World Cup 98 | RP thread

[TJUN-ia]

The Random Rambles of a Jaguar - WC98 Qualifying Edition
with Killian Looker

Welcome back to this Random Ramble and welcome back to World Cup Qualifying action! Losing back-to-back games is never fun, that is for certain. Losing 0-1 on the road and 2-4 at home is especially tough, since that home defeat was in the CSTO Zone. David Seems and Li Xiu Ying had lost a rudder and were spiralling a bit...but because this group is so tight, nothing is doomed as of right now. We just needed to bounce back. Could we do that?

The Games
Against Baggieland, we certainly tried to do just that. The fact the Throstles were unbeaten meant heading out to Dartmouth Hill in Hawthorn was always going to be a tough test - but when Paek Un-hui took the lead 5 minutes into the game, things were starting to feel a lot better. Then Baggieland clapped back in the space of half an hour, with two from Jeff Richardson and one from Laurie Bassett...and that was pretty much that. Stephan Fiedtkou got us a 2nd in the 70th, we just didn't have it in us to find a way past Ben Osborne. That was three defeats in a row, almost unheard of by modern standards.

So we were desperate by the time we arrived at the Ralsalien Grandmaster Kotarlok Arena in Rinkan to enter this 3rd vs 4th matchup with Ralsalin and make no mistake whatsoever. That didn't happen, but it certainly was a better performance from the Jaguars in the first game of the 2nd half of this process. It was 2-2 at HT, two each for Diana Sharafutdinov and Dietrich von Erlaid before things really heated up in the 2nd 45. Dakota Monroe came on and made an impact, scoring twice through the defense and assisting Belle Whitewater for the 5th and while Randin Kirtiman Asier got one back, the three points would be coming back home with us. Back up to third. Crisis averted. For now.

Reaction
Losing three-in-a-row is never going to look pretty to the social media portion of this Ramble and it certainly was not, with a lot of traditional TJUN-ian fatalism across the board...which tempered down significantly once we won in Rinkan. Thus is the way of social media over here, very overreactive at the worst of time but very supportive at the best of times. Will is change for the better? Who knows at this point - at least it isn't ruled by the byproduct of apartheid.

Up Next...
We have a win again...let's keep this momentum going, shall we? Please? Pretty please with a cherry on top? Deltai come to Carlandas before we head off to Darkmania and considering the margins at stake, we need six points. No more margin for error. Just keep winning. GO JAGS!

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SCHEDULE (Group 13)
(Stadium Guide can be found here)
MD1: vs Ralsalin (UR) - Estádio do Pacífico, Rio Pacífico W 5-0 (1st)
MD2: @Delitai (105) W 2-0 (1st)
--------------------------------Rambles--------------------------------
MD3: vs Darkmania (153) - Tiankong Stadium, Tiankong W 5-0 (1st)
MD4: vs Poafmersia (67) - Stade de la Victoire, Roi Ville D 0-0 (2nd)
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MD5: @Natkr (215) L 0-1 (2nd)
MD6: vs StrayaRoos (48) - Beregozera Stadium, Szensky L 2-4 (2nd)
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MD7: @Baggieland (24) - Dartmouth Hill, Hawthorn L 2-3 (4th)
MD8: @Ralsalin (UR) - Ralsalien Grandmaster Kotarlok Arena, Rinkan W 5-3 (3rd)
--------------------------------Rambles--------------------------------
MD9: vs Delitai (105) - Estadio Universidad Carlandas, Carlandas
MD10: @Darkmania (153)
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MD11: @Poafmersia (67) - Libira National Stadium, Fiskadaha City
MD12: vs Natkr (215) - Ke Kahua Pāʻani o Pua Aloalo, Kepu Manu
--------------------------------Rambles--------------------------------
MD13: @StrayaRoos (48)
MD14: vs Baggieland (24) - National Stadium, TJUN-ia City

[Pasarga]

The message from Thor to the players after the last window was clear, do not lose your heads and do not get overly discouraged because of a couple of bad results. Despite having been quite disappointed with the drop points behind closed doors, Thor had to project that level of calmness and the ability to rebound to his team, they could not let one bad window turn into two and that derail all the good work they had managed to achieve in the four matches of the campaign. The team was about to have one of its more difficult windows of the campaign, perhaps the thought of the trip to Juvencus had even been on the mind of the players in the lead up to the prior window and they fell into something of a trap. Regardless the team needed to have a driving focus first for the home game against currently third in the table Adab before then Juvencus making the return trip and trying to make sure that the new leaders of the group were kept within touching distance as the team battled it out throughout the latter stretches of the qualifying campaign. They could not allow themselves to get too far behind Juvencus or the dreams of winning the group would be gone and they would get sucked into a scap for the playoff place.

In the home match against Adab, the Wanderers looked to control the midfield with the trademark possession style tactic that had been the team's calling card during their most successful periods of the national team program. While the Wanderers have had a history of rather talented strikers and attacking talent throughout their century of existence, the tradition of the best Wanderers teams has been a strong midfield that could possession against any caliber of opponent. With the abundant truth that this version of the Wanderers is only a good and not a great or elite level team, they knew that they would likely be using it more than not especially against the like of Adab, Juvencus, and Oberour Ar Moro who all presented as difficult squads and their standings in the table reflected that. Suffocating Adab's attempts on goal with that possession style, the Wanderers themselves would eventually find the back of the net through patience in the sixty-ninth minute as Asztrik Biró showed a bit of razzle dazzle in beating his opponent and then blasting one far corner that curled in perfectly. Zétény Szatmári would then add an insurance goal in the eighty-third with a header from a corner and that would be that, three points earned against a qualification contender.

When Juvencus showed up in the Stade de Torgos, the national stadium was full to the brim with ninety thousand fans screaming and singing in support of their home team and looking to see them get a result, which a win would put them at the top of the table again. The visitors would strike first though, a quarter hour into the game and seemed to be growing into it quite well. However when Sumaiya Zakiyyah Aswad was pulled down in the box when trying to create space for a cross, it sparked life back into the home side and the crowd roared when veteran striker Nawar Taqwaa Bazzi easily converted the resulting penalty. Thirty-two minutes in and the game was once more squared away and despite Bazzi breaking in behind the defense again, their shot hit the wrong side of the post and stayed out, leaving the teams tied at the break. Biró would feed Zágon Schmid as the midfielder made a late run into the box and made a difficult shot between bodies look easy to give the Wanderers the lead in the fifty-seventh minute. Seven minutes later it would be Bazzi would a pass to Bogdan Laszlo on a counter and the Audioslav born striker placed the ball into a nearly empty net to give the team a two goal cushion with less than a half hour to play. Juvencus would get one back in the seventy-sixth minute but the team would choke out the game with their possession for the remaining time to secure a hard fought victory.

Despite the close game, the Wanderers were disappointed to hear complaints about the standard of the Stade de Torgos and lies about the way that they had gone out to play from the Juvencus team and staff in post game interviews. Choosing not to resort to the same childish behavior as their opponents the Wanderers made it clear that they were simply choosing to change their focus on to the next game. A short trip across the sea to Oberour Ar Moro, as one of the closest nations to the dual islands awaits the Wanderers, and they sit only three points behind them in the group. A win gives the team a six point gap over third and would look to reasonably give the team a solid footing towards qualifying for the Finals. Scoring on their Rushmori rivals will be an issue as Oberour Ar Moro has been a defensive powerhouse in the group, allowing an astonishingly six goals in the campaign thus far, two of those coming in the match in Torgos. Should the team navigate to a victory there, it would give the team excellent momentum and cushion for their run in, which will include a trip home against unranked and pointless NexxusDrako in the second half of the international window, where three points would have to be assumed.

[Kimi-Suomi]

Back-to-back road games. Woo. Yeah. I am so excited right now.

Marsin Itsenäinen Tasavalta 1-0 Kimi-Suomi
The Martian Independent Republic, to use their English name, were playing this game at a stadium with less than 7,000 seats. That didn't matter at all. Rohan Jowling got the only goal of the game. Just fucking miserable.

Darmen 4-1 Kimi-Suomi
A lot more goals in Oldtown, but Northumberland Stadium would be where our campaign realistically died. Anne Marie Leppälä scored early, but that was the only joy we had. James January got a brace, Toger Woodward got one and so did Fabricio Tobias in his 100th game...before retiring from the WCC on the spot. Power move, not going to lie. Sums us up...big enough to be an occasion, but never a threat.

Is Kimi-Suomi truly destined to be some side project of the gods? Is WCC mediocrity, if that, the only thing we can strive for? At least in NSSCRA, we have a chance to pull off a win and challenge for a title...the other sports can't seem to replicate that. The eternal struggle of the Huuhkajat. Hispinas in Lumi, then the death knell in Chromatika. Feel free to watch, that might make things better. NOSTA KUIN HUUHKAJAT!

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SCHEDULE/AJOITTAA (Group 4)
MD1: vs Darmen (54) - The Nest [Pesä], Kimi Kaupunki W 1-0 (T-2nd)
MD2: @Hispinas (142) D 1-1 (3rd)
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MD3: vs Chromatika (32) - Galaktien Colosseum [Colosseum of the Galaxies], Lumikukkulat L 0-1 (4th)
MD4: @Bir Matras (UR) - Yamal Community stadium, Yamal(?) D 2-2 (5th)
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MD5: vs Kronbinen [Kronbia] (82) - The Nest [Pesä], Kimi Kaupunki D 0-0 (5th)
MD6: vs Tumbra (2) - The Nest [Pesä], Kimi Kaupunki D 1-1 (T-4th)
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MD7: @Marsin Itsenäinen Tasavalta [Martian Independent Republic] (177) - Aeolis Stadium, Aeolis Base L 0-1 (T-5th)
MD8: @Darmen (54) - Northumberland Stadium, Oldtown L 1-4 (6th)
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MD9: vs Hispinas (142) - Galaktien Colosseum [Colosseum of the Galaxies], Lumikukkulat
MD10: @Chromatika (32) - RCK Field, Alnio
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MD11: vs Bir Matras (UR) - The Nest [Pesä], Kimi Kaupunki
MD12: @Kronbinen [Kronbia] (82) - Estadio Cerro del Sol, Ciudad de Halcon
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MD13: @Tumbra (2) - Bencoolen City Stadium, Bencoolen
MD14: vs Marsin Itsenäinen Tasavalta [Martian Independent Republic] (177) - Galaktien Colosseum [Colosseum of the Galaxies], Lumikukkulat

[Ko-oren]

Ah, yes, the Tarrashalli Express. Once the week-long getaway only the rich could afford, then a staple of the middle class, and to be quite honest, while still popular it's more a rite of passage for retirees these days. Then again, there are many families who stash themselves away in what was once a luxury train for a full week - yes, it's a full week of spending half your day on a train - as most people still do want their children on a several-times-in-your-lifetime trip.

