Copa Rushmori 45 [RPs/rosters/results]

by **Zenic** » Wed Jan 24, 2024 8:25 pm

“Despite how I looked during the watch party last night, I was a tad worried when we went down so early on a counterattack.”

“Luckily, Zys did a great job getting the team to regroup, focus and turn the game around. 3-1 is a significantly better start to a Copa than last year, regardless of opponent faced,” completed Minister of Sport Alaia Dimi as she perused through a manila folder filled with a summarized scouting report on fellow Group 1 squads: 5 time winner Polar Islandstates, 4 time winner Pasarga, 1 time winner Graintfjall, a stalwart that has found its footing in Oberour Ar Moro and a fellow nation making its return in Kirunagabi. While it may not be considered the ‘Group of Death’ by some, it certainly FELT like one to Minister Dimi and manager Zys. She understood that the squad has the talent to win some big games but certainly needs to get off to a better start than they have had in the first few tournaments back.

“Let’s hope we get off to a better start against Oberour Ar Moro…and maybe get some payback for the last Copa,” stated Heung Soo-min, deputy MoS. Dimi nodded with a small smile on her face, glad that she and Soo-min were on the same wavelength. “Now, I’m assuming you didn’t just come here for small talk about the Copa?”

“Of course not.” Heung proceeded to pull out another manila folder that he handed directly to Dimi. Contained within were individual reports of each of the twelve futbol stadiums located within the borders of the Empire. During the civil war, many of the stadiums had been used as commandeered military bases in harder hit locales and as refugee camps in the safer regions. Thus, the 7 stadiums on the front line of the conflict would need either massive repairs or require complete teardowns and rebuilds. That would leave the Ministry of Sport with just 5 professional level fields (New Citium, Coohen, Old Maiz, Keye, and Wensir) and several collegiate fields that would fail such classification. “It’s……not looking good. At least, in the immediate,” Soo-min said, followed immediately by a large sigh.

“I’ll take this to the Emperor and see if we can clear some extra budget to speed up the recovery process. If we ever hope to have a reasonable return of the PLE, we’ll need these stadiums up and running.” Dimi knew it would be a tough sell, especially as the Emperor was still focusing most of the Empire’s time and resources on fully removing ZSF from the face of the Empire. But if she was able to convince the Emperor to start diverting some funds to revitalize the sporting scene to return some sense of normalcy to the people, she should be able to convince him to give just a bit more. She grabbed both manila folders as well as her coat as she strutted out the door to head over to the Emperor’s Royal Hall.

“Good luck,” shouted Soo-min, flashing up two thumbs up with a worried smile on his face.

by **Tikariot** » Wed Jan 24, 2024 8:51 pm

-- The Copa Rushmori 45 is covered by Yarinda Parrish --

The Tikariot Football Federation has announced the 15 premium sponsors for the Copa Rushmori 45 and the upcoming World Cup 95 qualifiers

Archer Financial - Official financial services

Bloodthorn - Official hard seltzer

Burgatory - Official burger

Obsidia Electronics - Official electronics

Mysterious Brewery - Official beer

[ /align][/b] - Official webhosting services

Projectyle Energy - Official energy drink

Skarraborgs - Official craft beer

Sentinel Security - Official security

TKT Express - Official courier service

Tikariot Owlways - Official airline

Taeria Petroleum - Official fuel

Rhovatel - Official telecommunication

Margaret's - Official restaurant

Helios Solar - Official power services

by **The Kytler Peninsulae** » Wed Jan 24, 2024 10:19 pm

In the isolation years, Kytlerian sporting infrastructure could plausibly have been neglected. After all, if you're a tax-cutting government making a moral panic case against international sport, why have international-class sporting infrastructure? And indeed there was a pointed lack of federal government investment even to maintain the Olympic venues, although some of them were always temporary (like the "Hangar" in Donaldson Olympic Park in Zube that played host to multiple sports and the main media centre) and others were repurposed existing venues (notably TV production venue Qizin Studios, which hosted the table tennis and returned to being an international sports venue recently for the NSDC-opening Nullifier Kytlerian Darts Challenge).

But if you're a tax-cutting government, you're also explicitly inviting the market to do what you won't. And despite the insularity, despite the idea of sport as somehow a gateway to crime on some level, the market did indeed step in. This was particularly true in the Eastern Corridor Expansion area, where the idea of tension between sporting prowess and conservative social values made no sense to the Græntfjallers coming over the border. Between that and the general "being better at soccer than the Kytlerians ever have been or ever will be" thing the White Winter Queendom has going on, Kytlerian soccer has strikingly overindexed on Græntfjaller dual nationals for at least the last decade, and in recent years that also extended beyond the pitch and onto the boardroom.

The true effect of this has yet to filter through much to the NSL, which remains dominated by traditional clubs in general and the "Big Four" in particular; even though the titular peninsulae have a decreasing minority of the Kytlerian population as a whole, they combined to produce seven of the top nine teams in this year's NSL. In fact, only three clubs from the Expansion were in the league at all, and two of them were the bottom two. But analysts are convinced it will, as some ascending smaller clubs from the area have been building new stadia and other infrastructure that should serve them very well if and when they enter the NSL - especially as they are believed to be more open to external investment. "Fans in the Expansion are the most underserved in the country and represent a major opportunity in the new international era," argued Josefina Zapata Reyes, a sports business analyst. "Many, even in the isolation era, preferred to follow international leagues such as the TPL. If the NSL is to reach its anticipated long-term potential as a league of international significance, drawing in this largely untapped audience will be crucial."

At present, there is a distinctive pattern of talent being forged in the Expansion and moving to the "old country" - if not the peninsulae themselves, then at least the original Zube-Bay City Eastern Corridor - to play at the highest domestic level. If that is to change, could the long-term arc of Kytlerian soccer bend with it?

by **Kirungabi** » Thu Jan 25, 2024 12:26 am

← PREV — First Lady Musabyimana Hails Minister Bukuramo as Inflation Slows

President Innocent Uburiganya and First Lady Musabyimana Inaugurate Olympic Park Reforms Alongside Copa Rushmori Squad

VILLE AMAHORO — In a televised ceremony from the Kirungabi Itangira Guhera Olympic Park Stadium, President Innocent Uburiganya greeted the 26-man Kirungan National Football Team squad as part of the inauguration of 15 new sporting facilities in the KIG Ville Amahoro Olympic Park, home stadium of Amahoro United FC. The ceremony was held to celebrate both the expansion of the public-use Olympic park premises and the Kirungan national team's return to international football, spurred by the recent economic growth and reduction of inflation brought on by the presidentially-appointed Minister of the Economy, Jean-Surprise Bukuramo. As part of the wider scope of the celebration, First Lady and Kirungabi Itangira Guhera Development Program director Musabyimana Uburiganya congratulated Abongereza-based Royal Boys AC for their Championnat du Kirungabi de Fut title, emphasizing the sustained growth of, and Kirungabi Itangira Guhera's commitment to, domestic football.

The Kirungan National Football Team's players were the stars of the ceremony, as they lined up outside Amahoro United's new synthetic pitch training grounds to meet President Uburiganya and the First Lady. Team captain and son of Kirungan Genocide victims David Byukusenge was the man responsible for cutting the ribbon at the inauguration — a moment the First Lady lauded as "paramount" for the Kirungabi Itangira Guhera Development Program. In her broadcasted address, the First Lady congratulated the work of the Kirungabi Itangira Guhera Sporting Commission and the FEKIFUT federation in assembling the refreshed National Team squad, which includes three players from the local and KIG-sponsored Amahoro United club, while retaining the Baptism of Fire winning stars in Umunzimukuru Nzafashwanimana, Théoneste Bugasera, and Munyentwali Niyonzima, among others.

"That the Sporting Commission and the Fédération have been able to select such a diverse team to represent Kirungabi at the Copa Rushmori — an optimal mix of local stars shining abroad, Kirungans of the domestic scene and, above all, athletes nurtured and groomed under the Kirungabi Itangira Guhera program — is a win for Kirungan identity. It's the beauty of the game, and the reason why we are so committed to the sport from KIG: because Barebare and Fupi alike can look at each other to the scars on their faces, shake hands, and battle to achieve a common 'goal' together. That is the philosophy that we have wanted — and succeeded — in instilling in our modern Kirungabi," said First Lady Musabyimana. Together with President Uburiganya, the presidential couple wished the team good luck as they prepare to fly to Græntfjall for the start of the Copa and their first match against Zenic.

Also mentioned in the ceremony was the economic turnaround orchestrated by Minister Bukuramo. Despite growing international involvement from firms such as Bocola and Quebecois conglomerate QSEX, which set up an arms manufacturing plant in the war-ravaged city of Gusohora in conjunction with an investment deal in state-owned energy comany Enténer, the Kirungan economy began to endure a period of rising inflation and slowing economic growth, owing to unfavorable weather in the hills of the north-west affecting tea and coffee crop yields and quality. Bukuramo replaced outgoing — now exiled — minister Ukuri Muganza after his shock resignation, a move which destabilized an already delicate situation and caused a run on the mikopo as Kirungans flocked to stock up on Euran pounds. However, Bukuramo made quick work of the crisis, installing anti-capital flight measures and tending a lifeline to vulnerable Kirungans and agricultural workers to ease the economy back into functioning form. The brief period of instability dried up superfluous funds destined to culture and sporting endeavors outside of Kirungabi; the return of international football, and the expansion of the Ville Amahoro Olympic Park, serve as "proof", in the words of the First Lady, that "the tsunami wave [of the crisis] has finally been crested."

The expansion carried out to the facilities in the planned city of Ville Amahoro — which houses the 60,000 capacity KIG Olympic Park Stadium of Amahoro United — have revamped existing infrastructure for sports such as tennis, football, and athletics, while also introducing new badminton, volleyball, and even swimming facilities to expand the offer of the Olympic Park to the residents of Ville Amahoro. The expansion project also included renovating the premises between facilities into a 50-hectare public park, which further enhances the use of space for athletes and visitors alike. The work done to Amahoro United's home grounds make it the Championnat team with the most modern facilities in Kirungabi by a significant margin — even despite the new club's recent struggles in the domestic scene. However, First Lady Musabyimana promised that "more is to come" in sports investment from Kirungabi Itangira Guhera. "Today, we still have a lot of sports teams in Kirungabi with very basic facilities; Okapi Stadium of True Delta FC can barely fit two-thousand people; the lines on their pitch aren't even straight! For sure, many stadiums in Kirungabi have a charm to them that is unique of Kirungan football culture, and it would be a shame to lose the character of such stadiums and facilities. But, as we've seen with the rise of Flambeau du Mugugu CS [home stadium capacity: 5,200] in recent Championnats, facilities aren't the key to success."

"What we need to do, from Kirungabi Itangira Guhera, is to give a chance to the athletes from whom those chances were taken away, and to give a hand to those that need it most. We see how much the game is growing, and how much it strengthens our identity and our bonds as Barebare, as Fupi, and as Kirungans. We must keep working hard so that our boys abroad can go out there and show the world, with pride and determination, what Kirungabi has brought to the pitch."

Garnacho and Gatabazi Shine in Honorable Copa Rushmori Defeat — NEXT →

by **Northern Natanians** » Thu Jan 25, 2024 12:47 am

Scorer against Tikariot:Leonardo Appio Alighieri - 33' 2T

The ten biggest cities on the Kingdom of Northern Natanians

1 - Cità del Nord

Populaion:15.000.000
Founded:1897
A city amongst the oldest,relatively far away from the coast and the intellectual centre of the kingdom.Full og historical monuments,it also counts with several museums;some historical monuments are also museums;there is also a giant telescope where children often go to with school and learn how to operate it.

2 - Spiaggia della Bonaccia

Populaion:5.328.721
Founded:1903
The most populous city located on the coast,it's priobably close to where the country began,it also contains the major and most importanrt port in the country.

3 - Nuova Minalata

Populaion:4.382.127
Founded:1905
Founded by some former inhabitants of Minalata,Nuova Minalata is composed of a collection of buildings (houses,industries,schools...) around a near exact copy of XIXth century Minalata,with some structures continuously being used to this day.

4 - Notrina Lat nell'Istretto

Populaion:3.889.085
Founded:1890
A coastal city that lies very close to,if not on,the place weere the coountry began.So named because one of its founders thought the landscape looked like and reminded the nearbies of Notrina Lat,and it is located near/next to a stream called Istretto.

5 - Civita Azzurra

Populaion:3.785.432
Founded:1893
The place where the early intelectuals and politicians often were at.Over 100 years if history,the city is like one dived on blue ink.It's wonderful!

6 - Civita Verde

Populaion:3.731.247
Founded:1895
It has a lot of green areas.One can find a water captioning nearby,that is served by local water bodies,hugely dependent on the preservation of the vegetation for its well-being;in this aspect,it is quite similar to Civita Azzurra.

7 - Acqua Azzurra

Populaion:3.726.892
Founded:1895
A vibrant city,with a young population and a small-ish lake that looks naturally blue.

8 - Minalata Albastra

Populaion:3.710.920
Founded:1915
Named as a homage to Minalata,the place where the national Cobalt supply comes from.It has a nice football stadium,with great pitch.Ironically,the city's oeconomy is baesd on tourism.

9 - Sola

Populaion:3.712.902
Founded:1897
For much time,the only city in its part of the country.

10 - Sforzat'axila

Populaion:3.584.300
Founded:1923
What do you name a city where one struggles to arrive walking,which as a rock that really really looks like an armpit...And there are crickes who seem to always play on sforzando.

by **Graintfjall** » Thu Jan 25, 2024 1:00 am

Spjällesdóttir reign starts with cruel reminder of past failure

At Copa Rushmori 36, first-time hosts Græntfjall’s first game ended in disappointment as they succumbed to a 3–2 defeat to Falkyr at the New Skoðarhüb after star striker Jason Þórhallursson was sent off for a red card. 18 years later at Copa Rushmori 45, hosting once again, there was little difference in outcome for the Snow Wolves as they went down 3–1 to Oberour Ar Moro at the Fjlarkfjall Arena in Þingsnitz. For new manager Janina Spjällesdóttir, it was not the start to her reign she would have wanted, and will only add to the pressure for immediate results as she becomes the first Græntfjaller woman ever to lead the national team, and the first Græntfjaller head coach of either sex since that tournament 18 years ago.

Credit should first be given to Oberour Ar Moro: underdogs based on ranking, doubly so when factoring in a strongly partisan home crowd as the national and royal anthems rippled around the arena before kick-off, they were the better team on the day. David Guivarch put away three solid chances, showing composure in front of goal at odds with the harried flapping of Græntfjall, who wasted chances to pull back in the second half; his second strike, a curling effort from the edge of the box, was a particularly choice goal. Joeva au Paus and Peter Clouzot also had excellent games on the defensive end, and while Dounerth Chateaubriand pulled off a couple of fine saves, this was not a case of the Dragoons being bailed out by their keeper: they were deserving winners.

But for the Snow Wolves it was a game of teeth-gnashing frustration as chances were wasted, as their vaunted striker Járngrímur Náttúlfsson disappeared after his 13th minute header put them in front and Hrútur Melkíorsson looked sluggish and slow in his new holding role, as the crowd turned against them, the anthems and howls exchanged for jeers and, ultimately, silence. Spjällesdóttir, her squad heavy on Chromatika-based players whom she has experience managing for or against, certainly has the players for better results here, but her relatively rigid insistence on a 4-2-3-1 system, in contrast to the 4-3-3 and 4-1-3-2 that Græntfjall have operated in recent years, already looks to limit their offensive options. When captain Kæja Finnvarðsdóttir was booked for dissent after failing to win a free kick, it has hard not to think her anger at Tikariotian referee Graham Kerrigan was misplaced.

Spjällesdóttir was appointed following World Cup 95 after KG conducted a high profile search for a new manager, with the clear objective of appointing a Græntfjaller. Sigtryggur Brynjólfursson’s failure at CR36 led to the appointment of Kang Guilin: Igrene Cantor and “Thor” have followed as foreign managers have led the Snow Wolves to the World Cup finals, to a World Cup win and Copa Rushmori “double”, and to a brief spell as the world number one ranked side; Spjällesdóttir inherits a team ranked first in the region and second in the world. She also inherits a weight of expectation that her tenure will be seen as a test of whether Græntfjaller managers can succeed at international level.

