Campionato Esportiva 39 [RP/Results]

by **Riena** » Sat Oct 12, 2024 11:27 am

Riena Football Association
First-team squad for Campionato Esportiva 39

Players highlighted in orange are the expected starters in their respective primary positions (the first listed position for a particular player). All statistics are accurate as of the start of this tournament.

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1 • Miku SUZUTSUKI
Goalkeeper; 26; 27 caps; 6 clean sheets

A steady and calming presence in goal, Suzutsuki is a physically imposing goalkeeper who breaks the mould of the conventional Riennese goalkeeper — instead of playing as an aggressive sweeper keeper, she prefers to remain close to her goal, trusting in her keen reflexes, instinctive positioning, and shot-stopping ability to prevent the opposition from scoring. While in possession of the ball, Suzutsuki does not take unnecessary risks unlike some modern keepers; she tends to distribute quickly into her defenders and midfielders, and when under pressure, is not averse to putting the odd agricultural clearance into touch. Her imposing frame allows her to command her own area well, and she often takes on the responsibility of catching or punching balls delivered into her area instead of leaving her defenders to sweep up the danger. Her proactive approach to goalkeeping, especially in her own six-yard box, allows her defenders the peace of mind to focus on tracking opposition runners, safe in the knowledge that she will be there to take care of dangerous crosses floated into the area.

30 • Utaha KAMIKATA
Goalkeeper; 24; 2 caps; 0 clean sheets

Kamikata is an aggressive sweeper keeper who is not afraid to help out her defenders whenever the team are caught short in possession. She possesses the requisite pace and technical ability to thrive in a Riena tactical setup that can place significant demands on the goalkeeper's footwork. Her game revolves around sweeping up through balls and shutting down opposition counterattacks using her anticipation and speed off her line, allowing the team to adopt a higher defensive line than would otherwise be possible, and initiating attacking moves with accurate long range distribution, bypassing high pressing manoeuvres by the opposition. The high risk, high reward nature of her play style means that Kamikata is more susceptible to committing high-profile errors leading to goals. Her particular skillset means she is more likely to see the pitch in matches where Riena are expected to dominate possession, typically against lower-ranked sides favouring a counterattacking style.

35 • Meguru JOUMAE
Goalkeeper; 34; 0 caps; 0 clean sheets

A well-travelled veteran goalkeeper approaching the prime of her career, Joumae serves as an experienced pair of hands that can be relied upon to deputise whenever the need arises. A jack of all trades but master of none, she is about equally as good at handling as she is with the ball at her feet, without being particularly outstanding in either department. Her role is to serve as a capable backup option for the other two keepers in the squad, and she will expect to spend the majority of her time on the bench unless exceptional circumstances arise.

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Overview
Riena will tend to set up in a highly fluid 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 formation, but they are also adept at playing 3-4-3 and 3-5-2 when the situation necessitates it, primarily against technically superior opposition in which Riena are expected to have less of the ball. The team can and will rapidly transition between different formations when necessary, and Riena's players will, in general, be given freedom to roam from their assigned position as well as exchange positions with other players. The team tends to play in a 3-2-5 formation when in possession, with one of the full-backs inverting into midfield alongside the holding midfielder while the other full-back bombs forward, and the central midfielder pushing forward to join the attack — out of possession, the formation resembles a 4-5-1, with the two wingers dropping into wide midfield to provide defensive cover.

The team's physical shortcomings in terms of height and jumping reach means they will tend to play the ball short on the ground rather than looking to go long when in possession — a notable exception is in the final third, where the comparatively more physical forwards provide a useful focal point for crosses. In attack, the team will look to move the ball vertically at speed, but will also be content to patiently probe the opposition defence if there are no immediate openings. Riena is particularly reliant on their wingers in attack, and if the opposition manages to stifle Riena's wing play, they will inevitably be neutered as an attacking threat. In defence, Riena uses a high defensive line and will try to make use of offside traps. Zonal marking is preferred at corners and free kicks.

Stadia (only if applicable)
The Riena national team play their football matches at the Wavelet Arena, in the capital city of Nagato. The pitch dimensions are short, but wide, by multiversal standards for football pitches, facilitating wider play on the flanks. The pitch itself is usually well-watered and slick, allowing the ball to travel at speed across the natural grass surface. For teams who prefer a spot of beach football, Riena's original national sport, Riena maintains the Radiant Sands Arena, also in Nagato, with the same pitch dimensions as the Wavelet Arena, but with a sand surface instead. Riena will usually default to the Wavelet Arena, but opponents are free to specify a stadium preference if they wish to do so.

Set piece assignments
The following set piece assignments are listed in order of priority. Positions are indicated relative to the opposition goal. Central free kicks can be taken by players assigned to either left or right sided free kicks. Indirect free kicks given within the opposition area are counted as direct free kicks for the purposes of this section.

Indirect free kicks
- Left — Kanna NAGARA, Ichika KIRIKAZE, Saori SKAMANDROS
- Right — Kanna NAGARA, Shiori MIHANE, Kanata SHIKIMORI
Direct free kicks
- Left — Meruto MERCERIAN, Nagisa NAKIRI, Origami SANGOMIYA
- Right — Ichika KIRIKAZE, Emiri NEKODA, Nagisa NAKIRI
Corners
- Left — Origami SANGOMIYA, Reisa YUZURIHA, Nagisa NAKIRI
- Right — Shiori MIHANE, Meruto MERCERIAN, Nagisa NAKIRI
Penalties
- Origami SANGOMIYA, Nagisa NAKIRI, Emiri NEKODA, Ichika KIRIKAZE, Meruto MERCERIAN

by **Fhulghamous Peninsula** » Sat Oct 12, 2024 12:36 pm

(OOC: Continued from here.)

Donovan Chase, manager of the Fhulghamous Peninsula national football team, had decided to take the advice from his captain Polynikis Kalyftakis and benched both of his starting strikers, Alibek Sokolov and Cosmas Stamatelopoulos for the coming game against The 14 Stars. Such a decision was already questionable enough as it is, but the fact that Chase decided to do this on the eve of an important Round of 16 match in the 38th Campionato Esportiva kind of gave the feeling that the Fleftic football manager had finally gone off his rocker. But that was before the facts behind the benchings would become apparent to the rest of the world. Things had seemingly been going well for the defending Campionato Esportiva champions as the Colonists cruised through the group stage to book a place in the final sixteen, but there were already a few signs of the trouble brewing the team. Chief among them had been a surprising verbal standoff between both Sokolov and Stamatelopoulos after the former had scored his second goal of the game against Doubeia, one of the two hosts of the 38th Campionato. One would think that the two of them would be celebrating the goal that essentially ensured that the Peninsula would be able to defend their title for at least one more game, but now it appeared that Stamatelopoulos was mad that his strike partner had seemingly stolen a goal from him. Kalyftakis in his role as team captain had separated the two strikers to stop the confrontation from becoming any more heated than it already was, but that was the moment that he recognized that all semblance of teamwork between the two had fallen apart, and that both Sokolov and Stamatelopoulos were now essentially competing against each other to the potential detriment of the rest of the team.

As a result of this, Donovan Chase gave the other strike pair in his lineup their first ever starts for the Fhulghamous Peninsula national team. Followers of the Fleftic Premier League (of which there were many in the Fhulghamous since it was, for all intents and purposes, a territory of Abanhfleft) would have been quite familiar with the duo of Spiridionas Matsouras and Haider el-Amin as they were the strike partnership that had been leading the line for Locomotive Imgortur for literally an entire decade. Both of them had come into the team in the season after the Engineers’ historic championship triumph in the 2025-26 season, obviously with the hope that they would be able to keep Imgortur in the upper echelon of teams in the FPL, but obviously that hadn’t yet come to fruition. But even though Imgortur had ended up flirting with relegation a number of times since the arrival of both Matsouras and Amin, there was no denying that the club would have actually gone down had it not been for these two men. The two of them had not played together until arriving at Imgortur, but once the two of them took the field, it was almost as if both Matsouras and Amin had been playing alongside each other since birth. There was just a natural and effortless synergy between them, the result of both the knowledge and the confidence that the other guy would be in the right place at the right time. Fhulghamousian fans had hoped that they would be able to do the same thing for the Peninsular football team, but for some reason neither one of Matsouras nor Amin actually got a call-up until late into their football careers, and they also wouldn’t get their first start for the Colonists until the Peninsula’s round of 16 match against The 14 Stars.

There were many people who were wondering or even complaining about Donovan Chase’s decision to bench both of his starting strikers, one of whom also happened to be his vice-captain, and replace them with a slightly older pairing that also happened to be unproven, at least on the international stage. But both Haider el-Amin and Spiridionis Matsouras would soon show why they were so good for Locomotive Imgortur and why so many people wanted to see them represent the Fhulghamous before it was too late. Amin and Matsouras were undoubtedly the focal point of attack for the Colonists, much in the same way that Alibek Sokolov and Cosmas Stamatelopoulos had been before the two of them had had an inexplicable falling out with each other. Even then, it was clear that the level of synergy and teamwork between Amin and Matsouras were simply on a higher level than even both Sokolov and Stamatelopoulos had ever been able to achieve, and that perhaps Chase should have gone with the two of them from the start. Both Haider and Spiridionis took care of business against the 14 Stars, and there were some who believed that the two of them would have still managed to beat the Starsians all by themselves. Of course, that was ignoring the fact that the rest of the team still had to pull their weight in regards to making sure that the Colonists would advance to the next round, but it was fair to say that most of the damage had been inflicted by the boys from Imgortur.

However, even though it was now clear to see that keeping both Amin and Matsouras in the starting eleven could very well be the key to the Fhulghamous being able to successfully defend their Campionato Esportiva title, Donovan Chase then did something that would essentially cost him his job as manager of the Colonists: he restored both Alibek Sokolov and Cosmas Stamatelopoulos to the starting lineup for the Fhulghamous’s quarterfinals meeting with Slembana. It was Polynikis Kalyftakis who had made the suggestion to drop both Sokolov and Stamatelopoulos, but for some reason Chase thought that that was only applicable for that one game against the 14 Stars. For some reason it never occurred to Chase that maybe he should stick to the strike partnership that was an actual partnership and not the game of upmanship which was the natural end result of the conflict between Ali and Cosmas. Maybe he thought that those two men would finally and eventually settle their differences when they saw that their actions off the pitch had almost cost the team, but clearly that was not what had happened. Cosmas Stamatelopoulos had somehow gotten it into his mind that it was now him against the world, specifically the rest of the team, so restoring his place in the starting lineup was the equivalent of pouring more gasoline on a bonfire. It was a decision that was going to blow up in Donovan Chase’s face.

The Peninsula’s opponents in the quarterfinals, Slembana, was not a nation that was familiar to the average Fhulghamousian football fan. Nobody knew a lot about Slembana itself, and it would appear that their team still operated on old-time rules that all players starting the game would wear numbers 1 to 11 and that they wouldn’t have names on the backs of their shirts. To be fair to them though, that did appear to be the extent to which the Slembanans were behind when it came to times and traditions, but because nobody knew anything about Slembana, that made them into formidable opponents for the Colonists. The Fhulghamous had already played Slembana before, and had even beaten them by three goals to nil in that period of time when both Sokolov and Stamatelopoulos were still working together as a team, but nobody was expecting another easy time now. This was the playoffs, after all, the quarterfinals of the Campionato Esportiva, and both teams had a lot to lose if they were to lose this match. One could even argue that the Fhulghamous Peninsula had much more to lose than Slembana as they were the defending champions and this was still as good a time as any for the so-called Abanhfleft curse to strike and bite the Colonists in the rear once again. And bite them in the rear it did.

Slembana had the upper hand over the Fhulghamous Peninsula in their second meeting in the Campionato Esportiva, plain and simple. Some would say that that was because they were playing in Riena instead of Doubeia unlike the first time that they had played each other. Others would say that the drama between Sokolov and Stamatelopoulos had taken the attention of the rest of the team and prevented them from focusing on the task at hand. The fact of the matter was that Slembana had gone three goals up over the Fhulghamous come the end of the first half, and the Colonists might as well be playing with a man down with how Cosmas refused to even be involved with the rest of his teammates. Once again, Polynikis Kalyftakis made the call to take Cosmas out of the game, and he was replaced by Spiridionis Matsouras at half-time. The change worked for a short time because Matsouras was able to score a goal almost as soon as he had come on, but the fact remained that the Peninsula was still two goals down as the clock ticked towards seventy minutes. It was only then that Donovan Chase decided to bring on Haider el-Amin in place of Alibek Sokolov, and the arrival of Matsouras’s strike partner made an immediate impact on the complexion of the game. Amin scored the two goals that the Colonists needed to draw level with Slembana and force extra time, and he and Matsouras definitely had a couple of chances to win it all for the Fhulghamous but they were just unable to take it, just like how both men were unable to take the penalties that could have carried the Fhulghamous Peninsula past Slembana. In the aftermath of this game, people would wonder why Chase had not brought on Amin at the same time as Matsouras, considering how the two of them had dismantled The 14 Stars almost by themselves, and one could argue that this was the straw that broke the camel’s back and made the Fhulghamousian Football Association give Donovan Chase the sack.

Losing the quarterfinals to Slembana would then turn into the least of Chase’s problems though as the two people who had been in the center of the Fhulghamous Peninsula’s shocking collapse in the Campionato Esportiva playoffs, Alibek Sokolov and Cosmas Stamatelopoulos, would finally come to blows as a result of the team’s failure to defend their championship. Reports varied as to what happened, but the only things that everyone could agree on was that Cosmas swung at Ali first, and then Sokolov responded in kind, resulting in a brawl in the middle of the Doubeian hotel lobby while the Fhulghamousians were checking out in preparation for the short trip back to Port Thimpodopoulos. During the fight, Cosmas would accuse Ali of spreading lies about him to sabotage his standing with the coaching staff and, by extension, the rest of the association, all on top of Cosmas’s other allegations that Sokolov was “stealing goals” from him. Sokolov would of course deny all of these allegations, saying that he hadn’t told the staff anything that they didn’t already know courtesy of Stamatelopoulos’s own behavior. He did however say that if Cosmas spent as much time actually trying to score goals as he did cooking up crazy conspiracy theories about his own teammates then maybe the Fhulghamous Peninsula would be the ones facing Tumbra in the semifinals of the Campionato Esportiva. Predictably, that set off Stamatelopoulos once again, and in the melee that followed he actually managed to bite Sokolov.

The image of Cosmas Stamatelopoulos glaring at his teammates like a wild man would be the one that summarized the Fhulghamous Peninsula’s campaign in the 38th Campionato Esportiva. It was never a good look for any self-respecting football association if its players started fighting one another, and the resulting scandal was one that grabbed practically all of the headlines and attention on the far-flung Fleftic territory. Both Sokolov and Stamatelopoulos were suspended from playing professional football by the FhFA for a full season, but due to all of the other actions that he had taken for the duration of the Campionato, Cosmas’s suspension would eventually morph into a full-on ban from the national team setup. This of course only reinforced Cosmas’s belief that the entire multiverse was out to get him, and he publicly stated that he would rescind his Fhulghamousian citizenship and apply to represent a different nation. Many pundits would say that this was nothing more than an empty threat as Stamatelopoulos’s actions had revealed a personality wholly incompatible with playing international football in any capacity. And for failing to control his players off the pitch, along with the other egregious mistakes that he had made on that fateful day, Donovan Chase was dismissed from his position as manager of the Fhulghamous Peninsula national team.

