A Tale Of Two Crescents - WC97 Roleplay Thread

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

© Sporting Times Weekend 2024
BP off to sluggish start
by Mindy Cartwright, National Soccer Editor

The Commonwealth National Team stumbled out of the gate over the first two round of World Cup 97 Qualifying, losing away to United Hawkland and getting only a point from Zenic at home which puts the side in an early hole in Group 8.

The 2-0 defeat in the opener started off well enough as BP looked confident in possession during the first quarter hour but generated few real chances in the attacking third, allowing the hosts to work their way into the match gradually; the Bees appeared well organized defensively as it smothered the UH attack on every attempt to get the ball inside the 18.

Baker Park began to waste opportunities to direct shots on target due to impatience, poor decision making and failure of crosses to reach any target in front of net. Neither keeper was severely tested, both with two saves in the first 45 minutes as the teams went to halftime scoreless.

Stefanie Martini came off for Cyndi Garfield at the start of the second half, with Shonte Logan moving to left wing and the sub taking up his place in the center of midfield; buildup through the middle looked smoother but didn't result in any improvement in the final third.

The breakdown at the sharp end became a bigger issue after Geoff Cotterill was beaten off a corner kick and the home side had the lead heading into the final 25 minutes; Will Barnard brought Fatima Khan on for Erika Riley and Rob D'Alessandro in for Logan as pressure moved higher up the pitch.
A late counter attack off a Garfield giveaway saw UH seal the match, the VAR not coming to the Bees rescue.

United Hawkland 2-0 Baker Park

BP—Cotterill; Milner, O'Connor, Jones; Martini (Garfield 45'), Ryan (C), S Logan (D'Alessandro 66'), Altman; Riley (Khan 66'), McDavid, Coleman

Barnard pointed his squad to the fact that BP would get both Zenic and Tumbra at home in the first half of the tournament so it was important to maximize points in the Commonwealth.
The match in Shirley was everything the previous match was not as the sides combined for eight goals, the last frantic equalizer by substitute Terrell London on the stroke of 90 minutes. Rob D'Alessandro captained the side in recognition of his 50th cap which came off the bench in the previous fixture, while Shelby Engels, Carly Logan and Alonzo Boyle also found the net for BP

The point salvaged was important but the overall disappointment of the doubleheader will linger into the next pair of matches which will see North Oharan Valley Union hosting BP followed by Tumbra's Black Eagles at the BBP National Stadium for MD4.

Baker Park 4-4 Zenic
Engels ⚽ 26'
A Boyle ⚽ 42'
C Logan ⚽ 57'
London ⚽ 90'

BP—Rossi; Frost, Kucera, McKenzie; C Logan, D'Alessandro (C), Vetter,. A Boyle (S Logan 75'); Grayson (Morris 90'+1); Engels, Hardison (London 75')

MD3 vs North Oharan Valley Union
Albertson; Andrews, Lohmeyer, Finnegan; Park, Romero, Morgan, Prince; Phan; Cohen-Abdullah, Khan
subs-Dickerson, Schulman, Morris, Bryant, S Logan, Martini, Howard, Sonjini, Ikedieze, Grayson

MD4 vs Tumbra
Rossi; Morris, Kucera, Jones; C Logan, Ryan, Vetter, Altman (C); McDavid; Engels, Hardison
subs--Dickerson, Schulman, Andrews, D'Alessandro, S Logan, Garfield, Bryant, Coleman, Riley, Phan

[Qusmo]

The Mathletic
Informed analysis.

The Tlanx-Nulzk Hal dilemma
Why is such a talented manager floundering so badly, & why are they still in charge?

Eight losses. Following Qusmo’s World Cup 97 Qualifying opening match, Qusmo has lost eight matches in succession, dating back all the way to the previous cycle’s Cup of Harmony. Still, the manager in charge of it all remains in place. What’s gone so wrong, how can it be fixed, & why’s Tlanx-Nulzk still managing Qusmo?

The losing streak

Cup of Harmony:
0-1 v. Saterun (65), a.e.t.

Xandrian Series:
0-1 v. the Kytler Peninsulae (56).
2-4 v. Tikariot (21).
2-3 v. Yuezhou (7).

Copa Rushmori:
0-1 v. Nyowani Kitara (150).
2-3 v. Mytanija (41).
0-2 v. Darmen (83).

World Cup Qualifying:
4-5 v. The Fourteen Stars (95).

Cup of Harmony

It started rather innocently: as all losing streaks begin, at first, it was just a single loss. Coming in extra time in the Cup of Harmony quarterfinals, in Qusmo’s first cycle back in international football since World Cup 83, it wasn’t particularly fun, but it wasn’t particularly concerning, either. Qusmo had only once before made a major tournament semifinal, & it exited its debut Copa Rushmori, Cup of Harmony, & World Cup in the round of sixteen, so to go one better in Qusmo’s redebut in the competition wasn’t so bad.

However, Tlanx-Nulzk adopted an uncharacteristically stolid, conservative approach in the tournament’s knockout rounds, perhaps betraying a lack of confidence in their players’ abilities or their tactical philosophy to achieve results in tournament football. It worked against Kamijiro, but not against Saterun, & then it all began to fall apart.

Xandrian Series

The Xandrian Series is a friendly tournament organized by Fuzpon Qusma. Featuring other teams from around the Xandrian Sea in central Rushmore, Qusmo were the hosts, but they were the lowest-ranked team in the field, in line with the pre-Collapse federation’s tendency to schedule friendlies against higher-ranked opposition whenever possible.

Perhaps it’s not fair to include these three matches. After all, Tlanx-Nulzk heavily rotated their squads against three higher-ranked opponents: the fifty-sixth-ranked Kytler Peninsulae, twenty-first-ranked Tikariot, & seventh-ranked Yuezhou. One could easily argue that losses were the expectation, & the matches were worth it to afford a broad range of Qusma players a low-stakes experience playing for the national team against top Multiversal competition.

Still, had Qusmo managed to win just one of their friendlies, perhaps against a lower-ranked invitee after or at the end of the team’s Xandrian Series schedule, Qusmo’s losing streak would look much less formidable, & perhaps the team would have generated positive momentum to help in their results to come.

Copa Rushmori

The wheels really started to fall off at the Copa Rushmori. Qusmo lost its opening match to Pavolan neighbors Nyowani Kitara, whose ranking of one hundred fiftieth was more than double Qusmo’s spot in the rankings.

Mytanija is tied with Qasden for Qusmo’s most common opponent, & the Quxruxy’s first appearances in the World Cup & the quarterfinals of the Copa Rushmori both came in part due to results in those fixtures, but Qusmo again came up empty-handed.

Staring elimination in the face, Tlanx-Nulzk made changes to their starting XI, but it did nothing. Qusmo’s first-ever match at a World Cup was a one-nil victory over then-seventeenth-ranked Darmen, but Qusmo fell to an eighty-third-ranked vintage of the same team by a score of two-nil.

Having not managed even a single point, it was Qusmo’s worst-ever performance in any tournament it had participated in, surpassing even the disastrous Copa Rushmori of a cycle prior which represented Tlanx-Nulzk’s first five matches in charge of their home nation. It also provoked questions about whether Tlanx-Nulzk should continue to lead the team in the future.

World Cup Qualifying

Qusmo’s performance in their World Cup 97 Qualifying opener will not have assuaged fans’ fears. Of course, Tlanxball worked wonders offensively, as the team scored four goals: an opener from Helek-Pertz Zev, followed by second half goals from Culak-Zelez Guv, Sevet-Matez Fox, & Culak-Zelez Guv once again. The problem was that, although Qusmo scored four, they somehow still lost.

In many ways, this was the Kimora Frazier match. Starsian star Kira Blade scored an early equalizer but picked up a knock shortly afterwards that forced her out of the match. Coming on for her was a player not much more than half her age, who proceeded to rocket the Fourteen Stars to a three-one lead before half. With three goals conceded in forty-five minutes, all coming from a pair of players who both played on the right wing, Tlanx-Nulzk saw the writing on the wall & changed out the left side of Qusmo’s defence at the interval.

It did help at first. Young converted striker Culak-Zelez Guv scored from Qusmo’s own right wing for the first time, & sixty-second-minute substitute Sevet-Matez Fox quickly found an equalizer. After the Fourteen Stars pulled ahead again thanks to Lina Hansen, Culak-Zelez Guv thought they’d rescued a point for Qusmo late on in the eighty-seventh minute, but somehow there would be a ninth goal in the match — & it came from Frazier, the young Starsian phenom, once again, this time in the second minute of stoppage time.

Without Frazier, this match would have been the arrival of Culak-Zelez on the international scene. They proved they could play anywhere along the forward line by seemingly securing a late point for Qusmo — which would have been their first since the Cup of Harmony — by tripling their goal tally with the national team in a new position, which they may have now solidified their claim to in the national team’s starting XI for a long time to come.

However, as incredible as one young winger in this match was, the narrative was very firmly on Frazier’s side. Trusted to sub in for a national team legend when she went down with an injury, Frazier scored a hat trick off the bench, including scoring the winner in second-half stoppage time in an away fixture in World Cup Qualifying against a higher-ranked opponent, at just seventeen years old.

Although Tlanx-Nulzk’s halftime substitutions stopped the bleeding, it’s undeniable that the Fourteen Stars’ right wingers scored four goals in Qanz. Tlanx-Nulzk will have plenty to think about when deciding how to fix the left side of Qusmo’s defence, because for the moment, as good as Frazier clearly is, a left-side combination of Ibilx-Irtix & Xelez-Matez looks obviously untenable. If not for the Starsians’ domination at that position, Qusmo would likely be celebrating an opening-day win, & national team discourse wouldn’t still be centered about the team’s ongoing losing streak. As it is, however, Qusmo has lost eight consecutive matches.

Comparisons to Avarn-Oxolt Ban

Of course, any analysis of a manager of Qusmo’s national team will always inspire comparisons to Avarn-Oxolt Ban, the person who led Qusmo’s national team for the entirety of its pre-Collapse history. Avarn-Oxolt led Qusmo to two World Cups, two Copa Rushmori quarterfinals, a Cup of Harmony semifinal, a World Cup knockout round, & the knockout rounds of each of Qusmo’s first six major tournaments. If Tlanx-Nulzk or anyone else fails to meet the standard of a Qusma national team manager, it’s Avarn-Oxolt who set that standard. So how does Tlanx-Nulzk & post-Collapse Qusma football compare with Avarn-Oxolt & what Qusma football was before the Collapse?

Player pool

Avarn-Oxolt’s Qusmo had to take a set of players who had never represented Qusmo before, forge them into a national team, gain experience on the international stage, & then parlay that experience into results against top-level opposition in some of the biggest tournaments in the Multiverse. Tlanx-Nulzk’s charge is actually rather similar. Ida Sevet-Stokes played fourteen times for Nephara, & a much younger version of the since-retired Yoltz-Jonto Cel had played in a pair of friendlies for a pre-Collapse Qusma national team, but no one else in Qusmo’s national team pool had any prior national team experience. They had to learn what it was to play national team football, & that accumulation of experience has not been easy.

Of course, the player pool is more experienced playing club football outside Qusmo. Avarn-Oxolt could draw upon players from all across a successful domestic league featuring the likes of Tlanx-Nulzk’s own Qastyr side, which reached consecutive UICA Champions League quarterfinals in Pug Qusmyra’s second & third participations in that tournament. However, it took a few years for a contingent of Qusma national team stars to make names for themselves playing their club football abroad, & some never left Pug Qusmyra.

Conversely, Tlanx-Nulzk has no domestic league from which to draw players. That looks to soon change with the forthcoming League of the Single Sun, but it will only feature eight Qusma teams, compared to the twenty-team all-Qusma top flight of the Avarn-Oxolt-era Pug Qusmyra. That does mean that every Qusma whom Tlanx-Nulzk has ever called up has played their football abroad, which can certainly be valuable experience. However, it also means that, until the League of the Single Sun begins to produce national team-calibre talent, the future of the Qusma national team is at the mercy of other nations’ domestic systems. There is no league pyramid stuffed with Qusma talent from top to bottom to choose from. Instead, Tlanx-Nulzk has to choose from what’s left.

Increasingly, that means older players. Players who played in the final, golden days of Pug Qusmyra at the beginning of their careers are now rapidly approaching retirement, & many of Qusmo’s best players who developed in the Qusma youth game before moving abroad during the Collapse are aging & in their thirties as well. Just take a look at Ibilx-Irtix Ono for an example. Qusmo’s captain during their loss to the Fourteen Stars is a two-time former IFCF Champions League champion, but they are also a thirty-eight-year-old on the brink of retirement who plays club football in a non-IFCF league & spends some of their time running their own kit manufacturing business. How is that the profile of a starting-calibre national team player? Five goals conceded in a single match suggest it isn’t.

Opposition quality

In addition to their own players’ quality, there is also something to be said about the calibre of opposition Qusmo has played against during their time under Tlanx-Nulzk. Of Tlanx-Nulzk’s twenty-nine matches in charge thus far, twenty-five have been against higher-ranked opposition. Avarn-Oxolt got to manage sixty-seven matches against lower-ranked opponents, compared to sixty-seven matches against higher-ranked opponents, along with a pair of unranked-unranked fixtures in Qusmo’s first World Cup Qualifying campaign. By comparison, every match Tlanx-Nulzk has been in charge of has been an uphill battle, with Qusmo the underdogs in nearly every match they’ve played.

That isn’t the result of Tlanx-Nulzk’s Qusmo being ranked below the rest of the Multiverse due to poor performances, either, as Tlanx-Nulzk’s version of the team was ranked higher than Avarn-Oxolt’s after each manager’s first World Cup Qualifying campaign & first Cup of Harmony. Weighing in as the seventy-first-ranked team in the Multiverse after their first full cycle back in the WCC rankings, Qusmo is closer to the top than the eighty-second-placed ranking of Avarn-Oxolt’s generation ahead of that team’s second crack at World Cup Qualifying. In that context, then, Tlanx-Nulzk’s 1.32 points per match against higher-ranked opposition doesn’t look too bad when compared to Avarn-Oxolt’s 1.28 points per match against higher-ranked opponents.

