World Cup 95 Roleplay Thread

[Nephara]

Sometimes you had good days at the office. Sometimes bad. And sometimes, of course, you had catastrophically poor matches that all but single-handedly dropped points to the bottom team in the group and threw away the chance to clinch World Cup qualification.
Esportiva and Esportiva. Or. Whatever they were fucking called. People say there are no matches in qualifying that are routine, but, well... there sure as hell are some that ought to be, and doing cleanup work against a team propping up the table, long-eliminated, should have slotted neatly into that category. And so it was away from home, but the weird shit that happens away from home mostly stops favourites scoring, it doesn't necessarily suck the ball in the other end.
That job was done, amply. A screamer from Bellona Sebold just eleven minutes in set the tone, Kulesza made it 2 in the 17th, Felixe Vetiver did what she did, a shimmering run through the belly of the beast before a deft chip over the goalkeeper, before Leandra Berenguer came off the bench and produced a late, much-needed equaliser with a diving header.
Wait.
Equaliser?

Toxothea Sebring was a tough player, and she'd tended to seize chances where she got them. At Crisisbless, she had unseated Valladar international Lucien Chamoun when given a shadow of an opening through injury, and had not been assailable since as Crisisbless racked up silverware for the only real dynasty in their history. For Nephara, though, things hadn't quite panned out the same way. She'd been unimpressive in Nephara's generally unimpressive Eagles Cup runs, and while she was firmly in the greater picture for the Cormorants, Medusa Strand was firmly entrenched ahead of her. When Strand's form wavered, Cantor had been ruthless... but it was Chary Longstreet given the nod ahead of Sebring. Week after week, she jetted in, knowing she was likely third-choice. She told herself it was enough of an honour to be there, to be recognised as among the best, to go to tournaments year-in year-out; she was one of the lucky ones. Surely.
Then Longstreet wavered. The entire team had wavered, against Brenecia. But Longstreet paid the price.
And Sebring, to her own surprise, became the beneficiary.
But she did not let go. It took five games for her to concede a goal, and it was just a single goal, to Trolleborg in a 3-1 away win; three more clean sheets followed. A single concession in eight, and Nephara were recovering from their early wavering, finding their feet. Their destiny was in their own hands again. They just had to not fuck it up.
And now was the moment Sebring's luck deserted her.
The first goal was a fluke. A thumping shot, a bad deflection, she'd gone the wrong way. The second? Well... it made it 2-2. Sebring had done well to block the first shot, but she'd only parried it the same place it came from, and a following-through striker hammered it home to ensure the sides were level going into the break. The home crowd loved it.
The third was the nightmare. 53rd minute. Midfielder hit it low, long and hard, but not hard enough. Or it shouldn't have been. Maybe there was an awkward bobble. But there can't have been an excuse. One way or another, she knelt for it and something went wrong and she felt herself tumbling as her arms closed in around thin air, and she heard the groans and the roars and looked back to the ball, nestling in the net, going through her like she was nothing but a multi-millionaire silk curtain.
Vetiver made it 3-3. The magic was still there, but...
Hell, she wasn't even sure the winger had meant to shoot. She was sure he was shaping to cross, but the ball flew past her near post anyway, and now it was 4-3 with minutes to play.
Berenguer bailed them out, and late on, Tabithe Drake lashed a shot against the post. The chances had been there to win it. Sebring trudged back into the dressing room. Two points dropped. One person to blame.
Cantor glossed over it in the dressing room. "Thea knows she fucked it. But it's on us that it even mattered to begin with. She's been huge for us going back months, now, and sure, she let us down here. But we all fucked up somewhere down the track, just the cameras aren't fixated on us. We ignore all the bullshit discourse, we reset, and we come together for the final round, we kill the fuckers, and we go to the fucking World Cup."
She appreciated the gesture, but she knew the only way to appreciate it was on the pitch.

It was a dire match.
Nephara hosted, and Al-Tamazgha came to spoil; they'd enjoyed an impressive qualifying campaign with a number of players in the Quebecois league, and they were set up in a disciplined low block. Why not? It wasn't their job to entertain the away fans, just to hold out and grab a result.
But they did have the means to hurt a team. The game wasn't over just because, in the 33rd minute, Ravil Kulesza had risen highest, backpedalling and under pressure, to thump a header from Loeher's dinked cross past Presnel Haldane. There had been other chances, narrowly missed, but for the most part the Mountain Lions were keeping firm in the face of pressure, and against a vociferous home support who had looked up 'al-tamazgha system of government', seen the word 'Kingdom' and chanted lustily about hanging Ismail IV in the town square ever since.
Those fans might have breathed a sigh of relief when Kulesza put them up, but the Cormorants knew the game was far from over, and in the second half the Tamazghans forced their way back into the tie. A header from Joumari flashed over the bar before a thumping strike from Shukriya Benzakour forced Sebring into her first real save of the game, pushing the ball around the post. But though they could not find their way to the scoresheet, neither could the Cormorants add to their tally.
It was another Ismail who made the difference. The 20-year old, Diedhiou, jinking in and out, and when Vetta Roback obligingly threw out a leg, he hurled himself over it. Contact he was looking for, a case the home players made as they mobbed the referee, picking up some yellow cards for dissent, and a soft penalty. But a penalty nonetheless, and in the 87th minute, and with the playoffs looming if the Cormorants could not see this through.
Up stepped Mamadou Abderrahmane, a veteran forward only recently come off the bench, glad his experience might tell here. Toxothea Sebring met his stare coolly.
In that moment, all thoughts of last match had fallen away. There was just a single clear, certain thought:
He's going left.
She threw herself that way, the moment the ball was struck, launching herself at full stretch. The penalty was poor; she smacked it low, into the ground, then launched herself forward fearlessly, eyes open even as studs approached, clasped around the ball even as she felt Diedhiou crunch into her on the follow-through, and felt herself rolling back, but kept her grip, firm, unassailable, rolling back around to rest against the ball even as an ill-tempered melee stormed around her, Nepharim eager to defend their goalkeeper, Tamazghans furious at the missed opportunity.
Sebring laid at the eye of the storm, and she knew in her heart of hearts that that was the last chance they'd have. She did enough.
And sure enough, nobody remembered the damn E&E game anymore. They were going to the World Cup.

Lineup vs. Huelavia
(4-4-2) 12 - Sebring; 17 - Swain, 5 - Roback, 6 - Scales, 3 - Xu; 13 - Brewer, 4 - Gale, 26 - Fang, 11 - Loeher; 9 - Kulesza, 21 - Vetiver

[Mytanija]

The Mytanars sat deep in the bowels of The Hive, in Sanar. For some it was familiar territory, after all Chromatik based players were the most common of those who played overseas within their ranks, for others it was all new, a new stadium to tick off and a new environment to play in. Mytanars were well used to playing in crackling atmospheres, back home that was commonplace, something which you became used to week by week. Stadiums as large as this were not as common, however, with over 120,000 people packed in and ready to watch the group opener between Mytanija and West Barack and East Obama.

Bigger Mbala-Ekakia strode around as if it was just another match to him. The Mytanar captain had seen it all before and had played at this stadium with Wirr Tsi when they were at their strongest. He carried an air of quiet confidence, of strength. He would check-in with players as he walked past them, trying to elicit a smile with a small joke or passing comment – sometimes about the guy next to them – anything to get a laugh and to momentarily take their mind off what was to come. Mytanija carried the weight of expectation with them wherever they went. The national team’s performance at World Cups had left a lot to be desired over the years and famous players had achieved very little.

One World Cup quarter final berth in sixteen prior attempts. This would be number seventeen and the Hoops were gradually ticking up to challenge other, even more, present but unsuccessful teams. That added to the pressure. Every professional who reached the stage where they were considered for the national team wanted to be a part of the team who could break the glass ceiling. Mytanija had had great players before, but it was as if an invisible forcefield prevented them from fulfilling their obvious potential. Errors, missed chances, bad discipline had cost them before. It would be a challenge to stop them from happening again, at the end of the day the other teams were good too, but there was always the nagging feeling that it could happen to them again too.

As Ivica Svok had said to the media before the match, just getting out of the group would be an achievement on the basis of recent history, and for that reason he wasn’t looking too far beyond the first game against a West Barack and East Obama side for whom this was all relatively new. Mytanija couldn’t take them for granted, this would be a huge game for them, a World Cup opener against higher-ranked opposition with much more history in the competition (albeit just as unsuccessful in real terms). They would be as motivated as anybody to give Mytanija a hard time. In turn Mytanija would have to be watchful, not fall for any attempts to rile them – something they were always prone to falling for – and play well. It was the last bit that was, perhaps, more integral than anything else.

Their media had called Drazen Skara the danger man and ordinarily that would be a good call. Skara had an outstanding scoring record for both club and country. He was a marksman who had been recognised by the Testiculos in the past for his ability inside the box and his hard work outside of it, linking the play and playing a role for the team. In the last couple of years he hadn’t quite been at the top of his game and during World Cup qualification his record of 1 goal in 12 demonstrated this rather starkly. Goran Papic-Papratovic’s emergence as a hard-working all-purpose forward overshadowed Skara somewhat and the fact Papic-Papratovic also had a better scoring record (as did Aljoz Seslar and Taxhavn-based youngster Blaz Kovacec) led to Skara falling out of selection for a trio of games as Svok attempted to right the ship during the post-Ravnjak storm. He’d found his way back in now though, after all, Svok couldn’t leave a player of Skara’s quality out when it was the actual World Cup, could he?

The manager had given his team talk in a calm, considered tone. The usual stuff, remain compact out of possession, shift the opposition across to one side with the press and pin them there, break with the ball quickly and try to get it out to the left if possible so Jesenko and Ovsi can work their magic. Everybody already knew this, it was what they had been working on ahead of the final qualifier against Dod Rava, ahead of the playoff versus Huayramarca and in their training camp in the run-up to the World Cup itself. They had gotten used to Svok’s style, different as it was to Misel Ravnjak’s, and they knew what to do as a result. After that, the 39-year-old coach changed tack completely, moving off the tactical plan and more towards a mental approach:

“Make sure you enjoy the game.” Svok said. “Some of you might only get one chance at this whole World Cup thing. Some of us, like me, were never quite good enough to get here. So go out there and enjoy it, savour the fact you’re playing at this level, in front of so many fans, and try to show why you have reached this level in your performance. Don’t be afraid to try things. You’re professional footballers, you can do things with that football that mere mortals cannot. Entertain the people who are watching us and wanting us to win. Show them the football they paid their hard-earned money to come and see!”

And with that, the signal for the players to walk out to the tunnel and line-up for the first pre-match walkout came. Svok smiled and clapped his hands, the players stood up and the noise from the stands filtered through. In the changing room they could hear them.

MY-TAN-IJA MY-TAN-IJA MY-TAN-IJA

Each player looked from one face to the next and grinned. The hairs on some of their necks stood on end. Others bowed their heads and muttered quiet prayers.

“Come on boys!” Bigger Mbala-Ekakia shouted.

[Sylestone]

World Cup 95 Group Stage Matchday 1 Cutoff - Chromatik Half

The road to the Holy Grail begins now. One of you will lift it at the end. Who will it be?

[Ko-oren]

The Lele Experience

Manguele has had almost a full cycle to prove himself. A CAFA in front of a home crowd, a full set of World Cup Qualifiers and trying to uphold the qualification streak (12, at the time), and we're into the World Cup Finals now. In that time, he's had to do a lot: he was forced to take a decision for the future of the Dragonflies with most of the class of 87/89 retiring or close to it: at the time, making two finals was the culmination of a good decade of planning, selecting, and perfecting. Manguele was put in charge to start a new cycle like it of choosing a direction for the team, tactically, and selecting the players that can execute it.

The stats tell you quite a bit at a single glance:

93 (22 games) under Davenport:
Record: 15-4-3 (2.23 pts per game)
Goals: 38:17 (1.73 GF per game, 0.77 GA per game, 0.95 GD per game)

94 (20 games) under interim management
Record: 15-0-5 (2.25 pts per game)
Goals: 35:9 (1.75 GF per game, 0.45 GA per game (lowest since 92), 1.30 GD per game)

95 (14 games) under Manguele
Record: 10-3-1 (2.36 pts per game, highest since 91)
Goals: 26:7 (1.86 GF per game (highest since 90), 0.50 GA per game, 1.36 GD per game (highest since 90))

Davenport saw Ko-oren play pretty decent but it's clear that 94 and 95 gave us a noticeable step up. In fact, under Manguele, the team put up its best numbers since the 90th edition of the qualifiers - cycles 91 and 92, and to an extent 93 weren't actually all that great. The biggest change is clearly in the 'goals scored' metric, with the team routinely scoring more goals per game to secure a higher win percentage all around, and all that without sacrificing the number in the 'goals conceded' column!

As a sidenote: none of these numbers hold a candle to what the Dragonflies were up to in the late 60s and early 70s - even the late 80s couldn't compare. In fact, the Dragonflies are playing their best football right now since those incredible days, even if no silverware came off it back then. 2.36 points per game is pretty good, but still behind the production of 90 (2.57), and even that comes in 6th behind cycles 69, 68, 66, 75, and 71 - 2.86, 2.64, 2.6, 2.58, and 2.57 points per game respectively. The team often didn't give up more than one goal in three games at the time, too. In distinct second comes the generation of 86-91. If we see 92-94 as a lull and the end of a dynasty, then we could be looking at 95 as the starting point of a resurgence.

To see how Manguele changed the squad around to get what he wanted from 93 to 95, we only have to look at the players who made the most minutes - ignoring goalkeepers:

93 (22 games)
92%: DM Uozomi
90%: CB Mulvahil
89%: LB Van Kalvenhaar
85%: CM Entatingun
81%: AM Longchambon

94 (20 games)
90%: CB Van Schelven
89%: CM Entatingun
87%: CM yCinrhadd
84%: CB Mulvahil
78%: LB Van Kalvenhaar

95 (14 games)
96%: RM Laza
95%: CM yCinrhadd
93%: LB Van Kalvenhaar
84%: CB Aelea
82%: CB Todaka

In 93, Davenport put all her eggs in one basket by going all-in on the waning defensive midfield position with Uozomi - who hasn't played more than a single half at a time since then, if even selected. Mulvahil and Van Kalvenhaar were no-brainers, and Entatingun (21 years old at the time) was the least common denominator in midfield, able to gel with anyone - or at least, that was the plan - and a late 30s Longchambon still provided the attacking creativity.

In 94, the interims called up a lot more players resulting in a lot more players getting a cut of the minutes, but their incredible risk-averse lineups saw Van Schelven, well into his 30s, headlining a conservative yet effective defence (0.45 GA per game), with Mulvahil and Van Kalvenhaar never far away. The Urrheddiao leftback was sidelined for two games due to injury but luckily she was able to make it to most other fixtures. Entatingun and yCinrhadd were the standard midfield duo. Aside from these five, not many players made over 50% of minutes: Mizuno (RB) got 54% and Archer (ST) got 52%, but other than that it was entirely up to the moment as to who got a call.

In 95, Manguele was asked to implement his system, as long as it relied on defence - the one thing Ko-orenite footballers were already proficient at and could be relied on for - but otherwise he was given free reign, and that resulted in a defensive, yet heavily asymettric, possession-oriented squad, tilted to wherever the ball was or where the best players of the opposition were, crowding small areas and having enough people left on the rest of the field to prevent a quick escape by the opponents' best playmakers. In the top five: no more Van Schelven or Entatingun. Instead, creative Laza was on the field the longest, able to play Lele's small area dominance. yCinrhadd proved to be a better fit than Entatingun and we've had a revolving door of players on the other central midfield spot, where it applies. In defence, Van Kalvenhaar's unending stamina is always a good bet. Aelea never played much but the Holdenberg defender was a breath of fresh air after the aging defence from the previous cycle (even if effective, you can't rely on the same guys but a year older). Todaka, just 18, surprisingly made it into the top 5, the Kanatsu defender being pretty good on the ball aside from positioning errors.

Laza, yCinrhadd, Aelea, Todaka - four dribblers and passers with great mental resilience. We might have stumbled across the Lele Manguele blueprints for good players. Positioning is out - the thing Entatingun and Mulvahil excel at - and getting stuck in is here to stay.

As for results, the downward trend after the 95 midpoint (7-0-0 before the half, 3-3-1 after) needs to be just a coincidence. Even with the poor half, the stats are good. Signs point towards more changes in the starting XI, or if there even will be a default XI. There are more young players prepared for the big stage, with Mellowby (aggressive 19 year old defender for Maynard) a likely candidate, but Haggigana (21 year old, Maethoru) probably out as a representative of the old guard's play style.

[HUElavia]

Nephara 1–2 HUElavia
(Vetiver 33' (P) | Navarro-Hamada 76', Chanca 83')
Z'ai'ai Field, Z'ai'ai, Chromatika

THIS TEAM IS HUNGRY!

HUElavia pulls a massive upset victory late in the match against Nephara to take a historic victory in their World Cup opener!

Once more, HUElavia was looking forward to their opening match at the World Cup. For the 5th time in the nation's history, HUElavia was coming in as massive underdogs against their opponent, and this time against nobody less than No. 10 Nephara. In a sold out crowd in Z'ai'ai Field in Z'ai'ai, Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos came out to massive support from their fans taking up the right endzone, draped in Yellow, Blue and Green as the team was looking to make the most of their opening match. With the changes in midfield, Coach O'Reagan was banking on youth over experience to take on their strong opponents in the opening match.

The match was a rough one for HUElavia, as they had to deal with the ebb and flow of attacks from Nephara from the sheer strength of their players. While HUElavia had to play on the defense from the attacks of Kulesza and Vetiver, Aveiro, Rossi-Rigoni and Amezcua did get shots in towards the defense thanks to the playmaking from Navarro-Hamada. Mok and Sebring were making saves as neither team wanted to concede the opening goal in the match. In the 33rd minute, Vetiver was on the ball looking for a cross with Gounelle covering them, when they hit a cross in, but it hit the right hand of Gounelle, which was an obvious handball in the box. The referee did not hesitate to point to the spot for a penalty kick and give Gounelle a yellow card. Vetiver stepped up and sent Mok the wrong way as they slotted the ball into the goal, making it 1-0. The Nepharans were celebrating in joy for the goal, clapping and cheering while the HUElavians were silent and had a frustrated look on their face. Despite some great chances from Nephara, they could not get the goal. At the half Nephara led 1-0, but there was still to be desired from the match.

In the 2nd half, HUElavia attacked more and more, wanting to get that equalizer and they looked very threatening in front of the Nepharan goal. Sebring looked more and more distressed while barking orders from his defense to do better. In the 76th minute, HUElavia was on the counter attack with Aveiro running on the ball, where he took a shot in the box only to be blocked by Sebring, but they did not grab the ball as it rolled out and Navarro-Hamada slotted the ball into the goal to make it 1-1. The HUElavian crowd erupted to cheer and jump in celebration to make the stadium rumble while Navarro-Hamada was mobbed by his teammates for the goal, just about scoring in dramatic fashion like his father back in World Cup 84. The Nepharans were shocked by the goal, and HUElavia knew that the momentum had shifted in their favor. They kept on pressing and pressing, knocking on the door for another goal. In the 83rd minute, a long pass from Pestalozzi (in for Gounelle) reached to Chanca (in for Amezcua) who was being covered by Scales, running in the box and gave a hard shot from an awkward angle over Sebring into the goal, making it 2-1. The crowd erupted once more, cheering and jumping to make the stadium rumble once again, with Chanca being mobbed by her teammates and the bench as the team pulled a miraculous comeback, as many players had in the past. At the end, HUElavia held out and got the 3 points in an instant classic. The bench rushed the pitch while there were big smiles on the exchausted faces of the HUElavians.