The Colonists would then go through the next two years under a succession of caretaker managers taken from the pool of assistant managers that had previously been under Donovan Chase. But with the 39th Campionato Esportiva now looming, the FhFa had to name a new permanent manager, even if it was only for the duration of the Campionato. Of the choices available to the association, which included former national team manager Antonis Papadimitriou, they would eventually pick one Branislav Vinogradovsky, most recently the former manager of the Estorvipa and Estorpiva national football team over in Anaia. After leaving the Estoria job, Vinogradovsky had gone back to his native Pridnestrovia to take charge of lower league side FC 23 August for a second spell. Vinogradovsky and 23 August would eventually part ways after four seasons failing to gain promotion to the Pridnestrovian Super League, and Vinogradovsky would go on a year-long hiatus before he was approached by the Fhulghamousian FA. The FhFA had decided that it was time for the Colonists to go back to playing a more defensively solid style of football, and Vinogradovsky was the best choice out of the lot. Vinogradovsky had agreed to the job, and he was set to take charge of the Colonists a few months before the start of the 39th Campionato Esportiva to get himself acquainted with the team and the players available to him. There was no doubt that it was going to be an uphill battle, but that was the kind of challenge that Branislav Vinogradovsky relished, as evidenced by his work with the Estorian team in the CAFA Cup. And while he had a more attainable target this time around (make it to the semifinals with the Fhulghamous), the path to the Campionato was still a long and arduous one. Just like how Branislav Vinogradovsky wanted it.

38th Campionato Esportiva Quarterfinals - Final Score

  FHULGHAMOUS PENINSULA 3 - 3 SLEMBANA  
        MATSOURAS (47')       (10')
     EL-AMIN (75', 84')       (23')
                              (39')

Slembana won 4-3 on penalties

by **South Newlandia** » Sat Oct 12, 2024 12:50 pm

Elephants Practise Run ends in tough win over Schottia

It was a bit of a surprise when one of the stops of the Shottic Football Comeback World Tour was revealed to be South Newlandia, but the Elephants did indeed host the former World Cup champions for the second game of the aforementioned tour.
Played in the Stadium of Friendship in Elephant Valley, the new-look? Elephants faced Schottia, fresh off a road win in Ceni. While the tour would later slip away from the guests a little bit, the teams were widely seen as quite evenly matched heading into the game. The guests, playing in their black jerseys, had the better chances early on, with Elephants’ keeper Khan forced to save multiple tricky shots. The Schottic team only beat him once, but the tap-in was disallowed after review, showing the midfielder had been narrowly offside on the previous pass.

Instead, South Newlandia, playing in front of their own fans, grew increasingly confident. Playing an ambitious, experimental lineup that would carry over to the CE, Matias Vaz was an untirable engine on the left side, with him and Mazza quickly revealing their chemistry with quick passes. With the Schottic team struggling to hold on their right flank, Lange-Parker had the first great chance for the pachyderms, but his chance was saved by the Schottic keeper. On the ensuing corner, delivered by Luisa Johnson, it was Jannis Vogel-Huber rising above everyone in the box. In his first appearance for South Newlandia, the Mikan Wave defender found the net, with his header going against the momentum of the Schottic keeper, leaving him without a chance.

It remained an even game, but the Elephants were able to take their narrow lead into half-time. There, manager Han Ruoyang made four changes; giving some of his young players a chance to prove themselves.
The Schottic team grew stronger in this phase, but it would be the Elephants scoring the next goal. Alessio Lombardo was in possession near the box, and decided to take a chance and try for a long shot. The shot was blocked by the arm of a defender, and the referee signalled for a penalty immediately. Upheld after review, the penalty would be taken by Lombardo himself – multiple regular takers, including Diaz, had already been subbed off.
Lombardo took a few steps, sent the keeper into the wrong direction, and gently sent the ball into the bottom-left corner to take the score to 2-0.

The Schottic team continued to have good chances, but they found the goal too late; in the 87th minute, with the Elephants’ box increasingly trafficked, they would get to ruin the clean sheet Khan had worked so hard for with a nice shot that left the goalkeeper without a chance. It was too little, too late, however, with the Elephants winning the game 2-1 after two minutes of added time; a good omen, perhaps, for a Campionato campaign that starts with a tough match against Gouvanarch

by **Limey George** » Sat Oct 12, 2024 1:05 pm

The cutoff has arrived. Results coming soon.

Group A
Limey George 2-2 Katzeburg @ Lime Grove Lane
(scorinated by Mertagne)
Lozho 3–1 Riena @ Mountain View Stadium

Group B
Hapilopper 0–1 Starszia @ Lime Grove Lane
Slembana 6–4 Cheetahs and Reptiles coalison @ Mountain View Stadium

Group C
Tumbra 2–0 Kanzlia @ The Factory
Irithoren 4–1 Doubeia @ Dockside Stadium

Group D
Fhulghamous Peninsula 4–2 Sangti and the Filindo Isles @ The Factory
South Newlandia 1–1 Gouvanarch @ Dockside Stadium

Group E
Natanians and Nosts 4–1 Bongo Johnson @ Golden Croft
Kamijiro 1–1 The 14 Stars @ The Ramparts

Group F
Sylestone 0–1 Alanis Star @ Golden Croft
Xanneria 2–1 Restresas @ The Ramparts

Group G
TJUN-ia 1–0 Vielfaltig @ The Garden
Josifovo 3–2 Esportivan Darmen @ Brygga

Group H
Dod Rava 4–4 Polkopia @ The Garden
Eshialand 1–1 Macbon @ Brygga

Group tables to follow after matchday two.
Expect the next cutoff some time between 20:00 and 22:00 on Monday GMT

Matchday one RP information:
There were a total of 7 RPs submitted, 86% of which earned max bonus. 100% of RPs submitted earned at least half of the max available bonus. The median RP was graded at 5/5.

Matchday Two prompt:
Agriculture and Horticulture are major parts of Limey culture, given the country's history and main export. There are thousands of diverse species of plant across the Isle of Albion, small though it is, with the most notable of course, being the Lime. More specifically, the Limey Lime (Citrus georgos). Distinguishable from other known forms of lime throughout the multiverse by its structure -- it's far tougher than other limes -- and its subtle aroma which conceals its strong acidic flavour. Are there any unique or otherwise interesting plants native to your nation?

by **The 14 Stars** » Sun Oct 13, 2024 3:05 am

Fading Starlight part 2

Its game-day the team gets together as they now in their new formation hit the field, its a very interesting game as the team has never played a single game without Kira in the last 18 years or so, now seeing the field without her for many Starsians feels incomplete as the line-up is announced and the players take their positions waiting for the game to get underway.
As they kick off it becomes visible exactly how much this team has relied on Kira as the opponents just walk over the Wolves forcing them into the defense from the get go one chance after the other.
Emily Davis the ever capable goalkeeper gets to work catching one here, punching another away there and defending her territory fiercely as time ticks on and the pressure on the Wolves mounts from their visibly stronger opponents with more momentum.
One time they manage to counter but it goes nowhere as Schulz loses the ball to a defender and they have to go back to defending and with so much pressure on the defense it does not take long before in the 28th minute a header goes past Davis, it was simply out of her reach despite a diving attempt to tap it out or against the post i was to no avail and the Kamijiro team scored the first goal.
Emily was visibly irritated by how the midfielders and forwards seemed to be daydreaming and Federico, Freja, Grace and Maddie were running their feet off trying to cover the entire area to protect the goal and her.

As the ref signalled for halftime the Wolves were one goal down and the commentary from Swyndon in the booth for the TV folks would be fierce as she explains how below their level the team is playing at the moment.
She is not allowed to pick sides but she explains that they will have to do better if they really wanna try something against this stronger Kamijiro team who wont let them get away, her experience as a former NTer makes her able to understand it very well.

Meanwhile in the teams changing room coach Walcott tried her best to motivate her players for the second half but no one would listen to her as they saw her as the reason for their bad preformance which obviously wasnt the case.
She announced there would be no substitutions yet but that she expected improvement from the first half and that the team got its head in the game to play their best for themselves and for the fans in this stadium.
As they went out and the second half began the same situation continued with the Wolves pressured into the defense and this continued for another 15 minutes before Keira Walcott looked at this then at Federico and said.

Walcott: ''Enough of this, its time to make substitutions''

The Wolves would see Keira Walcott their coach do something she never did before and this showed that the team had seriously violated her patience with them for a long time now as she used all 5 subtitutions.
Joy Sol, Layla Raharinaivo, Kai Schulz, Elizabeth Phillips and Maddie Saturn were all taken off the field due to their poor preformance and the fact they let things that happened outside the field influence themselves on the field and Walcott hoped to change things now.
Daniel Flores, Selena Corson, Johanna Koch, Iris Olivier and Lukas Lauritzen all rookies were making their appearances on the field replacing their older counterparts as Emily Davis walked up the field to her team as she spoke.

''Alright guys im done with this, are we gonna play the game or not im done with alot of you having their head somewhere else then in the game and yes i know the situation we are in is tough!
But we represent an entire nation of 11 billion people, things that happen outside of the soccer field do not matter here! focus on the game like we all should because i am not accepting the way you all are playing now is that understood!'' Emily was literally shouting her voice thundering across the field as her fierceness shocked the players.
But it was a wake-up call for them.....they nodded to eachother as they retook their positions and Federico couldnt help but say.

''Thanks Emily, i think you finally woke them up'' Federico said with a grin as he went back to his position, the new younger players immediately brought new energy and great combination play was shown, it was as if the old Wolves team had returned for a moment as they blitzed through the Kamijiro defense as Lauritzen had the ball after a great pass from Selena Corson, he could shoot but it was tough, from the corner of his eye he saw Olivier running as he gave her the pass and without thinking twice Iris Olivier received the pass, took a tap outside and shot the ball curling it around everyone and into the closest corner of the goal.
As the stadium watched shocked Iris Olivier and her young teammates celebrated the equalizer as Federico high fived Emily both being very that the team was finally back on track and even Coach Walcott could not hide a smile.
In the end the match ended in a draw and in the press conference with coach Walcott her opinion on the result was asked.

Walcott: ''Look every team has its struggles, its hardships and its changes and even some changes that i must make hurt do not get me wrong but i need to act in the best interest of this national team aswell.
Today this team has shown that they will look their problems in the eyes and face them like a team, they've gotten closer together both the young and the old and i think while we did not win today it taught the team a valuable lesson.''

Meanwhile back at Columbia

Donnie: ''What?! you want this team to play competitive? you're absolutely insane we are an amateur club struggling to get by our players all from the neighbourhood here and you want us to go out against stronger teams?
You're crazy.....this team is not made for things like that Richard and you know it, we'd be a laughing stock and i bet many of our team rather take a beer after a game then anything thats just how amateur teams work there is not much more to it.''

Richard: ''Why dont you wanna try it? amateurs or not you all still for a team that holds the record for most national championships, would you not want to see that glory back and actually try to play your best?''

Donnie: ''Look Richard....i could have played on a semi pro level but i was deliberately injured so many times that it was no longer realistic and thats how those players and teams are they are simply dirtbags.
Most of our team can barely give a straight pass, even my skill nowadays is gone you shouldn't forget im also 41 years already i dont want to run myself into an injury against an opponent i know i will never beat which is what it is.''

Richard: ''I understand but.....look at them'' Richard points to one the U7 youth team playing their match ''Maybe your generation not but they could be a new chapter for our club.....you can inspire them now to become greater then what we can offer them.
I have arranged a match with a pro team, it will be played here on our field and behind closed doors meaning the grounds wont be open to fans so you do not have to worry about looking uncool if thats it.''

Donnie sighs

Donnie: ''Fine.....ill see if i can gather enough players willing to play but i cant make promises....what team is it?''

Richard: ''Ancient Forest FC, they are 12th placed in the super league currently they are one of the smaller teams and their best players are currently away with the national team and they have agreed to field a B team if that works.''

Donnie: ''Alright then ill gather the boys for next week, dont expect us to hold them off very long considering they literally train every single day and we train once and if we are very motivated twice a week.''

And so it was deciced that Ancient Forest FC would play an away friendly against Columbia United.

Columbia Line-up

GK: Rowan Menton (39 years)
LB: Byrson Gill (27 years)
CB: Donnie Irwin (41 years)
CB: Casey Moore (36 years)
RB: Ashton Tanner (38 years)
LM: Landon White (34 years)
CM: Arthur Warner (36 years)
RM: Chase Hawley (24 years)
LW: Gavin Robinson (45 years)
ST: Audrey Marks (16 years)
RW: Frank McCain (50 years)

As they arrived at the field Donnie told Richard ''These are all guys i could find, all our forwards refused so Frank our therapist who used to play in the 3rd team plays and Audrey from the womens U18 was willing to join us for today.'' and Richard couldnt help but sigh seeing how this team had no chance of winning with their oldest player and a retired therapist at the front.
Then finally Ancient Forest arrived with a fancy team bus as they packed their bags and walked to the their changing room they were chit chatting with eachother laughing loudly as loud hardstyle music blasted through the club building from their speakers.

Richard: ''Seems the youth arrived......''

Donnie: ''You said it old friend, you said it.''

Ancient Forest FC Line-up

GK: Rakita Todorović (18)
LB: Luka Vasiliev (21)
CB: Danil Reznik (17)
CB: Malina Ristovic (17)
RB: Pavel Kovacs (21)
LM: Daria Ivanova (33)
CM: Traicho Kolev (16)
RM: Simo Nedeljković (18)
LW: Svetlana Markova (21)
ST: Marta Krall (21)
RW: Darka Pribonic (17)

As they kicked off this match it was very one sided, Ancient Forest scored one goal after the other to the point where Forest was 8-0 ahead of Columbia by halftime and much of its veterans were very demotivated.
It was clear to Richard too that this game was a horrible idea, even with only rookies on their team and even a few who werent even in the main team it was still impossible for Columbia to even do something back.
In the second half this continue until it was 15-0 and Ancient Forests captain Daria Ivanova pretty much offered them to quit the game 20 minutes earlier seeing how exhausted these old men were and how one sided the game was, however while she tried to make that clear Donnie with all his might did his best attempt and actually managed to steal the ball for once.
He looked at Audrey and saw her running down the field like crazy as he as good as he could gave a shaky long pass which she received surprisingly managing to dodge the defenders using sheer speed and her swift movement as she shot the ball to the side and scored to everyone's shock putting the first goal for Columbia on the board.
Richard and Donnie could not believe it and neither Daria Ivanova....she was pretty speechless, nonetheless the match ended in 18-1 in their favour but after the game she would walk up to Audrey and say.

Daria:''That was a decent play girl you've got some promise....maybe not a pro but you're certainly better then most players your age.''

and young Audrey couldn't help but be proud of the fact that a professional veteran player like her complimented an amateur player like herself who even if she played good was nothing special to them.
She had only been asked last moment because they simply had no one else and now she had scored their only goal, it was a day she would remember a long time for sure as she looked at Daria and said.

Audrey: ''That means alot coming from you, scoring in my debut in the first team is already awesome and also against a strong team like yours is something i will certainly never forget thats for sure.