That said, although Tlanx-Nulzk hasn’t often been given the opportunity to play lower-ranked opposition, they haven’t taken advantage of it when they have. Including fixtures where both Qusmo & their opponents were unranked, Tlanx-Nulzk has led Qusmo into four matches thus far in which they were tied or ahead in the WCC rankings. Qusmo has lost all four: 0-3 to unranked Pridnestrovia at Copa Rushmori XLV, 0-1 to one hundred fiftieth-ranked Nyowani Kitara & 0-2 to eighty-third-ranked Darmen at Copa Rushmori XLVI, & now 4-5 to the ninety-fifth-ranked Fourteen Stars in World Cup 97 Qualifying.

To be fair, Qusmo was lower-ranked than all its opponents according to the CRF rankings in Copas Rushmori XLV & XLVI, meaning the team’s most recent match against the Fourteen Stars is the first & only Tlanx-Nulzk has managed so far in which their opponent was ranked higher than Qusmo in neither the WCC nor CRF tabulations. The sample size is still small for now, but left unchecked, the emerging trend threatens to become another infamous losing streak of its own.

Opposition geography

Overall, the gap in performance between Tlanx-Nulzk’s Qusmo & Avarn-Oxolt’s Qusmo can swell or narrow depending on what statistics you look at. In terms of overall record, Tlanx-Nulzk has performed more than half a point per match worse than Avarn-Oxolt. Tlanx-Nulzk has won a third of their matches compared to Avarn-Oxolt’s fifty percent win rate. Tlanx-Nulzk’s Qusmo teams have conceded more goals than they’ve scored, whereas Avarn-Oxolt’s did the opposite.

On the other hand, it’s worth checking some crosstabs. In both its Tlanx-Nulzk & Avarn-Oxolt eras, Qusmo has always struggled against its regionmates, but Tlanx-Nulzk has had to face those opponents much more often. Eighteen percent of Avarn-Oxolt’s fixtures came against fellow Rushmori teams, while before World Cup 97 Qualifying began, Tlanx-Nulzk had been in charge of fourteen matches against fellow Rushmoris & fourteen matches against teams from anywhere else in the Multiverse.

At just 0.57 points per match, Tlanx-Nulzk’s record against Rushmore is abysmal, but their record outside the region is much better. Against non-Rushmori opposition, Tlanx-Nulzk’s Qusmo teams have a net positive goal difference, has won fifty-three percent of their fixtures - the same rate as Avarn-Oxolt Ban’s - & has won 1.67 points per match on average, less than a tenth of a point behind Avarn-Oxolt’s pace.

Qusmo’s player pool skews a bit smaller & more technical on average than the typical elite footballing nation, with strength tending to be particular weaknesses compared to their international opponents. Unfortunately for the Quxruxy, Qusmo’s weaknesses line up exactly with some of the key features of Rushmori football. Football in Rushmore is intensely physical, & other teams are more than happy to take advantage of Qusmo’s limitations in challenges & in the air. Avarn-Oxolt’s defensive-minded focus helped mask Qusmo’s weaknesses somewhat, but Tlanx-Nulzk’s insistence upon beautiful, elegant, & open attacking-minded football has completely come apart when matched up against the strengths of many of the teams of their own region.

Increasingly, Rushmori teams which prioritize a fast pace, a high press, & an ability to outwork & outlast their opponents have also found great success against Qusmo’s aging lineup. In their most recent match, against a team known for their speed, the seven Qusma starters not playing on the wings were all more than thirty years old, & the team’s captain on the pitch was as old as thirty-eight. Qusmo’s seemingly inexplicable Rushmori curse is an unfortunate confluence of Qusmi’y’s shorter sizes on average, Qusma youth football’s historic devaluation of physical strength, the current aging & slowing Qusma player pool, & Tlanx-Nulzk’s own unique tactical identity, which all play right into their fellow Rushmoris’ hands.

World Cup Qualifying

Fortunately for the Quxruxy, the team will be able to duck their regional curse in World Cup 97 Qualifying, as not a single other team in Group 1 is from Rushmore. If Fuzpon Qusma’s goal is to qualify for the World Cup, Tlanx-Nulzk still presents a credible chance of doing just that. A comparison to the past supports that idea. Even after Qusmo’s loss to the Fourteen Stars to open their sophomore post-Collapse Qualifying campaign, Tlanx-Nulzk has a better win percentage & points per match total in World Cup Qualifying fixtures than does Avarn-Oxolt, a manager who steered Qusmo to the World Cup on two occasions & may very well have done so in three of their four Qualifying campaigns had they benefited from an expanded World Cup.

A look at Qusmo’s previous Qualifying campaign with Tlanx-Nulzk within the context of other teams from World Cup 96 Qualifying also lends support to the theory. Qusmo finished in third in their group last time around, only three points away from a spot in the playoffs for a thirty-two-team World Cup. As a matter of fact, they were the fifth-best third-place team, out of twenty groups in total. Put one way, the top five third-place teams in this edition of World Cup Qualifying would automatically qualify for the final tournament. Put another way, Qusmo finished forty-fifth in World Cup 96 Qualifying, while forty-six teams besides the hosts will qualify for World Cup 97.

However one chooses to look at it, Qusmo could very well have been a contender to qualify for a World Cup immediately upon its redebut had the expansion of the tournament come just one cycle earlier. Now, with a full cycle of experience under the team’s belt & a much-improved ranking & pot seed, Qusmo will be hoping to do enough once again to qualify for its first World Cup in fourteen editions.

Yes, Avarn-Oxolt was masterful in the Cup of Harmony & was impressive in the World Cup as well, while Tlanx-Nulzk has yet to manage at that stage. & yes, Tlanx-Nulzk’s team’s showings in the Copa Rushmori & in friendlies have been absolutely abysmal. But Fuzpon Qusma’s immediate goal for this cycle is not to win the Copa Rushmori or even a Cup of Harmony. It is to qualify for the World Cup amid a sea of interregional opponents. This is precisely the situation in which Tlanx-Nulzk actually has shined to the degree of their legendary predecessor, even with all the limitations they have had to deal with in their nation’s current player pool. Ultimately, that is why Fuzpon Qusma has stuck with Tlanx-Nulzk to lead the Quxruxy into World Cup 97 Qualifying.

Potential replacements

Of course, Qusmo is lucky enough to be the Land of Football Managers. Tlanx-Nulzk themself is the most famous face of all, having been named Galactico Manager of the Season on two occasions: first for leading Qusma club Qastyr all the way to consecutive UICA Champions League quarterfinals in only Pug Qusmyra’s second & third seasons, & then for being an inspirational figure for both the Savigliano national team & the Savigliano nation as it qualified for its first World Cup amid profound nationwide interdimensional trauma. However, there may be several Qusma candidates capable of taking Tlanx-Nulzk’s place if Fuzpon Qusma were to decide to part ways.

Brelk-Xeral Erv

One of the most tantalizing potential options may be Brelk-Xeral Erv. Starting their career as the first-team assistant & youth team manager at KF Atlov, they helped the senior squad win promotion to the top flight & advance all the way to the UICA Series B Champions Cup quarterfinals before winning both Qusmo’s own domestic youth cup & the final edition of the UICA Youth Cup with Atlov Juzuna, which to this day represents the only international trophy any Qusma football team has ever won.

After their time with Atlov, Brelk-Xeral was named manager of the Brenecian national team, where they won Campeonato Esportiva XXV. After taking a sabbatical, Brelk-Xeral returned to international management with Krytenia, with whom they won CAFA Cup 6. Now in Arrosia, they are currently in charge of Carpathia & Ruthenia.

They have won trophies at every stop they have made in their career thus far, including Qusma football’s only international trophy & multiple regional championships with national teams in different regions. Their resume almost perfectly fills all the areas in which Tlanx-Nulzk has struggled so far with Qusmo, & they’re nearly a decade & a half younger, too. If an opening were to emerge, Brelk-Xeral would instantly become one of Qusma fans’ favorites to fill it.

Vulav-Wanar Tla

But Brelk-Xeral is not Qusmo’s only potential option. A choice which would have been completely unexpected just a year ago, Vulav-Wanar Tla could now actually represent a credible candidate to lead Qusmo’s national team. Vulav-Wanar began their career as the manager of Niom in Pug Qusmyra, leading them to successive midtable finishes before suddenly being relegated in the league’s final season. They eventually made their way to Esportiva, where they rehabilitated their reputation by performing solidly with Tumbra’s Fraser Valley & then consistently leading SC Montfort of the Licentian Isles to IFCF places.

However, what has rocketed Vulav-Wanar’s profile was their time with Pacitalia at the most recent CAFA Cup. Starting the tournament as a human assistant to an AI manager, the computer was stolen & destroyed midway through the tournament, leading Vulav-Wanar to step in as an emergency interim manager. Winning their final group stage match allowed Pacitalia to qualify for the winners’ bracket of a double elimination knockout stage, where they lost their first-round match on a hug-based tiebreaker instead of a penalty kick shootout.

Under Vulav-Wanar’s guidance, Pacitalia then went on a truly historic tournament run. Pacitalia then proceeded to win seven consecutive knockout round matches, equivalent to the number of matches one would need to win in a one hundred twenty-eight-team single elimination knockout round field. Despite being unranked & not even a part of the region of Anaia, Pacitalia knocked off teams like eighth-ranked Ko-oren on the way to the finals series, where the Blue Foxes beat winners’ bracket winners Mertagne five-one & three-nil, fully avenging their first knockout round defeat at that team’s hands.

An unranked team winning seven matches in succession to win the championship of a region they’re not even a part of is the perfect counterpoint to Tlanx-Nulzk’s now-eight-match losing streak & infamous struggles at the Copa Rushmori. Vulav-Wanar, then, could be a strong candidate if Qusmo ever needed a new national team manager.

Vanza-Jerat Gep

Unlike Tlanx-Nulzk, Avarn-Oxolt, Brelk-Xeral, or Vulav-Wanar, Vanza-Jerat Gep never managed in Pug Qusmyra. However, they did play for Tlanx-Nulzk’s Qastyr teams as a starting goalkeeper. They eventually moved to Brenecia to play for Southern Star, & they were a consistent roster selection in goal for the national team.

Vanza-Jerat then joined forces with Tlanx-Nulzk again, serving as their former Qastyr manager’s goalkeeping coach & then assistant manager with the national team of Savigliane. Interestingly, Tlanx-Nulzk won their first Galactico Manager of the Season gong with Vanza-Jerat playing as their starting goalkeeper & won their second with Vanza-Jerat serving as their assistant.

Vanza-Jerat then branched out to be a manager on their own, with a single season at Sanford’s Sanford Falls PREMIER followed by a long spell with the Squornshelan Remnant States’ Lublova Reds, where they became one of the Superleague’s winningest managers. What has propelled them into the conversation as one of Qusmo’s best managers, however, was their move to Raynor City United of Valanora. Though always one of the favorites in any competition they enter, Vanza-Jerat made the most of the talent at their disposal & won IFCF Champions League 18 to make their Raynor City United the most decorated club in the history of the Multiverse, with seven Champions’ Cup & Champions League trophies.

At only fifty years old, they have plenty left to give, & they have a track record of borrowing the best of Tlanxball, implementing their own ideas, & winning trophies. Having experienced World Cups as a player & as an assistant, & having already won some of the top domestic & international trophies alike in the club game, there’s only one more step it seems they have yet to take should they wish to find a new challenge beyond their cushy Arrosian club job.

Yelto-Alfan Ono

Forty-eight-year-old former Koflir & Qusma national team centre back Yelto-Alfan Ono has had a successful young managerial career so far. Vanza-Jerat’s former teammate at Southern Star, Yelto-Alfan first stepped into management as player-manager of KFQ Qavazujzy, with whom they won Pug Xily’a.

Since then, they’ve become a fixture of Eleanorian football, developing a habit for squad tinkering all the way to winning five Saint Eleanor League titles, winning the Eleanorian Showcase on multiple occasions, & reaching the IFCF Cup Winners’ Cup 66 final in nine seasons with Athletic Saint Eleanor. Yelto-Alfan may have finished a single match short of joining the likes of Brelk-Xeral, Vulav-Wanar, or Vanza-Jerat with a WCC, IFCF, or regional trophy, & isn’t quite as famous throughout the Multiverse as the three others as a result, but they would be another extremely strong candidate for the Qusma national team job should it become vacant.

Nirlo-Betva Uzo

Like Yelto-Alfan & Vanza-Jerat, Nirlo-Betva Uzo is a former Qusma national team player who has made the jump into management. The former Atlant & Planarjz right back was a club legend at Megabrantid, & after a spell managing fellow Squornshelan club Halazem, they’re now managing their beloved club with which they won three Superleagues & a Challengers Cup as a player.

They’re already back to their winning ways, having been crowned Superleague champion as the club’s manager as well. What’s more, they already have a connection with the contemporary vintage of the national team as the club manager of Helek-Pertz Zev, perhaps the best Qusma footballer in the Multiverse today. Surely no club could prise Nirlo-Betva away from Megabrantid, but if the national team came calling, they’d surely at least have to pick up the phone.

Cralt-Nirlo Fox

Cralt-Nirlo Fox is the only option on our list who isn’t currently employed, but that is not for lack of ability. Cralt-Nirlo spent a single season managing Estraj, being named Fuzpon Qusma Manager of the Season in the process &, rumors have it, turning down the job of inaugural Qusma national team manager, which would ultimately be accepted by Avarn-Oxolt. Cralt-Nirlo spent some time as an assistant for Filindostan, a predecessor of one of Qusmo’s current World Cup Qualifying opponents, before earning the job of Qasden’s national team manager & taking the Qads to a World Cup. They then transitioned to club football, where they spent more than a decade with Vermillion Rage in Nephara before retiring.