The west coast economy would collapse if people didn't, after all.

And it's not like the west coast has done nothing to change the journey over the years: the second half especially gets plenty of thrills. You could lie around all day on the Jillong coast, but there's enough to get your heart rate up. Hiking, canoeing, ziplining, etcetera. This journey is famous for a reason: there are incredible views that just get a little better if you involve yourself instead of just passively letting the landscape go by.

Day one and two are spent in Gillberra, the biggest city on the west coast, with a lot of sports there (rugby union, WSR AFC, Southern Rules Football, cricket) and some culture. From then, the long trip north starts with stops and a day of activities along the way: Chalya is farms and horseriding, Tarrashall is local traditions and games, Aralla is basically up there in the mountains, and Jillong is sandwiched between three national parks: one coastal, one forested, one mountainous. In the end, in Myaranowra you're on the other end of two of those parks, but there's also a massive lake there, and if you're really done with it all, that's where the trains depart to take you back to the rest of the country.

So yes, in the days before plentiful international travel, it was one of the more exotic views in Ko-oren, and you were basically on another planet telecommunications-wise for the full week. Nowadays they've done a lot to keep things interesting for all ages, and it's common to see university students spend part of their summer up there working in shops and landmarks along the route as well as completing the journey themselves. It does have a little 'excessively safe' reputation to it, but it's still a grand journey, one of Ko-oren's best.

[Patriotlandia]

GREEN party proposes electric vehicle quotas for manufacturer

The Groupe pour la réparation de l'environnement et de la nature (GREEN) leader Alix Graham proposed today on the campaign trail in Yvesmont, home of Patriotlandian car manufacturer Renard Automobiles a quota on electric vehicle production stating the country's lack of EV option "decades behind" neighboring countries. "Maybe we should open more space for foreign manufacturers in order to increase competition and get EVs on the roads." Alix Graham went on to explain that manufacturers who do not meet the quotas would be required to pay a fine which could then be used to reduce the cost of EVs to customers in the form of incentives. Herbert Leroux, Parti Patriot's leader cited his opinion, when he was reached just outside his office in Port-la-Ville. "While we understand the benefit of electric vehicles, I think the proposed solution could be hurtful in the long run for our own manufacturers and hurt the jobs we have here in Patriotlandia. This is why we are proposing a national program of electrification and charging network to make it easier for EV users to charge wherever they might travel."

From the manufacturer side of the story, Ingrid Besson, chief marketing officer at Renard Automobiles explained that the company offers a wide range of different vehicles. "We have the Gizmo EV, an electric version of our bestselling subcompact and more than five UltraCap Hybrid® models offering the regenerative braking capabilities of an EV but the range and ease of use of a gas powered car on longer drives." Renard Automobiles employs more than 25 000 Patriotlandians in their offices, factories and dealerships all across the nation.

Patriotlandia STUNS Saint Eleanor

With two away games against group leaders in short successions, the Bleus first visited Eshialand but fell to a goalkeeping class by Harry Bruske. "We generated plenty of opportunities, but we just got punished on a couple mistakes. Sometimes you wish you could have them back, you know?", said team captain Elie Manahan. With their third clean sheet in a row, Eshialand moved to 7-0-0 and 21 points at the halfway point in the qualifiers. Meanwhile our compatriots stands at only 7 points and a 2-1-4 record. "I think we are close to a breakthrough", said manager Jean Alexandre Carignan, "The start of the qualifiers was unfortunate to drop so many points early but the standard of play has been so much better in the past couple weeks."

To kick off the second half of the qualifying stage, the Patriotlandian national team would get a chance at revenge by visiting Saint Eleanor, after they had given them a sour 6-0 defeat to open the series of matches. The visitors came to the sixty eight thousand seater stadium as severe underdogs but the team looked confident heading off the bus and into the player entry. Contrary to their last encounter, the Patriotlandians didn't crumble under the pressure and actually started creating counterplay to the Eleanorian methodical build up. In the 25th minute, Bertrand Langlais showed he still had impressive speed charging down the wing but the Eleanorian back line held strong. Saint Eleanor would open the scoring ten or so minutes later when the Patriotlandian defense left Felaraneta wide open on the edge of the box. The shot left Laura O'Neill no chance curling just inside the far post. The Bleus would stay strong until half time going back to the dressing room only down one was a massive improvement. Despite their regrettable away form, the Patriotlandians pushed in the second half. They eventually gained a penalty off of a blocked shot with the hand that was judged a little too outstretched much to the dismay of the local crowd. Francis Fortinello, the Union Port-la-Ville striker would not miss his opportunity, placing his shot just out of reach of the goal keeper making the game leveled at one. Saint Eleanor would push to get the advantage back but the Patriotlandians were up to the test. Then the unthinkable happened, after a failed corner clearing attempt chaos unfolded in the Eleanorian penalty area. Valérie Sault, fresh off the bench, got hold of the ball long enough to put an effort on goal and give her team the lead. "I kind of just gave it wack.", said the 25 year old midfielder laughingly. "I just had the ball at my feet and kicked it along towards goal. 'You miss 100% of the shots you don't take' am I right?".

The win does bring the national selection back into contention for a third place finish in the group but the team will need to be perfect as a couple dropped points could spell the end of their campaign.

[The Ko-orenite Constellation]

Previous

"Well, that should be both clear enough to show what people are signing up for, and bland enough that it shouldn't hinder the current course of each territory."

"Is this something you see all of your governments adopting? Speaking for myself, I don't see any issues guiding this through the Irithoreni council. Arhoren?"

"Apart from the usual, I think this should pass with relatively little problems. There's the same part of parliament who are suspicious of everything foreign that might interfere with Arhoreni affairs. Assuming they don't start an entire campaign, I think it'll pass. I mean, the Constellation isn't seen as a day-to-day thing. As long as we don't draw too much attention to the 'proposing initiatives' thing, we're good."

"But... we are making the Constellation a day-to-day thing - it should make an impression on people's day to day lives."

"Let's not push that point in Arhoren, at least for now."

"Alright... Synephoren?"

"This charter is good stuff - we're looking for a document to base our own foundation on, and this might be it. We're still working things out in Arrosia. If they have a good founding document, we'll steal that, and if not, this will do more than well enough."

"That's certainly positive. Lastly, Taloren?"

"We have some issues with 'autonomy'. It might push the constituent parts of Taloren to independence, which, as you know, is a touchy issue. The parts already have autonomy, but we might not want to push sovereignty, should they get ideas."

"But aren't representatives of those parts with you in the room?"

"They are, and they agree."

"Care to explain?"

"I'd suggest reading the kikipedia page for Politics of Taloren - let's leave it at that."

"Alright, do we need any changes to the wording before we propose it to the Constellation at large? I'm looking to guide this document through as soon as possible, with as little weakening as possible - I just want formal governance and structure, without the big three looking to put their political ideology in, and if possible without awakening Ko-oren before they send an army of interns who will take two years to do exactly what we've just put together."

"We could send it for unofficial review to some of the more... agreeable territories? Let's avoid the big three for now, and look for sheer numbers to back us up. Uruashoren is looking for friends, as is Shahrbanoren, and they have some weight to throw around, to be fair. Cang Prathoren could probably be convinced as well. Beyond them... Isidoren and Aymenoughshire-about-Oren are small but manageable risks."

"If you trust them... let's start there."

[Edsmontik]

streggvalkligges.eds
YOUR Edsmon Sports Hub

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6/23/2030

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EVENTS

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FDVL
FDVL CHAMPION: REICHAN DE-WALVARJ

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INTERNATIONAL
NSWC98Q MD7

Group 7

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Brusseldorf 0-1 Edsmontik @ Brusseldorf Home Stadium
None | V. Reiovus (61')

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CHANNELS

FATIGUED AND WITH NO POWER PT.1

The Edsmons had a nice win over Brusseldorf, however, fans criticize how long it took for the Eagles to stop slacking around and play with purpose.
Many say that the Vdesmun took too long to come up with a proper game plan and start attacks, while others say that they could have turned on the engine for the defense much earlier.
Both problems indeed happened, which concerns these Edsmon fans.
The back line was fatigued from MD5-6, almost conceding three chances from Brusseldorf.
And as for everyone else, it was all messy until after halftime, where der-Ghavyr slapped new energy into the team.
But the overall poor performance could be a massive problem for the following seven matchdays.
One wrong move, and we could see the Edsmons unable to qualify.
We spoke with some of the fans to get their opinions.

Fan 1: Without Stuero on the team, honestly, we haven't seen much. Despite the strong wins, Edsmontik needs to bring Stuero back and der-Ghavyr needs to stop using the same lineup multiple times. Fatigue is a problem and a big one.

Fan 2: We've seen his same lineup issue pop up before. Edsmonik needs to rotate their squad every time, not once every two games. Already it has the side effects. If der-Ghavyr doesn't change the lineup this time I don't know when he will.

Fan 3: These guys are good, but being lazy in the back isn't an option for success. They need to step up their game, and der-Ghavyr needs to change the lineup before everyone's just unable to move at all.

Fan 4: Reiovus is doing well honestly, but even the young energetic players like him are tiring out. der-Ghavyr made two substitutions all day too, and both were pretty pointless. They really have to start fixing this problem before it merges into MD9-10.

Fan 5: Unlike many, I personally think that the Edsmons did great. Brusseldorf is a pretty good team after all, and the win was completely deserved. I do have to say that I partially agree with the fatigue thing. Many players were clearly tired.

Fan 6: I gotta say, despite the win, this game was dissapointing. We could have done so much more, but instead, we got lazy and did nothing to defend our lead. We may be second in the group, but if we keep this up, we'll be farther back and our chances for the WC will be gone. der-Ghavyr has to fight the fatigue in the team!

And that's the fans we met, all saying the same thing.
Swap out the squad, keep our chances safe.
We saw the same problem in other tournaments, with Edsmontk keeping away from changing lineups.
That never ended well.
So let's see, will this happen again, or will the Vdesmun learn their lesson?
Find out more tomorrow on ISN.

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6/24/2030

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EVENTS

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FDVL
FDVL CHAMPION: REICHAN DE-WALVARJ

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INTERNATIONAL
NSWC98Q MD8

Group 7

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Edsmontik 1-1 Cafu & Malaguay @ Touve Suberarenae, Touve, Austrankank, Edsmontik
S. Fotserr (76') | C&M ST (30')

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CHANNELS

FATIGUED AND WITH NO POWER PT.2

What a game.
Edsmontik faces their first draw against the only unranked team in Group 7.
Some say that this is heavy Deja-Vu, since Edsmontik also only won 1-0 to an unranked team back in the 97th WC, followed by a draw.
Things aren't looking good now, and der-Ghavyr is clearly taking a beating from this.
Fans from all over are criticizing and questioning him, as well as asking for his termination from the Edsmon National Team.
However, some think that it's gone too far and it's only one mistake.
We've seen counters to this though, referring to the past mistakes across Edsmontik's sports history.
ISN reporter Maktholm VersStrunse interviewed some players to ask about the game.

