World Cup 99 - RP Thread

[Chromatika]

World Cup 99 Qualifiers Matchday 1: Chromatika 0-0 Vixette @ The Shock, Wirr Tsi, Capital District
Goals: None
Starting XI: (3-4-1-2) - Sourtois; Coulibaly - Jackson-Jones - Nodis; Fillar, G. - Mesic-Mizayaki - Fillar, B. - Fillar, E.; Françine-Miklavivec; Xuen-Zhukov (C) - Howard-Dawes.
Substitutes: Prenn -> Françine-Miklavivec (51'), Paterson -> Coulibaly (51'), Van Der Borght -> Mesic-Mizayaki (63'), Hauptmeijer -> Fillar, G. (63'), Bittencourt -> Howard-Dawes (70')
Summary: A frustrating draw for the Anomalies, as eleven shots on goal are all stopped by Félicien Mercier. Chromatika dominated possession and made it very clear that they were the more dominant team, but it didn't translate out on the pitch. Vixette, for their part, held it down when it became obvious they weren't going to crack Sourtois. She saved the four shots that came her way, but was never threatened. Not the best of results - especially at the beginning of a qualifying campaign, in front of the home crowd at The Shock.
World Cup 99 Qualifiers Matchday 2: Auprussia 1-0 Chromatika
Goals: None
Starting XI: (3-4-1-2) - Sourtois; Coulibaly - Jackson-Jones - Nodis; Fillar, G. - Mesic-Mizayaki - Fillar, B. - Fillar, E.; Françine-Miklavivec; Xuen-Zhukov (C) - Howard-Dawes.
Substitutes: Lethbridge-Antonio, C. -> Jackson-Jones (59'), Lethbridge-Antonio, J. -> Mesic-Mizayaki (59'), Jean-Baptiste -> Xuen-Zhukov (74'), Saburo -> Nodis (74'), Oriol -> Fillar, G. (81')
Summary: Herbie Chandelique's shot from the edge of the box ended up being the difference in a tightly contested affair as Chromatika couldn't get past the Auprussian defense. That makes it two games out of two that they haven't managed to score a single goal these qualifiers, making it a concern for the Chromatik fanbase. It's not the worst thing in the world to lose on the road at the fourth seed in the group - especially when you're only three points behind third place, which is the only thing that matters; however, to not score at all in the first two games, especially when they will play at Edsmontik in the fourth day of the qualifiers? Everyone will be on edge.

---

Projected Lineups for World Cup 99 Qualifying Matchdays 3 and 4
vs. vs. (104) Yuugria @ The Hive, Sanar, Rainbow District (Cap. 122,000, 42,000 Seats), @ (8) Edsmontik
Starting XI: Sourtois; Coulibaly - Jackson-Jones - Nodis; Fillar, G. - Mesic-Mizayaki - Fillar, B. - Fillar, E.; Françine-Miklavivec; Xuen-Zhukov (C) - Howard-Dawes.
Substitutes: GK Jill Swanson, GK Jessika Aniston, DCR Paisley Paterson, DC Claudia Lethbridge-Antonio, DCL Uemura Saburo, DCL Hélène Ataciara, WBR Jacoliene Hauptmeijer, WBL Nemes Mátyás, WBL Róża Panaś, DLP Alija Mesic-Mizayaki, CDM Jayla Lethbridge-Antonio, CDM Cassandra Van Der Borght, AM Maddie Prenn, AF Kaytlyn Jean-Baptiste, CF Harriet Baïe-Verte, AF Adélaide Bittencourt.
Preview: The single point gathered in the first two matches puts all the pressure into these two matches - especially since afterwards, the CFF would like to start some of the substitutes instead. It's all on Baillaire, Edith, Lavrentiy, and Elaine to crack the defense - and score some goals. If you don't score, you won't get any points. The road trip to top-seeded Edsmontik is a chance to gain momentum back in the Anomalies' favor, while not getting the full three points at home against another underdog may lead to major alarm bells starting to ring for the Anomalies fanbase. If Chromatika are to return to the World Cup Proper, this is a series of matches that they have to capitalize on.

1. The Find

DISCOVERY OF THE AGES
II. The Lawyer

Madeline "Maddie" Lantoff brushed a stray hair that had gotten stuck in her left eye as she read a report that had just been forwarded to her for viewing and acknowledgement. It had been sent to the encrypted mailbox that was meant for specific eyes only in the Death Templars Law Firm. As the biggest law firm in all of Chromatika, they were apprised of many of the goings-on in the country; one of such ventures that DTLF had a large stake in was the reconstruction of the eastern half of Myana Island. They were the chief mediation consultant for all of the construction companies involved, specializing in PR and making sure everyone followed suit with all that they had promised.

Maddie was the Chief Negotiating Officer between the conglomeration of companies that were working on Myana Island and the Chromatik government - meaning she hadn't had a day off in the last year and a half. Every day, there was someone calling bloody murder, another accusing someone else about malpractice or breaking of contracts, and a slew of people who were sure that they were getting had by some stipulation or another. She had quite a few people that helped weed out the most of those that didn't matter, but there were certain things that she was in charge of.

Like this report - that a casket of all things, containing a human skeleton, was found in an excavation site in what used to be Eyrods? Diabolical. The timing couldn't be worse - the construction companies were already brushing up against the deadline in terms of the reconstruction of Eyrods, and the power plant that was supposed to be built there was a major step that everything was contingent upon. Protocol stated that there was no way that they could ignore this development - and with the way that Chromatika handled forensic investigations, this would delay everything by at least two weeks, up to a month and a half.

She hated being the bearer of bad news - especially with the Chromatik government, who was between a rock and a hard place with a lot of Chromatik citizens starting to complain about how long it was taking to rebuild the eastern half of Myana Island. It wasn't the construction companies' fault that they had suggested a different blueprint of rebuilding Eyrods than the way that it had been in the past - it was best to optimize, after all. However, they were now starting to run into things that the Chromatik Party had never seen before, making it unproven territory.

She had a choice to make. She could try to brush it off as nothing crazy and try to bury the foreman who had discovered it to stay quiet - running the risk of it being discovered later and potentially leading to a scandal. The other option was to be the bearer of bad news - losing some points, perhaps, but keeping a clear conscience.

She sighed, hit the forward button, and sent the report on its way to the DTLF brass. Afterwards, she poured herself an inch of authentic bourbon.

It was going to be a long week.

[Eshialand]

Another Slow Start
Eshialand 1-1 Quakmybush
Jeruselem 0-1 Eshialand

What would you do if your team just won a regional football championship? Would you cover the manager and players in Croconade? Host a championship parade in the capital? How about drawing against a pot 7 team at home after your championship ceremony?

This was the sort of unceremonious game that left an otherwise jubilant crowd utterly silent. Eshialand was used to slow starts in basically every single sport that ever existed, but this one... it felt personal. This was supposed to be a day to remember, and now... well it was still a day to remember, but not the sort of one you'd like to remember.

The Owls were able to bounce back on the road against a Jeruselem team that was probably too distracted looking at the nation's multiverse-famous news reporters and a crowd that seemingly did not have a dress code (or rather, a code to not dress), but there was just something about that draw at home that still stung even after all that. If there ever was a bright point, they weren't that far behind anything — in fact, they were still in an untied second, since everyone else had just as awful a start as they did — but it didn't change the fact that they were slighted during their celebration... and they were ready to get revenge for that.