Still, Cralt-Nirlo is a decade younger than current Qusma national team manager Tlanx-Nulzk & has actually been out of work for a shorter amount of time than some other potential candidates who later returned from sabbaticals. If the federation cannot buy out another Qusma manager’s contract or convince them to walk away from their current setup, perhaps a second chance at Qusma’s top job could convince Cralt-Nirlo to get back into the game one last time.

Helek-Nenzi Ono

Finally, if Fuzpon Qusma must break glass in case of an emergency, their immediate interim manager would likely be current national team assistant manager Helek-Nenzi Ono. The forty-five-year-old former left-sided midfielder for Vlonz, Qastyr, & the Qusma national team previously played club football for Tlanx-Nulzk & now serve as their assistant. However, not only do they have no experience as a team’s full manager, but they have no experience on any coaching staff aside from their current role as Tlanx-Nulzk’s assistant in the Qusma national team setup. They could perhaps command respect from the dressing room due to the success of their playing career, but they’re only seven years older than the oldest player on the team’s roster.

More to the point, if Tlanx-Nulzk’s performance gets so bad that the federation feels compelled to fire them mid-campaign, they would likely replace them, at least on an interim basis, with someone who also contributed to that very performance but who has zero Galactico awards, World Cup qualifications, league or cup titles, Champions’ Cup knockout runs, or any redeeming historical value whatsoever as a manager, who would also need to adjust to simply taking full charge of a team for the first time in their life. Unless Fuzpon Qusma can line up another candidate to immediately take charge, even on an interim basis — perhaps Cralt-Nirlo — Helek-Nenzi’s resume suggests Tlanx-Nulzk’s job status may actually be quite secure until the end of World Cup 97 Qualification.

Overall

Thus far, Tlanx-Nulzk Hal’s time with their home nation’s representative team can be broken up into four roughly equally-sized runs of form. Tlanx-Nulzk’s first six matches included five losses, a draw, & no wins. After securing a win on their seventh attempt, Qusmo alternated wins & losses, with four wins, three losses, & no draws in total over the next seven fixtures. Next, Qusmo pulled off an impressive eight-match unbeaten run, securing six wins & two draws in the process. & now, the Quxruxy are mired in another eight-match run. This time, for a record eight matches, not only has Qusmo not won a single match, but they haven’t even managed to collect a single point.

Which Tlanx-Nulzk is the real one: the version which presided over an eight-match run of form without a single loss, just two matches short of Qusmo’s program record, or the version which ended that stellar form with an eight-match run of losses, double the length of any losing streak Avarn-Oxolt Ban managed with the national team? Will Tlanx-Nulzk’s tenure in charge of their own nation’s national team end in triumph, like it did with both Qastyr & Savigliane, where their incredible work was recognized by the Galacticos? Or will it end in bitter disappointment, as it did when their tactical methods quite simply failed to improve the national teams of either Saltstead or Starblaydia?

This is the first & only manager to be named sole Galactico of the Season on multiple occasions, & not only that, but they did so while presiding over two different teams: one a club & the other a national team. This is also a manager who has been beaten by each & every one of the past eight opponents they have faced & counting. Certainly, Tlanx-Nulzk has experience, charm, tactical nous, & plain ability. But can they turn it around? At this stage of their career, & at this stage of Qusmo’s footballing history, is this manager the right person for this job? Those are the questions with which Fuzpon Qusma must now grapple. & as Qusma state, societal, & sporting institutions return to the Multiverse following the Collapse, those are the questions which will determine the course of Qusmo’s national team.

MD2 (v. TFS): Helek-Pertz, Culak-Zelez, Sevet-Matez, Culak-Zelez (2)

WC97Q totals
2 - Culak-Zelez
1 - Helek-Pertz
    Sevet-Matez

|’                            |¯¯¯|                            ’|
|¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|
|                       |  ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯  |                       |
|                       |_______________|                       |
|                                                               |
|                          Xilit-Oxolt                          |
|       Belaj-Rilan                           Culak-Zelez       |
|                                                               |
|                  Helek-Pertz                                  |
|-------------------------------O--Jerat-Forzu------------------|
|                            Cholopi                            |
|                                                               |
|  Sevet-Stokes                                    Lynul-Sevet  |
|                  Olorz-Nexev     Nirlo-Zylyz                  |
|                                                               |
|                       |¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|                       |
|                       |  Karar-Falax  |                       |
|_______________________|__|_________|__|_______________________|
|,                            |___|                            ,|

[Zenic]

“This is both the most expected and unexpected start to these qualifiers we could have experienced.”

“What was that?,” asked Sports Minister Dimi. “I said: This is both the most expected and unexpected start to these qualifiers we could have experienced,” responded FZF President Killian. The two were on site for the major renovations to Mayor’s Stadium in Deline. Recently discovered damage to several stadiums, arenas and buildings had sparked a massive rise in construction work and incidentally caused a delay in the newly revamped domestic futbol system.

The two eventually made it through the heavy construction zone they had been inspecting and arrived to the calmer areas of the stadium. Taking off their safety gear, they continued their discussion as they stepped into one of break rooms. "So, we've got the group exactly where we want them?" Killian nodded. "Pretty much. Beating Delitai was a must and we not only did that but we did it in style. 9-2 was never considered as a possibility even in my wildest scenarios." A hat trick from Gentile coupled with individual goals from Nakazawa, Maruscak, Aldhard, Nance, Byford, and Lawal easily overcame the two goals from Kwame Mensah and Santiago Rodriguez to put on a display to remember in front of the home crowd in New Citium.

"And the Bees of Baker Park were always going to be a neck and neck battle. A draw was the most realistic of the positive outcomes but did not expect it to be such a shootout. 1-1 or 2-2 felt more realistic since two offensive teams would be forced to play way more defensively to prevent the other team from fully executing their gameplan. But two squads basically playing their game and letting fate decide a 4-4 draw was not on my bingo card." The Survivors seemed unable to shake off the the Beets the entire match: Maruscak's goal was matched by Engels', Dejulio's by Boyle's, Aeneas's by Logan's and finally Dettmann's by London's at the last minute of regulation.

Dimi finished making some tea for the both of them and brought the cups over to the table Killian was seated at. "1-1-0 with a +7 goal differential off of 13 goals in 2 games is a great start considering our opponents so far. Do you believe they can keep this up?" Killian took a pause before and after drinking from their tea. "Can they? Yeah. Will they? I don't know. I've seen some futbol giants fall in groups they were expected to win easily and upstarts come out of nowhere to put their name up there with the legends." Dimi looked at Killian intently. "Geraldo's earned a bit of respect and leeway. The man did in two cycles what took 2 separate coaches about 5 or more to accomplish combined. He's qualified once already in the same system we qualified when I was managing and now he's participating in a admittedly easier system. As long as he finishes third, we will have a shot and I think we should take what we can get for now. Once the league is back up and running and we have a large pool of experienced players training at home and abroad can we really start to demand from him the same as managers like Simeone Di Bradini."

"And what about in the immediate?" Killian reviewed the scout report quickly in his mind. "Back to back teams with similar attacking mentality as us. Adab's 4-3-2-1 Christmas tree formation looks a bit weird but can play a lot like a 4-3-3. They managed to double up on United Hawkland 4-2 using it so preparation from Zys will be vital. After them, we ourselves get United Hawkland. They run a slightly modified 4-3-3 to mixed results: an impressive 2-0 win of Baker Park followed by a 4-2 bullying against aforementioned Adab. If we can apply the same mentality against them as we hopefully do against Adab and we could easily be sitting pretty at 3-1-0 record heading into the second break in qualifying."

"I'll cheer to that," Dimi replied as the two figures near the top of the Zenician sporting world clanked their small hard paper cups together in high spirits.

[Crpostran]

---

[*]NOTE: Images of the city, elephants & players generated with AI-image generators, solely for aesthetic purposes. Viva Crpostran!

[Grod Island]

The Island Republic

Grod Island Looks to Bounce Back Against Vielfaltig After Heavy Defeat

As Grod Island prepares for their crucial second match of the WC 97 Qualifying against the 244th ranked Vielfaltig, the mood on the Island is one of cautious optimism and steely resolve. The team, coming off a brutal 4-0 defeat to world number 3 ranked Farfadillis, is looking to reset and reassert itself in the competition.

The lopsided loss to Farfadillis exposed significant gaps in Grod Island’s defensive setup and highlighted the need for greater cohesion and tactical discipline. Fans and football analysts have sharply criticized manager Dominic Duval for his overly aggressive attacking strategy. They argue that Duval's high-pressing, all-out offensive approach was ill-suited for a team of Grod Island's stature, given their unranked status and relative lack of experience at the top level. "Does he think he is still managing Portsmonde FC where he can make his million dollop team press their way to the league title? This is a WORLD CUP Qualifier! We are the minnows! You can't keep pressing an absolute unit of a team like Farfadillis. Absolutely reckless!" TurfSport analyst Lucien Beaumont chirped after the match.

Duval seemingly agreed with this criticism and acknowledged the shortcomings in his post-match analysis. “Our strategy to press high and attack relentlessly left us vulnerable against a team of Farfadillis’s caliber. We were caught out of position too often and failed to adapt to their quick counter-attacks. We need to sharpen our defense while maintaining our offensive intensity,” Duval said.

With a bye day before their next fixture, Grod Island has been using the extra time to regroup, reassess, and refine their tactics. The extended break has provided Duval with the opportunity to work intensively with the squad, focusing on tactical adjustments and set-piece strategies. “The extra day has been invaluable. We’ve used this time to address our lapses and ensure that our pressing game is more structured and less susceptible to counter-attacks,” Duval added.

In terms of squad changes, Duval is expected to not make any tweaks and give the boys another chance. However, the team’s 4-1-2-1-2 formation might see adjustments to provide additional defensive support. The defensive lineup, including the aggressive William Arquette and vice-captain Janick Vallerie, will be under scrutiny to ensure better coverage and coordination. “Arquette’s role will be crucial in maintaining a tighter defensive line and mitigating the gaps we exposed against Farfadillis. Vallerie will need to provide stability and leadership at the back,” noted Duval.

For Grod Island, this match against Vielfaltig is not just about securing a win but also about proving their ability to bounce back and adapt under pressure. Fans and analysts are eager to see if the team can harness the lessons learned from their previous match and deliver a performance that reflects their true potential.

With this renewed focus and tactical adjustments, the Red Mariners will be aiming to make a strong statement and kickstart their campaign with a much-needed victory.

[Captina Island]

Captina split opening matches
The Captina Company Press Association

Geneva City--The Captina Company National Team opened World Cup Qualifying 97 in the same manner that they opened WCQ 96--a victory at TCC Sports Ground over a higher ranked nation.

The Rosso e Oro defeated The Kytler Peninsulae 2-1 behind a Giuseppe Overstreet brace to kick off the campaign on a high note. Captina have opened all four of their appearances in qualifying at home at the Sports Ground.
The match finished just ahead of an early evening storm from the northwest that was expected to miss Geneva originally before a front pushed the low pressure cell southward away from Rea San Vegas.

Matchday 2 saw the team travel to Kamijiro and for 45 minutes it appeared that the Rossi e Oro would make it a clean sweep of the first two fixtures after Overstreet got his third tally before the hosts, who'd been idle on MD 1, found their footing and put three past Stefania Recchio over the final 30 minutes to send Captina to defeat.

Matchday 3 will be a bye for the team ahead of the visit of West Barack & East Obama on MD4; the nations met in the Jenna Raven Cup 3/Women's World Cup 16 group stage with Captina taking both legs with a 1-0 win at the Sports Ground and the return match 3-1. The Obamamen have come a long way since then, making their debut in Finals during World Cup 96 and come in as the number 2 seeded squad in Group 12.
Captina will need to get more production offensively from the rest of the side if they are to have any chance of staying in the chase for one of the top three spots in the table.

MD4 vs West Barack & East Obama
Recchio; Colucci, Coverdale (C), Santangelo, Ellington; DeCanio, Tardelli, Lillywhite; Overstreet, Wedgewood, Negroni
subs--Rizzolini, Caruso, Owenby, A. Vastano, P. Vastano, Morningstar, Rizzuto, Riviello, Fontana, Donati

[Panay Islands and Guimaras]

---

FIRST WCQ WIN FOR THE CARABAOS
A Boring Paradise

All the Panayense fans have travelled to Iloílo to Boring Paradise to support their team passionately. The match starts with some defense from the Boring Paradise players where they would meet Aldovino, who saved every goal from the Boring Paradise team. The situation got neck and neck until a yellow card for a player from A Boring Paradise. Nam took his first free kick and passes to Nguyen, who scored a header. The Panayenses were too happy for that. It was a neck and neck situation again for the Panayenses until Martinelli came in to score 2 goals past the goal keeper, leading to a score of 3-0. Even though a player from Boring Paradise scores a goal, make it 3-1. The away supporters were happy for the first Panayense WCQ win. "Unlike our game against Kanzlia, we really did our best to make it into the World Cup.", says Pierini. "We hope our game against Crpostran will surprise the whole world and finally qualify for the first time in our forever." They will face their familiar rivals, Crpostran at a home game in Antique at the Provincial Stadium in San Jose de Buenavista.

[StrayaRoos]

As expected, Amina Seyma’s move to first choice goalkeeper for the Emus was a challenge for her to handle. In her 14 starts so far, the first 3 in CAFA 8 and the other 9 coming in CAFA 9, and both of the team’s games so far in WC97, she’s got two clean sheets, and conceded an average of 2 goals per game, the worst of which came in her fourth start, against Ko-oren in CAFA 9, where the team got crushed 7-0, and of the 14 games she’s started, there’s been 2 wins, 4 draws, and 8 losses.

Although she can’t be the only one blamed for the 0-2 start, as there’s also the normally explosive front line, which didn’t score a goal during the first 180 or so minutes of this World Cup. There’s also the fact that the two nations we played, Elmyia and Aphrilla, were of similar quality to the Emus, rather than being teams made up of faceless, nameless amateur players, and it could’ve just been a pair of off days, and the team will turn it around next time against Mertagne and Hispanas, as well as the rest of the first half games. If we're in a similar position at the halfway stage, then we'll worry.