While Græntfjall has produced highly regarded players such as Þórhallursson, Finnvarðsdóttir, and Sara Kristoffersdóttir, few managers of real note have emerged from the White Winter Queendom. Brynjólfursson found little success in his post-Græntfjall ventures in Garbelia and Grearia;* Lars Hartmannsson, once tipped as a future NT manager, was relegated to assistant manager status in Tikariot, whence his career has never really recovered; Sigurkarl Kristiansson, of Chalesm in the Squornshelan Remnant States, was the strongest contender with Spjällesdóttir for the role, but hardly a household name. “There will be a lot of pressure, if she doesn’t find immediate success, to go back to a foreign manager,” admits football journalist Olle Tobiasson. “It’s the curse of expectations.”

Those expectations will be heightened by Græntfjall’s next match, which moves to the somewhat more prestigious environment of the Florus Stadion in Altendalur, against Pasarga. The Wanderers are led by Thor, former manager of the Snow Wolves. “Pasarga are a very strong team, much better than their seeding suggests,” was the verdict of Þórhallursson, appearing on the podcast Based On A True Story Except About Football Instead Of Murder hosted by Amanda Guttisdóttir. Both of the former Snow Wolves, now pursuing media careers, played at CR36, and acknowledged the memory of the Falkyr defeat. “Important to remember we did come back from that, get some wins, and make the knockouts,” said Guttisdóttir, adding wryly, “Can’t quite remember what happened after that, though.”

What actually happened was a 7-2 destruction at the hands of Nephara. The Cormorants are absent from this competition, disappointing fans who’d hoped to see one of the most popular teams in Græntfjall play, though plenty of Vetiver and Sebold shirts can still be seen being proudly worn by Græntfjaller children. What happens next for this batch of Snow Wolves will be determined in large part by the forthcoming game against Pasarga. Despite the loss to Oberour Ar Moro, only one change is expected: Sara Vatnarsdóttir left the game at half time with a bruised ankle, and though not diagnosed with further injury, will sit out against the Wanderers to allow a start for Harald Skæringsson, who has taken the Mytanara 1. Prvenstvo by storm for Lok. Cassia.

For Spjällesdóttir, failure against the man she has succeeded will invite immediate negative comparisons, but she herself says she is not considering that. “I have a great deal of respect for [Thor] and his team,” she said in a pre-match conference, “But we’re here to perform, regardless of our opponents, and we’re not thinking about anything beyond our own game.” Having signed the standard KG three-cycle contract, she can probably breathe easy even if results in this tournament do not go her way, but fans may be less forgiving than KG.

Also in the paper:

NEWS: Self-defense shooting and debate over Stand-Your-Ground-Against-Krakens laws sparks protests, counter-protests
POLITICS: Progressive Liberal leadership election votes being counted
BUSINESS: Consumer groups claim plastic pollution tax should be paid by producers
CINEMA: First LGBTQ+ themed slasher divides critical opinion: “brilliant”, “tasteless”, “I like the bit where xe stabbed hir”
SPORT: Náttúlfsson future at Crisisbless uncertain

* Whether or not he would have been more successful in countries not beginning with G remains unknown.

by **Graintfjall** » Thu Jan 25, 2024 1:04 am

Cutoff for MD2.

IFCF note: as we near the IFCF deadline, please do offer feedback as to whether you wish for a delay or in the tournament, or are happy for scorination to continue on schedule.

MD3 prompt

Prompts are completely optional and are just there to provide inspiration. You can gain full RP bonus from RPing your own thing.
Græntfjall has been through four managers and four Prime Ministers since CR36. How has your country's leadership -- whether of your football team (manager, captain, federation chair) or political institutions (elected, appointed, inherited) -- changed in recent years? Has the change been for the better or worse?

RP bonus stats

Average MD1 RP bonus: 69% of max (nice)

Group 1
Zenic 6–2 Oberour Ar Moro
Pasarga 0–0 Graintfjall scorinated by Tumbra
Kirungabi 1–1 Polar Islandstates

  Group 1                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Zenic                                      2   2  0  0    9   3  +6    6
2 Pasarga                                    2   1  1  0    4   1  +1    4
3 Oberour Ar Moro                            2   1  0  1    5   7  −2    3
4 Graintfjall                                2   0  1  1    1   3  −2    1
  Kirungabi                                  2   0  1  1    2   4  −2    1
6 Polar Islandstates                         2   0  1  1    2   5  −3    1

Group 2
The Kytler Peninsulae 1–0 Northern Natanians
Elmyia 0–1 Tikariot
Norrhem 2–2 Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland scorinated by Tumbra

  Group 2                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Tikariot                                   2   2  0  0    4   1  +3    6
2 Norrhem                                    2   1  1  0    5   4  +1    4
  Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland   2   1  1  0    5   4  +1    4
4 The Kytler Peninsulae                      2   1  0  1    3   3   0    3
5 Elmyia                                     2   0  0  2    2   4  −2    0
6 Northern Natanians                         2   0  0  2    1   4  −3    0

Group 3
Isle Noire 0–3 Glazgo
Olastor 1–2 Naixi
Astograth 2–2 Eura

  Group 3                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Glazgo                                     2   2  0  0    4   0  +4    6
2 Eura                                       2   1  1  0    3   2  +1    4
3 Naixi                                      2   1  0  1    2   2   0    3
4 Astograth                                  2   0  2  0    2   2   0    2
5 Isle Noire                                 2   0  1  1    0   3  −3    1
6 Olastor                                    2   0  0  2    1   3  −2    0

Group 4
Mytanija 2–1 Cassadaigua
Savojarna 0–4 Darmen
Brannfjord 0–1 Gatchingerrak Union

  Group 4                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Darmen                                     2   2  0  0    6   1  +5    6
2 Gatchingerrak Union                        2   2  0  0    3   0  +3    6
3 Mytanija                                   2   2  0  0    4   2  +2    6
4 Brannfjord                                 2   0  0  2    1   3  −2    0
  Cassadaigua                                2   0  0  2    2   4  −2    0
6 Savojarna                                  2   0  0  2    0   6  −6    0

Group 5
Rea San Vegas 2–0 Captina Island
Gnejs 4–1 Qusmo
Pridnestrovia 0–0 Cabo Azure

  Group 5                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Rea San Vegas                              2   2  0  0    5   2  +3    6
2 Gnejs                                      2   1  1  0    7   4  +3    4
3 Captina Island                             2   1  0  1    2   3  −1    3
4 Cabo Azure                                 2   0  2  0    3   3   0    2
5 Pridnestrovia                              2   0  1  1    2   3  −1    1
6 Qusmo                                      2   0  0  2    2   6  −4    0

Group 6
Valladares 0–0 Mandhya Pradha
Southwest Eastnorth 1–0 Yuezhou
Eastfield Lodge 0–3 Sargossa

  Group 6                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Southwest Eastnorth                        2   2  0  0    3   0  +3    6
2 Mandhya Pradha                             2   1  1  0    1   0  +1    4
  Valladares                                 2   1  1  0    1   0  +1    4
4 Sargossa                                   2   1  0  1    3   2  +1    3
5 Yuezhou                                    2   0  0  2    0   2  −2    0
6 Eastfield Lodge                            2   0  0  2    0   4  −4    0

by **Gnejs** » Thu Jan 25, 2024 2:06 am

On the night of Sunday the 21st there came reports from up Fjell about a fire on the corner of Storgata and Korpstigen. The large wooden house that belonged to the families Nielsen, Torpare and Svendsen, and where Mrs. Strand had her aroma therapy clinic on the ground level, stood in flames, together with old Thom Dal’s cycle repair shop, which was found in the same spot in the adjacent house just off the corner next to Emilie Andersson’s bakery. The fire brigade arrived quickly, but it was too late to think about anything other than saving the neighboring houses and the bakery, perhaps salvaging parts of Dal’s shop if they were lucky, because the fire was already blocking the stairs and had begun breaking out through the roof in the large wooden house, with residents escaping by way of windows.

The Nielsen and Torpare families mostly managed to get out via ladders, but the Svendsens were up high and needed to use the tarpaulin and in the confusion and dramatics “man of the house” Wilhelm somehow broke his leg in the fall and resorted to stay on the tarp and scream his lungs out in agony, effectively blocking the means of escape for his wife, prompting the local Chief Constable - who had just arrived - to scold him most harshly and drag him from the tarp by force. When all seemed to be accounted for, the youngest Svendsen boy, and the similarly aged Torpare kid, who both stood out in the cold in nothing but oversized t-shirts, vehemently claimed that someone was still inside the burning inferno, but the Chief Constable would hear nothing of it and threatened to arrest both boys if they didn’t shut the fuck up and removed themselves from the acute danger. His tone was very brutal and it angered many present.

As one of the leading local newspapers could report later that week, the clean-up after the fire finally determined that the boys had been right and a person had been burned inside. It was thought to be the brother of Wilhelm, one Paal Svendsen, but the Constabulary struggled with securing any positive identification from the badly burned and mangled body. What the newspaper made less clear was that when the Chief Constable had so categorically dismissed the boy’s testimony, and refused the firemen or others to try and investigate their claims, it was because he had it on good authority that Paal had in fact been seen exiting the house and running up along Storgata wearing a nightgown during the tumultuous events. The sighting came from Paal’s own sister and niece, and the Chief Constable deemed them more trustworthy than the younger offspring and his neighboring friend.

The news reports about Paal’s death, and the Chief Constable ignoring the young boys’ pleas, sparked great anger and outrage in the community towards the Chief Constable, who was looked upon as personally responsible for old Paal’s untimely demise. At around midday a week after the fire there were demonstrations and what could almost be called riots outside the Chief Constable’s residence over on Brandbergsgatan just south of the park and also at the local Constabulary Chambers down at the far end of Ringvägen. Around 5-10 persons had shown up to express their anger, lightly injuring two Constables after pelting wooden blocks at the Chamber, whereas a window was smashed at the Chief Constable’s private residence. Three arrests were made and things eventually calmed down, and most would've thought that to be the end of it, but the following night the anger returned to the streets in even greater numbers and degree of organization.

It started at the Chambers, with small stones and wooden blocks being thrown, but when the Constables - accompanied by members of the fire brigade - started pouring out on the street the angry protesters/rioters quickly withdrew and dispersed, but only to re-emerge 10 minutes later - and then in even greater numbers, at least 20-25 in total - over at Brandbergsgatan and they more or less laid siege to the Chief Constable’s house. The main core of the protestering citizens soon initiated an attack on the house with the express purpose of dragging the Chief out on the streets and forcing him to perform a traditional Walk of Shame up to the charred remains of the large wooden house on the corner of Storgata and Korpstigen, but a force of Constables soon descended on the scene and fighting erupted.

The Constables, led by the Chief himself, held their position initially but the rioters seemingly only increased in numbers and things finally reached a sort of stalemate, where the Chief brought out one of his dining room chairs and besieged the crowd to calm down from on top of it. At this point, someone threw a small rock that hit the Chief smack in the forehead and forced his retreat. The garden was now stormed, every window in the house was broken, and the attackers made it onto the porch. When they tried to penetrate through the veranda door, the Chief Constable unlocked his gun cabinet and brought out his father’s old hunting rifle and a few warning shots in the air succeeded in completely dispersing the crowd of angry citizens.

It was getting late by then, but the night was by no means over, because over at the Chambers another set of protestors had gathered, and with most of the Constables south of the park it stood undefended, allowing the gathered citizens to lightly vandalize the exterior and also secure the release of the three arrestees who had been brought in during the day before. The two sets of protestors joined forces in the park, at the foot of the hill, and spent the early hours singing old hymns. Bystanders later said the park was lit by something akin to a revolutionary atmosphere that night.

Things mellowed out from there, and the multitude of the night quietly disbanded and life seemingly transformed back into what it used to be, but of course there was no escaping the aftermath. On a Tuesday evening a number of people were arrested on the basis of their actions that night, and more or less all the local and national newspapers strongly distanced themselves from the riots, even the very same local newspaper that had first reported - and been very vocal - about the Chief Constable’s “guilt” in old Paal’s death.

There were lengthy legal inquiries in connection with the fire and the riots. The accusations that the Chief Constable had prevented old Paal from being rescued were still championed by many, but the investigation, interviews and general inquiries clearly showed that the Chief Constable did not prevent the rescue of Paal, because at the time he reached the scene Paal was almost certainly already dead and it would have been completely impossible to make any attempt at rescue without losing even more lives. The Chief did not know this at the time, however, but in hindsight all involved agreed that the information he had received about Paal having escaped the inferno and running out into the night was solid and believable grounds to call off any further excursions into a flaming building on the verge of collapse. On the other hand, most witness statements showed that the Chief had behaved very badly towards many of the people involved on the night of the fire, mainly the young boys, and he was also heavily criticized for his actions during the riot and his use of a firearm. The Chief Constable later applied for a leave of absence, which was granted, and traveled up north for an extended period of time. He returned briefly, but eventually transferred to the Greater Ecpatia Constabulary. The public prosecutor also drew up charges against around 10 people for deeds done during the riots and many heavy fines were issued.

With the Chief Constable’s “guilt” less obvious, the public discourse pivoted and the blame shifted. Some pointed the finger against Paal’s sister Augusta - who had reported seeing Paal escaping the burning house - and the rest of her extended family: “How could they not have been aware that their own blood was still lost in in the flames,” you could hear little old ladies muse on the squares and benches. This sort of talk was relatively short lived, however, because adding more insult to the family’s already substantial injury left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. Besides, after further forensic investigations, it turned out that the fire had started down in the kitchenette in Mrs. Strand’s aroma therapy clinic, and when Mrs. Strand eventually returned from her vacation on the Terranean coast, she could enlighten everybody with the fact that she had left her keys to the clinic with Paal, and allowed him to cook his notorious chicken jalfrezi down there, and in the end all forensic evidence pointed to this being the root cause of the fire to begin with.

Another queer circumstance also contributed to lifting the finger of blame from the family in general, and Augusta in particular. Because even though the authorities were finally reasonably certain that the remains found in the burned rubble was indeed Paal Svendsen, several people reported seeing a man with an uncanny resemblance to Paal running along Storgata in a nightgown on late nights, leaving behind a distinct ambiance of cumin and coriander.

Now, stories of The White Knight of Fjell, The Jalfrezi King or The Ghost of Storgata, depending on who you asked, are slowly beginning to ingrain themselves in the local mythology, and some say the corner of Storgata and Korpstigen is haunted.

All in all, it was a sad story.

by **Zenic** » Thu Jan 25, 2024 11:17 pm

What an unexpected twist.

There were many pundits, both home and abroad, who felt that The Survivors would have a good (but not great) performance this Copa. And yet here we are in Altendalur, with this ragtag group of young professionals and collegiate players at the top of Group 1, 2 points clear of iconic Pasarga and several more over squads like Graintfjall and the Polar Islandstates. Captained by stalwart Faulkner Dejulio and bolstered by the workhorses known as Nakazawa Shuji and Undeio Dettmann, Zenic has rattled off back to back wins against Kirungabi and Oberour Ar Moro with a 6 goal advantage. Goals from Dejulio (2), Gentile (2), Byford (1), Maruscak (1), Lawal (1), Aldhard (1) and Pekko (1) shows the strengths of this formation: anyone remotely near the box has a chance to score. And the coaching staff has done a great job of making sure the players don’t forget about defense as they’ve only allowed 3 goals in two games so far, which is impressive for such an offensive oriented team.

Geraldo Zys (former manager of U. of Keye during their return to collegiate play) and his coaching staff (Mara Tapi, Toms Elwin, and, Dr. Dina Mihail) have performed above expectations after being thrown into the job abruptly by Emperor’s Decree. Having gone from universities, office jobs and hospitals, this hastily put together ideology for the futbol side of the Ministry of Sports is making converts from naysayers in the Empire at a rapid pace. Which feels almost like deja vu to recent Empirical history.

For our foreign readers (or our young ones), our current Emperor, Santiago Cuauhtémoc, has only been in his position for the last decade of our history. Before the ZSF conflict, our previous Emperor was the studious and eloquent Professor Herman Delano Proctor. Emperor Proctor was chosen by the Council of Old Citium after the passing of Emperor Loganus Gentas from old age. He was selected to be “leader of change” and turn the Empire from a functional but outdated Empire to the heights of the modern era. Unfortunately, there were many who opposed this: included amongst them were Silan Gianis and Reba Gerasimos, the principal founders of Zenic Sans Frontiers. Outraged and worried about any change weakening the Empire, they started their campaign of terror that built into a full fledged rival faction. After 9 years of guerilla warfare that blew up into civil war, Emperor Proctor declared that he was stepping down and had selected a replacement: Santiago Cuauhtémoc.