Daria: ''I will keep an eye on you, if you are the future of this club there is certainly hope and i can see you becoming a good striker.....this is why its quite a shame there is only one pro league and so little teams.
We have so much talent but so little space....its sometimes really sad that talents like you stay in these teams''

Daria's comment spoke for itself but many hoped that in the coming years the league would see its expansion once the election was over, Maximillian Flare seemed to lead it for now but Julio Reyes was not far behind.

by **TJUN-ia** » Sun Oct 13, 2024 4:23 pm

The Random Rambles of a Jaguar - WC97 Qualifying Edition
with Killian Looker

Welcome back to this Random Ramble. And we are BACK! After making it all the way to the Quarterfinals of a World Cup, the mood around the Jaguars of TJUN-ia heading into this Campeonato Esportiva has never been higher. We're back in the Top 30 in the world, we're #4 in the region and both David Seems and Li Xiu Ying seem to be back to their best. Everything seemed to be A-OK for the first time in a long time so with that all in mind, a new cycle begins with hope sprung anew. Alexander Lopez is the new captain of this team, the 2nd woman to hold this position, and her first task will be to navigate this CE with as much fight as this team can muster.

The Match
Welcome to Limey George! No, I hadn't heard of them prior to this tournament either. But we were in The Garden here in Valthwaite for our opener against #41 Vielfaltig, a Veiled Knights team making their 2nd CE appearance led by Mattias Hahn. In this contest, the battle was between the traditional struggles TJUN-ia has at the start of a tournament vs the spring we all had in our steps post-WC. The resulting contest was one that was closer than expected, with everyone playing their parts on both teams, but it would end up being a defensive duel that saw both Ivan Kozovikov and Marcela Ramos put to work across the full 90 minutes. Both sides had clear chances in this game, without a shadow of a doubt, but in the end, we were desperate for that win and with that in mind, Diana Sharafutdinov (the new VC) made her mark with the winning goal in the 68th minute. 1-0 is 1-0, after all.

Reactions
Not the most convincing of results, but three points all the same. This team has aspirations of deep run in this tournament, so this is a good start nonetheless in the eyes of many.

Up Next...
Esportivan Darmen will be up next for us, who lost their opener 3-2. We will be hoping for another win to our collection. GO JAGS!

SCHEDULE (Group G)
MD1: vs Vielfaltig (41) - The Garden, Valthwaite W 1-0
MD2: vs Esportivan Darmen (20) - Brygga, Sandthorpe
MD3: vs Josifovo (11) - Brygga, Sandthorpe

by **Eshialand** » Sun Oct 13, 2024 7:41 pm

The Future is a Sequel?
Eshialand 1-1 Macbon

One of the major criticisms of this team's reinvention was "it isn't strictly necessary", and a draw against a lower-ranked team -- one who had gone 0-0-4 in the previous year's edition, to boot -- certainly did absolutely nothing to quell such concerns.

While it could've been a lot worse than this, of course, it definitely could've been a lot better, with Josh Seametzle lamenting that "the old guard would've won 3-1, you know that and I know that," whereas other pundits accepting that this was just another part of the classic Eshian regional experience, an unchanging constant of suffering which Coach Carey was just getting to know in full.

The bright side to the results of MD1, if there was one that is, was that Dod Rava had fumbled the bag and allowed a draw to an unranked Polkopia side (although, if old memories of World Cup 89 Qualifying were any reminder, the words "unranked Polkopia side" are quite the scary ones when put together) and the group was still wide open for anyone to take. The Owls' next matchup was going to be against that Polkopian team, and they had to be ready for anything that could come their way; a scoreline like 4-4 from their previous matchup meant that Polkopia was probably going to be attacking a lot, and Harry Bruske had to be at the top of his game in order to keep a large sum of goals from slipping past.

The post-game press conference had an eerie feeling to it, with Melissa Carey not having that presence that Kenny Morgan had always commanded. She always seemed to be stumbling over her words, as she clearly was never prepared to be in this position, and she knew there were questions in need of being answered that she just didn't quite know how to.

"How do you think this 'rag-tag band of unprepared rookies', to quote Karsten Rhodes, fared being dropped right into the big leagues like this?" one reporter asked.

"Well, I certainly would've preferred we have more time to prepare, and maybe a friendly or two thrown in... but, I, uh, do think they did alright. After all, there will always be a learning curve. They'll be ready for anything come next time, trust."

"What do you mean by 'you would've preferred friendlies?' Eshialand hasn't played friendlies in the better part of a decade, those just aren't a thing we do!" another reporter asked, baffled at the answer.

"Yeah, well, we've never had fourteen uncapped newbies on the team either, but this is a year of firsts for everyone, isn't it?"

"Do you think Kenny Morgan's approach to managing the team worked well, or would you rather see Eshialand taking a different approach going forward? The World Cup cycle isn't that far away, and you surely want to be in full form by then, correct?"

"I, uh..." she had no good response to this question. It had absolutely floored her. On the one hand, Kenny Morgan was the best manager she had ever known, like a father to the whole team, and he had coached them to amazing success over the years... but on the other hand, something about adapting his style just wasn't working out. How do you answer a question like this?

"I'm going to be completely honest... Kenny's coaching style worked amazingly for us, the old Owls. We were the perfect team for him, and he was the perfect manager for us. Whether it's working for this team, however... this is a very different team, you know. We're going to have to take the time to figure out whether everything is going well, and maybe his style just isn't going to cut it anymore. Or maybe it would work, just given the time to adjust. I don't know, and nobody does. We'll just have to play this by ear. One thing's for sure, expect a bumpy road ahead."

Unfortunately, while her response had been an amazing one, considering how hard it really was to answer the question for her, those last five words were clipped to hell and back. "Expect a bumpy road ahead" weren't exactly the words you wanted to hear from a manager trying to reverse past fortunes in the Campionato Esportiva, and the public knew that. For many, this one depressing phrase marked the end of this tournament only ninety minutes after it had started...

...But for Mel and the team, it was just getting started. They were ready to give it their all.

by **Katzeburg** » Mon Oct 14, 2024 4:36 am

It was a resoundingly peaceful day for Josef Brand, as he sat in his small chair at the edge of his dock overlooking the Katzeburgian Bay between the mainland and the island of Dragoonspiel where he was currently living. Next to him sat a small table, with the latest issue of the Ynysgard Fisherman and a still steaming cup of coffee resting on top of the headline article - talking about the town’s Chess Club and their adventures over in Eshialand.

Josef was reclining, a small fishing rod in hand as he let the sounds of the crashing waves against the rocks take over his thinking. It had been a few months since he was put on a ‘sabbatical’ from the Katzeburgian Football Federation following his absolute meltdown on national television ahead of the national team’s final World Cup qualifiers - which saw Katzeburg collapse in a heap to crash to a 5th place finish in their group.

Slammed by the media from all sides, Josef did what anyone looking to keep quiet in Katzeburg would do - fuck off to the end of the world and become a fisherman. And that he did, moving to Ynysgard and purchasing a quaint little cottage just on the outskirts of Dragoonspiel’s largest (and only) village.

As he looked up the dock to the little light red cottage he now called home, Josef took a deep breath and sighed - he didn’t mind this life in all honesty. Far, far away from the pressures of the national team setup and the crazy whirlwind that was the KFF’s head of media Marvin Donaldson, Josef had been able to relax for the first time in years.

Sure, he was a terrible fisherman which on Ynysgard is the social equivalent of marrying an off-islander, but he managed to pick up enough work (under an assumed name) at the local newspaper filing shipping reports that he was able to make a living. And he was happy. Wasn’t that enough for him?

He stretched back in his chair as he considered his list of activities for the day. Outside of filing tomorrow’s reports, he had nothing on the docket - but he might wander down to the Fisherman’s Arms later on in the evening to watch Katzeburg take on Limey George in the opening game of the Campionato Esportiva.

Mentally ticking off his list for the day, he looked back at the fishing line which was weakly bobbing up and down in the waves off the dock - nothing tense yet, just the relaxed sense of calm which was also washing over Josef.

He picked up his coffee and took a sip, before he heard a faint buzz. Josef stuck his head up like a Meerkat, trying to source out the location of the sound, but he couldn’t find anything.

“Maybe just a remnant of my former life,” he chucked to himself as he relaxed into his chair once more.

The buzz came again. This time Josef looked around more frantically - casting his eyes over the fishing line and into the bay to see if this was coming from a boat in trouble. But again, nothing but the calm soothing waves and the occasional seagull mating cry.

But still the buzz came once more and finally Josef could source its location - his own jacket pocket, deep in the guts of his big puffy black coat he was wearing for frosty mornings on the Katzeburgian Bay. His mobile.

In all honesty Josef often questioned why he still had it, only to remember he used it every now and then to check up what was happening over in Katzestadt.

He pulled it out to see it was in fact ringing - another odd occurrence as it had barely rung in months. In fact, the only call he got since moving was from a scammer trying to get his bank details. The scammer would eventually quit trying after Josef kept him on the phone for more than three hours sobbing about his career collapse and breakdown.

But this wasn’t a scammer. Josef’s eyes widened as he saw the name flash up on his screen - a name he had long thought would never cross paths with him again following his exile. A name which still struck fear into his heart despite the fact he no longer technically worked at the KFF.

Marvin Donaldson.

Josef gulped. Surely this is a bit, he thought to himself. Why would he call me? Why now?

Josef thought about putting the phone back into his depths, simply ignoring the call and going back to his fishing, but something gnawed at him. What if? What could he possibly want from me?

As he looked around at the Katzeburgian Bay, where fisherman were already coming back in from an early morning’s haul, he considered the positives and negatives before sliding his finger over the green answer button.

“Hello?” Josef stuttered out.

“Josef Brand,” came the antagonistic voice down the line. “How goes my favourite mental breakdown patient exiled out in the arse-end of nowhere?”

“F-fine, thanks. Managing to get by.”

“You thought I actually gave a shit? Why would I waste my precious time caring about how many fish you’ve fisted since moving to a small island. We’ve got literal bigger fish to fry. Let me fill you in.”

Josef was already too distracted to see his once relaxed fishing line had now gone incredibly tight.

Limey George 2 - 2 Katzeburg
(Ottesen 17’, Willis 52’ // Wruck 74’, 86’)

Possession - 35% // 65%
Shots on Target - 4 // 8
Shots - 12 // 22
Fouls - 9 // 11

1 Whinery, 2 Howland, 15 Clarkson, 4 Knepp (Herman 65’), 5 Colbert, 6 Plank, 7 Horsfall (Earls 65’), 18 Arkwright, 19 Spears, 10 Wruck, 11 Niles (Marsh 65’)

Player of the Match - Wruck (KAT)

Blue Cats salvage a draw in Campionato Esportiva opener

Katzeburg left it late to secure a point in their first ever Campionato Esportiva clash, with a brace from striker Drake Wruck securing a point against competition hosts Limey George at Lime Grove Lane.

The Blue Cats, in their first game without former captain Owen Levitt in the squad, struggled to get going in the opening exchanges against a home side which were keen to make an immediate impact on home soil. And impact they did, with the Bats opening the scoring after 17 minutes thanks to a powerful free-kick from Herman Ottesen which flew past a stunningly slow Ry Whinery in goal.

Katzeburg did at least have possession on their side, with the side controlling large portions of the match, but the side failed to find the true breakthrough they needed to level the scores, with Lambert Niles missing the best chance of the opening half for the Blue Cats after clearing his effort from close range over the crossbar.

The Bats would double their advantage shortly after half-time through Titus Willis, with the winger cutting deep from the flank into the box before rounding his effort simply past a diving Whinery - leaving the Blue Cats deep in trouble in a game they needed to get something from to have a strong chance of advancing out of the group stages.

However, those who count out Katzeburg early have never seen the side play, and manager Becka Haberkorn would make some vital substitutions which revitalised the sluggish squad. A renewed Katzeburg suddenly took the upper hand despite being two goals back, bringing the game to a Limey George side which had become content to sit back and collect the three points.

Several chances would emerge for the Blue Cats in the resulting 10 minutes as the side changed their tact to try passing around the opposition and tire out their larger hitters, finally culminating in Drake Wruck pulling a goal back in the 74th minute.

Wruck, picking up a loose ball which rebounded around in the box following a cross in from Serena Plank, was able to calmly slot the effort past Solomon Hale, who rather than attempt to dive and save the ball with his hands, instead leapt forward with his feet with a view of collecting the ball and Wruck as collateral.

Katzeburg would continue to pile on the pressure in search of an equalizer, and Wruck would again pop up as the nation’s saviour four minutes from time - climbing on top of Gabriel Shipwright in the box to get his head to a curling corner from Meriel Arkwright and nod the effort into the bottom left corner of the goal.

The travelling side celebrated amidst a mostly quiet Lime Grove Lane - now stunned in silence at blowing a two goal lead - but the match would not be over just yet, with Katzeburg having a huge chance to snatch the win at the death in the second minute of stoppage time after Wruck showed great control to pat down a long ball from Whinery and break through the Bats backline.

Wruck however, was unable to secure a historic win, slicing his effort to the right of the post and ensuring both sides would take a share of the spoils.

Manager Becka Haberkorn was disappointed at the side’s start to their CE campaign, but praised the side’s commitment to fightback from two goals down.

“I’d be much happier sitting here in the aftermath of a victory, I’ll tell you that much,” Haberkorn joked.

“We weren’t at the races to start with and I think that is purely down to the fatigue being shown by many of these players - we’ve played a lot of football as a unit and a sense of complacency about their status is starting to creep through and going two goals down I think was a slap across the face for many of the side.

“The CE is a tough competition and it requires focus from starting whistle to the final - and it was very encouraging to see us fight back from a couple of goals down to secure a point, but it was a position we shouldn’t be in to begin with.”

Katzeburg will next face a top 10 Esportivan side in Lozho in what will be a huge game in the Blue Cats’ aspirations to secure knockout football. Lozho flew to a resounding 3-1 win over Riena in the opening matchday to sit atop Group A, with a win against Katzeburg enough to secure passage through to the knockouts after just two games.

by **Doubeia** » Mon Oct 14, 2024 8:02 am

Yuni Markova didn't know what to say.

The dressing down was but quiet as all the players sat down, tired and defeated. The scoreline showed 4-1 in favour of Irithoren, unfortunately. The players took glances at Markova, expecting her to blow up there and then. They knew how much stress she was going through. The pressure from the board to the media to the fans was intense. Everyone had something to say about her, and it wasn't positive in the slightest. It was akin to living her life in an exhibit. Everyone was watching her, scrutinising her every move. It was the perfect recipe for her to become more paranoid. She became a living nightmare on the training pitch. She would give curt, unprofessional responses during interviews. She actively shoved her way out of paparazzi, however impolite and prude she came off as.

It all started with the World Cup qualifiers. The Women's National Team, along with her, were thrown right into the ring from the get-go. They weren't as lucky as the Men's team to have prior experience during the previous Campionato Esportiva. They were sent to some of the multiverse's very best with the same expectations as the MNT. It obviously went awry. They recorded most, if not all, of Doubeia's losses, and it was clear the WNT didn't seem to be on the same level as the MNT.

Then the Cup of Harmony came. Doubeia, on paper, had expectations to advance into the knockout stages, but were sent back home after a frankly disappointing group stage exit. The odds were stacked against Markova. She knew she wasn't living up to expectations, especially after all the talk she did during the World Cup Qualifiers. "We'll show our full potential," she said. "You haven't seen how well we'll do," she said. When she was given an opportunity to prove herself, it all blew up in front of her. It was no wonder the girls went into this Campionato Esportiva deflated and unmotivated. To make matters worse, it was occurring in the middle of the season. Their fatigue, in other words, was shot.