[Jeruselem]

OOC
I missed MD1 and MD2, oops

Naked News Jeruselem's Iris Randolf and the Jeruselem Manager Astarte Venus at home on qualifcation match day 2 at home after their first home win beating Semarland 5-3

Iris: HELLO EVERYONE! This is Iris Randolf for Naked News Jeruselem once again, reporting for the World Cup ... 97, last one was 96. We weren't live at the start as it just happened we gor scheduled for a bye on the first day of qualification of the World Cup 97 but hey we're actually back until the next bye. I'm with the Jeruselem Manager Astarte Venus, who was in charge in the last World Cup 96 as well. We didn't qualify or make the playoffs.

Astarte: Hi everyone
Iris: Well, our bye is over. We're back in action after the first match was actually a bye, so didn't so anything on the day.
Astarte: It's a good thing we have our bye first game, we don't have to worry about it later.

Iris: Err interesting results when we had our bye. Semarland played out a 1-1 draw with Saterun at home. Interesting result, 5th seed drawing with 3rd seed.
Astarte: The first game in the world cup is a little unpredictable as some teams are slow starters. Fair result in the end.
Iris: Josifovo beat Patriotlandia 4-1 at homE and The Ko-orenite Constellation beat The Martian Independent Republic 2-0 at home.
Astarte: I know nothng about those teams so I can't comment about the results. 4-1 win must be noted indicating the team loves to attack though.
Iris: And top seed Sylestone drawing with Aquitayne NIL ALL, that one was one Sylestone was expected to win.
Astarte: Yeah, I was surprised about that one. Sylestone are the number 6 rank for good reason, must have been just them sorting themselves out on the first game. Well, they didn't lose at at least.

Iris: Now to today, 2nd qualification day. And we're home for the first game. Our opponent is 5th seed Semarland, not some football n00b. The Martian Independent Republic host top seed Sylestone. Patriotlandia hosts The Ko-orenite Constellation and finally 3rd seed Saterun host Josifovo.
Astarte: We have an interesting day today
Iris: Well the good news is Jeruselem did beat Semarland 5-3, so we have our first win and first points. So what did you think of our first game?
Astarte: Positive results with out ability to score goals but we need to work on our defense still. Good signs but there's always more work to do and we do have weaknesses.
Iris: I guess it's good news not losing the first game, not knowing your exact issues.
Astarte: As long as the discovered issues get addressed, which sometimes doesn't happen.

Iris: In the other games today. The Martian Independent Republic hosted top seed Sylestone. They did quite well but went down losing to Sylestone 1-0.
Astarte: The Martian Independent Republic did very well, I would be disappointed losing to Sylestone 1-0 especially for such a new team in this world cup.
Iris: Patriotlandia lost their last game 1-4. This time Patriotlandia were hosting The Ko-orenite Constellation and then got prompt beaten up 3-1 by the visitors.
Astarte: Yes well, someone has to be group punching bag. Patriotlandia probably don't want to be that punching bag.
Iris: Third seed Saterun hosted their first game, with Josifovo visiting. Well, it turned out Josifovo are proving no pushover. They trashed the host team Saterun 5-2.
Astarte: Josifovo have started with 4-1 and 5-2 win. They are making a statement to the top 5 seeds Sylestone, us, Saterun and Semarland so we cannot afford to underestimate anyone.

Iris: Next two games, we are away to Josifovo and then back home hosting The Ko-orenite Constellation.
Astarte: Yes, next game against Josifovo will be a challenge as they have just trashed their opponents first two games. We should beat The Ko-orenite Constellation since we're at home.
Iris: SO the danger game is the next one.
Astarte: For a team flying high, we have to stop them. We've just played one game so we're far from sorted out with respect our system. So next game is interesting.
Iris: But The Ko-orenite Constellation shouldn't be an issue?
Astarte: Yes well, we should win that one.

Iris: That's it all from us! See you in Josifovo

[Loch Dearg]

Loch Dearg Make Competitive Debut

The Evening Gazette
Saint Eleanor 1-0 Loch Dearg


Loch Dearg played their first ever competitive match in a spirited 1-0 defeat away to Saint Eleanor, the side ranked 13th in the world. Loch Dearg prepared for the World Cup with three friendlies which ended with a draw and two losses, these were disappointing results but provided valuable experience for the newly formed national team as manager Rory Daniels attempted to form a cohesive unit in time for World Cup qualification. The players trained together for three weeks following the end of the domestic season with all eyes on the game against international giants Saint Eleanor.

Daniels introduced a 5-3-2 formation for the first time with a heavy focus on defending deep and narrow before breaking with pace, however on this occasion any attacks were quickly dealt with by the Saint Eleanor backline, with Loch Dearg camped in their own half for the majority of the game. The match quickly became a physical and tense contest, with the away side picking up 7 yellow cards across the 90 minutes as they looked to disrupt Saint Eleanor at every opportunity. Mikey McDaniels pulled off several impressive saves and the backline put their bodies on the line at key moments in a heroic defensive display. However Loch Dearg were denied a famous draw in the 78th minute when Goldsmith's shot deflected off O'Bannon, wrong footing the keeper with the ball spinning into the bottom right corner. Loch Dearg then began to send more men forward in search of an equaliser but the goal never seemed likely with the game going down as a spirited 1-0 loss to open WC97 qualification.

Our chief sports correspondent Eliza Joyce caught up with Daniels after the game:
"Rory what are your thoughts after this one?"
"Well I'm delighted to see everything we worked on be displayed on the pitch. We're an unranked team making our debut so to come to a stadium as illustrious as the National Liberation Arena and to hold them at 0-0 for so long was fantastic. On paper this was the hardest game of the group and a performance like that will give us big confidence."

Loch Dearg's next game will be against Baptism of Fire champions Edsmontik. The two sides already met in a friendly pre-tournamant, which ended in a 2-0 defeat for Daniels' team. "Our first ever game was against Edsmontik", Daniels commented, "we have to learn lessons from that match, I think it's fitting that our first competitive game at Elwick Park is against the same side. They've already won a trophy, that's the bar that's been set and we'll need to step up to their level". Authorities are expecting a sea of green to descend upon the capital with tickets already highly in demand for the gameweek 3 clash.

[Zwangzug]

(Previously: "Are you by chance the one called Beatrice?")

"No monster I, no visitor from space,"
She answered, with the same amused regard
For me, who'd climbed so far as if my goal

Had been to meet her there--though never had
My guide disclosed what destination might
Await us as we sojourned between worlds.

"Who are you, then?" "I am the one who hears,
And more than that, the one who understands.
How many voices to the heavens rise

And, just as quickly, lost in flame and smoke,
Dissolve as if they'd never stirred the air?"
"There must be thousands. Myriads, and more.

And who am I that someone such as you
Should hear and should remember what I say?
For I am frail of foot and short of spine.

No nation is entitled to success:
The words are old, yet still they carry truth.
How much more truly does it follow that

No chants are guaranteed to catch an ear
And echo back in victory or pride?"
"Tell me," she said. "Reflecting on yourself,

Have ever you been struck by backward glance,
And cringed with shame in memory of youth,
Unable to untangle both yourself

And other-self who shared your face and name,
Embarrassed by their artless, stumbling deeds
And fearing, since you share their hands and voice,

That even now your craft is raw and hoarse
And will bring shame upon some future-self
Who, yet unseen, stands looking back on you?"

"It is just so," I said. "You speak the truth."
"If memory must chide in such a way,"
She said, "then it is only just and fair

That it should also celebrate the good.
The clever chant, the radiant spark once struck
Still have the power to stir a distant soul.

I am no angel, but rather the pledge
Of all that you have striven to express
In hopes that such as I would hear in joy.

But this is all too much, for we are friends,
And friends on ceremony ought not stand.
To me you call, with me you tease, and so

As all my friends do: call me Emily."

MD1: McHeran 23

[Srednjaci]

official web site

WORLD CUP 97 EASTFIELD LODGE & PASARGA

BACK TO THE PAST VS FUN FACTS

Srednjacian national football team playes play off in WC91 cycle and lose to Mytania (3-3, 0-4) . That is our best result at WC qulifyng.
The Srednjacian team never scored an own goal and only twice had a direct red card for exclusion.
Isidor Matković is the only player who scored goals with his right and left foot, but also with his head.
The national team played three matches at the stadium in Bistua Nuova and lost all three, since then the national team no longer plays at that stadium.
But another stadium got a chance, Dorm Arena, Dormatisi.
At WC96, our team was very close to playing in the play off, but we stayed in third place in the group and that was not enough.

HISTORY ( AFTER WC96)

P     W   D   L      GF  GA   GD

68   35  17   48     159   175  -16

BIGGEST WIN 5-1 vs Ibixa

BIGGEST DEFEAT 2-6 vs Bogo Johnson

DRAW GAME WITH MOST GOALS
Srednjaci vs Chromatika 4-4

LIST OF SCORRERS

1. Isidor Matković - 46 goals
2. Li Peng - 31 goals 
3. Takanobu Tavano - 21 goals
4. Davida Zimmer - 19 goals
5 . Ante Tomljanović - 16 goals
6. Petra Marinović 12
7. Perica Lozančić - 4 goals
8. Ivan Županović - 3 goal
8. Matija Čižić - 1 goal
8. Marko Šegotić - 1 goal
8. Olga Vuković - 1 goal

TOP ASSITS

1. Takanobu Tavano - 29 assists
2. Davida Zimmer - 22 assists
3. Ante Tomljanović - 17 assits 
4. Danijela Majić - 9 assists
4. Li Peng - 7 assists
6. Olga Vuković - 5 assists
7. Isidor Matković - 4 assists 
7. Matija Čižić - 3 assists
9. Ivan Županović - 1 assist

KATANIJA , NATIONAL STADIUM : BLUE OYSTER



Katanija is the capital of DR Srednjaci. It is also the largest city in the country. Economic, political and military center. Katanija has the strongest financial sector in the country and also has the most universities.


KATANIJA is the capital with 19,000,000 inhabitants.
It is the seat of government and the economic center of DR Srednjaci.
Katanija is first mentioned 600 years ago when in a storm merchants from the north strayed and came across the settlement.
Katanija in the old language means "enter". The language barrier actually gave the settlement its name. The merchant knocked on the door and asked the host what the name of this place was, and the host replied with a smile, "Katanija = come in," thinking that the merchant was asking him if he could take shelter from the rain.
Katanija began to develop later with the establishment of a trading post and an administrative building. With the arrival of the scholar Don Bernard Rivić, the first high school was established.
Peoples from the east also immigrated to Katanija, bringing with them other crafts such as glassmaking and goldsmithing.
The development of Katanija briefly stopped the pre-medieval war of the peoples of the Far East. After a siege of the city that lasted 6 weeks, the city surrendered to the khanata of Wei Xu.
Due to the disease of his troops and lack of food, the Easterners withdrew back to their Changxi empire.
Katania moved forward to a new war. King Dalat 2 established the Central Kingdom of Dalatia and declared Katanija the capital. He built a magnificent palace, today it is a museum and cultural heritage, a tourist attraction.
After the unification of all the slanders, Katanija briefly lost its position, but after the civil war and the establishment of the Republic, Katanija regained its position as the capital.
Katanija is the only city in DR Srednjaci that has two civilian airports.
It is located in the southeast of the country towards the border of today's Saint Shokai.
To the north are the slopes of the mountain Bijeli Vrh and to the south is Lake Bulat.
The river Modra flows through the town itself, which springs on the slopes of the mountain and flows into the sea.
The river Modra is navigable, so it transports goods and people.
In addition to the nearby mountain, on the east side are wooded hills and a national nature park.
Hikers, recreationists and mountaineers love to stay in these hills. The mountain lodges offer original food and drinks and the nature park has limited access to people so as not to disturb the biodiversity and ecosystem.

---

MELARIT

BLUE VOLCANO STADIUM - Melarit



HISTORY

The history of Melarit dates back to ancient times. Melarit was an important city for trade.
Trade meant a lot to the city, where in addition to trade, shipbuilding, production of oil, wheat, salt, stone and shellfish also developed.
There are records that the production and export of shellfish was a very lucrative business. Melarit was proud of his navy, they were excellent sailors.
All this leaves a lot of room for the development of the city in education and science.
Melarit has developed over the centuries and today is one of the most beautiful cities on the coast. It is the second largest city in Srednjaci with 4.260,000 inhabitants.
In recent history, Melarit is the largest port in DR Srednjaci and one of the largest in the region. The cargo port carries an enormous amount of cargo. Apart from being a large port, Melarit is also a tourist destination with a large number of hotels and resorts. The rich historical and cultural heritage attracts millions of tourists every year.

---

KULA

KULA GOLDEN EYE STADIUM



Kula is a city that is developing very quickly. The discovery of large quantities of natural gas gave the city a big boost in development. Furthermore, the metal industry as well as the chemical industry keep this city in a high fifth place in our country when it comes to GDP per capita. Kula have 2.540,000 inhabitants.
Despite the accelerated industrial development and construction of the city, the city has major problems with transportation.
The new city bus has not yet been completed and the roads are congested. Parts of the city literally stand still during rush hour. City leaders are struggling to solve the traffic problem.
When it comes to the city center, traffic is limited there only for buses, trams, delivery vehicles, police and emergency services vehicles. Around the center itself, there are more than 36 underground garages for tenants and guests in the center.
The city offers a lot of different contents, museums, galleries, restaurants and night clubs.

---

DORMATISI - Dorm Arena - 35,000


Dormatisi is a city in the north of the country and the capital of the Dalatia region. It is the economic and administrative seat of the northern region of Dalatia. Some of the largest national companies come from Dormatisi, such as Dalatia Bank, Osiguranje Dalatia, Plodovi Zemlje - the largest national food industry.
Dormatisi is also a town over 3000 years old, and there are records that Dormatisi, in ancient times, had the oldest pharmacy as well as the oldest hotel. Today, there are traces of that hotel on archaeological sites, which served as a lodging for trade caravans that passed through the city at that time. At its peak in ancient times, Dormatisi had between 600,000 and 800,000 inhabitants.
Today, the city has about 350,000 inhabitants, but it has one of the highest gross incomes in the country.
Dormatisi also has a new stadium, which is used by the most famous football club from that city, the women's football club Dormatisi Blue Stars.