M. Ghreksbvy: I'm tired, for sure, I don't know why der-Ghavyr wouldn't sub me off. I've played a bunch this week, and I'm too tired to do anything now. I would say I have to agree with the fans on this one. We definitely need to step up our game.

K. Wejikaj: Youngsters like me can't keep up with the constant pace, we've played four games with one break already, and I was only substituted off in this game against Cafu. As kids say, we "sold" here. 1-1 against an unranked team is undoubtedly embarrassing.

I. Javarqa: We cannot keep it together in the back, everyone's tired and I personally don't think I'm the best at conducting the team to get back up. A lot of us did poorly and it would help if he used more than just three substitutions this game.

V. Reiovus: I get why der-Ghavyr won't substitute, I know what he's thinking. But just because there's a chance that someone will get injured doesn't mean there will be one. I got subbed off, and I feel bad for those guys that didn't. They're tired too.

As we see, the players we interviewed are not very happy with der-Ghavyr's lack of substitutions.
If this conflict between the Edsmon players and der-Ghavyr does not resolve, we can see der-Ghavyr kicked off and replaced by someone else.
Whatever happens next, we'll just have to see next time.

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EDSMON ROSTER

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CHANGES FOR MD9/10

[Aleirave]

Questions
Aleirave 6-3 Valentine Z
Ko-oren 0-1 Aleirave

The failed arrest of Refilene Adari'ena threw the entire political system of Aleirave into turmoil. With months still to go until the election, control of the island was taken by a Transitional Council convened by the mainland, comprising 3 islanders and 3 mainlanders. The announcement of this council brought the idea of mainlander overreach into the spotlight: how much meddling could/should the government in Eshialand City be doing in Lahaira?

The two main candidates left standing both had their own views on the matter. Malako Eterena, for his part, took the expected radical stance on it. "The Aleirave Transitional Council is just an excuse to turn Lahaira into a colonial project! We learned from the Tereyevs that whenever outsiders start sticking their fingers into our governance, it never leads to anything good!"

This was clearly an issue that lit a fire under Mr. Eterena, and for some, it only confirmed their worst beliefs about him. Nothing that much has changed since the old days. While being an intense radical was the medicine an ailing Aleirave needed in 2023, by 2031, that was... controversial at best. There were definitely some who thought the Aleiravan Transitional Council was a government overreach, but for others, they trusted in the Eshian government. After all, they had never done anything wrong to them. Surely this was just a temporary thing that was just keeping the island functional until the election finished, right?

As for Yekaterina, she was much more positive about the idea of the Transitional Council. "We've just gotten through a dark era in Aleiravan politics," she said, "and sometimes we just need a little bit of help to clean up our messes... and that's okay. We've been lied to by someone we all trusted, so I know it's hard to trust someone else to get us through the situation... but I promise, this is going to be a good thing for everyone here. It's just a few months, after all, we can get through it and emerge even greater."

While this was certainly a divisive issue, it wasn't one that ended up moving the needle too much. While those who disliked Malako definitely weren't going to vote for him now, it wasn't going to do that much to those who were sold on his campaign. Similarly, while Yekaterina's answer was a solid one, it wasn't strong enough to win over new voters from the other side. This was certainly an important issue in island politics and likely would continue to be for the next term, but for the time being it wasn't one that would end up factoring into the election too much.

---

What a turnaround.

The Seagulls hadn't been in the best position at the start of this World Cup Qualifying campaign. Starting out at 0-1-3, 7th place only ahead of the unranked Christian Brothers (who at the time of writing have still not even drawn a match), there was definitely something missing from this team. Even though 90% of this team were the same players who had done the unthinkable in the past, something was definitely off, and it was Haulafo Paka'ula's job to fix it in any way he could.

While Matchdays 5 and 6 had been a good start, tallying wins against both Libesia and Christian Brothers, how much of this was a recovery from the Aleiravans and how much was it just beating up lower-ranked opponents? The Grand Exultia match had taught them that low-ranked teams were just as good as higher ones sometimes, sure, but it remained to be seen whether this was a genuine sign of recovery or not.

What it was, however, was a massive confidence booster for the Islanders, heading into what would likely be their most competitive international window of the campaign, with a home match against Valentine Z and the dreaded away match in Ko-oren. It was make or break here, a bad window would certainly mean doom, but at least beating Valentine Z would keep them in things.

Right out the gate, goals started flying. One for Noselela, one for Ho'uminalu, one for Pasquier, back and forth... both players pushed their hard attacking styles to the absolute limit, trading goals back and forth like nobody's business.

At the end of the wildest 90 and change minutes of football, one team would end up emerging victorious by a gridball score... and they were the home pitch Seagulls, taking the match 6-3. That was the sort of win that will remind everyone that Aleirave still packed a punch.

And so, it was time to make the Journey to Ko-oren, and with their multi-goal loss to the Dragonflies being something matched only by the teams with the bottom two seeds, things weren't looking great going into it.

As expected with how Ko-orenite football is played, this was the exact opposite of the Valentine Z match: nothing was ever happening. Heck, there weren't even that many opportunities for goals, as Ko-oren was playing too defensively for the Seagulls to get through. However, this scoreless tie would eventually be broken... by Fyodor Veshchik. And believe it or not, this 1-0 lead held, with Aleirave, against all odds, taking the match.

That was huge. Beating the top seeds on their home turf was a massive turnaround from how the campaign started. They went from 7th just four matches ago to tied for third and one point out of second, and with their next matches being against Grand Exultia and Riena, both teams just a single win away from passing the Seagulls, the pressure was on to maintain the momentum and keep their qualifying chances alive... but at least those chances were alive now.

[Auprussia]

THE AFF NATIONAL TOURNAMENT PART 2

Pentour De Valianne had known his fate would be sealed if any Chagris club managed to win the Tournament but as the tournament results came in the worst came to pass: All 3 Chagris clubs managed to get through to the Quarterfinals. The most shocking result being the fact that Helensorc destroyed Birivistice 4-0. This minor club from Chagris then upsets Auprussia NF 1-0 and the worst has come to pass. At least 1 club out of Pontmeosont, Eolorent, and Helensorc were going to be in the finals. De Valianne's only hope was Noechatel Athletike of all clubs and that did not work out either. Helensorc amazingly defeated the Teoland club 2-1 and were going to meet the winner of Eolorent-Pontmeosont in the finals. The only solace for De Valianne was that Pontmeosont got destroyed by Eolorent in return for the Auprussian regional tournament 5-0. Finally shutting Pontmeosont up for good.

After this string of results Pentour handed in his resignation to the AFF board and allegedly told them "You put me in an impossible spot so now I leave you in an impossible spot as well". The AFF board were seething but there's nothing to be done. The final was Helensorc vs Eolorent for the right to call themselves the best in the country. Helensorc captain Gentonor Beseveont noted: "It was surreal, the fans loved both sides but we knew that being that we were in Lorent. What we did expect were the looks on the AFF officials faces as we walked out. I told the Eolorent captain (Temaller Cavalcer) "Wow they really aren't happy with us huh?". He told me "I could hardly care, we're the best in the nation, screw them". It was incredible".

The atmosphere was surreal. The fans of course cheered their hearts out when the clubs walked out. Both clubs were drained and tired from the rigorous schedule and wanted it to be over. The first half took some time to get going, Eolorent largely dominated possession however Helensorc struck first in the 37th minute with a huge counter-attack that caught Eolorent off guard. Mitrelle Bergnet scored the goal and going into the half Helensorc led the match. Inside the locker room Eolorent captain Temaller Cavalcer criticized the squad exclaiming: "We play like A---holes. We played like a bunch of dumb idiots out there. Of all times to lose focus and to crumble we a choosing this time?! We can be the best in the nation and I have faith in everyone here but we cannot play like that. There's no way we can call ourselves the best like this!".

Going into the second half Eolorent played with intensity. Still dominating possession but this time it was used with purpose. In the 60th minute Edrestout Jarvont scored on an incredible long shot and managed to level the match. Eolorent kept pressing and pressing but could not break down the Helensorc defense further. Chance after chance were wasted against the wall Helensorc put up. Helensorc did have an opportunity in the dying embers of the match to go ahead but Bergnet lifted the ball just above the crossbar which meant the match had to go into extra time. The first fifteen minutes were not very eventful. Helensorc managed to put together a couple of counter-attacks but couldn't quite capitalize on them. Eolorent on the other hand still couldn't break down the wall and had another chance off of a corner just miss the target.

In the second half of extra time though Eolorent finally managed to break through. Shalont Tigares managed to put a ball through for young forward Havalcer Brislau who managed to chip the keeper and finally put Eolorent ahead. Then for the last 7-8 minutes Helensorc's attack went into overdrive. Eolorent had to brace themselves for shot after shot and aggressive attacks from Helensorc. Although try as they might, Helensorc's attack could never get the ball past the keeper and the faitgue set in in the final minutes. They had valiantly fought but lost. The tired Eolorent backline did everything in their power to keep those chances out and after the onslaught Eolorent became the best in the nation.

After the match manager Thierault Camarre said to reporters: "This was skill, determination and belief. Most said our esteemed neighbors were going to win this tournament but they do not know our spirit. Those paupers from Siogaul don't have the heart we do." When asked why he was mentioning Pontmeosont Camarre responded: "because they talk to much, as you can see they talked their way out of the tournament and into some much needed vacations. Maybe they should sign a defense and a real manager next time as well". Havalcer Brislau added: "I don't think there is a single manager that wants to work there to be honest" and Camarre quickly retorted: "Someone stupid will my boy!". To many the tournament was a fun distraction but also exposed the flaws in the Auprussian system. The AFF shortly after drew up plans to split the regions realistically and most importantly: allowing regional leagues again. Seeing as how every Chagris club was seasoned for competition the calls to be able to host leagues became too loud to ignore. Shortly afterward the region now known as Chagris was born along with Scwyll, Sassen, Nouveaux Piendoux, and Almarind-Hausdour split into just Almarind and Hausdour. The AFF also granted regional exceptions requests to most clubs that asked for them (Think about clubs like Moorecambe, Norion, etc.). These changes however only went into effect at the start of year 3. So next year for now the same regions would be used for competitions. It was a step in the right direction but still not as sustainable as the Lige 1 system that comes later

[Ralsalin]

At least it works.