Training sessions never felt so dreadful and ominous. Markova was on her wit's end, as well as the short end of her temper. She was continuously pushing the players far past their limits. It got so bad to the point Karina Mamykina came out of one of the sessions injured. It wasn't a serious injury, thankfully, but it was a concerning sign. Markova's shrill screams were engrained into the players' eardrums. Her attitude grew uglier by the day. Even Bridgitte Oborina, the captain and the most mentally resolved one of the lot, seemed uneasy a lot of the times.

The culmination of shitty situation after shitty situation eventually resulted in the 4-1 scoreline that ended the Indigo Army's match. The players hadn't checked, and wouldn't be checking, their social media yet, but they just knew the comments would be vile. The men's team seemed far better than they were. Undoubtedly there would be people looking down on their skills. Insulting them, even. Barely veiled misogyny dominated the feed. The most subhuman of Doubeinese football fans would come out of their shell and unleash their true toxicity.

Markova herself knew what she was in for. Scrutiny from the media. Questions from the press, seemingly asked to prod a controversial headline out of her mouth. She had enough of everything, though. Her players' expectations were in hell, and they couldn't overcome it. Irithoren was a good opponent, but the girls barely put up a fight. To Markova, at least. Even as the Indigo Army trudged back to the dressing room panting and breathless, it wasn't enough for Markova. She wanted to see drive, power, hunger. She didn't care if the players gave it their all. She didn't see the passion in them. It wasn't good enough for her.

Yet, despite her disappointment, her fury even, Markova didn't have the energy nor the willpower to produce a few scathing sentences of criticism. Not even an insult.

"You guys know what you did. I won't say anything."

Markova promptly left, leaving the players to ruminate her words. They didn't know what to say or how to act. Everything happened too suddenly. Were they supposed to feel guilty? Sad? Motivated? Everyone looked at each other, lost. Some were on the brink of tears. They didn't want to be here, in Limey George, anymore. They'd rather play football to their hearts' content back in Doubeia. This was too much.

"Guys."

Oborina spoke up. Everyone turned their heads.

"I know what Coach said seemed shocking, but she's also going through a lot of shit." Murmurs of agreement filled the room. "It hasn't been easy for any of us. We did our best this game, but we could have done so much more." Some nodded their heads, while others seemed like they disagreed. Everyone was focused on what their captain had to say.

"We aren't in the best spot right now. People think we play like shit, people think we are shit. Are we, though?" Players shook their heads as a small chorus of 'no...' resounded in the dressing room.

"It won't be easy, but we just need to kick ass and win shit. We need to give it our all. People are giving shit to us right now, and we need to give that shit right back. You heard me?"

"Yes..."

"Heard me?!" Oborina hollered even louder.

"Yes!" the rest of the team reciprocated her energy with an even louder shout.

"Let's do this, guys. Let's win," she stood up and beckoned everyone to huddle together.

"Can we do it?"

"Yes!"

"Can we do it?"

"Yes!" Players started to chuckle a bit at how cheesy Oborina was sounding, but on the bright side, the atmosphere in the room lightened up. Everyone didn't seem to care as much about the defeat or Markova's words. There was a new ingredient in the team: determination.

"Fistbump?" Benedetta Marin voiced out.

"Fistbump." Oborina responded. Everyone put their fists together in the middle.

"Let's win guys." Oborina encouraged, "Three, two, one..."

"Indigo girls!"

by **Tumbra** » Mon Oct 14, 2024 8:12 am

Tumbra 2-0 Kanzlia

12 - B Cvitkovic; 2 - H Kennedy (18 - C Maartens, 73'), 4 - S Kerr (19 - H Edwards, 73'), 24 - E Colvin (5 - W Pritchett, 65'), 3 - T Mercurio; 23 - H Hindmarsh, 8 - V Leighton, 15 - M Russelar (10 - C Campbell, 65'); 14 - J Berkenbosch, 9 - H Colvin; 11 - C Henshaw (26 - J Starling, 84')

TMB scorers: Johan Berkenbosch (13'), Hannah Edwards (81')

Player of the Match: Johan Berkenbosch [TMB]

Opening Day Win over Kanzlia Overshadowed by Comments Made By Tumbran Broadcasting Corporation Hosts

COUNO: Tumbra's victorious start to the 39th Campionato Esportiva — in its attempt to both defend its title at the international footballing championship as well as to win a record-equaling fifth title — was marred by controversy as the pre-match show on the Tumbran Broadcasting Corporation (TBC), the country's publicly-funded broadcaster talked at length about alleged human rights violations in the host country of Limey George.

The cast of Gameweek, comprising a long-running commentary team of Ed Chadwick, Melanie Wright, Lewis Jennings, and former Tumbran national team captain Robin Vaughn, reported live from Haestacre, with Vaughn delivering a somewhat impassioned monologue on the poor state of human rights in Limey George at the start of the programme. The presentation was in direct contradiction of statements made prior to the game by the Tumbran representative to the Esportivan regional football confederation, CONESPIO, Julian Rydings, who said that everyone should simply "focus on the football."

Yet any suggestion that Mr. Rydings' suggestion would be followed was rubbished by Vaughn, who said during the programme that "being sports journalists doesn't absolve us from caring about issues that lie beyond the football pitch. We may be sports journalists, yes, but the key term there is journalist — and it is the responsibility of journalists to call out injustices in the world, to draw attention to the issues of the day, no matter how overlooked." Vaughn's presentation covered several little-known facets of the authoritarian state's methods of control over its populace, including its lackluster education system as well as the lack of accountability the country's leadership has.

Limey George, who are first-time participants in the Campionato, are long renowned as the region's top producer of limes and lime-related products, with an estimated eight of ten limes consumed in Tumbra produced on the small island. While there have been concerns over the country's human rights record in the past, the island's relatively small size and generally cordial foreign relations with most of the world have meant that little attention, if any, was paid to the situation in the mostly agrarian, somewhat-industrialised country. Things changed when Limey George submitted its bid to host Esportiva's premier international football competition, with opponents of the bid calling it an attempt at "sportswashing" — which is when a country attempts to host athletic events in a bid to improve its international image. Tumbra voted for the bid, with Mr. Rydings' vote coming under heavy scrutiny.

The remarks made by Vaughn were even more surprising considering that the Tumbran Broadcasting Corporation has a long history of neutrality on all political issues according to both statute and internal policy; with the country's public broadcaster not responding to a request for comment by the Herald at press time. Chadwick, Wright, and Jennings all stood behind Vaughn's statements, however, with Jennings going on the record as saying that "all three of us stand firmly behind what [Robin] said on the show. It's our duty to bring up these sorts of issues, and we would have dropped the topic had any of us disagreed that we should have raised it up." Yet the Gameweek team have also been accused of hypocrisy and virtue signalling; with several social media users accusing the group of ignoring domestic issues, such as the trial without detention of suspected terrorists in the the Tumbran Northlands.

Tumbra eventually pulled off a win against Kanzlia, who are also participating in their first Campionato; a first-half goal by Johan Berkenbosch was followed up with a late header from substitute Hannah Edwards. Yet the thorny issue of human rights in other countries could prove to be a surprise in the ongoing federal election campaign, with Foreign Minister Jack Keenan keen to portray the incumbent Labour government as an ally-forging, internationalist-facing government. Neither the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, nor the Ministry of Culture, could be reached for comment at press time.

Squad v Doubeia (full roster)

Starters: Jones; Maartens, Kerr, Byrne, Mercurio; Hindmarsh, Harrington, Campbell; Robertson, H Colvin, Maddison
Bench: Cvitkovic, Rand; Kennedy, Pritchett, Edwards, E Colvin, McCreary; Harrison, Leighton, Russelar, McLaren; Berkenbosch, Kendall; Henshaw, Starling

by **Fhulghamous Peninsula** » Mon Oct 14, 2024 8:26 am

It was no secret to anyone remotely familiar with the national team of the Federal Republic of Estorvipa and Estorpiva that Stanislav Vinogradovsky did not have a good relationship with his estranged father Branislav. Most of it had to do with the fact that, according to Stanislav at least, Branislav Vinogradovsky had not even bothered to check up on him or his mother for the 34 years that Stanislav had been living in northern Estorvipa. Branislav and Stanislav’s mother had had a one-night stand during Branislav’s time on loan with Avangard Tarkovska, and according to Stanislav, Branislav had just completely forgotten about her by the next morning. After giving birth to Stanislav nine months later, his mother had made numerous repeated attempts to contact Branislav, but apparently he would not respond at all. Of course, Branislav would vehemently deny any and all of these accusations, starting off with the fact that he was unaware that Stanislav had even been conceived in the first place, and that he would have moved heaven and earth to bring both Stanislav and his mother to Pridnestrovia had he known about Stanislav in the first place. Stanislav, for his part, had refused to accept any of Branislav’s explanations for his actions, something that he was well within his rights to do, but there were some who definitely felt that the lengths to which Stanislav would go to refuse to acknowledge that Branislav was his father was beginning to border on the absurd.

For most of his adult life, Stanislav Vinogradovsky had been vehemently anti-Pridnestrovian, an opinion that was commonly held among a lot of people in Tarkovska due to many northerners believing that Estorvipa was getting the short end of the stick in their “socialist fraternal alliance” with the Rushmorean nation. But it was still something that people thought but didn’t say out loud, at least not until an anarchist revolution swept through the north and the people up there could finally throw away any and all vestiges of being obedient little socialists. Stanislav had thought that the anarchist revolution was a good thing back in the day, but that was before the gangsters now responsible for “maintaining order in the commune” had gone into his and his mother’s apartment, saw the poster of Branislav Vinogradovsky hanging on the wall of his mother’s bedroom and decided to beat her up for the crime of “possessing socialist propaganda.” By now, it had been clearly established that Stanislav Vinogradovsky was quite attached to his mother, and this unprovoked attack on her on the part of the anarchist gangsters was suddenly enough for him to do a complete 180 on his stance about Pridnestrovia. They may have taken advantage of the Vipan people for over five decades, but at least none of them had actually physically laid a hand on his mother.

Stanislav’s newfound support for Pridnestrovia did not result in a complete ideological shift within him, though. He still hated the Pridnestrovians and their role in keeping the Estorvipan nation from realizing its full potential, but they were all so far away from him and his mother. On the other hand, the anarchist gangsters now controlling the northern part of Estorvipa had made it clear that anyone who possessed so much as even a single poster of a Pridnestrovian football player might as well consider themselves an enemy of the state, someone whom they would want to rid their nation of as soon as possible, and his experience with the bastards knew that his mother getting beat up was only the beginning. So Stanislav and his mother fled northern Estorvipa just before the southern part of the country, which was still controlled by the Estorvipan People’s Republic, started an offensive to retake the north from the anarchists. And then when Pridnestrovia decided to get involved in the mess as well, Stanislav took that opportunity to finally get to the country of his biological father’s birth and finally confront him about what he had done and what he had failed to do.

The verbal battles between the two Vinogradovskys had become the stuff of legend among the staff and players of the national football team of the Federal Republic of Estorvipa and Estorpiva, the name of the entity which Pridnestrovia had decided to back in what had now become the Estorian Civil War. After Pridnestrovia had been forced to the negotiating table by the Imperium following their own intervention in the civil war, Pridnestrovia decided to prop up the Federal Republic in an attempt to counter the entrance of the other factions in the civil war to the international stage. This included making the Federal Republic field a national football team out of the numerous Vipan and Pivan refugees that had made their way to Pridnestrovia to escape the purges that everyone knew was going to come after the northern anarchists had declared victory in the civil war. Branislav Vinogradovsky, who by this time had transitioned from playing football to being a manager, was approached to manage this new Federal Republic side for their first international tournament, the Baptism of Fire. Stanislav was also in the twilight of his own footballing career, and in fact he had already accepted a position as an assistant manager for a football club also composed of Vipan and Pivan exiles in Pridnestrovia before he received a call-up to the Federal Republic’s squad.

Stanislav Vinogradovsky had decided that the Federal Republic’s first ever official training camp was the perfect time for him to introduce himself to his biological father and then unleash all of his pent-up anger on the unsuspecting Branislav Vinogradovsky. That was the start of the shouting matches between the two that would eventually cement themselves in the lore of the Federal Republic’s football team, shouting matches that could have been avoided for any number of reasons. A lot of people thought that it was crazy for Branislav to call up his estranged son to the team, the son that he never even knew he had until only a few months before the start of the Baptism of Fire, and they questioned his decision right from the start. In his defense, Branislav stated that, in his opinion, Stanislav Vinogradovsky was the best holding midfielder available from the pool of players that the Federal Republic had at its disposal, and that he would be stupid if he left out Stanislav from the final 23-man roster for the Baptism of Fire. And while his relationship with his manager (who also happened to be his father and the man whom he believed had abandoned his mother and him to fend for themselves) was strained to say the least, Stanislav was at least professional enough not to let it affect him once he was out on the pitch. Or at least he wasn’t letting it affect him in a way that was detrimental to the team; he had admitted in interviews that he visualized his father’s face on his opponents when he was tackling them.

Stanislav Vinogradovsky wouldn’t spend a lot of time with the Federal Republic national team, not because he didn’t want to but more because he was hitting the twilight of his own playing career. He had made an impression in his short time with the Federal Republic national team, but that had mostly to do with the fact that he loved slide tackling other players just a little too much for the liking of most of the multiverse. Considering what was going through his mind every time he went for a tackle, it was kind of understandable why Stanislav was always going all in. At the same time though, he had already recognized that his time on the pitch was limited, as evidenced by the fact that he had already accepted a position as assistant manager for Exiles FK in Pridnestrovia, though the reality of the situation was that he was more of a player-manager over there. Stanislav would officially retire from football at 36 years old, two years after getting his first call-up for the Federal Republic, and he would seamlessly transition to a coaching role both in Exiles and in the national team setup. Such a decision would obviously keep him close to Branislav Vinogradovsky, and Stanislav had already made it clear how much he loathed the man’s guts, but once again he was too much of a professional to let that get in the way of assisting Branislav in his duties as manager during the CAFA Cup, the Anaian regional football competition.

All of that close contact between Stanislav and Branislav did mean that there were times when the two men would have a more civil discussion between each other rather than the shouting matches that everyone seemed to remember the two having almost every hour. And during times when they were civil to each other, or at least more civil than what people had come to expect of them, both men realized that they had a few more things in common with the other than they both thought. Both of them didn’t particularly care for the Pridnestrovian model of socialism, or at least Pridnestrovia’s model of socialism before the country dropped all pretenses and opened up its markets following historic treaties with its former rival Abanhfleft, and both absolutely hated the anarchists of northern Estorvipa and thought that the world would be better if the likes of Anouschka Belicic and her ilk were gone. Both Branislav and Stanislav loved the city of Tarkovska and had lots of good memories of that place, and both men actually liked the management aspect of football more than playing the game itself. The end result of it was that while Stanislav still harbored a lot of resentment at Branislav because the former still believed that the latter hadn’t done enough to try to find out if he had actually fathered a child during his days in Estorvipa, the mere thought of seeing Branislav didn’t send him into a rage anymore. The relationship between father and son still wasn’t perfect, but at least it wasn’t operating on pure rage and anger anymore.

