Cup of Harmony 87 - Rosters/RPs/Results

[Pasarga]

We may be a half century on from their heyday and they may only recently have returned from their isolationist period both politically as well as in sport, but during this group stage Polar Islandstates looked continuously as if they are a team ready to burst back onto the scene. Unfortunately for the Polarians, they wound up in one of the toughest groups in recent memory in this tournament with both our Wanderers as well as the Dagans of Cassadaigua in their group, as well as an upswinging Xanneria side looking for a bit of redemption for all their team entering into WCC competitions with little success. While they invariably tried their hardest and laid it all out on the line in all three of their matches, the Polarians were beaten for quality each and every time, if only just, meaning that strong showing will amount to nothing in the minds of the ranks but it will fail to tell the tail of their determination, courage, and hard work in this rather unforgiving group.

The match between the two former allies politically was a bit contentious and cagey, with a dogged fight in the midfield to control possession as well as the pace of the game. While the Wanderers might have wanted to slow down the game and prick and prod at the Polarians looking for a weakness, they were not being afforded that luxury with tight marking and even better tackling by the fourth seed. Instead of being a controlled possession game where precision and skill would win out, instead it was a game that was bogged down in a lot of turnovers and stop and go play with fouls and the ball skeetering out of play for throw ins, corners, and goal kicks. Coming into the match, it would have been what the Wanderers would have wanted to avoid, though credit to the Polarians for being able to impose some of their will on the game and make things difficult for the Pasargans.

Evetually though, you knew that that moment of magic or brilliance from the dual islands side was going to come and it did in the fifty-sixth minute right before Mueller was going to make some substitutions to stir things up. Biro driving hard down the left hand side was approaching the byline before cutting in and sending in a low, dangerous cross-shot that looked like it was bending towards the far corner of the goal, where the keeper was getting ready to make the comfortable save. That was when Magana stuck his leg out and redirected it back towards the near post and a gaping open net thanks to the keeper's initial move to make the save on Biro. It was a bit ugly, it was not what anyone would have called a brilliant goal, but it was a goal nonetheless and what the Wanderers needed to secure the win that then secured their passage into the knockouts, especially when the side heard that Xanneria had defeat Cassadaigua at the full time whistle.

The group stage saw many different sides of the Wanderers but if they are going to continue forward in this competition, the side is going to have play more like they did against the Dagans than they did in the other two matches, where they had a near perfect walk out of a result. The knockouts are a different beast as everyone knows and the side is going to need their best players in talent to be the best players in execution on the field, which Salai has been but is in dire need of help from the rest of the squad. It does come easy, with the side finishing in second in the group and having to face off against group winners Huayramarca, who walked their group with nine points, five ahead of second place Sarzonia. They are difficult to break down and are able to score nearly at will, the matchup will also pit the top two ranked sides in the tournament against each other. In other years this might have been a World Cup knockout match or a match in the Final or semifinals of the Cup of Harmony, however this is a second round match here and now. The time for excuses is over, it is the time to either perform or go home.

[Juvencus]

GLI ATTACCANTI LEFT WITH NO SOLUTIONS, SAINT ELEANOR IS A MUST WIN

Shambolic refereeing, Audiol missing not one but two penalties, the scenes when Bevilacqua scored a marvel and Madeiros' worried face are all signs to keep in mind

Lemonye Bailey, remember the name: Refereeing has not been this Cup of Harmony's strongest suit. If anything, it has been what has been making this nepotistic wildcard tournament even worse. There was an extensive cover up in Carpathian media, presenting the Cardenaoan's refereeing as fair and misrepresenting the situations on the field. Oliveira's yellow card was done after a seemingly "careless" challenge, however what was missed is that he still got the ball first before hitting Clara Bassi(does that surname sound familiar, Juven people?). The carding was near instant for Oliveira while Bassi pushed and shoved Oliveira and received hers much later. In the second half, two penalties were not called and the ones that were called... they were choked out. All in all, another referee that left a sour taste in Juven mouths.

Attacking ineptitude? Defensive aptitude?: 2 goals in 3 games, all scored by the same man. Audiol has been there when the team has needed him most, especially that dead time equaliser against Acastanha. The problem lies in the team's conversion rate as it has visibly not been up to par with the form presented in the qualifiers. This could be owed to fatigue but also Madeiros' recent distrust in using the depth due to a need to prove the main team's worth in the Cup of Harmony. Whatever the case may be, Oliveira and Puig being yellowed twice and striked out for the game against Saint Eleanor could be worrisome and Madeiros will need to rely on the team depth immediately.

Madeiros' position at stake: Do not let the title of this paragraph be misleading. Madeiros has given the team a necessary upsurge in the ranks, a second international football trophy and its first qualification in years. However, knowing the hunger for success between Juven people, the "hooded council" and several other institutions and organisations for their own gain, this position could be in danger. Since 93' the team has been strong, but just not strong enough, its runs have always been cut short and desperate measures have not lead to anything of worth. This Cup of Harmony campaign is do or die for the manager and he could be looking for a new job elsewhere in the future if the run is not good enough.

Bogey Bogey Bogey: Juvencus has an interesting record against Saint Eleanor or its teams. An interesting record that is negative. Juvencus has lost against the Eleanorians with a 2-1 score(That Cathy Winchester winner is enough to send chills down anyone's spine) on previous world cup playoffs, a record which stings the team to this day. AC Pomena recently lost in the IFCF Champions Cup playoffs against Athletic Saint Eleanor in a heart-wrenching penalty shoot-out following 2 really close games. It also does not help that the nation bears resemblance to another small nation that has given trouble to Juvencus before. Would this round of 16 game be the dealbreaker?

Barrault-Bevilacqua controversy: The one thing that Madeiros has tried to make his team avoid is controversy and the creation of deep emotional player-transcending connections between his players during international duty. Reason being is that work is sacred when it comes to representing the nation and as such connections like this are frowned upon. Nora Barrault and Carlo Bevilacqua did not get the memo as not only were they caught red-handed, they were apparently heard in the entire hotel room by everyone. This has sent monumental shockwaves back in Juvencus, especially among the more conservative Catholic western Juven. Meanwhile in the more secular east, it has sparked a debate about personal connections between players and whether or not this would affect performance on the pitch or the workplace.

[Cap Nord]

With a calm gesture, Meg lit the firescale in the middle of the room. From previous experience, she knew it was a good idea to turn off the smoke alarm before performing the ritual. Solemnly, she placed the small doll by her side before adding a little more sticks to the scale. Those smelled as if the devil had forsaken all, but it added to the atmosphere. She muttered as if she was reading from age-old scripture instead of rummaging through her thoughts.

“With this gesture, your thoughts will be halted. Panic will rule you and choices will become enigmas unsolved. Time will only act as your opponent.”

While she spoke as such, she carefully pushed the head of the doll in the fire. As it was one for indoor use, it took a while before it did anything but scorching yet a sinister smile formed around her lips.

“And with this, your feet will be hampered. No pass will find its recipient, no touch will contain any feeling.”

Cackling maniacally, Meg pushed the left leg of the doll in the fire which now started to rise higher, giving the poorly-lit room a mysterious hue. The dark shadows suddenly disappeared as a door swung open.

”What the f…

*

About six storeys lower, Jan Van Dijcke started an annoyingly long climb. The elevator was out of use and even when you are a professional sportsman, needless flights of stairs are always a pain. Especially if you are in a hurry.

It had been a dreadful trip through the city an hour and a bit ago. If you play for a Champions League level team, training sessions during an international break can be quite a pain. While the vast majority of his teammates left Kirkenes for a trip to Chromatika, Sylestone or Delaclava, Van Dijcke stayed behind and had to keep up his stamina together with the reserves. Needless to say he had been the butt of a whole string of jokes without holiday plans. Not even the Cup of Harmony. Even the youth players who joined to ensure there were enough players for a decent training grinned over his presence. Assistant manager Avalor cracked a joke himself before remarking.

“Aren’t the Whalers playing today?”
“They kick off in five.”

Jan tried to look as if it was a fait-divers he accidentally happened to know and not the place he would rather be than here. But the Nepharan did read straight through him.

“You want to be on your couch, no?”

A nod which spoke a thousand words. Yes, Jan had a (to put it mildly) strained relationship with head coach Finchley but that did not mean he did not support the Capnordic team.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

After a short chat with manager Archer, he returned with a mysterious smile.

“You can go watch the game…”

Jan already had half a foot and his full mind away from Exhibition Place.

“... if you can do fifty keepy-uppies.”
“What? Fifty? With just one try?”
“That is the best I have got on offer.”

The other players had surprisingly quickly gathered around the duo: for them this could be the diversion from a potentially dull training as well. Jan knew it was all of nothing, took a deep breath and got going. The flow was immediately good and he easily made it to forty. The rest was a bit shabby but with the whole squad counting aloud, Jan made it to fifty with an outstretched leg: all the teammates jumped on top of him as if he had scored a last-minute winner.

And that’s why, even after six flights of stairs, there still was a smile on his face.

Jan quietly pushed open the front door, hoping to not alarm the cat. Immediately, his attention was drawn by a penetrating smell that was easy to locate. As he entered a poorly lit room, he saw his girlfriend burn what could only be described as an effigy of the Capnordic star player Simon Carstensen.

“What the f…

*

Jan scratched his hair once more as he and Meg sat across each other in the loungeset.

“So let me get this straight. You were trying to…”
“Not just trying.”
“Trying to bewitch the performance of Simon Carstensen.”
“It is not bewitching, it is a cult in a longstanding family tradition of controlling chance that has impacted and determined the world of sports for centuries already.”
“Ow…kay. And now the Whalers are your target despite your boyfriend being Capnordic?”
“I am doing it for you! The poorer Cap Nord plays, the sooner Finchley flies and the better for you!”
“And why Carstensen? He has had so much bad luck already this campaign.”
“If his role in the team diminishes, there is room in midfield to drag Bjerkness back downfield. And then a position as wing attacker opens up.”
“This…”

Jan paused and thought. What worried him the most was her calm smile during her explanation, as if he was a stupid kid being taught the way of the world and not an adult who had to wade his way through a ludicrous explanation.

“This is really messed up, Meg. Seriously.”

The deeply felt last word seemed to violently trigger something and an emotional flow erupted.

“I am doing this for you! And now you act all ungrateful! Do you know how much time it takes to even make a bloody effigy?! I am…”
“No, Meg. No. This is completely beyond everything. There is no such thing as witchcraft…”
“Controlling chance.”
“What?”
“Not witchcraft, controlling chance.”
“Whatever. Honey, you are out of your mind. This is bizarre and frankly, dumb.”

If his previous statements had been like smoking near a keg of firepower, this one was like igniting firecrackers inside one.

“That’s it! I’m out, you thankless son of a bitch! But you will regret this! You will never play for the Whalers or my name is not Margaret!”

With a loud bang, she left with a slamming door and some muffled sneers. For a few minutes, Jan thought about how he might have seen the last of her. There was no use in chasing her, even if he was reconsidering whether he had struck the right tone. Eventually, he concluded that whatever way he had said it, he had been right. Jan even remembered how come he was home already and opened up the television set.

”And that makes it three to nothing with a powerful strike by Takahashi. The team of the Rising Sun is dominating in about every aspect of the game, they are faster, more alert and stronger tonight. The Whalers lack the quality, symbolized by the demise of captain Simon Carstensen who seems absent from the game. His decision making is off and barely any ball from his often magical left foot made it to the destination.”

Instinctively, Jan turned to the room where he caught Meg. With a swift gesture, he picked up the doll from the smoldering fire scale, carefully attaching the dangling remnants of the left leg back to the body. Internally, he tried to convince himself that he was doing this for fire safety alone. As seemed to be the case with quite a few things in his life, the reasoning crumbled bit by bit.

It all was tale tales and cock-and-bull stories, right?

Right.

Oh, please be.

[Kandorith]

Hikari Kyoyu

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Illuminating Today

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Cup of Harmony

Round of 16 Secured After Thrilling Draw
by Natsumi Miyasaki | Sports - Football |

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In an absolutely nail-biting match, complete with resilience and tactical prowess, the Kandorese national football team has secured their place in the Cup of Harmony. While it’s likely that even a defeat would have seen Kandorith advance to the round of 16, Michiyu’s squad was undoubtedly aiming for a win against the impressive rising stars of Cap Nord, a match that ultimately ended in a 3-3 draw.

The match itself was nothing short of a rollercoaster ride of emotions, with both teams showcasing their offensive capabilities and their determination to win, as the lead in the game constantly swung back and forth. Striker Ken Takahashi once again demonstrated why Michiyu selected him for the squad, as he was instrumental in securing the draw, netting two crucial goals when they were most needed. The Kandorese defence, led by captain Daichi Nakamura, preserved the defensive midfield and organized the last defensive line to ensure the match would either end in a stalemate or a late win for the Kandorese.

In recent times, the Kandorese journey on the world stage has been rather rocky and unpredictable as the team seems to be trying to find its footing once again to impress at the highest level of the sport. The current journey has shown a whole new Kandorith, with newfound tactical prowess and a never-say-die attitude on the field. From a traditional team, the Kandorese footballing machine has transformed into an adaptive and counter-attacking power.

With Kandorith securing first place in Group B, they will now face the second team in Group A, which is the 71st-ranked host nation: Delaclava. Delaclava has shown a very strong performance in the current Cup of Harmony, as they have battled their way to second place in Group A with 7 points out of 3 games and a total of 7 goals.

A lot has changed since these teams last faced each other in the group phase of Cup of Harmony 77, which then resulted in a high-scoring goal-fest and a 6-5 victory for the Kandorese. Certainly, the upcoming match will be another thrilling encounter against a formidable and well-known opponent.

As the nation prepares for the upcoming round of 16 game at the Virtuous Stadium in Quinniville, the anticipation at home is noticeable. In almost every major city and large town, the footballing culture of Kandorith is buzzing with excitement as every city will be broadcasting the match live on the many large screens already in place, or placed just for the World Cup Qualifiers and now the Cup of Harmony.

After all, Kandorese football is more than just a game to the nation; it is a testament to the Kandorese spirit and their passion for sports in general. Every time the national team sets foot onto the pitch, they carry with them the hopes, dreams, and national pride of the entire empire.

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# Group B                          Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Kandorith                          3   1  2  0    6   4  +2    5 Q
2 Cap Nord                           3   1  1  1    6   6   0    4 Q
3 Squornshelan Remnant States        3   1  1  1    2   3  −1    4
4 City of Myrtle Beach               3   1  0  2    4   5  −1    3

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Note: In previous articles on the Cup of Harmony, the header for the news was still "World Cup", this was due to a technical oversight and has now been corrected. Hikari Kyoyu apologizes for the error and any confusion it might have caused.

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Kandorith

Festival of Light Illuminates Tenkyo
by Rin Hayashi | Culture |

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The capital city of the Empire, Tenkyo, is set to celebrate the Festival of Light in the coming days with spectacles of light, colour, and technological innovation. The annual winter festival will kick off the weekend-long celebration in the capital. This event is always eagerly anticipated by both citizens and tourists.

Holographic Koi Swimming Through The Sky

As the capital transitions from day to night, the cityscape’s skyline will come alive with vibrant colours and holograms. As soon as the sun sets, gigantic vibrantly coloured koi will “swim” through the skyscrapers of Tenkyo and across the many parks in the central districts of the city. These digital marvels will weave through the towering structures and green parks, creating a spectacle of light and colour for all beholders in the streets below.

Traditional Attire and Culinary Delights

The Festival of Light is not just a feast for the eyes, but also a celebration of Kandorese traditional attire and cuisine. As the city comes alive with lights and holograms, the citizens of Tenkyo contribute to the vibrant atmosphere by donning their traditional clothing. The streets transform into a living tapestry of Kandorese fashion, with people wearing beautifully crafted garments that reflect the rich history of Kandorith and its traditional eras.

The festival also offers a culinary journey through Kandorith’s gastronomic landscape. Food stalls line the streets, offering a variety of traditional dishes and flavours for everyone to try and enjoy. From the savoury delights of Kandorese noodles to the sweet indulgence of traditional pastries, the food at the festival is as integral to the celebration as the lights and the floats.

Technological Wonders on Display

The upcoming parades promise to be a display of Kandorith's latest technological achievements. Each float, a testament to engineering and design, stands as a symbol of the empire's pursuit of ever-ongoing innovation and discovery. These floats are not just vehicles of celebration, but embodiments of cutting-edge technology and cultural history.

The designs and motifs adorning each of these floats echo the spirits of the past and the long history of the Kandorese people, creating a harmonious blend of tradition and modernity. The intricate designs are brought to life by the latest technological innovations from the major corporations across Kandorith, showcasing their dedication to honouring the ancestors who have built the proud empire through the ages.

This fusion of culture and technology sets the Festival of Light apart. It's not just a celebration of Tenkyo's spirit or a testament to just Kandorese culture and religion. It is a glimpse into what is to come for the empire in the future and a statement of a world where tradition and innovation can coexist, coming together in a dazzling display which captivates the senses and imagination of both young and old. As the last float will disappear into the night on Sunday, it leaves behind an inspired city and people celebrating their long cultural heritage and newfound progress under a traditional fireworks display.