Back home, people gathered in large watch parties were in celebration, people taking to the streets to celebrate the victory, people honking their horns in the vehicles. Coach O'Reagan was quoted as saying "It was a fantastic performance by the team. They played their hearts out and we showed that we deserved to be in this tournament. Even if we weren't favorites against Nephara, one of the most respected teams in the multiverse, we proved that we could take the match to them and we did just that. While we're all happy for the victory, we still got two games to play and this is not over yet. But, I have faith that we can do well and achieve great things with this team." HUElavia sits in 2nd Place in Group D after Valanora defeated Eshialand 3-1, making the Valanorans take 1st Place on Goal Difference. HUElavia and Valanora will play against each other on Matchday 2 in Z'ai'ai Field, as the winner will likely be advancing to the Round-of-16. Valanora are overwhelming favorites, but the team does not look at this match with fear. If Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos could go toe-to-toe with Nephara, they could do the same with Valanora, even if it is a more difficult match. The team trains diligently, studying film and looking to improve on their mistakes. But in a few days, this could be a historic match for HUElavia. At the end of the day, it's the World Cup, and anything can happen.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

[Tumbra]

MATCHDAY! Magazine — World Cup Box Scores

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Tumbra 1-0 Vdara

TMB (4-2-3-1): 1 - Victoria Jones; 2 - Annie Renton, 4 - Ian Ashburn (14 - Wendy Pritchett, 70'), 20 - Christine Whitfield (5 - Stephen Kerr, 70'), 19 - James Green (3 - Tracey Mercurio, 85'); 6 - Trudy Harrison, 8 - Vincent Hicks (25 - Lucas McCormick, 73'), 10 - Susan Monaghan; 17 - Erin Robertson (7 - Valerie Wells, 73'), 21 - Audrey Pearson; 11 - Nick Riordan

TMB scorers: Susan Monaghan (19')

Player of the Match: Susan Monaghan [TMB]

---

"TUMBRA TURNS TO THE DARK SIDE" exclaimed the papers the morning after the game. It was true; the game against Vdara seemed to mark a change in the way Tumbra played. Gone was the emphasis on fast counterattacking, technical football; replaced solely with physical football to the end. The Vdaran football team moreso resembled the Vdaran air forces with the amount of times their players were sent flying; with Tumbra playing resolutely defensively, unwilling to give any inch as they fought the Vdarans for the third time. Yellow cards were commonplace; Ashburn, Green, Harrison, and even Riordan picked one up for their tackling; which did achieve its assumed aim of not letting the opposition having even the vaguest sniff of the ball by flinging them off it the moment they were remotely close to it.

It did seem to work; and for James Green in particular, he seemed to be perfectly happy with giving away the ball if it meant he count just dispossess the player ten seconds later. That earned him a yellow card when he went in on Sophia Kyprianou more than once; but it did achieve, again, its aim of stopping a particularly dangerous attack from the Vdarans. For them, who were perhaps expecting Tumbra to sit back but not as much as the Black Eagles did, the rough-tackling playstyle turned out to be a bit of a shock; and it seemed to take them a little while to adjust. But Tumbra spent those twenty minutes exerting control over the game, as it were; Susan Monaghan would score, twenty minutes in, from a free kick; neatly arched over the wall, after she was brought down just outside the box.

The rest of the game would see Vdara try to attack, and Tumbra dispossess whichever attacker was advancing, often with the Vdaran player going up in the air. Takis Pipades, Vdaran centre-back and Columbia City player, received a yellow for dissent after the referee seemed to be a bit partial toward the Tumbrans, and the temperament of the match seemed to be a harbinger for the game against Brenecia. Late yellow cards for Ian Ashburn saw him yanked off for Wendy Pritchett for twenty minutes to go; and Vincent Hicks was substituted to form a double pivot as Tumbra sought to sit back for the last ten minutes of the game. Ultimately, nobody in Tumbra could be displeased with a 1-0 win; in Betham, Farfadillis dispatched Brenecia to put them in pole position in the group.

"Is this how Tumbra will be playing for the rest of the World Cup?" seemed to be the dominant theme in the post-match press conferences; and while Michael Campbell, Tumbran national team manager, seemed to try to fob off the questions by calling it "a question of tactical interpretations," Campbell's distinctly more physical style of defensive play does seem to be where he's looking to make his mark. A wry smile when the sixth iteration of that question was asked seemed to say everything about it; if so, Brenecia and Farfadillis could be in for a tough time. That is, of course, if Tumbra manage to capitalise on the early momentum they've gained against the Anaian side.

THE SCOOP: Lawrence Newell begins tenure by naming most conservative cabinet in Tumbran history; records lowest approval rating for a new Prime Minister


Newly-elected Prime Minister Lawrence Newell on Monday afternoon, after being sworn in. He is Tumbra's 33rd Prime Minister.

STRATON: A bumpy ride awaits for the new Prime Minister, Lawrence Newell, who on Monday achieved many things on the first official day of his premiership, including naming a new Cabinet, announcing that he was looking to form a "new right-wing front" with Federalist Alliance leader and one-time presidential candidate Max Young, and the first polling numbers of his premiership seeing him start his tenure with one of the lowest approval ratings recorded since polling began.

Newell, 58, was elected Prime Minister in a closed caucus vote after a spill motion moved by the Liberal Party against former Prime Minister Stephen Williams narrowly succeeded. Going up against the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Paul McKenzie, Newell successfully leveraged the voting power of the conservative wing of the party, and capitalised on moderate members' fears of losing their seats in any upcoming general election to the nascent right-wing force of Max Young's Federalist Alliance to win a landslide victory. Newell would take nearly 65% of the vote against the man widely regarded as Stephen Williams' personal successor in a victory most political commentators regarded as a long time coming; citing factors such as Newell's personal popularity amongst conservatives in the Liberal Party, a backlash against the Prime Minister's style of moderate, centrist government, and polling numbers showing a grim future for the Liberal Party without a change in course.

Announcing his new Cabinet after being sworn in on Monday — he won a parliamentary vote on Monday afternoon with the support of the party's former coalition allies, the National Party, but without the support of the centrist Moderate Party, which had announced its intention to leave the government after Williams' resignation — waves were made as Newell, in a move perhaps unprecedented in the history of the Liberal Party, filled all the traditional top jobs in government with conservatives. "The job of the Liberal Party leader — or, indeed, of any of the two big parties in power at the time, is not just to govern, but also to negotiate tensions between the more moderate and hardline wings of their party," says Professor Kenneth Wright of the University of Couno. "What Newell has done is essentially breaking with actual settled precedent to establish a balance between moderates and conservatives in his party by filling the top jobs of his Cabinet — in fact, his entire Cabinet — with conservatives."

Newell will be Prime Minister; Stephanie Wilson will be Deputy Prime Minister, Gerald Kingsley will shift over from the Ministry of Defence to the Finance Ministry, Michael Greenwood will take on the Home Affairs portfolio, while the "two Alexanders" — two young rising stars on the party's conservative wing, Alexander Hurst and Alexander Morrison — will be occupying the Foreign Affairs and Defence portfolios respectively. Newell's old portfolio of Law will be taken on by newcomer Christine Schofield, who, at 37, will be the youngest member of the new ministry and who has been touted in the party as the "right-wing answer" to the Labour Party's popular progressive deputy leader, Sandra Campbell. All those names are key players within the conservative wing of the party; the moderates get a measly three cabinet spots, in Transport, Urban Development, and International Trade.

Speaking after he was sworn into office by President Edward Merryweather in an antechamber off to the side of the House of Representatives, Newell promised that his government would look to "strengthen the key pillars of the country — the rule of law, free speech, and federalism — and above all, create a safe, secure, and prosperous Tumbra for our children." To foreign observers' relief, however, Newell reaffirmed that Tumbra's "existing foreign policy" would continue without many alterations; and pledged his support for a "free and democratic Ochre Islands," as well as a "peaceful Mertagne free from Bostopian violence." Perhaps the most surprising announcement, however, was the surprise reveal that he would enter talks "as soon as possible" for a "united right-wing front" with Max Young to contest the next federal election.

The new Prime Minister has been met by a cold shrug by the country, with some mild irritation at the manner of his ascension. A snap poll released by CampbellStewart revealed that the new Prime Minister has just a 35% approval rating, with 18% professing no opinion and 47% disapproving of his premiership. Key factors in this low poll rating, CampbellStewart revealed, included "discomfort with conservative policies", and "dislike of the manner of which he came into office." Newell will have to work fast in order to rescue his own poll ratings; commentators suspect that the alliance with the much more popular Max Young is a way to rid himself of the moniker of the "nasty conservative."

The opposition Labour Party, led by Bertram Andrews, was quick to decry both the manner in which Newell came to power and the conservative bent he would take the country in; after Parliament reconvened, Andrews said that the new Prime Minister had "no democratic mandate to speak of" and that he should "call for a general election immediately to give the country a chance to decide whether they want him as Prime Minister." Newell, in a scathing reply which hinted at an early general election, said that Andrews should "be wary of what he wished for."

---

MATCHDAY! Magazine World Cup Previews — Brenecia

---

Brenecia

Previous Appearances: 19 First/Latest Appearance: 70/93 Best Result: Champions (80)
Manager: Erin Camden Key Player: Katua Byrne
vs Tumbra: Matchday 2 @ Avondale

---

THE BIG BUGBEAR: Is there a name that stirs as much irrational dislike in Tumbran footballing circles as Brenecia? No, probably not; after all, Tumbra are Brenecia's most contemporary rivals, and while Tumbra may have arguably dethroned Brenecia from the apex of Esportivan football, there still isn't a side that seems to just have the Black Eagles' number as the Patriots. After all, in the last four times Tumbra and Brenecia have met, Brenecia have come out on top thrice. Memories still sting of the third-placed playoff loss in World Cup 91, bringing a painful end to what had been an inspiring campaign; then a loss in World Cup 93, which, while not exactly harming Tumbra's chances in the group stages, did prove to be a harbinger of the team's loss to Turori in the second round; and, most lately, Tumbra's loss on penalties to Brenecia in the Campionato, preventing Tumbra from winning their fourth title.

The usual suspects are all there; world-famous names like Katua Byrne, Maerhen Wake, Skaidrina Briggs dot the lineup; and names more familiar to Tumbrans, like Bede Cheschon, Rajmund Sitko, and Lowen Murdoch, who all ply their trade within the Federal Republic, all are there. The team's strength betrays their on-again, off-again relationship with the World Cup as of late; after their third-place finish in World Cup 91, they then failed to qualify for 92, hit the quarterfinals in 93, and then, surprisingly, failed to qualify in World Cup 94. Their qualification this time out was by no means guaranteed either; having been taken to extra time by StrayaRoos after narrowly beating Trolleborg to the second-place spot in the group which also contained their former colonial masters Nephara. Brenecia seem to constantly be a team hanging on the brink, yet somehow also have enough left in the tank to generate a performance against the Black Eagles.

The meeting of Esportiva's two strongest sides will be ill-tempered, and it will be physical; after all, that is the Brenecian way. Even more so than usual, given Tumbra's sudden stoop to the supposed dark side in terms of gamesmanship and uncompromising physicality. Stopping Maerhen Wake and Katua Byrne, through which most of Brenecia's offensive output will come through, will be vital; so will shutting down Alaoise Rourke, who looks deceptively unthreatening but can and will create dangerous situations for Tumbran defenders. Phil Cole would perhaps have relished the chance to unlock the country's top rivals; but his ankle injury meant that he would miss out on the final World Cup of a storied career, relegated to watching the games pitchside. In his wake, Susan Monaghan will be tasked as the country's focal point of attack; while a tried, true and tested lineup of Wells, Crossley, and Riordan look set to start up top.

Perhaps with the win over Vdara, some hope, and some positivity can be taken; but then again, having beaten the Anaians twice during qualifying, anything less than a win would probably have just spelt the end of Tumbra's World Cup hopes. The mood within Tumbra remains somewhat pessimistic, even as the chance of escaping the so-called "Group of Dearth" increased after that first matchday. Pundits have the game down as even, with the odds slightly favouring Tumbra; but they'll have to get over the three losses in four, as well as the country's seeming inability to perform at World Cup finals.

---

LINEUP v. BRENECIA
Starters: 1 - Victoria Jones; 2 - Annie Renton, 24 - Yvonne Lawson, 5 - Ian Ashburn, 3 - Tracey Mercurio; 6 - Trudy Harrison, 15 - Mark Finnemore, 10 - Susan Monaghan; 7 - Valerie Wells, 9 - Lynne Crossley; 11 - Nick Riordan

[Kelssek]

Romain Dupuis had a villa on the Salt Coast and greeted her with his half-buttoned shirt billowing in the breeze of a perfect day on the seaside cliffs. It was very InstantGrammeable, and Brianna Rashid, Football Kelssek executive director, took a selfie to ensure Moonbeam Infantino would later regret pretending to be sick and scarpering off to lie by the hotel pool.

The manager of CF Outineau was, it turned out, more geographically and culturally aligned to the city’s historic rival, Langlois. Or at least, that seemed to be the case from his apparent preference for the ocean breeze and spiced sausage over cheese fondue and mountain air.

“...pigs fed by hand, sells them in the city, too. But I have to force him to accept my money every time, because he says he won’t charge a neighbour for something he makes in his own kitchen. I guess technically it’s a kitchen, but he has a couple of employees and the sausage operation must be quite profitable. It’s selling, also, the idea of the farm life to the city people, right? But you’re here to talk about football, I imagine.” Romain said eventually.

Briana had nearly tuned out. “Yes. So, well, as you know... what do you think should be the future of the national team?”

Romain shook his head. “Don’t need to play games here, did you really come all the way here to ask for advice? If I wanted the job, I’d have applied for it.”

Briana gave Romain a thin smile. “I’m gathering input from stakeholders.”

“Well, alright. It’s a transition period the team is in. Leadership in the dressing room is the first thing to take care of. You should do what you can to convince Loïc Maçon-Petrault to have one more cycle, or at least get the team qualified. I hope you’ve already got a leadership group, but you also need a succession plan for the captaincy. I think Ingrid Lambert or Nacuemiró Buené – and if any Kirkenes players disagree, cut them loose. You can’t let those club cliques fester.”

Romain continued, “A good crop of younger players, though there’s a bit of a gap between the veterans on the way out, and the youngsters now. The future is very bright, but before you get there, it’s going to be a challenge to build a cohesive team concept. It’s always a challenge when you have a lot of new faces coming in at the same time as veteran leaders just left the stage.”

“Tactics need to suit the players. Saint-Louis was moving towards a front three more or less.”

“Those all sound like excellent ideas for the new Kelssek manager, Romain.”

Romain smiled and tilted his head.

“You’ve got a wonderful track record. ”

“The thing is, international management is quite different from club football. Many managers are just more comfortable with the projects and relationships you can develop...”

Briana concentrated on keeping a poker face as Romain practically repeated the spiel Ryan Potter had given her just days earlier.

“...so I’m not ruling it out, but the timing’s not right for me.”

Briana shook her head. Maybe she should appeal to his ambition. “I don’t believe it. Or rather, I don’t believe you, and I don’t think you believe yourself either. I hear you all the time talking on TV, about how you’ve built what you’ve built and won all the trophies you’ve won, about how important it is not to settle for enough, to keep pushing to the next summit. I’m offering you that chance to push for the next summit. And you tell me you’re comfortable where you are.”

Romain’s face hardened. Suddenly Briana felt like a teenage academy prospect who’d showed up late to training.

“I have a summit to climb here, Ms. Rashid. At Club football d’Outineau, we have a history and a legacy to defend. Eleven times champions of Kelssek. Five times winners of the Patriotes Cup. The most of any team. And then you have Kirkenes FC. I know of course the Kelssek team uses their stadium, right? So you know quite well the people who are part of that club.”

Briana sensed this was not the time to interject that the club had been making genuine efforts to stamp out the ultras who could be relied upon each War of the Crowns match between the two clubs to be filmed on social media chanting something racist and breaking something – or someone.

“I, personally, had won as many titles as Kirkenes FC, until two years ago when they won a fifth Championship. Fine, I could live with that. But now Kirkenes FC has won the IFCF Champions League, something we have never come close to, despite being the first Kelssek club to qualify for the main phase of the UICA Champions’ Cup decades ago. It’s a tradition we haven’t lived up to as manager. I can’t just sit still and let that go. This club is in my blood, and I’m not letting the Firm sit on that perch.”

“So then, you see that I do have a summit ahead of me. And I can’t climb it as manager of Kelssek.”

* * *

It was when they were checking out that Brianna realized the number of drinks charged to their rooms did not accord with Moonbeam standing next to her rather than being in the hospital with alcohol poisoning.

“Did you drink all these yourself?” she said.

A look of serene satisfaction came onto Moonbeam’s face. Surely she can’t fault me for this one, he thought. “I was showing the generosity and goodwill of the footballing authorities in order to further engagement with the public, Briana.”

“Moonbeam, you can’t expense this much... well, you certainly can’t expense what you didn’t yourself drink.”

“I assure you, Ms. Rashid, this falls under business purposes, and even if there comes to be a problem, the ethics committee is not going to concern themselves with – or least, last time, the real issue was...”

“Pay. For. It. Yourself. Now.”

---

POGBACAR’S attitude RAISES QUESTIONS!
Footballing teenage sensation Titan Pogbacar has had his commitment and attitude questioned by fans after he responded to being left out of the World Cup squad by getting a haircut and posting on social media.

The erratic behaviour of Burnaby SC’s 18-year old rising star has raised more questions about his judgment and ability to withstand the pressure. As the domestic season draws on an end he today posted three different emojis with a video of him dancing in the club’s cafeteria.

Despite making his debut for national team as a substitute in a World Cup qualifier against Koronavia, Pogbacar has failed to impress Kelssek’s management with his antics and earned only one more cap when he started the home match against Kimi-suomi.

Kelssek manager Calen Reamsey said he was “happy with Titan, he’s a great player who's got a lot more to show us in the future, it's about the quality that we have with lots of experienced, elite players in his position.” But he clearly didn’t mean it as he’s left him out of the 23-player squad for the World Cup finals, and this rejection of Pogbacar’s is only proof that he’s yet another youngster who’s failed after taking a step too far.

“He’s lost a rising stars cup and that’s all he’s done in his life, what a failure lol kek” was the response of many people on Honkr.

[Baggieland]

Baggieland's first ever foray into the World Cup Finals saw substitute 'Ginger' Astle ensure a point late on for the Throstles, as we acquired an equal share of six goals against Mertagne at the Ground of Dunkirk in Sylestone. But the Mertagnians will be frustrated not to have won, after goals from Eveson and Curwood had put them in the ascendancy just after the half-hour mark. Baggieland then pulled a goal back just prior to the interval, and then got back on terms ten minutes after it. Mertagne were to go ahead midway through the second half, before Astle levelled two minutes from time.

It was in the 13th minute when Mertagne took the lead through Eveson. He was played through by Will and struck a shot with such venom from the edge of the box that it flew past Osborne in goal and then into the top-right corner. Ten minutes before the break, Mertagne’s lead was doubled in fabulous style, as Eyre, from the edge of the area, threaded the ball through for Curwood to calmly dink over Osborne. With half-time approaching, Bomber’s cross from the left found Richardson, whose volley went in off the near post to halve Baggieland’s arrears.

Within ten minutes of the restart, the Throstles equalised, when Brunt volleyed home after latching on to Bassett’s delivery from the right. Fifteen minutes later, Mertagne went ahead, when Emberson slid the ball to Eyre, who made no mistake from ten yards out for Mertagne's third. Astle, on for the knackered Richardson, came to the rescue with his equaliser, slotting past Fawn from the right after chasing down Brunt’s lofted through-ball.

[Farfadillis]

Brenecia has always, always been a very tough match-up for la Vherderoja. You could very well argue that, on paper, Brenecia have never had a better squad than Farfadillis. They can produce the odd star in Catherine Gryphon, Finn Townsend, Lauren Cheney (most notably), Matthis Woodgate, Scathach Wright, and now players like Katua Byrne and Maerhen Wake. If you were to put together an all-time Brenecian team, it would look fucking scary. Alas, they seem to be limited to two, at best three truly good players at a time, and they have to make do with mostly mediocre players to back them up. Their style of play reflects this: they rely on usually having a very solid goalkeeper plus a well-drilled defense that can weather any storm on a good day. They know very well how to straddle the line between physical play and stupidity. They then let their good attacking players fend for themselves and it works out surprisingly often.

This is the Audioslavian blueprint, and it's hard to argue against its success. For all the talent Farfadillis produces, they'd never managed to best the Brenecians. The Audioslavians were similarly hard to come up against. A well-drilled, physical, no-nonsense defense with a few quality players up top to make things happen is something Farfadillis has always struggled to beat. Ko-oren, though more defensive and featuring fewer talented attacking players, are a similar story.

So... what changed this time around? How did Farfadillis so thoroughly best the Patriots? It's actually somewhat simple: Farfadillis now have two good center-backs, and they play both against teams that would otherwise have an easy time hurting them on the counter. Mopiraja's reading of the game makes a lot of counterattacks fizzle out before they begin, while Türrângel is fantastic at cleaning up whenever the opponent gets a bit too close to the goal, owing to his staggering physical attributes. Speed, strength, height... an absolute monster. With those two marshalling the backline, Farfadillis usually attacks with fewer men than before, but can afford to do so with far more conviction. They can try and force a play, knowing the risk is not as reckless as it usually would be.