The brightest moment of the fourth international window was the match against Delitai. After the Order's team secured an 1-0 victory against 105th ranked opponents thanks to the goal from Kevin Heen, they found themselves at the 3rd place in their group. The interesting thing, that Ralsalin, being from pot 8, was higher then TJUN-ia from the Pot 1.

Some players were absolutely shocked seeing this, and Kasyan Menon even printed this table and put it in a frame, like a picture. Menon said, that before every match, he would look at this table and get his motivation, as the impossible became actually possible.

The eighth matchday was actually the battle for the 3rd place in the group between the Pot 1 and Pot 8, TJUN-ia and Ralsalin. Ralsalien national team had a home advantage, as the match was played in Rinkan, at the Grandmaster Kotarlok Arena, but this means nothing with that difference in rankings. Expectedly, Ralsalin lost the match and the 3rd place in a group. But, a positive dynamics and a progress could be seen. Away, in their first qualifying match, Ralsalin lost 0-5 to TJUN-ia. This time, it was only 3-5. Randin Kirtiman Asier scored the third Ralsalien goal, and, before that, team captain, Dietrich von Erlaid, scored two.

The culture of internet discussions in the All-Imperial Sphere, as it is.

MD1: vs. TJUN-ia #22 (A)    | 0-5 | 8th
MD2: vs. Poafmersia #67 (H) | 1-0 | 5th ↑
MD3: vs. Natkr #215 (A)     | 0-1 | 7th ↓
MD4: vs. StrayaRoos #48 (H) | 2-0 | 3rd ↑
MD5: vs. Baggieland #24 (A) | 1-3 | 5th ↓
MD6: vs. Darkmania #153 (A) | 2-1 | 4th ↑
MD7: vs. Delitai #105 (H)   | 1-0 | 3rd ↑ 
MD8: vs. TJUN-ia #22 (H)    | 3-5 | 4th ↓
MD9: vs. Poafmersia #67 (A) 
MD10: vs. Natkr #215 (H)

[Vetrahjart]

Snapshots of Vetric Culture - Cuisine

This series is designed to give outsiders a glimpse of Vetric culture across several different categories. Instead of a thorough, deep dive into each topic, we will merely highlight important people, places, and events that make up our Vetric culture.

Click below to catch previous editions of Snapshots of Vetric Culture
Part 1

For those who have never encountered Vetric culture before, here are some quick facts that help give you a fuller understanding of the Vetric people and culture:

- A typical Vetric breakfast consists of coffee, or tea, rye bread, white bread, or rolls with cheese or jam. Bread at breakfast-time most often comes in the form of a white loaf known as skräbrød. In the winter months, porridge is more common, especially in the northern regions.
- Lunch typically consists of a single course with optional side salad, bread and dessert. Many workplaces have a lunch cafeteria, and if not, employers often give lunch vouchers.
- Vetrics usually eat dinner starting around 4–7 PM. This is the most important meal of the day and typically includes carbohydrate-rich foods such as potatoes and protein-rich foods such as meat or fish.

For guidance, here's those handy maps from the first edition:

General Features

Vetric cuisine is primarily centered around the raw materials and natural products that are found in Vetrahjart. Common food items include dairy products, berries and stone fruits, beef, chicken, lamb, pork, game, eggs, and seafood. These range by region with some foodstuffs being more common in some regions than others. Bread is very common and a wide variety of breads are prevalent in Vetric cuisine. They are primarily made of rye, barley, oats, and whole grain. Potatoes are very common as a vegetable and are often boiled. Milk and its derivatives like buttermilk and butter are commonly used as the primary fat sources. Baked products including pastries, cookies, biscuits, sweetbreads, and cakes are often sweet and served with coffee.

History

Vetric cuisine is rooted in the peasant dishes that have been served across the country for centuries. It was based on the necessity to use the natural products that were available on the family farm. This resulted in bread, fish, pork, and potatoes being eaten everywhere. Many people had their own storage of long-lasting dry products, rye for making bread, barley for beer, dried peas for soup, and smoked or salted pork. In northern, mountainous regions like North Ålbenlland and Vasterbæk game dishes with moose, reindeer, grouse, duck, and hare are more common. Elk are protected as the national animal of Vetrahjart.

Middle Ages
When the Vetric Isles were first settled, old Norse farming methods and food traditions were continued. Ancient documents tell of the cultivation of barley and oats. Most of this was consumed as porridge or used for making beer. Cattle were the dominant farm animal, but farms also raised poultry, pigs, goats, horses and sheep.

Medieval Vetrics relied on fermentation for preserving both fish and meat. Fermentation is still used to cure certain fish, especially herring. Smoking and drying meat and fish was also practiced, although the drying of meat was seen as something of a last resort. In the 14th century, turf houses and longhouses were the common structures for cooking. They had kitchens with raised stone hearths for cooking called tvaltvämt. In some parts of the country, the weather at times made it impossible to grow barley, and sheep replaced cattle as predominant livestock. Due to a shortage of firewood; peat, dung, and dried heather became the primary fuels.

Early Modern Period
Subsistence farming in certain areas of Vetrahjart (primarily everywhere except the southern regions of Ålbenlland and Vetjylland and the islands that make up the Torkia province) was restricted by the short summers and long winters. Other than the occasional game, the food produced in the three months of summer had to suffice for nine months of winter. For centuries, farming methods remained unchanged Fishing was done using hooks and lines from rowboats made of driftwood. Farmers also owned the boats, so fishing was limited to times when farm work was not being done. Fish was not just a food, but a trade good, and it was exchanged for products carried by foreign merchant ships. Until the early 19th century, the vast majority of Vetric farmers were tenant farmers on land owned by the landowner elite, the Church of Vetrahjart, or the king of Ålbenlland-Vetjylland (the modern-day Kingdom of Vetrahjart was established in 1832). Tenant farmers used surplus fish, and butter to pay landowner dues.

Modern Period
The invention of wood-burning stoves and meat grinders in the second half of the 19th century contributed to a range of new dishes including sodurltoss (meatballs), skegitvältmon (fried ground sausage), vältbif (ground beef patties), spredensuvä (breaded pork meat patties), meat loafs, roast pork, and poached cod. Desserts of stewed fruits or berries such as rødgrød date from the same period, as do a large variety of cakes and cookies.
In the early 20th century, an economic boom occurred due to commercial fishing and processing in Austerland, Torkia, and the coastal southern areas of Ålbenlland and Vetjylland. It resulted in a slow transition from traditional dairy and meat-based foods to consumption of fish and root vegetables. Preserved foods began to be replaced with greater emphasis on fresh ingredients. This was not the case everywhere though. Up in the central parts of Ålbenlland and Vetjylland and in the northern, mountainous parts of both islands, large-scale meat production started to grow at a rapid pace, and therefore meat as a daily food started to become the norm due to lack of fresh fruit and vegetables which were largely unavailable for a majority of the year. Root and tuber crops (primarily turnips and potatoes), rye bread, and fermented dairy products were most commonly paired items with pork, lamb, chicken, beef or game being the meat item.

In the middle part of the last century, with the availability of deep-frozen goods, the concept of fast food arrived together with an interest in foreign dishes as Vetrics traveled more widely. By the late 20th century, ingredients were being imported from more southern, temperate climates while new products were farmed at home, providing a basis for developing interest in gourmet dishes. This interest remains primarily in larger cities such as Oxelövik, Feldrland, Skjoldbro, Feldrland, Anthula, Rammeland, Võsalu, South Ålbenlland and Jyväskeli, South Ålbenlland. Much of the inspiration for international cuisine came as Vetric chefs went on television explaining how to prepare new and exciting dishes they had encountered on their travels. A younger generation of chefs soon started to travel abroad themselves, learning how to adapt the expertise of international chefs while using local ingredients as a basis for creating beautifully presented, finely flavored Vetric dishes. As a result, in recent years Vetric chefs have helped to put Vetrahjart on the international cuisine map, with several multi-star restaurants in Oxelövik and the surrounding provinces.

Regional Cuisine

Vetjylland (comprising the provinces of Feldrland, Rammeland, and Vasterbæk)

Höt - (pictured right)

stew: A stew consisting of cooked meat and various vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and onion. It is often served with flatbread.

Monpurdnä - fried sausages: fresh sausages are fried and served with vegetables, potatoes, peas, and gravy.

Suväul – pork chops: simply braised and served with potatoes and fried onions or whatever vegetables are available.

Gilaks - Boiled salmon, together with onion and carrots, in a mixture of water, vinegar, salt, sugar, and some other spices. Usually eaten cold, commonly together with mayonnaise spiced with dill and lemon.

Kanladsuvä - (apple-pork), fried pork slices served with a compote of apple, onion and bacon.


North Ålbenlland

Skräsarlrom - (pictured right)

cabbage casserole: ground beef, cabbage, onion, rice porridge with vegetable or chicken broth seasoned with black pepper.

Sodurltoss - meatballs: ground beef meatballs, and creamy potatoes served with jam made of local berries for sweetness and tartness.

South Ålbenlland

Pragamt- a soup-like meal with mutton and meatballs. Usually, vegetables such as potatoes or carrots are also included.

Havensuvä - Roasted pork: served with pickled cabbage, gravy, vegetables, and potatoes.

Nylmkrojf - (pictured right)

Mix of chopped and fried meat, onions, and pre-boiled potatoes, often prepared from leftovers. Other ingredients are often added as well, such as sausages, beetroot, fried egg, bacon or even salmon

Austerland

Klönsodurlamt - a traditional soup. It is often made from reindeer or seabirds. The soup often includes onions and potatoes and is seasoned with salt and pepper, or bay leaf. The soup is thickened with rice, or by soaking barley in the water.

Trænprirghöt - smoked oyster stew: together with carrots, potatoes, and onions in a creamy sauce.

Skalmatol - Seafood barbeque. Grilled lobster, crab, and prawns with asparagus, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, cauliflower, onion, lemons, corn cobs, potatoes, butter, and herbs.

Torkia

Volsenlaks - (pictured right)

Salt and sugar-cured salmon, served with glazed asparagus and poached egg.