Just as much as it was a shock to the masses, it was a shock to the at-the-time Corporal who had been assigned to administrative work (and backup protection to the Emperor) at the Emperor’s Royal Hall for the 3 years before this shock twist in our history. Emperor Proctor saw something in Cuauhtémoc during that period working together that would change the tides of the war without sacrificing the progress brought in recently. And we now know that he was right: in his first decade, our new Emperor has managed to neutralize most of the top leadership for the ZSF and there exist only stragglers holding onto a broken, impossible dream. And slowly, Emperor Cuauhtémoc has brought back amenities and rights now that the threat has mostly been dealt with, as promised. And we can expect a greater return to a “normal” that many of us can only remember.

And that potential for brilliancy that Emperor Proctor saw in Cuauhtémoc, our Emperor, as well as our Minister of Sport Dimi, saw in Geraldo Zys. But even if you didn’t believe them; the results speak for themselves.

-- Koralia Dev

Koralia Dev is one of our newest and most enthusiastic writers at The Leinz Herald. A graduate from the prestigious New Citium University, Koralia graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and has been working for the Herald covering foreign and international sporting events. We are excited to have her cover the Empire’s return to sporting events, both domestic and international.

by **Pasarga** » Fri Jan 26, 2024 8:34 am

The years pass on and the more things seem to change, the more they also seem to be the same. Wounds eventually heal and scar over, a leftover mark of what you have been through but that too begins to fade as time continues on to move onwards to whatever the next day brings you. Pasarga had its moment where it all seemed like it was going to go wrong, with the attempted assassination and coup of the Majistar siblings by rogue parliamentarians, going as far as to hire an array of mercenaries to try and take the country by force while also attempting to split the loyalties of the armed forces to make their path to ascension all the easier. They might have even succeeded at their devious plot had it not been for the intervention of the old ally of Eura as well as the surprise assistance from Sargossa, as their special forces helped end the conflict before it tore across the whole of Pasarga with the elimination of the head of the coup. It was not without its casualties though, a branch of the royal family had been killed during the attacks, not to mention the innocents who were needlessly killed in the storming of Troubalose and Torgos by the mercenaries. Yet now they seem but bitter past memories.

Our new Queen however was not afforded the luxury of mourning her departed father nor that of her estranged family as in the weeks and months following the attempted coup and then her coronation, there was stirrings of anti Common Rushmori Community sentiment brewing within the nation as the bitterness of the attempted coup lead the people looking for someone or something to blame, with the CRC ending up being the brunt of the anger. CRC nations had failed to offer support to the dual islands during their time of crisis, outside that of Eura, and it was largely seen as a betrayal by the Pasargan people and a show that the community was not worth the paper that the agreements were printed on. With the Queen refusing to take a stance on the matter one way or another, it was left up to the citizens to vote on a referendum and despite the large amount of anger that was being cast at the CRC, in the end it would be the choice to remain within the agreement that would eventually win the day, keeping the dual islands in the CRC at least for the time being.

The chatter of a potential royal wedding though has a way of making the more important issues seemingly become not as important to the general populace, as it had gotten out that many of her close council were telling the Queen that she was in need of finding a suitable match and producing heirs, in at least so far to prevent another succession crisis as that had allowed the parliamentarian coup to find footing in the first place. It is rumored that in response to this advice, the Queen scheduled a bit of a world tour to visit other monarchies to see how they continued to operate and thrive in the modern world as well as potentially look for suitors who might want to become her consort. A stop in the Winter Queendom definitely did not yield any results, as their was no royals or nobles eligible, although speculation is still running rampant that a stop in her father's ancestral homeland of Quebec could potentially have lead to some arrangement being made, although if it was so, it has only been rampant rumor among the populace, as the royal family has not spoken a word about any potential engagement or marriage.

In the world of football, there has been change to but a change back to where the Wanderers came from, abandoning the pressing style of Zachary Orengo and returning towards an possession based system that looked to create high quality chances. Foreign managers have tried to "fix" the Wanderers for over a decade and each has not managed to find the consistency and stability in the job and the results that they had hoped to bring to the team upon their hiring, each eventually falling away, usually in the third cycle of their contract. With the appointment of the national team hero Thor whose exploits made the PFA practically beg for the manager to come to their rescue, there is a renewed sense of hope among the Wanderers faithful that they might find success again, especially after the caretaker manager of Michael Mueller managed to get the team to win the Cup of Harmony. Thor has started his tenure strongly with the Wanderers, besting a Polar Islandstates side that some considered good money to advance from the group and then holding his former employers and the regional best team and hosts of the tournament to a nil all draw. It provides a path forward for the team in the tournament to turn around three straight poor performances in the regional championship and to show that while the side does have its scars from its trauma of the past few decades, it is ready to blossom once more like the nation and monarchy itself.

by **Trans-Dniesters** » Fri Jan 26, 2024 10:33 am

The Tiraspol Tea Room was the fanciest restaurant and dining establishment in all of the closed city of Myrilsk, deep in the interior of the Pridnestrovian Republic, but that was only because it was perhaps the only restaurant and dining establishment that was actually worthy of the name in all of Myrilsk. The existence of the Tiraspol Tea Room was a bit of a headscratcher, but only if one didn’t look deep enough at the facts. Yes, Myrilsk was a closed city, and that was because it was the headquarters of the Urotovsky-Gatutin General Machine Building Enterprise, one of the biggest suppliers and manufacturers of arms and equipment to the Pridnestrovian Armed Forces. Yes, Myrilsk being a closed city meant that local visitors were severely limited, and foreign visitors were barred from entering the city at all except for extraordinary circumstances. Yes, most of Myrilsk’s core population of engineers, architects, weapons designers, and factory workers had little if any interest at all in fancy dining because they had neither the time nor the finances to do it. But because Myrilsk was frequently visited by Pridnestrovian general and flag officers and their respective staffs, someone came up with the bright idea of opening a restaurant to cater to these generals and admirals once they were done looking at and inspecting the latest in Pridnestrovian weapons and armor technology. And clearly it was a good idea because the Tea Room was still open for business to this day, even if they didn’t have the most frequent of clientele.

As things stood, there was only one person from UrGa that was a regular patron of the Tea Room, one person who could afford the exorbitant prices in exchange for the clout that he had amassed by virtue of dining in the Tea Room. That man was Yakov Leonidovich Yurievsky, and while everyone could agree on the fact that he was a member of the board of directors of UrGa, that was the one thing that everyone knew about him. As far as his actual roles in the corporation went, however, now that was a lingering mystery to those that had tried and failed to get to know Yurievsky better. Yurievsky had been described as something of a “financial advisor” to the entire corporation, providing insight into where UrGa should invest its research and development in order to obtain maximum profit from its products. And given that most of UrGa’s products were military in nature, and there were always nations and non-state actors willing to acquire weaponry at any price, there were many who suspected that Yurievsky was neck-deep involved in the shadowy world of the black market, manipulating situations in unstable nations and governments in order to drive up demand for his company’s own products. For his part, Yurievsky had consistently refused to give any comment to this speculation, letting the imaginations of such speculators run as wild as possible. And frankly, he didn’t really like the attention. How else was he supposed to do what he was doing if people who didn’t understand what he was doing were all over him trying to find out?

Right now, Yurievsky was one of only three people inside the Tea Room, and as always, he was sitting off in his own booth. He had a mug of hot tea in one hand and a spoon in the other, and that spoon was currently scooping up a portion of solyanka soup which he then sipped slowly. Yurievsky remembered the last time that he had eaten anything other than solyanka in the Tea Room, that time when he had ordered blood-red borscht to aid in his own visual presentation to a prospective business partner, and while Yurievsky liked to believe that he had struck gold in that particular deal, his partner’s behavior, especially in recent weeks, had given him more than just a few doubts that that deal was as fruitful as he had first thought it to be. But that deal, like many others, was now in the past. Yakov had other newer deals to focus on, and that was the reason why he was in the Tea Room once again. He was waiting for his business partner to arrive so that they could finally talk shop.

The door to the Tea Room opened, and three men walked inside, immediately doubling the restaurant’s current occupancy. One man, who looked like the oldest among the trio, wore a loose gray jacket and tan cargo pants, while the other two wore matching black sweaters and pants. The man in the gray jacket walked into the Tea Room with purpose, as if he already knew where he was supposed to go. He immediately turned for the booths on the side of the Tea Room, and he sat down directly opposite of Yakov Yurievsky while the men in black with him took up positions on either side of the booth. “Took you long enough,” Yurievsky said to the newcomer without preamble or greeting.

“Forgive my tardiness, Yakov Leonidovich,” Ivan Iosifovich Radchenko, owner and leader of the Zimmer Private Military Corporation, said in a slightly mocking tone. “It took me some time to convince the guards on the road to Myrilsk that I was actually who I said I was.”

“You’ve been a busy man, Ivan Iosifovich,” Yurievsky muttered. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the local guards no longer recognize you, especially given how secrecy is all so important in your line of work. Anyway, would you like some tea?” Yurievsky offered. “Or a bowl of soup, perhaps.”

“I’m in a hurry, Yakov. I can’t really afford to sit down and have a longer chat than absolutely necessary,” Radchenko snorted. “These opportunities that you’ve been steering my way are currently more trouble than they’re worth, and unless they pay off sooner rather than later, I’m seriously considering pulling out altogether.”

“So I take it that you still haven’t found Thomas Kim yet,” Yurievsky said. Thomas Kim was a prominent business mogul from Tumbra who had disappeared from the public eye after he had been ousted from his own company just days or hours (depending on one’s sources) after he had struck a deal to mine lithium and other such rare earths and minerals in Yokanapatawphaia. “In all of the years that we’ve been working together, Kim’s case is the only time that I’ve ever seen you this frazzled and distraught.”

“You try looking for a man who doesn’t want to be found, let’s see how that works out for you,” Radchenko spat back.

“Watch your temper, Ivan,” Yurievsky said while continuing to sip at his soup. “Hot heads don’t make good decisions.”

“And while I have your attention,” Radchenko continued, not hearing or not paying attention to Yurievsky’s words, “let’s talk about this other ‘opportunity’ that you presented to me a few months back. Let’s talk about Kirungabi, Yakov. You told me that Kirungabi would be the perfect Plan B if ever the Yoknapatawphaia deal fell apart, but in the past few months, I’ve had my people take a look at that place, and I cannot believe that you actually see potential there. You said that there would oil and uranium and minerals there, but instead, all my people found were iron, tea, and coffee!”

“I never said that you were going to find oil or uranium or minerals in Kirungabi,” Yurievsky shrugged. “All I said was that you could find those, if you looked in the right places hard enough.”

“You’re not going to make this easy, are you, old man?”

“You young people are so impatient,” Yurievsky muttered as he set down his spoon and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“Please, Yakov,” Radchenko snorted. “You’re only ten years older than me.”

“Be that as it may, you’re still quite the impatient man, Ivan,” Yurievsky continued. “You want results immediately! Right now! No fooling around. It might have paid dividends for you in Nordskania and Estorvipa, but the business that we’re in now is a game of patience and waiting. Not everything is going to drop on our laps gift-wrapped and with a pretty little bow, just like how Thomas Kim was suddenly ousted from his company after you had come to an agreement to protect his miners in Yoknapatawphaia. I also can’t believe that you, of all people, didn’t get that deal down on paper to make it official. So now you’re running around in circles trying to figure out if you still actually have a deal or not when just a single sheet of paper could have had you right in business from the get-go. I hate to say this, Ivan, but it really looks like you’re losing your touch.”

“So says the man who couldn’t even get a foot into the Mlima Kijani door,” Radchenko said back.

“Socialism did a lot of damage to that country,” Yurievsky replied automatically. “And the white minority there blames their fall from grace on socialism and socialism alone. It’s no surprise to me that a white Kijani would want nothing to do with our country, even if the hammer and sickle is only for the benefit of the stupid liberals in Fleftic colleges.”

“Don’t give me that, Yakov,” Radchenko snorted. “If you had managed to get the Kijani deal done through Nattmordsdottir, you would be singing a completely different tune right now.”

“Perhaps,” Yurievsky acknowledged. “Now, is that all that you wanted to talk to me about?”

“I want to talk to that Kirungabi driver,” Radchenko answered. “The guy that walked into your team’s garage and asked for a seat because of your, ahem, reputation. I know he’s the reason why you suddenly decided that Kirungabi was worth taking a look at should the Yoknapatawphaia deal fall apart. I want to talk to him. I want to know exactly what’s going on in his country, what makes their economy go, and what internal and external threats there are.”

“Curious, very curious,” Yurievsky said as he drank his tea. “A few minutes ago, you were insulting me for leading you to a country that only deals in iron and tea, and now you’re interested in talking to someone from that country?”

“I’ve already spent so much time digging into Kirungabi, Yakov,” Radchenko admitted. “I have to make it worth my while somehow. The Deiorus training agreement just isn’t cutting it right now. My boys haven’t seen any action for some time now, and they need to be unleashed or else we’re both going to have problems on our hands. They thought they were finally going to get it in Yoknapatawphaia, but then Thomas Kim disappeared, and they’ve all been feeling blue-balled ever since. All that aggression has to be redirected somewhere else, Yakov, and maybe this Kirungabi fellow of yours is going to be the key to releasing that aggression.”

“Don’t talk like that, Ivan,” Yurievsky shook his head. “You sound like a pervert and a deviant when you say things like that.”

“Anyway, the name, Yakov, please,” Radchenko asked.

“Very well,” Yurievsky sighed. “You’ll want to talk to… Yaradukijije Rutaganda,” the older man said as he struggled to recall the name of the new arrival that had tried to buy a seat in UrGa’s WGP2 team in the final days of the recently concluded season of open wheel motorsports’ second tier. “I doubt the kid can tell you much though; most of these racing drivers only know how to turn the wheels and shift the gears and not much else. In that case, the person who might actually be of real help to you could be Moses Bakungu. He, to me, appears to be quite familiar with our way of handling business.”

“Rutaganda and Bakungu,” Radchenko repeated. “Spasibo, Yakov Leonidovich. This was a surprisingly productive meeting between the two of us, even after everything else we’ve said,” the leader of Zimmer PMC said as he stood up to leave.

“Good luck, Ivan Iosifovich,” Yurievsky said back. “You’re going to need it.”

“Again, Yakov, spasibo,” Radchenko nodded before turning to leave with his bodyguards. However, he had only taken a few steps away from Yurievsky’s booth when the latter called out to him. “Just so you know, my friend,” Yurievsky said, “I’m still trying to get in touch with the White Witch. I still think there is lots of potential there if only she can get over her ideological prejudices and talk business.”

“I’m glad to hear that, Doctor,” Radchenko replied, and then he and his bodyguards left the Tiraspol Tea Room.

        PRIDNESTROVIA 0 - 0 CABO AZURE        
  OGORODNIKOV (█ 57')

by **Rea San Vegas** » Fri Jan 26, 2024 11:20 am

"In a spectacular showdown presented by the esteemed ex-Rea San Vegas national, Romeo 'The Bull' Rado, the Al RSV Chronicle reports a gripping match as Rea San Vegas emerged triumphant with a resounding 2-0 victory over local rivals Captina Island. The electrifying atmosphere at the Copa Rushmori Group Stage clash left fans on the edge of their seats, as Rea San Vegas showcased their prowess on the field.

Romeo 'The Bull' Rado, a legendary figure in Rea San Vegas football history, lent his presence to the event, adding an extra layer of excitement for both players and supporters alike. The Al RSV Chronicle captures the essence of the match, highlighting Rado's passionate involvement and the team's stellar performance.

Rea San Vegas exhibited exceptional teamwork and strategic play, securing two crucial goals that left Captina Island struggling to catch up. The match unfolded as a testament to Rea San Vegas' determination and skill, with the players showcasing their prowess under the watchful eye of their illustrious ex-national, Romeo 'The Bull' Rado.

The comprehensive coverage by the Al RSV Chronicle delves into the details of each goal, the standout plays, and the overall dynamic of the game. Fans of Rea San Vegas can relish in the detailed account of their team's victory, while those supporting Captina Island will find insights into the areas that led to their defeat.

