu, my family made a huge fortune generations ago and we've just been getting richer ever since. In fact, we could easily finance our own country! How much you desire, it is yours."

Madame Xianggu: "I see… "

That night onboard her ship, The Kiss of Death, Madame Xinggu plotted with her second-in-command, Sunny Austin.

Madame Xianggu: "Mr. Austin, I need ye to take one of the faster ships an' be heading back to Baggieland as fast as the wind be taking ye."

Sunny Austin: "Why's that C'ptain?"

Sammy the parrot: "Squawk – because you're a dick!"

Madame Xianggu: "Shut up ye stupid bird or it'll be parrot pie for dinner tonight. Mr. Austin, go to the king and tell that landlubbing moron we be having the possibleness to make a killing."

Sunny Austin: "Who be getting the Black Spot C'ptain?"

Madame Xianggu: "It's a metaphor ye nincompoop. We be making a financial killing. Now tell the king he need to be pretending he know all about vegetable plagues."

Sunny Austin: "Aye aye C'ptain!"

[Krytenia]

It had been a good few days for Penelope Baker. The meeting at Sandy Hall had gone as well as expected - better even - with President Mihaly proving both a cordial guest and a canny leader who understood the importance of co-operation between Cardenao and Krytenia. Agreements had been put together, providing a new route to prosperity for both sides. Amidsts chatter about an expanded free trade area - looking at the likes of Huayramarca, Ko-oren, and Mertagne - had come a framework allowing the Krytenians spacious access to Cardenao's extensive raw materials. In return, Krytenian goods would have far less red tape required for transport in the opposite direction - with the possibility of Krytenian companies being able to get a foothold to the west. Baker and Mihaly both understood the manufacturing skills gap between the two nations, and that was something that the industrial behemoth of the Federal Kingdom could exploit - with the added benefit of bringing new opportunities for the Cardenoans to provide more to trade with their allies. Which, of, course, could in turn bring them closer to Emberton.

Military negotiations were also on the table, and though the Krytenians stopped short of a formal military pact, the implication was there that Krytenia would be a reliable ally. A contract for aircraft and aerospace equipment didn't hurt in that regard either - again, more cash in the coffers of the private sector could only be a good thing in Baker's eyes.

Back in her Emberton office, though, something perturbed the Prime Minister. Reports were at last coming in from the Ochre Islands, and the news was at best foggy. Something had gone down there, Ko-oren and Mertagne had engaged the Bostopians, but reports were conflicting. Nobody had explicitly come to the Krytenians regarding this; "best not to stick our noses in right now" had been the agreement between the Ministry of Defence and the military's top brass. Bostopia, though, would not be going away quietly. The usual sabre-rattling had now seemed to coalesce around Mertagne wanting to take the fight to the Bostopians directly - and that would mean Krytenia's Beck fleet being dead centre of any naval encroachment from north or south.

"Bloody Bostopia," Baker muttered as she called her Defence Minister to help formulate a potential response.