Stisamgas - Open-faced sandwich with fried herring and pickled rhubarb

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KÄSKLALAS SCHEDULE (GROUP 14)
MD1: @ Bostopia (115) - L 3-5
MD2: @ The Ko-orenite Constellation (123) - L 1-4

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MD3: vs Audioslavia (40) W 3-2
MD4: @ Legalese (81) L 1-3

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MD5: vs Squornshelan Remnant States (5) L 2-3
MD6: @ Xanneria (52) W 5-2

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MD7: vs Hmmland (UR) W 1-0
MD8: vs Bostopia (115) W 2-1

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MD9: vs The Ko-orenite Constellation (123)
MD10: @ Audioslavia (40)

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MD11: vs Legalese (81)
MD12: @ Squornshelan Remnant States (5)

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MD13: vs Xanneria (52)
MD14: @ Hmmland (UR)

MD7: Vetrahjart 1–0 Hmmland(Instrum Arena, Oxelövik)
Goals: '63 Albertssen (VET)

MD8: Vetrahjart 2–1 Bostopia - (Instrum Arena, Oxelövik)
Goals: '23 Forssell (VET)| '41 Dean (BOS)| '74 Engström (VET)

[Katzeburg]

Katzeburg 1 - 0 Cardenao
Wruck 88’

Possession - 44% // 56%
Shots on Target - 7 // 4
Shots - 9 // 6
Fouls - 11 // 12

1 Whinery, 2 Howland, 3 Knepp, 4 Clarkson, 5 Colbert (Terry 65’), 6 Plank, 7 Spears, 8 Horsfall (Moores 65’), 9 Arkwright, 10 Wruck, 11 Field (Niles 65’)

Player of the Match - Wruck (KAT)

Katzeburg 4 - 2 Omerica
Field 14’, 26’, Wruck 60’, Coburn 81’ // Kalei 33’, 37’

Possession - 60% // 40%
Shots on Target - 12 // 10
Shots - 21 // 19
Fouls - 11 // 12

1 Whinery, 2 Howland, 3 Knepp, 4 Clarkson, 5 Colbert (Mynatt 65’), 6 Plank, 7 Spears, 8 Horsfall (Eason 65’), 9 Arkwright, 10 Wruck (Coburn 65’), 11 Field

Player of the Match - Field (KAT)

First six point window for Blue Cats after roaring home performances

A pair of wins in front of sell out crowds at the Katzestadt Arena has put Katzeburg well in the mix for a top two spot in the World Cup 98 Qualifiers.

The side rebounded from a pair of difficult away trips last window to pick up two wins to kickstart the run into the final stretch, scraping past higher ranked Cardenao 1-0 in a tight match on Matchday 7.

While the visiting side has been struggling during the cycle to date, Katzeburg did not make things easy for themselves; the side wasted several early chances to break open the match with Drake Wruck taking some stick from travelling supporters for an effort midway through the first half which was scooped powerfully over the crossbar.

The visitors would have their best chance of the match on the stroke of half-time, with a curling free-kick from range denied only by a fingertip save from Katzeburgian keeper and captain Ry Whinery, but both sides would enter the break 0-0 - a deadlock which remained unbroken for a large chunk of the second period.

Katzeburg would again attempt to break down the doors of the Cardenao side with a few half-chances, but the side’s fortunes would finally turn in the dying moments of the match, with Wruck finding the breakthrough in scintillating fashion - picking up a loose ball from Spears, the Katzestadt Rovers forward darted between two oncoming defenders before cutting down the left flank into the box and firing a curling effort which stretched past the keeper and found the bottom right corner.

The slim goal was enough - Katzeburg picking up three vital points to put the side into third at the halfway mark of the qualification cycle. However, the side started off the run in hosting an Omerica team which infamously stole an upset win over the Blue Cats back on the first matchday despite being close to 200 ranks below them.

But all bets were off of a repeat performance at first as Katzeburg opened the scoring in front of the home crowd after just 14 minutes, Lloyd Field breaking the deadlock with a powerful header off a cheeky chipped free kick from Serena Plank. Field would double his tally 12 minutes later to extend the host's lead, capitalising on a sloppy pass from Trueworthy in the Incorrgibles backline to scoop up the ball and round keeper Lagadec with ease.

But Omerica, the surprise packets of the group so far who had returned to international football in style to sit second at the halfway mark, were not down and out yet, and the side would pull two goals back in a matter of moments through Kalei - first nodding home a powerful header off an appallingly cleared ball from Erik Clarkson, and then levelling the scores four minutes later with a simple tap in after a great bout of passing play from the visitors.

Both sides would enter the break on level terms, but it would be Katzeburg who came out the stronger in the second half, with the side pushing aggressively to retake the lead. They would finally break through again in the 60th minute through Wruck, with the all-time leading goalscorer adding to his tally with a rocket from range which beat Lagadec to the top left corner.

Omerica would come close to levelling the scores once again through Kalei five minutes later, but their effort swung wide of the post in the real last chance for the visitors. The Blue Cats would finally exorcise their demons against Omerica and secure the three points nine minutes from full time through debutant Leith Coburn of Inverhaven Ironworks - slotting home a speculative effort from the edge of the box to give Katzeburg a crucial three points and lift the side into second place in the group ahead of a dangerous next window against Milchama and Abanhfleft.

[Bir Matras]

the history of football in Bir Matras
Hello dear Readers of our magazine. Due to the hype around the World cup at the Moment, we want to give you a short early history of Football in Bir Matras. Sit back and enjoy

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Football was not very big in Bir Matras for a long time. The first professional football Club was founded in the years 1922. It was the KC Yamal. A few other football Clubs where founded during that time period and by 1930 there were 7 professional football Clubs in Bir Matras, of which 4 were in Yamal. These Clubs had organized a sort of League System between them, but it was unorganized and there were no official Champions. It pretty much stayed like this for the next 15 years or so, with a new Club occasionally being founded. But after World war 2, football became more popular. In 1950 there were 14 professional Clubs in Bir Matras. A year later it was 25 and another year later it was 42. So in the year 1952, it was decided to form an Organisation to, well organize. So on the 17th of September 1952, the Bir Matras Football Association(BMFA) Was born. They immediatly began to organize a proper League, or 2 Leagues since there were too many Clubs for one League. So they created a 2 division League System, with 21 teams each, and after taking effect in 1953, has been used ever since. During this time they also began to Plan for a national Team, which was fully assembled in February of 1954, with Kolin Lopi becoming the first national team. 2 months later they had their first International Match against Great Britain, which they lost 5-1, but it was a start. Now in the League, the clean Champions are definetly the FF Kaadhad, who have won 22 of the 71 titles that have been handed out so far

[Kamijiro]

Murder of Kazumori - Inquest, Part II

72 hours have passed since the body of Ryūzōji Kazumori. The police (and kempeitai) are starting to get antsy.

憲兵隊 「kempeitai」 are the military or state police in Miraisaki. Known primarily for operating clandestine operations at the request of the Emperor (although they are known to take money and do jobs for those with enough money), they're feared by most. However, for the first time since their inception under the previous Emperor, they look clueless. Their ballistics team was able to confirm that the gun used was military-issued, but that narrows it down very little, since every gun in Miraisaki is military-issued. Their forensics team, along with help from the citizen police, were able to confirm that the shot came from inside the room. But that doesn't prove anything. So again, not helpful.

The following transcript was filed by the kempeitai. Although it is heavily redacted, it is very helpful in understanding what's about to happen next.

Agt. 1739: Your highness, we have yet to find any definitive proof of an assassination by either Chamonix or St. Jerome.
Agt. 8491: In fact, we have cause to believe that the shooter was a Miraisaki native.
Kaminari: [Unintelligible]... we go person by person. Every file on [redacted] and [redacted]. Find out who did it.
Agt. 1739: And if it's someone [redacted]?
Kaminari: We cross that bridge once we get to it. 仕方がない 「it cannot be helped」.
Agt. 8491: One last thing, your highness. Where were you at 2:30 AM the night of the murder?
Kaminari: [Unintelligible]... my room, [unintelligible]... asleep. My 'aide,' [redacted] can attest.
Agt. 1739: Noted. Thanks.

-- end transcript --

Hundreds of arrests in Miraisaki, including Raiji Kagawa, Sōji Kokubun and the Akaminai brothers.

Anybody who had a file in the kempaitai system was detained in the streets, in their home, at work, wherever they were. Most were released without incident, but several dozen people were held indefinitely. Among the detainees were Raiji Kagawa, who had one of the oldest files in the system, Sōji Kokubun, who had previously been arrested on drug charges, and the Akaminai brothers, Akinari and Atsuji. Akinari was released immediately, as he only had a file due to his brother being the notorious yakuza oyabun (and Diamond IX ace) Atsuji. The following transcript is selected from Kagawa's interview.

Agt. 9532: [Unintelligible]... Kagawa Raiji. Ex-yakuza, Nishigaya clan. Rap sheet as long as my arm, but somehow no jail time. You have been arrested as part of the investigation into the murder of Prime Minister Ryūzōji Kazumori. If you cooperate, we can get you back over to Jirō by tonight. If not, you'll be here a very long time.
Kagawa: Yeah. Let's do it. What exactly do you wanna know?
Agt. 9532: Where were you the night of the murder, approximately 2:30 AM?
Kagawa: Spolia, Jirō Island. With the team - we have a strict curfew of 10:00 PM and we had a flight that ne-
Agt. 9532: Enough. You're the manager. You can leave at any given point and nobody would bat an eye. Prove you were in Spolia.
Kagawa: [Unintelligible]... do you really think I'd... never mind. My proof is that I was sleeping with somebody at the time. Happy?
Agt. 9532: Your wife...? Girlfriend?
Kagawa: Rather not say.
Agt. 9532: Spit it out or I swear I'll have every single kempai looking over your file with enough scrutiny until SOMETHING sticks.
Kagawa: FINE! Fine. I was with a nightlady. Okay? Happy? Can I go?
Agt. 9532: Yeah. Get out.
Kagawa: [Unintelligible].
Agt. 9532: WHAT DID YOU CALL M-
--end transcript--

The press, of course, ran with the story. It's not unknown that Kagawa has a checkered past. When he emerged from the kempaitai headquarters with dried blood on his face and his shirt torn to shreds, it was a huge scandal. Reports that he was the killer were rampant, despite the fact that he had more than enough evidence that he hadn't left Jirō Island that night. The other issue was that the pictures taken of Kagawa when he left the headquarters showed all of his tattoos due to the ripped shirt, normally covered but now shown in full. Tattoos are seen as a big taboo in Miraisaki, as typically only yakuza end up with tattoos...
(to be continued...)

The Sports Report.

As soon as Kagawa was back in Spolia, Jirō Island, the plane took off for Yuugria. The team was pretty seriously shaken up following the news of all of the arrests - of course, watching Raiji and Akinari get arrested mid-morning training session was rattling enough already. But to see the manager come back looking like somebody just beat the hell out of him (which of course, was the case) did a number on the team. Cue a stinker in Yuugria, with the team failing to score. Yuugria got one in early and were more than happy to just sit back and park the bus. Zero points for the Lightning and they fall into third.

(A) Kamijiro 0 - (H) Yuugria 1
Attendance numbers not recorded. Travelling Kamijiroans confirmed to be around 1,500.
Scorers (KMJ): None.
Scorers (YUU): An Hari (14')

Yellow cards: None.
Injuries: None.