GROUP 2

Sargossa (67)
Juvencus (20)
Cattstan (=266)
Ko-oren (8)
The Union of the Burnt Proclamation (UR)
Avisora (=220)
Doubeia (114)
Poafmersia (57)

@ Kula - Golden Eye Stadium vs Avisora (220)
@ Melarit - Blue Volcano Stadium vs Doubeia (114)
@ Kula- Golden Eye Stadium vs The Union of the Burnt Proclamation (UR)
@ Katanija- Blue Oyster Stadium vs Ko-oren (8)
@ Melarit - Blue Volcano Stadium vs Juvencus (20)
@ Katanija - Blue Oyster Stadium vs Cattstan (226)
@ Dormatisi - Dorm Arena vs Sargossa (67)
@ Dormatisi - Dorm Arena vs poafmersia (57)

Our national team is placed in group 2. The biggest favorites for the playoffs are of course Juvencus, Ko-oren and Poafmersia.
We missed two cycles, WC94 and WC95. This cost us a ranking, we fell to 221 position. But After the WC97 our team jump into top 100 teams.
We hope for better results in this qualification cycle.

[Squornshelan Remnant States]

We Beat . . . Somebody
Salwan Mynhier

A good beginning for the Black-and-Reds, handling Raspotochje comfortably in Lublova before going on the road to . . . Somewhere in Milchama where they defeated the Warriors in front of an apparently indeterminate number of spectators at an unspecified venue. It's been well known for a while that Milchaman's only speak one sentence at a time, but this is really pushing the envelope. Or rather I should say emptying it out completely. I couldn't get my hands on a genuine Milchaman team sheet for some reason, just some joke version that someone posted on #nottheturnip. I made a phone call to a Milchaman news agency to try to verify the lineup, but the total jerk on the other end of the call just kept repeating my questions back to me. Is that what passes for service in Milchama? I realize not everyone is invested in sports, so it's understandable if you don't know the name of Milchama's left back, but to tell a fellow journalist that you don't give a darn who plays in goal for your national team is coming on a bit strong.

In any case, the Black-and-Reds got a huge win early in their qualifying campaign by beating Milchama away, getting the all-important three points against Group 15's pot 3 team to solidify their own position even with Farfadillis on points and only trailing on goal difference. The Confederacy got goals from Aaltonen and Sargsa, with Ytsdan showing off the form he's enjoyed lately with Outineau by assisting on both tallies. That pair combined with his one from the opener against Raspotochje, and excellent through ball to set up Ksudach, means the Flania Zarss product now has three assists to lead the team in goal contributions, just ahead of Sargsa's pair of goals. It's an excellent performance in his first real chance at first team status on the national team, and one hopes the shakeup in midfield, with Ytsdan and Tatsinan now the favored options behind Sevet-Ibilx, will continue to deliver good results.

Now, belatedly, let's take a look around the group and see what we can expect from the rest of our qualifying opponents, most especially our next two opponents, Amenria and Auprussia.

Group 15

Farfadillis (3) MD7 & MD16
The runaway favorite in the group, Farfadillis, undeterred by war, fire, or flying jellyfish are far and away the best team the Black-and-Reds will have to face during qualifying. Somehow, I thought we'd played them more than just the four times, though more often the Black-and-Reds have been fortunate to avoid Farfadillis in regional play, relying on someone else to beat them, as the Confederates have still yet to register anything but a loss against La Vherderoja. There'll be no avoiding them this time around though, though if the Black-and-Reds can finally register a point in this series, it could go a very long way toward getting them back to the World Cup finals.

History vs Farfadillis
SRS 1–2 FFD WC87 Qualifying
FFD 5–1 SRS WC87 Qualifying
SRS 2–3 FFD AOCAF 65 Group
SRS 2–6 FFD ARC 2 Quarterfinal

Squornshelan Remnant States (39)
What a long time it's been since we were so optimistic, AOCAF 69 Champions riding a streak of qualifications, ranked 15th in the multiverse heading into World Cup 94 qualifying. A series of underachieving performances, failing to exit the group stage at that World Cup, failing to qualify for either World Cup 95 or 96, and failing to make it out of the Group stage at Cup of Harmony 87 or 88. It's only regional success that's kept the fanbase even slightly hopeful, with the Black-and-Reds winning the inaugural Arrosian Regional Championship, and making the quarterfinals of the second edition. In fact, both nations which can claim an Arrosian championship are here in Group 15, the other being . . .

Milchama (42) MD2 & MD11
Reigning Arrosian champions and our most frequent prior opponent among qualifying, even if you didn't include the old pre-Confederate records. Squornshelan and Milchaman have met on the football field no less than 10 times (make that 11 now that Matchday Two's in the record books). Coming into qualifying, we had a 7-1-2 advantage in the series, and the matches against Milchama will go a long way in deciding how far this SRS team can go, and if they can avoid being upstaged by a lower seed for the third straight cycle. The matchup in Milchama will be (was) probably the single most important match in the whole of qualifying, with a good result both denying points to the team chasing our heels and setting the tone for the rest of qualifying (as indeed it has). Now if I could only get someone to tell me their players' names.

History vs Milchama
MIL 0–4 SQU WC23 Qualifying
SQU 4–0 MIL WC23 Qualifying
SQU 4–2 MIL WC32 Ro16
MIL 4–2 SQU WC37 Group
SQU 3–2 MIL WC38 Quarterfinal
MIL 0–0 SRS AOCAF 66 Group
SRS 4-1 MIL WC91 Qualifying
MIL 2-4 SRS WC91 Qualifying
SRS 2–1 MIL AOCAF 67 Ro16
SRS 1–2 MIL AOCAF 69 Group

Amenria (79) MD3 & MD12
Amenria are yet another attacking-minded team, in this group that will certainly contend for the most total goals scored over qualifying. The Dragon's Team are coming off a strong performance in World Cup 96 which saw them finish just one point behind Pasarga, thereby missing out on the playoffs, but besting teams like Siovanija & Teusland, Vyktoria, Doubeia, and Cardenao.

Auprussia (91) MD4 & MD13
Another new opponent for the Black-and-Reds, though there will be some degree of familiarity if Madeiros elects to call up Akhila Arda to face his Damogran teammate, Auprussian defensive midfield starter Leonisc Vascour. This will be a team to watch for, as Auprussia have been something of a rising name in football of late, with a strong showing in World Cup 96 qualifying, missing the playoffs but finishing third in a top-heavy group. Their 4-2-3-1 tactic under Pierre Camainin is nearly as aggressive as Madeiros's approach, so there should be goals aplenty each time these sides meet.

Raspotochje (126) MD1 & MD10
Yep, you guessed it, also an attacking side, Raspotochje had a decent performance, middle of their qualifying group last time out after missing the previous two editions. Their football association's disorganization in failing to register its entry to those two tournaments has been the main thing that's held this side back in recent years, and looks set to limit their effectiveness this time out as well. Still, even a team in difficulties can become a trap game, and the Black-and-Reds will need to stay on their toes, particularly in the away leg to start off the second half of qualifying.

Vielfaltig (244) MD9 & MD18
Vielfaltig had a perfect group stage at the U-18 World Championship, only to fall short in the quarterfinals, and put up a respectable 1-1-1 record at the Di Bradini Cup in a group that included defending champions Tumbra. They'll be counting on that talented cadre of youngsters to help them notch an upset or two during qualifying, as their senior team has little to its credit. They recorded one win and one draw in the whole of World Cup 95 Qualifying, and didn't enter the tournament last time out. Their return could be a sign of good things for the future, though with so many young players likely taking leading roles they could easily end up as a bit of a punching bag.

Revida (278) MD6 & MD15
The only participant at the most recent Baptism of Fire to be drawn into Group 15, Revida were, to put it bluntly, one of the worst teams at that tournament. They failed to register a single point, and if they're not careful they'll end up as favorites to suffer the same ignominy during qualifying.

Grod Island (UR) MD8 & MD17
All the way down the line, this group is full of sides that want to move the ball and score goals, though we'll see how prudent that choice of tactic is for an unranked side. The Red Mariners look set to surrender the flanks with their centrally focused formation, and will be putting a lot on their fullbacks to defend against the talented wingers to be found in this group. Given how many of the teams they'll face like to make extensive use of midfield and attacking width, it'll be interesting to see whether their back line and goalkeeping can hold up well enough to steal a few points here and there.

Anyway, up next, the new sketch show from comedy duo Abutov and Khoslo.

Qualifying Schedule and Results:

MD01 SRS 2–0 RPJ @ Slavnareczpospolitastadion (cap. 61,230), Lublova, Molvania, SRS
MD02 MIL 0–2 SRS @ What Stadium (cap. How Many), Where, Milchama
MD03 SRS  v  AMN @ Emerald Coast Coliseum (cap. 38,500), Vassilian, Algolia, SRS
MD04 AUP  v  SRS @ TBA
MD05     BYE
MD06 SRS  v  REV @ Green Heart Center (cap. 20,760), Han Wavel, Han Dold, SRS
MD07 FFD  v  SRS @ TBA (probably somewhere on fire)
MD08 SRS  v  GRI @ Synesoft Arena (cap. 46,950), Syneca, Sivolvia, SRS
MD09 VFT  v  SRS @ TBA
MD10 RPJ  v  SRS @ Kotiga Arena (cap. 54,600), Kotiga, RPJ
MD11 SRS  v  MIL @ Vogsphere Arena (cap. 90,000), Vogsphere, Isle of Squornshelous, SRS
MD12 AMN  v  SRS @ TBA
MD13 SRS  v  AUP @ Viltvodle Civic Arena (cap. 58,300), Viltvodle, Megabrantis, SRS
MD14     BYE
MD15 REV  v  SRS @ TBA
MD16 SRS  v  FFD @ Radlov Arena (cap. 76,800), Brantisvogan, Megabrantis, SRS
MD17 GRI  v  SRS @ Weirwood Park (cap. 65,000), Domreis, GRI
MD18 SRS  v  VLT @ Black Raven Field (cap. 35,400), Yassaca, Sivolvia, SRS

[Aphrilia]

PK: "Not that bad of a start, I must say."

NR: "I agree, but I hoped for us to have gotten six points."

IF: "It's still a long way to go, Nate. We'll get more and and aim for playoffs at minimum, surely."

AH: "Mhm... I'd say we have a decent chance.

It was the typical circle of people many have got used to seeing from Aphrilia's national team. Nathaniel Rosberg, Ines Forrestal, Phillip Karnwell, you know that by this point. The three of them, accompanied by the usual suspects of Steven O'Truffet, Kevin Lacey, Kennedy Christonson, and Amelia Haze were discussing the first two matches that kicked off The Anchors' World Cup Qualifying campaign. They were able to dispatch StrayaRoos by 2 - 0 thanks to a goal from Rosberg and Farrow Stewart, but fell short against Oberour Ar Moro as the team conceded four goals despite having clawed two goals back thanks to Lacey and Brent Wallace. They were all sitting in the lounge of the national team's living quarters.

Soothing music playing in the background as the seven of them chatted over coffee and tea or whatever they chose to drink, they were actually discussing it all after they had finished training. The training facility that Christopher Vermont had asked for also acts as the living quarters for the team, as this is the place they rest in before and after home games as well as the place they head out from and return to after away games. Everyone else had scattered either into their own rooms or decided to head out to anywhere else along with their own group of close friends within the team. This discussion also had the seven of them just getting along with each other, which was good to see.

PK: "So, Kev. You and Ken getting along now?"

KL: "I'll just say we're somewhat on the good side. Still a few scuffles here and there but not much."

KC: "What Lacey said."

SO: "Still on last name basis, you two? Goodness."

IF: "Leave it, Steven. If it's their decision, then let them be. At least they're on speaking terms."

AH: "Ines is right. Anyways, Nate, how are things going with your wife?"

NR: "Things are... Going well. Third child on it's way and the family's been happy."

PK, IF, SO, KC: "Congratulations. / Nice. / Good on you two."

KL: "I never understood anything regarding parenthood. Never really knew my actual parents personally since I was adopted. He's a good man."

AH, NR: "I'm sorry to hear that. / It's alright, Kevin. I understand."

Whilst all of this discussion was going on, there were thoughts turning and spinning in the head of Nathaniel. He had his third child on the way as his wife, Mikaela Somner stayed at home along with the rest of his family. He could be playing for the national team for perhaps two more cycles at most. His wife often told him that he should be spending more time with her and his already growing two children, and his parents would love for him to be around more. This wasn't the first time he was faced with these thoughts. Him being the captain of the national team was also a factor. Every time he was at home after playing for the national team, it was just resting after leading a campaign. Not a lot of family time.

And so at this moment, he made a decision. Around some of the closest people he knew.

NR: "Guys, I've made a decision that's been weighing on me."

Everyone Else: "Go on then. / A bit surprising, but sure." / Right now?"

...

NR: "I will end my captaincy after this World Cup cycle."

[Recuecn]

Franky Adams, Reçueçn's star center-forward, sat down on the bleacher next to Gerauld Firaut, his teammate, goalie, and captain. He heaved a big sigh, reminding Gerauld of a grandfather settling into an easy chair. "How long do you think we'll keep doing this, Gerauld?" Franky asked.

Gerauld looked at Franky and grinned. "Oh come on, Franky, to hear you talk, anyone would think you were sixty years old and on the verge of retirement. You're still just a kid! You've got years ahead of you! ...So you better not be getting tired of this."

Franky caught Gerauld's eye--there was a bit of a twinkle there--and looked toward the pitch in front of them. The training field, here in Hakushiya where their first World Cup Qualification game would kick off tomorrow, bustled with players drilling. Laurent was passing a ball back and forth with Marco and Théophile, while Emanuele juggled another ball on his knees. Others drilled their shooting, dribbled, or ran sprints. Coach Relié's sharp yells sounded out above it all, reverberating off a wall at the far end of the field and snapping back toward the team with a tight echo. Heissler, his assistant, stood quietly watching, with his arms folded.