First place in the group, the only team to not drop points so far, were newcomers Kwrpania, whom the Owls would be visiting come MD5. This was a hotly-anticipated match, but there were still a couple matches in between, both of them opportunities to get ahead at home: Sudilia and the Busoga Islands would be coming to town. These teams were the 4th and 5th seeds, respectively, meaning that they were chasing the best results they could to sneak their ways into the World Cup, and it was up to the Owls to stomp their hopes out... but with the draw to Quakmybush, there were certainly doubts whether the team had the form to get that done.

"You know, it's a blip.” Kenny Morgan had to say about his team’s less-than-stellar performance on Matchday 1, “Blips happen, and what’s important is having the ability to come back and prove that that’s all they are. We did that against Jeruselem, and we’re looking to do so against Sudilia as well. We’re more than good enough to do that.”

---

The TV suddenly flips from Morgan’s interview to a presser with Prime Minister Kevin Labbett, speaking about a hot-button issue in Esportiva: the attack on Quanta Stadium in Montebello and the ensuing persecution of Marignien nationalists.

“So, Mr. Labbett,” a middle-aged male journalist asked the PM, “I assume you’ve heard about the situation over in Vielfaltig, and I’d like to ask you what your thoughts are and if you’re concerned at all about this issue spreading over into Eshialand.”

“Thanks for the question Mr. Dadgley, yes, I indeed have heard about it. First of all, I would like to say that I’m very glad that the attack in Montebello didn’t cause any harm to anyone in attendance. When political tensions start to affect civilians, things have gone too far, and nobody deserves to be the victim of such an attack.

“As for concerns about it spilling over, I highly doubt it will. We’re a good distance away and we don’t have a large Vielfaltigian population, so no, I don’t expect anything to happen on our shores, but we will be keeping an eye out just in case.”

“I have a question as well,” a younger woman asked him. “I know you haven’t heard of me, but I’m Felicity Hunter, an online–”
“Don’t worry Ms. Hunter, I watch your channel all the time. Go on…”
“You say that political tensions should never be affecting civilians, but the increased surveillance measures outlined in the Public Safety Act are fundamentally affecting the lives of all Vielfaltigians in an outsized way… do you have any plans to react to this?”

“Thank you so much for that question Ms. Hunter, and yes I agree, the Public Safety Act does represent a significant breach in the privacy of all Vielfaltigians, and no, it’s not right at all. To that end, I would like to have an open dialogue with the government of Vielfaltig, because I would love to see if there’s any less intrusive way to deal with this issue, up to and including offering help from the EIS to investigate further threats.”

“And what about the people of Marigny itself?” Lora Krumholtz, an older woman representing the Vaynorth Tribune, asked the PM. “The measures being taken against Marignien political parties by the NID are a very concerning step to strip the region of its political freedoms… do you have any response to these actions?”

“Thank you so much for the question Mrs. Krumholtz, and yes, I have been thinking about this issue. The people of Marigny deserve better than to have their struggle for freedom undermined by a couple of extremists… to that end, if anyone from Marigny fears government persecution, our borders are open, and we have a place for you. Eshialand has always been welcoming to those seeking a better life, and I want to extend this offer to the people there as well. We don’t want to allow the actions of the few to determine the futures of the many.”

“Are you at all worried about potential retaliation from the government of Vielfaltig?” Hunter asked again, “They may not be as willing to engage in dialogue with Eshialand if they think you’re harboring potential terrorists…”

“At the end of the day, this is a risk we have to be willing to take in order to ensure the freedom of those who don’t deserve to have their rights stripped away. This is also why I want to offer as much as we can to the nation of Vielfaltig, to reassure them that no, we do not want more terrorist acts occurring on anyone’s soil. We just want to see an Esportiva where everyone can be happy, and we want to do the best we can to move towards this future. Thank you all for your questions, I must go now.”

The journalists kept asking him questions, but he waved them all off. “I’ll be happy to answer your questions tomorrow, but for now I have other places to be, my sincerest apologies.”

[Sarzonia]

Sarzonia have made a rather disturbing habit of getting off to slow starts in the Caleb Rush era.

That trend continued during the first two matchdays of World Cup 99 qualifying, with the Stars earning a workmanlike 3-0 victory over unranked Francobalkan Peninsula at the new Nicole Lewis Stadium in Woodstock before losing 3-1 away to Grand Exultia.

For some experienced managers, the first two matches from 18 are hardly cause for worry. After all, there are still 16 matches remaining, and as long as the team remain focused on the task at hand, the creme should eventually rise to the top, barring Margaret going on one of her more temperamental periods. However, Caleb Rush is anything but typical of most managers. For starters, there's still that harsh inner voice that keeps telling him he isn't good enough, that he's a fraud and the team would be better off with a foreign skipper making the tactical decisions. That, even despite a gaudy record and a Cup of Harmony title being added to the country's collection of trophies both major and minor, he just didn't belong.

Another, much larger problem for Rush was trying to figure out who the rat was who spilled the deets about his imposter syndrome diagnosis. He'd had private conversations with his psychologist and kept Incorporated Football Federation Chairman Zack Wilson in the loop, and Rush was fairly certain Zack Wilson wouldn't just mindlessly blab about private matters such as a psychological condition besetting someone in his employ.

Rush had been working contacts within the IFF trying to figure out who blabbed, and get to the bottom of why. Between meetings with his assistant managers, sessions with his psychologist, training sessions with the players and regular conversations with the team's technical director and the executive staff, Rush spent the better part of his remaining time trying to investigate the leak.

"It's a distraction," Rush said in a brief statement that he'd intended to shut down the conversation once and for all, but of course, only gave further life to the debate. "It's preventing me from devoting my best self to this team."

"It doesn't make sense," one reporter commented. "You have no reason to feel that way." Rush glowered for a moment before he collected his thoughts.

"Feelings aren't logical," he said. "I don't need a reason to feel the way I do. I just do, and that's my cross to bear whether you like it or not.

"Besides, we've got Olastor and Gnejs up and we've got to be a lot better than we were against Grand Exultia."

[Kamijiro]

Trouble on Jirō Island?

It's never easy to follow up a first-ever World Cup knockout stage appearance. The first home match was against Farfadillis - it was a celebratory atmosphere as the Kamijiroans took the pitch at JirōSekai for the first time since confirming their places at World Cup 98. But oh boy, if the 0-0 draw against Hispinas was any indicator, there was trouble in paradise. Farfadillis ran the Lightning off the pitch. The 2-0 scoreline was only thanks to a couple of miracle stops by Kenichi Asumi, who picked up his tenth Player of the Match award for the national team. The score could've been as big as five or six to nil. So, the first two matches in the World Cup since the knockout stage? Kamijiro have been held scoreless through both.

This was not what Keigo Nakaji's entrance to the National Team was supposed to look like. He was touted as the wonderkid of the decade, potentially making his way into the starting eleven before even making his first appearance for them. However, Raiji Kagawa had him come off the bench against both Hispinas and Farfadillis... and he looked awful. Nerves got to him bad against Hispinas and he skied an open net opportunity. Farfadillis ate him alive in the midfield and he became the first ever Kamijiroan to be subbed on and then later subbed off for any reason other than injury. The bidding war for his services has dwindled slightly as well, with the final offers rolling in. Miraisaki United have offered 44,000,000 Jirōes, Miraisaki City have offered 47,000,000. It comes down to personal preference for him, as Miraisaki Athletic have accepted those two offers.