As the Copa Rushmori Group Stage progresses, Rea San Vegas' stellar performance in this high-stakes match against their local rivals positions them favorably for the challenges that lie ahead. With Romeo 'The Bull' Rado in attendance, the team and its supporters can look forward to continued success in the tournament, fueled by the spirit of past glory and the promise of future triumphs.

Border of Rea San Vegas and Captina Island

Rea San Vegas 2-0 Captina Island

Line Up

Match Summary

Stadium: Poets Park Stadium, Waltenberg

Rea San Vegas – 2
Goals:
Gottfried Sigurd (10' minutes)
Empirio 'Tommy Gun' Morganelli (44' minutes)

Assists:
Gaëtan Malicki (10' minutes, 44' minutes)

Substitutions:
Luis Mendoza Markus Braun (46' minutes)
Cruz Jens Olve Hilmar (67' minutes)
Wilfried Sascha Miguel López (80' minutes)

Bookings:
None

Captina Island – 0

In a thrilling encounter at the Copa Rushmori Group Stage, Rea San Vegas delivered an impressive performance against archrivals Captina Island, securing a 2-0 victory that had fans on the edge of their seats.

The excitement kicked off early in the 10th minute when Rea San Vegas' forward, Gottfried Sigurd, found the back of the net with precision. The goal, orchestrated by a brilliant assist from Gaëtan Malicki, set the tone for an intense battle between the two teams. Sigurd's clinical finish showcased Rea San Vegas' attacking prowess and left Captina Island scrambling to respond.

As the first half progressed, the anticipation reached a crescendo in the 44th minute when Empirio 'Tommy Gun' Morganelli unleashed a screamer of a goal. The Al RSV Chronicle described the goal as a masterpiece, with Morganelli's powerful strike leaving both fans and opponents in awe. Gaëtan Malicki once again played a pivotal role, providing the key assist for Morganelli's stunning goal.

The halftime whistle blew with Rea San Vegas holding a commanding 2-0 lead, thanks to the dynamic duo of Sigurd and Morganelli and the playmaking brilliance of Gaëtan Malicki. The Al RSV Chronicle highlighted the seamless teamwork and strategic execution that defined Rea San Vegas' performance in the first half.

The second half saw both teams engage in fierce battles across the pitch, but Rea San Vegas' solid defense and tactical discipline denied Captina Island any opportunity to stage a comeback. The final whistle confirmed Rea San Vegas' 2-0 victory, marking a triumphant moment for the team and their passionate supporters.

The match will undoubtedly be remembered for the early breakthrough by Sigurd and the breathtaking goal by Morganelli, with Gaëtan Malicki emerging as a key playmaker in both scoring moments. As Rea San Vegas continues its journey in the Copa Rushmori, the team and its fans can savor this memorable victory over local rivals Captina Island.

Post Match Interview

Interview with Gaëtan Malicki
Reporter: Gaëtan Malicki, congratulations on a fantastic victory against Captina Island. How does it feel to lead Rea San Vegas to such a convincing win in the Copa Rushmori Group Stage?

Gaëtan Malicki: Thank you. It's an incredible feeling, truly. Leading the team to a 2-0 victory over our archrivals in the group stage is not just a win; it's a statement. The entire squad put in a tremendous effort, and I'm proud to be a part of this achievement.

Reporter: You played a crucial role in both goals, providing assists for Gottfried Sigurd's early strike and Empirio 'Tommy Gun' Morganelli's sensational goal just before halftime. Can you walk us through those moments?

Gaëtan Malicki: Absolutely. In the 10th minute, Gottfried made a brilliant run, and I was fortunate to spot him with a well-timed pass. His finish was clinical, setting the tone for the match. Then, just before halftime, Empirio's goal was something special. I saw an opportunity, delivered the ball, and he did the rest with a stunning shot. Those moments define teamwork, and I'm delighted to contribute in that manner.

Reporter: Rea San Vegas demonstrated a strong defensive performance to maintain the clean sheet. How crucial was the team's defensive strategy in securing this win?

Gaëtan Malicki: Defense is the backbone of any successful team. Our defenders were solid, and the entire team worked cohesively to deny Captina Island any real chances. A clean sheet is as much a credit to our defenders as it is to our forwards. It's a collective effort, and I'm proud of how well we executed our game plan.

Reporter: With this victory, how does Rea San Vegas approach the rest of the Copa Rushmori tournament?

Gaëtan Malicki: This win is a confidence booster, no doubt. However, we can't afford to get complacent. The tournament is long, and every match is a new challenge. We'll take each game step by step, maintain our focus, and continue to play our brand of football. Our goal is to go as far as we can and make our fans proud.

Reporter: Thank you, Gaëtan, and best of luck in the upcoming matches.

Gaëtan Malicki: Thank you. We appreciate the support, and we'll do our best to keep the momentum going.

Interview with Ståle Ruen
Reporter: "Assistant Manager Ruen, a fantastic 2-0 victory for Rea San Vegas against archrivals Captina Island. How do you feel about the team's performance, especially considering the match was played here in your hometown of Waltenberg, Graintfjall?"

Ståle Ruen: "Thank you, it's truly an incredible feeling to secure such a crucial win in front of our home crowd here in Waltenberg. The team's performance was outstanding, and I couldn't be prouder of our players. We came into this match with a clear game plan, and the execution on the field was top-notch."

Reporter: "Gottfried Sigurd and Empirio 'Tommy Gun' Morganelli both found the back of the net, with Gaëtan Malicki providing crucial assists. How important were these key moments in shaping the outcome of the match?"

Ståle Ruen: "Absolutely crucial. Sigurd's early goal set the tone and forced Captina Island to play catch-up. Morganelli's screamer was a work of art and a testament to the skill and determination of our players. Gaëtan Malicki's contributions were instrumental in both goals, showcasing his playmaking abilities. It's the kind of teamwork we've been emphasizing, and it paid off brilliantly today."

Reporter: "The defense held strong, denying Captina Island any opportunity to stage a comeback. How do you assess the team's defensive performance?"

Ståle Ruen: "Our defense was rock solid today. We knew Captina Island would come at us aggressively, especially after going down early, but our defenders remained composed and focused. The tactical discipline was evident throughout the match, denying them any real chances. Credit to the entire defensive unit and, of course, our goalkeeper for maintaining a clean sheet."

Reporter: "Looking ahead in the Copa Rushmori, how does this victory impact the team's mindset and aspirations for the tournament?"

Ståle Ruen: "This win is a significant morale booster for the team. It shows that we can compete at the highest level and overcome tough opponents. We'll take it one match at a time, but this victory certainly instills confidence as we continue our journey in the Copa Rushmori. The players are hungry, and we're determined to make our mark in this tournament."

Reporter: "Thank you, Assistant Manager Ruen, and congratulations on the victory. Best of luck in the upcoming matches."

Ståle Ruen: "Thank you, appreciate it. We'll keep working hard and aiming for success in the Copa Rushmori."

by **Cassadaigua** » Fri Jan 26, 2024 12:14 pm

What is wrong with Cassadagan Soccer, and can we fix it?
By Caitlyn Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

Let me begin this article by saying that there is no shame in losing to either Darmen or Mytanija. Both have great national soccer programs, and both are capable of making a deep run in the Copa Rushmori if not win the whole thing outright. This question that I will be handling isn’t really about them, specifically. It is about Cassadaigua. It is about the apparent decline in this program and the inability to win big games any more. Yes, Mytanija and Darmen are good teams, but why does it seem, now, that we just always fall on our faces in games like this? If we’re trying to figure out when this started, maybe you could look at the last Copa Rushmori. Maybe it goes it back even further, or maybe it began with the classification phase of World Cup 95? We’re not talking about what happened in World Cup 95B, but we still know what happened. Cassadaigua did not get results. Something is wrong. Something is very, very wrong. But, what is it exactly?

Are we not sacrificing enough rubber chickens to higher powers? If so, we’re sorry. Are we not covering the games adequately anymore? Well, I don’t think so, the coverage has been there and perhaps there are those that provide dramatically better coverage, but I feel we do a good job here at the Concord Heights Times. Do we need to start writing novels that have nothing to do with the sports competition? Jump into politics? Conquer more land north of the Cooper River? These are silly scenarios, because the answer is on the pitch, right? Do we not have the right players out there? We have graduated players that won championships in RTC 18 and/or 19, and many of them are playing on the national team. Our defense has veterans with two of them being part of the now two-time defending champions from Starksville Coastal. Who’s better? Who should be on this roster right now that did not otherwise opt out? We seem to have all the pieces there. This is the best team that Chen Huikang can put together, we saw that in the last World Cup cycle, and here it is again. Why can they not get the results? You can look at all of the analytics about the games, and the team does not lose by much when they do. Usually, it is by one goal, so we are missing that spark, I guess you could say, of pulling out close games. We had a lot of draws in the last cycle, and that’s why we did not get into the primary World Cup grouping.

Is this really a Chen Huikang problem? When a team seems to be there in personnel, in health, and in ability, but they do not get the resutls, then you have to look at the decisions that are made in-game. Chen made a great impression here to start off, but is he too comfortable now? Should we look at the performance of Yuezhou under Elaine Ashdown in the last classification phase as her doing something that Chen Huikang couldn’t? When Chen is asked questions like this, the answers are often along the lines of believing in the people and that we can turn things around. The sound bytes are usually good, but we are still looking for results. Perhaps we can look at the World Baseball Classic after the resignation of Maddie Polanco following the 52nd edition. Cassadaigua was then awful in that tournament for two editions before a resurgence in Drawkland, making the semifinals, in what was the first Classic for manager Allyson McIntosh. Allyson managed the North Granby Bobcats, well she still does, and she was most well known for getting a team of players to play above their heads and get better results then you think they would ordinarily. Under McIntosh, the Fillies have been terrific! Who is a McIntosh equivalent in the CSL? Jessica Tolson with Victoriaville South End? Too bad CASE has burned a bridge there, isn’t it? Maybe Brooke Sutter, of Starksville Coastal should get the chance, if she wanted it.

But, that assumes this is a Chen Huikang problem? Are people like Lexi McGregor, Lauren Engle, and Chrissy Engle just not big game players? Based on how they play in the CSL, I just don’t think that’s a problem?

If you can’t find the problem, then the sacrificial lamb will always be the manager. Chen Huikang got off to a good start here, but that can only take you so far. He has three games left in the Copa Rushmori to get this right. Or he might not make it to World Cup 96. Better get that rubber chicken sacrificing going!

by **Mytanija** » Fri Jan 26, 2024 7:39 pm

MYTANIJA 2-1 CASSADAIGUA

MYT: Prosev-Prlicko 27’, Gjuricik 39’

MYT: 1. Vasilevski; 2. Beganovic (sub. Klanac 84’), 3. F. Mlinarevic, 4. Mbala-Ekakia (c), 5. Gjuricik; 6. Issatsenko (sub. Atsev 72’); 7. Stanoev (sub. Deliivanov 72’), 8. Prosev-Prlicko (sub. Saksida 72’); 10. Ovsyannikov (sub. Mujezinovic 72’); 9. Seslar, 11. Papic-Papratovic

HOOPS DOWN DAGANS
MAD TEN MINUTES NEARLY SEES MYTANIJA DROP POINTS

by Nevenka Planinc

A strong showing from Mytanija was nearly undone by ten minutes of madness at the end of their 2-1 victory over Cassadaigua. Two first-half goals, one from Pere Prosev-Prlicko and the second from Antonij Gjuricik – both debutants for the Copa Rushmori – put the Hoops into a good position in a match which many had earmarked as a potential decider for top spot in the group. However, a period at the end of the match which starkly demonstrated the lack of experience in this Mytanija side allowed Cassadaigua to threaten a comeback. The Dagans pulled one back through Lexi McGregor, and Alekso Vasilevski was required to prevent the striker from getting the equaliser in the sixth minute of injury time in a helter-skelter match.

“We knew coming into the tournament that there would be a chance that we would have these sorts of matches.” Ivica Svok admitted at full-time. “Part of the reason we picked this squad was to get younger players vital tournament experience, players we think can win us this tournament, but players who we think can have a long future with the national team too. We want to avoid players being overawed by these big matches when we get to them in the future, we’ve struggled at times under the spotlight in recent years – good at getting out of playoffs and games of that nature, but not at the World Cup or in the latter stages of the Copa. Hopefully this experience can help to change that.”

Svok had a number of experienced players in the line-up to help those with less international minutes get through the toughest moments. Bigger Mbala-Ekakia marshalled the defence, Filip Mlinarevic put in an assured performance alongside him, Gavril Atsev came on to provide a bit of control at the base of the midfield and Aljoz Seslar and Goran Papic-Papratovic – not the most experienced in terms of caps but two of the more experienced players at international level in this rather green selection – worked hard up front to hassle the Dagan defenders. It wasn’t always pretty, though Mytanija were very good in the first-half in particular, but it got the job done and the victory means that Mytanija remain level with Darmen and the Gatchingerrak Union at the top of the group – all three teams winning both their matches thus far.

The Hoops started fast, looking to get the ball forward at every opportunity in a manner which was completely different to the more methodical approach employed against Brannfjord in the group opener. Passes were fired into Ovsi whenever possible, longer passes were sent into the channels for Goran Papic-Papratovic to work hard after. Stoja Stanoev was freed up to operate higher in an attempt to force the Cassadaigua defence and midfield deeper to create space across the pitch and it worked. Stanoev and Ovsyannikov picked up the ball in dangerous positions on a number of occasions, chances for Seslar and Beganovic both drawing good saves, but Mytanija continued to push and eventually the pressure told.

Eduard Issatsenko does a lot of dirty work for little acclaim, both for his club side Liria Prizren and in the small number of appearances he has made for the national team. His tackle in the centre of the pitch prompted the sweeping move from which the Hoops opened the scoring. Issatsenko moved the ball on to Pere Prosev-Prlicko and the half-Farfish midfielder instantly played a pass around the corner for Ovsyannikov. The Atletik playmaker cleverly received the ball on the back foot and turned quickly, instantly looking for Idris Beganovic out on the left flank and finding him with a searching pass as the full-back hared forwards. Mytanija were pushing bodies forward and aggressive runs into the box from Seslar and Papic-Papratovic caused Cassadaigua to vacate the space at the edge of the penalty area. Ovsyannikov’s run towards the near post caused further distraction and Beganovic played a longer pass into the feet of the onrushing Prosev-Prlicko, who hit the ball first time and satisfyingly nestled his shot in the back of the net. A fine goal.

Mytanija were well on top and Ivica Svok could be seen telling his players to concentrate immediately after scoring, but he almost didn’t need to. As soon as the whistle went to restart the Mytanar press pinned Cassadaigua in and the Hoops were straight back into their rhythm. Prosev-Prlicko and Stanoev were pulling the strings, Ovsyannikov wasn’t touching the ball as often as he would like but his sheer presence seemed to be causing the Dagans issues. The Mytanar midfield was working like a well-oiled machine, but in the end it was the left-back who seemed to cause Cassadaigua the fatal issue. Beganovic’s position when Mytanija had the ball, stationed high up the left-wing, seemed to be particularly troublesome and he was brutally effective when the ball was worked out to him.

The second was teed up by the 1923 Esca left-back, this time found with a lovely through ball by Stoja Stanoev and his low cross met by his fellow fullback Antonij Gjuricik at the back post. Gjuricik almost couldn’t believe the fact that he had scored himself, celebrating open-mouthed and shaking his head whilst holding his hands to his temples. Svok laughed after the match: “Antonij usually gets nose bleeds when he finds himself that high up the pitch. It was a tactical choice, though, as we felt like we could hurt them by allowing him to make runs forward and telling Eduard [Issatsenko] to drop into defence to form a back three. That meant we still had the security at the back but also had a runner at the back post. It was fantastic that Idris could find him.”

Svok’s team continued to dominate possession and chances into the second-half, but gradually Cassadaigua fought their way back into proceedings and began to create dangerous chances themselves, as you would expect from one of the finest nations in the sport. McGregor was a handful even for the experienced Mbala-Ekakia and Svok made some changes to move towards a 5-3-2 for the final quarter of the game. Lukas Klanac also came on for Idris Beganovic in the final ten minutes, Beganovic was almost completely exhausted and appeared to struggle to walk off the pitch. Klanac, a right-back at club level, was on his ‘wrong side’ and Cassadaigua ruthlessly targeted this by getting the ball out there at every opportunity. They pulled one back via this exact route, getting one versus one against Klanac before whipping a cross in for McGregor to poke home.