"Well I mean, it is kind of a circus," Gerauld admitted, after a pause.

"Thank goodness," said Franky, "that's more like the Gerauld I know. For a moment there I was convinced we'd switched roles and you were the young star and I was the grumpy old geezer."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, for starts, I'm only five years older than you, I'm still young! And secondly, who's to say I'm not a star? See this armband?" Gerauld lifted his elbow to put the captain's insignia in front of Franky's face. "That means I'm captain of the team, baby! The biggest star of all!" He lowered his elbow, only to playfully dig it into Franky's ribs.

"Hey!" protested Franky, grabbing his side and leaning away in a way that implied somehow Gerauld's elbow was tickling him. "See, now you're teasing people... that's my job! You're supposed to be the serious one! What's gotten into you?"

Gerauld shrugged. "I guess it's just the excitement of starting World Cup qualifiers again. Maybe we have been doing this a long time, but it doesn't get old."

"Well I'm glad it makes you feel that way," said Franky. He sighed again.

Gerauld gave him a look. "What about you? How are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm good." Franky answered in a noncommittal falsetto. He paused unconvincingly. "I'm good," he repeated.

"Anything on your mind?" Gerauld fished for some way to get Franky to open up without pushing him too hard. He'd known Franky ever since he'd been just a teenager on the Baptism of Fire team, so many years ago. They'd gotten off to a rocky start back then. Franky had been pretty cocky--okay, well he still was--but he'd been even more insufferable and fairly antagonistic, too. A lot of the players on the team had been that way when things were just getting started for Reçuecian national soccer. They weren't used to cooperating with each other, and they brought all their old rivalries into the ÉNRF locker-room in a way that had created a pretty toxic atmosphere. Their old coach, Jacques Tremblay, had been the voice of wisdom that talked some sense into the team, but it had taken a while. He'd been fortunate to have a few more level-headed players on the team--Gerauld, in particular, had earned the coach's trust early. Earning Franky's had taken longer... but now, here they were, joking with each other and reminiscing. Franky was a family friend now. He came over for dinner when he was in town, and he coached Gerauld's daughter (who seemed uninterested in being a goalie like her dad).

Franky interrupted Gerauld's rambling thoughts with his response, and Gerauld realized that Franky had not been reminiscing in the same way he had. Franky was not looking back--he was looking forward. "I guess I'm just stressed out, Gerauld." He swallowed. "It doesn't make sense; when I think about this qualifying campaign coming up, I know I should be excited too. But it's not even this World Cup that's stressing me out, I don't think. It's the one after that. Or maybe the one after that. And whatever comes next. Because eventually, there won't be another World Cup. And then what? I just... what do I do for the rest of my life?"

"Franky... what?" Gerauld's expression was one of comical confusion. "Not that I'm not taking you seriously; I want to be here for you, but... you're twenty-nine years old. It is way too early for you to be worrying about something like that."

"It's different for you, Gerauld. You're a goalie. You can stay in that goal pretty much as long as you like, and with your talent, no one's gonna come along who's good enough to replace you until you've got one foot in the grave. I'm a striker. I'm already past my prime. Take Laurent... he's so talented, he could fill my role, or probably anyone's on this team, and do better than they do. Or Théophile and Romain. They're both great. Both stellar players, and both still teenagers. That used to be me. And now it's not anymore."

It began to sink in for Gerauld that Franky, the fun-loving, twenty-something troublemaker, was having a mid-life crisis.

"Franky, can I say something?"

Franky looked at him expectantly.

"I am so glad--this is going to sound bad, but I mean it in the best way--I am so glad that you're not who you used to be."

Franky laughed.

"I'm serious," Gerauld said. "I think if you actually saw yourself again--if you met your seventeen-year-old self that played on that Baptism of Fire team--you would feel the same way. You've grown so much. You, now, could dribble around your old self in circles if you wanted to. I've seen you make shots the old you could only imagine. The way you make plays with your teammates now is something that never even entered that teenager's mind back then. He was too busy sneaking into bars and hogging the ball."

Franky smiled. "I guess I have learned a lot," he admitted.

"You have, Franky. And I'm not just talking about soccer, either," said Gerauld. "The person you are now is a nicer, more kind, more thoughtful person. I've seen the way you talk to Rébecca, and the patience you have when you're teaching her something new. You've learned the humility now to take instruction from Bonheur and Ägidius when they used to irk you to no end... and yet you still know how to find the right moment to cut loose with Romain and Théophile when the team needs a laugh. When I first got called up for the team, to be honest, I dreaded having to play with you--"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Franky laughed. "I was a shitty kid back then!"

"That's not the point! I'm not trying to shit-talk you! The point is--what I was going to say is, when I first got called up for the team, I never thought we'd get along the way we do now, but now... you're my best friend Franky. I really love you. And I'm really excited to see you grow and become an even cooler version of yourself in the next... twelve years, or however long it's been. It hurts to see you so stressed out about your future, because for myself, I am so excited to see it with you."

Gerauld put an arm softly around Franky's shoulder, but Franky pulled him in tight. Gerauld smiled. He knew Franky wasn't willing to let him see the tears welling up in his eyes, but he could feel Franky's chest heave.

"I love you too," Franky whispered.

[Tanirinthia]

---

OF FATES AND FORTUNES
Chapter Fourteen - Under Cover

---

"So you are probably wanting some good news about now?"

Clara was momentarily shocked out of her state by this and gently nodded

"As far as I can tell your real identity as Clara Bonner is intact, no-one in any of the departments I have access to, nor the ones I'm not supposed to have access to, have you anywhere on any of their radars. You can head back to your flat and sleep in your own bed, even without all this crazyness ahead of us, you have just spent months in a separate universe, and from my research an authoritarian nation within it, I imagine you had long since thought of sleeping your own bed back in your own universe"

"My own bed?" Clara replied indignantly "My own bed!? We have an unknown entity from gods-knows-where, that has taken my brother from me, has some unknown plan for me, and is a danger to everyone on Tanirinth?!"

Clara stood there shaking from the anger welling up inside her, her eyes burning with furious intensity met Jasper's, only to be met with eyes of kindness. After a moment she stopped shaking and sat down herself.

"I'm sorry"

"You have nothing to apologise for Clara, you have been caught up on the maestrom of some malevolent entity of immense power, you've lost a brother, your view of reality has been completely upended. I should be the one apologising, when I first realised that you were being pulled into this I should have simply come straight to you, instead of the breadcrumb trail that led you to being trapped on another world for months. I may have further need to apologise, in your absence I took the liberty of forging a grand sabbatical for you across Tanirinth to explain you not being around, and kept up your emails with your parents, they had already lost one child I didn't want them to worry they had lost another."

Any remaining anger in her at that moment vanished, and sank further into the chair with relief, a tension gone that had been in the pit of her stomach since she had left Tanirinth.

"You definitely have no need of any apology, in fact I owe you the deepest debt of gratitude. As soon as I realised I was stuck on that other world, my thoughts would often return to how my mum and dad were doing, were they starting to worry, had they turned up at the flat, had they gone to the police, had it been long enough for them to start losing hope. Those thoughts kept me up some nights, that they have remained blissfully unaware means the world to me. Whatever endeavour we are in now together, you have an unwavering partner now."

Clara held out her hand firmly, Jasper takes the hand and firming shaking seals the accord.

"I am glad that I did the right thing. Now, partner, come Monday I will meet you back here where you will be undercover as my research assistant Hannah Ramsey and we can use our access here, and in our access to be able to travel off-world, all to further our research into defeating and destroying this entity. However for that I need my partner at full fighting fitness, so please go home, take the weekend and rest up. We may not have much rest in our futures, so we should take it where we can. Trust me there is nothing that is more restorative than sleeping in your own bed when you have been away."

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six | Chapter Seven | Chapter Eight | Chapter Nine | Chapter Ten | Chapter Eleven | Chapter Twelve | Chapter Thirteen

[Kimi-Suomi]

Ah kyllä...on hyvä olla takaisin. It has been a while, hasn't it? It has been a while since the famous 'Blue Cross #7' has flown in a sporting competition what with the NSSCRA still in its off-season, Cricket going through the Test season and the CAFA Cup months in the past, but the Huuhkajat is finally back and ready to go in this new 48-team era we now find ourselves in. Top 2 and 7 best 3rds get tickets to the dance, with the remaining 10 3rds contesting 1-leg playoffs for the remaining 5 spots. This change is big news for Esko Laaksonen and the team, who now know that Top 3 could be enough to secure a debut WC appearance for the very first time, but we still have to try and get the job done as a Pot 4 team...so can we? Do we, as Finns, dare to dream?

Funnily enough, we got given a BYE on MD1 - so we just sat back and took note of the other scores in Group 14 (our group). After that, Pesä was packed to the gills for our opening game against Pyazhnaya of Pot 5. A tough game this early in the campaign is always a double-edged sword, as both positives and negatives will always be amplified in the very first game. The Huuhkajat played a good game, with Karl Leif Svonsson certainly causing issues for the opposition, but we just didn't have that finishing touch in this opening tilt. Maksimilian Kartashov, on the other hand, did, scoring a brace in this 2-0 win for the visitors.

17 games remain. Up next is a road trip to Eshianmaa (Eshialand) before debutants Libonesinen (Libonesia) open up the campaign for the Galaktien Colosseum. We may be 0-1, but it is only 0-1. NOSTA KUIN HUUHKAJAT!

---

SCHEDULE (Group 3)
MD1: BYE
MD2: vs Pyazhnaya (86) - The Nest [Pesä], Kimi Kaupunki L 0-1 (7th)
------------------------------
MD3: @Eshianmaa [Eshialand] (35) - The Eshialand City SuperDome, Eshialand City
MD4: vs Libonesinen [Libonesia] (UR) - Galaktien Colosseum (Colosseum of the Galaxies), Lumikukkulat
---------------Ramble---------------
MD5: @Tanirinthinen [Tanirinthia] (14)
MD6: vs Alesialainen Liitto Alezian Union (UR) - The Nest [Pesä], Kimi Kaupunki
---------------Ramble---------------
MD7: @Restresas (154) - one of two options
MD8: vs Savojarna (136) - Galaktien Colosseum (Colosseum of the Galaxies), Lumikukkulat
---------------Ramble---------------
MD9: @Sajnur (47)
MD10: BYE
---------------Ramble---------------
MD11: @Pyazhnaya (86)
MD12: vs Eshianmaa [Eshialand] (35) - Galaktien Colosseum (Colosseum of the Galaxies), Lumikukkulat
---------------Ramble---------------
MD13: @Libonesinen [Libonesia] (UR)
MD14: vs Tanirinthinen [Tanirinthia] (14) - Galaktien Colosseum (Colosseum of the Galaxies), Lumikukkulat
---------------Ramble---------------
MD15: @Alesialainen Liitto Alezian Union (UR)
MD16: vs Restresas (154) - The Nest [Pesä], Kimi Kaupunki
---------------Ramble---------------
MD17: @Savojarna (136)
MD18: vs Sajnur (47) - The Nest [Pesä], Kimi Kaupunki

[/quote]

[Eshialand]

The Start of Something Beautiful
Eshialand 3-1 Savojarna
Sajnur 2-2 Eshialand

"Two games down, fourteen to go... how is everyone feeling about things so far?" Kenny asked his team on their plane back to Eshialand.

While this team wasn't really one for dramatic unison, the mumbles that came from this crowd were mostly positive: "pretty good, yeah," "not too bad", and "good momentum" were some of the comments.

Indeed, this team did have a lot to feel good about at this stage of the qualifier. A 3-1 win over Savojarna at the SuperDome was an excellent way to kick of the campaign, and a draw against Sajnur... was it a win? No, but what it did do was peacefully get the scary pot 3 matchup out of the way. Their tilt against pot 1 Tanirinthia was still a distance off, all the way at MD7; this gave them a fair bit more time to get into stride before that matchup. However, their next two matches would be critical: they'd be fending off the 4 and 5 seeds, Kimi-Suomi and Pyazhnaya.

Both of these teams had good opportunities to move up in the world with the World Cup expanding to 48, and the Owls wanted- nay, needed some good results against them in order to stay near the top of the group. Their MD3 matchup would be a good judge of just how the Owls would do against these sorts of contender teams, and likely be a bellwether for their overall performance in qualifying. The pressure was on, and what advice did Kenny have for the team?

"Just play. Don't worry about what they all have to say..."

Classic Kenny Morgan. So what if Josh Seametzle said they have to do well? He may be good at analyzing numbers, but the heart behind a team like this is not one that translates well into "sabermetric thingamabobs". However, one thing could not be denied about this matchup: it was going to be one hell of a good game, no matter how you slice it.

As for the road trip to Pyazhnaya looming in the distance, that team had already cemented themselves as bring able to contend with the Owls, having also drawn Sajnur in their first game before blanking Kimi-Suomi in their second. They were keeping pace with Eshialand, making that matchup one that could easily decide which of the two would be fighting with Tanirinthia for first place later down the line... however, none of that was on the Owls' minds at the moment. One day at a time, one game at a time. Never look too far ahead or you might miss things close by.

[Hispinas]

Hispinas 1–0 Lisander
World Cup 97 Qualifying - Estadio Nacional en el Castillo, Mandrid, Hispinas
HSP Scorers: Xanti Osa (21')
HSP Lineup: Azkar Baraibar, Joanes Mendinueta, Hunfrido Antunez ▼ (▲ Teodoro Hinojos 89'), Gabino Arguello, Gainko Erroz, Nazario Mojica, Goiz Bidaola, Luzea Heguy ▼ (▲ Silvia Del Moral 75'), Mira Makarova, Arcelia Solorzano, Xanti Osa ▼ (▲ Lucilla Rebollar 81')

Brusseldorf 3–2 Hispinas
World Cup 97 Qualifying - Fennec Stadia, Casablanca City, Brusseldorf
HSP Scorers: Hunfrido Antunez (43'), Luzea Heguy (78')
HSP Lineup: Azkar Baraibar, Joanes Mendinueta, Hunfrido Antunez ▼ (▲ Teodoro Hinojos 71'), Gabino Arguello, Gainko Erroz, Lola Linares ▼ (▲ Olga Abdulova 56'), Goiz Bidaola, Luzea Heguy, Fede Velazco ▼ (▲ Mira Makarova 86'), Alphonsus Clavijo, Xanti Osa

---

ES | EN | EU | FIL

Hispinas' PREMIER sports magazine!