Then, taking off from Yuugria, the Lightning went to Calgasia to take on die Adlers. This was the reverse fixture of matchday one, which Kamijiro had triumphed 4-2 at the JirōSekai. The team looked much more confident in this match compared to in Yuugria after Raiji gave a passionate speech about being true to yourself and staying strong through adversity, then ripping the sleeves off of his suit and showing off his tattoo sleeves. He ended up wearing a t-shirt and shorts while managing for the first time ever. That being said, Calgasia proved once again to be a feisty opponent, scoring an early opener through Jan Novák (who looks to be a Kamijiro killer) before the Lightning struck back through Kagawa Haruka, who then doubled her tally off of a volleyed through-ball from Fujiwara Katsu just before half. In the second half, Kamijiro sat back a bit more, with Kirishima Kyōji subbing on for Demizu Saiichi and dropping from CDM to more of a CB. Late on, Calgasia had pulled their goalkeeper up into the box off of a corner attempt to try to get an equalizer. The ball was cleared and chased down by Kanazono Kento, who was able to put the ball into the open net. And, due to results elsewhere, Kamijiro jumped to the top of the group. Vdara and Flavovespia ended in a 1-1, so the Lightning stood on 18 total points (6-0-2) to both of their 16 (both are 5-1-2).

(A) Kamijiro 3 - (H) Calgasia 1
Match held at Austro-Daimler Arena, Goldstadt, Calgasia. Attendance confirmed at 45,350, with 4,500 travelling Kamijiroan fans.
Scorers (KMJ): Kagawa (28', 44'), Kanazono (90+4')
Scorers (CGS): Novák (7')

Yellow cards: Asumi (90+1')
Injuries: None.

Fan preview for the next matches!

Matchday 9 is against the Golden Harp, who have yet to win through eight matches. They did just score their first two goals of the campaign against Qasden. Fans who have been around for a while may think back to a match against Caribbia during the World Cup 97 qualifiers. Same general premise - a team at the bottom of the table, Kamijiro near (or at) the top. Blink and next thing you know, it's a 1-0 loss, points dropped that the Lightning ended up desperately needing. If history repeats itself here, it may be a very rough day for the Lightning. The match will be held at the JirōSekai. Tickets are on sale for both home and away fans, but please note that it will be snowing slightly. It isn't expected to stick.

Matchday 10 is a doozy. The Kamijiroan press has labelled it the 'Door Derby,' which Kagawa said 'was making it a bigger deal than it is.' However, the Vdaran fans are surely not going to make their home stadium an easy place to play. The 2-1 win at JirōSekai feels like ages ago now and even though the results have kept coming in for the Lightning. The travelling Kamijiro fans are being implored to behave and try to deal with any potential 'inflammatory behavior' by putting up with it. The ultras section have, however, already crowd-funded bail money in case of anything... a win away (or even a draw) would be a huge result for the Lightning.

Until next time!!

[Tanirinthia]

---

OF FATES AND FORTUNES
Chapter Twenty Four - The Turn

---

Clara woke the next morning rolled over to find Jasper still fast asleep gently snoring, she couldn't help the smile that crept over her face as we watched him there. Not wanting to wake hum but also wanting to get a start on the day she carefully inched herself out of the bed, pausing each time the snoring stopped and restarting when it did. She debated making herself her morning coffee to jumpstart her synapses however... however...

She slumped back onto the bed, she hadn't woken up. This was a memory, over a year had passed since that wonderful morning, before it was all ripped away from her. Looking at the memory of Jasper in that bed she so desperately wanted to cling on to him and deny the reality of the cold cell that was waiting for her when she really woke. Once she had read a story in which time travel was as simple as simply believing oneself to be in the past, she willed with all her might to be back in that moment with Jasper, to shake him awake and run.

But when her eyes truly opened, Jaspers did not greet hers.

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six | Chapter Seven | Chapter Eight | Chapter Nine | Chapter Ten | Chapter Eleven | Chapter Twelve | Chapter Thirteen | Chapter Fourteen | Chapter Fifteen | Chapter Sixteen | Chapter Seventeen | Chapter Eighteen | Chapter Nineteen | Chapter Twenty | Chapter Twenty-One | Chapter Twenty-Two | Chapter Twenty-Three

[Cobrio]

Odell's eyes snapped open. The baobab tree again. That same wave across a sky glittered with stars. Silvery-green this time. He found himself wondering whether the colours meant something. Everything else here seemed to.

'I should ask Aunty Ezinne,' he thought.

It had taken some time, but now Odell felt comfortable here, in the Djalia. There was nothing to fear. Not for him, the uwalarin. The world walker. Well, nothing to fear except other uwalarin, he supposed. But so far as he knew, it was only his relatives who could reach him here, and of them, only Ezinne could still traverse the gap between the planes.

The whole thing was very complicated, and there were technicalities, according to Uncle Amari, that very few people -- if any -- were aware of outside of the Ekezie clan. In fact, Amari implied he alone had managed to acquire some knowledge. Knowledge that, it seemed, was about to be passed on to Odell.

"ᴅᴀᴍɪsᴀᴋɪʀɪ," said a voice Odell recognised. "ɪᴛ ɪs ᴛɪᴍᴇ."

For the first time, he had heard his soul name in full. And knew it to be his own. He choked out a sob as a tear rolled down his face. "All this time," he said, to nobody in particular. "You knew, didn't you? You all knew." He looked up at the baobab tree, and closed his eyes.

"Yes," said Ezinne softly. "We all knew."

She stood behind Odell, to his left. He didn't open his eyes, or turn to face her. He couldn't. Not yet.

"Why?" He whispered.

"It was always written in the sky for you, Dami. Little Panther."

On his right shoulder, he felt a hand. Familiar. It squeezed gently. Before its owner spoke, he knew who had arrived. "Dami," said Uncle Amari. "Be proud. Not all who walk dey finish journey."

"You were trying to tell me, weren't you?" Odell asked. "Even back then."

"Yes."

"That day," he continued. "When you asked me if I'd seen..." Odell trailed off.

"You already sabi answer, Dami." Amari said, quietly. Odell's eyes were still shut tightly. "You already sabi wetin you dey must do next."

"What changed?"

"ʏᴏᴜ ᴅɪᴅ."

Odell reached up with his left hand and squeezed his uncle's, on his shoulder. "Thank you," he said. "For not giving up on me." He relaxed a little, but still kept his eyes closed.

"Nephew," Amari said. "It was you, who never gave up on me."

A wind began to blow around them, and slowly, the two of them rose into the air. Or whatever it was they were breathing here in the Djalia.

"When you dey be lost, Uncle Amari no reach you," Amari continued. "Always you. You dey search. And every time, wetin you dey find?"

Despite the wind, Odell felt a warmth. Decades of memories swirled around him, the myriad okun of his own life.

"When you dey need lesson, but Uncle Amari no dey can teach," Amari said. "Wetin you dey find, Little Panther?"

More okun. More threads. These he knew from Uncle Amari's stories.

"And now. Today. When kobu you dey need. Wetin dey find here?"

The warmth was approaching the limits of comfort. Odell reached out with his senses, as Aunty Ezinne had taught him. He searched the warmth as it engulfed him. This was... centuries of memories. Thousands, maybe millions of people. This was the collective memory of his people.

And then, it hit him.

[Dhemixia]

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Columbus Dominion(Est.1873)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saving Private Bolton

If there is one man that deserves better than this from the Dhemixian national team, it's Marvin Bolton. The 25-year-old striker, Bolton has been putting in work from day one, hustling and giving 110% in every appearance. His team, however, has not been doing such. In tandem with his partner in crime, Bolton has been vital to the efforts of getting the Serpents back into contention. The fact that he's the only one doing as mentioned is already evident enough, not being helped by the result at home against bottom-fragger Patriotlandia.

Before we get to that, however, we get to talk about a Dhemixian win, once thought to be fictional. That's right, in a repeat of the final game of the BoF 85 Group Stage, albeit a lot tighter, Dhemixia came away with a win at Island Fusion. Dominic Sanford netted one early on a tailor-made cross from Timothy Hawkins, getting on the board in the 13th minute, and giving Doug McMahon the vital momentum that he and his side needed. With momentum already going their way, Jonathan Obisana would find Adrian Bush wide open in the far side of the box, Bush smashing it into the top corner in the 56th. Island Fusion tried to claw back late with a 74th minute goal, but it was too little too late, especially for a hungry team like Dhemixia. Even in their wins, which there are very few of, the Serpents still find a way to almost choke it.

In their next game, the Dhemixians would take "almost choking it" to the next level, actually choking it late and hanging Marvin Bolton out to dry. As mentioned before, Bolton created his magnum opus in this match against Patriotlandia. In 3 entirely different ways, Bolton would find a hat trick with well over 20 minutes to play, doing all the Dhemixian scoring by himself. Surely they'd win if they score THREE right? The final score? 4-3. Pain. Bolton would start his masterclass as all good career games begin: a drawn penalty early, this time in the 8th. A striker like Bolton absolutely does not miss these, slotting one right down the middle and making a leaping goalkeeper look like he wasn't even playing the same sport. In the 49th, down 2-1 somehow, Bolton needed something to change, so he did it himself. Finding Obisana on the wing streaking, he would make a run to the middle, splitting the defense covering him and the cross. For a moment, at least, it had seemed like their chemistry was back. Obisana found Bolton's boot in the middle of the box, only, it was upside down, and by the middle of the box, it was actually above the middle of the box, mid-bicycle kick. With minimal help from his teammates, Marvin Bolton ended up equalizing it at two by himself against a perfect Eshialand. This would not last. Once again in the 72nd, down a goal, Dhemixia sent up a prayer, only for it to be answered by the man, the myth, the legend, Marvin Bolton. On a picture-perfect corner from Adrian Bush, there is almost nothing in the multiverse that can stop a leaping 6'1", 200 lb Marvin Bolton, and nothing did. Deflecting it off his head into the far post and making fans question what sport the goalkeeper was even playing again, Marvin Bolton had his first ever hat-trick, and singe-handedly kept the Serpents in this game. His efforts did not pay off, as Vanoret put the nails in the coffin in the 87th for Dhemixia, sealing it 4-3 for Patriotlandia.

After a game like that, you'd think someone like Marvin Bolton, putting it all out there every day, would be demoralized, right? As a testament to his sheer willpower, he struck gold again in the biggest way for the Dhemixians, risking a choke for the second consecutive game. Against 3rd-place Saterun, a familiar foe from IAC 22, Marvin Bolton led the Serpents to the promised land. In the 51st minute, it was a miracle that it was a shutout at all that deep into the game. Wesley Williamson and Dominic Sanford in the defensive third were locking down the Saterun attack, as the Dhemixians finally had a chance to excel in the counterattack. On a tailor-made odd-man rush, Grant Clarke would find Marvin Bolton on the 18. Needing a win and needing to put his signature on this game, Bolton would find the top corner through a reaching goalkeeper's hands. As a result, bars across Columbus and the watch party at Brigantine Park ERUPTED. For the first time in their history, the Serpents were leading against a higher-ranked team. Out of sheer desperation, Marvin Bolton joined the back line as a fifth defender to attempt to hold the lead. It worked. Dhemixia has finally beaten a better opponent than themselves.