That made the last five and injury time especially tricky, similar to the game against Brannfjord, but Mytanija managed to hold out and it ensures they remain right in the thick of the battle for the top two positions alongside Gatchingerrak Union and Darmen.
“We need to stop conceding these late goals, man.” Mbala-Ekakia smiled ruefully after the game. “I’m getting too old for these matches which go right down to the wire. We need to help ourselves and see the games out with minimal fuss, but I think it’s a good experience for some of the lads who haven’t played too many international games to go through the difficult moments. Selfishly I’d just like to avoid them and get out of there unscathed!”

Mytanija’s third group game comes against Gatchingerrak Union and could prove a vital match in deciding the fate of the group. One of the two, or even both, will drop points. The Darmenis will watch with interest. Svok will want his players to take what they’ve done in the first three-quarters of their first two matches and replicate it for a full 90 minutes. If they can do that then Mytanija could well find themselves in the driving seat.

by **Tikariot** » Fri Jan 26, 2024 9:30 pm

-- The Copa Rushmori 45 is covered by Yarinda Parrish --

We are two matches into the 45 edition of the Copa Rushmori and so far Brian McAllister's plan with foregoing some of the bigger names of Tikariotian football to harness the strengths of players in the moment regardless of their international experience seems to be working out, with two wins under our belt with a 2-1 over the Northern Natanians and a slim 1-0 victory over Elmyia. Next up, they will face Norrhem, who currently occupy second position in the table.

What we want to take a look at right now however, is the topic of dual nationals in the Tikariot Premier League, and also their influence on the national team. In recent years, an increasing number of dual citizens have made their debuts in the TPL and a surprising number of them have received national team call-ups in recent years. With it having been a bone of contention for some critics that view the rise as a political question, let's leave politics where they should be, outside of sports, and have a look at the players.

As one would imagine, the number of players holding the citizenship of another Rushmori nations are in the majority, with some notable exceptions. Likely due to Tikariot's historic status as a merchant nation, citizens of many different countries have settled down in Tikariot and mingled with the local population. Through time, some of the children developed into professional footballers and attracted the attention of Tikariot Premier League teams.

Currently, there are 66 Tikariotian dual nationals active in the TPL and the honour of holding the largest number of duals goes to Græntfjall, with 10 players, followed by Astograth with 8, Nephara and Cabo Azure with 6 each and Mytanija with 5 players in the TPL.

When it comes to which nations players have declared themselves as players of, there are some interesting trends, with mostly dual citizens of Cardenao and Huayramarca, coincidentally both in Anaia, having opted for these countries' national teams, while most notable Nepharim players choosing to represent Tikariot. Overall, 11 dual nationals have been capped for Tikariot, with Arkamaan Annika Nurmsalu, Astograthian Sayurtegi Legarretaechebarria, Cobre Sérigne Ayanbadejo, Covergnais François Dagenais, Nepharan Tanis Hemingway and Adelaide Caitliff, Valhallan Sakari Vainionpää, Ravnheimar Sondre Fosnæss-Tokstad, Steinskogurians Bjarnólfur Aðalsteinsson and Þuriður Hrefna and Savojar Magdalena von Yxkull.

While some view this as a sign of political division, others hail it as the exact opposite. We see them as outstanding professional footballers that play for Tikariot, regardless of their heritage.

by **Polar Islandstates** » Sat Jan 27, 2024 12:35 am

SOUR CHERRIES
Volume Two; Chapter 7
vii.Marta
Volume One
i.Alexsandr - ii.Jasmine - iii.Stina - iiii.Federico - v.Jos - vi.Silas - vii.Marta - viii.Filip – ix.Sebastian - x.Ingeborg - xi.Aino - xii.The Twelfth
Volume Three
** ** ** ** **

Shuffling in her tunic ever so slightly, Marta Solheim gave a nervous wave to the assembled associates. Alexsandr looked around as they all returned a little wave back again. Written on their collected faces he could see the same emotions and realisations he was coming to. The appearance of Silas had kicked Jasmine’s little pep talk into overdrive. It was clear now that, having added him to the chemical reaction, there were events that could no longer be undone. They’d added a catalyst to the formula.

Little by little, he had to admit, things were coming together. He hadn’t gone into the Ocean Café that afternoon with the intention of forming a band of revolutionaries, but fate seemed to have other ideas. Each new character that was brought to their sticky metal table by whatever reason was responsible for adding another string to the bow that all good uprisings need in their arsenal. Whatever it was that was bringing them together, he was beginning to think he needed to just accept it and go with the flow.

Outside in the distance he could hear a goose honking as the retired recruiter began introducing herself.

“Er, yeah, hi everyone, I suppose? I don’t know what Si here has been telling you,” she said quietly, looking up awkwardly at the grinning politician, “but I’m Marta. This is my café.”

“Bought it off my parents years back didn’t you,” beamed Silas, “and always has a warm smile and a hot cup of delicious coffee for me whenever I come to visit, which is never often enough!”

Alexsandr looked down at his cup of... something definitely not recognisable as coffee, and once again was forced to appreciate the gift that Silas had of making people feel accepted and useful.

“Yes, yes, that’s right. This was supposed to be my retirement nest egg,” Marta smiled, “something to do once I left the Navy, you know? Keep me busy for a few years and then sell it on to live my remaining years in the hills of my beloved Luwhel-Besny. At least, that was the plan.”

“Was?” enquired Jasmine, her journalist’s nose forcing her to dig deeper at all times.

“Well, turns out running a café is more work than I thought it would be,” chuckled Marta. “and five years after I thought I’d be shot of the place and halfway to the Hasparran Delta already, here I still am.”

“Ah, but, you love it don’t you,” prodded Silas, putting an arm back around her shoulder and giving her a little playful shake.

“Okay, well, a bit,” agreed Marta, sheepishly, “it also turned out I missed the cut and thrust of the military a bit more than I thought I would too. Missed the routine of things, you know?”

Alexsandr looked the small woman up and down. She was considerably younger than he was, but very short for a Polarian, and no matter how many years removed from active service she may have been, he found it incredibly hard to imagine her in a position of any authority in the Navy.

The Federal Polarian Navy acted as the entire armed services of the Federation; the air force was connected through as an airborne division of the service, connected heavily to the helicopters or the coast guard and border police, who again were non-armed wings of the navy, whilst the harbour guard and marines offered land-based services as yet another command structure under the navy’s umbrella. Even specialist units like the Grenlund Cavalry were run through the navy power structure, and it was still the biggest employer across the entire Federation, and would likely remain so for as long as the individual state health services were considered separate. Individual states all had their own land-based guards, but with the exception of the Scotians, who were frequently deployed in East Külmsaar instead of the Federal Navy for hopefully obvious reasons, they were not much more than ceremonial, and famous old seafaring units like the Kuril Korsairs had long since been adopted into the Federal Navy.

As the biggest employer, there were plenty of different people working there, Alexsandr knew that of course. His own cousin had worked for the Navy his entire life and never picked up so much as a pistol, but all the same, it was hard to imagine this old woman wiping her greasy hands on an apron as someone who had ever commanded anything more than a misbehaving dishwasher. Although her presence did at least explain the plethora of pictures of old military units that decorated the walls. They must have been her old squads.

Silas caught Alexsandr’s eye, and evidently spotting the same thought process in a couple of the others, spoke up; “Don’t be fooled, ladies and gents, Marta is exactly who we need on board. Tell them, Marta: what did you do in the Navy?”

“Oh, erm, well, I was a recruitment officer, officially,” she smiled.

“So like, leaflets and high school careers days?” asked Stina with a nod, seeing how that kind of grassroots knowledge could be useful.

“Originally, sure,” answered Marta, “but I soon moved up the pile. Before too long I was the one conducting interviews, sending the best off to training camps, and then after that I was promoted to allocating the right troops to the right units.”

“Oh, so, like picking teams?” said Jos.

“Yes and no. A bit.” Said Marta, “I guess, if that’s the easiest analogy.”

The group round the table looked at Silas, who simply smiled in response, and then gave Marta a little shake to encourage her to continue.

“Or, well, I suppose the reason Silas dragged me over is because, whatever it was I started out doing, by the time I retired I was doing the same but for the officers. You know,” she shrugged, “putting the right people in charge of the right teams, in the right places, at the right times...”

“...and?” smiled Silas.

“And... and a lot of them still pop in to see me. From time to time, I guess.” Continued Marta.

Jasmine nodded with increasing speed, catching on. “So you’ve got a network of officers in the Navy who you see with relative frequency?”

“Well it’s a regular stopping off point, Bjarnarey, isn’t it? I mean,” continued Marta, “it’s not Aasiaat, obviously, but they come to see me when they can, yes.”

“’Come to see you’ is putting it very modestly,” grinned Silas, “she’s got the ear of these guys. She put them where they needed to be, and she was bloody good at it too. IT might not look like much, but I guarantee you this is the safest café in Bjarnarey. All of Norscelt, probably. Anyone would be an idiot to try anything here, because they’d had half the battlegroup admirals in the entire navy out for their blood if they hurt little Marta, here.”

“I wouldn’t have thought promotions in the navy were done in such a commercial way,” said Stina, slightly confused, “that sounds a lot like how headhunters work in my world. Is it not done on a more... I don’t know, ‘military’ basis?”

“At the lower ranks, certainly,” answered Marta, “but you’d be surprised at the top levels. There would have been no point at all in some of the promotions I was urged to consider. So, instead, I made sure there were good people in charge of good units, and left the bad apples to squabble amongst themselves over jobs I knew would never put them in positions of real influence. They’ve always sent me pictures and updates of what they’ve been up to over the years, too. It’s nice to keep in touch, I always say.”

“In other words,” smiled Silas, “if we need people in the Navy to ‘not act’ when we need them to, Marta here has a essentially got a little black book of people who will park their aircraft carrier exactly where she wants them to and then forget the keys in their other tunic. If you catch my drift.”

“You don’t park boats, Silas,” snapped Marta, suddenly showing Alexsandr exactly what he’d needed to believe she was capable of what Silas was saying, “and anyway, what are you talking about?”

“Oh, was I not clear? Sorry; getting rid of Lund. And The Party.”

They all looked at Marta for her reaction, but had barely focused their eyes on her before her instant response.

“Well, it’s about time. Abhorrent human. Whatever happened to the free nation of my youth? It destroys me, Silas. The Navy took all my best years, and then just when I think I’ll be able to settle down somewhere foreign and warmer, The bloody Party take that right away from me as well. So, it’s bye-bye to Luwhel-Besny.”

“Yeah I did wonder about that,” said Federico, thinking about the tiny little collection of islands off the coast of Mertagne, “why Luwhel-Besny?”

“Well there’s a history there isn’t there, and we visited the place on my first and only tour. I fell in love with the place, and always swore I’d return,” smiled Marta distantly, “alas.”

“I thought The Party had restore the right to live and work abroad?” asked Stina.

“Not if you know as much as I know about the Federal Navy, apparently,” spat Marta bitterly, “so they can go jump off a cliff for all I care. No. I’ll happily help in whatever way I can. Like I say, I’ve missed being a bit more active, anyhow. The leaders of one of the training camps were supposed to be coming through here today, in fact,” she said, “they’ve rescheduled for tomorrow before they leave after I told them I was booked out, but I can speak to them tomorrow by all means. Ask them to consider the nature of who they’re accepting, that sort of thing. There’s already plenty of dissent apparently...”

“Booked out?” asked Jos, looking around the almost empty café slightly confused.

“Originally, sure,” shrugged Marta, “got a booking through ages ago. Said they were going to be holding a meeting here and would I kindly block book the place. Well I said I don’t normally do that sort of thing obviously but they were insistent they’d pay handsomely so, that’s what I did. Ordered an extra scarf and everything but then nobody bloody turned up did they. I knew the game was up when that lad over there was the first in, took his coat off, and he wasn’t wearing anything maroon and navy at all.”

They all looked over in the direction Marta was pointing, at a slightly startled middle-aged gentleman in a green and orange scarf who was now acutely aware of a room full of people looking at him.

“Sorry, ‘extra scarf’? What are you talking about, Marta?” asked Silas.

“Something to do with my little ‘museum’, apparently,” she answered, nodding in the direction of the collection of photos and football scarves, “I know I’m in Hove technically but Hoyer is only a couple of canals away, and the Internasjonal fans come through here from time to time on their to and from games. I leaned into it and made them a little display, thinking it might make them feel at home. Anyway, you know what the Internasjonal lot are like; they always used to drag foreigners along for games, and since the borders raised, they’ve started doing it again. So, when the man from Tikariot called I didn’t think anything of it.”

“Tikariot?”

“Said he was the leader of the Viljallans SC Valhallan Supporters Club.”

“Viljallans?” asked Alexsandr, none the wiser.

“Well that’s what I said as well, but apparently it’s a diaspora team of Valhallans in Tikariot,” answered Marta, “that’s their scarf there.”

Alexsandr looked over, and sure enough, amongst the scarves of what looked like all the clubs in Bjarnarey was proudly handing a half maroon and half navy effort, displaying a badge that he’d never seen before.

“They’re based in Fort Viljan, apparently,” continued Marta, “but, I don’t know. Nobody turned up. So there I was, sitting in an empty café and cursing myself for not taking money in advance, and just when I was thinking about going outside to take down the sign, in walks this guy. And he was clearly nothing to do with it, so I gave up.”

‘This guy’ had by now gotten curious about why he was being talked about, and had walked over to the table to see what was going on...

** ** ** ** **
Volume Three
i.Alexsandr - ii.Jasmine - iii.Stina - iiii.Federico - v.Jos - vi.Silas - vii.Marta - viii.Filip – ix.Sebastian - x.Ingeborg - xi.Aino - xii.The Twelfth
Volume One

by **Kirungabi** » Sat Jan 27, 2024 12:40 am

Why I Left the Kirungan Development Front
A reader submission from former Minister of the Economy Ukuri Muganza

As an avid reader of Kwibohora for many years (even during the Civil War, when the publication rightfully covered the rebel war effort, and laid bare the increasingly evident corruption and repression that characterized the People's Party of Kirungabi), it was not a matter I had to ponder for too long when the brave editor of this paper contacted me to see if I had anything I would like to share about my experience in the government of Kirungabi. Of course, I said yes: for as long as Kwibohora is allowed to trade in the streets of Imisozi, and for as long as the hearts of the brave Kirungans behind this publication still beat, it's almost a mandate that people like me — who have seen the reality of Kirungabi from inside — have the courage to bring it to light.

As most readers will know, I was drafted into the government in 2005 by President Uburiganya himself. We had not interacted before, but somebody among the middle-ranks of the Kirungabi-Barebare Liberation Front had introduced him to my name (who, exactly, I'm unsure. During the civil war, many expats and refugees such as myself formed close-knit communities abroad. Still, our longing for our country remained, and once the rebels' effort began to build momentum, many Barebare opted to return to the country covertly to join in the war. The Kirungan community in Tikariot, where I was fortunate to settle, was decently sized, but most importantly, was also fiercely patriotic. Many colleagues and friends of mine opted to return to Kirungabi), and assured him that I had been an exemplary student in my Economics degree at the Carathyr Institute of Economics and Finance.

My appointment as part of Uburiganya's cabinet was a rarity; I found myself surrounded by KBLF generals, colonels, and admirals managing Education, Infrastructure, Health and Wellbeing, and many other ministries and secretariats. I seldom came across civilian appointees like me, but even despite those humming alarms, I chose to believe in Uburiganya and the Kirungabi Development Front (which is nothing more than a refreshed, politically-organized spoof of the militia). As someone who'd lost everything and everyone in the war (except for my mother, with whom I emigrated, and who died shortly before I finished my degree), there was nothing that brought me more pride than to be at the forefront of such an elemental office as the Ministry of the Economy — and no less, during the most crucial development stage of the planned city of Ville Amahoro in the sparsely-populated south-east of the country.

My tenure began successfully, as we saw a reduction in our trade deficit that enabled us to funnel resources over to the VIlle Amahoro planned city project (overseen by the Kirungabi Itangira Guhera "development" program — over which the FIrst Lady has an iron-tight grip and determinant index finger). I was present at the inauguration of the city, and later, in 2010, at the grand opening of the white-elephant Kirungabi Itangira Guhera Olympic Park. Kirungabi was growing, paving roads, lighting homes, moving trucks and vessels and airplanes, developing novel ways to take advantage of our natural resources and achieving cheap, sustainable development. Almost everything was alright. In 2012, President Uburiganya decided to create the office of the Prime Minister, who would fill in the non-existent second-in-line position and hold power over the entire cabinet of ministers, as a secretary of the President, in a way. The man put to the task was Theophile Sendashonga, a KBLF officer unknown, personally, to many of us among the cabinet, but who was very close to the President during their time in the civil war. Of course, we embraced Sendashonga's appointment with open arms, as we did with many things that the President decided. Soon afterwards, though, the surveillance began.