[Delaclava]

Delaclava advances with win, draws Kandorith

DELACLAVA 1 — 0 REÇUEÇN
Heilprin 18'
Bullrich; Egan (Baxayev 46'), Champagne, Gouin, Barry; Heilprin (Doyle 46') However, Kraulis, Rogers, Anagnakis; Khautov, Dimellis (Johnson 46').

New Catherina –– An early goal from Andrej Heilprin was all Delaclava needed to secure a 1-0 win over Reçueçn in its final Group A game and clinch a spot in the Round of 16 at the Cup of Harmony.

Heilprin scored the goal in the 18th minute, picking up the pieces from a threatening corner kick from Vangelis Anagnakis that Oliver Spencer couldn't quite do enough to clear. Heilprin brought it down from the ground at chest-height and curled a right-footed shot through the defense and past an unsuspecting Gerauld Firaut.

Delaclava controlled possession 58%-42% and allowed just five shots from Reçueçn, two on goal. They appeared content to play out the 1-0 win for much of the second half, although defender Marc Champagne pushed back on the suggestion that it was an especially defensive style. "Why take stupid risks? That's all it was. We knew we had it in the bag with a smart, controlled game."

Delaclava and Milchama began the day at four points each, with Brannfjord at three points still hoping to find a way into the top two, and Reçueçn at zero points yet hoping to play spoiler in a dead rubber. However, on a day where four other groups were decided on goal differential, Group A proceeded with relatively little drama. Milchama, too, scored a lone goal to record a win over Brannfjord, and from minute one to minute 90, it was the Phoenixes and the Milchamians who were positioned to advance. Rather, both squads hoped to pick up a second goal that would let them rise above the other on goal differential, but it never materialized.

Instead, after the match, Delaclav and Milchamian representatives were called together by WCC officials to witness a coin flip that would award one team the group win. Milchama won the toss and the group; Delaclava officially finishes second. The toss sent Delaclava to play Group B winners Kandorith, who survived a 3-3 draw with Cap Nord. Milchama will play that Cap Nord team.

Captain Kent Lindblad was not particularly concerned with the result of the toss. "You saw it with their match today. They're two very good, very skilled and evenly matched teams. Both have a lot of good offensive pressure. We had our work cut out for us either way. But we're very much up for the challenge."

Delaclava previously played Kandorith at the 77th Cup of Harmony in the group stage, losing a wild 6-5 affair. Kandorith would go on to win that tournament. And Lindblad thinks the sequel will be equally as exciting and consequential. "This is a strong field. A lot of very good teams have already had to say goodbye to the tournament. We're one of the teams left, and with our recent form and the crowd behind us, we can take on anyone."

[Beefsteak City]

"So, explain to me how we ended up here?" Mac asked.

Garrett replied, "I think Coach Sue is friends with Mayor Ato? I think they hooked up at some point too. So the Mayor called in a favor and Sue thought she'd send us here so we can't practice for regionals."

"Right. But, what are we actually doing?" Mac was tall, thick, and slightly dopey-looking, but he was the best player on the McKinley Heights soccer team, a strong and burly defender with a big foot for long-range goals.

"Well, we're dressing up as Beefsteak City citizens and...playing soccer." Garrett was slightly shorter, fair-skinned and boyish-looking, but he wasn't much of a soccer player. He was an exchange student, shy and quiet, but he had the voice of an angel, and Mac had discovered him in the hallway getting picked on by the hockey players. Now they were best friends and in the glee club together. His accent slightly tickled the words that escaped him: "Their team got disqualified for not being citizens, so now they need impostors to take their place."

"Huh... why couldn't they just get eligible players?"

"Beats me, Mac. They had ten, it was one girl, Emily, who didn't quite qualify... I don't know."

"And why aren't those players just wearing these costumes?" Mac said bemusedly, as he began to apply old man makeup to his face.

"They didn't want to do that either? It...doesn't seem like they like soccer that much. They're all businessmen, things like that." Garrett took a brush and began to gently apply streaks of silver dye to Mac's short brown hair. "I know my pa works some late hours in town like that."

"Yeah... I never met my dad. He was a war hero. My mom dated other guys, but none of them stuck around." Mac's brown eyes met Garrett's pale blue eyes as Garrett finished applying the hair dye and looked at him wistfully.

"Anyway...how does us playing help? How will anyone wearing costumes let Beefsteak City field a team?"

"That's a good question. Sue might just be hazing us. You know how she sent us to that crack house last month when we thought we were meeting our new choreographer?"

"Yeah, that sounds right."

Suddenly, a short, shrill, long-haired girl burst into the room, clapping her hands together. "Okay, places, people!" Abby shouted. "You all are going to do a great job swaying behind my solo tonight!" She ran out.

"She...knows we're playing soccer. Right?" Garrett asked.

"I don't know, man. I can't believe I fell in love with her."

"You can do so much better!" Garrett exclaimed. "You're a good guy, Mac Hogan. You're a good friend."

They exchanged another long glance that lasted for at least a minute....................... then Mac said. "Alright. Let's go win this game! Or....something. Who knows if bringing the glee kids and the soccer kids together was a good idea..."

[Huayramarca]

Winds of Change?

Written by: Juan Garcilaso
15/09/1990 – Last Updated: 07:32 P.M.

It doesn’t come as a surprise that football fans aren’t having a great moment so far with the Huayramarcan National Team, as the Condors missed qualification for the first time in five years despite achieving a splendid victory the last CAFA that calmed the anxiety over the zero-pointer in WC 94. Considering the abrupt highs and lows of the team recently, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there’s a lot waiting to be fixed when it comes to the tactics and the players; something that leads to the question: is the end of a cycle coming? And whose cycle is ending right now?

The march of time doesn’t forgive anyone, it all begins and it all ends. For some players, the clock is ticking near midnight, the end of their careers is looming despite we all love them, as they have given a lot to Huayramarcan during the ten years we have in international football already. I mean, there’s a big fact in display during our matches that our National Team wasn’t able to compete as it used to do, hence we need to see a new generation taking the reigns of the team, and also from the old guard to teach them the basics, help them to get used to the competitive level of football the team has always performed.

I’m sure that Mr. Aginsogno has, and will continue committed to perform such changes in the national team for many tournaments the National Team has taken part, and will continue to take part such as the Di Bradini Cup. During the last couple of seasons, we have seen some new players surging and being able to take the reigns even in this World Cup, players such as Ronaldiño Caicedo being able to produce some goals this time (four), nothing bad for a first qualifier; Dante Rumiñahui also comes close to empower himself, with the support of Ian Mamani, as the Huayramarcan midfield looks to having a guaranteed 15 years more of good talent.

The prospects in defence look solid, players such as Lobatón will be a significant boost for a weak defence such as the Huayramarcan one as of late. Many goals coming from mistakes or not being able to keep the pace during the match have had a toll in our chances in this World Cup Qualifier; you might wonder, a 1.89-meter defender, strong and fast, and also being in one of the best Tikariotian teams always help for a beginning of a player’s career. Having him, alongside Kevin Quispe, might increase the chance to have a somewhat stronger presence against the rivals, now being able to have control of what could happen around.

In the attack, meanwhile, there’s an interesting battle with Berhalter, Alszeghy, Uscamayta, etc. A trio of strikers capable of doing some impressive participations and having command of the attack, aside from having a decent chemistry with the wingers so far, specially Uscamayta and Alszeghy, who scored many goals during the last two World Cup Qualifiers. Bryan Tello is one of its kind, a spectacular striker that has broken many records and won accolades, even internationally, the experience of Bryan and the desire from the strikers will be vital to make a great transition for the team, and ensure that the firepower that currently have the Condors can continue, as it has been one of the best in the multiverse so far.

Management-wise, it is matter to let Aginsogno develop a promising generation of players and combine the experience of the old guard, as he has been able to prove in this World Cup Qualifier. Perhaps, this bump was needed in order to have a foundation for the next generation of players, one who might be able to taste the bad moments and learn from them to get through qualis and achieve success soon, and think of passing the barriers set by the current generation of players.

[Independent Athletes from Quebec]

Ahead By A Century

PART 13 - Nain

Two weeks would pass between the night at the State Department of Sound, and now.

Relatively little would pass between then and now, with the security incident having dealt with. After a multiple round of gunshots were fired at each other, the two junior agents, one belonging to the Songak Metropolitan Police (SMP) and the other the Royal Quebecois Intelligence Service (RQIS), would recognise that they had made an error, and would apologise to the parties involved. The company would be evacuated, with a minor disruption to the SDS's operations for the night with the VIP Lounge blocked off from public access, and the rest would make their way back, along with the expected guests of Leonor Valdes and Princess Solveig, to the original departure point in the Ji-Milliken Chalet at Mont-Saint-Louis.

Time would end up passing like water there, with the company would end up staying there for three more days before heading to Joongyeong for the rest of the year. But there the company would separate once again, with the Royal Highnesses, the Jis and the foreigners (why the hell is Georgie Northwood joining them???) booking the penthouse floor of the Plaza Pomene (see: IRL Plaza Athene in Paris -e.d.-), while Seung-Geon would bring Claire, Ophelie Lautner and several others there to Montevicio. Montevicio was not exactly the city he had in mind when at least separating the company, but the warmer climate there, combined with the opportunity to visit the Lautners, whose grandparents were still involved at the Yoseo Museum of Contemporary Art (YMCA); and Pinsons, one of the four friends who would come to define the Early Taewha era, the Conservatoire de Joongyeong student found to be right.

A week there would too pass, and then the company would part their ways, as a new semester would come calling. This would usually mean train and plane rides back, which many did not look forward, and signs of promises, a way to start fresh after the off-season shenanigans for many, for others. In case of Heo Seung-Geon neither would prove to be the case, as he, shortly after returning home, would find himself in the presence of two people he would rather not see - that of his grandfather Dr. Heo 'The Junior Doctor' or 'The Younger' Dong-Soo; and Principal Private Secretary to Sovereign, Sir. Claude de Hatal (also read as d'ah-tal).

And one person he would always be happy to see in his uncle and designated-mentor, the recently-named Ji Gyeong-Wan. Exactly standing six feet and around 185 pounds, he was adored by many when a player as 'the Ji-Dash' for his appearance and work ethics. At forty-seven, twelve years after retirement, he has made up for coming short on two Olympic qualification finals with a solid career since, first as QBC commentator, then National Riding Association (NRA) team coach, before his marriage to his wife, Montreal City co-owner Maisie Dreyfus-Milliken, would see him transition into a management career that coincided with him unexpectedly selected to lead The Strathcona Trust.

His grandfather would open the remarks. 'I am sure you know why you are here, and we don't need a detailed recap,' he said, directly staring at his eldest grandson into his eyes. 'But me, your uncle and Sir. Claude will need individual answers, and you will provide them, as we expect you to do so.'

Here it comes, thought Seung-Geon, as he drew a sigh before steadying himself. 'Yes, grandpa, I mean sir,' answered Seung-Geon.

The first person to ask would be Sir. Claude, who would want to know specifics. 'Thank you for coming to this appointment, Mr. Heo,' he would say, first giving a look at Seung-Geon, before shifting to give a light look at Dr. Heo the Younger, who did not look back. 'I am sure that the Daemyeongoong Palace has received the news of the incident involving two agents, the RQIS agent assigned to Miss. Lundrigan and the Songak Metropolitan Police agent assigned to the Royal Highnesses, at the 29th of December, 2062, is this correct?'

'Yes, sir,' Seung-Geon nodded.

'During the independent investigation, which will be kept out of public hands, it has been discovered that you, Mr. Heo Seung-Geon, have arranged with Lieutenant Sung Byeong-Joo, Songak Metropolitan Police's Chair of Protection Command, to reserve the tables at the State Department of Sound. Is this correct?'

'Yes, sir, with the approval of my dear uncle,' Seung-Geon answered with glee. Sir. Claude, a balding man formerly of military background, left no facial expression while his grandfather gave a light smirk of approval. Gyeong-Wan, however, felt surprised, almost as if he were tasered at how easily Seung-Geon had given in. 'We had also been offered to stay overnight, possibly into the New Year's Eve, at his flat, for he had business to attend in Al-Tamazgha.'

'This was indeed true, dear sir,' Gyeong-Wan answered, his voice not shaking. He knew that it was probably the best idea not to stay annoyed for too long at the nineteen-year old protege, who one day was bound to succeed the Strathcona Trust and the H&N Group. 'The flat my wife and I own on Southwark I have lent it to my nephew for the two-day period.'

'Un gros merci, messieurs. That is relatively little of my concerns, or that of the Daemyeonggoong Palace, considering that nobody were injured and that the news had been kept out of the media. I do advise the youngest Mr. Heo, that being son of Mr. Heo and Ms. Goldbloom, to be more careful in the future time, but otherwise there's little to worry for the future time.' Sir. Claude said in a matter of approval, him feeling satisfied with the response, and feeling no need to pursue further unless demanded by the Queen.

Sir. Claude, then gave a light nod to both Ji and Dr. Heo the Younger, before heading out. 'Now, excuse me,' he said, before heading out.

With Sir. Claude out of the way, the meeting had come back to just three of them. Feeling tired of how stuffy the atmosphere had gotten with just five minutes from the fourth person's presence, Gyeong-Wan instructed his nephew to sit.

'My child, we aren't strangers and will never be,' Gyeong-Wan said, as he grabbed a Lokum. 'You must never leave these desserts cold.' Seung-Geon would follow as he and Gyeong-Wan would eat a box of Lokum and traditional Dasik, those that the elder liked but was not eating. 'I will eat later with papa,' Dr. Heo the younger replied, nevermind the fact the 98-year old senior himself, while loving confectionaries, was not really an eater of traditional Han-gua.

After about five minutes the questioning would resume, though in an easier manner.

'You were lucky you had stayed away from the Department of Sound that night,' Gyeong-Wan said to his nephew, in an attempt to give a genuine advice. 'It is never ideal to draw the attention of the media, let alone public, and the idea of you being so openly friendly with the Crown and causing shenanigans...what were you thinking?' This part was largely true, especially with Seung-Geon's situation down the line. For Gyeong-Wan, he was fortunate his parents, whose mother was a cousin to the Younger's mother, were middle-class individuals in Hwado Valley, one of many hilly suburbs east of Joongyeong proper. If anything, the Jis' semi-rural background with the maternal family business running small agricultural businesses had made Gyeong-Wan a media darling, a suitable one to head the Praetorian.

This advantage, that of appealability to the image of 'The Praetorian reader' that sometimes carried 'republican interests', was something that Seung-Geon did not hold.

'What can I say, uncle? I prefer to spend more time with Armando and the football nerds, and Georgie Northwood. The words on the town are that he's planning to head into University of Ousevale. Something that good, ole Addy might not be amused to hear, but don't tell that to the Queen yet,' Seung-Geon answered in a cheery manner.

'Addy, in some ways, is like that of the Queen, yes,' Dr. Heo answered in amusement. 'There's always that mix of calculating, stubborn self that she is, which is so like Christine the Princess of Abitibi I knew of her as my student, but also that of an understanding person, which she had inherited from her father.' He then swallowed a spit, before giving back a wink to the Queen. 'But this I will shut up and not say, and I expect my Gyeong-Wan to stay mum over.'

'I am concerned little over it,' Gyeong-Wan answered, slightly feeling annoyed over the position he had found himself in. 'Who were there at the time of the shooting?'

'Exactly the same people I had told you about,' Seung-Geon answered, him not amused at being asked this again. 'I assumed the outer party were meant to join but they had their own issues with traffic, so they did get fortunate over it.'

His uncle was not amused. 'Let me be clear, whose idea was to pair the cars like that? It is not an ordinary arrangement to put two on one car and half-dozen the other one based on what I have heard.' Seung-Geon asked.

'Not mine,' the youngest disagreed with the insinuation that he had every detail of the original plan nailed down. 'Maybe the girls had a different idea, but please don't pretend I have to do with everything over it.'

'And I think that's all that we need to know,' Dr. Heo smiled back at both of them, who would slowly calm down. 'What had happened then doesn't matter, and I would advise you not to think so much of it. What matters is that the Daemyeonggoong Palace remains unworried, us not affected or blamed over a minor disagreement involving jurisdictions, and that the Lundrigans not be told for the time being.'

'You are right, grandpa,' Seung-Geon nodded.

Dr. Heo's gaze would sharpen, however, as he looked at both of them for briefly a second before closing his eyes. His hands were clasped on top of his mouth. 'You must be relieved to know that you have not interfered with the charted course for either the Prince of Abitibi, or the other Princess from abroad. Had that been the case, I would have been worried even further.' He said, his voice turning into a more conciliatory manner.

'What do you mean, uncle?' asked Gyeong-Wan, surprised to see the remarks.

Dr. Heo did not move much. 'That you must never get too close to the Sun, or the inevitable,' he said. 'I have seen way too many men or women try to fly too close to the sun, in search of wealth and glory or even an adventure, and find themselves falling into the water, their wings melting once they have gotten too close to the sun. You must not allow yourself to make similar mistakes, as those in past have done.'

The room remained calm, perhaps in surprise, as he continued. 'I cannot say everything, but one day, you will understand exactly what I am telling you. And thank me later.'