The following game only hammers in this point harder. After Marvin Bolton beat Saterun, the rest of the team would have to be energized and be able to step up, but they still just couldn't do anything. Marvin Bolton left every ounce of himself on the field against Saterun, and his team just left him out to dry. This could not be more accurate to what happened on the domestic side, either. On Draegynsreim United, Marvin Bolton, Gregory Baker, and Carlos Peters teamed up to peak at the top of the table early. After staying in the top two for a couple matches, it only went downhill from there. In the end, Draegynsreim sits in last, getting half of their current point total in just the first 9 games. Normally, this would be devastating for a player. This is not normal. Marvin Bolton is witnessing this happen on both of his teams. Eshialand only proves that he deserves better from this side.

They have a chance to do better, as well. It will almost certainly be challenging, but Doug McMahon can work with this motivation of losing. Having a date with second-place Saint Eleanor, there is no better time for revenge than now. Patriotlandia proved it was possible, so why not Dhemixia? After that, they get another chance at redemption, this time at home, against Carpathia and Ruthenia. The first time around, the defense was as good as it will ever be, the problem was just a lack of scoring. If McMahon can get his team firing on all cylinders like at the beginning of the group stage, there's a nonzero chance we see some turbulence for the top teams.

____███ - - - - - - ███

_____Island Fusion__1 - 2_'_Dhemixia

______Winkelmann 74'| Sanford 13'
_________________'__| Bush 56'


MotM: DHE CB Dominic Sanford

____███ - - - - - - ███

_____Patriotlandia__4 - 3_'_Dhemixia

____Fortinello 24', 58' | Bolton 8', 49', 72'
______'Vanoret 35', 87'|


MotM: PAT ST Francis Fortinello

____███ - - - - - - ███

_____Saterun__0 - 1_'_Dhemixia

_______________'| Bolton 51'
______________'_|


MotM: DHE ST Marvin Bolton

____███ - - - - - - ███

_____Eshialand__5 - 0_'_Dhemixia

______"Davis 23', 90'|
_Sandrie 35', 68', 80'|


MotM: ESL ST Will Sandrie

i'm sending the house at SNL the moment I find him, godspeed brother.

Schedule

@ Eshialand, Eshialand City SuperDome L 2-3 (6th)
vs. Saint Eleanor, Brigantine Park L 0-2 (7th)
@ Carpathia and Ruthenia, C&R Home Stadium L 1-2 (7th)
vs. Paringo, Brigantine Park L 2-3 (8th)
@ Island Fusion, Island Fusion Home Stadium W 2-1 (7th)
vs. Patriotlandia, Brigantine Park L 3-4 (7th)
@ Saterun, Saterun Home Stadium W 1-0 (6th)
vs. Eshialand, Brigantine Park L 0-5 (6th)
@ Saint Eleanor, Saint Eleanor Home Stadium
vs. Carpathia and Ruthenia, Brigantine Park
@ Paringo, Paringo Home Stadium
vs. Island Fusion, Brigantine Park
@ Patriotlandia, Parc du Nord
vs. Saterun, Brigantine Park

[Mytanija]

Ermin Držić had to admit, sometimes you just had to find the simplest answer to the question you were being posed rather than the perfect answer. Mytanija were 2-1 down to Sel Appa with 15 minutes remaining, Držić’s team had played reasonably well, but sometimes football went against you in a way that you couldn’t control. Sel Appa’s first came after a shot cannoned off Adnan Sulejmanović and left Alekso Vasilevski entirely stranded. Mytanija pulled one back through Lacina Issoumou, but then Sel Appa put themselves back ahead with another deflected effort. Držić would need to speak to them about not leaving it quite so late to get their bodies on the line, but they had just been a bit unfortunate.

The Mytanija head coach had made a decision to play a rotated team, giving some of the regular starters a rest against the group’s unranked team. It may have been disappointing for the raucous Stadion Cassia crowd, loud and exuberant after two years of societal turmoil, but Držić cared little for public opinion - he needed to do what was best for the team. Right now, that meant having a bit of humility and accepting that the answer to the question was simply to get the big guns on. Largely, it meant getting Denis Ovsyannikov on the pitch, the man who could play hero-ball to win a match on his own and would answer the question Sel Appa had posed the Hoops. So with 75 minutes on the clock, the fourth official’s board went up and read ‘10’ in green LED lights; and ‘20’ in red ones. Ovsi would get a chance to have a say.

The clock only read 82:07 when he made his first statement. A raking ball from Adnan Sulejmanović reached Lacina Issoumou deep in the Sel Appa half and the big centre forward leapt high to meet it, knocking it down into a general area, hoping that one of his teammates would be able to run onto it and keep the attack going. Issoumou was lucky that the teammate closest was Ovsyannikov, his long limbs capable of eating up the space to get onto the knockdown ahead of any Sel Appa player. Ovsi controlled the bouncing ball with a deft knee, keeping the ball airborne. He then watched it drop, time seeming to stop, before swishing his right boot through the air to volley the ball towards goal. Vasilevski may have been unable to move for either Sel Appa goal, but now it was Sel Appa’s goalkeeper’s turn to simply watch a shot go in - only this time it was down to Ovsyannikov’s quality rather than a nasty deflection.

Stadion Cassia erupted at the equaliser and there was suddenly a sense that Mytanija might be able to not only rescue a draw from the jaws of defeat, but actually seize all three points. Držić may have harnessed home advantage simply by bringing the country’s best player on, funny how it works.

Mytanija were pushing forwards, an Issoumou shot was well saved and from the resulting corner Alen Mioković–Čiča’s header crashed against the bar before being lashed away deep into Mytanija’s half. The roar in the ground was almost expectant now, attempting to push the Hoops forward and will the ball into the Sel Appa net.

The clock read 89:51 when Mytanija found the winner. Injury time was not even necessary. Miokovic-Čiča brought the ball forward out of defence, striding into the Sel Appa half of the pitch before playing a simple pass into Potap Vdovichenko. Vdovichenko was fast becoming the man you wanted to have the ball to play a defence-splitting pass, the heir to Gavril Atsev and Tahir Fejzuli, and once again he found the perfectly-weighted ball exactly when Mytanija needed it. It was a delicate chip this time, almost a golf swing, dropped in over the defensive line for fullback Idris Beganović to run onto. It was weighted well enough so that Beganović could simply play a searching pass across the box first time with his left foot, and steaming in there to meet it was Denis Ovsyannikov, diving low to meet it with a diving header which would be replayed for years to come. Mytanija 3, Sel Appa 2. 22,000 in Stadion Cassia making some racket in celebration. Ernie Držić being mobbed by his back room staff and substitutes.
Ovsi somewhere beneath a pile of hooped shirts, near-crushed by his jubilant teammates.

Quite rightly too, Držić thought to himself as he punched the air. It was the goal to put Mytanija back top of the group with six games remaining. The Hoops were heading into the home straight and they were winning games from losing positions like a champion side. It was a great sign.

[Vdara]

Park that car, drop that phone
Sleep on the floor, dream about me

Matchday 7: Of the Golden Harp versus Vdara

Before there was even a hint of a ball being kicked, it was relatively obvious that this wasn’t going to be a match for the history books. Despite this, the allure of the occasion was certainly there for fans of the Holy Harps - nearly filling the 92,000-capacity Dublin Grand Harp. Of course, even though the stadium was far, far larger than the VdarArena, the away section was pitiful, and only a few thousand passionate Vdarans managed to make the trip. These fans were to be an unlucky bunch, as it would turn out…

Away Team Dressing Room,
Dublin Grand Harp

You know the drill by now. Players waiting, door violently swinging open, Markos strolling in.

”Awrite, troops. Normally I’d give you all the spiel of ‘give it your all’ and ‘hit them where it hurts’, but frankly I’m not in the mood, and judging by all of your faces - neither are yous. So, I’ve taken it upon myself to do a wee bit of squad rotation! For starters, Lukis Littlikis… where are you, wee man… ah, there. Lukis! You’re getting the greenlight to start in midfield.”

Little Lukis Littlikis’ head jolted up when he realised his name had been called. Like any typical 17-year-old, his head was buried in his phone and he hadn’t even been paying attention, but the boss had called his name. He simply had to respond.

”I’m ready to go.”

”Good! That’s the fucking spirit, my boy. Now, Emilios. You’ve been a star in goals as of late, but I ought to give Illiana a go, as she’s been doing solidly in the Polar Islandstates. Finally… ach, this is a tough one. Eeny, meeny, miney, mo… Euro Papadopoulos! You’re starting upfront. Hopefully this keeps a few of you better refreshed for the Flavovespia game, but for those of you on the pitch who played last week: don’t try too hard. Save your fitness. This mob couldn’t score in a brothel, they’ve no hope against us. For the rest of you: Give me 100%. And I don’t mean 110%, or 200%, or any of that bullshit - because if I ask you for 100%, you don’t meet that, and then you tell me you’re gonna give me 200%, chances are that your 100% was only 90%, or 80%, and then you’re only giving me 160%, which is 40% less than you promised me! So, no bullshit.”

The first half was a tiring affair, with the Holy Harps playing as defensively as always, and most of the Vdarans on the pitch playing walking football. By the end of the half, the Vdarans had managed to get 14 shots away, but none of them on target - or even close. They had also only mustered a meagre 164 passes, with some players holding onto the ball for overly long periods of time. This was absolutely fine, though. After another ten shots the second half, Takis Pipades’ half-arsed effort at a clearance landed at the feet of Ferrero Fotellis, who tried yet another long-range effort - and for once, it worked, flying over Jason O’Finnegan and into the net. The away contingent (by now, bored to tears) politely clapped for their team, before immediately falling back asleep. Unfortunately for them, there was still another half hour. The real drama came in the last five minutes, as the defensive Golden Harp side sparked into life and flipped their 5-2-1-2 formation to a 2-1-2-5, startling a lethargic Vdaran side who struggled to adapt quick enough. After Illiana Alexandrou produced a stunning save to deny Garbhan Watt late on, Sydney Hanach managed to break through the disjointed Vdaran defence and appeared clean through on goal… if not for the spirited defence of Grazzja Le Brun, who cleaned out the Holy Harps’ attacker just outside of the box. She would receive a red card and a bollocking from Markos, but the away fans clapped her off the pitch for preventing a surefire goal. When the final whistle blew, relief was visible across each and every Vdaran face. They had come agonisingly close to blowing it and being hoisted by their own petard, but all three points had been secured.