Farfadillis has, obviously, had a lot of success throughout its history; considerably more than Brenecia, arguably. Other Farf teams have been considerably better than this iteration despite not employing a back four... but none of them have been as good at breaking down top-tier low blocks. They may struggle against lesser opposition, as their qualifiers record shows, but the Brenecias of the multiverse go into a game against Farfadillis nowadays expecting something that just won't be there: senseless, relentless attacking with no care at all for defensive stability.

All of this makes it all the more funny that Brenecia opened the score seven minutes into the game. The goalscorer would be a player who could very well have been born in Farfadillis and nobody would've batted an eye. Alaoise Rourke picked up the ball thirty yards from goal, correctly sent Pokéésé the wrong way with a deft feint, used her immaculate touch to position the ball pretty much perfectly for a solid strike and then... well, there was nothing Fórténté could've done to stop that shot. A clean hit. Power and precision. Rourke made a little bit of space for herself and just fired away. It was the kind of goal no team could've defended against.

It's safe to say Farves were getting flashbacks to past heartbreaks against Brenecia, and for good reason. Yuan Zilai, however, is not a Farf. It's something that has its perks. He told the team to calm down, made no adjustments to his tactical set-up, and trusted his players to let their talent shine through. He knew Brenecia would sit back and try to hang onto lead desperately... perhaps even try to hang onto a draw once they equalized. Short of another piece of magic similar to Rourke's, there would be little to worry about... except running out of time, of course.

The fifteen or so minutes that followed the Brenecian goal had the Farf team slightly rattled. Some passes here and there were misplaced, some fifty-fifty challenges turned into harsh fouls and some frustration turned into speculative long shots that were never going to accomplish anything. However, as Wîjkár's athleticism and Mopiraja's careful positioning completely nullified Byrne, while Fâerçâlenh and Türrângel made it impossible for Wake to create something on the other flank, it became fairly apparent, and fairly quickly at that, that Brenecia did not have the weapons to fully threaten them. Rourke was shut out of the game by Mopiraja directing Türrângel towards him every time he got the ball, sometimes sending Fâerçâlenh his way instead, with Türrângel drifting wide to prevent Wake from wreaking havoc. As for Stokes... a high-line was deemed good enough to deal with her; Fórténté likely had any long balls correctly covered, plus it's not like Türrângel couldn't put out a fire too in an emergency.

As it became more and more apparent that all of Brenecia's very timid attempts to go forward were, in all likelihood, going to amount to nothing, la Vherederoja finally settled into the game. Before the game, Yuan Zilai had, counterintuitively, identified Cahara Riordan as Brenecia's defensive weakness. A great player with a bright future, yes, but this was not the kind of game where she could shine: she stood out more for her ability to contribute in attack than for being a left-back forged in fire by experience. She had, at the age of twenty-three, simply not come up often against one-on-one monsters like Valën Pídí. She would likely iron out this part of her game in due time, but that would be a matter of years, not minutes.

Farfadillis kept crowding the left side of the field, with Robineau drifting there to combine with a particularly in-form Sürréo. Rüí Süda joined them from behind, dictating tempo and helping the team keep the ball with his astonishing press resistance. The threat of Robineau escaping the defense at the drop of a hat was one the Brenecians were, like any other team, keenly aware of. More than once, in an instant, Süda would just switch flanks, leaving Pídí quite isolated, something he relishes. One-on-one against Riordan, Pídí lost the ball twice. But the threat was extremely apparent: Riordan had gotten to the ball just in time in both instances, and arguably fouled him the second time. The third time, Pídí's feint was a bit too good, his pace too difficult to match, and he got a shot off that Meade expertly saved. Despite her physicality, Riordan, Yuan Zilai figured, was not properly equipped to face an astoundingly technical and blisteringly fast player like Pídí. At least not when the whole game plan revolved around swaying the match-up in the young winger's favor.

However, solid tactical decisions don't always pan out in straightforward ways. Farfadillis' equalizer did not come through Pídí. Not directly, at least. Robineau, who much like Sürréo is trusted to kinda do what feels right, drifted right as Süda found Sürréo with a through pass. The star of the Tumbran league then cut inside, using his pace and close ball control to keep Hadley and Wheater at bay as he looked up. It was the perfect opportunity for a flicked pass. Pídí, very smartly, though it's anyone's guess whether it was his plan all along, decided to offer himself for a pass a few meters from the edge of the box. Jeong, but even more so Riordan, reacted instinctively to this after the headache Pídí had been causing them. The result: Sürréo pulled off an inch-perfect lob over the defense into an incoming Robineau, who violently volleyed it past Meade. The timing was perfect: VAR had to spend a full three minutes drawing lines to make sure Robineau was onside... but onside he was, and the game was now 1-1, thirty-seven minutes in.

Of course, sometimes solid tactical decisions do pan out in straightforward ways. No less than five minutes later, a surprise marauding run from Wîjkár left the Brenecian defense in a slightly awkward position: although they were very adept at dealing with Farf-style attacks, where the opposing team throws the kitchen sink at them, Farfadillis had been far more surgical with their attacking football so far. Wîjkár's run was breaking the mold and forcing them to change their approach on the fly. Unfortunately for the Brenecians, as Wîjkár ran past Byrne, his pacey ball-carrying and his intimidating frame left rendered Slivka's collapse on him wholly ineffective. To make matters worse, Riordan was shackled to a defensive position, as Pídí was very clearly preparing for a run in behind her. In the end, Jeong came out to stop the Rulandese right-back, with Wheater staying as cover if things went wrong. Wîjkár released the ball to Pídí in the very last second, leaving Jeong completely out of position. With the Brenecian backline in disarray and the relatively unimpressive Wheater being the only central defender who could prevent disaster inside the box. Pídí saw his chance to strike, and strike he did: he knocked the ball past Riordan with inch-perfect precision. The eventual distance to the ball was long enough for his sheer pace to beat out Riordan's physicality, especially with the positional advantage he started out with. However, he did not hit the ball long enough for it to go out of play: instead, with less than a meter of space left before reaching the byline, he pulled off a perfect cut-back to a box-crashing Jáánsêlà, who outpaced Briggs to the ball, shrugging off a tactical foul in the process. He got to the ball before a... bit of a ball-watching Wheater, who was witnessing the displeasure of watching his backline crumble in a matter of seconds. Jáánsêlà smashed the ball into the top corner, full force. There was nothing Meade could've done.

There wasn't a lot of time left for things to happen in the first half... except Pídí getting fouled thrice in quick succession. It is not the sort of thing that works against Farf players, but is nonetheless always worth a try. You never know when you might luck into injuring the opposing player, at the very least.

Two-one down, with barely any possibility of a chance in sight the way things were going... it was safe to say Camden had to switch things up somehow. And boy did she switch things up. First off, Hadley came off through no fault of his own: Aine Cooper is just a better wing-back, and a switch to three-at-the-back was in store. Riordan was moved to wing-back too. Rourke, despite her outstanding goal, which was the only reason they were still in the game, was subbed off: her lack of dynamism would be no good when chasing a result against a team that could close her down so well. Niko Calderwood replaced her: he'd stick close to Pídí, as his profile was much better suited for it. The wing-backs would underlap and overload the center, with Stokes hopefully pulling her weight with better service, while Byrne and Wake would be finding themselves with more space and more help as a result, too.

Yuan Zilai... was caught utterly off-guard by this move. The first fifteen minutes were not particularly pretty. Farfadillis still looked in control, but Brenecia were starting to pull off attacking combinations that were becoming increasingly harder for the Farf defense to put out. For all their merits... the Farf defense is still fairly leaky, by design. What's more, as the minutes went by, the players tasked with intense running to keep the Brenecian attacks in check started running out of steam; Wîjkár and Türrângel most noticeably. Seventeen minutes into the second half, as Bryne grazed the crossbar with a brilliant shot from the edge of the box, Yuan decided to finally react. He subbed off Wîjkár, who despite his endurance was just way too tired, and replaced him with young center-back Lajos Danzas. Tôsgo Türrângel was told to move to the right, playing as a bit of a hybrid between center-back and right-back. His task? Control Byrne as much as possible via sheer physicality. Mopiraja's positioning could clean up. As for Danzas, the role he had to play was very clear: he had to be extremely assertive when challenging for the ball the moment Brenecia dared overextend.

As an extremely aggressive tackler, many would've thought Danzas was very much not the player to sub in in order to hold a lead. What if he gets sent off, right? Well, but the problem was Camden was increasingly getting the better of Yuan as the minutes went on and the Brenecians adapted to the new set-up. La Vherderoja's attacks, while still dangerous, were now fizzling out far more easily. This, in turn, meant the Brenecians slowly but surely were closing in on them. A player like Danzas can kick off a deadly transition and put the game to bed by making an unexpected tackle. Farf players are deadly in transition. The plan was clear. Camden could see through it. Yuan knew Camden could see through it. But what could he possibly do about it? He had to chase a result, Brenecia were one goal down.

In the seventy-first minute, Yuan's plan came to fruition to a degree that made him feel, deep down, like he was the best manager to ever grace the game. Of all time. Ichi Tuzzio? Pam Scott? Morten Rasmussen? Jermaine Lewis? Gethin Ramsey? Just lesser Yuan Zilais.

Byrne went for a powerful pass down low to Stokes, as the Brenecian midfielders and wing-backs joined the attack, and the defensive line started overextending. With Mopiraja and Türrângel too busy making sure Byrne couldn't do much damage himself, Stokes found himself quite unmarked... except Lajos Danzas threw himself at the pass like thirty to fifty feral hogs... and missed it entirely, ending up behind Stokes. The Brenecian striker, surprised by the Szoirsian defender's recklessness, struggled to fully control the ball. Making the most of the second Stokes wasted, Danzas tackled him from behind, cleanly winning the ball according to everyone in Farfadillis and nobody in Brenecia. Arriving at the scene because he thought he was about to have to put out a fire, it was likely surprising for every Brenecian to see sweeper keeper Básilió Fórténté get to the ball first. A fantastic long ball to Sürréo caught the entire Brenecian backline off-guard. Deftly, he needed just one touch to cut in and leave both Cooper and Wheather in the dust. As the Brenecian back-three collapsed towards him, he put an unmarked Pídí through on goal with a straightforward but excellently executed pass in between two center-backs. Pídí stopped the ball with his first touch, then shot. He accidentally nutmegged Meade, but a goal's a goal. The game was now three-one, not least because Yuan Zilai had had the balls to sub in a maniac like Lajos Danzas.

Camden did not change her game plan. She couldn't risk approaching the game like a Farf in a desperate chase for an equalizer that was unlikely to arrive, but she couldn't just settle for a two-goal loss either. Her set-up, for better or worse, was the best she could do on the night. Danzas, unsurprisingly, picked up a yellow card for an exceptionally hard tackle on Stokes, just by the edge of the box. Stokes limped off the pitch, replaced by Lofthouse. Crosses and prayers were being added to the menu now. However, the Farf defense managed to hold the Brenecian attacks off fairly competently, while failing rather spectacularly at punishing them in transition, with Dénes Robineau, in particular, being remarkably ineffective in front of goal; he was, perhaps, paying some sort of karmic debt for the equalizer he'd volleyed in in the first half. In the end, neither team managed to score another goal. It was just matchday one, of course, and anything could beckon, but something seemed clear: Farfadillis now had a vague blueprint for beating more defensively-oriented teams. It would have to be scrapped for the game against Vdara, naturally, but the match against Tumbra could prove pivotal. Some variation of this set-up would have to be employed, Yuan figured.

Yuan's phone beeped after the final whistle. A text from Tuskoles. "Sorry. Busy. Good job," it read. Yuan grinned. He did not need Tuskoles, after all. Funny how he'd almost come to believe that at one point.

Brenecia 1-3 Farfadillis
 Alaoise Rourke       7'                Dénes Robineau               37' 
                                       Lêyêló Jáánsêlà              42'
                                       Valën Pídí                   71'

[Delte]

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Graintfjall 3-3 Delte
Actual real-life sports correspondent Kim Samrodd¹ in the far faraway for the Skimpy Matchday Report & Negligible Detail Express (Sports Section)

---

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, but certainly mention should be made of the satisfying draw in the opening match of the World Cup Finals in the group of death. (According to highly impressive Graentfjaller mathematician Löggariþ ‘Mick’ Skvær-Rüt¹’s in-depth statistical analysis, which is shredded through a processor fifty-five ways to get the mean, median and modal judgement and rules Group B the group of death. But is it actually the group of dearth? Well, maybe you decide. In any case, it is definitely the group of Deltt¹. I mean Delte. Definitely Delte. Deltt? No. Delte.)

Anyway.

Having exited the last World Cup at the quarter-final stage at the hands/paws/claws... jaws? of the Snow Wolves, this must be considered a victory of sorts against the world number two and sets the group of Delte up nicely for what many would consider the pivotal match of any four-team round robin: rank two against rank three. Perhaps we could commission Dr. Skvær-Rüt to run the data on that. Usually I would request support from the Audioslavic Crazy Graph Making Wrapper Machine but, you know... Cup of Harmony and all that. Cabo Azure are the dark horses of the group, and begin their campaign with a healthy three points, so anything less than a win will put an extended holiday in Chromatika in perilous condition. In the final match of the group of Delte, The Representatives will come up against a team hungry for revenge - the Delt's record win in NSWC competition being the 6-0 mauling of Sajnur back in '93 on our way to a first ever World Cup qualification. The Reps will almost certainly be looking for a three-pointer here and whilst barstool analysts will be confident of maxing out, your Dr. Skvær-Rüts of this world will caution strongly against complacency.

Up The Reps!

And now, in a break from our usual programming, RPO presents:

---

The Man Who Threw His Voice: A Beckham & McVitie Case
2/5 Interview with Inspector McVitie

---

Inspired by True Events¹

“Is it really you?” wondered Climo Coss.

He had good reason to be confused. Inspector August-Jethro ‘Audio’ McVitie was last seen disappearing into an eternal maze of five hundred million dimensions, the House of Daedulus, at the end of Wight’s self-inflicted fourth-wall implosion back in the day, while Climo himself had been expunged to a place where administration happens. No-one from Wight ever expected to see McVitie ever again. Even me.

“So you found your way out, after all,” said Climo.

“Can it, Coss!” shouted Inspector McVitie, being all stern and whatnot, “we aren’t in the jaffacake factory now.”

He was such a nice fellow it was hard to accept he wasn’t just messing about, you know, for the sake of the narrative. Role playing, so to speak.

“You’re in a world of shit now, Coss - or should I say Ringer Smith? That’s right, we’ve connected your identities. I knew from the get go you weren’t being straight, and here we are. Importing illegal puppets, all of them undeclared, and a bag full of fake IDs. What are you up to Coss? Are you planning on stealing the World Cup again? You better lay your cards on the table now, I’ve got higher-ups wanting your head and this is the one shot I’ve got at protecting you.”

“Wow,” smiled Climo, “you play the straight guy pretty well. I’m almost - ”

McVitie banged his fist on the table angrily, silencing the old faker. “When my partner Inspector Beckham comes in here, the game is up, Coss. You’ve got maybe three minutes till he finishes his donut. Spill the beans.”

“On his donut?” wondered Climo¹.

---

[1] Not really

[Mytanija]

Part 1 (Mytanija), Part 2 (Mytanija), Part 3 (Mytanija), Part 4 (Mytanija), Part 5 (Mytanija), Part 6 (Mytanija), Part 7 (Mytanija), Part 1 (Eura), Part 2 (Eura), Part 8 (Mytanija), Part 9 (Mytanija), Part 3 (Eura), Part 4 (Eura), Part 10 (Mytanija), Part 5 (Eura), Part 11 (Mytanija), Part 12 (Mytanija), Part 6 (Eura), Part 13 (Mytanija), Part 7 (Eura)

As a resumption of this storyline, everything you read here is firmly in the past. Thank you fluid time, so much to answer for. It is part of an ongoing collaboration with Eura, as indicated in the contents above, massively appreciate him giving me Brigham as a setting for the arc as well as his contributions.

Not many things in Brigham could correctly be described as ‘quaint’. The towering blocks and perpetually rain-soaked streets were the sort of dull grey which characterised Eura’s megacities, if you had seen one you had seen them all. Still, there were other ways of living and the rows of terraced housing you could find on the inner-edge of Brigham’s most Mytanar-heavy neighbourhood could perhaps fairly be described as quaint and not have that claim contested. Some of them even had little squares which constituted a small ‘front garden’, mostly used for storing waste bins or old bicycles which were either secured with several heavy padlocks or missing wheels (perhaps due to the lack of several heavy padlocks). Slightly less quaint, sure, but it was all relative.

One of the homes in this particular street, the one with the red door, belonged to the family of Marijanjela Petrovic. Her parents had worked extremely hard for it, moving from one of the many tower blocks when they started a family, but only after scrimping and saving every bit of money that they could get their hands on. It was in a slightly safer area of this particular neighbourhood, though that too is all relative, the sort of place where you could raise a young family away from the most inauspicious parts of this city. Marijanjela was a good child, but she had friends who were less well-behaved and that, along with her desire for additional cash as she got a little older, meant she fell into a rather different world to the one her parents had planned for her.

They knew that she was up to something when she was quieter, unwilling to answer their questions, going out late at night despite having school the next day. All of this started when she was in her mid-teens. Her dad tried to keep her in, but she would sneak out, so then they decided to try and handle it differently and give her more leash, just asking her to ensure her schoolwork didn’t suffer and that she didn’t get into trouble. Marijanjela managed that, so it continued, despite the fact it kept her mother awake at night when her daughter was out until hours doing God only knew what. Sometimes she would try to ask, to try and reason with her, but Marijanjela simply would not listen. Then things got worse, Marijanjela lost weight, her eyes were dark, she had night terrors in her sleep.

Her friends ended up dead, executed in gangland reprisals. Things became clear. Her parents hadn’t thought it was quite that bad, they blamed themselves, they wondered how they had let it come to this, how they had missed it. They hadn’t, in truth, but they just couldn’t control their daughter. Marijanjela did what she wanted to do. Now she and they had to pay the piper, though, and a few days after that news Marijanjela – amidst a panic – told them that she had to leave, that people were looking for her and for the safety of her parents and her siblings she had to be elsewhere. Her mum said that they would ring the police, that they could make things okay. Marijanjela coldly asked her if she was stupid, that that would only end badly for her and them.

It made her mother feel stupid, even though she felt in her heart that it shouldn’t. Normal people didn’t have to do these sort of things. Marijanjela told them that she would be okay, that things would be safer this way. She wouldn’t tell them where she would go, though, apparently for the same reason – ‘it will just be safer for us all if you don’t know’. And after that the Petrovics’ quaint home was a broken one, with an air of sadness and fear lingering around the place. In truth it had been that way for a long time, though this made it more obvious, a fair bit starker. There was a cold feeling in the home.

It had been several days since Marijanjela had left. Her mum had cried every night, but during the daytime she had to pretend everything was fine for Marijanjela’s two younger siblings, Darko and Emilija. That wasn’t easy, but it helped her get through it, keeping her mind off where Marijanjela was and what she was doing. Darko and Emilija sensed how their mum was feeling and wondered where their sister was too. It was difficult to fob them off with vague answers, but quickly change the subject to something else, Darko’s football training or Emilija’s volleyball, and things would move on eventually.

As the night closed in two shadowy figures strode up the pavement towards Marijanjela’s house. They were both a similar height, both men, one perhaps twenty years older than the other. The older man had a bald head and beard, he wore a leather jacket and straight-legged jeans. His younger counterpart wore a black denim jacket with a black hoody underneath it and grey cargo trousers. They walked with purpose. If you saw them from a distance, it was clear that they had somewhere to be, and as they neared Marijanjela’s house it became increasingly clear that that was the place. They entered the small front garden, pushing the wrought-iron gate open and producing a large metallic sound as it bounced off the squat red brick wall which separated the house from their neighbours.

The noise alerted Marijanjela’s mother, usually people here were quite gentle when opening the gate. They wouldn’t want to cause damage, not when everyone living here had worked so hard to be here and not in Brigham’s dreaded tower blocks. She looked nervously towards the door as Darko and Emilija sat in the kitchen eating their dinner. Seconds later a series of loud bangs, of gloved fist on door, sounded. Marijanjela’s mother stood quickly, fear gripping her, but also a deep, innate desire to protect the two children she still had with her.