Katsu Fujiwara, the star of the team, was seen leaving his hotel room late last night with Sōji Kokubun, both of whom were shit-faced beyond belief, another troubling sign. Akinari Akaminai, brother of crime lord Atsuji Akaminai, has also suddenly gained dozens of tattoos, including the distinctive black rose blooms across his forearms - signs that he's been initiated into the notorious Narakugai Night Rose organization (not to be confused with the third-tier Kamijiroan football club, also called the Narakugai Night Roses), which would indicate that Kamijiroan Sport has taken yet another slide into the organized crime scene.

And now, a message from the Kamijiroan tourism board.

Hey, you! You're coming to Kamijiro for a match? Well, if our recent complaints are any indicator, you probably need a map to get to Spolia. That's okay! Because now, we have a map that you can download and use for your trip to our wonderful islands. Please note that there are two airports in Kamijiro, one at Spolia for smaller traffic from the region, and Miraisaki, which is our international hub. There are hourly connecting flights between the two islands and ferries for visitors to Kaminho and Jirinho, should you wish to visit our beautiful resorts on the smaller islands.

[Doubeia]

outro: tear — bts

“The caller is currently unavailable. If you would like to–”

Everything was in vain, wasn’t it?

Ambrose was chasing a phantom. He was chasing someone that didn’t exist anymore. The Skye he knew didn’t exist anymore. He remembered her warm smile whenever she came over, and he remembered her tranquility when he woke up to her sleeping next to him. That Skye, sadly, was a memory. That Skye had disappeared and what was left of her was a bitter, hurt vessel.

Ambrose put down his phone. Skye didn’t pick the call up, as usual. He didn’t know why he tried. All he knew was that he was hanging on to the thin string of hope that, some way or somehow, she would come back to him. He was outstretching his hand to her, and in his mind, he would like to imagine that Skye took his hand in response. However, that Skye was a mirage; the real Skye wasn’t there anymore.

Ambrose reached out for another beer can. Pop. Whizz… And he downed it. Ambrose never liked beer or alcohol. He knew how it could mess with his mind and psyche, so he sought to avoid it. But now? It was a good distraction. The lingering bitterness of the beer in his taste buds made him forget about the pain his heart was feeling. He didn’t know how many cans he’d drunk, but judging by the mess on the kitchen table, it had to be a dozen.

Ambrose sat down in quiet thought.

“What if… What if I…” he verbalised his thoughts. Ambrose wasn’t one to dwell on what-ifs and conditionals, but now that he could retrospectively look at his fallen relationship with Skye, he realised he had done so many things that he shouldn’t have, and didn’t do things he should have. It was no use crying over spilt milk, however, so he was left to ponder over what could have been.

Ambrose looked out of his apartment window to the park his unit overlooked. It was a truly peaceful and empty park, and that made it a perfect place for him and Skye to hang out. He held so many memories of him and her there. There were their moments where they had fun, and moments when they were more sentimental and serious. All these moments, however, were all but tainted now that she wasn’t here anymore.

”Do you think we’ll last forever?” Skye asked Ambrose as she chewed on her taro bun. Ambrose looked at her incredulously. Why would she ask this question?

“Of course babe,” he replied as he snuggled into her hair, “We were meant to be forever. I can promise that.” Skye gently pushed him away, straightening her hair with a pout.

“Hey, you know I don’t like that…” she whined, “Anyway, you promise that we will be together forever?”

“Yes.”

“Promise that you'll always listen to me. Always.”

Ambrose nodded.

“Promise that you’ll control your feelings better.” This time, a cocky grin slowly crept onto Skye’s face before she started chuckling, “You better make sure, okay?”

“Of course, of course,” Ambrose replied. He stuck out his pinky finger.

“Pinky promise?”

Skye reciprocated and wrapped her pinky around his.

“Pinky promise.”

And Ambrose, in fact, did not keep his pinky promise.

The memories all came flooding back, and with them came many realisations. The realisation that Skye wasn’t joking when she told him to get his feelings in check. The realisation that he lied to her by promising to listen to her. The realisation that he wasn’t, in hindsight, that great of a boyfriend to her. As time passed, their arguments became more common and louder, and at the end of the day, both of them forgot their promise. Forgot their promise to be forever.

It was a mixture of guilt and pain that struck Ambrose’s heart. He had been keeping many words in his heart. Those were words that he had always wanted to tell Skye from the start, but didn’t have the heart to. Now that they were done as a couple, he suddenly felt a need to tell her everything he wanted to say. He grabbed his phone and started furiously writing a letter to Skye. It was a letter filled with retrospection, guilt and sadness.

“I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you.”

“I’m sorry I harmed you by not controlling my heart.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t keep our promise.”

“I’m sorry we won’t be together forever, anymore.”

It hurt to write the word “anymore”. A seven-letter word shouldn’t have to bring him so much pain, but he struggled to even press onto his keyboard. He didn’t know what else to say; all he knew was that he was sorry. Was there anything else he could express? His actions were what led to this situation, and it was only fitting that he atoned for them.

Ambrose’s thumb hovered over the send button. He briefly considered deleting the message. Maybe Skye blocked him. Maybe she wouldn’t care to read his heartfelt letter when he had been heartless for far too long. Still, he couldn’t take the “maybe”s anymore. He had to send it. And he did.

Ambrose observed the message be marked as delivered. Internally, he heaved a sigh of relief knowing that she received the message. However, he knew that the worst was yet to come. He didn’t know what was worse: for her to completely rip his heart out with the most scathing of responses, or for her to ignore him?

—

It took her a few hours to respond, but her reply was, while brief, painful to read.

Hey Ambrose
I know you’re sorry for everything you’ve done and said, but what’s done is done. You’ve been hurting me for so long with your outbursts and lies that I just don’t think I can stand you anymore. I guess you could consider our relationship over.

Still, I hope and trust you change for the better so that your next lover won’t feel the hurt I did.
~ Skye

Anticlimactic wasn’t the right word, but Ambrose didn’t know how else to describe the message.

So, they basically broke up? And Skye mentioned it as a passing comment?

For a message so short, reading it felt like an open-heart surgery. He didn’t know why he felt so sad when he should have expected her response. The writing had been on the wall ever since that night when she left his house, but he still couldn’t prepare his heart for the truth. His heart was shattered into pieces, and reading the message felt like stepping on those very shards of his broken heart.

As Ambrose ruminated over Skye’s words, he could feel something running down his cheeks. He wiped it off, and then realised that his eyes were wetter than usual.

He was crying, and those were tears flowing down.

No, he couldn’t cry. There was no reason to cry. Papa always said, boys don’t cry. He should have expected this. It was his fault. Nothing he could do would change what has happened. He was essentially crying over nothing. Still, his tears continued to fall down his cheeks and onto the table. Perhaps his tears were solvents for his broken heart; the more he cried, the emptier he felt. He knew that he was crying for nothing, and as that realisation dawned on him, his emotions disappeared, as if his tears had dissolved his heart and emotions.