[Saint Eleanor]

Group of Six meeting (IV) --- SAINT ELEANOR 0-0 Saterun
Participants: Gentle Breeze, Reniira Clevinger, Stephen Mitcham ~ Bridget Coombe [C], Cathy Winchester [VC], Rick Goldsmith [ballot]
Location: Premium Coffee; Mollywood, The Mainframe, DEL

I'm assistant manager Stephen Mitcham and I've taken over notation duties from Bridget, and before that Reniira, and before even that Gentle Breeze. I've been around long enough, and have figured out enough tactics, to realistically hope I can get the hang of this pretty quickly. Today's our last day on the Mainframe before we decide to jump over to the mainland in the afternoon, so we decided to meet in the Premium Coffee like the last time around. Word's been gotten from the store management that it's now a permanent fixture in Mollywood. Orders: green tea for Bridget, black for GB, managed to coak everyone else into an espresso and convinced the barista to give us a bowl of sugar sticks for the group (which were used very generously).

Looking back at the match against Saterun, we did everything we could defensively. Saterun had three shots on target; Hans-Jurgen Becker was effectively blunted, forcing the other midfielders to make their own way to the head of the pitch; the entire unit proved strong and were a great help in preventing potentially threatening shots.
Our attack, however, was similarly outmatched: Avishai Demare proved far better in all aspects than anyone was planning; there appeared to be little effective consideration of how to get past Addams and Post; Newcastle was far too keen to take his own opportunies when they arose, even if better chances were available. Miss Coombe had to cover her hand over her mouth in shock when she tried to recount the experience...! The result proved enough to advance, but not enough to secure top spot in the group, and the players were agreed that the result was "proper deflating" (Goldsmith's quote; whose else could it have been?).


Given the gravity of this match and the relatively little testing the Group of Six format's undergone, this was more of a staff-led briefing. I had five key points to make looking ahead to Juvencus: focus on the future, not the past; Juvencus are flexible when needs must; what you don't know will hurt you; expect retaliation from the referees - and, in summary, keep a hard line at the back.

The number one point I had to make was that our focus is not on revenge, but on progression. Priscilla Evans is gone; there are no more bridges to burn. Losing at this stage to Gnejs, who were also comparative underdogs, four years ago was a major blow for everyone on the team. Making the quarterfinals isn't necessarily an expectation - GB has fairly free reign to experiment with tactics - but not making them this time would be a disappointment. Juvencus, like everyone else we have played so far, is a strong team with some recognisable (and not-so-recognisable!) weaknesses we can punch holes in.

Number two: despite having four players absent, do not write off Juvencus. The four absentees, as reported by Il Scudelliano of Juvencus and relayed by all reputable Eleanorian newspapers including the Reporter, are:
1: Simon Oliveira (two yellows). This is very much the "who cares?" absence, not wrapped in enough scandal, shame, or positional paucity for the average Juven to care. Oliveira is a fairly tough call to replace - he doesn't have any ready analogues in the team - but Paolo Cernoia is relatively experienced, has also avoided too much trouble in recent times, and was almost the "consensus pick" among the group (although Winchester said Maria Zambrotta would have been a better choice, on the basis that "she's been with the squad since forever").
2: Pau Puig (two yellows). This is a major blow to Juvencus, albeit one that has gotten much less coverage from all affected parties: Juvencus has relied on a three-man, "pushy" defence for as long as time can remember and Puig has been a huge part of that. Consensus among the staff was he'd likely be swapped out for Stafilidi, older and more experienced, and with fewer question marks surrounding him than any other backup defender.
3 & 4: Carlo Bevilacqua and Nora Baccault, who are out for disciplinary reasons (after it emerged they were having sex with each other in the team camp). GB, Reniira and I agreed, the morning after we drew against Saterun and we were confirmed to be playing Juvencus, that neither was likely to start even with perfect behaviour. Equestrian lady thought Garcia would keep his place in the starting eleven given Madeiros' recent form for team selection; Nepharan lady reckoned Madeiros would go for Al-Hamdawi, a risk-taking inside winger of sorts who fits the Eleanorian (Jess Martin?) mould and would be harder to defend against given his relative anonymity.

Number three: unknowns hurt. I've already talked about how Demare played a blinder last time. I expect the following 3-4-3 lineup to be played by Juvencus: Ungaro; Callejon, STAFILIDI, C. Coste; Quaranta, PONCE, Sissoko, CERNOIA; AL-HAMDAWI, Audiol, PEREYRA. The players in CAPITAL LETTERS aren't part of the normal starting eleven, whether due to bona-fide unavailability (Stafilidi, Ponce and Al-Hamdawi as discussed) or the need to shake up the team (Cernoia and Pereyra).
I believe that MADEIROS INTENDS TO SURPRISE - he'll be looking to shuffle the ball to Audiol through any means necessary rather than centralise operations on the front three. Al-Hamdawi is an unconventional winger; Stafilidi is the wisest head left (ibidem). Ponce and Cernoia were the top two assist-makers in the Juven top flight in 2005, as Coombe pointed out, but far too many international observers are sleeping on them and Ponce in particular could prove to offer devastating offensive intent from deep. Pereyra is the odd one out, but he has experience from a few cycles ago and he's a dribbler rather than a shooter - handy when you're resting on Audiol as your main man, as Juvencus now appears to be.

Number four: the Juven feel cheated by their referees. Jim Philipps denied a penalty for both them and Audioslavia and booked Stafilidi for inducing a dive. Lemonye Bailey denied Juvencus two penalties against Carpathia & Ruthenia and was generally far more lenient to the Rushmori team. I expect the next referee to take a harder line across the board, to respond to these reports and the perceived damage they've caused to the international refereeing community; current planning is that one of the Eleanorian defensive square (Newbridge/Launceston/Nicholls/Coombe) will be sent off at some point in the first half to show that "we are not just tough on Juven." Well done to Saint Eleanor on picking up two yellow cards between the entire team in the group stages; shame on Angelica and Kichirō for the lapses of concentration against Saterun.

Number five: STAY BACK AND STAY CALM. Yes, you are allowed to attack if you see an opportunity - but be mindful of opposing Juven, who may steal the ball and press the rest of the team, like oranges if I may use the analogy. Make sure, if you attack, you do so with the minimum numbers necessary to mitigate the counter-attack. And don't get too aggressive, lest the referee takes heed.
The staff have therefore said, and the players agreed, that we'll be playing a conventional 4-2-3-1 without an attacking midfielder: Richardson; Winchester, Newbridge, Launceston, Davies; Coombe, NICHOLLS; Newcastle, MATSUDA, Northend; KEY. Nicholls in defence for stability; Matsuda in the central position to avoid unnecessary risk-taking in attack; Key up front to provide versatility and the opportunity to transition to the wings; Northend stays in the lineup over Brandon to avoid the winger getting exposed while getting dispossessed.


I've set out a potential gameplan for Juvencus - or at least the one I'm expecting them to set out - our two team mindsets, and what we should generally do. It is now time to discuss how to deal with each of the major elements of the Juven team. Stafilidi will hold down the fort at the back and I don't expect Key to get past him alone, which is why I'm propping him up as an isolated striker who should break past him and the other defenders to latch onto crosses. Coste and Callejon are excellent at movement and distribution, so the onus is on Newcastle and Northend to ensure they are also in good positions beforehand.

I expect Ponce to break from tradition a bit: filling in the gap right at the middle; and supplying to any willing and sufficiently well-positioned attacking player, not only the wider positions. Marking should be positional and cautious, although Kichirō will be the first line of defence. Sissoko is more of a deep-lying playmaker and I expect him to be a defender (and a useful friend of Ponce's) more than an attacker. Quaranta and Cernoia will be useful helpmeets for Audiol if anything, too; I expect my wide midfielders to at least be rudimentally versed in tracking back and ball-winning - although they already are - such that the threats from them can be neutralised before they escalate to the strikers.

All three forwards - regardless of their identities - should be positionally marked. Newcastle and Northend may be unsuccessful in defending against the wide midfielders, but - however weak they may be - will obvious prove to be of help in a rearguard situation (for reasons of strength in numbers). Alternatively, if they'd rather play in a more inwards role while the two midfielders pitch in the crosses, Coombe and Nicholls should sort them out. Audiol may give way to Campana at any time, including BEFORE THE MATCH BEGINS; both men have similar skillsets and it is important in any case that the four "defensive square" players be prepared to take any action necessary (with minimal force, obviously) to stop him.

In short, we will be pragmatic and strong in defence; structured but nimble in attack; and capable of acting in every sector of the pitch (Goldsmith said that sector bias may have cost the team in our last two group games). We can win the ball by any means, but it is important that, once we do, we shuffle it to Coombe/Nicholls/Matsuda (as appropriate), out wide to one of the wingers, then into Key's path - doing so will give us the best chance of scoring. Note that I've prepared short, one-paragraph briefings on the other Juven players; should those be needed, they will be delivered in short order after the starting lineup is announced.

We do not want this game to go to penalties, and will not change the plan substantially if it does. Winchester, however, was quick to note that the last and only game we have ever played at the Virtuous Stadium in Quinniville - where we will play Juvencus in a matter of days - ended in a penalty shootout, and one that sent Saint Eleanor to the semifinals of the 84th Cup of Harmony (which we won) at the expense of Mertagne, a similar team in a similar position. I anticipate victory, but by no means do I expect it.

Turf Boys on Patrol
Episode IV: Confessions

About an hour later

Did Lieutenant Tarrant think she was world-weary already? Probably. "Smith said he didn't feel confident getting the kids, so I rounded them up myself with Sergeant Pugh and Lieutenant-Colonel waFeralena. Some firearms were used!"

Did Ltn. Smith? No. After all, he didn't want to jump. "The young lad's a Lance-Corporal, madam."

"Oh, no. Now you can tell I'm actually enjoying my position."

Did Private Natasha Baines? Certainly not. "I'll be the caretaker if and when Daisy over there wants to have a private chat with someone, like right now. I was supposed to be on admin duty, so don't worry about the 'Natasha was supposed to arrest bad people today' angle of things."

The two Lieutenants were by this point out of the room, in the corridor outside. "What's the gameplan?" she asked.

"First, we get those bastards in a row. Make them talk. Lydia-Rose-By-Any-Other-Name was right on both her hunches: we got Vímaó and Êrsáreng. Risko Wôgá, too; he actually didn't get arrested, but followed Pugh when he asked him what on earth an Army man was doing leading so many of his fellow boys to the base. Not quite the new leader of the Mâ Âlâmëómë branch, but close to it; certainly in the local area."

"Risky wanker."

"I told you this is what would happen to you. Spend too much time in the army around annoying kids, you get a bit sweary and a bit more passive-aggressive."

"Who do we press first, then?"

"Risko ain't talking. He's the young one, quite experienced, never been prone to running his mouth the couple of times I've bumped into him - kind of leader who just sits in the background. Good for the org; maybe not so good their figurehead is shouty and over in Queenston. But he'll tell us where he lives. I say Vímaó, though; we all know opsec is his number one enemy."

Imagine their surprise, then, when... "Oh. I'm sorry, but what are you doing here?"

"We are officers in the Army, sir. We are here to keep people safe."

"My name is Risko Wôgá. I'm from the Turf Boys. I'll tell you everything you have to know, sir, it won't hurt."

"There are no plea bargains in the Eleanorian system. Gangsters serve their time."

"I'll tell you everything!"

"Fine. But it'll land you with lengthy curfews, then imprisonment on graduation, fifteen years total."

"I can go to prison for this."

"The prison system isn't cut out for education. That's why we keep you at school for as long as possible and tell them to put you on the tightest leash possible."

"They should have done that earlier!"

"School policies generally aren't the Army's concern. Tell us what you're going to say."

"If I said now, I'd be no good. You can talk to Tôsgo, he's my friend from school."

"So, Tôsgo... you heard Lieutenant Smith, damn right."

"You?"

"Daisy. Lieutenant Tarrant."

"Yes! Am I going to jail?"

"Yes."

"No harm in saying. The leader of Dí Maozöxê is Gëngüdó Nógíngo. 5 Jameson Way, three minutes' walk."

"Go get him, waFeralena."

"He's another friend of mine. I'm close to him than Lêj Feêr was. It makes sense. Feêr's an outcast. You don't kill a fellow Turf Boy in cold blood, especially not a top gun, unless they really fucked you up personally, not because you felt like it or want to make good a failed attempt. People like me, expected. Top gun, no."

Tarrant: "What if one of them killed Daisy over here?"

"Mister... Smith. Good question. We don't kill soldiers. They keep Saint Eleanor safe. We keep Saint Eleanor safe."

"If they did, I'd be very disappointed. I thought the leader was in Queenston."

"Your information is wrong. Nógíngo was acclaimed to the post a couple of weeks ago. Nothing to do with the Feêr murder; confidence was just lost in the old man."

"Do you know where the other leaders are?"

"Feêr is the best thing that could have happened to Mâ Âlâmëómë. They don't have a new leader, attempts at a meeting to decide one have been repeatedly hobbled, there's no confidence a new one will be found before May, you can't do anything official without them and most of them are turncoating to our side or the other so they can do their shit."

"How... do you know all of this about a rival faction?"

"Sunset, Queenston Gates... sorry. Close enough. We have telephones, ways to keep in touch. Surprised you haven't tapped them."

Tarrant: "Are they rivals, though, Daisy? Not meant for her, of course."

"No. The goal is that we work as one to keep Saint Eleanor safe."

"Is your idea of keeping people safe repeatedly killing and harming your schoolfriends and even random people?"

Vímaó: "These people are dangerous."

Êrsáreng: "They are not dangerous. The collective of Rülândéá Kôstä has no reason to believe at this time that anyone is such a great risk to anybody."

"So why, mister Êrsáreng, do you persist?"

"Jöléé would have been a lone wolf. We reach decisions closely and carefully. I can tell you the location of their next meetup, but if you'd like to confirm it... Steve."

Nógíngo: "Fuck Steve. I will make no further comment."

"Good job you won't. We've rounded up a good portion of the Turf Boys' leadership here and have convinced them to tell us more about their strategy. Rülândéá Kôstä is deadlocked, Mâ Âlâmëómë close to dead, Dí Maozöxê picking off everyone else."

"Natural order of things."

"Oops. Was that further comment there?"

"Funny lady."

"Is there anything else you would like to tell us?"

"I do not apologise. Nor will I comment except in the presence of the other leaders. Cell, please."

"Go get him again, Pugh. Êrsáreng, you may as well speak for Rülândéá Kôstä. All of you are hitting the slammer at some point, no matter what. We have evidence. Where do the leaders of your faction live?"

"Ask Steve."

"Is there anything I should know about Steve?"

"Lives next door."

"Next door to who, exactly?"

"Next door to Lydia-Rose."

"Well, this is a tough one, given that so many of your sub-gang's leaders loath her to the bones. I'll tell Sergeant Pugh to keep Nógíngo in custody until further information is forthcoming. You'll join him in a separate cell, too. Two prime suspects and a few... subprime ones, let's say. A bubble ripe for popping."

Woga: "What about me?"

"You're a free man for the time being. Bailed, but expect to come back - especially if you've been colluding with these other chaps. That would be the silliest smoking gun of my career, and I've uncovered some silly ones in my time."

[Delaclava]

Welcome back to dry land! (Or something like that...) You can see the sunlight again, you're breathing fresh air, and best yet, you're in the Round of 16. You're running on sunshine...but how far will you go?

Round of 16 cutoff!

---

Milchama 1–1 Cap Nord (2–1 AET)
Pioneer Field (73,000), Corcorran
Independent Athletes from Quebec 0–1 The Kytler Peninsulae
Atlantis Casino Gardens (68,000), Cleopatrana
Xanneria 1-0 Sarzonia
Pioneer Field (73,000), Corcorran
Gnejs 1–1 Acastanha (2–2 AET) (1–0 pen.)
MountainEsc Stadium (40,000), Santa Lourdes

Kandorith 3–1 Delaclava
(scorinated by Tumbra)
Virtuous Stadium (80,000), Quinniville
Naixi 1–1 Beefsteak City (1–1 AET) (3–1 pen.)
(scorinated by Tumbra)
MountainEsc Stadium (40,000), Santa Lourdes
Huayramarca 2–3 Pasarga
Atlantis Casino Gardens (68,000), Cleopatrana
Juvencus 2–2 Saint Eleanor (2–3 AET)
Virtuous Stadium (80,000), Quinniville

---

Quarterfinals

Milchama vs. The Kytler Peninsulae
Hamilton O'Connor Stadium (70,000), Manchester
Xanneria vs. Gnejs
Sullivan Stadium (70,000), Quinniville

Kandorith vs. Naixi
The Colosseum (66,000), Athens
Pasarga vs. Saint Eleanor
Cathedral Square (73,000), Christiana

[Gnejs]

Whatever happened to Sverker Danielsson?

Part one: Background
Part two: Killer Bob goes to The Ministry of The Interior
Part three: Killer Bob travels to Wight
Part four: Killer Bob gets a task at the place where administration happens
Part five: Meanwhile, back in Gnejs

Part six: Forget it, Bob. It’s Quasiquango

I was very pleased to finally be done with that arduous task. I do like watching football and I do like going on about things and life in general, so you’d think the assignment would be spot on. And I must admit that it was a very nostalgic trip to relive The Union trying to compete internationally for the first time, even though it was a rude awakening for everyone. For the players going from Allgnejsan to trying to keep up with seasoned national teams, and for the fans who were very obviously expecting great things. Brutal but necessary experience, no doubt. But there’s something about this place that made me enjoy the work less. There is no sense of time here, and I think this has been a big factor in my discomfort (and possible descent into madness). No distinction between night and day, no regular interruptions to the “work day”. There’s always fresh fruit and a never-ending supply of tea and coffee and sparkling water, but no one ever goes to lunch. There’s no beginning or end, there’s just administration that happens, indefinitely. It was an ordeal, but I managed to pull through and I was looking forward to moving passed this place and (hopefully) at last gain entry into Wight proper.