“Kids, stay right there and do not move unless I tell you to, okay?” She said, looking back towards them as Emilija struggled to keep beans on her spoon.

“Sure Mama,” Darko said, concentrating as he tried to cut into a sausage. “Whoever that is is banging too hard.”

“I know, you stay here whilst Mama goes to see who it is.” She said, trying to force a smile, tears flecking her eyes slightly. She uttered a silent prayer as she closed the kitchen door behind her and walked towards the door. As she neared the door, she could hardly push herself any nearer, wanting to run out the back with her two kids and never return. She leaned forwards to look through the spyhole, she could see that it was two men.

“We know you’re in there!” One shouted, causing Marijanjela’s mother to involuntarily shriek. “Open the fucking door!”

“Shut up you,” Came the other man’s voice. “Look, Mrs Petrovic, we know you’re in there, we don’t mean any harm. We just want to talk to you about Marijanjela. We can come in and talk, can’t we?”

Marijanjela’s mother almost couldn’t move. She wished her husband would come through the door, that she would wake from the nightmare her life had become, that the situation was anything other than this.

“I’ll talk to you from here.” She said, trying to stop her voice from quavering.

“It’s better if we can speak to you inside, Mrs Petrovic.” The man’s voice came again. “We don’t want to make a scene. It’s just a quick sit down and chat.”

“I don’t know you,” Marijanjela’s mother replied. “I wasn’t expecting any visitors today. My husband will be home very soon, you can talk to us then.”

“Fuck this,” The other man’s voice muttered. “Look, glupa kučko, let us in this fucking door or I’ll smash it off the hinges and put a bullet through one of your kid’s heads. We need to speak to you, and we aren’t going to do it through the fucking door where anyone could see us.”

Marijanjela’s mother let out a scream. Her hands shook as she tried to operate the bolt and latch. What else could she do? God knows what they would do if she tried to run with the kids. They knew she was with them. Finally, she managed to open the door, the streetlights casting an orange glow into the narrow hallway. She could barely make out the two men’s faces, and they wasted little time waiting before pushing past her and into the house. Immediately one of the men went upstairs, heavy feet pounding up the wooden staircase. The other man pulled Marijanjela’s mother after him into the living room, pushing her onto the sofa and then walking over to the window to look out onto the street.

“I apologise for my friend,” He said. He was around a similar age to Marijanjela’s mother and wore a leather jacket. “He’s young. He’s a little skittish. Trying to act big and hard and trying to impress people. We don’t mean you any harm. I have kids a similar age to yours. We just want to find out what’s going on with Marijanjela, where she is, we have a friend who needs to know.”

Marijanjela’s mother didn’t know what to say. What could this man, a middle-aged man, possibly want with her daughter. Let alone his friend? What was the other man, the younger one, doing upstairs?

“What is he doing up there..?” Marijanjela’s mum asked, not able to process the situation quickly enough. “She’s not here... She left a few days ago.”

“That’s a good start.” The man said, sitting down across from her. “So, we can rule out her being here and we know when she left. Now, Mrs Petrovic, where did she go?”

“What do you want with my daughter?” She asked, her voice growing slightly stronger as she composed herself slightly.

“I just explained that,” The man smiled patronisingly. “Where is she Mrs Petrovic?”

“No you didn’t.” She answered, causing the man’s smile to falter. “You just said your ‘friend’ wants to know where she is. What would a friend of yours have to do with my daughter?”

“Look, Mrs Petrovic. When my friend comes downstairs I can either say that you’ve told me everything you know or I can let him know that your other two kids are in the kitchen there.” The man said coldly, Marijanjela’s mother squeaked in fear. “Now, we both want to avoid that, don’t we? So just tell me what you know about where your daughter is and when you last spoke to her, and I’ll tell him you’ve told me everything and we’ll leave, and nobody comes to any harm.”

“I... I... don’t know where she is,” Marijanjela’s mum trembled. “Genuinely, I have no idea. She left a few days ago without telling me, without telling us.”

“Is that the truth, Mrs Petrovic?” The man asked, standing up and casting a shadow over her.

“Yes, yes,” She replied, looking up at his face, disbelief writ-large across his features. “Honestly! She hasn’t told us anything for years. She didn’t tell us this either. I promise you that’s all I know...” She sobbed.

“Okay, okay.” The man said, moving around the low table in the centre of the room and then perching on it, closer to Marijanjela’s mother. “Okay. Please don’t cry. I don’t want your kids to wonder what is going on after that idiot upstairs was banging on their door, okay? Don’t cry. So when did you last speak to her?”

“Uhh...” Marijanjela’s mum wiped the tears from her cheeks, half trying to follow his instructions and half bravely trying to buy time to lie. “That was the last time I spoke to her. She told us she was leaving and then she went. We haven’t heard from her since. I’m worried sick, her father is too. Her brother and sister don’t know what to think, we can only make excuses so many times...” She lied.

The man looked at Marijanjela’s mother closely, studying her face. She struggled to look him in the eye. He kept looking, trying to decipher if what he had been told was the truth or not. Then, mind apparently made up, he stood up and moved back towards the window, looking out to the street.

“Okay, Mrs Petrovic.” He said, still looking out the window. “If there’s anything else you want to tell me, please do so now, because I don’t want to have to come back if I find out you’ve lied to me.” He said, turning away from the window and walking back towards Marijanjela’s mum, crouching as he reached the sofa and moving his face closer to hers, until he was only centimetres away from her. “I really don’t like liars, Mrs Petrovic. We need to know where Marijanjela is. And if you have lied to me to try to protect her, or for any other reason really, then I will come back here and I will let my friend upstairs show you just how much I hate liars. He hates them even more.”

“I’ve told you everything I know,” Marijanjela’s mother sobbed again.

“Don’t cry, Mrs Petrovic.” The man said, standing up again and throwing a piece of card with a string of numbers printed on it down onto the table. “We’re going to leave now. If you think of anything, or if your husband knows anything else then please contact me on this phone number. If we find out that you haven’t told us everything then we will be back. My friend likes fire. A few homes accidentally burnt down when he was around. Strange coincidence, don’t you think?”

“I told you.” Marijanjela’s mother said, voice stronger than before. “That’s everything I– everything that we know. I wish I knew more about where my own daughter was.”

“It’s a shame that you don’t,” The man said matter-of-factly. “Perhaps she wouldn’t be in this mess if you did. Anyway, hear anything from her and ring me on that number immediately. We’re going to go now. We’ll be back again in a few days if we don’t hear anything. We’ll be back sooner if we don’t hear anything but have suspicion that she’s been in touch. Let’s try to avoid that if we can, eh?” He said, before leaving the room and shouting up the stairs to the other man. “We’re leaving, come on.”

The other man thumped down the stairs, took one look in at Marijanjela’s mother and let out a grunt before leaving. The other man followed, closing the door gently behind him. Marijanjela’s mum sobbed once again, sat on the sofa, the card with the man’s phone number sat next to her. The soft pad of footsteps sounded off the floor as Darko walked in to see his mum crying.

“Mama, what’s happening? Why did that man make you sad?”

***

“You fucking idiot!” The older man said as the pair purposefully walked back towards their car, parked up the street from the Petrovic house. “Why did you go in like that? That’s a normal mother with two kids in the house, in what world was that a good way to deal with that situation? We were sent to gather information, not to threaten a mum and her two young kids.”

“Well, your way of getting us in there to speak to her wasn’t working, was it?” The younger man shot back. “She was going to have us standing out in the street with any fucker able to see us there. They’d have rung the cops on us if they saw us loitering outside for too long, they’re playacting as middle-class Eurans around here. Especially them, with that daughter of theirs dealing gear.”

“There’s ways of getting things done which mean you don’t have to immediately resort to threatening people.” The older man said. “You kids these days, immediately going to the most extreme fucking thing, do that too often and it loses its impact, you know? It’s why those mates of Marijanjela’s ended up in trouble, trying to make a name for themselves and stealing gear from a group on another patch. All of it belongs to the same organisation at the end of the day, whoever’s patch you’re on. Sometimes you don’t need to do the most extreme option, okay? Never do that again. Parents with their kids can do some wild stuff if they feel threatened, we were only there to gather information, last thing we need is her running out with a knife and stabbing one of us or something.”

“And I’d have shot her then, too.”

“The point is to try and avoid that shit, you fucking clown.” The older man said venomously. “Anyway. She doesn’t know anything. They don’t know anything. I believe her. Why would Marijanjela tell them where she was going if all her friends had ended up dead over the past few weeks? She’d think she might be next if everyone involved in that incident is being made an example of. I’m not sure she was telling me the truth about when she last spoke to her though... She seemed a little bit, I don’t know, edgier, when she was talking about that.”

“Do you believe what she was saying?”

“About knowing where she was? Sure.” The older man said. “I think she might have talked to her more recently than she was letting on, though. Did you find anything upstairs?”

“Nah, nothing. There’s some of her clothes still there. At least I assume they are her clothes.” The younger guy replied as they neared the car, he got the keys out of his pocket and opened it and the pair sat inside. “There were these cards in her bedside drawers, though.” He said, pulling a set of business cards out, some were for random shops and takeaways, one was for Klara’s cafeteria.

“Not much help, then.” The older man said. “Unless we get an appetite, I guess. I haven’t been to Klara’s for years.”

“What if it’s somewhere she was going to go?” The younger man asked.

“It might be.” The older man mused. “But everybody knows Klara’s around here, don’t they? We can pay it a visit at some point and see if there’s anything, I guess. For now, though, let’s wait here, we’ve been given our instructions. Speak to them, watch the house, see who’s coming and going. Let’s see when the father comes back, if he hears about our visit he might go out and lead us to her if he knows where she is.”

“Here’s hoping,” The younger man raised his eyebrows. “What do they want with this girl anyway? She’s younger than me. Surely they aren’t going to string her up like the rest?”

“I’m not sure, kid.” The older man replied. “It wouldn’t surprise me if they did. Everybody that was involved in that had wound up dead. They wanted to show that thievery wouldn’t be tolerated, particularly with the hassle it caused everyone and the number of media it brought here. They want to avoid that shit. Draganec ended up dead, for fuck’s sake, that’s not a simple hit to make. Grugo wouldn’t tell me anything about it, even. Someone at the top must have ordered that.”

“I just can’t believe they’d go to all this effort just for the girl after seeing off all the others, the point’s been made, hasn’t it?”

“Maybe. Maybe they want her for something else.” The older man replied. “It’s not our job to ask questions, is it?”

***

“They did what?!” Marijanjela exclaimed, holding the phone in front of her on loudspeaker so that Zineta, Elena and Scarlett could hear. The other three women’s expressions displayed a mixture of fear, shock and horror. Marijanjela’s mother was recounting her experience of two gangsters turning up at her door whilst she oversaw her two other kids, Marijanjela’s siblings Darko and Emilija, having dinner. Marijanjela was horrified.

“I know,” Marijanjela’s mum said. “I’m not sure how I managed to handle it. I don’t even know if I did. It was like an out of body experience, I just wanted them out and your brother and sister safe. Your dad is beside himself. He’s talking about us moving to the other end of the country.”

“Mum,” Marijanjela started. “I am so, so sorry for putting you through this.”

“Marijanjela, it’s okay.” Her mum said. “Well. It isn’t. It’s not okay putting the safety of your brother and sister at risk, or me. That’s not okay. But please, let this be the end now. Stop keeping secrets. You need to tell us what’s going on. We know what has happened to your friends. We know that you’re in serious trouble. Please let us help you. Please tell us so we can all be safe.”

“Mum... I don’t know how to tell you. I’m in serious trouble. There’s no way of making myself safe. My... My friends are dead Mum. Usten, Pauk and Nikola... They’re all dead.”

“What?” Marijanjela’s mum replied. “What are you talking about Marij...? Dead? Why are they dead?! I am tired of not understanding anything that goes on in my daughter’s life! Why are your friends turning up dead?! Why are you involved in gangs?! What is going on, Marij?”

“Mum, please, I’ve been selling drugs with them.” Marijanjela said, eliciting a cry of horror at the other end of the phone. “We’ve been selling drugs. I told them not to but they went and stole a load of drugs off this other group and then this ended up in them being killed, Pauk by the others and then Usten and Nikola to make an example of them. The guy in the other gang was also killed for shooting Pauk. I’m probably next.”

“What?” Marijanjela’s mum said, clearly unable to process the information she was being given, in a state of shock at what she was hearing. For a long time they had led a sheltered life away from the worst Brigham’s Mytanar neighbourhood had to offer, and yet their daughter appeared to have ended up mired in it anyway. Marijanjela’s mum could remember meeting her friends years ago. She hadn’t particularly liked Nikola or Pauk, they seemed like cocky bagra, street kids with no manners. Usten was rough and ready too, no doubt, but he was a nicer kid. She hadn’t seen them for years. She certainly hadn’t heard about them winding up dead. But then a few days prior her daughter was gathering some belongings and telling her that she would be away for a while with no further explanation. Nothing was as it seemed anymore. “Marij... You just need to start telling us the truth. We need to go to the police. This is not safe for Darko or Emilija... Or for me or your dad! Or for you! We have to get help!”

“I can’t do that Mum!” Marijanjela winced.

“Why?! Why can’t you do that?!” Her mum cried at the other end of the line. “Why? Any normal person would be able to do that! It’s the normal thing to do!”

“Mum...” Marijanjela groaned. “I can’t do that. Anyway, I am safe, I promise you. But I can’t let this happen to you again, please give me the phone number you were telling me about.”

“And what will you do if I give you that, Marij?” Her mum asked. “If I give you that are you going to be any safer? I’m not sending my daughter into even more trouble. Where are you anyway?!”

“I can’t tell you mum.” Marijanjela said, looking at Zineta and Elena, concerned.

“Why can’t you tell me?”

“I can’t, you can’t come here.”

“Okay then, we won’t. But please tell us so we know that you’re safe.”

“Mum, if you know then you’re able to tell them if they come back and threaten you. I don’t want you getting in trouble for not telling them sooner so it’s better if you don’t know.”

“Why do they want you anyway, Marij?” Marijanjela’s mum started sobbing again. “I feel like I’m going insane... What do they want with you? You’re a teenage girl! What do these men want you for?”

“I’m not actually one hundred percent sure, Mum.” Marijanjela said. “Going off what happened to the others... Well, we know what happened to them.”

“Please just tell me where you are, Marij...” Her mum pleaded at the other end of the phone. Marijanjela looked from Zineta to Elena.

“Tell her you’re at a high-security women’s centre.” Zineta whispered quietly.

“I’m at a women’s centre, Mum.” Marijanjela said. “It’s really safe here, there’s security and everything.”

“A women’s centre?” Her mum asked. “Why a women’s centre? Have they done something to you...?”

“No Mum, it’s just somewhere safe. I promise you, nothing like that has happened.”

“Tell her to come to Klara’s and ask for me.” Zineta said under her breath, gesturing towards herself. “I’ll speak to her.”

“Okay, Mum, listen to me.” Marijanjela said. “You or Dad, either of you, you know Klara’s right? The café?”

“Yeah, of course.” Her mum said.

“Go there. Ask for Zineta.” Marijanjela said. “She will be able to explain more. We just have to be really careful about this.”

“What would she know about this? Is she involved with the drugs? I just don’t understand what’s going on Marijanjela.”

“No, nothing like that. We just need to work out how to deal with this okay? Please just do what I ask. It will be the best way of staying safe. And give me that phone number, please?”

“Okay, okay. Let me speak to your father. We’ll try to go to Klara’s.”

“And the number, Mum?”

“Okay, let me go get the card, then I’ll tell you...”

[Cabo Azure]

Sajnur 2–3 Cabo Azure
Starting XI: Gomez | Soares, Araujo, Furtado, Branco | Gontijo, Bastos, Florencio | Cardoso (goal 31', off 45')), Mendonca, Silveira (c) (goal 61')
Subs: Gouveia (on 45', goal 88')

A strong effort to open the World Cup proper with three points. Tobias M'bah-Pinho's poor decision to start a fight in the final matchday of qualifying versus Huayramarca has had a profound effect on the team sheet, leading AJ Zanetti to call up Di Bradini Cup standout centerback Duarte Araujo, whor recently signed his first professional contract with Pesepad Padangsambian in Pemecutan, making him the first Mandalanusa-based player called up by the Azurean national team. Despite the inevitable controversy of calling up a player who is unproven at the senior, professional level, let alone starting him in the first match of the World Cup, Araujo calmly turned in a strong performance, not being culpable in either of Sajnury's goals.

The teams ended the first half 1-1, with neither wanting to risk dropping points in what should be their easiest game of the group stage. Cardoso scored a by-the-numbers half-volley in the first to put the Azureans in front, but conceded an equalizer before half. As is typical for Azurean matches, the tempo picked up in the second half, with Gouveia entering and immediately placing pressure on the Sajnur defense, eventually setting up a goal for Silveira, then scoring the game winner almost at the death.

Natal, present day

For most of her life, Marisol Silva had seen her father the same way; the tall, heavyset man, with slicked back hair and gold jewelry, most often wearing chinos and a button-down shirt. The man holding her in her baby pictures was the same man who’d brought her to Cabo Azure to apprentice under his father, her grandfather Dom Carlos Silva, and who’d returned to the islands to pay his respects when Dom Carlos had died. Now, some years past his father’s death, Marisol finally saw her own father’s age; in his late fifties, gray was starting to displace the black in his hair, and his dark eyes betrayed a weariness she hadn’t seen before.

In tow behind Eustaquio was Marisol’s mother Lianne, who looked like she hadn’t aged a day, and Marisol’s younger brother Carlito, who also looked unchanged from the last time she saw him, wearing the same lost expression. Carlito, named after Dom Carlos, had come late in their parents’ life, and was meant to be heir to the Silva fortune; instead, Marisol and her sister Janice had taken on the Silva birthright while Carlito frittered away larger and larger portions of their father’s money back home in Quebecois Acadiana. Now twenty-two years old, Carlito was still very much the idiot adolescent she’d left behind.

Marisol, Janice, and Janice’s husband Rio were waiting when Eustaquio’s chartered plane landed at Diego Silva International Airport, named after their distant ancestor who’d been a rival to Sebastien di Portelo, the first king of Cabo Azure. No mortal man could ever be good enough for Janice, at least in Marisol’s evaluation, but Rio came close by acknowledging his inadequacy and never trying to come between Janice and the family. A brilliant naval architect, Rio had single handedly designed the Bejia-Fleur II, the hundred-foot yacht that was King Manuel’s flagship, forever indebting Marisol’s second cousin to her.

The Silva family embraced on the tarmac and then continued to the chauffeur-driven SUVs that would take them across their ancestral island of Aho to the recently renovated Villa Silva, the family home whose porch now overlooked the booming neighborhood of Playa Silva. All the vacant bedrooms in Villa Silva itself had been claimed by Janice and Rio’s litter of brown-eyed, well-mannered children, but rather than put them out, Eustaquio had asked to be put up in a rental bungalow in Playa Silva. The rentals in particular were Janice’s baby, and she always kept one or two available for such occasions.

They arrived at Villa Silva mid-afternoon as planned, and Janice’s oldest daughter Adaline, who was at sixteen the spitting image of her mother and aunt, proceeded down the hill with her grandparents and uncle to show them into the bungalow. As they passed, Adaline pointed out the bungalow occupied by Prince David and his wife Katrin, parents of the new crown princess, Solveig.

“The Graintfjallers, right?” Eustaquio asked dismissively, earning a grin from Carlito. Eustaquio had spent a significant portion of the drive from the airport recounting Solveig’s lineage and explaining to his son how she wasn’t a Silva even though King Manuel and his sisters were, because she was descended from Princess Desdemona, King Reinaldo I’s younger sister.

“I suppose they might call you the Acadianans,” Adaline answered tartly, “Or the Esportivans.”

Eustaquio let that conversational thread die. The SUV stopped and pulled into the drive beside one of the bungalows. While the uniformed driver took care of the bags, Adaline escorted the family into the front room.

“This is nice,” Eustaquio said approvingly, turning his bulk three hundred and sixty degrees. “How much do Cenians pay for these?”

“It depends,” Adaline answered smartly. “Units closer to the water run higher. This street averages about fifteen hundred escudoes per month, which includes utilities and services; other units with fewer services run as low as six-fifty.”

“And how well are they renting?”

“The wait list is currently about a hundred deep, but part of that is the rush of Cenians leaving after the move to Sonnel.”