Ambrose remained still for a long time. He didn’t know how he could move on anymore.

[Oberour Ar Moro]

The walk down the tunnel. The Parade Grounds tunnel. The national team stadium. My national team stadium. The national team. My national team.

des Aloz. la Renarde. Roty. Decastilhon. Destelan de Saint-Joseph. de Counesse, though de Compines will be taking that spot soon enough. de Grant Pont. de Baingneus. le Gascoing, des Cartes didn't deserve another starting role. Leboeuf, the Captain for now. Demisserriche. They're still Elerian Bonshoms's boys today. Bonshoms's believed they could do it, I know they will or they do not deserve to be here. Either they will become my men, or I'll find Oberours who can be my men.

The lights are dimmer than they should be. The walls look like they're sweating. The heavy-duty industrial chemical cleaners can't quite cover the musty smell. My eyes are vibrating in my skull from the roar of the Oberour fans overhead. National team fans. My fans.

They say that the Parade Grounds will eat you alive, Oberour or otherwise. The fans in the stands bay for goals, for blood. One and the same. Want to jeer anyone and everyone. I can bend this place, those people, to my will. Victory erases everything but itself.

Stroll out like you've been there before. Unbothered. Unimpressed. Unconcerned. Some of them are concerned. Some of the press are concerned, or say they're concerned. Whatever gets their name into the universe. Out of the dark tunnel onto the dark pitch. The Oberours line up, the Dhemxians line up. Line up. There on the sideline.

Laurens is here, that statue. That totem. Magnificent in its time, weathered now. Still standing. Lunen is in a booth up in the sky somewhere. He can track the numbers. Confirm what I already know. We'll both do the things we're supposed to. And then I'll lead the team and he can ride along.

Oberour Ar Moro (0-0-1) versus Dhemixia (0-0-1). Oberour Ar Moro is going to win, per design. One of the 10 wins we will need to finish at least third in the group. To qualify for the World Cup for the first time. To etch my name in history. Gilduin Roux couldn't do it. Milio Gabriel couldn't do it. Rodolfo Zelaya couldn't do it. John Antheaume couldn't do it.

Eleiran Bonshoms certainly couldn't do it.

Noël Ginguené, of course, could do it. Will do it. Noël Ginguené's system will do it. The person who has to fill Noël Ginguené's seat using Noël Ginguené's system can then do it.

But the doubters are already doubting. Losing to Doubeia on the road is just enough to bring them crawling out of the woodwork. After that Minsen Mindorin Cup second place. "Eleven championships in eleven seasons in the Renard League but the jump to the national team management is just too much," as if football is anything but football at any level.

Eight seasons ago Bécherel University lost on the first matchday to Saint John's Academy. At home. And there was the press: "Is this Saint Isidore's year? Roussel's attack may be the best in college football." Even the players were starting to doubt. It was a younger team. Backups from those first two championships, now wondering if they were good enough.

Remember that practice? The boys were unfocused. Unsure. I stopped the practice. Sat them down in the center circle. Talked to them. "Did you see Saint John's celebrate? Their championship was winning one goal to nothing. Now every team is ready to write us off. I just think adding a little drama to the championship is good for attendance."

Bécherel University won the title with a game to play.

Opening whistle. The Oberour players, my players, are in their positions. Following the rules. Knowing their motions. I don't need my men to gather themselves.

If they want to win, they need to follow instructions.

Grant Clarke, the Dhemexian center midfielder let himself be guided to the right. de Grant-Pont lays in wait, de Baingneus stays in position. Then Clarke steps too far. He's out of position. de Grant-Pont strikes, steals the ball. Passes to de Baingneus. de Baingneus finds Decastilhon on the run, exactly where he was supposed to be. Streaks downfield, crosses to Demisserriche who easily wins the one-on-one against Wesley Williamson, the Dhemexia goalkeeper.

1-0. No celebration. Exactly as it should be.

[Crpostran]

https://m.thepeninsulaqatar.com/get/maximage/20180703_1530596095-200894.jpeg?1635250003 (pic of the fans being disappointed)
Stadium image same as in the roster, AI-generated
Film plot in the the first page, heavily inspired & slightly modified from an actual movie called "Thudarum", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thudarum#Plot. Character names changed, and a very small variation made to the plot. All credit for the plot go to the actual writer of the movie, and this is just for funsies.

[Vixette]

still with you - jungkook

It was an oddly solitary morning in the library.

Blanchefleur looked out the window at her usual spot. She didn’t know why she liked looking out windows, but she enjoyed the view outside. However, what was supposed to be a bright, sunny day was turning out to be a dark, rainy one. As almost-black clouds rolled over Regia Centralis, the once-crowded streets became deserted. The rain poured and poured, and the canal looked awfully close to overflowing. Even if it flooded, Blanchefleur was still safe in her library, so all was good…

…actually, not all was good. Where was Félicien?

The head librarian of the Cornerstone Library turned national superstar when he managed to eke out points against… What were their names? Chromatika and Moladea, ah, yes. She, or any of her teammates for the matter, weren’t aware of the extent of their feat, but she heard it was a big deal, so it was certainly a cause for celebration. That wasn’t the point, though. Félicien was nowhere to be seen in the library. The head librarian was not in fact in the library. The irony alone was enough to poison someone… Oh, the joke didn’t land? Irony… Iron? Iron poisoning?

Never mind, Blanchefleur thought the joke sounded better in her head.

This library visit was going to turn out to be a very weird one for Blanchefleur. She couldn’t remember the last time she didn’t interact with Félicien in the library. Hell, she didn’t remember the last time he didn't even show up! Perhaps it was the rain. It was heavy after all, so he might have been caught in it. Alas, Blanchefleur didn’t carry an umbrella so she couldn’t escort him, and even if she had one, she didn’t know where Félicien lived. Yet.

Blanchefleur continued to read her novel in peace. This was probably the first time she had been so thoroughly engrossed in a library book. Most of the time, she was engrossed in Félicien, or catching Félicien’s attention. It was as if she wasn’t even in the library for the books anymore; she was there for the librarian. The book she picked up had an interesting premise: what if the Lyon were never cursed? Blanchefleur never thought about how she would be as a human, but she liked to think she would still look stunning as ever. What about Félicien? What would he look like? Would he have luscious golden hair like his mane, or would he have a beautiful beard that many adored? The possibility was endless, and as Blanchefleur delved deeper into this alternate universe, she slowly forgot about the book she was reading.

When she returned to the book, she chanced upon the page where the main couple were dancing in a ballroom. The author described the scene as vividly and sentimentally as she could:

The protagonist was whisked under the arms of her lover. They stared each other in the eye, their irises full of love and passion.

“I… I love you,” her lover said. The protagonist blushed a bit. She had never felt so intimate and yet so embarrassed at the same time, what with her lover holding her waist and his face so close to hers. Still, this was the moment she was waiting for – to dance with the one she loved the most.

“I love you too,” the protagonist replied. Then, the couple started to dance. The protagonist’s lover guided her through the steps of the waltz. One, two, step. One, two, step. The protagonist almost found herself tripping over her foot, but her lover was always there to save her from falling down. The two clasped arms and held each other’s waist as her lover took the lead. One, two, step. One, two, step.

The protagonist was getting into the groove of the waltz when her lover suddenly asked her a question.