The horse-faced man confirmed as much when he came by and announced I was done. But he didn’t get a chance to go into detail about my next step before he had to run to a meeting. And by my reckoning that was at least ten hours (Days? Months? Years?) ago. At first, I remained in my cubicle. It felt nice to just relax for a bit and enjoy my accomplishment. Because it is an accomplishment, getting through a WCQ, and you should enjoy it. I quickly grew impatient, however, because I am here, or rather I am going there, to do a job and I have a sneaking suspicion that I’ve already been gone for quite a bit. The job is one thing, but there’s also my family. I told them that I had to go away on a work-trip lasting approximately two weeks, and while I have no way of being sure, I do feel like I’ve been gone significantly longer than that already. So, I decided to speed up the process. The horse-faced man was nowhere to be found; there’s an endless amount of meeting rooms here, and at first I tried locating the one he was in for the work-shop. This proved futile, and I had to try a different angle. I had developed a friendly relation with a man working a few cubicles over from my designated spot, so I decided to seek him out and ask for advice. He told me that leaving is not just something you do, it requires an application being processed properly, but fortunately he was able to tell me I needed to fill out form BC-1093 and get it notarized by the Unit for Notarizing form BC-1093. That seemed straightforward enough, albeit perhaps a tad convoluted. The matter of getting a hold of form BC-1093 proved difficult, however. The man in the cubicle could not enlighten me as to how you acquired the form; he had never devoted much attention to the matter because “leaving” had never been a thing of relevance for him. He suggested I asked one of the ladies working down by the fifth photocopy machine to the right of the third recycling bin, because he had heard that they are usually well informed when it comes to forms.

The ladies were nice enough, but they proved fairly useless. They listened intently and then produced a form for me, but it turned out to be form BQ-1903, which was about applying for additional pencils beyond your standard allocation. They apologized for the confusion and said they hadn’t heard of BC-1093 and suggested I go straight to source and speak with one of the secretaries at the Office for Forms about a hundred and fifty cubicles down. So I did. They knew what they were doing down there, and they said BC-1093 had recently been discontinued but that I could fill out form CB-1390, which would not grant me recourse to applying for leaving as such but would allow me to file an application for an application for leaving with the Committee of Leaving. I filled out the form (which was surprisingly intuitive), got it notarized and dropped it off in one of the mailboxes the secretary pointed out to me. I was then told to await instructions from the Committee.

I went back to my cubicle, because I assumed the reply from the Committee would be handed off there. I waited for what seemed like a long time, and then all of a sudden the man from a few cubicles over came running and asked why I wasn’t at my hearing. I was confused, but had no time to dwell on it, because I was told the Committee frowned upon tardiness, and me being late would likely not benefit my case. My friendly neighbor couldn’t tell me exactly where the hearing took place, but he guessed it was probably somewhere down by the fourth coffee machine to the right of the tenth kitchenette, because he usually bumped into a cute girl he knew to be working for the Committee down there. So I ran, and after a period of exploration which involved banging on a lot of doors and disrupting many meetings I finally found myself in a massive courtroom with a medieval feel to it. I was severely reproached for my tardiness, and the Judge said she had a good mind to throw out my application without consideration. I tried to plea my case as best I could, and while they never seemed entirely convinced in the end they relented and agreed to grant me leave to apply for leaving. I was handed a new form (BCB-9301) with an instruction to fill it out, get it notarized and submit it to the Committee for consideration.

Form BCB-9301 proved infinitely more difficult to fill out compared to CB-1390 and I quickly realized I needed help. I was told by one of the Committee clerks that I could request assistance at the Applicant Support Office, so I went there (it took some time to find, but in the end it turned out to the where the Unit for Notarizing form BC-1093 had been located previously). Nobody seemed to be working there, however. There was a sparsely decorated waiting room and an unmanned counter, and I sat down next to an anciently old man with a bushy beard and sad eyes. We sat in silence for some time, but after a while I tried to strike up a conversation and asked him if he had been waiting long. The man only nodded. He was clutching a photo of what appeared to be a family, with a very sweet little girl standing beside a beautiful young couple. I asked if he was planning on visiting his son or daughter and grandchild after his application to leave had been granted. The old man pointed to the young man in the photograph and only said “That’s me”. Then he started crying. I did my best to console him and after a while he regained his composure and we got to talking. He pulled out a bottle of codethyline cough syrup from his coat and offered me a swig, while he started telling me about how to his knowledge nobody had ever managed to fill out form BCB-9301 and how countless lives had either ended in this very waiting room or by the applicant rescinding their application to leave and instead file an application for a permanent position with the place where administration happens. I was shocked, and angry. We continued passing the bottle back and forth and a warm and nice feeling started spreading throughout my body. I decided then and there that I would not play their game, and said to the old man that we should skip all the procedures and just make a run for it.

The old man smiled. A sad smile. And then he said: “Forget it, Bob. It’s Quasiquango.” And then he told me that if you’re going to escape you’ll need an escape permit and a valid receipt for any implements used for prying open the hatch.

[The Kytler Peninsulae]

87 minutes on the clock. So far, the Kytlerians had done a good job, at least if the job in question was "making neutral viewers question their life choices." The Quebecois side were consistently thwarted in their attempts to actually put the ball in the net, which did not seem to be an active objective their opponents shared. 0-0 seemed to be the objective of this fearful Kytlerian side, one who by all accounts had no right to be playing this at all. Not only were they their group's bottom seeds, but they couldn't even get their RPD supplies into the 13th Floor for the group stage; that ought to have been a death sentence, but it somehow wasn't, and here they were, one moment of magic or bullshit or most likely both away from a quarter-final place at the Cup of Harmony.

One almost wondered if the Kytlerian plan was inspired by their "friendly" (LOL) with the same opposition before the WC qualifying cycle began, a match dominated by the pyrotechnics of the "Bubonic Plague" ultras group. Their flares were prominent after the Kytlerian equaliser in an eventual 3-2 home win, and the logic of the Kytlerian side seemed to be "if goals led to violence, a 0-0 is peace." Certainly this was a lower-energy crowd than that one at The Reneegrad - Quebecois fans were either literally or effectively nonexistent, for a start - and some neutrals in the 68,000-strong crowd in Cleopatrana could be seen sneaking out. There are a lot of entertainment options in this city, and this - thanks to the team in Margaret green - was not entertainment.

Until it suddenly was. Picking out a pocket of open grass in the left half-space around 35m from goal, Vicente Bautista Oleandro - the teenage playmaker known to all and sundry simply as "Vincent" - had the time and space to pick out one of the inswinging right-footed diagonal balls into the box for which he was already becoming known. But this time, when the inside of his right boot connected with the ball, it wasn't looping towards Danny Markusson's bonce at the far post; it was heading hard and low on a path straight for the near post. This was not what goalkeeper Fabien Kalulu-Flaubert was expecting; Vincent had effectively done the soccer equivalent of a pitcher throwing a hard slider or two-seam fastball when everyone was expecting a curveball. He had smartly - or so he thought - preempted the obvious by stepping out to cut out the presumptive cross, and then suddenly watched in horror as the ball headed exactly where he wasn't. Desperately changing direction, he slipped on his right foot, and could only listen in horror to the roar of the Kytlerian fans cheering their teenage dreamer's signature career moment so far, and the gasps of the neutral fans who had finally, in this entertainment capital, actually been entertained.

There were still several minutes left for the Kytlerians to actually survive, and a palpable sense of desperation from the Quebecois side trying to prevent the upset of the tournament. But all they could manage was a string of blocked shots, the Margaret green wall holding up under incessant pressure. When the final whistle blew, Vincent turned straight to the Kytlerian central defenders. He thanked them, and they thanked him, and soon the rest of the side (most of whom had been temporary central defenders for the last few minutes anyway) piled into the gigantic snuggle vortex.

There has been much talk in Kytlerian soccer circles about what would count as "their schedule" for developmental milestones, especially amidst the broader backdrop of international debate along those lines sparked at least in part by the infamous, ultimately-abandoned "C0H" proposal (and a Kytlerian bid for this tournament with its own galaxy-brained structure explicitly framed along developmental/ranking-evolution lines). Suffice to say a first-cycle-back knockout victory over a world top-20 team, even in this tournament rather than the main event, could be quickly considered "ahead of schedule" by all concerned.

[Saint Eleanor]

Group of Six meeting (V) --- Juvencus 2-3 SAINT ELEANOR (aet)
Participants: Gentle Breeze, Reniira Clevinger, Stephen Mitcham ~ Bridget Coombe [C], Cathy Winchester [VC], Esther Launceston [ballot]
Location: A small pub in the Cathedral Square district; Catherina, DEL

Match summary
Goals: Audiol (32), Campana (86); Key (51), Northend (66), Coombe (104)
Red cards: Sissoko (37); no EXT
Yellow cards: Carlos Coste (64), Quaranta (68); Launceston (17)

Key moments:
* Mitcham (+ Clevinger) vindicated - JUE starting lineup was exactly as he anticipated
* Relative lack of substitute use on both sides - only two apiece for the full 120 minutes - Madeiros "squad depth" accusations may increase after this
* Launceston becomes third player booked in Eleanorian campaign so far - poor challenge that easily rose to YC level, not a matter of controversy - allegations of ref bias mostly quashed
* Audiol scores first goal after lapse of concentration from... erm, yours truly! allowed Cernoia in to punch a low cross which he immediately responded to
* Match largely played in midfield - regular turnover of possession; chances killed by defenders whenever possible; low-level tension but nothing too concerning...
* Matsuda replaced by Felaraneta at half time, more offensive strategy; new sub assists Key for textbook equaliser early in second half
* Audiol-centric strategy slowly abandoned with JUE being squeezed in second half and EXT drawing back; wingers encouraged to attack in their own right but themselves often defeated
* EXT go ahead in aggressive times - Coste and Quaranta booked for similar fouls, Northend scoops first free kick from Coombe, almost converts second (potential 3-1 goal??) but hits post
* Campana equalises with less than 5m to go - shortly after replacing Audiol - Al-Hamdawi swerves free kick in, easy header
* General reduction in quality in extra time: clean, but long passing moves often fail, dribbling below expected standard, shots rare and seldom threatening
* Coombe scores with best opportunity of ET - thirty yards out, scant marking, super-accurate, Ungaro taken by surprise - typical Coombe!
* Campana almost scored second on two occasions; both threatened Richardson and he showed his skill in getting past the defence but generally underwhelmed

TAKEAWAY 1: EXT GOOD ON THE DAY + RESPONDED TO JUE WELL ... BUT MIGHT HAVE PLAYED WITH TOO MUCH FEAR

Tactical discussion
* ChC 7 final - Herzegovina City FC 2-3 CA Paulinthal - Clevinger played for HCFC that day, EUSTACIO CORRAL MAGANA and ILANA KÁRPÁTY for CAP
* Magana and Kárpáty likely to start tomorrow (full-strength lineup expected, unlike last time) - Clevinger suggests "rough those fuckers up" - we know where she's coming from but no need to risk players at the QF stage
* Highest-stakes match of CoH for both teams - Mueller is a caretaker manager and wants to leave a good foundation for the next manager, Gentle Breeze unlikely to concern SEFA with her tactical choices
* Mueller wants PAS to go as fast as possible in both attack and defence; more pragmatic than his predecessor
* Loose positional marking therefore expected, but backup allowed if necessary (in principle: Newbridge v Salai, Launceston v Magana, Winchester v Földessy, Davies v Biró, CDM pairing v Kárpáty)
* Coombe argues that PAS is "running out of steam" - both strikers are 32 (her age! until November) and slowly diminishing in quality; Zuzinjak is 31 and drafted into the best eleven on account of keeping Stilinkeep away from the drop
* BUT Pribyl's similar age not much of a concern - remains one of the best in the world playing for a good EFL side (despite Mitcham's protests about RGS Athletic being well ahead of the pack)
* Main defensive concern is "not paying enough attention... dropping the ball as we sometimes did against Juvencus" (Launceston), "possible strokes of genius" (Clevinger)
* Solution: eye on the ball, not the player; the old "stay back" policy doesn't apply, risks can be taken so long as they are measured (Launceston was visibly pleased with this)
* Main attacking concern is that "we might be outsmarted just that little bit - our attacking forces are better than their defending forces by and large, despite the reforms" (Gentle Breeze)
* Solution: shake it up a bit at the front - start Goldsmith and Key together, keep Matsuda in CM, start Brandon on as RM and make him the lead attacking midfielder (pace), keep Newcastle at LM (accuracy)
* Why two strikers? Pasargan defence is surprisingly underpowered for a top-15 team + good pairing of traditional and dynamic approaches + potential for strong interplay + we need firepower against a top GK
* If we get into trouble, Matsuda can be substituted for Felaraneta; Brandon for Northend; Key or Goldsmith taken off for Hollenberg (ST for CDM) - more conservative but still with some attacking edge

TAKEAWAY 2: AGAINST PASARGA, EXPLOIT THEIR WEAKNESSES - SHOW YOUR STRENGTHS - IF IN DOUBT, FOLLOW YOUR HEART - HAVE FUN; WE EXPECT NOTHING

AGREED LINEUP (4-1-3-2): Richardson - Winchester, Launceston, Newbridge, Davies - Coombe [cdm] - Newcastle, Matsuda [cm], Brandon - Goldsmith, Key

- Cathy

Turf Boys on Patrol
Episode Va: Endgame

A nice, foggy morning about two weeks after Lônâís Rêndô was assassinated, in Sunset Gates Alpha military base

Some people think of time-limited detention differently than others. Gëngüdó Nógíngo and Mêlçôr Êrsáreng were certainly not expecting this long in a cell, with no Army-supervised release until the return of schools and only inside time-out for meals. All told, this was a peaceful spring holiday... but at what cost?

"I hate it here," moaned Nógíngo, while scooping off a bit of well-seasoned porridge.

"At least you've gotten the peace you wanted," responded Êrsáreng, midway through a granola bar that he had earlier remarked was not much better. "Apparently the Turf Boys haven't tried to attack anyone for eight or nine days now."

They did not know the full truth. Oh, no. All they knew was that there was an impromptu ceasefire. It certainly hadn't held for that long, either.


Around the same time, in Queenston Alpha military base

"We're not expecting anyone, Robby," sternly retorted Lieutenant Tarrant, her work in Sunset Gates largely finished, her commission from Steve to get the leaders of the Rülândéá Kôstä branch arrested done, now focused on trying to snare, apprehend and at least admonish the lesser members of the two clans.

"Not until 1pm," noted Private Wall, who had started to get his way around the world of itinerary-keeping and - in all likelihood - was not even certain that meeting would happen in the first place.

"Alright. Anything much to do until then?" Yes. Yes, actually.

"Hello. I've been told there's something of note happening here."

"Oh... would this be Private Launceston?"

"I mean, I wish I was in the Army!"

"You can still join - it would be good for the nation and confirm that you won't be moving out of Athletic any time soon. Just not now, though; you'd fail the fitness test immediately. You're welcome to apply when you've gotten out of that neck brace, though."

"I knoooow. It's not quite the most embarrassing thing I've ever been in - but close!"

"You do look like one. Remember to keep your neck straight when you're in normal times, too. You'll look more professional."

"tsk"

"Forgive me, Lieutenant. I'd like to get to the point here - we're working to get rid of the Turf Boys. Reforming them, so to speak. We have the leadership collective of Rülândéá Kôstä here. Dí Maozöxê and Mâ Âlâmëómë are in Sunset Gates; Gëngüdó Nógíngo has been there for about a month, Risko Wôgá was recently appointed in some sort of anti-Army protest but will likely be replaced with a free man soon."

"How many free men would there happen to be?"

"About twenty out of forty. The Turf Boys are small - they're Rulandese, and those are an increasingly large part of the school system - but the leaders are in the local area. 'Outsiders' in other districts don't cause trouble outside these two places, nor do the other Army branches care about them for obvious reasons."

"Oh, no..."

"I take it you're here to check on our valiant gangbusting activity. You seem more disappointed in us than some of my superiors are."

"That would be the case. On that count, too."

"Anyway, half of the Turf Boys are in jail, the other half are mostly dormant. There are no guarantees they won't come back stronger - or at all - any time soon, however. So I'm glad you visited."

"I felt as though this would be a good use of my time."

"That it is. The Lieutenant was talking about mistakes earlier; I think she was, anyway, but I've managed to forget. What's the silliest big mistake - not necessarily the biggest, just the strangest - you've ever made?"

"I accidentally spilled an entire four-pint bottle of milk on the kitchen floor once. That was not fun."

"I can assure you that what the Turf Boys' leadership has been getting up to these past few weeks has been much, much worse."


Promptly afterwards

"So, they made a dreadful mistake... of what sort?"

"Generally speaking, collapse. I'm a Private, though, so can't say much beyond my paygrade. The Turf Boys have three different factions. Had. Mâ Âlâmëómë was always the prey and, as soon as their de-facto leader was killed, rapidly collapsed. Dí Maozöxê have been similarly paralysed without leadership, despite some wildcats. Rülândéá Kôstä are the readiest rulebreakers but even then, we've arrested three of their men in recent times. I'm not estimating - these are actual numbers. The reason they don't have leaders is because some of their lesser lights were willing to tell us everything."