The appointment of Sendashonga, as time went on, seemed less a gesture of institutionalism (from a government which does not allow political parties to run without the approval of the KDF) and more as a way to delegate the President's duties of keeping an eye on his allies. The more I interacted with the President as time went on, try as I might, the more reserved he became. As most readers have seen, rarely does the cabinet of ministers in Kirungabi get a reshuffle. Some believe it's a decision taken by the President to avoid whistleblowers, or disgruntled declarations to the press from ministers released of their duties. Certainly, one can see the point in it: but if his given name is any indication, what should he have to fear?

The surveillance carried out after the appointment of Sendashonga — by who, I'm unaware — was not subtle enough to remain a figment of my (or our, if I speak for my colleagues) imagination. For the first time in my life, I was followed home by men and women in hastily-hidden uniforms. I stumbled across cameras, and innocent visitors to my dispatch wearing gaudy pins or brandishing ostentatious pens which certainly must have hidden microphones. Most harrowing of all, though, was not the methods themselves: it was how much it changed in frequency when I met with Fupi.

Of all the refugees I met back in Tikariot, the large majority were Barebare, and among them were many of those who returned to battle in the civil war. Those who didn't return, however, became close friends with the small number of Fupi Kirungans which were part of the community as well. Not all Fupi were refugees of the civil war; most of them were, but some had even fled before the time of the People's Republic. Upon my return to Kirungabi, I of course stayed in touch with my Fupi friends and their families, and I would often visit them in and around Imisozi. And every time — every single time — I met with Fupi friends, the surveillance increased.

Certainly, this situation brought a great deal of stress upon me, but most importantly, it began to open my eyes. As MInister of the Economy, I had worked very closely with the Kirungabi Itangira Guhera development program throughout my tenure, and moreso with First Lady Musabyimana in particular. The program was a Barebare reparation program from the beginning, no matter how "widespread" the papers tried to make it seem. But as the program began to expand beyond housing and healthcare, including education, culture, and sports under its wing, the discrimination against Fupi became apparent. Talented, prodigious Fupi were denied of their chances at scoring the best scholarships and most prestigious KIG programs in favor of Barebare children and teens, especially those linked to a displacement camp (or, even better, related to a soldier of the KBLF). It was with this combination of factors that the true intentions of Innocent and Musabyimana Uburiganya made themselves clear to me. It's easy to fall for the grand speeches, colorful banners, and catchy political pop songs the KDF promotes — how could we possibly not owe our lives to the heroic President Uburiganya, and the Kirungabi Barbare Liberation Front, who ended the genocide and brought peace and prosperity to Kirungabi?

My departure from the cabinet was acrimonious. Increased spending demanded by the First Lady put a strain on our balances — along with the "filtrations" of capital dumped into Gusohora after the Entener/QSEX joint venture deal was sealed — and the first thing the Prime Minister did in his reports back to the President was to lay the blame on me. There was no back-and-forth between me and the ruling couple. The surveillance became inescapable; the looks I received in my dispatch became glares. Suddenly, the rising prices and slowing economy had a face, and it was mine. There was little else I could do but resign from my position, and escape the country before it was too late.

A stray football smacked against the outstretched hands of the Kirungan fans spilling all over and around Moses Bakungu. He frowned harder — already pursing his lips at the hubris he'd been reading — hunching his shoulders up and dropping his face, as elbows grazed his cheeks and knees brushed against his back. Peeking from a gap under the giant Kirungan flag poured over the grandstand, he tried to eke a glance at the pitch below to gather some context clues. The cheers in the grandstand began to build; under the lower right corner of the flag, one of Kirungabi's players — it looked like Umuku Nzafashwanimana — prepared to take a corner kick.

He groaned. He didn't care about football — and hardly cared about motorsport, either. Moses was, behind the facade of a Kirungabi Itangira Guhera observer and support group, on nothing else but a mission from his uncle Jonathan, himself assuredly on a mission from First Lady Musabyimana Uburiganya. The corrupt idiot of Ukuri Muganza had taken all the care in the world to cover his tracks on his way out of Kirungabi (even presumably flying out on a Karditani tin-can), but hadn't once come up with using a VPN. Moses' mission was simply to seek out Muganza wherever he was in Græntfjall and relay the information back to Imisozi. SImple enough, except, by the sound of it, Muganza still had a sliver of smarts in him to have realized he was being tracked — and to believe his life could be at risk. The stadium on Moses' side erupted into fervent, crazed cheers and sing-song chants, the entire grandstands trembling under his feet, but whoever had just scored for Kirungabi was at the very back of his swirling, machinating mind.

by **Qusmo** » Sat Jan 27, 2024 12:46 am

Qusmo returns to international sport

After a long absence, Qusma football has finally returned to the world stage. Qusmo will redebut in Græntfjall at Copa Rushmori XLV. The team will be represented by no players who actually play in Qusmo — understandable, given the events that precipitated the withdrawal of Qusma football in the first place. Instead, twenty-five players from nineteen clubs in fourteen leagues will don the red & gold of a country they may not have actually stepped foot in for more than a decade. Eleven players on Qusmo’s roster are eligible for other national teams, and its most experienced international player won all her caps for Nephara. In fact, only one Qusmi on this roster has ever previously won a cap for Qusmo: Yoltz-Jonto Cel, who will play their first competitive international fixture sixteen years after appearing in friendlies against Saltstead and Banija around the World Cup 83 Qualifying campaign.

Countless Qusma footballing careers have been hollowed out, changed forever, or erased as a result of the Collapse. Even worse, countless lives of Qusmi’y have been, too. But Qusmo is welcoming a new dawn — and the football team which represents it will carry the light of hope for a new, better, more peaceful day.

N°   Ps   Name              Age   Club                                Notes
GK    1   Oxolt-Ulutu Nev    29   Norreborg 59 (CNR)                  
GK   12   Karar-Falax Zev    33   Northern Union (BRE)                UICA Youth Cup 25 champion with Atlov Juzuna (QUS)
GK   25   Relaf-Zorno Jyx    29   Sanford Der Berg PREMIER FK (ZRH)   
CB    2   Ida Sevet-Stokes   31   AFC Corvistone (NPH)                14 previous caps for Nephara
CB    3   Ibilx-Irtix Ono    35   Northern Union (BRE)                UICA Youth Cup 25 champion with Atlov Juzuna (QUS)
CB    4   Rilan-Paliv Abe    29   Dalaris City (PFA)                  
CB   13   Zaxac-Fenaz Pec    34   Emerald Coast (SRS)                 Also eligible for Squornshelan Remnant States
LB   15   Xelez-Matez Wek    19   KFX Halazem (SRS)                   Also eligible for Squornshelan Remnant States
LB   20   Otoln-Prant Ezi    34   Northern Union (BRE)                UICA Youth Cup 25 champion with Atlov Juzuna (QUS)
RB   16   Ash Betva          28   AFC Corvistone (NPH)                Also eligible for Nephara
RB   21   Lynul-Sevet Pul    22   Occidental Olympic (EXT)            
DM    5   Intov-Gelan Nun    29   Ituraitz Victory (ASG)              
DM   17   Belaj-Trenj Marko  17   La + Querida (FFD)                  Also eligible for Squornshelan Remnant States
CM    6   Jerat-Forzu Mal    29   Sivolvia Capitalizt (SRS)           Also eligible for Squornshelan Remnant States
CM   18   Nirlo-Nirlo Bel    28   Union Port-la-Ville (PTR)           
CM   14   Wanar-Xalan Tla    22   Golden Unicorn (EXT)                
CM   24   Cralt-Zorno Inu    29   Association Ariddienne (KSK)        
CM        Sevet-Ibilx Kai    26   Brantisvogan (SRS)                  52 previous caps for Squornshelan Remnant States; AOCAF Cup 69 champion with Squornshelan Remnant States; declined call-up for Qusmo
AM    7   Helek-Pertz Zev    28   Megabrantid (SRS)                   Also eligible for Squornshelan Remnant States
AM   19   Ilinx-Winad Bel    25   United Marietta FC (XAN)            
LW   22   Belaj-Rilan Dar    21   KFX Halazem (SRS)                   Also eligible for Squornshelan Remnant States
LW    8   Vanza-Vlont Bel    37   Busukuma Force (BNJ)                
RW   23   Yoltz-Jonto Cel    35   Emerald Coast (SRS)                 2 previous caps for Qusmo (0 goals); UICA Youth Cup 25 champion with Atlov Juzuna (QUS); also eligible for Squornshelan Remnant States
RW    9   Oxolt-Gerol Uzo    35   KFX Halazem (SRS)                   Also eligible for Squornshelan Remnant States
ST   11   Pilta-Oxolt Can    29   Emerald Coast Raiders FC (TKT)      
ST   10   Sevet-Matez Fox    27   Olympia Arkintoofle (SRS)           Also eligible for Squornshelan Remnant States
Manager   Tlanx-Nulzk Hal    74                                       Former manager of KF Qastyr (QUS), Saltstead, Savigliane, and Starblaydia

Tactics
Tlanx-Nulzk will nominate the following players to start for Qusmo’s historic matchday one clash with Captina Island:
Oxolt-Ulutu; Xelez-Matez, Sevet-Stokes, Ibilx-Irtix, Betva; Intov-Gelan, Jerat-Forzu, Helek-Pertz; Belaj-Rilan, Pilta-Oxolt, Yoltz-Jonto

Tlanx-Nulzk’s teams play in a dynamic, aggressive, high-pressing 4-3-3 shape. Historically, the system has been at its best with dynamo centre midfielders who can make a difference in both boxes and everywhere in between, as well as a technically gifted forward line which can create chances for each other or put them away. Fullbacks will not push very high in attack, but Tlanx-Nulzk’s goal is to liberate the rest of his squad to have freedom with the ball.

Kits
The official kit supplier of the Qusma national team is the Starblaydian-based enterprise ediraf. Though many expected Fuzpon Qusma to select uni·q to win the new Qusma national team contract, the federation has opted to equip the team in the same kit in which they competed in World Cups 82 and 83, as a link to Qusma footballing heritage.

Culture
Gender: All people of full Qusma descent are nonbinary and androgynous and use they/them pronouns. Male or female Qusmi’y generally are children of multinational heritage.
Names: For those with traditional Qusma names, family names are followed by given names.
Nomenclature: Qusmo refers to the country of Qusmo, Qusma is an adjective for something that is from or of Qusmo, a Qusmi is a person who is Qusma, Qusmi’y are a group of more than one Qusmi, & Qusmu is the native language of most Qusmi’y.

Competitive record
Qusmo debuted in World Cup 80 Qualifying and qualified for World Cups 82 and 83, but has not played since. They participated in Copas Rushmori XXX through XXXII, the latter of which Qusmo hosted. Qusmo has advanced out of the group stage in every tournament it has played in save for World Cup 83, but it has only won one Copa Rushmori knockout fixture: an octofinal in the tournament it hosted. Qusmo was eliminated in the round of sixteen in its debut Copa Rushmori, and it was eliminated in the quarterfinals of its other two previous appearances.
Competition                    M    W    D    L        P/M    W%    GF   GA    GD
All-Time Record              132   66   25   41       1.69   50%   190  153   +37
Competitive Matches           97   52   18   27       1.79   54%   139   97   +42
Facing Rushmori Opposition    24    9    6    9       1.38   38%    25   28    -3
Copas Rushmori                13    5    4    4       1.46   38%    10    9    +1

Technical details
Style modifier: +2
Permissions: Anything short of godmodding, death, or permanent injury; feel free to DM me to ask or talk about anything

by **Graintfjall** » Sat Jan 27, 2024 1:04 am

Cutoff for MD3.

IFCF note: MD4 will be pushed back 24 hours to give some breathing room around IFCF cutoff

MD4 prompt

Prompts are completely optional and are just there to provide inspiration. You can gain full RP bonus from RPing your own thing.
Græntfjall's team for CR45 is considerably more diverse than it was for CR36, including non-white and non-Christian players, and players of Kamdyr and immigrant heritage. Meanwhile, Græntfjall has just appointed a Prime Minister of immigrant extraction, while the new Leader of the Opposition is non-white. In 18 years Græntfjall has seen demographic trends towards greater diversity of color, creed, and ethnicity, particularly among younger people. Have there been demographic changes in your country in recent years, and to what extent are they reflected in the composition of your national team? Is growing -- or shrinking -- diversity reflected in any other ways?

RP bonus stats

Average RP bonus: 85% of max (not awarded to myself as I was not able to RP)

Group 1
Polar Islandstates 1–4 Zenic
Graintfjall 0–0 Kirungabi scorinated by K0–0ren
Oberour Ar Moro 2–2 Pasarga

  Group 1                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Zenic                                      3   3  0  0   13   4  +9    9
2 Pasarga                                    3   1  2  0    6   3  +3    5
3 Oberour Ar Moro                            3   1  1  1    7   9  −2    4
4 Graintfjall                                3   0  2  1    1   3  −2    2
  Kirungabi                                  3   0  2  1    2   4  −2    2
6 Polar Islandstates                         3   0  1  2    3   9  −6    1

Group 2
Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland 3-2 The Kytler Peninsulae scorinated by Ko-oren
Tikariot 5–2 Norrhem
Northern Natanians 2–5 Elmyia

  Group 2                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Tikariot                                   3   3  0  0    9   3  +6    9
2 Schutzenphalia and West Ruhntuhnkuhnland   3   2  1  0    8   6  +2    7
3 Norrhem                                    3   1  1  1    7   9  −2    4
4 Elmyia                                     3   1  0  2    7   6  +1    3
5 The Kytler Peninsulae                      3   1  0  2    5   6  −1    3
6 Northern Natanians                         3   0  0  3    3   9  −6    0

Group 3
Eura 4–2 Isle Noire
Naixi 2–2 Astograth
Glazgo 3–0 Olastor

  Group 3                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Glazgo                                     3   3  0  0    7   0  +7    9
2 Eura                                       3   2  1  0    7   4  +3    7
3 Naixi                                      3   1  1  1    4   4   0    4
4 Astograth                                  3   0  3  0    4   4   0    3
5 Isle Noire                                 3   0  1  2    2   7  −5    1
6 Olastor                                    3   0  0  3    1   6  −5    0

Group 4
Gatchingerrak Union 0–1 Mytanija
Darmen 2–0 Brannfjord
Cassadaigua 4–3 Savojarna

  Group 4                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Darmen                                     3   3  0  0    8   1  +7    9
2 Mytanija                                   3   3  0  0    5   2  +3    9
3 Gatchingerrak Union                        3   2  0  1    3   1  +2    6
4 Cassadaigua                                3   1  0  2    6   7  −1    3
5 Brannfjord                                 3   0  0  3    1   5  −4    0
6 Savojarna                                  3   0  0  3    3  10  −7    0

Group 5
Cabo Azure 5–2 Rea San Vegas
Qusmo 0–3 Pridnestrovia
Captina Island 2–3 Gnejs

  Group 5                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Gnejs                                      3   2  1  0   10   6  +4    7
2 Rea San Vegas                              3   2  0  1    7   7   0    6
3 Cabo Azure                                 3   1  2  0    8   5  +3    5
4 Pridnestrovia                              3   1  1  1    5   3  +2    4
5 Captina Island                             3   1  0  2    4   6  −2    3
6 Qusmo                                      3   0  0  3    2   9  −7    0

Group 6
Sargossa 1–1 Valladares
Yuezhou 4–0 Eastfield Lodge
Mandhya Pradha 1–3 Southwest Eastnorth

  Group 6                                  Pld   W  D  L   GF  GA  GD  Pts 
1 Southwest Eastnorth                        3   3  0  0    6   1  +5    9
2 Valladares                                 3   1  2  0    2   1  +1    5
3 Sargossa                                   3   1  1  1    4   3  +1    4
4 Mandhya Pradha                             3   1  1  1    2   3  −1    4
5 Yuezhou                                    3   1  0  2    4   2  +2    3
6 Eastfield Lodge                            3   0  0  3    0   8  −8    0

by **Sargossa** » Sun Jan 28, 2024 2:28 am

Copa Rushmori 45

Sargossa - 'The Corsairs'

Head Coach

José Carlos Martínez

Some coaches meld their tactics around the players they have available to them. Some meld the players they have available around their tactics. Martínez tends to do a bit of both, creating a flexible, almost chimeric, tactical blueprint. But one that has been working well in Torreón, where he took Estrella into the global cup competitions with a fourth-place finish two years ago. He followed that up with sixth last campaign, earning plenty of plaudits along the way.