“Wanna change things up a little bit?” Before the protagonist could answer, her lover whisked her right into the centre of the ballroom.

“What are you doing?” the protagonist asked, still shocked and nervous.

“Just follow my lead, baby,” her lover replied. Thence started their dance. The protagonist was left to chase her lover’s footsteps as they graced the ballroom with their dances. She was struggling to catch up to her lover as the both of them broke free from the constraints of the waltz, but they managed to find the right tempo for each other.

It was a dance of passion, of extravagance, and of love for each other. As the two performed their dance, they had never felt more connected than through the strings that strung their hearts together. They were one, and it showed during their dance. They never missed a beat, and they never missed each other. As the protagonist continued dancing, she started to feel more at ease. They danced on and they danced. It seemed like their love ritual would never stop until the final moment, where the protagonist’s lover scooped her up and carried her with two arms.

The two panted in fatigue. They were tired from the dance that sucked up much of their energy, but they still looked at each other with a determination, a determination to dance even more.

Blanchefleur had to put down the book before she practically started to salivate onto it. She absolutely loved this scene. Would Félicien be a good dancer? Would he lead her in their dance as majestically and as commandingly as the protagonist’s lover? She imagined Félicien’s human form, carrying her in his two arms. How romantic was that? Blanchefleur kept on dreaming and dreaming of that…

…but would it ever happen?

She was trying to get closer to him, but she didn’t know if he was getting closer to her. She saw his flustered expression when she held and squeezed his hand that one time, and her heart absolutely fluttered. How could somebody look so cute while embarrassed? Only Félicien could be like that.

Still, Blanchefleur knew she had to get a hold of herself, and of reality. She and Félicien were still far away from being a couple, and they certainly weren’t going to become humans any time soon. However, Blanchefleur had already begun to be more interested in humans. She saw for herself the human partying experience. She had toured through human cities, and even played two matches of football against them. Simply put, they were so, so interesting. She wanted to know how it felt to be much smaller and much more nimble, or how it felt to have skin that wasn’t furry like hers. Her curiosity had only been ignited recently, and was it going to die out soon? Probably not.

Blanchefleur looked out the window, and it seemed that whilst she was busy daydreaming about Félicien, the rain had stopped. To her, that meant that if Félicien wasn’t already in the library, he would be on the way. She immediately went down to the ground floor and into the wet, slippery walkway. Sure enough, she saw Félicien walking towards the library with a cup of coffee in his hand.

When he arrived at the library lobby, Blanchefleur was quick to greet him.

“Helloo Féli, how’s your day been?” she asked vivaciously.

“Well, I was in the cafe when the rain started, so I was a bit stranded,” Félicien replied, “But y’know, at least I’m not wet!” He had a proud look, as if not being rain-drenched was an achievement. Blanchefleur found his expression cute. Of course not being soaked under the rain is an achievement!

As the two made their way up to the library, an awkward silence befell the two of them. Blanchefleur was saving her words for later, while Félicien wasn’t one to make small talk. As they were walking up the stairs, the hands suddenly brushed against each other on the railing. Then, the two looked at each other momentarily.

“What was that, Féli?” Blanchefleur said while laughing, “If you wanna hold my hand, just say so~” She stuck a tongue out at him, and much to her delight, Félicien started looking bashful.

“Ohh… uhh… it’s fine, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” he replied.

“Awh.”

Blanchefleur couldn’t help but feel disappointed. She looked at Félicien's eyes as he said that, and he could see the desire in his eyes that contradicted what he said. Maybe he did want to hold her hand, but there seemed to be something stopping him from doing so. Whatever that thing was, Blanchefleur was determined to break it all down for him.

[Aleirave]

Where are the Seagulls?
Aleirave 3-3 West Vdara
Aleirave 4-5 Visayas Islands

"So, let me get this straight... two home games and only one point to show for them?"

Governor Olayeva often liked to check in on her former manager, making sure her old team was still doing well out there, and at the start of this qualifying, they definitely weren't doing well out there. A draw against 4th-seeded West Vdara? Fine, they went to the last World Cup, they were undeniably a good team despite their slightly lower rank. A loss to 7th-seeded Visayas Islands where four goals weren't enough for a single point? That's when you start having to ask some pretty tough questions. It was the early going, for sure, but this was a much shakier start than expected. Usually, Aleirave started well and bottled the ending... what does starting badly lead to?

"You know the way this team is Katya... you can never expect anything out of these guys. The start looks bad, but just you wait, things will turn up."
"Will they Haulafo? I've been here so many times with you--"
"Katya, this is our game. We have struggles at times, of course we do, we always do. We just don't let that shake us. If we let it shook us, then we'd be in real trouble."

Haulafo was staying pretty calm during this exchange, but Katya had every reason to be concerned. This same team managed to throw away their chance at getting back to the World Cup the previous year, alongside bottling their ideal chance at even making a CoH podium. This was a team that, when you give them an opportunity to fail, they'd do it, and this start was not one that would ever give them a comfortable position.

Their next two matchups would determine a lot about their trajectory in this qualifying campaign: away to unranked Shep, home against 6th-seeded Calgasia. This was their chance to get a little bit of sorely-needed momentum and bring themselves back within striking distance of their goal: a ticket to World Cup 99. None of this was going to be easy, but Haulafo knew his team could do it.

"Katya, you forget who we are. We are the Seagulls. We bring the fighting spirit of Aleirave wherever we go, and no matter how hard you knock us down, an Aleiravan always gets back up. We're getting back up here, Katya. Just give us that chance."
"Haulafo, you know I trust you with the whole world. I wish the Seagulls the best of luck in Shep... the Seagulls always fly."
"Always, always."

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Bees look to avoid trap against sleepers
Scott McCrae
The Daily Mail Chief Soccer Writer

The Commonwealth National Team have firmly placed themselves on high alert for the second round of international matches in World Cup Qualifying as they take on a pair of top 100 sides, in particular the away fixture on match day 4 against one of the surprise packages of the last WC cycle

First up will be Vaishnavaria at the Newport City Stadium, where Manager Will Barnard will put his faith in a squad that has mainly seen action in the Jenna Raven Cup or ARC Tournament over the last couple of cycles; he'll be looking for an overall increase in quality of play from several members of the starting XI and a return to form from last WCQ for Geoff Cotterill in goal, who rebounded from his only poor performance against Hapilopper with a stretch capped off by his strong outing in Alaer against The Kytler Peninsulae in the opening knockout game.

Hapilopper will be on the mind of the squad that will travel to face HOT-DAMN, which made the Finals against all odds with a style of play similar to the Haps own "Ellis Football" ethos. Barnard will not take the new look H-D squad for granted, as the amateurs that took the World Cup by storm have been supplanted by a more conventional playing staff. He'll bring back five starters from the Qasden opener in addition to introducing the midfield trio of Jake Ludwig, Anthony Dixon and Anthony Romero who played together in the lineup in three matches at the ARC in Siovanija and Teusland.