It didn’t really come as a surprise to the Football Federation of the Federal Republic when Branislav Vinogradovsky tendered his resignation from managing the national team around four years ago. After a couple of close shaves in which the CAFA Cup Final always seemed to be just out of reach of the Federal Republic, Branislav had decided that he had taken the national team as far as he could take it, and that it was time for someone else to build upon his work and lead the national team to the silverware that it coveted so much. And there were actually some people who thought that that was Branislav’s way of implying that he believed that Stanislav should be given the job of managing the Federal Republic national team, but for his part, Stanislav was literally the first person to shoot down the rumor. “He doesn’t owe me anything,” Stanislav had said, “least of all a job managing a national team, and even if he did offer me the job I would have turned it down because I don’t think I’m ready to jump up from being an assistant to a full manager just yet.” His own confidence (or lack of it) in his own management abilities aside, those who knew Stanislav Vinogradovsky knew that he could have said much worse about Branislav if he wanted, so the fact that Stanislav held back was a sign that things may have been patched up, if not exactly mended between the two men.

Stanislav Vinogradovsky would remain on the staff of the Federal Republic national team as an assistant manager, and he would be vital in helping the new manager, Foma Korniyenko, bed in better with the current squad. However, success would still end up eluding the team, and after a much-publicized bust-up between Petru-Iustin Udeanu and Zhanna Papirova in the aftermath of the Federal Republic’s loss to Pacitalia in the 9th CAFA Cup, Stanislav would take most of the blame and resign from his position as assistant manager, stating that he had not done enough to prevent the tempers of everyone involved from boiling over to the point that they had resorted to physical violence. Everyone familiar with the story knew that there really wasn’t anything that Stanislav Vinogradovsky could have done to prevent it; Udeanu was already harboring some resentment over being passed over the starting striker job after the retirement of Fabian Prasutagusic. At least that was what he believed had happened, and his emotions simply boiled over after the Federal Republic was knocked out of the CAFA Cup. In any case, Stanislav Vinogradovsky decided to take up the mantle of sacrificial lamb himself, and he left his position in the Federal Republic’s national team just like his biological father had done before him four years previous.

But if Stanislav thought that his path would not cross with that of Branislav Vinogradovsky ever again, he would be mistaken. Barely a few months after resigning from his position with the Federal Republic national team, Stanislav would receive a call from an unknown number. Or at least the number itself was unknown to him; he knew the voice on the other end, as well as the person making the call. “I am sure that my voice is the last one that you want to hear right now,” Branislav Vinogradovsky said once Stanislav had gotten over the initial surprise. “But I have seen what you have done after the latest incident with Iustin Udeanu, and I know that you currently do not have a job right now. But I have something lined up, and I want to know if you would like to take it.”

“How old do you think I am, Branislav?” Stanislav said back. “Do you think that I’m still a teenager who’s too lazy to get out of the house to look for a job? I have at least half a dozen interviews lined up just this week. If you’re trying to help me then forget it. I don’t need help, especially not yours.”

“Just listen to me for once, Stanislav, please,” Branislav said. “I’ve been approached by the Fhulghamous Peninsula to manage their team. I need an assistant manager with me as their old one has also left his post after their previous manager was sacked. I know that our relationship hasn’t been the best—”

“That’s the understatement of the year,” Stanislav snorted.

“—but I like to think that the Federal Republic thrived under our combined management. This may be my last time managing a football team, Stanislav. I’m not getting any younger. And I would like to think that we can work together one more time and finally bring success to this team and to ourselves. And if that doesn’t convince you, maybe this will: there is no interview process for this job. All you have to do is come in and be my assistant, and the Fhulghamous will accept you right away.”

“Let me think about it, old man,” Stanislav said. “I’m not saying yes, but I’m also not saying no.” And Stanislav did think about it. He thought about it even as he was going through all of the interviews that he had told Branislav that he had lined up. He thought about it while waiting to hear from all of his other applications. And Stanislav was thinking about it even as he went through customs and the immigration agent said to him, “Welcome to the Fhulghamous Peninsula, sir.”

  FHULGHAMOUS PENINSULA 4 - 2 SANGTI AND THE FILINDO ISLES  
          SOKOLOV (14')       (39')
          CANALES (25')       (68')
         FIHRAOUI (58')
        KOZANITIS (74')

by **Vielfaltig** » Mon Oct 14, 2024 12:40 pm

Neimann and Nyulund discuss unification ahead of Kaunus by polls

MONTEBELLO, VIELFALTIG: The political landscape of Vielfaltig has been tremendously fractured with no party gaining a powerful mandate since Kalio's Communist Party in 1978. This fractured landscape has particularly been symbolic of the Left-leaning parties with numerous organisations of similar ideologies disagreeing on minor intricacies. This is especially true in the context of the recent domination of the national political landscape by the CPV and the Left Front. However, the past two Neimann governments have been coalition governments formed by the CPV and the Left Front, showcasing how these political organisations must work together. This urgent need for cooperation among the Left is important as the political landscape of Vielfaltig has grown from the early days of Jansink's dominance followed by Kalio's dominance who served five terms as Prime Minister. The growth of the Liberal movement has acted as a counterweight to the dominance of the Left with the Greens too representing largely liberal economic policy with a focus on environmentalism. This has created a hostile environment for the CPV and the Left Front to keep going head-on against each other with vote-splitting harming them in numerous elections given the nature of the first-past-the-post system.

With such political developments and a bottom-low approval for the incumbent Neimann government, a major rejuvenation is needed for Vielfaltig's Left to maintain its political domination. Neimann has been facing massive anti-incumbency, especially in the face of economic difficulties and rising prices which forced him to repeal laws such as the Act on Foreign Nationals to provide a foreign boost to Vielfaltig's economy. His approval rating has hit the lowest ever since he took office in 1996 with a 62% disapproval. In national polling averages, the Liberty Alliance is polling ahead of both the Left Front and the CPV with the possibility of a CPJ revival which would further cut into the votes of the Left. Amid these crises, Neimann and Nyulund organised a meeting of the highest officials of their respective alliances to discuss a possible political partnership. Reports indicate that discussions spoke of collaboration on a national level and competitive states however the individual parties may choose to compete alone in stronghold states such as Palma for the CPV.

In a press conference following the meeting, Nyulund announced that the Left Front and the CPV had reached a preliminary agreement to not compete against each other in the upcoming by-polls in Kaunus next month. With 4 Legislative Assembly seats up for grabs following the resignations and deaths of the sitting MLAs, it is a greatly heated encounter which shall be a litmus test for the new alliance and how they may perform. The Justice Party has yet not reacted to this announcement by the major players and they have also been excluded from the seat-sharing agreement formulated for the Kaunus by-polls with the CPV competing on two seats and one each for the SWP and the SOC. The Justice Party may following this decision by the Left Front choose to leave the Alliance which has seen them lose much of their political sway as the alliance has been primarily dominated by the SWP and the SOC.

by **Esportivan Darmen** » Mon Oct 14, 2024 12:50 pm

Esportivan Darmen Football Team
presented by the
Esportivan Darmen Football Association

All-time Record: 106 matches, 40 wins, 23 draws, 43 loses, 189 GF, 200 GA, .450 Win %

Caps
 1 Junior Wheeler   90
 2 Demyan Borisov   78
 3 Deforest Allan   70
 4 Davie Underwood  69
 5 Gruffydd Kitchen 67
 6 Meade Arterbury  56
 7 Aubrey Arnold    52
 8 Diederich Sonnen 48
 9 Hendrix Seabrook 47
10 Sandy Larson     45

Goals
 1 Demyan Borisov   49
 2 Davie Underwood  26
 3 Burt Joseph      14
 4 Deforest Allan    8
   Thomas Sims       8
 5 Alban Rogerson    6
   Hendrix Seabrook  6

Coaching Staff
Manager: Jeptha Blackwood, 38
Assistant Manager: Cullen Platt, 44
Goalkeeping Coach: Ryouichi Kamiya, 53

26 Player Roster

#  Pos Name                Age Club                        Caps Goals
 1 GK  Daniel Triggs       33  Guard FC (DAR)               4   0
 2 LB  Hollis Sydney       33  Johnho United (DAR)         36   1
 3 LCB Syd Croft           28  IFK Liverpool United (DAR)   4   0
 4 RCB Allen Dirix         29  Tempala United Saints (DAR) 20   1
 5 RB  Rorie Symonds       29  Olympique Chuckio (DAR)     26   1
 6 LM  Anna Mutton*        28  FC Dynamo Kalenda (DAR)     10   1
 7 LCM Philander Neal      32  Cairo United                 0   0
 8 RCM Irwin Gilbert       27  Austin FC (DAR)             16   1
 9 RM  Femie English*      24  Nyíregyháza Spartacus FC     1   0
10 LF  Riordan Summerfield 26  Olympique Chuckio (DAR)      1   0
11 RF  Thomas Sims         32  Tempala United Saints (DAR) 17   8

12 GK  Reggie Abrahams     30  Nyíregyháza Spartacus FC     0   0
13 LB  Sommer Dean         28  Vogler City Force (DAR)      3   0
14 LCB Samuel Danniell     25  Nyíregyháza Spartacus FC     0   0
15 RCB Ursule Barbier*     29  Cairo United                 0   0
16 RB  Jami Gauthier*      27  Cairo United                 0   0
17 LM  Benedict Dexter     22  Portsmouth FC                0   0
18 LCM Clement Bateson     22  Portsmouth FC                0   0
19 RCM Nelda Oakley*       33  Nyíregyháza Spartacus FC     1   0
20 RM  Olivia Taylor*      22  Portsmouth FC                0   0
21 LF  Peter Dennel        22  Cairo United                 0   0
22 RF  Jeptha van Can      26  Eau Claire United (DAR)      7   2

23 GK  Hillary Terrell     28  Earo United                  0   0
24 LB  Beau Sneijer        22  Cairo United                 0   0
25 RM  Gisela van Dale*    22  Earo United                  0   0
26 RF  Dan Bloxam          26  Nyíregyháza Spartacus FC     0   0

Tactics
Formation: 4-4-2
Style Modifier: +1.25

As the number of Esportivan Darmenis playing in Darmen's top flight increases, the team's tactics have become slightly more complex than the old direct long ball approach. The team still relies largely on counter-attacking, but the midfield has grown in its ability to engage in longer periods of possession with quick passing that is so prevalent in the mainland.

Team Roles
Captain: Hollis Sydney
Vice-Captain: Thomas Sims
Left Corner: Anna Mutton
Right Corner: Rorie Symonds
Penalties: Thomas Sims
Free-kicks: Thomas Sims

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my goalscorers: YES! If you name your goal scorers, please also name mine.
Godmod Scoring Events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes, within reason.
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes, but please let me know first.
Hand out Yellow cards to my players: Yes, within reason.
Hand out Red cards to my players: Yes, but please let me know first.
Godmod Other Events: Yes, but please let me know first.

Also, sending TG's to Darmen will probably be the quickest way to get in contact with me if necessary.

by **Limey George** » Mon Oct 14, 2024 1:13 pm

NOTE: It has been brought to my attention that the schedule in the OP did not match the results posted here. As it doesn't materially change anything, I am going to adjust the OP to reflect the schedule as it actually is, rather than re-scorinate any results.

Group A
Limey George 2-7 Lozho @ Lime Grove Lane
(scorinated by Mertagne)
Katzeburg 1–2 Riena @ Mountain View Stadium


                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  
1 Lozho                   2    2   0   0    10    3   +7     6 Q
2 Riena                   2    1   0   1     3    4   −1     3
3 Katzeburg               2    0   1   1     3    4   −1     1*
4 Limey George            2    0   1   1     4    9   −5     1

*  Katzeburg ahead of Limey George on goal difference

Group B
Hapilopper 1–0 Slembana @ Mountain View Stadium
Starszia 0–1 Cheetahs and Reptiles coalison @ Lime Grove Lane


                                  Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  
1 Slembana                          2    1   0   1     6    5   +1     3*
2 Starszia                          2    1   0   1     1    1    0     3**
3 Hapilopper                        2    1   0   1     1    1    0     3
4 Cheetahs and Reptiles coalison    2    1   0   1     5    6   −1     3

*  Slembana ahead of Starszia and Hapilopper on head-to-head goal difference
** Starszia ahead of Hapilopper on head-to-head points

Group C
Tumbra 0–0 Irithoren @ Dockside Stadium
Kanzlia 3–2 Doubeia @ The Factory


                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  
1 Irithoren               2    1   1   0     4    1   +3     4*
2 Tumbra                  2    1   1   0     2    0   +2     4
3 Kanzlia                 2    1   0   1     3    4   −1     3
4 Doubeia                 2    0   0   2     3    7   −4     0 E

*  Irithoren ahead of Tumbra on goal difference

Group D
Fhulghamous Peninsula 2–0 South Newlandia @ Dockside Stadium
Sangti and the Filindo Isles 0–1 Gouvanarch @ The Factory


                                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  
1 Fhulghamous Peninsula           2    2   0   0     6    2   +4     6 Q
2 Gouvanarch                      2    1   1   0     2    1   +1     4
3 South Newlandia                 2    0   1   1     1    3   −2     1
4 Sangti and the Filindo Isles    2    0   0   2     2    5   −3     0

Group E
Natanians and Nosts 2–0 Kamijiro @ Golden Croft
Bongo Johnson 2–6 The 14 Stars @ The Ramparts


                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  
1 Natanians and Nosts     2    2   0   0     6    1   +5     6 Q
2 The 14 Stars            2    1   1   0     7    3   +4     4
3 Kamijiro                2    0   1   1     1    3   −2     1
4 Bongo Johnson           2    0   0   2     3   10   −7     0 E

Group F
Sylestone 2–0 Xanneria @ Golden Croft
Alanis Star 3–3 Restresas @ The Ramparts


                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  
1 Alanis Star             2    1   1   0     4    3   +1     4
2 Sylestone               2    1   0   1     2    1   +1     3*
3 Xanneria                2    1   0   1     2    3   −1     3
4 Restresas               2    0   1   1     4    5   −1     1

*  Sylestone ahead of Xanneria on head-to-head points

Group G
TJUN-ia 3–0 Josifovo @ Brygga
Vielfaltig 1–2 Esportivan Darmen @ The Garden


                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  
1 TJUN-ia                 2    2   0   0     4    0   +4     6
2 Josifovo                2    1   0   1     3    5   −2     3*
3 Esportivan Darmen       2    1   0   1     4    4    0     3
4 Vielfaltig              2    0   0   2     1    3   −2     0

*  Josifovo ahead of Esportivan Darmen on head-to-head points

Group H
Dod Rava 1–0 Eshialand @ Brygga
Polkopia 1–1 Macbon @ The Garden


                        Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts  
1 Dod Rava                2    1   1   0     5    4   +1     4
2 Macbon                  2    0   2   0     2    2    0     2*
  Polkopia                2    0   2   0     5    5    0     2
4 Eshialand               2    0   1   1     1    2   −1     1

*  Tie currently unbroken; will re-evaluate after matchday three (if necessary)

Expect the cutoff for matchday three some time between 20:00-22:00 GMT on Wednesday.

Matchday two RP information:
There were a total of 8 RPs submitted for matchday two, 75% of which earned max bonus. 100% of RPs submitted earned at least half the max available bonus. The median RP was graded at 5/5.