"Why would they do that?"

"A reassuring presence, namely a twenty-something Lieutenant with a pretty face. You're far more agreeable to these people than an Army officer would be - you're not trying to destroy them, you're on the national team and they're still Eleanorians."

"I would, though."

"Yes. Follow me, please, door on the right. These are the 100-150 offices. The Rülândéá Kôstä lads are in office 136, a holding pen with a telephone. Strictly monitored, but I'll allow you to use it for personal purposes. Come out when you've finished. And don't look down, please."

"I'll try not to. I've never been one for anxiety."

"As a reminder, our mission has proven to be a success so far. None of the Turf Boys have given any orders since the infamous Waria incident, which as I'm sure you know only came to light in yesterday's Reporter. Given the lack of orders, anyone arrested has been brought to rights purely in terms of common-and-garden offences. Those are slowly decreasing. Soon, the Turf Boys will no longer be a problem, either because we've gotten them all... or you talk them out of it."

When you know, of course, you know. "Well... this is important," said Yülàáê Podô, part of the triad. Mêrrlínô Jírejá nodded. Xôrgé Íài would not do much except acknowledgement. These were the leaders of the last Turf Boys standing, or close to it.

"What brings you here?"

"We were arrested the other day. Turf Boys shit."

"I don't care. You're gorgeous. One of the greatest of all time."

Xôrgé wouldn't speak. He was too entranced. In time, they all were.

"Do I need to say anything...?"

"Yes, you do, Esther. Why are you here?"

"Who would... Xôrgé, actually. Yes; I was asking how the Army's anti-gang operations were going. Better than I thought, apparently."

"Yes. We will do whatever you say. If you tell us to stop, we will stop."

"I will stop anyway, Esther. There is no point in continuing when people like you are on the earth."

"You don't normally look like this."

"I broke my neck a few months ago. I'll get back in time, but I've read about people who've been in much worse things after... such incidents."

"Okay, so that's you. Where's General Mitcham?"

"Oh, I could bring him here... in a couple of hours. He wouldn't have nice words for you, though."

"Do you?"

"Certainly. All of you could go on to do good things... if you drop the bad things."

In unison: "YES!"

"Thanks..."

"You wanna call the other two leaders, Esther, that'll be 015 1248. Extension code."

"I will think about it." She did not. Beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep. Drrrrrrrrr. Drrrrr--

"Yes."

"Hiya!"

"It's Esther, mate. Yes, Gëngüdó here. I know I'm in trouble so I'll order the Dí Maozöxê branch to cease immediately."

"Mâ Âlâmëómë stops the fighting! We stand opposed on the football field, side by side on the battlefield!"

"Oh, my. That is quite the development."

"I'll tell the guard when I next see him!"

"Thank you. For the record, I have assurances. Thank you."

"What...?"

"Don't question it, Mêrrlínô. This woman is a goddess on earth."

"I'm an Indy fan."

"I thought you were a Rülândéá Kôstä fan. Some things are more important than football, apparently."


Two days later, back in Sunset Gates Alpha

By this point, Nógíngo was firmly discontent with his food. "I haven't had anything nice since day three in prison and that's because that's how many options they had available," he told Êrsáreng.

Another day, though, and another conversation interrupted by a higher power. "You can leave now. Orders."

"Orders?"

"Yes. The district majors have told me we don't have authority to keep you on bail because there are no crimes you are being charged with."

"Do I have to come with you?"

"Only to the gates. The surviving leaders of the Turf Boys have asked that you not engage in future gang violence. In return, all past members have been absolved."

"Even the murderers?"

"On the basis they were misguided in the first place, yes. Any lapse will result in life in jail, though."

"Can I trust them?"

"There have been no reports of gang activity in the past two days. There will be none for many years to come."

"Why didn't you see the signs before?"

"Young Mêlçôr, we see the signs when somebody thinks they are important. Everybody was too paralysed with fear to think they were until very, very recently. Wow."

"Wow."

"Follow me. You can go to school as normal. And make new friends, too. They'll need you. If needs must, tell them about Lieutenant Smith."

---

Turf Boys on Patrol
Episode Vb: Monday 4th August 2008

The Icon

Esther Launceston knew there were more important things than long-collapsed gangs to get to - things such as, maybe, the quarterfinal against Pasarga. It wasn't her first; she might have been slightly disappointed it was her second. Still, Lieutenant Mitcham had a point: this is "where we've gotten our starts, where we've made our dreams and where we've had our most important experiences." Pasarga would be all of those things and quite a bit more.

She'd been involved in the Group of Six meeting a couple of days prior, where the tactics and general strategy had been decided - 4-1-3-2, Matsuda stays in central midfield, push up through the wings and take chances where reasonable. It was common knowledge who was taking part and why; what was kept a close secret until the arrival at any given stadium was what the hell the plan actually was, although there were always general hints from the staff. Launceston knew this. At one point on the morning of the match, she met her clubmate Graham Lawson, who probably didn't even know that the meeting had happened.

"I know you're not the right person to ask... but what's the plan, Esther?" "You will find out. You probably won't be part of it, but best to check with Gentle Breeze. I almost said Priscilla there!" That was hardly the most diplomatic response she could have offered - she'd dreamed of being a media figurehead once, maybe on the more conservative-dogmatic side of diplomatic, perhaps just an entertainer with some controversial opinions - but it worked. Elicited a hearty chuckle from the man, too, which was probably her mission accomplished.


The Buddies

Gëngüdó Nógíngo and Mêlçôr Êrsáreng were once sworn enemies, if only by proxy, and to a lesser degree in the first place. Two weeks in a cell and a couple of years or so tolerating each other at school must have worked wonders, then. It definitely worked well enough for them to meet up at the NLF Club every now and then. Not just the pub... The Club. The greatest place on earth to the few dozen thousand who really liked it.

"Two Black Stars, please." "I know you; you're still 16. I'll need you to order some food with that." No, they weren't. They slapped down their National Liberation Front membership cards on the table, much to the bartender's horror. "Good grief. When did you join?" "He was June, I was April. Liked the look of it." "Fine. Proof of age and you get 20% off."

"So, who do you think wins today's quarters?" asked Nógíngo. "Kandorith and Pasarga." "Come ooooon, Mêlçôr. Kandorith? Maybe, but they and Naixi are both a bit shaky and either team could win that. Pasarga? Absolutely not. We're better than them in every single area of the pitch, maybe even goalkeeper. Guaranteed win and we're lifting the trophy second time in six years."

Were they? It wouldn't be too clear - they liked every last drop of it, and no wonder. At some point, a confused Êrsáreng went over and ask the staff "this is good, but do you not do stout?" "That'll be keg, sorry. Try one of the independent pubs across the street." He didn't say anything back, nor did Nógíngo, although he'd had the stuff once in some other pub. Better drink than pub, though; they knew the Club was the right place all things considered.


The Cosmopolitan

Everybody needs a holiday, even - especially - Year 14 students approaching their School Certs. Lydia-Rose Meldrum definitely deserved one; after all, she'd been bullied less that year than almost any other year of community school. It would make sense that her family would finally return to their old place in Lìbêrêtê, much closer to the Âréné Délékôstä than the damned Rülândéá Çölíséá, still vaguely intact as most of the surrounding homes would be - emphasis on vaguely. For starters, most of their things were still there. "I can't see anything of note that would be missing," she remarked.

The place was closer to collapse than ever before; there were signs the scaffolding that had been there for ages was being taken down. There was little signal of anything that mattered to her, although of course the radio still worked. No papers, no money, not even coffee. Well, there was a jar, only a few months old for some reason, and a little pot; she figured she could make some of her own with that. It had to be black, obviously, but she very much appreciated it. Maybe she could steal some from inland Lìbêrêtê when she inevitably comes back after university.

Some people had told her that the place was being inhabited by a mannequin wearing a Rülândéá Kôstä top. The mannequin was gone. The top was still there, and it fit her, although just about. Her first love was Xârëgs d'Îrrî. Her second, probably Indy. Her third, though...? Nobody was around to bother her for it. Not here; not back home. At worst, any militants from opposing clubs who might enter the neighbourhood would most definitely be intruders, rather than friends wasted.

Good-enough coffee, good-enough football and a good-enough view through a good-enough window that shouldn't have even been that big. The life.


The Sceptic

Émérí Jöléé knew it was the wrong call to attack Catherine Ellis' house all those months ago. He always did. "Why? Why did I do that, Cathy? I've seen you tons of times but I've never asked - why?" "Work it out yourself." "I've tried! I've tried a million times before, never worked it out, never wanted to." "You shouldn't have done it. If you're getting around to the why, however, I salute you at least for that."

Jöléé was never a true Turf Boy; never the kind of person who believed in his club or his ego so heavily that he'd do anything to promote it. He was just a Rülândéá Kôstä man who'd been apprehended by his "mates" a few times to do a few silly pranks, went up the ranks as a result, then complained to score points against the one who pushed him over the edge. That seemed to work and it even got him out of a potential conviction. He'd do it again if there was another person to do it to.

He was thankful there was not. In reality, he was still struggling to work out what the fuck he was even thinking. The end-of-year exams loomed, though. He was hardly focusing on those, but he was caring much more about them than he was about the old gangs. There's a perfectly conceivable alternative history in which his name is never cleared, his mind still swamped in the doom and despair of crime.


The Commune

Xôrgé Íài didn't want much to do with his friends. He didn't want much to do with anyone, in fact, including his enemies. Who he did appreciate was Lucy Black, the waitress at Castle Street Coffee (the local independent café) and one of the fellow Year 14s at Queenston CS he was on decent enough terms with. He ordered a cappucino, asked for some sugar to be dumped in it, then - when Lucy came up to him - asked her a million-and-one questions about the Associated States Act, who runs Bostopia, whether Ismael Lobatón had anything to do with Esther Launceston other than how tall they were. She bore with it for three minutes or so, then apologised and told him she needed to serve other customers. I mean, if you're going to use your brain for much, use it for politics and shit - not gang violence.

Yülàáê Podô and Mêrrlínô Jírejá were, on the other hand, still on good terms. Their names - and those of the other Turf Boys - cleared by government fiat, Podô was now the proud owner of a firearms license. He didn't have ambitions to join the Army; he just wanted to have fun from whatever job he had; not that he was too fussed about the job search at this very moment in time. Jírejá figured he might have better luck returning to Farfadillis now the Farolerans were getting absolutely destroyed. "Whatever," Podô said in the clearest terms possible.

This time, they were out in one of the wider-open spaces, far out on the edges of Sunset Gates, away from the Northern Orange Line in technical terms. Podô, armed with a dodgy shotgun he must have gotten from somewhere other than World of Safety, wanted to play at hunting pests. So he fired a shot into the distance, where it landed into the grass, and then shouted "GOTTEM!" Jírejá laughed. He knew it; both of them did. They were just playing now.


The Surprise

Tôsgo Vímaó was expected, within some Army ranks, to be the one who would give them everything they needed to know about the Turf Boys, or at least Dí Maozöxê's branch. He did not, in large part because other people would happily do that before him. He was still talking, though - just not about those things. Okay, so he'd go off about the S-FPL sometimes, but not today; his agenda was totally different and about a year off being topical. "Mate... mate. Look here, mate. Ever heard of Xkorinate before?" "No."

"You should know exactly what Xkorinate is. It is an invention - a total fabrication - of the HUElavian national broadcaster. They have used it for no other purpose than to simulate some tournament involving nations I'm not even sure exist. They're drumming it up like a huge thing despite HUElavia making it so far into the real World Cup. And they're even calling it Margaret! I'm not a rubber chicken hoarder but even I know it's just not the done deal to call anyone other than the rubber chicken woman that!" "Okay. I don't care. Getting another pint." Vímaó wasn't an NLF Club man - more the Dragon Inn for him. Still, he knew how to piss a crowd off... and that's when he wasn't paying attention.


The Loose Cannon

Risko Wôgá, on the other hand, was the one who really delivered the goods. For his service, he was even told he'd go free if he wasn't found to be engaging in criminal collusion. He knew in his heart of hearts he was, but that didn't matter - immunity and all that. For the most part, however, he didn't talk too much, not unless coerced. He certainly wasn't being coerced to do much at the local bakery, not other than order something anyway. He just wanted a chocolate muffin.

Two dollars later, he went out and gnawed a few pieces out of it. Great stuff, he supposed, but maybe it would have been better with some extra flavouring. One of his Eleanorian mates had one with some chocolate-orange thing and she swore she loved it. Maybe it was Lydia-Rose... nevermind. This was what he had to hand and it should have been enough for a couple of hours, alright. Now, he wondered, when will school lunches be coming back?


The Hitman

Lêj Feêr was never really a free man. He'd never been able to hold down a job since leaving school and was resorting to selling marijuana and tobacco, well below market value, in the alleys right next to the places that sold them. Decent business, he reckoned; money for him, more money for them, the army would be less liable to go down on him than if he was shooting people up at random. It wasn't the kind of drug-trafficking money he read about in the Reporter every now and then - but it was money.

It wasn't enough money to get a place of his own, though - he was nowhere near that point. So he returned to his parents every day, sometimes with the drugs still with him, and proceeded to smoke. Sometimes, this resulted in complaints, even arguments, about the stuff. A couple of folk would ask him, when he left his home, whether the drugs had been cut with "something dodgy." He didn't mind. The only honest money in his world was money that didn't harm others; that was the Rulandese way. And no, they were not.


The End

Major Daisy Tarrant probably knew she was on a tighter leash than she used to be. Lieutenant Daisy could help to plan a snare by complete accident based off a completely misguided theory, ask a few pressing questions to acolytes, commission by some means the arrest of everyone who meant everything in the gang and then let one of the most famous people in the country wean them off the thing by pure accident. Major Daisy needed to make sure that everyone in Sunset Gates was getting it right all the time.

They had better: Major was possibly the only position you could realistically be downgraded from, and half of the eight past post-holders had done so since independence. She was about a year down; maybe three or four left based on history, she supposed, probably more based on the fact everyone had done their job commendably in the meanwhile. Sometimes, someone would ask her what a thirty-year-old was doing running an entire district. She'd probably retort either that there had been younger Majors in history or that people around her age - not half her age, thank goodness - were trying to tear the place apart.

Most days were boring: there were reports on disorganised crime; she'd made visits to a few important places in the area and tell the children in the Community School from time to time about crime safety and suchlike. Still, there would always be more coffee, and more LocalTALK... and more books... and more reports. And more chances. Always more. Perhaps she might even be shuffled up to General one day - which would make a change. No hoping, though.

[Xanneria]

Whose National Team is it Anyways?
Where everything's made up and the goal doesn't matter!

HOST: Esportiva it's Shawna Isley
Rushmore it's Italo D'Arcy
Arrosia it's Jamal Akron
and Atlantia Oceania it's Evan Jefferson Jr!

Come on down let's roleplay some sports!

HOST: Welcome to Whose National Team is it Anyways? the show where everything's made up and the scores don't mater, that's right the scores don't matter, thats right the points are just like being pot 4 in the cup of Harmony! Anyways let's start off with a game called QUESTION THIS! In this game Evan will play a trivia gameshow host, but instead of of giving the question he will be giving the answers and our three other performers will be questioning Evan just like they do backstage. So the theme for this game show will be *NATIONS WHO ATTEMPTED THE WORLD CUP* Alright Evan take it away!

EVAN: Hello welcome to Question This! I'm your host Stick Figurely! Anyways I've got several questions but let's first meet our players!

Ma'am you first

SHAWNA: I'm Cassidy heehee I'm Blonde hee hee

EVAN: Is your last name Dagan?

SHAWNA: No you idiot it's Smith!

EVAN: Your sir, what's your name

ITALO I'm Ralph I'm a Construction worker from Dominica City!

EVAN What part of Dominica City

ITALO East End!

EVAN What part of East End?

ITALO The Part thats in Hastings!

EVAN Ah yes the part that is in Hastings, and you sir?

JAMAL I'm Kurt, I'm and Elven footballer whose 3,025 years old. But I suck so I'm in the fifth tier of the Krytenia Regional Leagues, which is like tier 8 or something.....

EVAN Thank you Kurt, first Immortal we've ever had on this show, anyways Our first answer is SAINT ELEANOR! Buzz in when you have athe answer

ITALO *BUZZ!*

Who is the Patron Saint of Double Posting?

EVAN Correct Ralph! And I guess you being in construction, you're used to working with posts!

For our next answer we have THE HOLY EMPIRE, buzz in when you think you have the answer!

SHAWNA *BUZZ!*

what does Robin say when he plays Nationstates? "Holy Empire Batman!"

EVAN: Correct and now for our final question winner takes all!

FARFADILLIS!

JAMAL *BUZZ* *BUZZ* *BUZZ*

EVAN Yes Kurt you seem excited

JAMAL Farfadillas are what I had at the Turkish / Mexican fusion restaurant last night!

EVAN It's Falafeldillas, but close enough! you are our big winner Kurt!

HOST BUZZZZZZ! Good Job Guys!