Lineup vs Vaishnavaria MD 3

Cotterill; Franklin, Lohmeyer, Taylor; Domicelli, Chamberlain, C Boyle, Kirby (c); Azikiwe; Ikedieze, Delacroix
subs: Fraley, Womack, Morris, Jonasson, Martini, Romero, A. Dixon, Ludwig, Lokipina, Kaeppler, Everhart, Applegate

Lineup vs HOT-DAMN MD 4

Albertson; Andrews (c), Womack, Morris; Martini, Garfield, Romero, Ludwig; A Dixon; London, Kaeppler
subs: Duffy, Jonasson, Franklin, Newbury, Lokipina, Ibrahim, Domicelli, Chamberlain, C Boyle, Everhart, Applegate, Delacroix

[Bohr]

Gosling's Language
Bohr's starting right-winger on the philosophy of flashiness

Donnie Gosling insists that he is, fundamentally, a pragmatist. “I’m not going out there trying to, you know, embarrass people. I’m not even trying to score goals or get assists, really. I’m trying to win matches, and all of that is”-he gestures his hands forward-”downstream.” If you’ve ever watched Gosling play, whether for Motan or for the national team for whom he’s become a nailed-down starter, it’s a hard claim to take entirely seriously. “Like”, he fumbles around with his miragecoordinator™ smartphone for a few seconds before bringing up one of his many “goals and skills” online highlight videos, “watch this”. Of course, I’ve seen this particular highlight before-Motan vs Princess, 0-0, 90+3’, Gosling dribbling down the right side. Xavier Kirshner has never been a star at left-back, but he’s usually been good enough-in this moment, though, he’s coming in a bit too fast, as Gosling stops on a dime, spins inward while keeping control of the ball, makes one more touch, then buries it in the lower left-hand corner. “People talk about this move like, wow, look at the arrogance, look at the style-but that was the only move I could make to keep possession! If there was a less risky way to find that goal, I would’ve absolutely done it, you know? There just wasn’t.” He takes the phone back, watching the end of his own celebration, and just a bit of a smirk begins to form. “It was pretty cool, though.”

When asked about how his football career began, Gosling shrugs. “Both of my parents are bookkeepers-they still go to work every day, dealing with the grain markets and all that. They weren’t really home much, and I never really enjoyed video games or anything, so I just went down to the fields every afternoon and messed around.” He’s wearing a national team-branded T-shirt and is without his trademark bandana, tufts of hair sticking up and making it look like he had just gotten out of bed. “I didn’t start wearing the bandana until I started traveling for games, ‘cause I never had issues in Motan. But when I made NWP varsity, I remember we went down to Colside for a pre-season tournament-I played, like, 4 hours of competitive football on day 1, and by the middle of that third game I had to go to coach and tell him I couldn’t see at all. So I messed around with headbands, even like a visor of some sort, but the bandana just worked better than any of the other options.” Perfectly practical, and yet there’s just a bit of flair to it. Gosling is still just twenty-one and never actually graduated from college before entering his name into the official Bohr professional football database (although, as a promise to his parents, he’s working through online classes in an effort to get his degree)-yet his name is being brought up in the highest of conversations among Bohr football legends. He’s not yet a consistent force in the same way as Sullivan and Healy, but his tendency for late heroics makes him unique among BCF attackers-he had six stoppage-time goals that changed a game’s result last season, including the aforementioned winner against Princess. When this statistic is mentioned, Gosling chuckles a bit. “In every football game, you get ninety, ninety-five minutes. So why wouldn’t you use all ninety-five minutes?”

Bohr 1-0 Wedich

Bohr (4-4-2): A Harrow, A Bouquet (P Warnor, 70'), A Soto, S Thatcher, M Garnett, O Healy (J Simmons, 56'), H Schuyler (V Khalikov, 56'), L Brunner (c), D Gosling, J Sullivan, E Sheve (D Howard, 45')

Bohr scorers:
Donnie Gosling, 90+1', assisted by Matty Garnett

Osterhalten 1-0 Bohr

Bohr (4-4-2): A Harrow, A Bouquet (c), J Haider (S Thatcher, 77'), R McKay, M Garnett (Evela-Gavax D, 55'), O Healy, G Roces, K Williams (V Khalikov, 77'), D Gosling, J Sullivan, E Sheve (T Turner, 55')

[Kandorith]

Hikari Kyoyu

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Illuminating Today

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World Cup

Rebirth of the KFA, Reina Kuroda To Take The Helm and Spotlights
by Natsumi Miyasaki | Sports - Football |

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The Empress Masumi Stadium in Tenkyo shines brightly against the night sky as the Kandorese national team plays their first official match for World Cup 99, the stands filled to the brim with fans dressed in the national colours and costumes while carrying flags and other props to cheer the Mekahi to victory. Victory did come as the team beat Crpostran by one goal to nil in a hard-fought yet exciting match. While the mood in the stadium was excellent, the shadows of the past have not completely disappeared. Scandals have kept the footballing world of Kandorith in its dark and overshadowing grip, and the Kandorese Football Association was mired in a scandal that even makes the Kaito Corp's alleged scandals pale in comparison. In extensive research, large-scale embezzlement and bribery schemes came to light and have shaken the very foundation of the Kandorese football world – and even meant the end of the KFA as we have known it for decades. Now the KFA stands under new management, a new coach, and a new ministry of sports and education. Can Mekahi recover and regain former glory under the reign of the new head coach, Reina Kuroda?

With the new management, the Kandorese Football Association has been completely rebuilt from the ground up in the hopes of a completely fresh start. Kuroda has already shown that they are indeed a capable coach, as the team's 4-3-3 formation, while reminiscent of Michiyu's tactics, played to victory against Crpostran and Legendenex already with a commanding presence in both games. While Kandorith is facing a tough road in these qualifiers with the likes of Audioslavia, Mertagne, Carpathia and Ruthenia, and Kanzlia, the hopes are up, and the nation is looking forward to this team's performance.

The Shadow World of the Football Association

Two years ago, Hikari Kyoyu came into possession of corporate documents from various corporations which would reveal a large-scale corruption scheme involving prominent figures of the KFA, including the minister of sports, Aki Kuse. The documents revealed high-ranking officials were syphoning millions from youth academies, stadium funds, and even transfer funds. Sponsors like Urayama Heavy paid large bribes for lucrative deals in marketing and promotional material. The scandal, totalling over 2.6 billion zai in embezzled funds, has caused mass resignations, a government probe and a manhunt for the now-disappeared CEO of Urayama Heavy. Other executives who have been charged with embezzlement, bribery, and corporate corruption have been arrested and are awaiting their trials in the upcoming months.

The scale of the fallout can barely be imagined, as the effects are still being completely investigated. With underfunded training camps, disappearing transfer funds, plummeting attendance numbers and even two teams going completely bankrupt, which led to them losing their professional licences. Fans throughout the nation were furious with the way the safeguard for the KFA seemingly failed to act or were rumoured to be part of the problem. The scandal has seemingly tarnished the Mekahi's functioning and allegedly has led to Michiyu's resignation and refusal to even be on the advisory board of the KFA. Yet, with restructuring and now being placed directly under the lead of seven board members, who in part can not wield supreme power. A new era is in the world, and the first leader of the new era is Reina Kuroda.