Matchday three prompt:
By now you've probably noticed that the Fiefdom of Limey George is ... unlike most nations. The majority of locals are not allowed to travel -- there are special circumstances, and even then, most people cannot leave the country without express authorisation from George. The right to travel in Limey George is dictated by your social class, and sometimes your rank within that class. For example, the vast majority of people in Limey George are considered "serfs" with no right to travel at all without express permission from a Governor (or higher ranking citizen). Supers, and Greenies have the right to travel, but cannot leave the Isle without permission from the Most Esteemed Leader. It's a whole thing. But, if they could travel abroad... what kinds of things would Limeys be able to see and do in your nation?

by **Kanzlia** » Mon Oct 14, 2024 5:57 pm

Crushed by Tumbra, narrowly escaped Doubeia's clasps
SPORTS

HAESTACRE – To the surprise of no one, Kanzlia failed to gain any points against Tumbra. To the surprise of rather a lot, Kanzlia secured a victory against Doubeia.

The Exiles debut in the Campionato turned rather disastrous with the Kanzlian defence hounded by Tumbra's much more experienced side. Yet some would say the 2-0 defeat suffered was probably the best case scenario. Johan Berkenbosch opened the scoring on the 13th minute with Hannah Edwards closing the scoring later in the 81st minute. The Kanzlian side recorded a record-low 33% posession as Van Coevorden's side opted for a low block. Dropping Nick Hesselink to make space for Maarten Berger provided the Exiles with more defensive resilience, though in turn failed to prevent the Tumbran midfield from stomping all over the pitch. Evert van Selm's job was particularly tedious, as his pairing with Maurice Bouma proved redundant in a double pivot. Bouma failed to impress, often letting his man go. His slow response to a run by Berkenbosch allowed the 21 year old to slip past the defensive line virtually unchallenged and led to the first goal.

"Could be worse" proclaimed Jackie Stadt in a post-game interview.

The Exiles have a chance to redeem themselves in the second match against Doubeia. Kanzlia ranks the lowest in the group and Doubeia is still a much stronger side, so this was a good chance to secure a point, three? Maybe not. The game started off positively with a dangerous chance in the 2nd minute squandered by Nick Hesselink. Van Coevorden's decision to drop Rayane Konadoe for Manechis te'Maarden proved effective. The False-9 was able to cause the Doubeian midfield to drop much deeper than they wanted, giving space for Evert van Selm to roam in the centre. Sylverio van Coevorden, returning from his injury, scored the first goal of the game in the 18th minute with a sublime one-touch finish. te'Maarden followed in the 37th minute, courtesy of a brilliant Ardentius v. Coevorden cross. Before the first half ended, Sylverio van Coevorden was able to score from outside of the box thanks to a lucky deflection from Cynthia Grande.

The second half proved trickier for the Exiles as the Doubeian side start to turn up the pressure. A strike from Benedetta Marin was saved by Jackie Stadt but the rebound was scored by Summer Semerikova. Things got worse when te'Maarden was substituted off, and the Exiles reverted back to their normal line-up. With the Doubeian midfield free from the false-9, the game started to take a noticeable turn. A corner kick goal from Menshikova's belting header was cancelled due to a foul committed by Grande, and likewise a goal from Rozhkova was ruled offside. If it werent for Ardentius's clumsy dive front, the goal would've sealed the deal. Twice now the Exiles had their blushes spared, the dam was leaking but it could still hold. That dam bursted however when Bagheria made a careless tackle on Runova gifted Doubeia a penalty on the 86th minute. Semerikova scores from the spot. The Exiles was firmly on the back foot, and Bagheria conceded another penalty on extra time. Semerikova missed her shot but due to Jackie Stadt being off his line, a second chance was awarded. This time Semerikova's shot hit the crossbar and the ball was punted into the sky in a reckless volley from Oborina. The match ended 3-2 for Kanzlia.

Tumbra 2 - 0 Kanzlia
13' Johan Berkenbosch (TMB)
81' Hannah Edwards (TMB)
Kanzlia 3 - 2 Doubeia
18' Sylverio van Coevorden (KNZ)
37' Manechis te'Maarden (KNZ)
44' Sylverio van Coevorden (KNZ)
61' Summer Semerikova (DOU)
86' (P) Summer Semerikova (DOU)
90+2' Penalty Miss (DOU)

by **Vielfaltig** » Tue Oct 15, 2024 3:34 am

KVP announces candidates for by-polls, Liberty Alliance split on Kaunus?

BOGEN, KAUNUS: The Election Commission of Vielfaltig announced on Monday the schedule for the by-polls on four seats of the Kaunus Legislative Assembly. The polls have been scheduled for three weeks from now to be held on October 23rd. This is a major electoral development particularly ahead of the Kaunus State Legislative Election next year in 2002. The present Kaunus government is formed by the Liberty Alliance holding 184 seats in the 356-member Assembly with the Kaunus Volkspartei (KVP) as the largest party. Other political parties part of the governing alliance are the Libertarians (LBT), the People's Development Party (PDP), the Liberals (ULB) and the Christian Group (UCG). Following the announcement of by-polls in four crucial constituencies, the Communist Party of Vielfaltig (CPV) and the Left Front (LF) comprising the Socialists (SOC) and the Social Workers' Party (SWP) announced a collaborative approach as they presented a seat-sharing plan. This seat-sharing plan was part of an experiment by the largest outfits of Vielfaltig's collective socialist movement to try out possible spheres of collaboration to maintain their control and power in the ever-evolving realm of politics. As a part of the seat-sharing agreement, the Parties will not contest seats against each other and will support the candidates fielded by their alliance partners with the CPV fielding two and the SOC and SWP fielding one each.

Following this announcement, the KVP announced their four candidates for the by-polls through a press release. This however was to the surprise of numerous individuals of the Liberty Alliance as they were expecting some form of indication or interest from the KVP to compete as an Alliance. KVP leader and Chief Minister of Kaunus, Zoe Schuttmann, in comments, said that her party encapsulates the spirit of Kaunus and it is their role and purpose to ensure the preservation of this spirit without dilution by outside forces. Pundits have speculated that she may perhaps be referring to other groups within the Liberty Alliance such as the Liberals and the Libertarians who were strong proponents of the Repeal which the KVP saw as a bane to Kaunus's economic dominance in Vielfaltig. The UCG or the Christian Group have come out in support of the KVP candidates making it clear that they will not compete in these by-polls and instead throw their weight behind the candidates of the KVP which could perhaps allude to an alliance between the two outfits ahead of the 2002 polls. The Libertarians and Liberals in a joint press conference held on Wednesday made their disappointment at the KVP's rogue decision clear. They however reiterated that they would continue to support the Liberty Alliance government in Kaunus and that Zoe Schuttmann would remain in power to keep the greater threat of the Communists out of power. The Libertarians, Liberals and the PDP announced their joint candidature in the four by-poll seats with the Liberals contesting two seats and the Libertarians and the PDP contesting one each. The decision by the KVP to go alone is a bold one as this shall be a testament to the fact whether the KVP can command a strong voter base without the support of other political units such as the Libertarians or the Liberals. Another worry for the KVP could be vote-splitting as the Liberty Alliance and the KVP contest on similar economic policies and with the CPV and the Left Front having joined hands, it could mean consolidation of votes for the Left.

The fourth player in this regard appears to be the Greens who grew in Kaunus through their focus on environmental policies particularly a push against the heavy pollution as a result of Kaunus's heavy industrialisation. The Greens emerged as a significant player in Kaunus drawing the votes of citizens frustrated by the deteriorating environmental conditions. They also championed the cause for more sustainable means of industry including enacting laws regulating onshore drilling and fracking. The Greens have historically performed better in fractured encounters and the rift between the Liberty Alliance could see them emerge as important players again. For the time being, the Kaunus unit of the Greens led by MP Claire Serafin announced that the Party would compete in all four seats up for election with the campaign being led by Struppen Mayor, Zaray Messer.

Vielfaltig 1-2 Esportivan Darmen

1 - M Ramos, 2 - V Sameul (24 - G Faulkner 54'), 3 - R DeGarmo, 4 - M R Lyon, 5 - R Rossi, 6 - Lazare Felix (15 - N Alvarado 68'), 7 - P Faraldo, 8 - E Abrant (21 - E Gasper 54'), 10 - J Roy (17 - M Wehnar 72'), 9 - I Profeta, 11 - N Favager (30 - M Périgord 68')

VFT Scorers: P Faraldo 26' (asst. J Roy)

by **The 14 Stars** » Tue Oct 15, 2024 7:03 am

Fading Starlight part 3

After the first draw the public expected more but seeing what these young players could do was a sight to see, the players had seen that if they didnt preform they would get taken out and Emily had established her voice.
Federico talked with her after the match explaining to her how glad he was with her support and that he wants her to keep doing that as she could make herself a cornerstone for the new leadership within the Starsian team for the coming years.
Keira Walcott had been content and while she did want Kira back she wanted to protect Kira from falling prey to something legendary players often did and that was chasing their former status.
Walcott had seen it more then once and Kira was that good that if she would continue now and the team would underpreform she would only damage her own legacy while now Kira left on her own terms at a time she also expressed would be a nice end.
There was also something that many players did not know and that was that Kira Blade was already thinking a step ahead and working on her career after soccer as much as she loved it she also knew that one day her active career was ending.
She had countless memories from World Cup Qualifiers 88 until World Cup 97 proper it was all in Kira's memory and she did wanted to be diffrent from her corrupt father even if she these days was on good terms with him again now he had retired.

Match day arrived and Bongo Johnson was the opponent, a nation they had never played again but they knew that whoever their opponent was never would be a pushover if they represented their own country.
Keira Walcott had been working on some team changes, more players now saw what Emily had pointed out and they trusted the coach on it but a few especially Joy Sol and Maddie Saturn really refused to acknowledge the team could do without Kira.
Both of them used to have a close friendship with Kira as it was Kira who was the first female player that played for the national team and many had followed but before that day the teams had been seperated and nowadays all teams were mixed.
Changes in how the Starsians saw soccer and also women in soccer had changed alot thanks to Kira and without her those women had never been picked for the national team and someone with such importance could not be dropped.
Keira Walcott as a woman herself understood the feelings of the two but simply could not do something that would go against the interest of the team as her job was to field the strongest team of the entire country.

Walcott: ''Alright guys the match is a about to begin, i will announce the starting line-up.'' the coach announced as she called out the names on her list that would be starting against Bongo Johnson.

''Emily Davis, Petra Rafaelov, Federico Zaratti, Freja Olsen, Grace Edwards, Lina Hansen, Selena Corson, Layla Raharinaivo, Elizabeth Phillips, Kai Schulz and Sarah Huber.''

As the match kicked off it was the team of Bongo Johnson that scored within 5 minutes an early goal where Edwards just had been overhwelmed by a very swift and near perfect attack, 3 players had swarmed around playing her way around her as they got in front of the goal and scored without seeming trouble and out of reach for Emily Davis.
Within 5 minutes after that a good combination between Corson and Elizabeth Phillips brought the ball in front of the goal as Phillips clinically finished the goal equalizing the score as quick as the diffrence had been made bewteen them.
All players on the field of the Wolves wanted to win and really give it their all unlike earlier and you could see this through the first half by how hard they all worked and this resulted right before halftime in a second Starsian goal this time a ranged shot by Kai Schulz that thundered into the back of the net showing once more why he is the first striker of the team still.
Without any further goals the first half ended reasonably fast and the Wolves were leading and this was a good thing but Walcott missed a bit of a sharper edge at times which explained to the players who knew very well what she wanted.
Coach Walcott would substitute Grace Edwards out and Eva Weber would replace her because Eva Weber was more capable of also being a wingback at times with more speed and endurance then Edwards who was purely defender mostly.
On the other hand with both Rafaelov and Weber this was a very agressive form of defending and Hansen and Raharinaivo very well understood now that they sometimes would have to pick up defending roles if the defenders joined the offense.

In the second half this paid off especially with Eva Weber taking the run and giving the pass to Selena Corson which allowed Corson to score from long distance making her first goal for the national and the 3-1 for our team.
It appeared the Bongo Johnson team had lost its magic as the Wolves overran them quickly after in the early second half also with Sarah Huber placing herself on the scoreboard for the first time in her career as she scored just from outside the box, a magical goal all the way curling into the close corner as a big lead for the Wolves now stood on the board.
Bongo Johnson 5 minutes after scored from a penalty after Rafaelov had to stop a striker from getting away and Rafaelov picked up a yellow card which was her luck because her foul could easily have been a red card aswell if the ref had been more strict.
This goal also was the call for Keira Walcott to make more subtitutions, Elizabeth Phillips was taken off as Iris Olivier made her appearance and further was Freja Olsen also taken off so Clara Perez was able to make her debut match.
Clara Perez is a 21 year old center-back who plays at Phoenix United together with Federico Zaratti meaning Zaratti will be sharing the defense the remainder of his match with the same person he does at his own club back home.
It works wonders as Perez has learned alot from Zaratti and she is a fierce but respectful defender knowing to take it to the line but not across the line as the midfield collected the ball and passed around and allowed Iris Olivier to score once and the sixth goal was scored by rookie Clara Perez from a corner with a strong header like she always delivers she scores a goal in her debut match.
Not sooner after the match finishes and the Wolves put an impressive 6-2 victory on the board against Bongo Johnson securing the 2nd place pretty much and even keeping sight for a first place but they yet have to face Natanians and Nosts a more known opponent.
Outcome of this match would determine how the next round would look but its certainly looking like the Wolves will advance.

Meanwhile in The 14 Stars

Kira Blade: ''Awesome im glad we could sign everything so quickly, it will certainly take some time to build the stadium and all given its impressive size but honestly its a dream coming true.''

Jude Redwood: ''Yeah its awesome Kira i can only imagine how it will look but even the art and the outfits fit very well....i never considered you for something like this but the fact you asked all our help here is really amazing.''

Holly Moonlight: ''Yeah really honestly as much as i love being out on the field myself and we are the same age there is no one saying i couldn't but seeing what we achieved in such a short time really shows that we can turn a new page.
I was originaly gonna keep going for a few more season with Glendyss my old friend but she got fired from her job in Riena when the player material she had there.....i dont think any of them would make the main squad of a large team here.''

Bertha Bernard: ''Hey Holly dont be rude! you've seen young Sarah play her heart out along with Kira, shes such a sweetheart and you can really see how much passion they have for the game and how serious they go about it.
They just need to learn and gain experience and within a few years mark my words Holly you will see them as a fearsome force like us!''

Holly Moonlight: ''Ah your right Bertha i guess im just a bit upset over what they did to Evanlyn it was really a shame''

Kira Blade: ''It was unlucky but thats soccer for you, anyway uhhhh should i really be putting my own name in it? what if people find it selfish?!''

Jude Redwood: ''Then what? whoever dared to ever suggest naming a club Haunted before it became Equinox also should have thought something along those lines so i think using ur name is about the least worse thing.''

Kira Blade: ''Alright...then we will soon be able to welcome students atleast but certainly not sure when we can start playing matches....sometimes we really lack a second tier of professional clubs.''