Backroom Staff

Assistant Head Coach: Luciano Velázquez
Defensive Coach: Luis Sánchez
Attacking Coach: Hugo Galán
Set Pieces Coach: Manuel Semprún
Goalkeeping Coach: Dario Almirón
Fitness Coach: Alberto Ocampo
Team Doctor: Dr Carla Segura

Talent

GK: 1. Antonio Reyes (26) – Sportivo Soluca
GK: 13. Imanol Sánchez (31) – Alianza Jucaro
GK: 25. Hilario Barreda (27) – Sportivo Cordova

Antonio Reyes has established himself as the nation’s number one after a second successive domestic title and a strong showing in the Copa Rushmori. Imanol Sánchez remains an experienced backup, while Hilario Barreda receives a first international call-up after being plucked from the El Nacional bench to have a starring role in Cordova.

DR: 2. Adrian Soriano (30) – Ciudad Soluca
DC: 5. Alan Fernández (23) – Sportivo Soluca
DC: 6. Nicolás Riesgo (24) – 1923 Esca (Mytanija)
DL: 3. Antonio Benito (27) – Sportivo Soluca
DRC: 12. Jorge Romero (29) – Sportivo Soluca
DC: 14. Asier Recio (22) – Estrella Torreón
DLC: 19. Iván Alegre (26) – Estrella Torreón
DC: 21: Joaquín Sanz (27) – El Nacional

Nicolás Riesgo remains the first name on the teammate sheet, regardless of the change of coach. The champions look set to be well represented with academy graduate turned defensive stalwart Alan Fernández and late bloomer Jorge Romero, plucked from Dunas Del Sol a year ago, both making their first appearances in the national side. Antonio Benito has made the left sided berth his own, while Joaquín Sanz and new boy Asier Recio look set to battle it out for a position in the centre. Iván Alegre returns to the national team after a long absence.

DMC: 4. Alberto Ribas (27) – Sportivo Soluca
AMRLC: 7. Moisés Garrido (28) – Ciudad Soluca
MC: 8. Enrique González (34) – Ciudad Soluca
AMLC: 11. Dani Azuaga (30) – Dínamo Maturín
AMR: 15. Jhon Rivas (26) – Estrella Torreón
MC: 16. Juan Esteban Collazo (25) – CDSA (Mytanija)
DMC: 18. Fernando Moruga (27) – Energija-Nuklearna (Mytanija)
MC: 22. Elías Pozo (24) – Sportivo Soluca
AMLC: 24. Martín de la Cavallería (27) – Dínamo Maturín

The new coach is faced with a good problem to have, with a trove of riches in the centre of the park. Alberto Ribas is a talented addition to a group that already includes the tireless Juan Esteban Collazo, the battling Fernando Moruga and the mercurial Elías Pozo. The veteran Enrique González remains in the mix too. Jhon Rivas is another new name in the frame, after a highly impressive season for Martínez at Estrella.

FC: 9. Adrian Rodríguez (21) – Sportivo Soluca
FRLC: 10. Pablo Alarcón (32) – El Nacional
FC: 17. Lucas Recoba (28) – El Nacional
FLC: 20. Jesús Blaya (27) – Sportivo Soluca
FC: 23. Rubén López (26) – Estrella Torreón

There is a new sharpshooter in town. To say Adrian Rodríguez’s debut Liga-S was spectacular still wouldn’t entirely do it justice. Thirty-seven starts yielded thirty-seven goals as he fired Sportivo to the title. Making his mere thirty-one strikes last season in a success title defence almost underwhelming. Strong, quick, agile, fearless, he really is the total package. Nine goals behind him in the scorer’s charts sat Pablo Alarcón, whose teammate Lucas Recoba may chaff at no longer being the top dog. The big question is whether the new coach will deploy a front three, which may see Jesús Blaya, who had another excellent domestic season alongside Rodríguez, get a starting berth. Rubén López led the line for Estrella last season, well enough for his former coach to give him a chance.

Style

In Sargossa the three at the back is king, unless you’re José Carlos Martínez. He likes a back three, and tends to use a 3-4-3. But he’s no stranger in keeping a back four in his pocket if necessary. The new coach is also a proponent of his side’s soaking up pressure before hitting the opposition with lightning fast counters. Lightning fast and with a directness that borders on old-fashioned in a world where tika-taka is increasingly the vogue. Set pieces will likely play a key role too. Specialised set piece coaches are much in vogue domestically and Manuel Semprún has been poached from domestic giants Ciudad Soluca to fill the role for the national side.

The Sargossan domestic league is quite a physical league so challenges can often be described as 'uncompromising' and cards are pretty common. Gamesmanship, while not encouraged, is not entirely uncommon. But diving is considered particularly stigmatic so Sargossan players are unlikely to be found doing it.

Style Modifier = (-1.5)

Kit
Courtesy of ediraf

Permissions
If my opponent RP's first they can:
Choose my goalscorers: Please do
Godmod Scoring Events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes (within reason)
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out Yellow cards to my players: Yes
Hand out Red cards to my players: Yes
Godmod Other Events: Yes. Just no killing anyone.

by **Cabo Azure** » Sun Jan 28, 2024 7:41 am

Cabo Azure 5–2 Rea San Vegas
Starting XI: Gomez | Soares, M'Bah-Pinho, Furtado, Branco (c) (goal 19', 53') | Gontijo, Bastos, Florencio | Cardoso (off 67'), Santos (goal 40', off 59'), Mendonca
Subs: Andrade (on 59'), Gouveia (on 67', goal 70')

An old-school Azurean goalfest to rebound after an uninspired performance versus Pridnestrovia and achieve the first win of this Copa. Despite the team's current fourth-place position, its toughest games in the group stage are behind it, and there is no reason to think this team cannot advance deep into the Copa Rushmori with wins against the likes of Qusmo and Captina Island. Amilcar Branco re-opens his scoring account after a long drought at the national level, and Vasco Gouveia scores a characterstic late goal when the outcome of the match was already almost decided.

Projected Starting XI vs. Qusmo: Gomez | Soares, Araujo, Furtado, Branco (c) | Gontijo, Bastos, Florencio | Andrada, Mendonca, Santos

Fire Destroys Lagostim Sugar Mill

LAGOSTIM, CABO AZURE–A fire broke out early Thursday morning at the Usina Acucar Lagostim, the largest producer of raw sugar in Cabo Azure. The fire burned for approximately four hours, destroying much of the plant while the graveyard shift was working. Witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion from inside the plant just after two A.M., and fire trucks arrived on scene around two fifteen. Initial estimates put the number killed at three, and the number of injuries at thirty-two.

Romeo Reyes, president of Usina Acucar, spoke to reporters just after eight A.M., where he said his company was cooperating with safety and arson investigations, but that foul play was not suspected, a statement which was supported by Capitao Silvia Velasquez, captain of the local gendarmerie garrison, who has been tasked with the investigation. Reyes said the plant’s safety features were up to code and that his employees acted in accordance with their training to shut down the process at the first sign of fire and evacuate.

As of noon, it was reported that local Lagostim emergency services and the city’s hospital were overwhelmed; additional medical personnel were transported by helicopter from Queen Isabella Hospital in Sao Simone and from the Coast Guard barracks in Portelo. The Coast Guard cutter Princesa Desdemona was seen docked at Braga, the closest seaport to Lagostim, and was later sailing in the direction of Cenial at full speed.

The UAL plant is one of two major producers of raw sugar in Lagostim, the other being the Dominguez plant, owned by descendants of Venancio Dominguez, the last noble to have sovereignty over the island of Dulce Muerte. Romeo Reyes is the sole proprietor of the plant, having inherited it from his father Martin upon Martin’s death two years ago. Romeo also took over his father’s seat on the governing council of ERCA, the government-sponsored cartel that controls sugarcane production and exporting in Cabo Azure.

–

It took thirty seconds for Dr. Francois Rosenshield, chief of surgery at Queen Isabella Hospital and husband to Princess Alexandra, to understand why the island of Sao Marco had the pervasive nickname of “Dulce Muerte”-- “Sweet Death”. As soon as he stepped off the boat in the village of Braga, he was overpowered with the sickly sweet, overripe smell of bagasse, the sugarcane chaff that formed the fuel for the milling process. Bagasse also powered the barges that carried bastard sugar and molasses from the mills in Lagostim to Braga for refinement into the white powdery product that went into soft drinks and candies throughout Rushmore.

Franck stood at the prow of one of those barges, waiting for it to embark up the Camino Acucar, the long canal that connected Lagostim to the sea and formed the main artery of Dulce Muerte’s interior. The “sugar road” was now complemented by a terrestrial road which paralleled it, one of the few public works projects completed by the previous regime prior to its downfall. Trucks and passenger cars could drive back and forth between Lagostim and Braga now, stopping at a rest area halfway with a view of the impressive lock system that allowed the barges to continue further upstream to Lagostim.

It would have been more convenient to ride in one of the ubiquitous government 4x4s or even hire a taxi to take them the fifty-odd kilometers to Lagostim, but the road had been closed to all but emergency traffic. Franck could argue that a company of doctors and nurses en route to relieve the exhausted staff in Lagostim constituted “emergency traffic”, but his wife, standing by his side, had no desire to play roadside politics, so onto the barge they went. There were too many of them for one 4x4, anyway. Their party numbered eight total. Six were from Queen Isabella–Franck, one of his operating-room techs, a surgical resident, two surgical nurses, two general nurses, and a pediatric nurse–while the last two were private practice: Franck’s wife, Dr. Alex Fonseca, better known to most as Princess Alexandra; and Lupita, one of her nurses. In addition to being the king’s younger sister (though no longer the crown princess since Solveig was vested), Alexandra was a practicing, board-certified gynecologist.

Franck’s phone rang, and he settled into a deck chair to take the call, leaving Alex to lean on the rail, her black eyes staring impatiently into the murky water.

“We’re on the barge,” he told the voice at the other end. “Yes, eight total. Three physicians, five nurses, one OR tech. Dr. Kim and I will be ready to operate as soon as we get there. Yes, that should be fine. Alright, see you then.”

To Alex’s expectant look, he explained:

“That was Dr. Gusmao in Lagostim. He’s got work for all of us as soon as we get there. You should expect to meet with a Dr. Daniel Brendan, one of the third-year residents. He’ll give you the rundown of everything they have on the floor, who’s stable, who needs to be watched–”

Alex interrupted him. “You need me to take signout,” she said, smiling wryly in spite of herself. “It’s been a few years, but I think I can manage that.” Franck smiled, too. They had both done their respective residencies at Farrer University in Montreal, Quebec and Shingoryeo, where night shifts on inpatient units had been a fact of life. Part of those shifts meant receiving the nightly update from the day team–colloquially, “signout.” Neither had taken signout since they became attending physicians, since Franck worked in the operating room and Alex was exclusively outpatient, but they were here to support the local doctors in Lagostim in whatever way they could.

Hearing the conversation, the others from Sao Simone joined Franck and Alex, forming a half-moon in front of them.

“It could be a lot worse,” Franck told them. “They’re almost out of the woods, but they need our help to get there. Makayla, Tommy, they’ve got the OR prepped for us as soon as we arrive, so look alive.” Dr. Makayla Kim, the Quebecois resident in the round-framed glasses, nodding grimly, as did the handsome OR tech. “Ladies,” here he looked at the nurses, “The charge is aware you’re coming. Talk to her and get your assignments.” They nodded.

The group dispersed again, leaving Alex and Franck alone with Makayla, who looked at her preceptor with a question in her eyes.

“They did fine, Mac,” he said, and both Makayla and Alex’s body language changed immediately. “They did really fucking well,” he added.

Much of the initial response to the disaster at the Reyes sugar mill had been managed by Makayla’s peers, a cohort of internal medicine residents from Farrer University in Montreal. Alex had leveraged her sway as princess to slice the red tape for the learners to be able to do rotations in Cabo Azure, where they provided much-needed manpower to the overworked hospital while gaining valued experience. Some years in, the program was constantly beset by those in Quebec who considered it a “vacation” and would rather see the residents at their home institution, earning value. Had the residents been unable to react to the event, there would have been questions to answer back in Quebec, but a successful response would be a feather in the program director’s cap.

by **Rea San Vegas** » Sun Jan 28, 2024 8:28 am

"In a surprising turn of events, Rea San Vegas faced a setback in their Copa Rushmori Group Stage journey, succumbing to a 5-2 defeat against Cabo Azure. The Al RSV Chronicle, always dedicated to capturing the highs and lows of the team, provides an in-depth analysis of the match, exploring the moments that led to the unexpected loss.

Despite the defeat, the spirit of Romeo 'The Bull' Rado continues to fuel the team's determination as they face the reality of the challenge ahead. The Al RSV Chronicle reports on the post-match reactions, with Rado expressing confidence in the team's ability to bounce back in the remaining two crucial games.

The detailed coverage highlights the goals scored by both sides, dissecting the plays that led to Cabo Azure's dominance on the field. Fans are given insights into the tactical adjustments made by the coaching staff and the players' reflections on their performance.

With two more games left in the group stage, Rea San Vegas finds themselves in a critical position to secure qualification for the next round. The Al RSV Chronicle emphasizes the importance of resilience and strategic planning as the team regroups for the upcoming challenges.

The next fixtures will be crucial for Rea San Vegas, and the players are well aware of the significance of each match. The support from the fans remains unwavering, and the anticipation for redemption is palpable in the air. The Al RSV Chronicle, committed to providing comprehensive coverage, promises to keep the readers updated on every twist and turn in Rea San Vegas' journey in the Copa Rushmori.

As the team gears up for the next match, the echoes of Romeo 'The Bull' Rado's legacy continue to resonate, inspiring hope and determination within the Rea San Vegas camp. The road to qualification may be challenging, but with the indomitable spirit of their ex-national guiding them, Rea San Vegas remains poised for a comeback in the Copa Rushmori Group Stage."

Rea San Vegas 2-5 Cabo Azure

Line Up

Match Summary

Stadium: VG Arena [non-commercial name: Maigburg Arena], Waltenberg

Rea San Vegas – 2

Goals:
Gottfried Sigurd (35' minutes, 56' minutes,)

Substitutions:
Luis Mendoza Markus Braun (50' minutes)
Cruz Jens Olve Hilmar (78' minutes)
Wilfried Sascha Miguel López (85' minutes)

Bookings:
None

Cabo Azure – 5
Branco (19' minutes, 53' minutes)
Santos (40' minutes)
Gouveia (70' minutes, 85' minutes)

In a thrilling Copa Rushmori Group Stage encounter between Cabo Azure and Rea San Vegas, fans witnessed a goal fest that left the stadium buzzing with excitement. Cabo Azure emerged victorious with a commanding 5-2 win, showcasing their offensive prowess and leaving Rea San Vegas with a challenging path ahead.

First Half:

10th Minute: Cabo Azure seized the early lead with Branco's clinical precision, breaking through Rea San Vegas' defense and slotting in the opening goal.

28th Minute: Santos showcased exceptional ball control, extending Cabo Azure's lead with a well-timed strike that left the Rea San Vegas goalkeeper helpless.

35th Minute: Rea San Vegas fought back as Gottfried Sigurd netted a crucial goal, injecting hope into the hearts of their supporters.

42nd Minute: Cabo Azure responded swiftly, with Gouveia finding the back of the net, further solidifying their lead.

Second Half:

53rd Minute: Cabo Azure continued their dominance as Branco secured his brace with a powerful shot that left the goalkeeper with no chance.

67th Minute: Gouveia added to Rea San Vegas' woes, scoring his second goal of the match and further widening the gap.

78th Minute: Gottfried Sigurd displayed resilience for Rea San Vegas, converting a well-executed play into his second goal of the game.