Eustaquio nodded, then turned his attention to the uniformed men moving his family’s luggage. “We’re all set here,” he told his granddaughter. “I’ll send your mother a text when we’re ready to be picked up and brought back to the house for dinner.” Adaline nodded and left with the driver.

Around seven PM, the doorbell at Villa Silva rang, and Adaline answered it with her customary big smile. Five people stood on the doorstep, two men in chic black suits and three women in floor-length dresses. The girl recognized King Manuel, his mother, and sisters from pictures, though she hadn’t seen them since she was very little. The other man she didn’t recognize, but from how close he stood to Princess Alexandra, he must be Dr. Francois Rosenshield, her husband. Conspicuously absent was the family her grandfather had referred to as “the Graintfjallers”: Crown Princess Solveig and her parents. Adaline decided to let the adults inquire into that particular omission. Instead, she gave a neck bow and said:

“Your Majesty. Welcome.”

“Thank you, Adaline,” Manuel said with a smile, “So sorry for the loss of your great-aunt.”

Dinner was set in Villa Silva’s main dining room, a traditional Azurean appetizer of oysters and herb-grilled asparagus. The king and his retinue were the last to arrive; Eustaquio Silva and his children and grandchildren were already seated, but rose to their feet and bowed when Manuel entered.

“Please, sit, eat,” said Manuel with a placating gesture. “We are all family here.”

He took his spot at the head of the table, with Queen Mother Abigail to his right, where the queen consort would traditionally sit. Eustaquio sat to Abby’s right, while Princess Alexandra sat to the king’s left, followed by Dr. Rosenshield, followed by Princess Veronica. Janice and Marisol Silva sat at the middle of the table, facing one another, while Rio and Janice’s children rounded out the bottom of the table, each sitting perfectly mannered.

“Will Prince David and Princess Solveig not be joining us, Your Majesty?” Eustaquio asked the king.

“Not tonight, I’m afraid,” Manuel answered levelly. “Princess Solveig wanted to leave the dinner for Queen Carlotta’s family, and I agreed. She will be at the state funeral tomorrow.”

Eustaquio nodded somberly. The rest of the conversation revolved primarily around business; the ever-expanding construction and real estate business around Playa Silva, Eustaquio’s retail business in Acadiana, and somewhat around Queen Carlotta, the woman they’d been brought together to celebrate. Much was made of her longevity, and her resiliency to continue living her life after being removed from the royal family by her stepson.

[Pemecutan]

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 I Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9

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---

It is that time of the year again, new year weeks. And as government official, Patih Madya Kusumajaya is racing against time to makes all the important policies, bills and projects be done on time. After the consultation with Patih Agung a couple of weeks ago, Kusumajaya is a little relieve because everything is handled by Rajya Sabha. The government and parliament only need to wait the decision made by them before creating the bill for it to be implemented. Anything about the country's monarch is under the power of Rajya Sabha as they are in fact the King's Council. Members of Rajya Sabha are the representatives of main royal families in Pemecutan. As opposed to Nagari Sabha who fill with low rank nobles, Rajya Sabha is fill with kings, dukes and princes' families of Pemecutan. But it is almost the new year's break, and he doesn't get the update yet from Rajya Sabha. Does the discussion get intense? Kusumajaya wonders. He is too afraid to ask Patih Agung about the update from Rajya Sabha. He doesn't want them to think that he wants to rush things out. In the meantime, he can focus on other matters. Such as the Associated State Act.

The act is proposed by MPs from Kanginani to create a separate entity for Kanginan and Petang Islands from Pemecutan. If it is pass, both states will not be under Pemecutan jurisdiction again. They will be completely independence. However, Pemecutan is always ready every time they ask for assistance especially in term of defense and international cooperation. The act was once postpone following the referendum of Kanginan and Petang Islands independence. But although the referendum was failed to reached quorum, the act is official taken by Krama Sabha, Pemecutan's Lower House, as the process of integration of members of The Mandaran Council into a single entity is underway. And as promise, Pemecutan wants Kanginan and Petang Islands join the new entity as an equal sovereign state.

From the two opening hearings, Kusumajaya heard that majority of the parliament members agree with the act. The objection came from Pesamuan Pandu Nagari party members as they reject the idea of a secession. But their voice seems not too strong within the parliament.

"So, everyone ready for the decision day?" ask Kusumajaya to his team.
"Of course, Sir. Hope they manage to decide it in acclamation, so we don't need to vote on this matter," answer Jaya Suhita, one of the MP who is designated to accompany Kusumajaya when the Patih Madya arrive at Campuhan Palace, the Parliament's building.
"Isn't we win the majority too?" Kusumajaya ask for explanation.
"Indeed. But it would be a tight match if we go into voting," says Putri Gandarini, another MP who accompany Kusumajaya.
"How's so? I thought it is only PPN who disagree with the act," Kusumajaya is quite confused.
"Yes. But that situation was like a month ago. Everything is change," answer Gandarini.
Kusumajaya still look confused.
"Other opposition parties also express their objection to the act. The independents and Green Coalition have a split voice. While AKM (stand for Aliansi Kelompok Minoritas, Minority Groups Alliance) is joining the disagree side," explain Suhita.
"That's still less than enough for them to challenge the supporting side," say Kusumajaya optimistically.
"We can only hope that nothing will change, Sir," answer Suhita shortly.
They end their conversation as they enter the hall room of Krama Sabha. Kusumajaya took the position at the center table. He will be seated together with the Speaker, Leader of the Government-side and Leader of the Opposition. While waiting for the session to begin, Kusumajaya calculating the voice allocation based on what Suhita's said earlier.

The current composition of Pemecutan Krama Sabha is composed of 12 parties and also independent MPs. Each constituent state has their own political party which only contested seat from the said state. From the 12 parties, 6 are from Pemecutan, 4 from Kanginan and 2 from Petang Islands. The government party coalition lead by Pasemetonan Krama Agung (PKA, Grand People Brotherhood) who won 29 seats in the latest general election. Within the government coalition are Partai Giri Sosial (PGS, Giri Socialist Party) with 11 seats, Pesamuan Krama Rahayu (PKR, People's Prosperous Party) with 10 seats in Kanginan electoral districts, Partai Demokrat Kanginan (PDK, Kanginani Democratic Party) with 4 seats also in Kanginan electoral districts and Partai Rakyat Bersatu (PRB, United People's Party) who won 4 seats in Petang Islands. The total seats for government coalition are 58/125 seats. The opposition coalition consists of Pesamuan Jaya Giri (PJG, Great Giri Union) with 25 seats, Pesamuan Pandu Nagari (PPN, Nation's Guidance Alliance) with 12 seats, Pesamuan Surya Mandala (PSM, Surya Mandala Union) with 7 seats in Kanginan and Pesamuan Petang Jaya (PPJ, Great Petang Party) with 2 seats in Petang Islands. Totaling 46 seats out of 125 seats in Krama Sabha. Government supporting coalition is the Green Coalition who have 9 seats in Krama Sabha. While there are 12 neutral MPs who doesn't join any coalition. These MPs are mostly consisting of independent MPs (9 seats) and MPs from Aliansi Kelompok Minoritas (AKM, Minority Groups Alliance) who has 3 seats.

Then if the voting happens, the pro-Associated States Act which back up by the government will get around 71 votes. Not counting the independence MP but assuming that all parties under the government coalition vote for yes and of course all parties in Kanginan and Petang Islands are supporting the Act. While the anti-Associated States Act which supported by PJG, PPN and AKM only have around 40 or 45 votes if 5 MPs from half the Green Coalition supported them. Kusumajaya smiles as he finished his calculation. 71 against 40 or 45. That's enough to pass the Act, he thinks.

"Good morning, esteem MPs. And thank you for your attendance today," open Sang Ayu Putu Pradnyawati, Speaker of Krama Sabha. "Today, we are entering the last session of the year before we get into new year's break next week. And we have 1 important Act to be decide before the break. The Associated States Act. After two previous hearing sessions, we will take our decision on the Act today," she explains today's schedule.

"In the last hearing session, we still have divided voices over the implementation of the Act. It is a temporary Act to give status on Kanginan and Petang Islands following the government plan to join the integration with other Mandaran Council's members," she added.
Kusumajaya looks around the expression of the MPs. Although he can't see it clearly, but it is obvious that some are excited with today's schedule while some are don't. He assumes the one's who's not excited is the oppose side. But that's just his own thoughts. On the other hand, he like the way Pradnyawati introduce the bill as a temporary Act. Why is it temporary? Because it only implemented after the passing of the Act until the end of the integration process whether it is via charter signing or another treaty who will unify them all. After that, Kanginan and Petang Islands status will be at the same level as Pemecutan.

"So, I think we continue the schedule with voting session. Is there anyone objected with it?" she asks. The room become quite noisy as the MPs discuss to one another. But no one seems to raise their objection.
"We can continue with the voting, Mrs. Speaker," answer one of the MP from opposition bench.
"And the other benches?" Pradnyawati turn to the government bench and crossbencher.
"We agree to proceed with voting session," the voice from government bench.
"Yes, please proceed, Mrs. Speaker," the crossbencher also agrees.
"Alright, we'll take a fifteen-minute break to prepare for the voting session. Until then the session is adjourned," Pradnyawati decides.

Kusumajaya exhale hardly. He can only hope everything will be end smoothly.

---

---

MD 1
Zwangzug 2 - 2 Pemecutan
@ Avondale International Sport Stadium, Avondale, Sylestone

Goal:
Agus Kusumawijaya (43')
Leo Olivando (78')

Squad:
GK : Hasyim Wirawan
LB : Arif Rahman Salim
CB : Satya Putra Laksamana (C)
CB : Ngurah Agung Rai Putra ↑↓ Yudha Dewanantha (52')
RB : Alvino Bastian
LM : Agus Kusumawijaya ↑↓ Gede Purnama (80')
CM : Rama Karyadi
RM : Satria Wiradarma
ST : Leo Olivando
ST : Wisnu Pramana
AT : Dewa Putu Mahardika ↑↓ Surya Dwipayana (67')

MD 2
Elmyia v Pemecutan
@ Carson Stadium, Celorough, Sylestone

Squad
Starters
GK : Hasyim Wirawan
LB : Arif Rahman Salim
CB : Satya Putra Laksamana (C)
CB : Ngurah Agung Rai Putra
RB : Alvino Bastian
LM : Agus Kusumawijaya
CM : Rama Karyadi
RM : Satria Wiradarma
ST : Leo Olivando
ST : Wisnu Pramana
AT : Dewa Putu Mahardika
Substitute
GK : Oka Yudhi Winanda
LB : Dwi Putra Kusuma
CB : Yudha Dewanantha
RB : Septiandi Rai Putra
LM : Gede Purnama
CM : Satya Permadi
RM : Rian Kusuma
ST : Gede Putra Arimbawa
AT : Surya Dwipayana
Bench
GK : Dewa Putu Adi Adnyana
CB : Wayan Adi Darmantara
RB : Jaya Lukmana
CM : Dian Wahyu Ananda
CM : Trisna Natha Putra
ST : Ketut Agus Astapa

Roles
Captain : Satya Putra Laksamana
Vice Captain : Rama Karyadi
Corner, left : Arif Rahman Salim
Corner, right : Alvino Bastian
Freekick : Leo Olivando, Wisnu Pramana
Penalty : Dewa Putu Mahardika

Injured
-

[Flavovespia]

Flavovespia had to make a comeback, but in their opening Group F match of World Cup 95, they secured a 1-2 win over Brookstation to put themselves top of the group. The performance should toughness and resilience to get the reward in the end.

There was a large contingent of Flavovespian fans in Sylestone, both in and outside the stadium. The wining and dining establishments of Cleorough had plenty of yellow and black shirts visible, and about half the stadium was decked out in those colours. Back home, millions were tuning in, eager to watch Flavovespia kick off their 5th World Cup campaign.

It was a fairly rapid start from Flavovespia, keen to give Brookstation an early test. Jonathan Bagshaw took on Geovani Angeles and jinxed past the defender, and then drilled in a low cross. Michael Cole went for a first time shot, but Lance Logan dived down brilliantly, the ball palmed away and then cleared. An early sight of goal for Flavovespia, but it wasn’t rewarded.

For the opening 15 minutes or so, Flavovespia were happy with their performance, they looked solid and were just lacking a goal to put their advantage on the scoreboard. However in the 19th minute, the first goal of the game would come against Flavovespia. Moussa Wague made a darting run inside, holding off Stan Scott-Wilson. Stuart Cookson then closed in, but with a well taken curling shot, Moussa Wague beat the defender, beat the diving Nathan Crewe and scored. Brookstation had the lead, they had a good first chance and took it perfectly.

The pressure now was on Flavovespia to mount a response. Thankfully, their next attack would provide the equaliser. Charles Adams manoeuvred up to around 10 metres outside the box. With some great heads up vision, he timed a lofted through ball to Amrik Singh, who was one on one with Lance Logan. Logan dived low and early again, but Singh lifted the shot up and over him, but kept it under the crossbar. 1-1 to the delight of Flavovespia, they were behind for just 4 minutes.

The first half continued a similar pattern, Flavovespia looked the more probing going forward, asking questions of Brookstation and their defence. However Brookstation had a spring in their step in attack, and looked threatening. Twice Leon Michael Robes forced a good save out of Nathan Crewe, including in the last minute of the half. 1-1 it was at the break, an energetic game that was seeing both sides testes across the pitch, just what the World Cup expects.

The second half began somewhat slower and more tentative than the first half. This time the defences seemed to be winning the key battles, and possession was being concentrated in the midfield. Flavovespia’s midfield was starting to try and carve out long range opportunities of their own, as Charles Adams and Kieron Player both got shots on target from outside the box, with Lance Logan up to the task.

Brookstation had a handful of opportunities as well in the second half. The 75th minute saw them come particularly close from a corner. Whipped in from the right, Stuart Cookson only got a glancing header away. The ball then fell tantalisingly for Moussa Wague. Sensing the chance, the shot came in off the half volley. Nathan Crewe was beaten, but it flew agonisingly close over the bar for Brookstation. The chance to lead with just 15 minutes to go was missed.

In the 83rd minute, that miss suddenly seemed all the more painful. Flavovespia pushed forward, and the midfield were taken more risks. A cross by Jonathan Bagshaw was cleared, but barely out of the box. Kieron Player got there first, took a touch to steady himself, and before he could be closed down, hit the ball hard to his right. No defender could get a block, Lance Logan was beaten and the ball slammed into the net. Flavovespia had a 1-2 lead with just 7 minutes plus injury time to go, finally a breakthrough in the second half.

The remaining minutes were pure attack vs defence, Flavovespia playing with barely anyone outside their half. Jonathan Bagshaw though so nearly had a chance when a long Nathan Crewe clearance landed in Brookstation’s half with nobody near. Lance Logan just got their first, a smart move, stopping Jonathan Bagshaw from a clear cut chance. Brookstation had many forward, but that one key chance just couldn’t be made. In the end, the final whistle went, and Flavovespia opened their World Cup 95 campaign with 3 points.

In the other Group F game, Koronavia in their World Cup debut pulled off a surprise, holding #1 ranked Banija to a goalless draw. That leaves Flavovespia clear at the top for now. Flavovespia play Banija next, and even with Banija’s recent form, few in Flavovespia should see this game as anything but a tough challenge. However, if Flavovespia can invoke the spirit of their last World Cup, where they defeated Turori in the group stages, then Flavovespia would find themselves in the Round of 16 again. Plenty in Flavovespia also blame Banijan referee Ssendi Lutanywa for their elimination last time, adding a bit of extra interest to this game. There’s a lot to be excited for as Flavovespia travel to Chamberley.

[Brookstation]

---

Danger looms in the horizon
Brookstation's longest unbeaten run finally comes to an end after a disastrous display of defense

For most nations, the World Cup serves as a blessing, a stage, the biggest of its kind, where the nations can rightfully assert their dominance. However, for Brookstation, it would be best to term it as a curse. In Brookstation's four games in the World Cup, the team has lost three of them, barely managing to pull off a draw against Valanora. The second World Cup was expected to be a charm to conceal the disasters of last time but all the hopes and ambitions would just end up backfiring. As an oppenent, Flavovespia could never be underestimated but compared to the dynamics of the group, they were still a better opponent than Banija on paper. So in a way, this match was a win or lose it all for Brookstation.

From the very beginning, Liangde He knew that he had to field the strongest option possible, considering they still had a game with Koronavia which could perhaps be dealt with a moderate team. Logan as always, was the guardian of the goal and giving him the strongest cover was the unbreakable duo of Harlow and Scott in the centre along with the exuberant young Jacobus and the dynamic Angeles to the left and right respectively; Veum stood as the unmovable pivot at the centre while the creative maestros Riccobono and Tudorache played up front; while the three main assets of the team- Robes, Johnson and Wague led the front line.

Everything looked perfect, just as it should have. Lance Logan who was given the responsibility of guarding the Brook goal had never anticipated the the surprise Flavovespian strategy which included a perfectly coordinated attack. Flavovespia went all out on the field, sending nearly eight players up forward, charging towards goal, a tactic which caught the Dreamers completely off guard. It wasn't even five minutes until Michael Cole would land his first shot on target which Logan could successfully intercept but the incompetency of the rest of his men would allow Amrik Singh enough space to slot in the rebound, giving the Hornets a very early 1-0 lead.

Hornets coach Augusto Rinaldi's surprising attacking role, though seemingly unorthodox and tactically risky proved to be immensely effective against the Dreamers. The Hornets had asserted their dominance on the field early on , patiently putting the Brook defense in a faze. However, the Brooks, initially surprised by the strategy employed by Rinaldi, still managed to create some promising scoring opportunities in the opening minutes of the game. Towards the end of the first half, it was safe to say that the Brooks had finally managed to get a hold of Rinaldi's gameplan and slowly, game posession began to reach an equal level.

After the first goal, the Hornets finally seemed to have lost some stimuli and for the first time in the game, Brookstation tried to open up counter attack opportunities- perhaps Robes and Johnson should have done a really better job at it considering that they failed to convert a single opportunity on target, let alone a goal. Nonetheless, Brookstation would soon find them 2-0 down just in the nick of the first half. It wasn't too surprising but it definitely wasn't something that Brookstation had predicted from beforehand. Thanks to the defensive blackout, it was rather a seemingly harmless play that led to the second goal of the game. The Hornets suddenly re-positioned them once again, catching the Dreamers off guard. Players' cross from the left was a bad one, to say the very least but heaven forbid, the seemingly flawless Angeles just failed to clear the ball out, instead he tried to handle the ball completely by himself and keep the going on which resulted in nothing but a futile attempt which just deflected the ball in the path of an approaching Birmingham. The shot, though not strong enough found its way under Logan's dive, leaving him and the entire squad helpless.

At this point, the Hornets weren't even excited anymore and they barely celebrated, rather in a manner of gratitude for the oppositions' blunders, they quietly retreated back to their own half. At the same time, the expressions on Logan's face were more than enough to speak for themselves; it was a terrible way to get completely dismantled in the first half and if Brookstation repeats the same sequence of events like last year, despite receiving almost a 10% higher budget than last time, the Board might have to consider making some serious changes-the nature of which better remain undisclosed.

While the first half was as bad as it could get, the Dreamers made significant improvements in the second half. Scott clearly explained the prominent danger of the Hornets attack to his teammates, as the defense was finally able to keep the Hornets quiet after barely being able to contain them in the catastrophic first forty five minutes of the game. He, on the other hand had lucidly instructed his players to be more aggressive during the second half of the showdown and injected chaos and restlessness into the Brook attack. His crazy approach caught the Flavovespian defense by quite a surprise as well, allowing Robes to clip a perfect ball over Marthorpe City defender Cookson for Robinson. With a strong first touch, Robinson slotted the ball past Crewe, scoring his first World Cup goal.

Liangde He was definitely smart but Rinaldi was smarter. As soon as he sensed the peril on the spot, he quickly shifted the Hornets into a very defensive formation and at one point of time, Brookstation even had a higher posession but breaking through the Flavovespian defense would be an as difficult task. For what it was worth, Brookstation ultimately failed to break the deadlock and despite several blocked shots, Flavovespia would emerge victorious and take over the table of "The Group of Death."

That being said, Brookstation couldn't be too disappointed with the result-they were up against an ever improving Flavovespian team. For the Dreamers, however qualification to the Round of 16 has again become an unachievable dream, given the only thing which can keep the Brook dream alive is a favourable result against Banija. Considering the fact that Brookstation has never lost a game to Banija, the possibility does remain but with a squad in this condition, it is more than unlikely. The next opponent Koronavia who are more than excited to prove their mettle in their very first World Cup, definitely cannot be taken lightly. With the pressure at an all time high and the stage set, things can go either ways.