XANNERIA - 1
Seguin 85'

---

SARZONIA - 0
NONE

[Kandorith]

Hikari Kyoyu

---

Illuminating Today

---

Cup of Harmony

Kandorith Stands Triumphant in Hard Fought Spectacle
by Natsumi Miyasaki | Sports - Football |

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Standing proud and with head held high the Kandorese national football team stands after the Cup of Harmony round of 16. The latest triumph of Mekahi comes after a fierce battle against the host Delaclava, which was eventually decided in the final minutes of the game ending in a 3-1 victory for the Kandorese. The Virtuous Stadium was the site of a tale of absolute contrasts as Delaclava's journey came to an end in the last 10 minutes.

From the start of the World Cup Qualifiers until the current Cup of Harmony the Kandorese team has looked solid and in control of most of their matches, yet the fear lingers around the few misses and expensive mistakes the team has made during the current tournaments. Still fresh in the memory is of course the missed chance to be on the 94th World Cup and now for the second time in a row, the Kandorese national team has not appeared in the World Cup, bringing back fears of the "dark times" of Kandorese football. Though most of these fears seem ungrounded now the Kandorese team has been on a solid performing streak during the entire Cup of Harmony 87.

The journey to the quarter-finals has been a bag of mixed results. Winning the match against Myrtle Beach while keeping them away from the Kandorese goal (2-0), while performing less than optimal against Squornshelan Remnant States (1-1) and Cap Nord (3). While the match against Cap Nord was a goal spectacle and a rollercoaster of emotion, the match could have gone vastly different for Mekahi had they made the same mistakes as they did during the qualifiers. This did not stop Mekahi from grabbing the number one spot in Group B though. So far the Kandorese team has been one of two faces, sometimes unattentive and lost in their own game, at other times a highly effective goal-scoring machine looking to dominate the entire pace and flow of the matches they are playing.

The Kandorese style of play was close to the vision Michiyu has of the team, albeit somewhat more defensive-minded against Delaclava. Michiyu did not change the 4-3-3 formation and there was no lack of Mekahi's focus on possessive and quick-paced football in the midfield. With the attempt of maintaining control over the game the Kandorese eventually broke through Delaclava's defences and opened the scoreline in the early first half, leaving the opposition a bit stunned but determined to fight back. From here the Kandorese team doubled down on controlling the game, which would be a mistake just before half-time. Seth Gallant would prove too much for Ayato Nakamura and Tanaka leading to a shot impossible to stop for Shojiro Ito. A disappointing end, to an otherwise brilliant first half.

After the match, manager Michiyu expressed their satisfaction with the team's performance. "Delaclava is a tough opponent and of course, they had the home crowd with them, we knew what was waiting for us out there. It was of uttermost importance to rely on our strengths and our own game rather than letting them play theirs," Michiyu said. "I know this team can play football at a very high level and that is what they did. Even though we made a few mistakes and escaped a few very tight situations, I am proud of the team's performance and how they handled the game from the start of the second half." Michiyu further praised Delaclava for their fighting spirit and expressed confidence in Mekahi maintaining the current momentum they have gained.

Not only was the match a tense one during the entire second half but Kandorith's domination being thwarted by the Delaclava defences seemingly frustrating Nakamura, Sasaki and Tanaka brought even more passion to the game. Numerous opportunities of Kandorith turned into long-range shots which went behind denying any possibility of overcoming the 1-1 scoreline. In the 62nd minute, Kandorith however would have a massive chance as Fujimoto took a chance to outrun the midfield of Delaclava and was able to lob the ball over the midfield towards Ryuji Nakamura. Seemingly unstoppable and in a 3 vs 2 situation the Kandorese forwards stormed towards the goal as Nakamura took a chance; an angled shot to which Federica Antonini had no answer at all until the loud shaking of the goalpost could be heard and the ball bounced back towards Szevér Naldi who was able to clear the ball without further trouble.

The Kandorese would not stop their now full-out attack and would create more goal-scoring opportunities in a small timespan, which were all called back by the linesman every time the Kandorese forwards were ever so slightly in an offside position. With both Kandorith and Delaclava seeing multiple goal-scoring opportunities dissolving into thin air, the tension on the field became very noticeable. Every pass, tackle and shot was a moment of showing what was at stake - a place in the quarterfinals.

In the final fifteen minutes of the game, the game would solely be played on the Delaclava side of the pitch as Kandorith notched up the pressure even further. With captain Daichi Nakamura leaving the field for the experienced star player of FC Tenkyo, Yoshihiro Matsumoto, the midfield took a more compact approach to the game, creating a shorter and quicker passing game to get towards the Delaclava goal. It was in these last minutes the defences crumbled; in quick succession, Ken Takahashi would decide the game with two goals making the goal score 3-1.

As the final whistle blew, Kandorith emerged victorious with their place in the quarterfinals secured. Immense joy was visible as the players celebrated with the Kandorese fans who had travelled with them and surely the feeling will extend far beyond the stadium. Mekahi will now face the 44th-ranked team Naixi which will bring both teams to The Colosseum in Athens.

---

Milchama 1–1 Cap Nord (2–1 AET)

Independent Athletes from Quebec 0–1 The Kytler Peninsulae

Xanneria 1-0 Sarzonia

Gnejs 1–1 Acastanha (2–2 AET) (1–0 pen.)

Kandorith 3–1 Delaclava

Naixi 1–1 Beefsteak City (1–1 AET) (3–1 pen.)

Huayramarca 2–3 Pasarga

Juvencus 2–2 Saint Eleanor (2–3 AET)

---

Quarter Finals:

Milchama - The Kytler Peninsulae
Hamilton O'Connor Stadium, Manchester

Xanneria - Gnejs
Sullivan Stadium, Quinniville

Kandorith - Naixi
The Colosseum, Athens

Pasarga - Saint Eleanor
Cathedral Square, Christiana

---

Kandorith

The Sky-Dragons of Kandorith
by Kage Bunshin | Remarkable |

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Most people you see walking around the streets of Tenkyo, Ginza, Hasegawa or even Hayano are either commuting, shopping or looking for the next place of entertainment, drinks and leisure, but not for some figures who walk in the shadows. In the dimly lit sidestreets, we find figures who draw in larger crowds each time they speak. Goro the Oracle, the self-proclaimed prophet of The Enlightened or Hikarino. With a feeling for the theatrical, Goro speaks and shouts to unsuspecting people who are passing by and shares his vision of the dangers that are coming for us all, complete with exaggerated movement of the arms and the entire body.

"Listen, my fellow Kandorese! Fellow humans!" Goro bellows, his voice echoing through the rainy streets of Tenkyo. "We have all seen it last night! A great dragon has awakened and has descended towards the heavens, faster than any creature we know of, any plane, leaving a trail of fire in the skies! It is all a pretext of what is to come! Long have we thought dragons were just mere legends, but no more! We have been deceived yet again by the elite who control all the narrative and your implants!"

But Goro's revelations certainly do not stop there. He weaves tales of large-scale conspiracies and pale-skinned lizard vampires from the nearby planet of Komodo Alpha, who he claims are here to steal our bodies, souls and life essence. "Beware, my still human friends! These creatures are hidden among us everywhere! Have you ever seen the elite out in the daylight? No! They hide in their towers of steel wear their sunglasses and don their bodies fully in clothing so that we can not see their red lizard eyes or their scaly skins! They can not walk in the sunlight like us! They hide among us, to feed on us and eventually replace us! Long ago their planet lost their sun which they were harvesting for energy and now they need a new source and it is us! Us humble humans!"

He continues with the ultimate bombshell. "Have you ever wondered how strongwoman Kiyomi Hiyashi of the Hiyashi Corporation never seems to age? She says it is because of the advancement in implants and biotechs, but do not fall for these forked-tongue lies! She is one of the Lizard Vampires from Komodo Alpha! She too hides in her steel tower, surrounded by only her own kind, waiting to feed on us through the implants you use and the devices you want so badly! You have all been blinded by your greed and glamour! You have sold your soul!"

As the sun sets and the neon lights across the city create their signature glow, Goro continues his sermons, completely donned in an outfit made out of tin foil and lead, spinning tales of the journey of the recent Sky-Dragon, the Lizard Vampires of Komodo Alpha, and the enigmatic Kiyomi Hiyashi. His words, while eccentric, bring a touch of magic and entertainment to the everyday life of the empire of Kandorith, turning a simple rocket test of the Imperial Kandorese Army into a tale of mythical proportions.

[Pasarga]

If there is a single person that the Wanderers can rely on to show up in the big moments, it is Elek Salai, and the veteran striker did not disappoint in the Round of Sixteen for the team in their so called "best of the rest" fixture against Huaryramarca. The Anian side was the second highest ranked team coming into the tournament, with the Wanderers the highest ranked side not to have made the Finals and the two had a titanic clash to determine who would be able to advance to the quarterfinals. Both sides as well as their fans would have liked to see this matchup occur later in the competition, but those are the breaks sometimes and if you are going to be one of the best, then you have to beat the best. At least that is what the Unofficial World Championship belt promoters keep telling people and there seems to be quite a few who believe that mantra, might as well make it our own and use it for motivation!

Thousands of fans from both nations as well as a large contingent from the hosts were in the stand to watch the two big sides of the tournament duke it and from the opening whistle it was clear that these two squads were quite evenly matched. Each challenge won by one side was then accounted for by the other and there was a tug of war effect that started to play out in the midfield with both sides trying to put their stamp on the game while edging the other side out of it. Sayri was able to be the beneficiary of one of these battles and grabbed a loose ball, charged a few yards into the Wanderers box and unleashed a cracking shot that Přibyl could not each out far enough to stop just before the half hour mark. However off the ensuing kick off the Wanderers strung together twelve passes before the last one found the feet of Magana and the CAP striker cracked their own shot from near the penalty spot that nestled perfectly in the upper right corner to level the tie back up.

That was how it would be between the two squads heading into the halftime break and Michael Mueller could be heard by the sideline reporters shouting instructions to his team before they were even into the locker room, keen on making adjustments to get the Wanderers on top of the match. As the side came out of the tunnel for the second half, their heads were held high and seemingly in good spirits despite what many assumed was dressing down in the locker room by the manager. Whatever the former Galatica manager said to the team worked though as they were the dominant team from the whistle to start the opening half and in the fifty-sixth minute, Muhib Bandar Ba entered into the box as a late runner from deep in the midfield and one touched a shot from a perfect pass through traffic by Földessi, sending it screaming into the back of the net to give the Wanderers the advantage.

All good teams though are able to take a punch and be able to punch back and that was what Huayramarca did, battling their way back into the tie with some up tempo action that put the Wanderers slightly on the back foot. It was a bit of magic from the beautiful game though that saw the two sides brought level, as veteran striker Bryan Tello was able to muscle off of René Petrie and send a looping ball into the back of the net on a half volley that might be up there for goals of the tournament. Elek Salai though is the talisman for the Wanderers and who the side looks to when the situations get tough and more often than not, he is able to produce to see the side emerge victorious. It was an innocent looking through ball from Biró that Juan Mamani likely thought would have been an easy collect, but Salai was there a touch sooner than the keeper, taking the ball wide of his outstretched mitt and then cooly slotting it into the empty net in the eighty-eighth minute. It was a dagger in the heart of the Anian outfit and a very familiar and welcomed sight for the Pasargans, getting the victory between the two.

The gauntlet to get to the Final of this competition however does not pull any punches and the side now goes from competing with the second best ranked team in the tournament to that of the fourth best ranked team after Saint Eleanor beat Juvencus in extra time. Like the Wanderers, they won by a three to two scoreline and they will have had to play an extra half hour to have had to earn that victory and passage through to the quarterfinals, though the extra fatigue should not make them any less dangerous of a foe. They are by and far one of the most tactically sound teams in the tournament and are like as not to have game plans upon game plans on how to try and exploit the weaknesses of the team and cancel out the strengths of it. Perhaps a bit of physical play to intimidate the side, though the Wanderers have Ba and/or Orsós to combat those sort of shenanigans. It will be a true test to see what Mueller is able to conjure and if the side responds, knowing he is only in charge for this tournament. Salai got his help in the semifinals from his strike partner and playmakers in the midfield, can they come through again against another top caliber opponent so that he might be able to have a chance to be the hero once more?

[Milchama]

"Well now we play Kaze Progressa"

"No, they haven't been around in years"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, that's an old nation and you only know about them from the KPB"

"Ok, sorry, you're right now we play Kura Pelland"

"No, they also haven't been around in years. Have you been looking through Milchamian history again?"

"Yes I have, did you know we beat them in octos in World Cup 45?"

"I don't care"

"Well I do"

"Did you know that we only RP'd twice and never posted a roster in World Cup 45?"

"No and honestly that's just sad. We should have at least posted a roster"

"Apparently it was a bit that we didn't"

"Well that's just annoying"

"In fairness, yes, and also it's kinda funny. I mean we could have posted a roster where everybody was just x and it would have worked the same"

"That definitely could have been a thing"

"But we didn't for whatever reason"

"I blame Gonnenberg, the corrupt MFA, and Calvin Chintermantomantomantomantoman"

"Oh man, I forgot all about Calvin Chintermantomantomantomantoman"

"How many extra names are there?"

"It depends on the RP"

"You know, I don't think we've sorted out who we're playing in the present"

"Yes we did Kaze Progressa"

"We did this bit already"

"Kura Pelland?"

"Still did the bit"

"We did?"

"Do you have the memory of a goldfish?"

"Would you respect me less if I said yes"

"I would, yes"

"Great, then I will refrain from speaking for right now"

"You should probably speak again soon or this RP will get really boring"

"Why? Most RPs are not in dialogue form"

"But Milchamian RPs are in dialogue form, at least most of the time"

"Fair enough but we still need to sort out the major problem of this RP"

"What is it?"

"Who are we playing?"

"Oh The Kytler Peninsula"

"Ah, old KP just like Kaze Progressa and Kura Pelland"

"Are you saying that all nations with the acronym KP are secretly enjoined by the same user as a long standing gesture of solidarity"

"Yes"

"Ok cool just wanted to make sure"

"Yeah, it just make sense. They seem similar in a lot of ways and what else would KPB be about then about long standing traditions like the nicknames of your nations"

"Much like Audio, Farf, Regis, Bedi, Star, Kry, Myt, Queb, Mil, etc."

"Exactly"

"Tin, I guess as well"

"Yeah we have to include the new coach name in here"

"True, what would be doing otherwise?"

"God I love this so much"

"What do you love?"

"Just playing around with you, leaning on the 4th wall, the whole thing"

"I think this sentiment is nice but not sure where it's coming from"

"Don't worry about it"

"Ok cool, I won't"

"Anyway, thoughts on the game?"

"Kaze Progressa, I mean Kura Pelland, I mean Kytler Peninsula plays very defensively so Milchama should have most of the ball. Because we have most of the ball we should take the game to KP and it's all about scoring more goals from that position"

"Wow that was shockingly surface level analysis"

"You expect me to understand soccer? I'm not paid go talk to the papers if you want real analysis"

"Why would I talk to papers?"

"Ah, good point, go read the papers"

"Also, doesn't KP, and this time I mean Kytler Peninsula have a Margaret Institute?"

"Yeah they do but funnily enough have never invited a Milchamian over there"

"That is strange considering that we're the only nation, that I know of, that has a literal cult dedicated to sacrificing rubber chickens to Margaret"

"Yeah, they should probably do something about it"

"They really should"

"Anyway, as the two unnamed dudes in Milchamian RPs forever we are ready to heed your call Kytler Peninsula if you ever want to talk to us for the Margaret Institute"

"We like kosher chicken!"

"We'll have a beer"

"It'll be like the summer I was taking steroids?"

"Is this because you liked man with muscles and I liked you?"

"Well that's what the song says"

"Ok good to know"

"Anyway, I think we've run of thoughts"

"I've certainly run out of bits"

"I can barely lean on or break the 4th wall anymore"

"Me too"

"I'm glad that we agree"

"No more Brad Paisley"

"Yeah let's just think about the chicken and be done with it"

"Sounds good, here we go"

"Ok so say as I say and do as I do"

''Ringa pakia!''
''Uma tiraha!''
''Turi whatia!''
''Hope whai ake!''
''Waewae takahia kia kino!''
''Ka mate, ka mate''
''Ka ora, ka ora''
''Ka mate, ka mate''
''Ka ora, ka ora''
''Tēnei te tangata pūhuruhuru''
''Nāna nei i tiki mai whakawhiti te rā''
''Ā upane, ka upane''
''Whiti te rā, hī!''

"Now repeat after me!"

"Forini! Forini!"
"Finidi! Finidi!"
"George! George!"
"Oh Brother! Oh brother!"

*They strip and run around for 14 minutes*

"We pray the Margaret of SnubNose 38 and Random Number God that you may deliver us victory over all our group members and any other infidels that we face in international play"

"Sacrifice the Rubber Chicken!"

*Swoosh of an axe and the chicken is dead*

"Margaret we pray that you take this sacrifice of a rubber chicken in good faith and that by your deliverance Milchama does well in all international competitions"

[Delaclava]

At the turning point between the early stages of the competition and the semifinals, where we separate the wheat from the chaff... this is the time where you become yourself.

Quarterfinals cutoff!