Despite the valiant efforts from Rea San Vegas, Cabo Azure sealed the victory with a 5-2 scoreline. The match showcased the offensive prowess of both teams, with Branco, Santos, and Gouveia delivering standout performances for Cabo Azure. Gottfried Sigurd's brace for Rea San Vegas provided moments of celebration for their supporters, but the overall result leaves the team with a challenging task in the remaining group stage fixtures. The road to qualification remains uncertain, but the Copa Rushmori continues to deliver football drama at its finest.

Post Match Interview

Interview with Ármann Éber
Reporter: Good evening, Ármann Éber. Tough loss today against Cabo Azure. How is the team feeling, and what are your thoughts on the performance?

Ármann Éber: Good evening. Naturally, the team is disappointed with the result. We didn't execute our game plan as we would have liked, and Cabo Azure capitalized on our defensive lapses. However, we are a resilient group, and we'll learn from this experience.

Reporter: Two crucial games left against Gnejs and Qusmo. What's the strategy going into these matches to secure qualification?

Ármann Éber: Absolutely. The focus now shifts to our upcoming fixtures. Gnejs and Qusmo are formidable opponents, but we know what's at stake. We need to regroup, address our defensive vulnerabilities, and approach these matches with a renewed sense of determination. Our strategy will involve a mix of disciplined defending and exploiting their weaknesses.

Reporter: Any specific changes or adjustments you plan to make in the lineup or tactics?

Ármann Éber: We'll be evaluating the performance and considering necessary adjustments. It's crucial to strike the right balance between our attacking capabilities and defensive solidity. We have talented players, and we'll leverage their strengths while addressing the areas that need improvement.

Reporter: Lastly, what message do you have for the fans who continue to support Rea San Vegas?

Ármann Éber: To our fans, your support means everything to us. We're facing a challenging moment, but we're in this together. Stick with us, believe in the team, and let's turn things around in the next two matches. The journey is far from over, and we're determined to make you proud. Thank you.

Reporter: Thank you, Coach Éber, and best of luck in the upcoming matches.

Ármann Éber: Thank you. We'll give our all for Rea San Vegas.

by **Elmyia** » Sun Jan 28, 2024 9:39 am

Joe's feet slapped against the pavement. Never the most graceful runner, it sounded like someone hitting a steak with a mallet. He slowed down as he ran alongside the river. The other side of the river is truly a sight to behold, various planning laws and the lack of desire to build bridges over it meant only a smattering of buildings sat alongside it. Mostly a collection of well aged stone buildings, hosting a handful of wealthy families and a couple of tiny bars. Mostly though it was bare fields, rising gently into foothills in the distance, conifers and shrubs swaying gently in the breeze.

He turned back up the main road, this carried him back to his own neighbourhood. Built in the 50s, residential and truly ugly he slowed down and walked two blocks back to his flat. Small piles of rubbish swirled and collected as an eddy disturbed their peace, settling again on the hot asphalt. Back up the stairs to his flat, the heat was already approaching stifling. The heat was making the bins kick off a horrendous smell. Throughout the summer it would get up your nose.

Summer in Beaucester was the worst season to live in the capital. The politicians, academics and financiers of the nation usually decamped elsewhere at this time of year, be it the Victorian grandeur of Sablegaard, or Epvalle with the cooler prevailing winds coming from the east. Those who stayed in Beaucester over the summer tended to go feral. Block parties and long nights followed by days hiding from the sun were the order of the day. But this summer had been even more imperate. Anger had boiled over about the education reforms, mass protests on consecutive days. Joe had felt uneasy, but the storm seemed to have been ridden out. Whilst many were unhappy, their polling had held up. He suspected a lot of people were like him, it wasn't their priority, but they had no great love for their school and so could see a change might be necessary.

He hoped in the shower. Whilst his living room and bedroom were quite neat, the bathroom was not a pleasant place. The only window facing in to an internal opening, it was dark, damp and impossible to clean. The shower enjoyed spluttering between hot and cold. The temperature controls are more a way to make suggestions to the shower. He could feel the grime in the air washing off his skin. He made it brief, got changed and realised he was late. By the time he'd reached the office he was sweatier than he'd been after his run. He exhaled. He'd forgotten his coffee, he already felt sluggish. He wondered why he'd even bothered, sure a couple of aides would be in across the day, but Sophie was off back in Campina doing constituency work. He did not envy her constituency staff, that was no life at all, answering endless complaints about housing and local bickering. Plus, they had to live in Campina, a town lacking in any charms. Bugger this he thought, no would notice if he grabbed a coffee.

He trotted round the corner to the departmental cafeteria. He did wonder where they got the coffee from, it tasted like hot ash. Still, better to get in gear, especially if he was to make a dent in his clarifications to MPs. For all he enjoyed his job, the vast majority of it was writing roughly the same letter on repeat to various representatives. Yes we are working to raise standards. No we can't release extra funding for your local school. No, not even in return for pork barrell spending. He spotted Lara Moretti come in .

"Lara! I thought you were on holiday?"

"Me too. Bloody Kostas called me in to do some extra work, he wants a policy briefing prepared pronto. The bugger."

"How much work do you need to do on it? What's it for?"

She sighed heavily "nothing exciting, they want to do something boring with procuring scrubs. Shouldn't take long, you have much on?"

He finished his coffee, grimacing at the slightly metallic after taste "sweet FA, I feel I should've taken some holiday"

"Drink?"

***

"We'll call it a long lunch, say it's policy learning."

Lara laughed "I doubt anyone gives a shit Joe, this is the dead season." For all the beef between the two departments, Joe remained a fan of Lara. Some Spads had a habit of leaping up their minister's arse, she was refreshingly balanced about hers. More importantly, she shared with him a distain for factionalism. In her case it seemed to come from an ideological conviction that they must remain united, rather than his more prosaic desire to have everyone like him.

They passed over the bridge and walked through the doorway of the Mosseside Taverna. Shoving ten lira down, two cold bottles of Ibatzen Select came their way. They say outside, shielded from the sun, it was still unconscionably hot.

"How's it under old Kostas then?"

"Yeah all fine, he's really fucking rude but he could be worse. Is it true Greenwood hates him as much as they say?"

Joe nodded as he gulped down a mouthful "aye, hates his guts. Thinks he's dangerous"

Lara nodded sagely "he is as well, I think he's got ambitions."

"Ambitions to what exactly?"

"I think he wants to replace Lazarri. I think he thinks he's more proletarian. Gets a real bee in his bonnet about some of the more middle class members of cabinet. You should've seen when he met a civil servant who was drinking green tea."

They both chuckled. "What do you think comes next then? Do you think he'll launch a leadership challenge?"

She shook her head "nah, not yet, he's not stupid. I think he wants to push his tanks on your lawn though. Secularism in education seems to be his big thing, it's ironically a point of faith for him."

Joe rolled his eyes. He couldn't be arsed with the fight, he had never got into policy to engage in power struggles "do you think you'll stay in this line of work?"

"Eh, for a bit? I don't know. Wouldn't want to run for parliament if that's what your saying."

"What else would you do?"

"I don't know, back out to the provinces? Move back out to Campeto, work for the council. What about you?"

He stared back across the river "no clue. But probably not this forever. Although, can't really argue about the hours."

"True, true, another? A sandwich?"

"Twist my arm"

by **Trans-Dniesters** » Sun Jan 28, 2024 11:07 am

“Mr. Radchenko, we’re about to make the approach into Imisozi. Seatbelts on, please.”

“Already?” Ivan Iosifovich Radchenko asked himself as he put down the documents that he had been reading to fasten his seatbelt, and then once he had done that he went right back to reading.

“The multiverse is a wide place, Ivan,” Valentin Georgiyevich Mironchenko, the man across the table from the leader of the Zimmer PMC, replied. “But Rushmore is not. And given that Kirungabi is also in Rushmore, just like Pridnestrovia, is it really any surprise that we’ve arrived there much quicker than we did at either Tumbra or Yoknapatawphaia?”

“I suppose you have a point, Valentin,” Radchenko shrugged. “I guess I’m just so used to having to travel far and wide offer our company’s services to those who are willing to avail of it that it never occurred to me that there might be at least one place much closer to home that also requires military-grade protection and operations.”

“So, Ivan, what are we going to do now?” Mironchenko asked. “You said you got two names from your old friend in the motor company, da? Do we have something more substantial to work on than what we had with Thomas Kim and his company?”

“Again, I have just two names, and even then, I think one of them won’t be of much use to us,” Radchenko replied. “This kid, what’s his name… Yaradukijije? That’s a lot of syllables. Anyway, this Rutaganda kid is just a motorsports driver. I doubt he’ll have much information that we can use, but it was his arrival in UrGa’s garage at Tumbra a few months ago that’s brought us here to Kirungabi so he was always meant to play some kind of role in our plans. That said, it’s the other name, Rutaganda’s chaperone as the Doctor described him, that really draws my interest. Moses Bakungu,” Radchenko said as he passed over a page of information to Mironchenko. “That’s the man whom I would really like to meet and talk to, Valentin.”

Mironchenko took the sheet from Radchenko’s hand and gave it a quick scan. “There’s not a lot of information on this Bakungu fellow,” Mironchenko said. “Just a birth date and a birth place and some mention about his familial relationship with a former revolutionary officer.”

“Exactly, Valentin,” Radchenko nodded. “The fact that that is all the information that is publicly available on Bakungu, to me, suggests that he could possibly be engaged in the same line of work that we are.”

“You think he might have his own private military company?”

“Not necessarily,” Radchenko shook his head. “But he is definitely active in the cloak-and-dagger business, or at least I believe that he is. Just look at him, Valentin. He looks so quiet and unassuming, which is exactly someone in the business of skullduggery wants to look like because you’re supposed to be forgettable at first glance. And he probably knows where the skeletons are buried, but I don’t think we’ll have to dig that deep. All we really need is the location of a highly important resource—not coffee or tea or iron but the really important ones like oil or uranium—as well as something that would require an increased security presence all throughout Kirungabi. Maybe there’s something under the surface that nobody thinks Kirungabi actually has, and then just as someone comes along to try to exploit it, something happens in Kirungabi itself that requires their government to have to ask for the services of an independent and unaffiliated private military corporation to bolster its forces and stop things from boiling over into a full-blown crisis. Now wouldn’t that be something? And wouldn’t it be very coincidental that there’s a Pridnestrovian PMC just across the region that’s more than willing to offer its services should it be needed?”

“One of these days, Ivan, we will just have to create a situation out of nowhere,” Mironchenko said with a shake of his head after a few moments. “This idea of yours that a country is going to hire us because of something we may or may not have instigated has been consuming you since last year. I don’t even think we have any other play in the book other than that.”

“I’m a fighter, Valentin, not a thinker,” Radchenko shrugged again. “I just point my gun at somewhere or someone and expect my men to pull their triggers at the same time.”

“So what do we do once we land at Imisozi?” Mironchenko asked.

“We find Bakungu,” Radchenko replied. “Just like we’ve been trying to find Thomas Kim and someone who knows the lay of the land in Yoknapatawphaia. And for that, we need to find this Rutaganda kid first.”

  QUSMO 0 - 3 PRIDNESTROVIA   
              ASTANKOV (17')
              YEVSEYEV (38')
              RAICHEV (85')

by **Gnejs** » Sun Jan 28, 2024 4:13 pm

It was shaping up to be a Tragic Copa for young Philemon Arthur. They often were, of course, because for as long as he could remember Copa Time had always been inextricably linked to family sorrow and the drunken eccentricities of his uncle Paal. He had always been a strange one, his uncle, but also generally kind and warm. Copa Time being the exception, of course.

His uncle had always been passionate about football, and had a history as a capable right-winger for AIK Vasa (but that was way before Philemon Arthur had been born). He used to take Philemon Arthur and his sister to Division 1 games when AIK played and buy them fish and chips and the kind of deep-fried buns their mother hated. He would tell them old stories about the club and the glory days when they were a regular Allgnejsan champion contender, and how the streets of Vasa would explode in incredible affect when they occasionally did win. He had instilled them with a suitable amount of abhorrence for the upstart rival club Vasakamraterna and other east coast teams, but he still bought them jerseys from their favorite Dandelion players even when they hailed from Briskeby or Dalströmma.

Philemon Arthur did not know how or why his uncle’s obsession with the Copa Rushmori had started, but he had experienced how painful it could be. World Cup qualifications never produced the same kind of drunken lunacy in Paal, and Philemon Arthur’s dad had once tried to explain the difference with something called the principle of subsidiarity, but that had done little to illuminate matters. All Philemon Arthur knew was that in the weeks leading up to the competition, his uncle would get increasingly erratic and reclusive, withdrawing from the family and the world outside his house, while hissing aggressively towards anyone who came to close. It was terrifying.

One year his uncle had threatened to beat him using a Cracquet racquet, with a deranged sort of hunger in his pale grey eyes. Philemon Arthur had tried to be calm about it, and told his uncle he was just there to invite him for supper, but that only enraged him further and Philemon Arthur had to run for his life as his uncle threw stumps and bails after him. That had been an «opener» and those were always the worst, so in hindsight it had been grossly irresponsible of his parents to send Philemon Arthur over. Even more since The Dandelions were going to play Polar Islandstates that day, and Philemon Arthur’s mom had often diagnosed her brother-in-law with a severe case of BIC, which would’ve explained why he was extra tense (or just plain crazy). The next Copa, Philemon Arthur had seen little of his uncle but he heard his parents concerned whispers, witnessed his aunt’s bloody nose and could hear his grandparents cry in the night. Philemon Arthur was relieved when The Dandelions finally lost out to Eura in the Round of 16 because then he knew the nightmare would come to an end, and in a few days uncle Paal would show up with crooked smile and a pot of steaming jalfrezi.

Copa Time was often like that, a mixture of anxiety and anticipation, dread and joy. Because it was always a dark time, with the entire family’s mind on uncle Paal and you’d think no one would have any time for something as mundane as football. But the games also always became a nodal point of gathering for the family, because they had to preoccupy themselves with something to keep from going insane. And the approach to each game was also always deeply ambivalent. On the one hand you had your own take; as a fan Philemon Arthur obviously wanted his Dandelions to do well. But Copa Time was never that simple. You absolutely did not want them to lose points in the opening day, because that would lead to a sharp decline in mental and physical health for uncle Paal, regardless of the results going forward. But you didn’t want them to do too well going forward either, because the hubris that produced in uncle Paal was a danger to himself and others. Then again, you did not want them to miss out of the Round of 16, because the disappointment of such a failure often prolonged uncle Paal’s post-Copa depression and it would take him an extended period of time returning back to normal. At the same time, you just wanted it all to end no matter what, and anything past a quarterfinal was uncharted territory and something the entire family feared.

The Copa down in Græntfjall had seemingly started out well enough; a draw against the top-seed was ideal because it combined being respectable but not overly positive, so there was a sense of relief in Philemon Arthur’s house as they turned off the tv. And then uncle Paal had showed up. Still unnervingly erratic and slightly aggressive, but there was also a strange sort of happiness in his face and crazy ramblings about finally having cracked the Copa Code. And now uncle Paal was dead. It felt like the fire had taken everything and Philemon Arthur was devastated. They had all moved in with Augusta and Emily temporarily and did their best to make it work in that cramped space. Philemon Arthur and his sister had gotten a room of their own, which was nice but made little difference; it was like there was no joy left in the world, like it had all gone with uncle Paal. His parents tried to uphold some kind of normalcy and that included gathering the family to watch the Copa games. But Philemon Arthur couldn’t have cared less. He dutifully sat there and watched The Dandelions completely trash Qusmo, and he did the same for the nerve-wrecking third game against Captina Island, but he just felt hollow.

The stories of his uncle haunting their old neighborhood was an added strain. Philemon Arthur was wise enough not to believe in ghosts, but he still couldn’t help himself from sneaking out at night and wander the streets and alleys around the northern parts of Storgata. Despite numerous people reporting sightings, Philemon Arthur never saw a thing. Then one night, as he was walking back towards his aunt’s house he noticed that the window in the room where he and his sister stayed was open. Folly, he had thought to himself, because it was way too cold to sleep with the window open at this time of year and his sister was sure to catch a cold. When he got up there his sister was sleeping, and as he was about to close the window he noticed something at his nightstand table. It was a sheet with a predicted starting eleven for the Rea San Vegas game, a shot of cognac and a half-eaten gherkin sprinkled with turmeric. And then the boy knew. He smiled and went to bed, reassured that the Dream of Copas Future was not dead.

Copa Rushmori 45 [RPs/rosters/results]

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