There may be a miracle. Maybe not.

[Elmyia]

The Beaucester Gazette
'Sneaky, duplicitous and kind of stinky'
Porras fumes as Elmyia's World Cup dream hang in the balance

Pau Porras always had a reputation for being a reasonably straight shooter, but this press conference really saw him blow the lid off. After a disappointing display and chastening result, he deflected from Elmyia's woes with a combative and slightly obscene rant decrying the referee, the opposition and the climate of Sylestone.

Elmyia and Drawkland did have priors coming into the contest, a hard fought playoff win over them had secured Elmyia's passage to the previous world cup, and the Kick Corps had been determined to exact revenge on the biggest stage of all. Until late on though, this was a captivating contest, of two attacking sides trading blows as they sought the three points they needed to start the group stage with. Elmyia started brightly, Kostas Rossi in familiar environs managed to spark the contest to life, a sensuously curled cross meeting the path of an onrushing Whittingham who put the ball back across Mullins and into the back of the net.

Elmyia only held this lead for the next ten minutes, however, Collingwood, Fields and Aldenburg working the ball smartly down the left, going around Scoular and Rossi with ease and cutting back for Cross to fire past a sprawling Garavakos. From this point Elmyia seemed to really struggle to build out of the back. It was always going to be tricky to play out past the front 4 of Collingwood, Fields, Rider and Cross with an effective back three of Scoular, Simmons and Savalas. Inadequate support was given to McLoughlin, who was far too often forced back, or coughed the ball up under heavy pressure. Shortly before half time, the pressure paid for Drawkland, Gordon pressed all the way up to once again possess McLoughlin, Cam Cross collected and slotted into Rider to make it 2-1.

A concerted effort was made in the second half, Elmyia's player to player marking system when Drawkland played out the back did seem to be causing sufficient problems. The main issue seemed to be Froggatt's relative unwillingness to put the yards in, always far more concerned it appeared with her positioning for receiving the ball. This offered Drawkland the option to play back in relative safety. Porras could be seen screaming furiously from the sidelines, yet she was never to exit the pitch. This seemed to pay off in the 59th minute, however, as Galli's pressure on a flagging Emily Tobin led to Froggatt having space in front of the back three, a burst of pace sent her into enough room to get off a shot and draw Elmyia level.

Porras' side took this as their time to really press up, Drawkland found themselves thoroughly pinned into their own third. Truly, though, it felt as if Elmyia left it far too late to bring their substitutes on. Benedetti had run further than anyone else and was visibly flagging as the side tried to find a winner. Katsouranis, charging endlessly from the left of a back 4 to left of the frontline looked increasingly haggard. As legs tired in the tropical heat, Drawkland found they were able to wrest control of the contest. 72 minutes in and substitute Cherry Octavia collected the ball just inside the box. Cutting in on a clearly exhausted Katsouranis, she took full advantage of a trailing leg and went to ground.

Fury erupted on the Elmyian bench. Porras' arms reached skyward, his protestations meeting the disinterest of the fourth official. Simmons, as captain, was frothing at the mouth in rage. For all the anguish though, this is the sort of penalty that is given most of the time. Yes, Octavia could've simply kept running into the path of Savalas, but Katsouranis did give the officials a decision to make. Given just how much the wind seemed to go out of Elmyia's sail, it could hardly be said that a defeat wasn't warranted. Rider seemed to tip Elmyian heads over the edge, delivering a perfect paneka as Garavakos dived haplessly to his left as the ball sailed over him. This seemed to further offend the sides sensibilities. Simmons was withdrawn by Porras, an impotent rage in his face looked likely to boil over. The front line was also shaken up, Byng coming on for an exhausted Whittingham and Marakakis making her World Cup return for Benedetti. Truly though, the subs came too late, a rare misstep by Porras. Drawkland had full control, and with most of their energy expended they found themselves mostly chasing shadows and chaffing against perceived injustices.

For all Porras usually delivers a calm summation of his thoughts, this was not that. Asked of he thought the penalty was fair, he struck up a fake laugh before spitting "if that was a penalty, then my aunt is a bicycle. No. No. Clearly the officials felt they needed to give them something for free.' Questioned as to whether he would mind if, say, Froggatt went down under similar contact in the opposition box if he would mind 'no, she is not so sneaky and duplicitous, we would never.' On whether Ellzidan had won the tactical battle he sat silently shaking his head for 2 minutes without talking. Eventually an FF dignitary went on stage to take him off. Refusing to move he shouted 'I WILL TALK IF I WANT' he brushed down his blazer and sat back down 'no, no, they got lucky. I will not talk for I wish to not insult a fellow professional. Even if they are kind of stinky. No, I would not lower myself to speaking about how they smell heavily of garlic and cheap deodorant. No. We come back against Pemecutan, we will win. We can outclass anyone. Goodnight.'

Whilst the rage felt real at points, it would be too surprising if this had been a deliberate ploy. After a disappointing result against opposition who outplayed them, Elmyia needed a distraction and their manager seems to have obliged in providing it. Porras does face questions around his selections going into a crunch match, a must win, against a Pemecutan side he's failed to get the best of yet.

Elmyia need to reset. Drawkland was supposedly the most winnable game, but for around 50 minutes of the contest Elmyia appeared to be out of it. Outplayed and overawed by the occasion, they will need to pull it together of they are to avoid embarrassment against Pemecutan and Zwanzug, two nations with genuine aspirations of a deep run into the tournament.

On the evidence, Elmyia are still finding a way to play against top, top opposition. Their struggles in qualifying against Adab, Pemecutan and Saint-Jean-Jacques-et-Burnham-on-Stove seems to highlight that they've built plenty of firepower, but struggle to overcome opponent with any proper operational competence. The current formation seems to default to a 3-1-6 in possession, offering plenty of cut through in the opponent's half, but with very little to control the middle of the pitch against teams willing to contest possession. With McLoughlin, Simmons, Galli and Benedetti they do have the tools to control the ball, but the balance seems off. The question will continue to hang around Katsouranis' selection, where a player more willing to hold back and build up might allow them a great modicum of control.

[Alasdair I Frosticus]

AN ODE TO THE CHROMATIKA DRAW

By Isaac, Prince Imperial
(the worst poet in the multiverse)


Behold! What opening match first gameday drama!
(Which did not in any way involve a West Barack and East Obama llama)
Yes, it was the group's top two seeds
Playing in a way you simply couldn't believe
While cancelling each other out in a 2-2 draw.

It was a mighty and exciting game of give and thrust
As, despite centre forward Candice Delaya's nasty case of thrush,
She scored the opening goal for the Anomalies
As a result of Lev Repin's crafty tactical policies.
A 3-5-2 against a 3-4-1-2? Bring it on, as they say.

But then the Holy Empire's Candice Delaya equalised!
(of the Empire version's medical condition I was not advised)
So the match was carefully balanced one-all
As both teams tackled for and passed the ball.
Oh, to be a neutral in this fast-paced match!

The half-time whistle was then heard to blow,
And somewhere in Hawk's Nest a ticket-holder played the banjo.
Why a banjo? Who knows, but I definitely heard it play
And an eerie hush fell on the ground, or so I've heard some say,
As both sets of fans honoured the first half spectacle.

I have never learned to play the banjo myself
It's not an instrument with which you should trouble yourself.
But still, somewhere in the Hawk's Nest was a banjo player
Which gave the ambience a very special layer
As everyone waited for the second half to kick off.

And then both teams once more entered the field
And both teams seemed like they would refuse to yield!
But then from nowhere a goal by the Empire's version of Kuznetsov
(Who is in no way to be confused with Xuen-Zhukov)
And the Holy Empire are suddenly 2-1 up!

You could tell that the Anomalies were now struggling
While playing at home, they found the Holy Empire's team quite puzzling.
So then Lev Repin made a crafty substitution
As if his team's chances he wanted to be boosting
So Elaine Howard-Dawe came on for Lavrentiy Xuen-Zhukov

And what do you know, within 2 minutes Howard-Dawe had scored!
This was definitely a match where no fan was bored.
And Lev Repin's decision was vindicated
Though prior to the match his tactics had been debated.
And even Juan Tzimisces gave a nod of approval.

So hear the final whistle end the game!
Some would say that to end the match was such a shame.
But the 90 minutes was definitely up
In the first match that both teams played this World Cup
Leaving Group A very finely balanced.

Next up for the Holy Empire is Mytanija
Which is a name I'm struggling to find a rhyme for other than 'ouija'.
Let's keep our fingers crossed that we win the next game
And set our World Cup campaign aflame.
Ooooh, see what I did there by rhyming consecutive words!

[Yue Zhou]

Yuezhou 1 - 0 Tanirinthia, MD1: Zhao - Huang (Lu 70), Hu, Deng (Sha 75), Dong - Guo, Pan (Zhaxi 81) - Lin, Mingsdottír Zhang, Jiang (Fu 75) - Ji (Liang 81)
Goals: Ji 68

---

It wasn't always pretty, but in the end, Yuezhou did enough to secure a deserved 1-0 win over Tanirinthia. The Mighty Oaks came out strong in their first-ever match in the World Cup, with the strike partnership of Violet Bacchus and Bridget Payne pinning the Dragons back early. But it was the third member of the 4-3-3, Lark Holt, who would get the best chance of the match for the debutants - after Zhao Deliang uncharacteristically spilled Payne's long-range effort, Holt was first to the ball but blazed it over the crossbar from a narrow angle. Once again, the Dragons took a while to get into the match, something that has frustrated Elaine Ashdown many times during her tenure. But they finished the first half strong, with only a heroic goal-line clearance from Raven Medina denying Kara Mingsdottír Zhang a fifth World Cup goal.

Under sustained pressure, the second half saw the Mighty Oaks start to yield. Tanirinthia would have several more chances, but while they finished the match with eleven shots, they mostly tended to be lower-quality chances, with Holt's first-half effort the best they would see all match. After a period of sustained pressure, Lin Qingling found Ji Weibo slipping behind the defense for a late goal. While Tanirinthia fought hard and had many chances at their first-ever World Cup Proper goal, Zhao Deliang recovered from his earlier slip and commanded the Yue defense to a deserved 1-0 victory.

Yuezhou and Tikariot are both Pavolan democracies with a socialist past, but that's usually where the similarities start and end. Tikariot was viewed as stable and neutral enough to host the Nyowani Kitara peace negotiations, while Yuezhou is perpetually on the brink of political implosion. Tikariot is a multicultural haven, while Yuezhou is more known for its emigrants than its immigrants. Tikariot identifies as a metallic brotherhood, while over thirty percent of Yueren in a recent poll believed heavy metal was placed on this earth by demons to lead the youth astray.

On the pitch, though, the teams are surprisingly similar both in stature and in playstyle. After making their debut and return in the World Cup 86 qualifiers, both have elevated themselves to consistent qualifiers, but neither has found much joy in the knockout stages the way fellow Pavolan Græntfjall has. And both Brian McAllister and Elaine Ashdown set up with a heavy reliance on the wings to provide dynamism and spark. Sure, both teams have skilled players in the center of the pitch - you can't play this way without a solid spine - but that's generally not where the magic happens.

When two teams with this playstyle clash, the match often comes down to who has better players on the flanks. When the draw happened, this probably would've been good news for Elaine Ashdown and company. Sure, Morris Nighthorse and Adrian Grimaud are two of the most dangerous wingers in the world - and their interplay with the high-flying fullbacks makes them a nightmare to gameplan against. But in Huang Han, Dong Xiaowang, Jiang Jieren, and Luo Nanwei, the Dragons had a foursome that could match them blow for blow. Luo Nanwei especially would've been likely to pose danger against Anthony Wallace, more known for his crossing than his defense, and Conrad Hurst, whose lack of height would be tested by Luo's long-range threat.

Then Luo went down holding his leg in the friendly against Chromatika, and suddenly it was Lin Qingling and Jiang Jieren, both strong players but maybe too selfless to pose the specific threat Luo did. Ashdown and her trusted confidant Corinne Mersiades, whom the YFA had finally caved to in contract negotiations, had gone deep into the tank after the Luo injury to figure out how to proceed. They had bested Tanirinthia, a team that played more through the center. But Tikariot was always going to be the major test of how well the flanks could hold up without Luo Nanwei pinning down the other team's fullbacks.

Option one was the straight swap: Lin on the left wing, Jiang on the right, everything else exactly as it was in the qualifiers. But, again, Lin was neither rapid nor especially direct, more at home setting up others, while Jiang had also become more of a crosser as he aged. It had been enough to get by Tanirinthia. But despite setting up Ji Weibo for the match's only goal, Lin had looked somewhat muted, and Jiang, who had been instructed to play more directly and selfishly, couldn't quite meet the brief. There wasn't much of an advantage in the substitute wingers, either. Fu Xiaoxi had become a strong winger in the Red League, but the knock on him was also that he was overly deferential, while Dai Qiu was 34.

Option two was to do their best impression of Tikariot, who often had their wingers and fullbacks swap places. Huang Han, who often straddled the line between fullback and winger, was perfect for this on the left, and Dong Xiaowang had played right-wingback before. Even if it couldn't provide a more direct threat, it could make the threat from the flanks less predictable - something Tikariot themselves thrived on. And in the worst-case scenario, having Huang and Jiang drop back could at least help deal with Nighthorse and Grimaud, and maybe play more defensively in search of a result.

There were also changes in formation. Bao Yuwei, a left-back whose conversion to LCB unlocked Olympic Nangang's offense en route to a shock Yue Super! League win, was available off the substitute's bench. Mersiades and Ashdown had seriously considered putting Bao at left-back to hold down the fort while reserve winger Fu Xiaoxi started at right-wingback in an asymmetric formation, something that sounded like it came out of a simulator game.

In the end, though, the best option remained the original plan, and there was no point overreacting to one middling performance against a team that had taken Græntfjall the distance in the qualifiers. The versatile Kara Mingsdottír Zhang would be shaded forwards - almost in false-nine territory alongside Ji Weibo - to try to keep the Snowy Owls at bay. But Ashdown would keep her faith in Lin and Jiang. Ahead of the first-ever competitive battle between two of Pavola's finest, with a spot in the Round of 16 potentially on the line, it would have to be enough.

[Zwangzug]

Zwangzug's e-Lipogram

As You Know, Bob, Jalak Putih is not only a top football squad: it's also from a Mandalanusa nation, and many of its individuals fit in brilliantly to our publication. So this author was in a happy mood, watching Zwangzug play out a two-all draw in our host nation's capital stadium.

Zwangzug would go up quickly, with Lukas H-R poking in a long pass from Nilkanth Mibang. Prior to this match's halfway point, though, Agus Kusumawijaya's shot brought joy to "Myna Birds" fans. (Kusumawijaya's club is from Coach DiMarini's birth nation; upon us bringing this up, our coach said words similar to "what good is my opinion, you'll just turn it into a quotation that works for you.")

Both DiMarini and opposing coach Surya Agung Pramana brought on subs in half two, trying to firm up back fours; John McDonald, of Cham, got a look-in. And although Ngurah Agung Rai Putra plays his pro ball in this country, it was youth displacing maturity in a fullback swap.

A misplay by Surya Dwipayana, shortly following his arrival, put Zwangzug in position for a long back-and-forth passing chain, culminating in a goal from Marcus. But Jalak Putih fought back, Olivando's goal assuring that both squads would obtain a point from this match.

Zwangzug will now play Drawkland's "Kick Corps," a squad in which many individuals claim to obtain immortality via a harrowing sojourn through a labyrinth; naturally, such folks' romantic dramas, drawn out proportionally, can bring about long-lasting pain. Drawkland won its first match, in a hot oasis city, and has a short trip to a small bay down south that will host matchday two.

[Chromatika]

OOC Comment: Back of the Net is Tumbra's IC translation of Football Manager. The numbers stated here are all my creation.

World Cup Proper Group Stage Matchday 1: The Holy Empire 2-2 Chromatika @ Hawk's Nest, Lanar, Rainbow District
Goals: Delaya 41', Xuen-Zhukov 82'
Starting XI (3-4-1-2): Fillar, J. (C); Coulibaly - Régine - Aimée; Fillar, G. - Larriet-Cortes - Fillar, B. - Fillar, E.; Kuznetsov; Xuen-Zhukov - Delaya.
Substitutes: Anbient -> Aimée (50'), Phoen -> Kuznetsov (50'), Ansoll -> Régine (72'), Howard-Dawes -> Xuen-Zhukov (79'), Womack -> Fillar, E. (79')
Review: In a cagey affair, it turned out that The Holy Empire's "mirror team" proved to be a harder opponent than the Anomalies had envisioned. Though Delaya opened up the scoring early, The Holy Empire's version equalized, and it took bringing in Elaine howard-Dawes to get the equalizing goal, a beauty from range. Chromatika are actually lucky to get a point out of this at all - they were so close to dropping their World Cup opener at The HAwks' Nest.

---

World Cup Proper Group Stage Matchday 2: West Barack and East Obama vs. Chromatika @ The Hive, Sanar, Rainbow District
Predicted Starting XI (3-4-1-2): Fillar, J. (C); Coulibaly - Régine - Aimée; Fillar, G. - Larriet-Cortes - Fillar, B. - Fillar, E.; Kuznetsov; Xuen-Zhukov - Delaya.
Substitutes: GK Hailee Sourtois, GK Do Seung-Min, DCR Moira Ansov, DC Gwina Ansoll, DCL Keira Anbient, DCL Cylie Nodis, WBR Emilie Kruetzberg, WBL Ladonna Womack, WBR Ibayashi Haitou, CDM Amélie Ju, DLP Alija Mesic-Mizahaki, AM Alissar Phoen, AF Elaine Howard-Dawes, AF Marie Faucheux, P Sandara Park
Preview: Don't tell the Obamans that they are the weakest team in their group - they're the only ones with a win after a narrow win over Mytanija. Riding an enormous wave of momentum, Chromatika will absolutely need to take their opponents seriously if they are to go up to four points in the group. They do not want the Lev Repin revenge match to be for progression out of the group - it'd be a lot better if they were sitting at four points instead of the one. Lavrentiy Xuen-Zhukov will be under scrutiny, having been unable to get a goal against The Holy Empire - if the Anomalies are to make naother run like they did back in World Cup 93, they need their best striker in good form.

Does Chromatika Have a Roster that Can Win the World Cup?

Every World Cup in recent memory - especially since Lev Repin has brought the Anomalies back to the top echelon of world football - the question gets asked about whether or not the Anomalies have the players needed to win the World Cup. How far off is this team from the one that led Banija at halftime before blowing it in the World Cup 93 Final? Would it be surprising if they won it all? What follows is a detailed analysis, by position group, of the state of Chromatik football, the vibes of the team as a whole, with Back of the Net as a backup.

GOALKEEPERS - PAR

Back of the Net states that Juxon Fillar has a Current Ability - and therefore, Potential Ability, as he is a veteran - of 170. This is a bit lower from his highest (177), but it is a testament to just how much he's done for both the Anomalies at the international level and also Cazadores Cathair and Montreal Koreana at the club level. He was there back in World Cup 93, and although you could say that he folded against Banija, it was more the entire back three that folded in the second half than just Juxon. With age and experience, he's gained a ton of veteran know-how and great field vision. He commands as much presence as ever - and has the physical skills to boot.

How long will Juxon remain the starting keeper for the Anomalies? Both Hailee Sourtois and Do Seung-Min continue to turn heads at Sabrefell Athletic and 1923 Esca. With Do being five years the senior, Back of the Net puts his Potential Ability at 172, while Sourtois has been given the benefit of the doubt, being put all the way up to 185. This isn't counting for others who belong in the conversation with an expanded roster, like Fuji Fujiwara, Raoul Carpathia, Siane Sundrifter, and Jessika Aniston, to name a few.

Is Juxon Fillar good enough of a keeper to win the World Cup with? Yes. Can he be the reason why the Anomalies win some close games? Absolutely. Is he the type that can carry the entire team on his shoulders for an entire tournament? No. He never was that level, and hopefully, he won't have to be if this team is to win.