Hispinas' monarchy orders national sporting teams to comply with consultancy directives
Cergio Arebalo fired from basketball head coach spot following defiance from orders

MANDRID - The King of Hispinas has spoken regarding Cergio Arebalo's decision on not having a consultant in the recent International Basketball Championships in Banija.

His Excellency has released a notice relieving the former center of the basketball team of his head coaching duties after The Golden Sealions missed out of a playoff spot. He has directly attributed the result of their campaign to the continued defiance of Arebalo to having a consultant after Walter Laganson passed away in the aftermath of the attack of Filindostan's allies in the resort town of Malklan where he was staying. No official statement was released yet on the details of his replacement, nor the consultant that the Monarchy will install following the King's orders on sticking on the consultancy model that Hispinas' sporting teams have followed in their initial foray into international sporting competitions.

With the volleyball national team in hiatus following the wait for the next edition of Volleyball World Expo, only the basketball and football teams have resumed activities, with the former already competed in the recent IBC 40 competition, while the latter have already started their qualification campaign to attempt to qualify for their first World Cup finals berth. Hispinas recently hosted Lisander to a 1-0 win in their first matchday, while Marcev Steyr's late goal prevented the Golden Sealions from taking any points in their visit to Brusseldorf in Casablanca City, losing 2-3.

Gorane Iturraspe, the current consultant for the national football team, however, disagrees with the King's orders. "What would be the different federations think when a consultant that is appointed by the monarchy overrules their decisions?" The former assistant to legendary manager Alfonzo Medrano cites her difficulties with dealing with the Royal Hispinas Football Federation (FRHF)'s decision making but maintains that she is coordinating well with the federation on their differences on how the national team should be administered.

The Hispinians will host StrayaRoos and will make a visit to Oberour Ar Moro in the contnuation of their qualifying campaign for World Cup 97 to be held in Rushmore's Pasarga and Eastfield Lodge.

Lineup - Hispinas vs StrayaRoos (4-2-1-3)
Baraibar (GK); Mendinueta, Antunez, Pabon, Erroz; Mojica, Bidaola, Heguy; Makarova, Solorzano, Rebollar
Subs (9) - Rayos (GK); Hinojos, Arguello; Del Moral, Linares, Abdulova, Clavijo, Velazco, Osa

Lineup - Oberour Ar Moro vs Hispinas (4-2-1-3)
Baraibar (GK); Mendinueta, Hinojos, Arguello, Erroz; Abdulova, Mojica, Heguy; Velazco, Solorzano, Osa
Subs (9) - Rayos (GK); Antunez, Pabon; Del Moral, Linares, Bidaola, Clavijo, Makarova, Mascorro

[Bears Armed]

The time: approaching 2 watches after noon (which would be 3pm according to the 12-hour clocks used in some other nations such as the RL United Kingdom, as in modern Urrsish timekeeping 1 'watch' is equivalent to one-&-a-half hour⁽¹⁾) on this tournament's 'Matchday 3'... which is a 'bye' day for the Bear-Belles.
The place: Wimbley stadium, where a happy-sounding crowd is filling almost all of the seats.

"Hrarroom, everybearry! I am your guest commentator Jamms Urrsen⁽²⁾.
"Hwelcome to this special Football match, to be played between two sides both drawn entirely from the current membership of the Bear-Belles, to raise money for the Red Octogram⁽³⁾. To lead the team that will play in the Belles' 'first' kit, the actual captain of the Belles as a hwhole, lynchpin Errinth’hrra Russett: Put your forepaws together for her, please!"
The crowd applauds, clapping and cheering, as Errinth’hrra --wearing the relevant kit, of course -- gets up from the bench and jogs into the playing field's centre circle. She turns in place, showing her face to each section of the spectators.
"And to lead the team that will play in the Belles' 'second' kit, famous forward -- and now also their Attacking Coach -- Karra Brent: Forepaws together for her, too, please!"
Karra also rises from the bench, and copies her colleague's actions. The crowd again applauds loudly, and from locations scattered around the seating & stands a number of the traditional drums begin to sound out.
"These two captains will now choose players alternately, starting with Errinth’hrra, until they each have a starting eight-plus-three selected and half of the potential substitutes as well. HERE COME THE BELLES!"
And now the crowd goes wild, as the rest of the Belles' players come out from the tunnel and jog across to form a loose circle -- two rings deep, or even three in places -- around the pair of rival captains. They are currently wearing track-suits rather than either set of kits. The captains stand back-to-back as they begin to announce their decisions.

(Errinth’hrra) "Karramarrsar Ulgha, as starting goal-keeper, I choose you!"

(Karra) "Sarree Smith, as starting lynchpin, I choose you!"

(Errinth’hrra) "Beorranna Norr-Vurra, as starting centre forward, I choose you!"

The captains continue to name names until all of the other players have also been assigned to one side or the other, with those players moving out from the ring of candidates to form a pair of groups each facing their relevant captains.

(Jamms Urrsen) "And now, for a third of a watch while the players change into the appropriate kits ad receive short briefings from their captains, there will be a musical performance by the central band of the Confrederal Engineers."
That military band marches onto the pitch from one end playing the traditional tune 'Lily's a Bear-oh!', while the footballers form up into a pair of parallel lines, led by the two temporary sides' captains, jog over to the tunnel's mouth and out of sight.

+++++++++++++++++++

The match eventually concludes as a draw, with three goals for each side, but the spectators -- mostly having, after all, no real reason to favour either side over the other -- generally seem to enjoy it considerably.
The officials from the Red Octogram are pleased by this additional contribution to their organisation's funds, comprising not only all of the ticket money from this event but also the contents of collection boxes that had been placed at strategically chosen locations around the stadium before the crowd was admitted.
AND the Belles' management are pleased by their players' response to this game having been arranged for what they might otherwise have had as a day off from work. All of them not only gave [or, at lest, convincingly seemed to give their time willingly for this charitable event but put a proper effort into playing the game -- despite the lack of real significance for its result -- as well. There had been some concern that having a 'bye' day during these their qualifiers might have weakened the Belles' momentum, the drive shown so far in their progression in the series' opening two matches from a 'home' draw to an 'away win, but this inserted game looks as though it might well have filled that gap quite nicely.
And so, on to Matchday 4...


___________________________________________________


OOC Notes

1. Whereas historically, back when the Bears relied on sun-dials rather than on mechanical clocks, the term 'wtch' applied more commonly to onee-eighth of the time between sunrise and sunset even though the actual length of such a period changed through the year.

2. Jamms "Jammy" Bearthorromew Urrsen is a famous photographer and photo-journalist, ginger-furred and still looking relatively young, who is known not only for his work as such but also for his courage, his skill with disguises, his use of these abilities in helping bring several major criminals to justice, his collection of bow-ties, the fact tht he has the same nme as the [eimilarly employed] comic-book character commonly labelled "SuperBear's Pal", and his family: His wife is Lurrsee Fane-Urrsen, a frmer player for the Belles who is younger sister to the even-more-famous journalist Florise Fane (who in turn is married to journalist, author, & broadcaster, Bark Brent... who is a cousin of the Belles' Karra Brent) and their daughter Erissabear == currently a pupil at Hogwings Academy -- has functional wings!
OOC: Yes, he's this nation's counterpart of Jimmy Olsen... He and his family's members have appeared in my RP on numerous occasions before this.

3. The 'Red Octogram' oganisation is Bears Armed's counterpart to the RL 'Red Cross' & 'Red Crescent' & so on. In ths context an 'Octogram, whhich is a symbol of long-running religious significance for mainstream Urrsish society, is most easily described as one sqare's framework superimposed -- at a 45^o ngle -- on another one of the same size... rather like a 'Star of David', but with the additional two points.

[West Vdara]

Great Amphitheatre of the Proletariat (GAP)
Nifaria
Vdaran Western Territories

As was perhaps intended when the stadium was constructed several years ago, an eerie vibe awaited visitors HUElavia. They had faced Vdara many times before - too many times to count - but never their smaller, angrier cousin. Now, as their few away fans struggled through rusted turnstiles and cold, heartless stares from ticket attendants, they would surely realise that the task ahead of them was vastly different from facing East Vdara. Inside the GAP, the HUElavians were vastly outnumbered. Strict entry policies enacted by the West Vdaran government meant that only a couple dozen fans could make it to the ground, and with tens of thousands of local fans staring back at them, you rather got the impression that a warm welcome was not on the menu. This impression was further cemented when the anthems of both countries were played—Near-silence for HUElavia, rabid excitement for West Vdara.

Great Amphitheatre of the Proletariat
This image was made using generative AI. However, due to the fact that DALL-E decided to use actual fucking swastikas, I have taken the liberties of (poorly) adding some West Vdaran flags instead. I did also elect to filter the image, so it looks dustier - the "piss filter".

Once the whistle to commence play was blown, the fun could really begin. Having noted HUElavia's tendency to play more freely than some other teams, West Vdara elected to press the opposition for the first half, hounding their defenders into tough situations and, occasionally, mistakes. The West Vdarans struggled to capitalise, with Alexiadis and Christodoulou firing several shots into the post, crossbar, and side netting. However, it would be neither of the attackers that scored, as Sergei Dimitrakopoulos got a lucky break of the ball and slotted it past Lucas Queiroz Lobo. The goal from Dimitrakopoulos sent the home fans into an ecstatic craze, swinging their red and gold scarves above their heads as the West Vdaran midfielder raised his fist to the sky in front of them. It was only the first half, but the opportunity for the fans to celebrate their first home World Cup goal simply could not be passed up. The cheering did not subside until the end of the first half, where both sides went down the tunnel and to their respective dressing rooms. The second half had nothing of any real substance, with Dimitri Petrovic occasionally tested in goals, but the second forty-five minutes ticked by quickly, and the final whistle blew to great applause and elation from the home fans. Quite incredibly, West Vdara had defeated the side ranked tenth in the world, and whilst it wasn't a pretty game, all three points would remain at the GAP. The state-sponsored television would emphasise this in their broadcast that night...

Channel 2 Kanaria

"Greetings, comrades! What a great day we have experienced here in our wonderful nation, as our brave collection of footballing heroes collected their first victory of the World Cup against conservative capitalist pigdogs HUElavia in front of several thousand comrades at the Great Amphitheatre of the Proletariat! Our flags waved high, our people sang loud, and our sportsmen toughed it out against one of the greatest sides in world football - that was, until the Vdaran Western Territories showed them how real nations play. Praise be to our valiant Vdarans! For more information, we shall go to sports correspondent Stavros, who was at the game, providing coverage for comrades across the country. Stavros, kalispera!"

A man with a large bushy moustache and a microphone appeared on screen. Behind him was a picture of fans leaving the GAP, looking visibly pleased.

Yes, kalispera comrade! It was a great spectacle for diehard fans and football casuals alike, as two talented sides went head-to-head in one of the best stadiums you'll ever see in world football. The Amphitheatre provided great acoustics for comrades of all ages to cheer on our players, and it worked to great effect as the wonderfully talented Sergei Dimitrakopoulos scored and immediately dedicated his success to the fans in the stadium and the support of the Supreme Leader, who was also in attendance. Clearly, the spirit of the nation remains strong amongst the people, and long may it do so! Our next fixture will be against fellow revolutionaries North and South Slavo-Baltia, who we will face at the wonderfully-named Workers' Stadium. Isn't it just fantastic to see so many like-minded nations partaking in brilliant sports? I certainly think so! Back to you, comrade."

The screen returned to the original video, of the nation's proud flag waving.

"Yes indeed, Stavros. In light of this news our wonderful flag carrier, West Vdaran Air Service, will be ferrying our most fervent fans to the next fixture for no fee whatsoever! To qualify, simply submit your identification documents, travel permissions, and a letter of recommendation from your local Supreme Council member, and the Vdaran Information and Intelligence Bureau will review your application as quickly as possible. Could it be you? There's only one way to find out! That's all for tonight, comrades, no additional news in light of this fantastic victory. Goodnight, and good luck."

The broadcast ended as it had started, with a muffled version of the national anthem.

[Darmen]

New City Stadium Christened With First Modern Era Win Over Eura

SCOTT CITY - The capital of Darmen's brand new 95,000 seat stadium, the New City Stadium, home to Scott City FC in domestic football, has been christened into international football with a 2-1 victory over Eura by the All Greens. For the first time in eleven attempts, Darmen has secured victory over the regional power houses for the first time in the modern era of Darmeni football.

The largest stadium in Darmen, surpassing the capacity of the previous largest National Stadium by 20,000 seats, looked resplendent in the evening sun as the two teams took to the pitch to kickoff their respective 16 match qualifying campaigns for the World Cup. The roar that erupted when Torger Woodward scored his seventh international goal in just the sixth minute of play to put Darmen ahead 1-0 was ear piercingly loud.

The enthusiasm from the sellout crowd was clearly giving Darmen a homefield advantage and they were putting it to good use. As the Darmeni forwards and midfielders harried their Euran opponents, the relentless pressure was forcing the visitors onto their back feet. With Darmen putting them under some significant pressure several mistakes by the Eurans gave the All Greens some excellent chances at goal in the first half of the match. Despite this, only Woodward had been able to find the back of the net.