As they talked like this the foundation had been laid for Kira's future as she and her friends had worked together on a new football club that would rise to fame to surpass the governments team Cascade Academy.
Cascade Academy had been a merger of Omega and Orion and was owned by the Orion Group a powerful business, they wanted to give children from poor backgrounds a chance to develop as soccer players and at first this really worked wonders.
However these days overtime it had become an elite facility that trained the most expensive and talented players such as Kira Blade but also Kimora Frazier, Alena Hendricks and many more up and coming players on the team.
When Frazier showcased her skill it showed Kira that this was no longer about someone's background as Kimora's family was very wealthy in fact and most of the newly signed youth was from wealthy families......Cascade simply wanted to win at any cost.

Kira had been very angered by this because she always had supported inclusiveness in the game on any level and seeing her work be for nothing in this team really turned her stomach and her friends here now agreed with her.
They had come together and signed the papers to create a new football club Kirastar FC which was a seperate branch of Kirastar a newly formed company owned by Kira Blade that made money of everything about Kira Blade from sponsorhips to merchandise and also the large amounts of shares Kira held in various held in companies and Kirastar was expanding in other businesses too especially when it came to financial services she had been working behind the scenes to be able to finance it all.
Kirastar University and Kirastar Jr High / High School were the educational institutions formed after Kira's values and only accepted children from poor backgrounds and gave them the education they needed free of charge funded by the other branches earnings.

Kira had started this in her 20s with a little bit of shares then developing it into a business and growing it from there to what it is now, she never spoke about it to anyone because she did not wanna be seen as a businesswoman.
However Kira Blade's fortune from football certainly was being used and multiplied many times now as she would retire in a few more years from football and then transition into a full time role as owner overseeing her CEO's and leading her operations.

One day when Kira was interviewed about what she thought about being dropped from the team she said

Kira: ''Certainly a good break to have, gives me the ability to do alot of things in those weeks and besides that also spend time with my husband and son at home as i really love my sweet family at home that supported me so long.
I personally also don't think i'd come back its been finished its been a long ride and i've seen the last game and that showed how strong they are even without me there and it reassures me i can leave the team to Federico and the others with peace in my heart.''

by **Natanians and Nosts** » Tue Oct 15, 2024 8:50 pm

Natanians and Nosts at the
C.E.
39

Kits made by:K Kits

            CF    CF           
                              
                              
                              
                              
              AM              
                              
                              
          DM  DM  DM          
                              
LB                          RB
          CB      CB          
                              
                              
              GK

# name position height club

1	Daniel Whitcliffe	 	goalkeeper 	35	 	Dínamo N-City
2	Rato Ret	 	 	r. wingback	44	1,80	Notrina Lat F.C.
27	Cláudius Petre Constantinescu	centre back	28	1,78	The N. Blue Lions
28	Mikhail Ioan Ionescu	 	centre back	28	1,80	The N. Blue Lions
69	Caeso Júlio Probus	 	d. midfielder	26	1,80	T-natanicus F.C.
6	Laço Tralto	 	 	l. wingback	44	1,80	Notrina Lat F.C.
5	Rodion Mihai Wafa	 	d. midfielder	31	1,83	The N. Blue Lions
18	Tătareanu	 	 	d. midfielder	27	1,80	T-natanicus F.C.
23	John Mihai García	 	centre-forward	25	1,87	Notrina Lat A. A.
10	Natan Gabriel Ademélsson-Vit	a. midfielder	24	1,79	Dínamo N-City
11	Sheldon Ubuntu	 	 	centre-forward	27	1,90	The Northern Blue Lions
45	Mihai Xosé Apilescu	 	goalkeeper	37	1,90	S.C. N-City
13	Ion Petre Alencastre	 	centre back	28	1,79	T-natanicus F.C.
41	Dmítri Mihai Dolgostor	 	r. wingback	24	1,76	The Northern Blue Lions
15	Paulus Mihai D'Orville       	centre back	31	1,90	S.C. N-City
36	Públio Ion Mihailescu	  	l. wingback	36	1,83	S.C. N-City
17	Mihai Vladimir Duarte	 	a. midfielder	26	1,75	Rodion F.C.
7	John Cramer	 	  	a. midfielder	27	1,97	The N. Blue Lions
70	Mihai Publius Muniz	 	d. midfielder	23	1,73	Mkhedruli F.K.
19	Mihai C. Mureșan-Antonescu	a. midfielder	34	1,80	The S. Blue Lions
20	Márcus Mariano Livorno	 	   striker	27	1,78	Dínamo N-City
12	Ioan Magnus Shroom	 	goalkeeper	29	2,15	F.C. Northern Light
21	Márius C. Mureșan-Antonescu	   striker	22	1,78	The S. Blue Lions

captain's name is in blue

RP Permissions
Choose my scorers:Yes*
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: No
Godmod Injuries to my players:No
Give Yellow Cards to my players:Yes (Maximum three per match)
Give Red Cards to my players:Yes (One per match,but never the goalkeeper)
Godmod other events:No
Style Modifier:-0,05

*Players that have the probability of scoring(in order from more probable to least,by number):
11,23,10,(21,20,7,19,70,)69,5,27,28,18,(41,13,15,36)

by **Eshialand** » Wed Oct 16, 2024 6:04 am

Missteps
Dod Rava 1-0 Eshialand

A loss to Dod Rava was absolutely not what this team had been expecting out of their second matchday, because, frankly, they weren't expecting to play Dod Rava.

With Kenny Morgan having been the manager for the team when the tournament's proceedings began, it was him who was sent the team's match schedule after the group draw. It was his job to send this schedule to Mel Carey in order for her to make preparations for the tournament... but somehow, some wires got crossed and the schedule which he sent her has MD2 and MD3 swapped around. As such, the defensive style which the Owls had prepared for that matchup was completely useless, and the team from Dod Rava put one goal past them and that was that. Well, phooey.

Not all, thank goodness, was lost, as Polkopia and Macbon played to another draw. This left a door open for the Owls to still make it to the knockouts... if everything went their way. All they would need is to beat Polkopia on the final matchday (absolutely essential, as Polkopia were already ahead of them and Dod Rava couldn't be passed at all) and then hope for Dod Rava to get any result against Macbon. Was their future in their hands? Not entirely... but there was still reason to remain optimistic, as long as they could manage to not bottle the final match.

The good news is that the Owls had had two matchdays to prepare for this one, since after all, they had been expecting it to be played out the previous day -- the bad news is that it was worth so much more than they were expecting, and they well knew that you can't expect anything easy out of Polkopia.

Where did this leave them? Was there any optimism left on the team? All would be answered in the postgame press conference after MD2: "You know, some might say that confidence is a dangerous thing to have as Eshians... but I really do see good reason to do well." Coach Carey had to say. "Listen, it's not an ideal position to be in, I think we all know that. But for a team that's focused on rebuilding and preparing for the future, losing by 1 to a pot 1 team is nothing but a win, and we will keep moving forward, no matter what. We'll win tomorrow, then we'll beat TJUN-ia in the round of 16. Do you know how I know that?

"It's because I just have that feeling."

Was a gut feeling really a good source of optimism? There were certainly questions swirling around the press team, but none of them would end up being answered, as the Owls' manager promptly left the room to tend to other business. So many questions... what was the plan for Qualifying should the Owls fail to make the knockouts? What would the game plan be against TJUN-ia, all but guaranteed to be their opponents, should they even get that far? Especially after a World Cup run where a disappointing result against the Jags really had been the one thing that sank their entire group stage... how would they ever move past all their demons?

"Mel-- er, Coach..."
"Come on Luke, you can keep calling me Mel, I won't bite."

Lucas Meilling had a lot of concerns to bring up to his new manager after all of the complete mess that was the first couple of games. As he was one of only two prior starters who was returning for this CE, he had been elevated to Mel's old position as captain, and, while it was a role he didn't have too much trouble settling into, he wasn't sure if Mel was having more issues adjusting than he did.

"Do you really know what we're doing out here?"
"I'm gonna be honest... no. I didn't really get too much guidance from Kenny on how to do this, other than some vague instructions and an incorrect schedule. I'm doing this all on my own, and can I be honest with you?"
"Of course you can, we're friends after all..."
"Well, I don't think I can do this. I'm not cut out for this job, and the results are speaking for themselves. This isn't my position on the team... and only Maggie knows what my real position should be."

Luke could see the doubt in her eyes, and hear the sincerity in her words... and he did have some advice for her. "You know, I felt the same way the first time I joined the team. It was so tough, joining up so young and having everyone expect the world from me... I didn't know what to do. But you know what, I figured it out.

"Kenny is giving you this chance to figure things out. It's a free testing ground for you, because let's face it, you need the chance. And even if we do bottle it, it's just the CE, we aren't throwing away a World Cup campaign or anything. Take the opportunity to find your coaching style, and settle yourself in... because if he had waited later to give you this chance, you might not have had the time to do that.

"I know it may be hard to have some bad results, but you're coaching basically a brand new team as a brand new coach. Of course there are gonna be some growing pains! All you can ever do is try your hardest, and gain that experience for the future. Now come on, we have a game to win, and we need your help to do it."

by **Limey George** » Wed Oct 16, 2024 6:45 am

HOST ANNOUNCEMENT

Unforeseen corporate nonsense means I am forced to delay matchday three scorination.

As a result, I am forced to shift all remaining cutoff dates and timings back 24 hours.
The OP will be updated shortly.

Apologies on behalf of my corporate overlords.

by **Fhulghamous Peninsula** » Wed Oct 16, 2024 7:20 am

“You’re not gonna say anything to him.”

“What?! What makes you so sure that I’m not going to say anything to him?”

“I know you, man,” Polynikis Kalyftakis said to Alibek Sokolov. “You won’t talk shit to anyone unless they’ve done it to you first. Look, I know that you’re a great trash talker, but that’s the kind of shit that you keep in your back pocket until someone makes you use it. And the problem with you is that since you’re a striker, a lot of people are going to chat shit to you. And sometimes, it isn’t even our opponents that chat shit about you to you. God, I still can’t fucking believe that Cosmas would think that everyone was out to get him. How the fuck did that guy ever become a professional football player in the first place?”

“Beats me, Nicky,” Sokolov shrugged. “But maybe he should have become a boxer instead. The man has a mean right hook on him. I can still feel it on my jaw after all those years,” he muttered as he rubbed the place where Cosmas Stamatelopoulos, former Fhulghamous Peninsula national team striker, had punched Sokolov after the Colonists’ shocking loss to Slembana in the quarterfinals of the 38th Campionato Esportiva. Stamatelopoulos’s attack on Sokolov, as well as previous actions against his other teammates during the campaign, had resulted in the striker from Locomotive Imgortur receiving a permanent ban from ever taking part in any football activity sanctioned by the Fhulghamousian Football Association. “But why do you think that I won’t say anything to… who in the world are we talking about again?”

“The new ass-man, man,” Kalyftakis clarified, pointing to a tall sour-faced man with gray hair matching the color of the official tracksuit of the FhFA. “The manager’s son, or more accurately the son that Mr. Vinogradovsky never knew he had until, what was it, twelve years ago? You’re not gonna talk shit to him even though we both know you want to because it’s just not in your personality.”

“Okay, first of all, why would I even want to talk shit to him?” Sokolov asked. “The man is our boss. Or at least he reports to the manager, who is also our boss if you think about it. So he’s the underboss of the team. He’s definitely my immediate superior, and I’m not going to talk shit about my superiors no matter what.”

“But don’t you just wanna know why Stanislav is working with his dad if he hates his dad for leaving him behind in Estorvipa or Nordskania or wherever it was he was from?” Kalyftakis muttered. “I know you heard all the stuff about these two guys. Branislav goes on loan to wherever, Stanislav gets conceived, Branislav goes back to Pridnestrovia so Stanislav builds up a ton of resentment for over thirty years before Stanislav and his mom have to flee to Pridnestrovia, just in time for Stanislav to be called up for the Federal Republic, the team which Branislav just happens to be managing. Like, wouldn’t you want to know how or why these two folks managed to put their differences aside to become our new manager combo?”

“Fine, Nicky, you got me,” Sokolov shook his head. “I am curious. But I’m not curious enough to say shit about the assistant manager just to find out. And how in the world did you even learn about all of that about the Vinogradovskys? Since when did you become a fucking gossip?”

“Hey, I just want to know our managers and their staff,” Kalyftakis shrugged. “Could be the difference between winning the Campionato again or getting eliminated in the quarterfinals or the round of 16 or, God forbid, the group stage.”

“Sure, but who said anything about insulting him?” Sokolov asked. “I can just ask him nicely. You can ask him nicely. No need to bring any sort of shit-talk into this.”

“Okay, sure, but my original point still stands. You’re not going to ask Stanislav why he’s decided to work with his dad, whom he hates, to manage the Fhulghamous for the Campionato Esportiva.”

“Why do you think I won’t ask him about it?” Sokolov wondered.

“Because you won’t,” Kalyftakis insisted. “It’s just not in your personality.”

“I see,” Sokolov nodded. “Are you willing to make it a bet?”

“How much are you thinking about putting on the line?”

“Twenty nups says you won’t say anything to the ass-man,” Kalyftakis said, holding up a twenty new penenk bill in front of Sokolov. “Doesn’t even have to be shit-talk. I’ll bet you twenty nups that you literally won’t say anything to him at all for the whole tournament.”

“Make it fifty nups and throw in dinner at the doner place on Venizelos Street when we get home, and you’ve got yourself a bet,” Sokolov said, extending his hand to his team captain.

“You’re on,” Kalyftakis nodded as he and Sokolov shook hands.

Meanwhile, Stanislav Vinogradovsky was completely unaware that some of his players had already made a bet around him even as he continued watching over their training sessions. Part of his mind was still stuck on how much different the Fhulghamous Peninsula was from his native Estorvipa. Sunny weather was a bit of a rarity in Estorvipa, with most of the buildings in the country being as gray as the skies above, so when Stanislav came to the Fhulghamous, he was shocked at the amount of sunlight shining down on the place. He wasted no time in going to the famous beaches on the southern end of the capital city Port Thimpodopoulos, not caring if the place had become so much of a tourist destination that the beaches were almost always full of people no matter the month or the season. It was also then that he found out that it was possible to have too much fun as Stanislav ended up getting sunburn for spending so much time on the beaches of Port Thim.

The sun and the beaches weren’t the only thing that surprised Stanislav once he had made the move to the Fhulghamous. Part of preparing for the coming Campionato Esportiva campaign was scouting for any other eligible players that may have slipped through the cracks of the previous management, players that might give the Colonists the edge after their spectacular implosion in the 38th Campionato, and for Stanislav that meant going to all corners of the Fhulghamous and, if needed, attending games in the third tier of Fhulghamousian football. Those trips allowed Stanislav to see all the sights of the Fhulghamous, from the verdant valleys of Haritzaga County in the north of the colony to the sandy shores of Oxyrhynchus and Marble Arch in the south. There was just such a variety of sights and places to see in the Fhulghamous that Stanislav could freely admit that he and his senses were getting overloaded. There was never this much color and light back in Estorvipa, and it wasn’t just because of the oppressive communist government that used to run the place.

At least the situation in Estorvipa had resolved itself somewhat, Stanislav thought to himself. Sure, the anarchists still controlled much of the north, including his hometown of Tarkovska, but at least the south was now united under the banner of the Federal Republic. There were still some of his fellow Vipans who looked at the Federal Republic with some suspicion simply because it was backed by Pridnestrovia, the same foreign power that had kept the likes of Vissarion Zhivkov in power for so long, but for Stanislav that was an acceptable alternative to having roving bands of thugs kicking in doors simply because someone dared suggest that life under the anarchists was no better than when it was the communists in charge.But while life in southern Estorvipa seemed to be much better than before, what Stanislav had seen of the Fhulghamous had convinced him that life here could be much better than that apartment in Tiraspol that he and his mother Natasha had moved into after fleeing the Estorian Civil War. No matter how his stint as assistant manager of the Fhulghamous Peninsula national football team worked out, Stanislav resolved to make his residency in the Fleftic colony a permanent one.