CENTRAL DEFENDERS - BELOW PAR

A changing of the guard has happened when it came to the back three of the Anomalies' formation. Henri de Aea, the most tenured player in Anomalies' history, has retired. In steps one Klavida Régine, whose Current Ability and Potential Ability per Back of the Net is set at 155-170. Régine and Gwina Ansoll, her backup, are the stopgap for the Anomalies between this current generation and the likes of Eileen Jackson-Jones and Claudia Lethbridge-Antonio. Ansoll isn't that much of a drop-off in quality - with a Current Ability and Potential Ability set at 145-165. Considering that Henri de Aea's Current Ability is still set at 130 at age 35, it shows just how enormous his loss is.

It turned a few heads that both Moira Ansov and Keira Anbient have been moved to the bench in favor of Ami Coulibaly and Ipati Aimée. Coulibaly has been one of the highest touted defenders in recent memory, having had a Potential Ability of 160-180 from before she was twenty. Now, at twenty-three, she is the starting centre-back for a world-class team like Chromatik, and has shown her ability to play for the Anomalies at the international level through the last couple World Cups and CAFAs. She currently only has a Current Ability of 140-160 in Back of the Net, but that Potential Ability has hiked up to 170-190 - she could end up being one of the best defenders Chromatika has ever produced. If she should falter, Ansov will be available - she is that presence on the bench with a Current Ability that hasn't faded that much, being hardcoded at 145.

As for Aimée, the choice to have her be the starter instead of Keira Anbient may be a choice of the partnership between her and Coulibaly rather than her being better than Anbient head-to-head. Aimée has always been lauded as a defender's defender, being one of the best on the team in terms of tackling and defensive positioning; however, there is no denying the fact that she lacks the skills to turn the ball up the field on a dime, and that she doesn't contribute as much to counterattacks than Keira Anbient. Back of the Net agrees with this, actually giving Anbient a higher Current Ability (140-160) than Aimée, whose is hardcoded at 143. Coulibaly is more used to playing with Aimée, though, and the Anomalies do possess a joker in their back pocket if they really need an offensive-minded defender - one Cylie Nodis. Nodis has better ballhandling skills than most midfielders, with considerable speed to boot; she adds a dimension that nobody else on this team has.

Is this back three better than the one that the Anomalies had two cycles back? No. The tandem of Moira Ansov, Henri de Aea, and Keira Anbient was formidable, and there was a reason why the Anomalies were able to outlast Zwangzug in that semifinal. Régine is a downgrade from de Aea - a generational player - and Aimée is at best a side-grade to Anbient. Coulibaly has a better future than Ansov did, but that potential is yet to be realized. If the Anomalies are to win this World Cup, there will be instances where they will need to overcome their back three.

WIDE DEFENDERS/WING BACKS - ABOVE PAR

When it comes down to the Wingbacks of the Anomalies, the difference between World Cup 93 and World Cup 95 is playing time and experience. Both Grayson and Edith Fillar have had more playing time in the starting lineup in the span of a World Cup, after all. Edith Fillar's Current Ability in Back of the Net has risen from 140-160 to 150-170 in a span of two World Cups, while her Potential Ability is the joint-highest among all Chromatiks with one Lavrentiy Xuen-Zukov - set at 180-200. She is the past, the present, and the future at Left Wing for Chromatika - and her work ethic speaks for itself.

What do you do when you have such a talent at that position? You bring along someone who does what that player can't do as the backup. For all her flair and speed, Edith isn't very tall; Ladonna Womack's calling card as a 6' 10" wingback is headers. There won't be many times during the World Cup where the Anomalies absolutely need a beanpole to hit the ball at on corner kicks, but if that is ever needed, Womack is available. It helps that her spatial awareness and aggressive nature is also at a high level, but she's mostly here for her height.

At the right wingback spot, Grayson Fillar is more of an enigma. He has always had the lowest Current Ability and Potential Ability of the Fillar siblings - clocking in at 140-160 Current Ability and 150-170 Potential Ability. However, it's his intangibles - team player, great work ethic, doesn't like calling attention to himself, leadership, etc. - that sets him apart. He knows that he won't be remembered as the best player in his position - nor will he be remembered as the best Fillar. He is the glue of this team, though, and the wingback who is more accustomed to dropping back and helping out the back three with the defensive midfielder as necessary.

Emilie Kruetzberg has risen to be a comparable player to Grayson - with a 140-160 Current Ability and 150-170 Potential Ability. She has the speed, the physicality, and the dogged determination to go after the ball. If the team needs a more brutish player in tougher environments, she can come in in relief. As for Ibayashi Haitou, he is the sniper of the group - specializing in long crosses and finesse (with a current ability of 130-150, showing just how loaded Chromatika is in this position).

The quality of the players that didn't even make this list is remarkable. Wingback remains one of the best positions of the Anomalies in Lev Repin's tenure as Manager, and that doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon.

HOLDING MIDFIELDERS - BELOW PAR

There was an embarrassment of riches in this position not that long ago - Chromatika had Kaia Larriet-Cortes, Kateryna Zuniga, and Mare Si. If Larriet-Cortes struggled, the veteran Zuniga was present, and if Zuniga couldn't go, Si, a veteran of multiple high-intensity seasons with Yassaca, could step in. Now, two World Cups removed, it's Larriet-Cortes alone atop the mountain.

That isn't to say that Kaia Larriet-Cortes isn't a world-class player. With the S-FPL's recent decline, not many have seen just how well she's done at La Nueva Avenida, but Larriet-Cortes still has a Current Ability of 165 and a potential ability of 170 (one of the few players that actually has their Potential Ability hard-coded). At an age of 29, she has at least three seasons left in her prime (if not longer), and it is remarkable just how much she does in the middle of the formation in both communicating with the defense, setting up the attack, and then taking care of her responsibilities. If Grayson Fillar is the glue, Kaia is the field general.

It's after Larriet-Cortes that things drop off a fair bit. Amélie Ju isn't a bad player - but she's nearing the tail end of her prime, and Back of the Net has been generous in giving her a 120-140 Current Ability. She is good for up to a half hour off the bench, but really suited to handle the elite midfielders and forwards that the Anomalies will be facing at this level. Then, there's Alija Mesic-Mizayaki, the St. John's Arsenal product and highly touted prospect who will likely be the bridge between Larriet-Cortes and Jayla Lethbridge-Antonio. She's simply not ready for this level of play, with a 110-130 Current Ability, but a 150-170 Potential Ability, at least.

Basically, it's Kaia or bust for holding midfielders. Don't expect the Anomalies to use a two-defensive midfielder formation very often, if ever. One of the worst things that can happen to this iteration of the Anomalies is if Kaia goes down for whatever reason. She needs to stay healthy, and she needs to play - and preferably, play well.

ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS - PAR

The World Cup 93 Finalist team had Haley Hauser, Vasiliy Marten Kuznetsov, and Baillaire Fillar - a deep combination of dynamic playmakers at every level. Now, Hauser has been replaced with Alissar Phoen, and Baillaire has become the starter. Why is it, then, that this World Cup 95 team is deemed to have as much talent as that team back in World Cup 93?

It's important to note just how much Haley Hauser has fallen off in the eyes of the CFF. The original shoot-first, ask-later midfielder, she once had a Current Ability set at 170 between World Cups 92 and 93. Now, she's fallen all the way down to 130-150 as she's aged, and reportedly, been replaced with Alissar Phoen. Phoen, a bit of an unknown player, has been a part of Dynamo Sjoedrhavn for a long, long time - and though he's never been rated higher than 155 - where he is now - he's been such a mainstay at that level that he made it ahead of Hauser and Evin Françine-Miklavivec, the newest phenom who is just getting started. He is absolutely thie third choice, mind, because of the ageless wonder that is Vasiliy Marten Kuznetsov.

Kuznetsov, at age 32, has a Current Ability hardcoded at 135. He has dropped off in speed, but still possesses above average passing, crossing, and field vision skills. As Baillaire Fillar takes over the position of the player that will run all over the field, Kuznetsov can just be the one that will tee off and be at the right place at the right time to get the ball into the danger area.

This of course, is all possible because of one Bailliare Fillar. Hardcoded into Back of the Net with a Current Ability of 165, Baillaire is starting to really hit her stride as one of the key players of this roster. Run past people? Check. Run through people? Check. Shoot from range? Check. Get the ball to the attacker? Check. She's got the eyes, she's got the feet, and she's starting to just feel the game at a new level.

With Baillaire arguably being better than Hauser was in World Cup 93, Kuznetsov still there as the tee-off man and Phoen around as the reliable third man, there is no reason why this group of Attacking Midfielders can't contribute to winning the World Cup.

STRIKERS - ABOVE PAR

World Cup 93 had Lavrentiy Xuen-Zhukov, Candice Delaya, Kara Oveni, Sandara Park, and Hank Killian.

World Cup 93 has Lavrentiy Xuen-Zhukov, Candice Delaya, Elaine Howard-Dawes, Marie Faucheux, and Sandara Park.

Let's start with the differences. Many pundits, including Back of the Net, think that Elaine Howard-Dawes has an incredible future. Her Current Ability may be only at 130-150, but her Potential Ability is coded at 150-170. She is far better than Oveni or Killian was rated back in World Cup 93. Marie Faucheux, on the other hand, has a Current Ability of 140-150, having a lower floor, and making her better than Killian or Oveni, as well. Park remains the same, which leaves the development of Xuen-Zhukov and Delaya.

Lavrentiy Xuen-Zhukov has now had two seasons with Myana in the Red League, and shined in both. He now has a current ability of 160-170 at age 21, and a Potential of 180-200. He is one of the best players in the world, and two years of development has done him wonders. Candice Delaya has also improved from 130-150 to 140-160 - with a Potential of 160-180. She may have to contend with Elaine Howard-Dawes in the future, but for now, she's the running mate of Lavrentiy.

World Cup 93 was the World Cup in which Lavrentiy was found.

World Cup 95, if it gets remembered, will be the World Cup in which the strikers really made things their own.

VERDICT - EVEN

This Anomalies team can absolutely win the World Cup. They could also absolutely crash out. The World Cup 93 squad was ranked eighteenth in the world when they began, and put together an incredible run. This team is, on paper, equivalent to them when all things are considered. They'll have to win in different ways, but they can. Should they be expected to win the World Cup? No. Can they? Yes - and it's perfectly reasonable for Chromatika fans to expect them to do well - especially given that they're ranked fifth in the world.

[Eshialand]

Be Proud of Who You Are

Eshialand's first-ever match in the World Cup Finals... was a defeat. Against a team such as the Marauders, that wasn't exactly a surprise. However, it had gone far better than that 8-1 "farce" (to use Josh Seametzle's words) in the AOCAF which had begun the Owls' 2028 year, and to Kenny Morgan, this was a sign of some serious upward momentum for the team.

Sure, it wasn't what some Eshians who made the trek to Felswyr to appear in the stands would've hoped for, but for this team, it was all they ever hoped for. Just being here... that was the culmination of eight years of hard work and dedication. This right here was the reward.

Of course, there were still two more games left to be played, and Eshialand's next face-off would be against Nephara in Umbar. Kenny's hopes for the match? "A draw, if this team can handle it... and I know they can."

---

"You want... what, exactly?"
"King William, I can see it all now..."

Calls like these were what made the king want to take a week off from his duties for a much-needed sabbatical. Every time Mr. Tony Beaujoleil called him about a "wonderful" idea, there was something either ridiculous, over-the-top, or wholly unrealistic involved. And this time... it was all three, unfortunately.

"A floating stadium to seat 60,000, multi-purpose, for soccer, baseball, hell even 7ball, you name it!"
"...floating??"
"Just think of it like a large aircraft carrier. Think about it! We can dock it in Eshialand City or Vaynorth to host events in Eshialand, then float it on over to Aleirave to fill their desperate need for a new home ground!"

A floating... multi-purpose stadium? "Mr. Beaujoleil, I'm sorry, but... are you insane?"

"Nonono, think of it as my gift to the nation! We've got a lot to celebrate after all, and I believe that this new stadium will serve Eshialand well, both on the mainland and Aleirave! All I ask is 10% of the ticket price and the rest is all yours!"
"Ah yes, a gift with strings attached--"
"Well I need help covering the costs after all. Whaddya say?"
"I say seeing is believing. If you're dead-set on this, make it happen. I'm making no announcements or guarantees unless I see it in working shape."
"Consider it done! I'll have it ready in 6 months! We'll call it... Beaujoleil Stadium!"
"I think I'd rather it be called Union Stadium."
"That is fine by me sir! I'll show you the progress when--"

click!

"No way that thing ever gets built..." the king mutters under his breath. "That thing is just a pipe dream..."

[Valanora]

Overconfidence is an insidious killer, allowing the victim to build themselves up in their head, the ego going unchecked until it is very suddenly and swiftly checked, bringing the ego and the victim down in a spectacular fashion that for the victim is like a sucker punch. The Marauders have at times been the victims of being overconfident heading into a match, particularly at the start of group play, this can also be applied to several other national teams from the Empire such as the Dragons (basketball) and the Calcuttas ((ice) hockey). Having to overcome an early set back is an all too common occurrence for those who decide to don the navy and white uniforms of the various national teams and it was the sort of hope that a team like Eshialand would have hoped to see from the Marauders to start the Finals, particularly with this being their debut cycle into the second half of the World Cup tournament as a whole.

Eshialand is a team that has seen significant improvement since the Marauders crossed with them in the AOCAF not that long ago, where the side from the Empire greeted them as they have done many lower ranked sides, with a harsh drubbing that perhaps was unkind in the final scoreline. Those sort of matches can really put a dent in the momentum and morale of a side, particularly one that is try to build up a national team program to be able to compete with the teams above and beyond them, those teams whose thoughts are more towards championships in regional tournaments and how they might do when they qualify for the Finals. Teams like Eshialand strive not for those same goals, their perspective is different, where in the regional tournament they merely are trying to make the knockouts and then in World Cup qualifying to be competitive and perhaps if they can get lucky or hit a vein of form be in the conversation to qualify or make the playoff.

And here they were, having made it to the big dance itself and taking on a familiar foe who might have come into the Finals with an eye cast not towards the group stage itself, but what lay beyond and what has become the eternal chase for the elusive sixth championship to add to the banner. However unfortunately for them, there was no overconfidence from the Marauders nor a side that was not concentrated on the task before them but rather on a task that may lay ahead of them. The Vanorians entered into the match and did what they have been doing since World Cup 29 (well World Cup 33 if you want to go from the first qualification) and showed their fighting spirit. It was a team game, Hawk was part of the equation but he was not the sole factor in it as the Marauders earned themselves a respectable victory over an Eshialand side that was clearly on the rise up the footballing landscape.

Unlike Eshialand, the other lower ranked team in the group, HUElavia, was able to find their way into not just sharing the points with Nephara, but managed to completely turn the tables on the Rushmori giants and grab the full three. It is a clear show of intent that they are hungry and think they are capable of contending with the group and qualifying out of it ahead of either Nephara or the Marauders, leaving one of the two mammoths of the game eliminated early from contention and likely facing an inquest back home. Coming back from a goal down to get two goals late into the match against a team like Nephara shows nerves of steel and a will that will not falter when push comes to shove. They want to do the same to the Marauders, to push our squad to their breaking point and see if we fold or if we fight back, to show the test of their own mettle against the side that finished runners' up last cycle. The Marauders do not back down from a challenge but prefer to let skill do their talking and fighting, rather than words or brute force. And when you have players like Holt, Hawk, and Holmberg, the skill is in ample supply, it need only make itself present and be accounted for properly.

[Vdara]

Who’s Next, Huh?

Previously on ‘Vdara’:
”Markos was, perhaps, just a bit delulu. However, as they say sometimes on the internets, ‘delulu is the solulu’. Of course, not everything you read on the internet is true, but on this occasion - we’d better hope it is.”

It was not. Well, it kind of was, but not to the extent that Markos had hoped it would be. Sure, they pulled the finger out and stepped it up a notch, getting their best performance against the Tumbrans out of the three - but it was still a loss, and an agonising one at that. Spirited, yet dirty performances across the park from the Black Eagles marred what should have been an exciting match, and some ugly post-match scenes pretty much summed the whole thing up; particularly when Markos and his Tumbran counterpart shared some lovely, kind-hearted words for each other.

”Well done, Michael, that’s the worst your lot have played yet!”

“Still won, didn’t we?”

“Hah, if you can call that ‘winning’. You’re lucky to finish with eleven on the pitch.”

“And yous are lucky to finish with eleven uninjured players. Word of advice: toughen up before you join the big leagues.”

“What’s a wee boy like you giving advice for, eh? Away and fuck off, deal with your own hellspawn.”

“You always were gracious in defeat! It’s only happened the three times!”

Displaying immense mental and physical restraint, the irate Markos bravely ended the confrontation and walked away - but not before giving Mr. Campbell a good old-fashioned one-finger salute behind his back. Very cathartic. Naturally, Markos was relentlessly pressed by the media to explain what happened during this confrontation, and he was all too happy to do so:

”Hah, that spat? That was nothing, really, myself and Mr. Campbell just expressed how we really felt about each other, that’s all. He personally thought that it was a skill issue on our part, I personally thought that he should go and pleasure himself. I can’t say I was surprised about what happened today, especially with their conduct. It’s nothing unusual, is it? They saw what we were made of, y’know, what we had in our locker, and they had to pull out all of the stops to make sure we couldn’t play football. I mean, come on! I wasn’t sure if this was football or martial arts with the way that lot were acting, and for that referee to only have the balls to reach into his pocket four times… despicable. Just think back to some of the moments from the game; Ashburn should have been booked about six times on his own, Green should be fucking court martialled, and quite frankly I’d like to see that wee scamp Riordan act like less of a rat - especially at his big age, at his big size, and with his experience. Honestly, I’ll be glad to see the back of this lot. Who’s next, huh? Farfadillis? Well, they might be a tougher challenge, but least we’ll play some real football next time, eh?”

If he hadn’t made it clear enough beforehand, Markos was keen to reiterate that wasn’t too chuffed about what had happened. He’d already had beef with one manager this cycle - Beefsteak City’s Jerome Salisbury - and he didn’t really feel like beefing yet another, but he absolutely would if it came to it. Now, the eagle-eyed amongst you might have got the impression that Markos was not, in fact, referring to the last two fixtures against Tumbra when he says “They saw what we were made of”, but in fact the four pre-group stage friendlies that Vdara had played in between this and the last meeting with the Black Eagles. If you somehow got that idea - which you definitely didn’t - well done! How did the friendlies go, you ask? Well…

Friendly 1: Vdara 2–4 Græntfjall
Pretty much the closest to the best you could get without playing the best (duh, they’re second), a spirited attacking performance wasn’t enough to prevent goals leaking in at the back, and the Snow Wolves left Chania with another victory notched under their belt. There were, of course, lessons learned from this, though - for one, the old boys continued to do their stuff, as Tryfon Vlahiades and Chirstoforos Lazelis (with a combined age of 70!) were Vdara’s two goalscorers, showing that experience was still a valued aspect of this Vdaran squad - not that anybody was doubting that. Secondly, with strong performances in both halves against a full-strength Græntfjall, there were lots of reasons to be pleased with what had happened with this cycle so far, and indeed, what was to come after.

Friendly 2: Vdara 1–0 Ochre Islands
Ranked 28th in the world, the fellow Anaian archipelago came to Chania for the first ever matchup between the two sides. For a match between a duo of attacking teams, you’d expect it to be a goalfest - but this was nothing of the sort, with a single goal from Sophia Kyprianou being the difference-maker between the island nations. Were there any lessons learned, apart from ‘Vdara gud’? Not really, but it was good for the players to keep themselves active, and especially good for them to pick up another victory.

Friendly 3: Legalese 1–5 Vdara
The second match in Vdara’s inter-Anaia Adventure was an away day in Legalese, as Markos’ men and women faced the Legalites in their National Stadium in Central Junction. A hattrick from Ferrero Fotellis and a Vlahiades double meant that the enjoyably-named Richie Funderbunk’s second half goal wasn’t enough to make much of a dent in Vdara’s advance, as they ran out as resounding victors.

Friendly 4: Vdara 0–1 Ko-oren
Continuing the trend of every fixture between these two teams ending in a one goal margin (although, to be fair, this is probably true for most teams versus these conventionally defensive maestros), the Vdarans lost at home to 9th in the world Ko-oren, in a performance which was deemed ‘pretty good’, all things considered. Granted, it did mean that the official record books now marked Ko-oren as having a 2-0-1 record in this particular fixture, but it's a small price to pay for salvation top-tier experience - something the Vdarans were, very clearly, desperate to get.