The Eurans looked a different team following the restart of play, much more composed while in possession. Darmen too backed off on their high pressure strategy in the first half, opting instead for a more counter attacking approach. Darmeni midfielder Dwayne Loritz would add a second goal for Darmen in the seventy-first minute, putting home a rebound from the Euran goalkeeper who had stopped James January's powerful original shot attempt. With Darmen up two goals to nil, Darmeni manager Riley Mac Pharlain switched his team's strategy once again, this time falling back into a more defensively orientated posture to absorb and then repel any Euran attempts to work their way back into the match.

On one such absorption of a Euran foray into Darmen's 18 yard box, a rather sloppy tackle from Corentin Melsbach handed the visitors an attempt from the penalty mark, which Ildefonso Daube was unable to stop. The Eurans tried desperately to find an equalizer in stoppage time, but a combination of Darmeni possession in the corners and some decent defending when they lost the ball ensured that Darmen walked away as 2-1 victors.

Whether Darmen's excellent start to its qualifying campaign will see it advance to a World Cup final, for the first time expanded to 48 teams rather than the usual 32, for the first time in 13 cycles remains to be seen. While the Banijan media outlet ABSM labeled Darmen as "a regular World Cup Qualifier" in a preview of Group 17, Darmen has only ever qualified to the World Cup finals in eight out of 37 attempts, or just over one-fifth of the time. Riley Mac Pharlain and his All Greens clearly want to improve that record in their 38th attempt and their first ever win over Eura in the modern age is a fantastic first step in that direction.

[Doubeia]

Promise
Chapter 2
A few days after the match against Cattstan

---

Ding dong.

Kylo hated unexpected guests. Especially at 8 am in the morning.

He opened the door without a thought in his mind, only to be shocked into being awake when he saw who was standing in front of him.

"... Mom?"

"We have some talking to do." She pushed past Kylo and sat herself on the sofa.

Having his mother self-invite herself to his house wasn't the best start to Kylo's day, not when he had to make breakfast for two. As Kylo was busy in the kitchen toasting some bread for him and his mother, he was curious about what his mother had meant when she said that. He didn't think that he'd done anything wrong. Well, to her, at least. Might it be...

"Why were you out with him?" His mother yelled from across the room.

"Who?"

"You know who I'm talking about. I saw you with him at the cafe down the road."

Oh. So she was talking about him.

"Well, I figured it wouldn't be a big deal if I had a meeting with my biological dad, since, you know, I haven't seen him ever."

"Stay away from that man, Kylo." The venom in his mother's voice could poison an entire city. "You don't know him like I do."

Kylo couldn't help but let out a snicker. It was absurd to hear those words come out of his mother's mouth, but her serious tone was too amusing not to laugh at. Besides, why so toxic? She was acting as if he had excommunicated her when all he did was have a family gathering without the other half.

"And why should I trust you? I was literally made from a one night stand. There's no way you know anything past his name." Kylo had a cocky undertone as he spoke back at his mom, and he felt it was warranted. His mother couldn't tell him what to do, not when she had failed as a mother. As he walked to the sofa where his mother was sat with a plate of toast, he could see the steam coming out of his mother's ears. He slouched on his beanbag whilst directly facing his mother.

"We were together for far longer than you think, and it was long enough for me to see the red flags and get out before it was too late. You don't tell me my own life story if you don't know the details, young man!" She stomped her foot on the floor as she stood up, arms akimbo. "Anyways, you better tell me what business you have going with him before I force you to."

"Well, we kind of struck a deal. Something you could never provide." Kylo used the money gesture on his mother.

"Money? Haven't I been giving you money your whole life? My money? Half of my monthly earnings?" Kylo's mother spattered in exasperation, "And suddenly you're just going to run someone who's been missing your whole life? Just because they're giving you a huge paycheck? Kylo, are you insane?"

"He's literally the financial director of one of Doubeia's largest companies. Your entire net worth is peanuts compared to his monthly salary."

"So what? Is my money worthless now?"

Kylo rose from his beanbag as he crossed his arms and stared down towards his mother. Both mother and son gave each other a sharp glare, unwilling to back out of the argument like a coward.

"Your money was never enough, mom. The only reason why I'm where I am today is because Frank's dad literally funded everything to the tee. The plane ticket to Ethelfled, all my equipment and boots... none of them came from your pocket. Meanwhile, you were out in the city doing God knows what, spending money on yourself and your ex, for fuck's sake!" Kylo's voice grew progressively louder in anger, and his mother flinched when he spat out his last few words.

"You aren't entitled to my money! And I'll say this one last time, I wasn't going around treating myself and that bitch, I was working 3 jobs around the clock just to get food on your table! And also, who was the one who bought you your first football? Or your first shoes? Or anything, in fact? I was your foundation, Kylo, and frankly I'm not receiving the due respect." His mother matched his aggressive tone and disdain-laced words. She couldn't tolerate being disrespected, especially by her own son. Tears were starting to form at the corner of her eyes as she fought hard to hold them back. Kylo, on the other hand, had his face go an ugly shade of red as his forehead folded and wrinkled more than it had ever.

"You? My foundation? You were never there for any of my matches, even when I begged you to. You never made time for me, but when it was my turn to receive an award suddenly you're there claiming it in my place! Boots and balls don't make a good player, talent does. I was the one who put in effort to train and get better. I was the one who pressed on with my dream despite your negligence. I was the one who brought me to where I am today. I am my own foundation. Who the fuck are you to say that you are my foundation when you did nothing for me?" Livid could only encapsulate so much nuance of how Kylo was feeling. Was it catharsis, as he lashed out at his own mother with his thoughts he'd pent up for years? Was it ire, when his mother tried to take all the credit for his success? His gaze bore deep into his mother's soul as she finally let out the tears she'd been holding in. She couldn't believe any of it. She couldn't believe that her own son was dismissing her so much, disregarding her effort. Did he even like her? As she stood there, mascara ruined and cheeks streaked with salty tears, she picked up her belongings and made for the front door. She needed a long, long time to mull this over.

"I.. I.. going now. Bye." She couldn't complete her sentence, being choked by her own tears. Neither son nor mother bothered to acknowledge each other as she left her house, and when the wound was painful enough, Kylo just had to twist the knife.

"And honestly, I'd rather be associated with a rich director dad than a prostitute mom."

Kylo had never seen his mother walk — or stomp, for the matter — so fast and so angrily. He shut the door and sat back on his beanbag. He stared into blank space for a while, digesting and parsing what had just happened. His wrath hadn't subsided. He withheld his urge to shatter the wineglass on the coffee table; the toast he'd made was his unlucky victim.

"Fuck, my head hurts." Kylo could feel a headache coming. Was the argument so huge to hurt his head? The tension from the argument could still be felt, cut with a knife, held. The atmosphere in the living room was heavy. Contemplating what he said and did, he started to feel some sort of... guilt. It felt so good back then to just unleash everything onto his mom. A form of emotional release, even. But now? He didn't feel satisfied anymore.

Was I a jerk... Of course I was, the fuck? Kylo thought. The weight of his words started to pile up on him, and he could feel the whole world collapsing on him. It was as if he was meting out punch after punch, and his mother had no way to defend herself. The longer he thought of it, the more guilty he felt. Should he have been more calm? No, his mother would have taken it as a hint of submission. Should he have just gone full out on her? She's still his mother, and he still has some remnants of filial piety in him. Kylo didn't really know what to do or say now that everything had gone to pass. He couldn't go back in time to change his words and actions, but it didn't feel right to go on with his day. It was the bugging feeling that he had something important that he hadn't done yet.

Still, in the midst of all the emotion, Kylo felt that what he said was still true, though. Being in the spur of the moment probably made his words come off as harsh, but to him, he only spoke the truth. It was his fault for not being nicer with his words. It wasn't his fault for saying what it is. Kylo sat up and looked at his phone. After a bad experience, at least social media would help to cheer him up. He contemplated sending his mother an apology, but would she be willing to accept it then?

Kylo noticed that he had a few messages from an unknown person. It couldn't have been his dad; he'd saved his contact. He took a quick glance at the new messages and it was pretty clear who the sender was.

Unknown

hey, scarlett here
i know its weird to see me text you like this, but uhh
ambrose wanted to apologise for calling you a sick fck and a cunt during the cattstan match
he said it didn't mean it and he thinks youre cool
idk why he wanted me to tell you that tho
and i mean ambrose is pretty chill so i'd say dont take his words too seriosly
altho he has mad anger issues
and also
ryker wants the three of us to get lunch togeter
at the huayramarcan restaurant near his hse
r u up?
08:12

How'd u get my number?
And also why didn't Ryker just text me himself?
08:34 ✓✓

idk he said i needed to make more friends
travkins wierd lol
08:34

True
08:36 ✓✓

so r we eating?
08:36

Sure
08:43 ✓✓

---

Match information for MD1 vs Juvencus (away)

Juvencus      1   -   0   Doubeia
Agnelli (90')

Match information for MD2 vs Cattstan (home, Stade de Pruxxé)

Doubeia      2   -   1     Cattstan
Elmpt (41')                Unknown (25')  
Zhikin (83')

Starting XI for MD3 vs Ko-oren (away)

Leonova (GK), Antipova, Menshikova, Grande, Barkova, Miloradova, Shubina, Oborina (C), Marin, Rozhkova, Kuzenkova-Domínguez
Available subs – Korneyeva, Dunayevskaya, Tarantino, Kazapova, Mamykina, Kuznetsova, Semerikova

Starting XI for MD4 vs The Union of the Burnt Proclamation (home, Harriott Loft)

Zhvikov (GK), Shikolenko, Andreyushkin, Entin, Ortega, Khlebnikov, Borisenko (C), Travkin, Umanov, Zhikin, Demidov
Available subs - Fontzivin, Maximoff, Tsyzyrev, Artemyev, Voskresensky, Olefskiy, Elmpt

[Carpathia and Ruthenia]

Carpathia and Ruthenia fought the law, and we won

After an opening matchday bye allowing us to see what how competition that lay ahead of us was faring, and seeing Legalese draw against our likely opponents for the the third place spot in the group Gnejs, nerves were perhaps on edge in the run-up to kickoff. However nerves were quickly soothed with an early ninth minute goal by veteran striker Bassi, after which the nerves were never really in danger. Carpathia and Ruthenia had complete control of the game with Crocetti adding a second shortly after half time, and although there was an appeal for a penalty from Legalese late on, no amount legal jargon could overrule the VAR call.

We find ourselves now in the odd position of being a match in hand for the remainder of this half of matchday and then again the second half, whether this will give us the edge pushing behind the higher rated teams causing them to slip up, or giving us a false sense of security we will have to find out. Brelk-Xeral Erv dismissed the notion of the match in hand simply saying, "We take each matchday as it comes, each game we aim to win, we control our own fate it doesn't matter what the teams around us do"

By Margita Ongaro
CBC Ruthenia

Carpathia and Ruthenia 2 - 0 Legalese             
 Bassi 9'      FT              
     Crocetti 51'                              

Cavaliere Campo, San Donato, Carpathia and Ruthenia

[Vaishnavaria]

Vaishnavarian National Football team starts WC97 Campaign with a Tie and a loss


Natchnard Park,Jozan
Matchday 1 Vs West Vdara


"AND LADIES AND GENTLEMAN WELCOME TO VAISHNAVARIA'S PRIDE AND GLORY,THE CROWN JEWEL OF STADIUMS...NATCHNARD PARKKKKKKK" Boomed Famous Announcer Kevin Kolowet. Captain Alecsander Komich jogged on the field with his team to a loud and rousing reception by 100,000 Fans sitting in newly renovated and added seats. Komich drew a breath. His team had been up since 5 in the morning practicing and running through plays. The team couldn't sleep so they decided to do one thing they all did when their minds were clouded: Practiced. Coach Nahari stepped forward to give a speech. "Listen up boys. This is what we have been training for our entire lives. Not once in my life have I participated in the World Cup. Let that sink in. You are the pinnacle the best of the best. Go out their and hit the field like there is no tomorrow. I want you to put your everything into this game. Play agressive like you did in BOF. Play like tigers boys. NOW HIT THAT FIELD LIKE TIGERS."


First Half: 0-0 Kapil Nartar and the Defenders stopped the relentless West Vdaran attack countless of times. At one point Forward Andrei Christodoulou slipped past Hastan Raystone and broke to the goal. He launched a powerful shot at right corner but Giovanni Marcilo in an incredible display of athleticism, Read the play ran across and deflected the ball before it could cross. in the 40th Minute Marcilo saved a Penalty kick by reading Mikhail Vasilakis foot position and snatching the ball.
The offense struggled to get any shots on goal and passing lanes were quickly closed off. Alecsander Komich managed to hit a long pass to Nahari Jain who launched a shot but was disrupted by Nikolai Stamatakis leading to a weak shot and an easy field by keeper Dimitri Petrovic. The First Half ended scoreless.



Second Half: 1-1 Disaster struck when Viktor Alexiadis slipped past Hastan Raystone and he launched a shot at goal. This Time Marcilo could not stop it. Oh Watch out Yuri Markakis passes to Alexiadis,Raystone is the only man to beat OH WHAT A MOVE BY ALEXIADIS AND GOALLL WEST VDARA STRIKE -Commentary of Goal. Both defenses broke down after that goal. Almost Every Possession was an attacking play. Zakaraya Kar and Nahari Jain made multiple shots on goal but missed them. Nathaniel Grant had an easy goal but bounced it off the crossba due to a rough tackle (Should have been a foul) inciting a huge roar of anger and disbelief from the fans. But in the 89th Minute Alecsander Komich Slipped past multiple defenders, Nutmeg-ed Vladimir Katsaros and outran Nikolai Stamatakis. Komich barreled to the left side of the goal but launched a shot at the right corner. Komich took a hit but the goal had been made. 1-1. Alecsander Komich has saved Vaishnavaria time and time again and he did it again at the worlds biggest stage. in the final possession Hastan Raystone had a wide open pass to Nathaniel Grant who had secretly slipped past the defense and had a wide open close shot to goal,Grant's Specialty. But Raystone just held it and dribbled around losing the ball and losing them a win. Tie game. Raystone's poor performance on defense and offense will be taken into notice