  FHULGHAMOUS PENINSULA 2 - 0 SOUTH NEWLANDIA  
          CANALES (10')
      BABALIOUTAS (59')

by **Cheetahs and reptiles Coalison** » Wed Oct 16, 2024 12:55 pm

# name age position height club

starters:1-11 reserves:12-23

1	Ubiratã Ubirajara Ubiraci	35	goalkeeper	1,98	F.C. Loch Blue
2	Nozâ Norõwada			33	r. back	 	1,62	Napigixo F.C.
3	Tata'a Tapixi Xaxim		35	centre back	1,80	High Plains F.C.
4	João Miguel Irima		35	centre back	1,80	Pira Guaçu E.C.
5	Indaje Nhakyrã Iraity		34	d. midfielder	1,85	Goj Kyfé F.C.
6	Natalagha Napiini		33	l. back	 	1,62	Natena F.C.
7	Noledi Noniciwagha		32	a. midfielder	1,97	Goj Kyfé F.C.
8	Meiruguassu Moacir Silveira	33	d. midfielder	1,76	Guassu Guaçu F.C.
9	Peri Ubiratã Tibiriçá		34	a. midfielder	1,77	F.C. Loch Blue
10	Anacárdio Caju	 	 	25	a. midfielder 	1,78	
11	Bursić	 	 	 	23	striker	 	1,73	Goj Kyfé F.C.
12	Cláudio Alberto Vieira		35	goalkeeper	1,96	High Plains F.C.
13	Napocenigi Natenaghaneghegi	35	centre back	1,90	Napigixo F.C.
14	Natenoghodi Natena		36	r. back	 	1,72	Napiini F.C.
15	Ion Mihai Sorinescu		19	centre back	1,85	Goj Kyfé F.C.
16	Natenaghanagha Natena		36	l. back	 	1,72	Napiini F.C.
17	Na'arew Nàrà'zyw		39	a. midfielder	1,77	F.C. TatáResape
18	Nhanarã Norõwede		39	d. midfielder	1,84	Awaru F.C.
19	Tawato Inaje Akaju'y		32	striker	 	1,60	Cheetah Dinamo
23	Martim Nhana'i Nhamokyrã	37	a. midfielder	1,75	Aruanãs Azuis F.C.
22	Guaraci Ubiratã da Silva	38	goalkeeper	1,95	F.C. Loch Blue
20	Rhinić				34	striker	 	1,77	F.C. Loch Blue
21	Sinusić				34	striker	 	1,77	F.C. Loch Blue

captain's name is in blue

Style modifier:-4,227

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my goalscorers: Just make it be by Bursić (or Rhinić and Sinusić when they get in),with the ocasional goal of Peri Ubiratã Tibiriçá,anyone else's is rarer
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: No
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Yes (only two per game)
Hand out red cards to my players: Yes (but never the goalkeeper)
Godmod other events: No

by **TJUN-ia** » Thu Oct 17, 2024 11:15 am

The Random Rambles of a Jaguar - WC97 Qualifying Edition
with Killian Looker

Welcome back to this Random Ramble. Last time out, we started off with a 1-0 win over Vielfaltig that was more stressful than it ever should've been...but at least we still won, huh? David Seems and Li Xiu Ying knew that the result wasn't exactly what a team of TJUN-ia's placement would produce, but 3 points were still three points and that was all that mattered. Now the question was about building upon those three points...so what about it, huh?

The Match
Both of our final games in this group would be going down at Brygga in Sandthorpe and the first of those games was up against the highest-ranked opponent in this group - #11 Josifovo. The expectations were still high for our Jaguars but this time, things actually clicked in the right direction. Things just seemed pretty simple and so, I will describe it as such: Diana Sharafutdinov in the 34th, Alisha Carlton in the 67th and Odysseas Issigonis in the 78th. That's it. 3-0, 6 points and the job is practically done.

Reactions
Now that was more like it! The TJUN-ian faithful loved the progression from MD1 to MD2 and if things continue in that direction, that would be greatly appreciated.

Up Next...
So...things just seem a bit calm right now. One more game, vs Esportivan Darmen, before we can prepare for the knockouts. All seems well, but a job still needs to be completed. We cannot let our guard down. Not now. GO JAGS!

SCHEDULE (Group G)
MD1: vs Vielfaltig (41) - The Garden, Valthwaite W 1-0
MD2: vs Josifovo (11) - Brygga, Sandthorpe W 3-0 (1st)
MD3: vs Esportivan Darmen (20) - Brygga, Sandthorpe

by **Alanis Star** » Thu Oct 17, 2024 12:49 pm

Part 1 – Sights for REALLY sour eyes. Blimey!

Lucy Amelia Taheya R. Arwa Saleb López: With one draw and one win, we are somehow leading this match-up, so… yay on that, I suppose! I mean, there’s not much for me to say regarding the football side. There’s nothing too out of the ordinary that has been happening with the matches, and amongst the Diodes ourselves. We are going along well and great with each other, but that is perhaps typical of the Valentians, so there is that. We play fair and well, and we also hang out on a regular basis – so these guys, girls, and everyone else really, we can work with this, at least for the time being. It’s still once again too early to talk about what would happen to us and for us in the future, because hey, we have just played in one World Cup, one Cup of Harmony and… that’s kinda it, really. So for now, I really don’t know what to say, other than, like I said, the usual “Oh yeah I do work pretty well with my friends haha!”

So, perhaps I will use this opportunity to talk about the host country that we are playing in. It’s… it’s definitely an interesting one. Typically, you have football stadiums that are built near the coast, or it being newly built (with poor and unfortunate folks and their shanty towns being a stark contrast), a fitness or a recreational center, the works. However, for the first time, I have never seen a stadium that is built around remains of a military fort. At that point, I was expecting that fort to still be active, but I suppose it would not make as much sense because hey, those are typically places of importance. I have quite a fascination with the history of places in general, so I dug in further on the internet, along with local libraries or books or tourist flyers that they are giving. Jaryi (fantastic in Guaraní), I thought to myself. So, the first thing I found is the fact that it’s a monarchy, simple enough. We are no strangers to it and to be honest, hey, Valentine Z is an oligarchy of The Sixty! I like them in general, and I will admit that I had a bit of a crush on Clarissa but she’s married, so that thought went out of the way. So sorry, I am going off-track. The place, they are ALL about limes. It’s in the country’s name, like that’s so fascinating! It’s a little bit like us, in a way, with Valentine Z and- no, we don’t really export love, but we are known for that. We DO have a lot of chocolates as export, so… does that make the two countries a little similar in these ways? Who knows for the time being. Moving on, they are all about them – Lime beer, lime juice, and I swear I even saw some lime-flavored protein bars. That’s, to be fair, not that strange. What made me curious – and perhaps the most strangest of all – was the Inside Out Juice. It’s unfortunately not based off that movie that we “imported” from another Earth. It’s literally makes you feel that way. I kinda want to try it but at the same time, not really. I cannot get injured or worse before the games and the season even takes off. The laws are somewhat fine, I am not seeking trouble and it’s relatively lenient, anyway.

The attraction that I wanted to see is Serfs' Gallery of Creation. I am not sure as to what to expect of it, and it might or might not be- tsk, how do I say this? It might be perceived or based in favor of His Limeyness George XLVII, if you catch what I am trying to say here. Still, I am particularly interested for this, and I am trying to get others to join me too. Brooklyn M. Arienne Jade Hariwana Hopkins seems in on the idea on the condition that she gets to bring her DSLR along. If it is an attraction, chances are good that she is allowed to do it, right? Sure, there might be some no photo or no flash photography zones, but we are no stranger to that. Janice "Athlete Mk.13" Toyoko Ishikawa also wanted to tag along and we are more than happy to see her being so enthusiastic, but I am not sure what these locals will think not only of tall people, but tall robots being mixed in. Maybe I will ask coach Clementine Lizbeth “Athena Mk. 3” Hinata Tanaka to see if she can come with us too, help cover us a little. Reiner Maxine Belay Trần W. Van der Sandt is not very sold on the idea, but only because they wanted to go to The Ishage. Fair enough, of course! No harm in wanting to go or not. After the Gallery of Creation, then I will want to head on down to their National Museum. That is definitely where all the juicy history is at- oh, no pun intended. This is going to be very fun!

by **Limey George** » Thu Oct 17, 2024 12:53 pm

"... eventually resolved, and the tourists were released, but it has brought into question the Governor's allowance of time off at a time like this. On this occasion he was fortunate that the incident did not impact the harvest, but he will surely be hoping that in future, he doesn't get caught short-handed like this again. The consequences for him could be dire."

"Thank you, Leike. Coming up a little later, the sport segment. Abel Martí has been praised after he refuses to make 'cowardly excuse' following the Bats' opening day draw in the Campionato Esportiva. Tony and Jerry will talk you through that, as well as the results from yesterday's games, and what it means for the hosts.

But first, we go to Jameshurst, where local pub landlord Esmond Lloyd is hoping to expand his premises after making record profit this week. Mr. Lloyd credits the windfall to 'a foreign football team', who paid significantly over the odds for drinks, and covered the tab for everyone in the establishment. 'I were jus' doin me job, I were, an' all o' sudden they came in an' said I were t'keep th' drinks flowin', so I told 'em it were no cheap like, an' they said nae bother man-"

Erick Morrison turned off the radio, to a deathglare from Gaston Beard.

"Gaffer will be 'ere any minute, pal," he said.

"Well 'e ain't 'ere now is 'e? Lemme hear th' bloody news ye overgrown whitefly." Beard fumed, spittle flying from his mouth as he spoke.

A couple of the other lads laughed.

"Whasso funneh?" Beard rounded on the group. "Ye laughin' at ye little pissants?"

"Calm down Gaz, they don't mean nothin' by it."

"No! I've 'ad enough o' you lot laughin' behind me back about not knowin' me letters. I'll smash ye faces in, the lot o' ye. Not one of ye has the stones t' say it t' me face 'as ye?"

Right on cue, Abel Martí walked in. He gave Beard a short look, before raising an eyebrow. "Problem? No? Take a seat." Beard obeyed without question, but clearly still seething.

"Today we are going to do the work on the defensive aspects," Martí told the team. "In the game we were lacking the strength in the defensive aspects. This is why we did not take the victory, yes?"

A few nodded, a few muttered agreement.

The manager had praised immediately after the match, despite losing a two-goal lead. Everyone in the room knew the result was a good one, all things considered. But at half-time, even at three-quarters of the way through the game, they had been on course to make history. A win looked very much a possibility. Now, a draw didn't feel like a point gained.

"You know in the other countries there is a saying, a wisdom," Martí continued. "The most dangerous lead in football is the two-zero." He paused for effect. "Yesterday we are seeing this is true. When we are holding the two-zero lead, the other team is becoming stronger. They are desperate to score goals, and make the result. But at the same time, we are relaxing. Two-zero is a lot more than one-zero in the mind, and so we are making the mistakes."

In truth, the result was less about making mistakes and more about the opposition simply being better in the end, but that was a far less motivational speech. Besides, Abel Martí did not make excuses.

On a different day, with a different referee, and perhaps even a different scoreline, Gabriel Shipwright would have been deemed to be fouled. The equaliser would not have stood. But to blame the outcome on a single decision by a man not even playing in the match? Pure cowardice. Abel Martí understood this much about his employers.

"This sport is a sport for the men," he went on. "When a man makes a mistake, he gets up and continues. When a man is in a combat, and he loses, he gets up and tries again. When a man has the burden, he carries it without the complaint. Now we, men, we carry the burden."

He nodded firmly at Erick Morrison, Gabriel Shipwright, and Gaston Beard in turn.

"Now we go. Erick, make three groups. We will do a training session today with more attacking players. The difficulty is always on your side when you are doing the defending. You all know this, but we must practice anyway. This is the only way to make improvement."

      Limey George   2-2   Katzeburg
       Ottesen 17’         Wruck 74’, 86’
        Willis 52’

Player of the Match: Drake Wruck (KAT)

LMG: Hale; Christiansen, Greene; Shipwright (Poynter 55), Morrison (c), 
     Mortensen; Ekdal, Madsen (Lee 71), Ottesen, Taylor, Willis (Martinsen 71)
KAT: Whinery, Howland, Clarkson, Knepp (Herman 65), Colbert, Plank, 
     Horsfall (Earls 65), Arkwright, Spears, Wruck, Niles (Marsh 65)

* * * * *

"Well'at didn' work, did it?" Dieter Taylor chuckled awkwardly in the dressing room after the match. "You reckon maybe t' gaffer will try summat else next game?"

Nobody replied.

"Ah come on lads it's not end of t' world. They're just better'en us."

Still nothing.

"Suit yerselves. I'm gannin' t' Rosie's. Commune wi' t' spirits, like."

"Spirits? Will they guide you to the goal next time?" Abel Martí had entered while Taylor spoke, and proceeded to reel off a string of curses -- in multiple languages -- in his fury. It goes without saying that when a team concedes seven... the performance was not the greatest. To do so at home, after a promising performance? While some media outlets were taking potshots at the national leadership and others insinuating that your team probably shouldn't be taking part in this tournament if qualification were based on merit? While your manager is a foreigner, ostensibly hired to prevent exactly this sort of situation?

Let's not even touch on the temperamental nature of the Governors and Most Esteemed Leader.

Eventually, Martí ran out of steam. Tentatively, Erick Morrison spoke up.

"Gaffer, I've noticed other teams 'ave more'n a couple lads stayin' back," he said. "Should we start doin' same?"

A few of the players looked aghast, others alarmed. Strangely, the question saw Abel Martí visibly relax. He sighed heavily and barked out an almost laugh.

"No," the gaffer replied. "That's not the way of the Limey. I understand the Limey culture. This thing is not for you. No. I will not allow it."

"But," Morrison started. "You told us we needed t' work on the defensi-"

"Yes, and I was wrong." The Aquilliano coach cut him off. "Like I have said, this thing is not for you. The bats will continue to attack. The best defense is a strong offense."

Several of the players nodded eagerly.

"I see today some of you were not yourselves," the gaffer continued. "This is the poor judgment from me. I understand better today. You cannot yoke the wild oxen."

"What time d'yer need us fer trainin' t'morra, gaffer?" Dieter Taylor spoke up again.

"No training tomorrow. Commune with the spirits. I will do the same. Then we can make a plan for the final game." He didn't wait for a reaction from the team before leaving.

"So," Taylor clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "Who's comin' t' Rosie's?"


           Limey George   2-7   Lozho                  

The recordkeeper left early with the score 3-0 to Lozho, 
and had not recorded player names, rather listing them as 
"Foreign git", "Some other twat", and "That same foreign 
git".

As a result, detailed match information is not currently 
available. We will endeavour to find a reliable source of 
information present at the match who can fill in the gaps 
for us at a later date.

Campionato Esportiva 39 [RP/Results]

Rambles CE39 I (Vielfaltig)

Rambles CE39 II (Josifovo)

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