---

Quarterfinals

Milchama 3–3 The Kytler Peninsulae (4–4 AET) (6–5 pen.)
Hamilton O'Connor Stadium (70,000), Manchester
Xanneria 2–1 Gnejs
Sullivan Stadium (70,000), Quinniville

Kandorith 3–2 Naixi
The Colosseum (66,000), Athens
Pasarga 0–0 Saint Eleanor (1–0 AET)
Cathedral Square (73,000), Christiana

---

Semifinals

Milchama vs. Xanneria
FleurBanc Stadium (95,000), Santa Lourdes

Kandorith vs. Pasarga
FleurBanc Stadium (95,000), Santa Lourdes

[Milchama]

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

Sports Section

Poor Ice Mars Hanukah Curling Championship

Consistently negative ice, including multiple falls between the 4 and 8 foot lines have marred an otherwise fantastic tournament of curling. The poor ice conditions on sheets A and C have led to some creative shot making but mostly complaining from everybody involved while host club, the Ares Curling Club, has said that the ice was fine and that both teams have to adapt to the same ice conditions. One thing for sure is that this will be one of the most interesting curling competitions in a long time. The Hasbronov Rink, the most recent Milchamian and Arrosian champion in the sport after winning the AOCC, lost a squeaker to local team Gilliard on Sheet A where Gilliard realized the fall to the wall earlier and by putting brooms in good positions was able to pressure Hasbronov into poor positions that the normally draw heavy Hasbronov couldn't get around. The 8-4 victory was Hasbronov's worse defeat to not Millardson in 3 years and showed that there may be a new normal in Milchamian curling. Of course, the fact that Gilliard so far has a 2-4 record in the round robin says that this might be premature and speaks to the unpredictable nature of the ice.

The issue here has to do with the nature of curl on Sheets A and C. Normally curling works where stones, curl, in from the edge of the sheet towards the middle. Occasionally, through taking what is known as "negative ice" curlers can move the stones away from the center and towards the wall. However, stones should not "fall" away from the center unless the team decides to throw what is known as a "in/out" shot and this generally only happens on hits and corner guards. What is happening is that teams are not putting the broom to throw these in/out shots but instead trying to bring the stone in and the stone is still moving away from the center. While these can be common in club curling in a large national competition like the Hanukah Cup this is basically unheard of and is causing many complaints. It also means that the great teams like the Millardson Rink and the Hasbronov Rink are both only 4-2 respectively with 2 games to go and may not make the playoffs for the first time at a spiel in many years. Frankly, some of that is fun, it's cool to watch some new faces in curling, but it also means that there are more missed shots and the level of curling is much worse across the competition as most teams, not just the top two, are missing many more shots than expected.

One thing to note is that over the week Ares Curling Club has been working on the two sheets and the ice has gotten better. It almost went positive around Wednesday and looks likely to be completely normal by the weekend and the end of the spiel. As of right now, along with Hasbronov and Millardson, the Foem Rink, the Cohen Rink, and Glekick Rink are all in competition for the four playoff spots. With Gleckick still having to play Millardson the winner of that game should get determine the final playoff spot.

------------------
"Wait!"

"You realize this is a soccer competition and supposed to be soccer RP"

"Oh whoops, well we did a curling RP"

"I hope all the people who read this enjoy our curling RP"

"Yep!"

"I just want to point out in one soccer thing that the Cardiac Warriors are back"

"Oh definitely and you know why that is right?"

"Because we're praying to Margaret again"

"Exactly"

"So let's pray to Margaret"

"Good call"

"Ok so say as I say and do as I do"

''Ringa pakia!''
''Uma tiraha!''
''Turi whatia!''
''Hope whai ake!''
''Waewae takahia kia kino!''
''Ka mate, ka mate''
''Ka ora, ka ora''
''Ka mate, ka mate''
''Ka ora, ka ora''
''Tēnei te tangata pūhuruhuru''
''Nāna nei i tiki mai whakawhiti te rā''
''Ā upane, ka upane''
''Whiti te rā, hī!''

"Now repeat after me!"

"Forini! Forini!"
"Finidi! Finidi!"
"George! George!"
"Oh Brother! Oh brother!"

*They strip and run around for 17 minutes*

"We pray the Margaret of SnubNose 38 and Random Number God that you may deliver us victory over all our group members and any other infidels that we face in international play"

"Sacrifice the Rubber Chicken!"

*Swoosh of an axe and the chicken is dead*

"Margaret we pray that you take this sacrifice of a rubber chicken in good faith and that by your deliverance Milchama does well in all international competitions"

[Xanneria]

Whose National Team is it Anyways?
Where everything's made up and the goal doesn't matter!

HOST: At Round of 16 it's Dillon Hailey
Semi-Finals it's Italo D'Arcy
Quarterfinals it's Jamal Akron
Third Place Playoff it's Evan Jefferson Jr!

Come on down let's roleplay some sports!

Welcome to Whose National Team is it Anyways? the show where everything's made up and the scores don't mater, thats right the scores don't matter, like a matchup between Pot 6 and Pot 7 teams on the last day of Qualifiers! Anyways let's start off with a game called QUESTIONS ONLY! In this game Evan and Italo will start off a scene, but they can only speak in questions and if they dont I'll buzz them off like a fat department store office worker! And Evan, Italo the scene I want you to enact is "It's the Quarterfinals of the Cup of Harmony"

Italo: Wouldn't winning be nice?

Evan: Dont ya mean Gnejs?

Italo: Isn't that what I said?

Evan: Do you think we can out meta Mil*choking noise*ma?

Italo: Why dont we ask him?

Evan:

*Goes into audience and picks out Milchama*

Italo: Can we out Meta you?

MILCHAMA: I dunno Can you?

Evan: Sure we can

BUZZZZZZZZZZ

Dillon: Who's this?

Italo: Doesn't he look our next opponent

Dillon: In what sports?

Italo: I uh.....

BUZZZZZZZZZZ

Jamal: Do you like Curling?

MILCHAMA: Why am I still here?

Dillon: Good question.....

BUZZZZZZZZZZ

Evan: Did you know that Margret is Santería for white people?

BUZZZZZZZZZZ

HOST We are stopping right before it gets to meta, points to our audience member Milchama and we'll more points then we'll allow goals!

XANNERIA - 2
Ross 52' 77'

---

GNEJS - 1
Ceder 38'

[Pasarga]

The gauntlet had been thrown before the Wanderers and they knew what they needed to do in order to keep on advancing, the opponent did not matter, nor did their quality nor their rank, it was all about the collective performance moving towards the end goal. The goal of course was making it through each of the knockout rounds of the Cup of Harmony and then if they were fortunate enough to have succeeded in each of the rounds before and achieving success in them, to make the Final of the tournament and attempt to win a second edition of it. The last time that the team made it into the tournament, they were fortunate to do exactly that, having at that recovered what had been a poor World Cup cycle into one that still had purpose. This cycle is not a poor one, it was not one that in need of salvaging, it had been a good performance that merely came up short in unfortunate circumstances, and instead this was about progressing to the next stage of what this team was going to be and laying the foundation for the next team to be called up in the regional championship.

The Quarterfinals were to be just another part of that road along the way and that Saint Eleanor was the foe with their high rank like that of the Wanderers and then Huayramarca who had stood where they stood just before was of little consequence. What was to be sure of going into the match was how tactically sound and prepared that they would be for whatever the Wanderers were going to be able to toss at them to try and break them down and contain them in their own right. It was likely going to be a bit of a scrappy affair, the two sides were fairly evenly matched when one looked up and down the respective rosters and compared, if perhaps the Wanderers leaning a little too much on the older side with some of their more veteran players. That veterancy though could be the very key to holding their will when there would be adversity in the match, as it was likely to be even if it were but for a short spell, nearly every team at this level gets a least a spell of domination during the match and those older players could be the pillars upon which the Wanderers rest upon in those moments.

Michael Mueller put out his charges and they went to battle for the interim manager, putting all their effort into the tie as their opponent was trying to play chess with them with moves and counter moves as both managers tries to get the tactical advantage. Ba was having his work cut out for him in the middle of the park trying to control the possession for the Wanderers and dictate the pace of the game, getting harried by the opposition midfield trying to keep him from working his typical magic. Their strikers kept trying to make runs past the defense but the line was working in unison as they were able to play the offside trap to near perfection against the two deployed strikers whose were clearly trying to test out the pace of the centerback pairing. The critique that the Wanderers could no longer play a pressing game with their older players and the departure of Orengo was being put to the test, but for the first half, they were passing with flying colors.

Into the second half and it felt like gridlock in Torgos after five in the afternoon and all the employees from the office jobs and nine to five positions getting out and trying to make it way back on either by car or by the tram. Nothing was moving and no one was going to give an inch when a single mistake was looking more and more like it could be the difference between the two outfits in the tie and would determine who would advance into the semifinals. The Wanderers thought they had gotten on the scoreboard first in the seventy-first minute when Salai was able to break through the pressure and put a shot on target, but a diving save to push the shot around the post kept the teams level. Přibyl was called into action four minutes later when Goldsmith was finally able to break the containment from the centerbacks but his diving header was right into the arms of the keeper, holding tight to the attempt. Ninety minutes was not going to be enough time to decide the winner in this ultra tight affair and extra time now loomed large.

To start the extra time, Mueller made his last two substitutions, with Magana and Ba coming off to be replaced by Bazzi and Lafontaine respectively, as the Turkish duo brought fresh legs and the chemistry from playing together at club level. It was subtle but the game slowly began to tilt into the Wanderers favor, only so slightly, but a small edge was all that was really needed when the margins between the two teams were as close as they were. It would be the SuperLiga winning teammates who would find the breakthrough in the one hundred fourth minute, the end result of great patient buildup from the team resorting to passing it around to tire out the already tired legs of the Saint Eleanor defense before Bazzi was given the gift of a perfect pass that he converted as you would expect a professional to. The side now had a lead to hold on to and were controlling the possession, making Saint Eleanor chase at shadows and in the end, there would be no chances for them to draw level, letting the Wanderers get their victory and advancement.

Two games remain now, regardless of whatever happens in the next round, as they will either be victorious and head into the climax that is a Final of the tournament or be relegated to fighting for pride in the third place playoff. Kandorith is the next opponent in this gauntlet that the Wanderers have been trying to run since the group stage has ended and they are on an impressive run of their own. A close win over the Rushmore side Naixi in the quarterfinals where they put three on the board gives the defense a bit of warning, particularly after having to go an extra half hour and having had two massive ties to get to this spot in the first place. You adapt or die though and Mueller will no doubt have his team ready to go for the semifinal and will have achieved what the PFA wanted from him, to secure a good launching point for the team moving forward after this tournament. However having come this far, Mueller wanted to taste the sweet nectar of making a final and that meant Kandorith needed to be overcome by hook or by crook, whatever it took to get the win.

[Kandorith]

Hikari Kyoyu

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Illuminating Today

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Cup of Harmony

Kandorith Stands Triumphant in Hard Fought Spectacle
by Natsumi Miyasaki | Sports - Football |

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Every leaf tells a story, and every match in football is a new story which forms the chapters of the sport in general. The Cup of Harmony 87 has been a story of excitement, tension and escapes for the Mekahi, providing thrilling matches, unexpected outcomes and of course unforgettable moments. Kandorith has now written their next chapter; the Quarter-finals between Kandorith and Naixi.

Throughout the tournament, the philosophy of Kaya Michiyu has been one of resilience and playing highly effective possession football whenever possible and this has been the red line during the entire tournament. The entire tournament has also been a tale of Kandorith leaving the fans with anxiousness and barely able to watch as the team held on to either a draw or a narrow win, this match was no exception. The match against the 44th-ranked Naixi would show both the strengths and weaknesses from both teams and turned into a tense match once again as Kandorith was the team with the longest breath; emerging victorious after a hard-fought narrow 3-2 win.

This win of course secures the spot for Kandorith in the Semi-Finals of the tournament. The current Cup of Harmony has been remarkable for Kandorith so far marking the first Quarter-Final appearance on a major tournament for the empire since World Cup 89 and the first Semi-Finals since Cup of Harmony 77, yes, that Cup of Harmony. For most Kandorese fans the current results are an unforgettable experience already and the team can be proud of themselves as they are still standing tall to await the upcoming challenge in the tournament.

The journey for Mekahi has been nothing short but remarkable, yet shaky, during this Cup of Harmony. The 34th-ranked team started the tournament with a well-defended 1-1 draw against the 21st-ranked Squornshelan Remnant States, followed by a solid victory over Myrtle Beach (2-0), and a high-scoring exiting draw against Cap Nord (3-3). Kandorith would show itself in a more prominent and controlling position in the Round of 16 matches against Delaclava though, securing a convincing 3-1 win over them and controlling the match from start to finish.

Under the guidance of manager, who some would call elusive or mysterious, Kaya Michiyu, the team has embraced the adaptive 4-3-3 formation as their temple and holds to the "total football" style almost religiously. Mekahi's style is characterized by quick wingers, a central striker to win air-duels and dribbles with a high amount of passes shifting the play from defense to the midfield and pressing onward as a collective unit. This is all completed with a high defensive line with one or two quick wingbacks and a keeper who is not afraid to leave his line or even participate in a little bit of field play. Michiyu's philosophy is one of proactive football, attractive football and high-energy possessive play which seeks to switch positions on the field as much as possible to create holes in the opponent's defences.

Naxi took a different route to the Quarter Finals. Ranked 44th they chose to impress viewers from day one. Drawing 25th ranked Eura (1-1) in their first match, then securing a victory over Krytenia (2-1), and a wing against the Kytler Peninsulae (1-0). In the Round of 16, they faced Beefsteak City, ranked 90th, and kept the game on 1-1 until the end of extra time to take it to penalties, securing a 3-1 win in the penalty shootout.

Naixi is led by manager Gui Fan Ren, playing a mixed philosophy of a possession game and highly defensive, almost parking the bus style, football, this hybrid has been a success during the Cup of Harmony so far and has shown their unique philosophy on many occasions. They were a side that, in every game, was looking to win the ball back with high pressure and then keeping it at all costs. Ren's belief in discipline, strictness, and the drive for what they deem as perfection, has been a highly reflective side of their matches.

In the Quarter Finals, these two styles clashed in a first-time meeting between the two teams with barely any expectations or even large knowledge of what to face in the game to come. The game was set for the Kandorese team to show just how effective they can be in breaking down a defensive side.

The quarter-finalists would have their first face-to-face meeting at The Colosseum in Athens able to host 66,000 fans, located in the beautiful seaside of Delaclava with it's stone and marble architecture(which has captivated Kandorese fans if one reads the reactions of the people on Sync). With the fans from both sides eagerly awaiting the match it was the Kandoresse fans showing their colourful appearance, outfits and of course characteristic painted bamboo fans and banners to show their dedication and well wishes for Mekahi. The Kandorese fans, like in every match were vocal from the very start to the very last minute in seemingly never-ending chants and songs.

Naixi lined up in their traditional formation, with Lu Fang Huang in goal, in defence Guan Cai Tsung, Xiao Niao Dong, Jun Ming, Ma Huan Yep, and Hao Hing Hsieh. Followed by Mei Ying Chang and Xuer Nei Wei in the central midfield. Two wingers Jen Ta Jin and Chin Chih Yap and Chen Ling as the striker.

Kandorith, on the other hand, started the game with a few changes and surprises. Shojiro Ito in goal and the defensive line consisting of Hiroshi Takahashi, Ayato Nakamura, Kenji Tanaka, and Mai Tanaka. On Midfield Riku Kobayashi, and Kaito Aoki were the main engines of the team and Yoshihiro Matsumoto took over the captain's band from Daichi Nakamura who sat this match out with a minor foot injury. The attack was spearheaded by Taichi Saito, Takeshi Honda, and Hiroshi Aoki.

The match kicked off at a lightning pace with both teams looking for an early advantage and creating dominance on the field. Kandorith had the upper hand at the beginning of the match, immediately pressuring the Naixi defence. The Kandorese pressure paid off in the 20th minute after Hiroshi Aoki was able to get a shot in from inside the box and put it behind goalkeeper Lu Fang Huang.

Naixi, however, would not give Kandorith the breathing room they would have liked and regrouped as Kandorith was still seemingly lingering on the scored goal. A mistake from Matsumoto led to Kandorith being outnumbered in defence and Ito being unable to stop a very well-executed goal in the 35th minute by Chen Ling. This led to a stalemate of both teams trying to pry and probe through the midfield but there would be no more major chance until the second half.

The second half gave the term "second wind" a new meaning as Kandorith seemed to fight with even more prowess and energy to force themselves against the now very defensive Naixi team. With a bit of luck, the substitute Kazuki Nakano was fouled in the 55th minute and was awarded a free kick just outside the box. Taichi Saito stepped up for the free kick and curved the ball around the wall which ended up in the top left back of the net. Again Kandorith's advantage would not stand long as within 15 minutes Naixi equalized yet again to put the 2-2 on the board.

Nearing the end of the match, both teams seemingly wanted to avoid extra time but it was Michiyu who was ready to take a gamble in the 78th minute and substituted Kaito Aoki for the more attacking midfielder Suzuki. The gamble paid off as within minutes Suzuki made a pass which cut through the Naixi defence reaching Takeshi Honda, who was able to outpace the remaining defenders and calmly slide the ball under Lu Fang Huang, who desperately went for the ball but would just come short Marking 3-2 on the board in the 85th minute.

Kandorith set their entire minds to defending the lead from here on and completely tried to lock down the game. One last effort in injury time would see a final attack from Naixi but as the ball skid just passed the goalpost, the referee decided they had seen enough and blew the final whistle. As Kandorith emerged victorious the fans who travelled with them exploded in cheers, and tears, celebrating Kandorith's advance to the semi-finals.