Kuroda: Ginza's Wonderchild

Reina Kuroda, 38, a child promise in their youth. Born in Ginza's neon-lit alleys, they were always seen with a ball at their feet and swaying through the busy crowds while dreaming of one day playing for Ginza Victory. While this dream would come true, Kuroda only played in the midfield for Ginza Victory, as a horrific injury would leave them weakened for the rest of their footballing career. After retirement, Kuroda would find a new calling, the call of standing on the sidelines, and would become the surprise successor of Kenshin Kusumoto at Imakazawa Ravens. The Imikazawa Ravens would become the talk of the nation as they would become the third club in Kandorese history to win two back-to-back titles in the Kandorese first division. Kuroda's style, characterised by total football in a fluid, dynamic and aggressive manner, caught the eye of the KFA and would become the final push to appoint Kuroda as the head coach of the national team.

Kuroda's appointment raised some eyebrows, but in general people were very accepting towards this fresh wind in the national coaching staff. The 4-3-3 system might be reminiscent of previous times, but there is a certain different flow to the game – as even critics have noted in recent days. "An energetic visionary," said captain Sora Ito. "The way they are involved in our game, training and even our personal lives shows their commitment to not just the game but also the team's health off the pitch. It gives us a lot of hope and pride to play." Kuroda has been welcomed with open arms by the Kandorese football fans, and it is certain we haven't seen the last of them for a long time.

The Road Ahead: The Qualifiers

Kandorith was drawn in group 8 with a few heavyweights when it comes to international football. One name, however, is the most notable: Audioslavia, a defensive absolute unit of a team under the leadership of Salvador Monterroso. Audioslavia is no stranger to the footballing world and has the silverware to show for it. While Carpathia, Ruthenia, and Mertagne are the large dangers to Kandorith too, and of course these three are the most likely teams to qualify – this does not bring the spirits of Kandorith down, as they are looking to play fully into their underdog role.

A new era has arrived for Kandorith, and they have to show what they are worth again in an uphill battle against footballing giants in the qualifiers. While most fans agree that it would be an unrealistic outcome for the Kandorese to qualify, it does not take away the hope that they do qualify, as the fans are ever enthusiastic, proud and supportive of their beloved national team and will surely try to scream them to victory.

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#  Group 8                                Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
 1 Audioslavia                              2    2   0   0     5    0   +5     6
 2 Kandorith                                2    2   0   0     6    2   +4     6
 3 The Martian Independent Republic         2    1   1   0     7    4   +3     4
 4 Carpathia and Ruthenia                   2    1   1   0     5    3   +2     4
   Kanzlia                                  2    1   1   0     4    2   +2     4
 6 Mertagne                                 2    1   0   1     5    4   +1     3
 7 Crpostran                                2    0   1   1     2    3   −1     1
 8 Henrik P                                 2    0   0   2     0    4   −4     0
 9 Sel Appa                                 2    0   0   2     3    8   −5     0
10 Legendenex                               2    0   0   2     3   10   −7     0

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[Kelssek]

High-flying Hamiltonians could make Kelssek debut

Hamiltonian Cambria’s unlikely charge to the top of the Kelssek Championship table has boosted the stock of some key players enough to earn a call-up to the national team. Sofie Mylonakis’s fourth goal from a free kick in 12 matches has definitely caught the eyes of the Kelssek staff, as has the defensive play of Anton Zivkovic, and both will have the chance to make an international debut in the coming set of World Cup qualifying matches.

Coming off two wins to open the campaign, Kelssek will host New Fernia at Exhibition Place before taking off to Burikinia. Kelssek captain Kaiden Pépin will join the team but has questions hanging over whether he will be in the starting eleven, having sustained a foot injury since the last international break and having looked distinctly off the pace since making his comeback last week for Kirkenes FC. Ella Moore or Sandrine Lalande could take over the armband in his absence.

“These are matches where I’m expecting players to prove themselves and put in a professional performance. You’ll get found out if you take it lightly and we know that,” said Kelssek manager Obey Chidiebere. Kelssek are expecting to face a febrile atmosphere from a Burikinia team that has been out to establish an identity as a dogged and determined side that will play through serious injury if need be. Key player Kenjiro Takane is a skilled talent who has already scored once in the first two matches but is known to be prone to indiscipline.

Despite predictions Kelssek could stumble in the early going, the team came out with six points from their matches against two of their main challengers for the qualification spot. Ella Moore was the difference-maker, scoring the first goal and having a role in the other two as Kelssek were convincing winners against West Barack and East Obama at Stadium Konueira. It was a more complex situation in Poafmersia as Kelssek went a goal down on 41 minutes. Substitute Errol Líos levelled the scores on 68 minutes with an audacious lob, before Rémy Niemi finished a well-worked team move by tapping in a late winner to the dismay of the home fans.

[Captina Island]

Fast start for Rosso ahead of Geneva City doubleheader
The Captina Company Press Association

Two wins from two played is just the opening that Manager Jonas Yarborough was looking for from his Captina Island side to in World Cup 99 qualification play as the schedule now plays into the hands of the Rosso e Oro in the bigger picture for control of Group 2.

The August Islands and Equestria will provide the opposition for the upcoming dual international match day fixtures to be held at The Captina Company Sports Ground, and with the visit of both Farfadillis and Kamijiro also occuring during the first half of the schedule, there's a good chance that Yarborough's team will be able to build up a comfortable point margin to establish a solid top three position before the return trips begin on match day 10 and beyond

The offense that was inconsistent during the Cup of Harmony and in Copa Rushmori 48 stirred back to life against Sangti & the Filindo Isles and moved into higher gear away to Milchama, where the visitors jumped out to a 3-0 advantage before a couple of defensive breakdowns allowed the Arrosians to close the final margin to just a single goal.

There will need to be some improvement on the defensive side as both the upcoming foes have shown their own scoring capabilities, although combined the two nations have only a win and draw to show for putting 12 tallies on the board in their own favor.

There's a wildcard hanging over the weekend as an unusual weather pattern could bring cooler temperatures and an above normal amount of precipitation to southwestern Captina, with a stationary front to the east of the island keeping a high pressure cell stuck over the northern third of the nation.

[Juvencus]

Il Scudelliano is under new management, one that presents the news about la squadra as it should instead of being a third party newspaper that supports the team only when it wants, and will remain that way until further notice

NATIONAL CRAZE AFTER QUESTIONABLE REFEREEING SEES SQUADRA LOSE TO GLOBAL MINNOWS

The starting matchdays of the qualifiers have been a series of eventful affairs. A comfortable walk past Busoga followed by a disastrous upset defeat to Kwrpania has sent shockwaves across the entire nation. Seeing how the game panned out to manifest, the main reason turns out is not a lack of performance by the players, but several refereeing calls that were not up to par with the rulebook.

VS BUSOGA ISLANDS: The start to the qualifiers was a positive indication about the level of the team AND the federation. Religious violence was thankfully avoided, thanks to stricter interdimensional travel regulations on the side of Juvencus which led to both Sunni Muslim and Catholic Christian citizens of Juvencus were extensively checked before boarding and fans with a record of violence were forced to stay home. For the record, Busoga Islands are a Shia country, with a bad reputation among more religious Juven, especially the Sunni Muslim ones. Meanwhile in the duration of the match, la Squadra was strategically sound and without leaving any gaps for the Busogans dominated the possession through the entirety of the match.