Overall Verdict: Decent!
At the end of the day, friendlies are just that - friendlies. They’re not indicators of how things will go, but how either team performs on the day, how much emphasis either team puts on the fixture, how much either team had to drink the night before, among many other factors. We’d love to say that these results clearly marked a turning point in this era of Vdaran football, but they don’t. What they do mean, however, is that when the Vdarans turn up, they’re a force to be reckoned with - no matter how highly ranked an opponent is. (Yes, they lost to both teams in the top ten, but not horribly!)

…pretty good, all things considered! There was plenty to be happy about, and this instilled some much-needed confidence into the Vdaran players and staff prior to the group stages. Sure, they hadn’t exactly shown much of that against Tumbra, but that’s what happens when the hammer-throwers* come to town. Against Farfadillis, a side that could play some real, attacking, free-flowing football? Sure, it might not be a tight scoreline, but it would be a hell of a lot more fun - and a hell of a lot less murky. Now, time for a wonderful prediction from the Gods:

To pastures new, our heroes went
Up hills of old, their energy spent
Marooned at sea, they surely felt
But they won’t listen, they’ll no be telt
Resoundingly, they shall march on
Alas, begins a newer dawn
Really, could much else be done?
Pity not, it’s not much fun
In times like this, there comes a breeze
Strong gusts of wind as deities sneeze, with
Harrowing tales of good men stuck
Like Odysseus, who ran out of luck
Until he didn’t, so there’s a story
Long live Vdara, and long live the glory

*hammer throwers - defensive players, known for pretending to be hard men with no real ball skill, throwing tackles left, right, and centre

[Drawkland]

vs Pasarga

The "new" Kick Corps, in their second qualifying cycle, stood 90 minutes away from returning to the World Cup. Their first shot came against Elmyia in the previous cycle, a high-pressure and heartbreaking penalty shootout loss in Græntfjall to send Drawkland to the Cup of Harmony in the first cycle of the post-Elite Eleven era. Now the New Corps had the opportunity again, this time against a much tougher opponent. If they won, it would be the first time a non-Elite Drawkland side qualified to the World Cup proper since cycle 80. If they lost, it would be yet another disappointment for fans of Drawkian soccer.

The Wanderers of Pasarga were not an upstart like Elmyia. They were one of the most tenured national teams to be resigned to the qualification playoff this cycle. This was perhaps the toughest challenge for Drawkland since the new Corps took over, from a rank perspective. Sure, Turori was ranked 5th when Drawkland faced them in World Cup 94 qualification, but those matchups were home-and-away in a long qualification campaign. The pressure ultimately wasn't that large, as you could hope the team could make up the lost points later if they couldn't take them off the top pot. This matchup against #16 Pasarga was a single-legged playoff, though. It's win or go home, home being back to Sonnel where the Corps would perhaps play in the Cup of Harmony in Delaclava.

Pasarga's biggest strength was in their star keeper Tomáš Přibyl, though the rest of the roster presented few weaknesses. The Wanderer midfield could be argued as the weakest spot, but with a 3-5-2 formation in play, Pasarga could prove to have power in numbers. Almost conveniently, Drawkland's rather pedestrian midfield could prove to be just as much of a non-factor, leaving the forward vs defensive lines to be the main matchups determining who comes on top.

It was a tepid evening in Umbar. Drawkland and Pasarga traveled to Chromatika for their single-leg neutral venue playoff, and with both fanbases filling Umbar Ultima to the brim, it was a stacked crowd.

Pasarga got the upper hand early. The more experienced and higher-quality squad had a plan going in, and thus the Wanderers dominated possession early, putting immense pressure on the Drawkian defensive front. Even with the tireless and tenured Sarah Arrowsword and Nicole Warren holding up, they couldn't be everywhere at once. Elek Salai struck first, getting an isolated look against the younger Rachael Bright, deking past her, and firing the first goal of the game past the leap of McKenna Reed in goal. The Wanderers were up 1-0.

The Corps refused to go down easily, however. Drawkland got the ball as play resumed, and the Drawkian midfield did a good job of keeping the ball moving in Pasargan territory while the forward line felt out the defense. After a few minutes of tentative flirting around the box, the Corps suddenly sprung into action. Praxis Collingwood, playing the classic Drawkian "withdrawn forward" position, a sort of hybrid forward/attacking midfielder position, served as a pivot in the center of the field. She had received the ball a couple times in the sequence, passing off to the left or right without much of a look at the goal. With almost no warning, Collingwood sniffed out a narrow gap in the Pasargan defense, and booted the ball to the corner of the net. It zipped past two defenders, and with Tomáš Přibyl defending the more vulnerable opposite side of the net, he couldn't get to the ball in time. Drawkland had equalized at 1.

Following the defensive miscue, Pasarga locked down and kept the pressure moving on the Drawkian side of the field. The Wanderers lost possession a couple times, but the Corps couldn't get a counter press going. Eventually Pasarga got a shot on goal, which was deflected by Reed but resulted in a corner kick for the Wanderers. Asztrik Biró booted the ball back towards the center, and though the initial shot was once again rejected by Reed, the ball bounced back into Pasarga's possession. Biró, meanwhile, snuck back in, staying just onside, and received a long crosser from Kat Földessi. With the Drawkian defense still in corner kick defense, nobody accounted for Biró's return, and he beat Reed with his shot. Pasarga took the lead back, 2-1.

Though Drawkland had a couple meager shots late in the half, the 2-1 scoreline would stand in Pasarga's favor as both sides returned to the locker room for halftime. Both teams had suffered some defensive miscues, but had played a pretty tight game otherwise. Whichever team could limit the mistakes in the second half could potentially come away with the win.

Getting the ball to begin the half, Drawkland was determined to make something happen to get the game level once again. Once again the Corps kept the ball moving right outside the Wanderer's box, trying to keep Přibyl on his toes and stretch the defense apart. Drawkland took a couple shots, but a couple were errant and Přibyl saved a couple more. However, with the height advantage of the Corps, Přibyl found it difficult to get the ball back to his team cleanly on goal kicks, forcing Pasarga back into defending mode quicker than they would've liked. Emily Tobin in particular intercepted a goal kick, heading the ball back across midfield and right to the feet of Collingwood. The quick counter caught Pasarga on their heels, and Collingwood booted a quick pass to Cam Cross, who was streaking downfield to take advantage of the opening. Cross's shot was batted away by Přibyl, but it brought the corner kick opportunity for the Corps. Shelby Rider was the first to the ball following Collingwood's arcing kick, knocking it off her noggin and into the net to equalize, 2-2.

Drawkland seemed to have snagged momentum coming out of the half, but a team with Pasarga's reputation would not go down so easily. They mounted an intense press on the Drawkian box, but the Drawkian defense just kept tightening as the match went on. The opportunities were becoming fewer and further between, and McKenna Reed continued to plug the gaps with an excellent performance between the posts. Still, the third go-ahead goal by Pasarga felt inevitable ... until it didn't. A Wanderer midfielder overshot Salai on a crossing pass, and it was immediately pounced on by Sarah Arrowsword. With an insane leg reach to corral the ball into her wheelhouse, Arrowsword dodged another Wanderer player and booted the ball well past midfield. Once again Pasarga were caught off guard by the counter, and the longer strides of the Corps forwards gave them the edge on the sprint to the opposite box. The ball went to Electra Gordon, then to Collingwood, then to Cam Cross. This time, Cross made good on her breakaway opportunity, burying a shot beyond the reach of Přibyl. Drawkland had taken their first lead of the night, 2-3.

The mood in Umbar had shifted considerably. The tables had turned, and now Ellzidan called for the Kick Corps to shift into a more defensive mindset, swapping the offensive-minded midfielder Carly Aldenburg for the more versatile Angelina Reader. The move was meant to accentuate the switch to more defensive tactics, as now Drawkland just needed to wait out the clock, and perhaps pounce on another counter opportunity for insurance. Pasarga's squad put up a lot of fight in the waning minutes, but their forward attack was starting to run on fumes, and the Drawkian defense was just getting stronger. McKenna Reed cleared the ball downfield following another save, and the Drawkians got to work playing keep-away to drain more clock. With time running short, Pasarga needed to make something happen to keep their qualification hopes alive. Margo Szôts attempted a slide tackle to steal the ball away on a pass to Collingwood just outside the Pasargan box, but she clipped Collingwood's ankle and drew a penalty. This proved to be an ample opportunity to send the dagger home, and Drawkland did just that. Taking the free kick, Shelby Rider arced her shot past Pasarga's first line of defense, and Cam Cross was there with a header to bury the shot. Wanderer fans groaned in disbelief, while Corps fans shouted in disbelief of a different flavor. Drawkland was up 4 goals to 2, and only a handful of minutes separated them from returning to the promised land.

The Kick Corps did their job defensively, Pasarga's last ditch efforts fell just short. Drawkland is going to the World Cup.

4-2 win, qualification ensured

---

vs Elmyia

Facing Drawkland is a perplexing dilemma. A team with players much taller than the average person is used to, yet featuring world-class endurance. A squad that features a formation some would describe as nearly suicidally offense-focused, that still manages to keep opponents at bay. It's a war of attrition, a race to the finish, one that tests the mettle of a squad no matter their skill level. Of course, if you get up by a couple goals early, you can take advantage of the Drawkian desperation and keep serve to cruise to a win. If you can't, you're forced into the gauntlet.

The last (and first) time Drawkland and Elmyia faced off, it was one cycle ago in a single-leg qualification playoff, much like the one Drawkland had just defeated Pasarga in. This time, it was an all-important first-day tilt at the World Cup. This being a battle between pot 3 and 4, it's a crucial one for both squads. You can't expect to get many points off the big dogs in the group, especially when they're both single-digit rank juggernauts like Zwangzug and Pemecutan. Your best shot to come away with points is the match where you're punching down (or in Drawkland's case, punching up from the least disadvantageous position you're gonna get).

Just like the first time these squads faced off, it was set to be a rocking back-and-forth match. Elmyia would take an early lead thanks to Gina Whittingham slotting one past Joetta Mullins, who was given the start this time. Mullins, of course, was originally the starter this cycle, but McKenna Reed has received some starts in big games thus far. Even so, Reed is still a rookie, and Mullins a seasoned veteran, so Ellzidan has indicated that she expects the duo to split time in the net for this group stage. Of course, the early conceded goal isn't entirely on Mullins, as Kostas Rossi made a good move to evade Nicole Warren and get the ball to Whittingham in the first place.

The aggressive attack of the Drawkians could not be contained for long, and it proved to be the dominant force for the remainder of the first half. The Corps took advantage of a weaker left side against Elmyia, culminating in a passing chain from Collingwood, Fields, and Aldenburg finding Cam Cross with enough space to shoot past Ian Garavakos in goal. In about twenty minutes, the contest was tied at 1. The pressure didn't stop there, either. Aaron McLoughlin was receiving little support from his fellow midfielders, or sufficient backup from his defenders. He was the one who lost Cam Cross on the first goal, giving her space to receive the ball, and he was the one who lost the ball on a sudden press by Electra Gordon. With the ball loose, Gordon poked it forward, where Cross once again got the ball in the box with a big opportunity. Instead of making a direct shot, Cross knocked it over to Shelby Rider, who had a better read on the goal and easily buried it where Garavakos couldn't reach.

The game was far from over, however. Elmyia came out with renewed vigor in the second half, though their manager was having trouble executing his tactical vision. In particular, winger Jackie Froggatt almost outright refused to play deep across the field, preferring to stay open for a potential counter. Fortunately for Froggatt, she got the opportunity she was looking for. Valentina Galli wrested the ball free from Emily Tobin, and found Froggatt on a streak through the Drawkian defense. Froggatt dodged Rachael Bright, and with a one-on-one against Mullins, she notched the shot a solid second before Sarah Arrowsword could get in the way and interfere with the shot. The game was tied at 2.

This is where the slightly heightened endurance of the Drawkian side really came into play. Several key members of Elmyia's defense were beginning to lag, and their manager felt that there was never an opportune time to make the necessary substitutions. Meanwhile, Ellzidan made a surprising move to call Riley Fields to the sideline, replacing her with the collegiate call-up Cherry Octavia. As an inexperienced but highly-hyped prospect, Octavia had received some late game minutes throughout the qualifying campaign. This final twenty of a World Cup group stage match was certainly the biggest spot of her young career, though, but she still hoped she could make an impact.

As Elmyia's side continued to fatigue, they couldn't continue to pressure Drawkland's defense. Similar to how the immortal defenders seemed to only get stronger as the match progressed against Pasarga, so too did Warren and Arrowsword tighten their defense in the late minutes against Elmyia. Eventually possession fell into Drawkian feet, and the momentum shifted considerably. In the 72nd minute, Collingwood felt like giving Octavia a chance in the box, dishing the ball out to the star from Sadeg State. This put Octavia on a one-on-one against a totally gassed Sofia Katsouranis. Octavia tried to cut in towards the net, but was tripped by Katsouranis's trailing leg and went to the ground.

Many Elmyian fans, and certainly their livid manager, felt the contact was incidental, perhaps even an intentional dive from Octavia, but the referee still showed the card to Katsouranis. The tired and sweaty crowd in Sunlife Stadium was pulled into a fever pitch. The Elmyian supporters raged, the Drawkian fans rose in anticipation for the penalty kick that could put Drawkland ahead once again. The neutrals merely gaped at the sudden and dramatic turn of events.

Shelby Rider stood at the penalty spot to take the kick for the Corps, making a bid for her second goal of the game. With the pressure on, the crowd whirling a mix of cheers and jeers all around, she cheekily poked a panenka goal straight up the gut as Garavakos dove well out of the way in anticipation for a shot that didn't happen. Drawkland was up 3-2, and now all they had to do was wait out another twenty minutes or so.

With both sides making their final substitutions, Drawkland was able to do just that. Even with fresh reinforcements, Elmyia couldn't do much against a Drawkland side that locked down into a defensive set. The time ticked away too quickly, and eventually the final whistle blew. Drawkland had won a World Cup proper match for the first time since cycle 91.

3-2 win, three points gained

---

Against all odds, Drawkland is now leading Group H after the first days of play. Of course, the top two seeds in the group playing to a two-all draw helps matters. Still, for a group that some would claim is the Group of Death, many expected the Kick Corps to be bottoming out the table. Instead, Drawkland is one more upset away from being a playoff contender. The Elite Eleven made the playoffs a couple times, but never the quarterfinals. The "real" version of the Kick Corps has never done this, not even in the original run, before the Elite Era. That is highly unlikely to change now, but a campaign like this is one that can set the stage for future success.

Now Drawkland must match against a squad that tops Group H: that is, Zwangzug, at rank four by KPB. A win is not statistically promising, but this Corps has shown an abrupt proclivity for contradicting standard notions. Who can say what our Corps can't do?

For the Kick Corps, they will run with the following lineup against their toughest opposition of the cycle:

GK: McKenna Reed
DF: Nicole Warren, Sarah Arrowsword, Rachael Bright
MD: Angelina Reader, Electra Gordon, Emily Tobin
FW: Praxis Collingwood, Kirsten Bellomo, Shelby Rider, Cam Cross

Curiously, the immortal player-manager Ellzidan has still yet to play a single minute this cycle, even in late-game relief. Many wonder if she's planning to do so at all, but if there's a time for the Elf to jump in, it would be in crunch time against a top ten team in the World Cup. Her many admirers say she's merely patiently waiting until the time is right, and/or graciously allowing more mortal players to have their time in the sun. The doubters and haters would question why she's bothering to take up a roster spot at all if she's not planning to actually use it; how's that for letting mortals have their fun? Well, Ellzidan is nothing if not divisive. Even outside her abilities as a player, some question whether she can really manage this Drawkland team to more points against two tough top ten teams. I suppose we'll just have to see!

[Tikariot]

Raynard Lazenby reporting from Urrhediao
After a somewhat lacklustre goalless draw in their opening game of the group stage against Kelssek in Tihon, the Snowy Owls have moved south on Urrhed Island to Urrhediao where the United Center will be the location for the critical game against fellow Rushmoris Yuezhou, who have not dropped a single point between the qualifying campaign and the first match of the group stage. In the build-up to the game, we have sat down with coach Brian McAllister to get some insight on both the Kelssek and the Yuezhou games.

Raynard Lazenby: Good afternoon, Brian, thank you for sitting down with us.

Brian McAllister: Happy to be here.

Raynard Lazenby: The first match against Kelssek was a bit of a low-key game, are you still satisfied with it?

Brian McAllister: Yes. Especially since Kelssek is the group's top seed, it was a critical point to make.

Raynard Lazenby: The team played a lot more defensively than we are used to, was it a conscious decision to go with a 4-5-1 instead of a 4-3-3?

Brian McAllister: We still played a 4-3-3, but it's not unusual for us to shift players backward and forward to create a number advantage. But I agree, Morris and Adrian have been playing further back during good parts of the game. Our goal was to restrict spaces as much as we could to prevent Kelssek from being able to really set up their offence. They scored 31 goals during the qualifiers, so they have a very potent offensive department and the best way to avoid losing a match is to prevent the opposition from scoring.

Raynard Lazenby: And Yuezhou scored even more.

Brian McAllister: Exactly.

Raynard Lazenby: So, would you be satisfied with a second draw?

Brian McAllister: Yes and no. Given Yuezhou's incredible run they are on, being the first team to take a point off them would be a nice achievement, but at the same time, we don't want to have to rely on winning against Tanirinthia and also hope for other teams to draw or lose to advance.

Raynard Lazenby: What were the tactical instructions for the Kelssek game?

Brian McAllister: Not to lose.

Raynard Lazenby: So winning was not the primary goal?

Brian McAllister: (laughs) Well, obviously we want to win every game, it makes things so much easier if you do, but we had to be realistic. Strictly looking at the KPB rankings, we have the most difficult match first and the easiest last, but that's severely theoretical. In the end, a point is a point and now it's up to us to make sure that it doesn't stay at one point.

Raynard Lazenby: So what, if any, changes can we expect for the Yuezhou match?

Brian McAllister: There will be three changes, Connlaodh MacGofraidh is going to come on for Tanis Hemingway and in midfield, Layla Grover and Chiara Castlethwaite will move to the bench in favour of Graydon Muir and Arfon Davies.

Raynard Lazenby: Any particular reasons for this change?

Brian McAllister: Tanis picked up a bit of a knock in the Kelssek game and both Graydon and Arfon are more offensive options than Layla and Chiara.

Raynard Lazenby: So there will be a more offensive tactic.

Brian McAllister: Up to a point, yes. Like I said, we want to win and we might need to win. It has been a long time since we played Yuezhou, for some strange reason we have managed to miss them in every Copa Rushmori, but we've studied them well.

Raynard Lazenby: Can you divulge any more tactical plans?

Brian McAllister: I could, but don't want to give away anything that Yuezhou could in one way or another use against us.

Raynard Lazenby: Fair, fair. As my last question, what's your prediction for tonight's match?

Brian McAllister: 2-1 Tikariot.

Raynard Lazenby: Thank you, Brian, let's hope your prediction comes true.

Tikariot's national team has always been known for their "shoot first, ask questions later" approach, but if there was one thing the Kelssek match showed was their tactical discipline. Goalless draws are a very rare occurrence whenever Tikariot plays internationally and this match was a perfect example for the flexibility of the traditional 4-3-3 formation. Whenever Kelssek had the ball, Morris Nighthorse and Adrian Grimaud dropped back, allowing for Layla Grover and Chiara Castlethwaite to move inside and efficiently constrict the space in midfield, making it very difficult for the Kelssekians to orchestrate any meaningful attacks. By forcing them to attempt long balls to initiate their offensive stratagems, the Snowy Owls successfully paralyzed the normally very fluid midfield play and kept actual scoring chances low.

On the flip side, this orientation facilitated a quick counter-attack style, trying to capitalize on the speed of Nighthorse and the shrewd positioning of Grimaud. Unfortunately, they only rarely were able to showcase their abilities as Kelssek quite efficiently shut down spaces as well, reducing the game to a rather unsightly affair where tactics dominated, stifling any dynamic flow.

The changes in midfield that coach McAllister announced show that the orientation is going to be more geared toward scoring goals than preventing them, as a second draw in a row could put a serious dent in the team's initiative to progress from the group stage for the first time since World Cup 87.

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Tikariot Origami Association Goes Paperless
In a rather confusing press release, the Tikariot Origami Association has announced that it will go completely paperless. This has caused an uproar in the community of paper enthusiasts that this could spell the end of origami as we know it, but upon request, the TOA has clarified that they are only going paperless in their office in their ongoing initiative to do their part for the environment. They would like to stress that they have not relegated origami to a digital-only activity.