”We must never speak of this match ever again.”

Matchday 8: Flavovespia versus Vdara

Once more, a goal from the ever-present Sophia Kyprianou helped Vdara towards a draw - and very nearly another victory over a strong Flavovespia side. Alas, a solitary point meant Vdara relinquished the top spot to Kamijiro, whom they would face following the Qasden match. Tough games were coming thick and thin, and only time would tell if the team had the minerals within them to withstand the barrage they would face.

[Zenic]

It was a sight to behold.

Geraldo Zys was on a preplanned weekend trip to San Valerie, rummaging through the latest issue of the Leinz Herald. He was happy at the news coverage of the Zenic National Futbol Team's success, considering they were giving the team their flowers for how well they had recovered from the unfortunate draws early on. They were currently on a three game win streak after their latest trip.

While the Survivors had not run into particularly high ranked opposition, the competition was fierce nonetheless. Zenic traveled to Megistos and while the scoreline was a solid 3-0 win, it was a lot closer than it seemed for most of the game. Saul Mosley had one of his best games ever by bailing out the defense on a few careless mistakes as the beginning and maintaining that level of play once the defense got settled down and focused again. Gentile added another goal onto his tally for this cycle while Byford and Vasil got their first. Zys was glad for them and hoped for a few more from each when needed.

They followed up that performance with a 2-1 victory over their opening round opponents Lacivea on the road. Nelson Seamons scored in the 5th minute to take the lead early, despite Zenic missing both Hank Devor and Kian Hodge due to accumulation of yellow cards. And many people on the pitch, in the stadium, and at home expected that goal to set the pace for the rest of the game. Considering the Survivors did not score again until Lew Anton's shot in the 78th minute, it was significantly more contested than expected. The Laciveans were able to claw one back in the 3rd minute of stoppage time at the end of the game but it was too little, too late as the referee blew the whistle a minute or two later.

Now, thanks to those wildly varying results and Polar Islandstates' second loss to HUElavia, the Survivors stood alone in second place within Group 8, trailing only the aforementioned HUElavia by 5 points. Speaking of HUElavia, they would soon be visiting the Empire for their second matchup with Zenic followed by the Equestrian States visiting. After having spoken with the analysts, Zenic would not even need a victory against HUElavia as a draw would give them a better performance against the top 20 ranked nation than any other squad in Group 8 aside from none other than Lacivea. Following that up with a second win against the Equestrian States would be vital, however, as a draw or loss would allow the Polar Islandstates to recoup their footing and draw closer to Zenic than preferred.

But, Zys didn't gain the reputation he had via just going for the draw. He and Tapi were going for the win against Ignacio Casillas and his squad's 4-2-3-1 formation. Having a defensive presence in the midfield like Devor would be huge dealing with the 5 other midfielders HUElavia played and having the mental link a consistent backline like Trac-Hodge-Byford have should keep the scoring low enough for the Survivors to get just the essential amount of goals they need to win.

For now though, Zys was going to get some much needed rest after such a stressful first half or so of qualifiers. Hopefully, the second half is less stressful.

[Omerica]

.

[West Vdara]

WEST VDARANS UNDER FIRE FOR 'INAPPROPRIATE' ADVERT

In preparation for their fixture against West Barack and East Obama, the West Vdaran government commissioned the state airline, West Vdaran Air Service, to promote a new route to ferry fervent supporters to the Obamian stadium.

Apart from the obvious issues, it should be noted that West Vdara were at HOME for this fixture. Pity, that.

[Saint Eleanor]

OOC: Lara Torridge is back and better than ever - she'll be visiting sunny (may or may not actually be sunny) Montesina next cutoff! For now, however, please enjoy my Group of Six snap reactions.

Group of Six meeting (XLIX) --- SAINT ELEANOR 3-1 Island Fusion
Participants: Gentle Breeze, Reniira Clevinger, Stephen Mitcham ~ Bridget Coombe [C], Cathy Winchester [VC], Tina Falconer [ballot]
Location: Premium Coffee; Parkside district, Saint Eleanor city, EXT

Promises made, promises kept! Fifteen out of eighteen - less Eshialand - is an objectively good start, if not quite the "excellent" that people expect of us these days. The challenge from here is how we keep up our performances all the way through the second half of qualifying. Highlighters as always: yellow for retrospectives, blue for points about us, green for points about the opposition, pink for pre-match unknowns.

Island Fusion were ready to put us to the sword at all times - they actually took the lead after eight minutes courtesy of Isa Grimm's intervention (that was a simply amazing piece of teamwork, if I may say so myself). It took us a few minutes to really get going, but we had earned our equaliser by the half-hour mark, largely because I had my free kick in exactly the right place. The second half was not quite as neat and unfussy and there were a couple of yellows on each side, but Graham delivered a couple of important late interventions - in the last fifteen minutes, firstly getting on the end of yet another free kick of mine, and then making his own way to the back of the net after getting past four of their players. (I was counting!)

----------

We will be returning to 4-2-3-1, one through eleven, for Patriotlandia. Obviously, there is a need for new blood and we will give the substitutes due consideration (Barnett, Emmerson and Hollenberg are probably the first ones up if we need urgent strengthening) - but, given the context of each team, a stronger lineup is probably better. On the other hand, Patriotlandia are excellent in attack (at least they are in principle, although Stephen's sharp enough to know that they have the goods), so there's no reason for us to just ignore our backline.

We need everywhere to be strong - attack, defence, midfield, and the stands - and the best way to do that is to have a consistent, reliable lineup; any serious experimentation can come later when we're more confident in our position, not right now. (This is something I fought very hard for throughout the meeting; I did get the staff on board, although Tina has her concerns about this approach and if it fails I don't doubt she'll make that clear to everyone else!)

Perhaps the biggest question mark around the match is the possibility that Patriotlandia could go all out for revenge. 6-0 is always an uncharacteristic scoreline for us and they will probably be thinking about how best to make us snap! We do need to look after the wings, just in case they do that for us. We also need to be careful that we don't completely abandon midfield, as they can be very effective there (it's why I call them "excellent in attack," see earlier). I don't generally foresee many issues other than that - but we should not just assume we are in the clear.

Also, we said hi to Vappy. He was delighted that was this particular Premium Coffee outlet's first-ever Group of Six meeting, and had only one piece of advice for us: "go out there and make it a good show, okay?"

Group of Six meeting (L) --- SAINT ELEANOR 1-2 Patriotlandia
Participants: Gentle Breeze, Reniira Clevinger, Stephen Mitcham ~ Bridget Coombe [C], Cathy Winchester [VC], Denise Livingston [ballot]
Location: the Marshal Arms pub; Bramblewood district, Saint Eleanor city, EXT

Group of Six meeting (L) indeed - Bridget

Stephen here; I think that's the first time anyone's ever managed to intrude on my notes. This was a very disappointing match - verging on anger in Reniira and Denise's respective cases - and, while I know the discussion lasted a couple of hours and took input from at least half of the Marshal Arms' regular pubgoers, I will not sully you with the details. Suffice to say that everyone was angry, everyone expects immediate change, and everyone knows exactly how to fix the problem! ...although one person suggested stringing up Bridget and hanging her for treason, which I very much doubt she'd appreciate.

What's also clear from the Patriotlandia game is that we kept making needless mistakes, whether it be handballs, defensive slippages, poor marking, or pure negligence. These mistakes cost us our game and, to some extent, our reputation. As always, Bridget has the right words for this: "we need to approach games as though we were in Pot 8, but we can't perform like we actually are in Pot 8." What I think she thinks - don't undersell yourself, know your worth, be positionally pragmatic, strive for the best results (while expecting the worst), and most importantly STOP BEING AN EMBARRASSMENT.

There is no media discontent against Gentle Breeze and the team at large, but any major slippages against Dheximia or other teams will result in unrelenting wrath and potentially another 2006-style mutiny (not a positive outcome). There is some room for flexibility in the overall setup, but now is the time for us to avoid making ridiculous mistakes. The strategy against Dhemixia will therefore be the same as it was - flexibility in the centre; stability out wide; central defence should remain focused on, but not overly married to, Bolton and Obisana up front; Woodward will absolutely need additional support against their defence. For that reason, Hollenberg replaces Felaraneta; Emmerson replaces Lawson; perhaps most controversially, Wilson replaces Launceston. Please can Bridget send my apologies to Esther for the inconvenience again.

[The Kytler Peninsulae]

This is the MD9/10 cutoff

[Sarzonia]

Groundskeepers at Dave Wilson Stadium were waiting for the moment all World Cup 98 qualifying.

The stadium had been ready for the match against Bears Armed, but the stadium sat empty whilst Sarzonia defeated Bears Armed 3-2 at Friedgen Stadium and Jeruselem by that same score at Dazza Dallas Stadium.

Gloria Vincent was enjoying her first day out of orientation as the director of ticket sales for Dave Wilson Stadium, a process she went through despite working for the Dave Wilson Stadium Authority for years only because it was mandatory for all employees regardless of whether they were joining the stadium authority for their first job or they were stepping up to a new role. Vincent had been the assistant director of ticket sales until her former boss Gary Clinton unexpectedly retired.

She opened up the file and prepared to send the report to senior management about the sales for the match between Sarzonia and Valanora. The match had been sold out minutes after it was announced. The only concern was whether the new Nicole Lewis Stadium would be ready to host the match, as it carried a seating capacity of 115,000 and easily expandable to 125,000 seats. The venue also had a retractable roof that allowed it to be immune to the extreme cold, snow and ice that was hitting Woodstock.

Vincent smiled when she looked at the weather report. Temperatures were steadily rebounding from the bitter cold and the snow and ice were now a memory. The stadium was going to be ready for the Vanorian invasion. Sarzonia entered the Matchday 11 confrontation with the multiverse's No. 1 ranked team two points clear of Valanora for the top of the Group 17 table. If Sarzonia merely held Valanora to a draw, they would maintain a hold on first place in the group, but a victory would go a long way toward ensuring that Sarzonia would advance to the World Cup proper for the second straight time.

Manager Caleb Rush decided he was going to ask his team to simply play their game and not press.

"It's one match," he said. "We both want the result, but let's make sure we maintain our focus and discipline and we'll let the chips fall where they may."

Worrying about Valanora wasn't going to do any good, Rush knew instinctively. Pressing hard and treating it like they were bitter archrivals when Valanora couldn't give two shits about the Stars wasn't going to help Sarzonia win the match.

"Let's just do what we do best," he said. "And we'll see what happens."

Sarzonia were also five points clear of Doubeia who sat in third place, meaning that with four matches remaining, Sarzonia had a favourable chance at advancing to the proper without the added drama of a playoff.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves, he thought. Dave Wilson Stadium awaited. And it was ready for yet another important match.