The quarter-final match between Kandorith and Naixi was a testament to the spirit of football and a new milestone in Kandorese football. From reaching the first quarter-final since World Cup 89 to now being back on the stage of the semi-final since Cup of Harmony 77.

The victory of Mekahi was a result of the commitment to their tactics, high energy and tactical oversight of the game, with Michiyu's philosophy working in the favour of the Kandorese team yet again. The 3-2 win while mistakes were made, with quick reaction and learning from their mistakes Mekahi turned the game in their favour again and held a firm grip on the remainder of the match. Michiyu expressed their approval of the team after the game, stating, "All players showed their skill and character. With discipline and great teamwork, we have overcome this challenge too. I think we have everything to thank for the fact that this team is a collective of very hard-working and disciplined individuals who can come together as the best our nation has to offer. Onwards to the next challenge."

Kandorith after the match has not only reinforced the fans' belief in the strategies and tactics but has now reinforced the belief of the journey to being a strong title contender for the Cup of Harmony. As the fans left the Colosseum with pride and joy in their hearts, Mekahi can now look ahead towards the next clash against a very different kind of opponent.

In the semi-finals, Kandorith will face the 14th-ranked Wanderers, Pasarga. A solid team throughout history and under the leadership of Michael Mueller. This first-time meeting between the two teams promises to be another great match and we know that Mekahi will be looking forward to playing at their best with their spirits high.

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Milchama 3–3 The Kytler Peninsulae (4–4 AET) (6–5 pen.)
Hamilton O'Connor Stadium, Manchester
Xanneria 2–1 Gnejs
Sullivan Stadium, Quinniville

Kandorith 3–2 Naixi
The Colosseum, Athens
Pasarga 0–0 Saint Eleanor (1–0 AET)
Cathedral Square, Christiana

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Semi Finals:

Milchama vs. Xanneria
FleurBanc Stadium, Santa Lourdes

Kandorith vs. Pasarga
FleurBanc Stadium, Santa Lourdes

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Lifestyle

Ahead of The Curve, High-Tech Style
by Kira Kira | Fashion |

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Live from the elusive Ginza Suta Tower, do I have a special treat for you! Get ready to jack into the latest trends and upgrade your style game, chooms! I'm going to spill the deets on how to live your best life and feel at your best in the most high-tech and fashionable way in the world and the universe. The latest innovations in grafts, clothing, jewelry, and, of course, virtual dreaming. We're diving deep into the cutting-edge tech that'll make you feel like a gonk in a candy store. Yeah, baby! You heard me right, virtual DREAMING! These are the hottest items today that'll blast you out of the edgezone and turn you into an absolute gato. Time to cop these essentials, no cap! No, no, no. I'm talking about the real deal here, the realspace stuff, the top-of-the-line, clean gear—no cheap knock-offs or basic snooze and bore everyday wear. This is the gear that'll make you look good, feel good, and be good. Let's dive in, choom! So, without further ado, let me introduce you to the ultimate mods, the ultimate boga, accessories, and escapes. Ready to sling some chrome and be the baddest solo in town? Let's get to it, choom!

Skin Grafts: The Ultimate Body Mod

Tired of your boring and ordinary skin and not enough chrome in your limbs? Why not spice up your life with skin grafts? Patches of synthetic skin which are applied to the body to give you that unique experience you always wanted. Colours, patterns, textures, glow in the dark, or telling that creep who has been stalking you to delta ASAP? Here are the options for you!

Bioengineered skin grafts: Grown in the most high-tech labs of Biotechnica using your very own cells and DNA (woah! Preem!). These are fully customized to fit your body shape, size and other implants. They can even have features like hair, nails, tattoos or even spikes! You heard that right, you thought lizard people were a conspiracy?! They are among the most durable body mods and resistant to nearly all infections or injuries which would harm the old boring all nat skin. They are perfect, they are preem, and they are natural, but with a twist. You can have the skin of your dreams, literally! Feel like the celeb you love, be the solo who scares the chooms out of Goro's posse. The sky's the limit, but don't forget to moisturize, I'm serious..

Volumetric grafts: completely synthesized material, as if it was printed, that can change its shape, colour, or pattern according to your mood, environment or even occasion. Control these babies with your voice or communication interface implant and wow the people around you. These are the ideal grafts for those who want to be vers, adaptable and express themselves to the fullest. You can change your look as often as I change love interests. You can be a social chameleon you want to be, a butterfly, or an absolute, actual, social rainbow in the room. The choice is yours. Just make sure you don't get too glitched out, darling. Stay fly and adapt like a true cyberchameleon.

Holographic skin grafts: Now here is something that is really preem, holographic skin you say? Yes, holographic skin baby! Images and effects all over your skin are completely customized with different designs, meanings or even maps, maps you say? Yes! TREASURE! Perfect for those crea types who like to walk around in an imaginative dazzling world and express this to the rest of the world. Create illusions to impress others, or even create a map to where they can find your keys when you are obviously buzzed once again and can not find them. Be that special unicorn in your unicorn world. Just stay in touch with reality, though, sweetheart. No fragging identity crises allowed.

Fashionable, functional and expressive to help you be yourself and even protect you from hazards or skin injury. However, like everything don't OD as too much grafting makes the skin look worse than the surface of a moon pummeled by meteors, and can cause serious cases of rejection, skin cancer or even worse: an identity crisis. We don't want that, do we? No. We want to be fab, FABULOUS!

Smart Clothing: The Statement That Screams YOU

Stylish, smart and preem, that is how we view our smart clothing here around the empire. Embedded with sensors, chips and all other components that make your clothing interactive and responsive.

Adaptability: Adaptability is key for smart clothing—it needs to be as smart as you are! Command your threads with a voice or gesture, and rock the latest U-LINE from MITSUKO Fashion. Are you ready to punk up your style, choombatta?

Protection: What is clothing without being functional we live in modern times which require modern solutions and this is where KAIRA clothing comes in. Extreme temperatures, radiation, pollution or even a monster stomping through the capital unleashing a nuclear attack (Not really but almost) are all from a bygone era! This absolute hard wear can even monitor your vital signs, notify you of health issues or administer your medication when you forget, again.

What's not to love about this fashionable and practical combo? Gear up like a solo, live like a rockerboy or rockergirl. Just watch your back, netrunners and scriptkiddies still lurking.

Now if you really want to stand out, head over to Jingu right here in Ginza and soon in Tenkyo as this is the preem of the preem chooms. You thought you had seen Neo-Kitsch? This is uber-kitsch! The style of celebrities, braindance stars, magnates and CEOs who flaunt their wealth and power in gold, silver, platinum, ivory and yes fur. Rare, throwback and very expensive. A return to the roots of the rich and famous from old with all the added functionality and luxury of today. It is the ultimate fashion statement which screams you are rich, powerful, independent and influential. You are bold, extravagant and absolutely ostentatious. You are the best, who doesn't want that? That's right who doesn't?!

Holographic Jewelry: Accessory That Brightens The Night
We have the skin, the bod and the cloth, what is still missing? That's right! Time for the flair and glamour! You need to get yourself some holo-jewellery. Holograms which absolutely complete your look with any look, colour and even sound you want, or maybe ads, but that is only for the cheapos out there. As real as it gets and fine.

Rings, earrings, necklaces, you name it. Project different-sized shapes, effects and other imaginative braintwirl you have on and above your jewellery all in the colour you want and with the customization you want. You can even have a completely holographic pendant or religious item. Be it any style you want from cute to elegant, from edge to rockerboy, yes you can even have a prole or posergan style, but we don't want those around now do we? No, no we don't.

Finally the latest HOT trend:

Virtual Reality Dreaming: The Ultimate Escape

Boring, depressing reality? Stop thinking like that and get yourself to dreaming! These braindance dreams are all the latest rage and are created to experience everything you ever wanted while you are sleeping. Adventure time? Kicking Orcs in some mystical land? Or rather nightmares catered to your own brainwaves? You got it. We have gotten to the point where you can even share your dreams with others and enjoy them together.

All of this is by the brilliant minds at Kuroda Corporation, who are among the oldest experts in the fields of braindance technology and exist to give you, the world of your dreams, literally. Not only are these entertaining, it is therapeutic and a great way to escape that annoying coworker you have had to endure all day. Relax and grow while you are asleep. Though, don't take it too far doll, be careful not to turn into a reality junkie.

There you have it my lovelies. The latest innovations in skin grafts, clothing fashion and jewelry which will make you live your best life while looking preem and GOOD. The products will make you look good, feel good and be good. What are you waiting for? Ginza is waiting for you, and stock is low; you don't want that yono sitting next to you to beat you to creating that unique style you want now do you? Trust me, you won't regret it and you'll thank me later, chooms!

From the absolute centre of boga and gato, the Ginza Suta Tower, this was your host Kira Kira signing off. I hope you have an amazing, hot day, and I do not mean a damaged vehicle kind of day, but like the centre of a fusion reactor HOT! Now time to berate some proles on Sync and keep you all linked, stay fabulous and sparkly!

[Delaclava]

Semifinals cutoff!

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Semifinals

Milchama 4–3 Xanneria
FleurBanc Stadium (95,000), Santa Lourdes

Kandorith 0–1 Pasarga
FleurBanc Stadium (95,000), Santa Lourdes

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Third-Place Playoff
Xanneria vs. Kandorith
Pride of Manchester (110,000), Manchester

Cup of Harmony 87 Final
Milchama vs. Pasarga
Golden Phoenix Field (150,000), Delaclava National Athletic Complex, Catherina

These two matches will be scorinated at the same time, 48 hours from now.

[Kandorith]

Hikari Kyoyu

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Illuminating Today

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Cup of Harmony

Mekahi Not Strong Enough Against Stalwart Pasarga
by Natsumi Miyasaki | Sports - Football |

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A night of mixed emotions as the final whistle echoed through the FluerBanc Stadium in Santa Lourdes, Kandorith's dream of reaching a second final of the Cup of Harmony was dashed by just a single goal from Pasarga. In a packed stadium, the proud Kandorese fans were present amas and tried to shout their team to victory once again. While overcoming many situations already and in the past being a surprising victor, this time it would be impossible for Mekahi to fight back to force the game into extra time. Pasarga proved a tough opponent who defended well and capitalized on their chances. The game was decided in the 67th minute, where in a moment of ease a collection of mistakes would lead to the Pasarga team punishing Mekahi without any remorse. Unable to save the shot, Pasarga set the tone for the match. While Kandorith tried to fight back and had a few great chances, Mekahi could not capitalize it or get a clear shot on goal. Pasarga held on to their lead and they would be one of the finalists at the final whistle.

Despite the heartbreaking loss to Pasarga, Mekahi is bound to keep fighting for the dreams and hopes of the team. They now have to overcome this setback and prepare for the upcoming third-place match against Xanneria, who of course, are no strangers to the Kandorese. With heads held high, the Kandorese will step onto the field in their last match of the tournament and will fight with the same spirit and determination as they always do. The fans both here and at home are still very much in support for Mekahi, while disappointed, they are mostly proud of the achievements and efforts the team has shown during this Cup of Harmony. The Kandorese are ready to face Xanneria with confidence, optimism, and new lessons learned, and are hoping to end the tournament on a high note and seize the bronze to take back home to the empire.

The final whistle was met with mixed reactions from the players, managers, and fans on both sides. Pasarga's side erupted in celebration marking their victory and a spot in the finals, while the Kandorese side slowly collapsed on the field as players consoled each other and started moving towards the fans to thank them for their unwavering support. Both teams also showed top sportsmanship as they talked to each other after the match and as the Kandorese players, and manager Michiyu, congratulated Pasarga on the win.

Mekahi captain Daichi Nakamura, who has been the solid backbone of the team the entire tournament, expressed their disappointment and frustration, but with a tone of pride and gratitude. "We have given everything in this match, but in the end, it just wasn't enough. You see a small mistake happening which leads to bigger mistakes and then you have to fight back from a one-goal deficit against a team of this stature. Pasarga was the better team today, they were a very tough unit to play against. Of course, we are sad today but we are very proud of how far we have come in this tournament. Of course, I want to thank all the fans who have been amazing so far, who supported us and cheered us on at every moment. I'm just sorry we could not give them the final match they wanted. I just hope they are still proud of us and the support will be just as large as it was today in the last match of the tournament."

Manager Kaya Michiyu echoed the words of Nakamura and agreed with the sentiment, who was already at the start of the upcoming match in thought. "I am very proud of this team and what they have achieved so far. I mean, there was some doubt at the start of the tournament and we are coming from, well, not our best position in recent times so I think we, as a nation, can be very proud of what we have shown here. I mean we made it to the semi-finals again, we have been fighting in every match showing good and determined football, and we learned a lot from facing the teams in the World Cup Qualifiers and of course at this tournament. With all this knowledge we will go into the next match with confidence and knowing we have nothing to be ashamed of, only lessons to learn and a performance we can take pride in." Of course, the burning question had to be asked on the future of Michiyu in Kandorese football to which they answered with a grin "No comment for now, you'll have to see after the season is over".

The Kandorese team can now look forward towards facing Xanneria for third place in this Cup of Harmony, a match which could still leave a feeling of a win after the lost semi-final and finishing as "the best of the rest". Both teams will be looking to win this clash, which we have seen before, and will be eager to prove their prowess and technical ability once again against each other.

Rumour has it that Michiyu will switch the team around a bit in the upcoming game to let other players have more minutes and to see where the match goes from there but we are quite certain that the same general tactics and 4-3-3 system will be in play once again as we have become so used to.

The match promises to be a great final match for the Kandorese international season and a last show of force in the Cup of Harmony for Mekahi. The fans can look forward to Kandorith giving it their all one last time and of course cheer on their team with pride as always. In all, the match against Xanneria seems a very fitting last match for this Cup of Harmony for the Kandorese Mekahi.

With Milchama beating Xanneria 4-3 the final is also bound to be an amazing one as at the Golden Phoenix Field in Catherina Milchama and Pasarga will clash to determine the winner of this Cup of Harmony. In short, the last two matches of this Cup are nothing short of exciting and great contenders who have so far given it their all and in the end, we can look back at yet another entertaining and sometimes surprising Cup of Harmony.

[Milchama]

"So Pasarga"

"Yeah I don't know much about them"

"They're Wanderers"

"So they're lost?"

"Not all who wander are lost"

"God I hate that t shirt"

"Yeah it's even worse as a bumper sticker"

"People really need to shut up about that"

"Like we know it's true and it's obvious there's no reason to have a bumper sticker proclaiming what seems like a pretty obvious truth"

"Wait, if that's so then why did you call Pasarga lost?"

"Well that seemed like a good joke"

"Ah, fair enough"

"So should we talk about them?"

"Nah, let's talk about that last game because goddamn was that a game"

"Yeah 3 lead changes, Milchama coming back twice, and then winning on a 87th minute goal"

"That Benbemore was something else"

"Just like his spiritual predecessor Belmowitz"

"Different ethnicity but really a very similar result"

"Just crazy stuff"

"Incredible stuff"

"Yeah, it's a pity, just like Belmowitz he has no interiority"

"Unlike Floren who had some real interiority"

"Yep that's why he's still alive"

"And his goal against KP was still something to see"

"Especially that it was in extra time"

"And he's not even on the roster"

"It really is something to behold"

"So it goes"

"Exactly"

"What about Pasarga?"

"They wander, they're not lost, I got nothing"

"Do they have some relationship with Valanora?"

"Only if we break the 4th wall and we would never do such a thing in a Milchamian RP"

"Right, my bad"

"You know we could actually do interviews with players"

"Well that would be a massive leap forward in coverage and something I personally would love to see"

"Pity it will never happen"

"Yeah that's just not the way anybody covers soccer"

"Or really any sport"

"Well they kinda do it in baseball"

"Good point, I blame the Banijans for that"

"Yeah has anything ever come of that baseball league?"

"We should probably talk to Banija about doing something with that"

"Cool"

"Would be a waste of a good league"

"Exactly"

"So then how should we do?"

"I expect us to score some goals"

"Great"

"What about conceding some goals?"

"I believe that may happen"

"Great, that sounds lovely"

"But there is one thing I know we will do"

"What's that?"

"Pray to Margaret"

"Oooh, yeah let's do that"

"Ok so say as I say and do as I do"

''Ringa pakia!''
''Uma tiraha!''
''Turi whatia!''
''Hope whai ake!''
''Waewae takahia kia kino!''
''Ka mate, ka mate''
''Ka ora, ka ora''
''Ka mate, ka mate''
''Ka ora, ka ora''
''Tēnei te tangata pūhuruhuru''
''Nāna nei i tiki mai whakawhiti te rā''
''Ā upane, ka upane''
''Whiti te rā, hī!''

"Now repeat after me!"

"Forini! Forini!"
"Finidi! Finidi!"
"George! George!"
"Oh Brother! Oh brother!"

*They strip and run around for 18 minutes*

"We pray the Margaret of SnubNose 38 and Random Number God that you may deliver us victory over all our group members and any other infidels that we face in international play"

"Sacrifice the Rubber Chicken!"

*Swoosh of an axe and the chicken is dead*

"Margaret we pray that you take this sacrifice of a rubber chicken in good faith and that by your deliverance Milchama does well in all international competitions"