Gaetan chose to rest some of his stronger players for both the Busoga Islands and Kwrpania matches however the cohesion was there. Adrian Al-Hamdawi, Cordoba FC's talented winger was able to score a magnificent opener from just outside the box in the starting minutes of the game. This goal was an announcement and the message was clear for the Busogans from the get go, as they had to tighten up their defence. Despite the one-sidedness of the affair, the home side would sometimes find gaps for the counter and would get close to equalising in the 58th with a Jeshuah Odikah ROCKET which Paula Rojas would tiptoe to the crossbar. Pierre-Didier Kouyaté's entrance to the field later on would be met by an echo of boos, owing to his part-Banijan ancestry. According to outside resources, Kouyaté's entrance on the pitch was more of a stirring entry than a tactical choice. However, this choice proved to be exactly what gli attaccanti needed to seal the game, a masterful cross would find Julio Campana's head and with a piercing header the final scoreline, 0-2 would be set in stone.

VS KWRPANIA: A shocker from start to finish, not performance-wise but refereeing-wise as Aleiravan referee and former international, Valentina Resneyeva officiated the game to oblivion. La squadra came close to scoring with Fortuno Ajello's effort finding the crossbar really early in the game. But that would be the last of la squadra's chances through most of the match. A quick attack by the Kwrpanians would see Magnws-rym tripping inside the box, really close to where Callejon tackled him. While the VAR was calling for a double check up, Resneyeva was convinced it was a penalty and a red card for Callejon. The ENTIRE Stade Colonial erupted in boos for the Aleiravan referee, who did not seem to budge at all and yellow carded several Juven players in the process for protesting the obviously wrong call.

Magnws-rym would convert the penalty, despite Imeri's correct choice to fall on his right side and even his finger tips touching the ball. That was the beginning of the end, the yellow cards had weakened much of the Juven backline and being a player down they would have to play much safer to avoid any other yellows. The Kwrpanians would play much more aggressively and pressure the Juven defence from both sides. Bardhyl Imeri was on his day, stopping a whopping 15 shots through the entirety of the barrage. Juven players would be tackled harshly and not earn any calls, including a back tackle to Joao Peres. Meanwhile, Vitale Cino was yellow carded for an accidental body block to Taftyr-mwń, who would prove to the be scorer of the second Kwrpanian goal towards the final minutes of the game.

While on paper an embarrassing home defeat, la Squadra has nothing to take from this match. On the other hand, Valentina Resneyeva has painted herself an enemy of Juven football and was escorted out of the stadium following the final whistle of the game, as pitch invaders were already chasing her. Gaetan masterfully avoided the questions in regards to the team's performance or what the future holds simply stating "I am too disgusted by the refereeing right now and we should focus on bringing such people to justice."

With Tevuekk and Valentine Z coming next, la squadra is hoping to get back to its usual victorious stride as the qualifiers are long and the champions of the Indies have to solidify their dominance in a challenging group. Talent is surely not lacking in this team, but terrible refereeing has been the bane of this team's existence against good opposition or bad. However, big teams need to maintain their playstyle through difficult conditions and these matches provide a variety of environments on which the players could thrive on.

[Pyazhnaya]

Match Report 1: Pyazhnaya 3-2 Safiloa
(Krasnograd National Stadium – Attendance: 32,000 – Weather: Clear and crisp)

The curtain lifted on Pyazhnaya’s World Cup 99 qualifying campaign with a thrilling 3-2 home win over Safiloa, sending the fans in Krasnograd into raptures and igniting hope for a long-awaited qualification breakthrough.

Manager Aleksandra Agratova, surprising everybody with a tailored navy overcoat, set the tone with a bold 4-4-2 formation, featuring the strike duo of Maksimilian Kartashov and Danila Mukhametshin, with Elisey Moroshkin standing tall between the posts.

Pyazhnaya began at a blistering pace. In the 7th minute, a slick passing move down the right saw Danila Terentyev skip past two Safiloan defenders before cutting the ball back for Kartashov, whose first-time finish found the top corner. The 21-year-old striker wheeled away, cupping his ear towards the adoring home fans.

Safiloa, however, showed resilience. In the 23rd minute, a defensive lapse between Fyodor Solodnikov and Vladislav Ilyushin allowed Safiloa’s captain to slot past Moroshkin and equalize. The Krasnograd faithful held their breath as Safiloa nearly doubled their tally moments later, but Moroshkin made a reflex save from a thumping header.

Pyazhnaya regrouped and pressed hard. In the 41st minute, Aleksandra Novoseltseva, always the midfield metronome, intercepted a loose ball and sprayed a pass to Timofey Aristarkhov, who cut inside and curled a sublime effort into the far corner. 2-1 Pyazhnaya.

The second half was a seesaw battle. Safiloa capitalized on a rare error from Ayrat Bilyaletdinov, their winger darting in to score at the near post in the 62nd minute, silencing the crowd momentarily.

But Pyazhnaya’s fighting spirit was unshaken. Agratova’s tactical shift—bringing on Vsevolod Bogolyubsky for Mukhametshin—added bite to the attack. In the 78th minute, a looping corner from Terentyev found Fyodor Solodnikov, who made amends for his earlier error by powering a header into the net. The stadium erupted in relief.

The final moments were tense, with Safiloa pressing for an equalizer and Pyazhnaya clinging on with last-ditch tackles from Serafima Vakhrusheva and a game-saving stop by Moroshkin. The final whistle blew, and the players celebrated a dramatic 3-2 victory—a hard-fought start that showcased grit, creativity, and belief.

---

Match Report 2: Gopnikea 1-2 Pyazhnaya
(Gopnikea City Stadium – Attendance: 19,500 – Weather: Humid and breezy)

Pyazhnaya’s qualifying campaign hit the road with a journey to the picturesque (if slightly ramshackle) stadium in Gopnikea, and Agratova’s squad returned with a crucial 2-1 victory in a match as gritty as it was glorious.

The team, buzzing from their narrow win over Safiloa, arrived sharp and focused despite the long journey. Agratova rotated slightly, giving Alina Teplyashina a start on the left flank, and deploying Eastfield Lodge-stationed Mikhail Gorokhov to shore up the midfield.

Gopnikea’s enthusiastic fans created an intimidating atmosphere, complete with drums, flags, and a cacophony of horns. Yet, Pyazhnaya silenced them early. In the 14th minute, Maksimilian Kartashov, looking every bit the talismanic striker, latched onto a clever through-ball from Gorokhov and coolly finished under the Gopnikean keeper. His second goal in as many matches cemented his rising-star status.

Gopnikea, undeterred, upped their tempo and found an equalizer in the 39th minute, when a scramble in the box saw their veteran forward poke home a loose ball. Pyazhnaya’s defense, marshaled by Naira Akhatova and Timur Khafizullin, dug deep to hold off waves of Gopnikean pressure as the first half drew to a close.

The halftime break saw a rousing speech from Agratova, urging her players to "show the resilience of the north and the pride of Pyazhnaya." Inspired, the team came out firing.

In the 58th minute, a moment of magic unfolded. Danila Terentyev, whose energy seemed inexhaustible, skipped past two defenders, cut inside, and unleashed a rocket from 25 yards. The ball swerved and dipped spectacularly into the top corner. The Pyazhnayan bench erupted in celebration, with players piling on Terentyev as he ran towards them, arms outstretched.

The final thirty minutes were a battle of nerves, but Varvara Zavrazina, subbed in for Moroshkin in the second half, made a crucial diving save in the 84th minute to preserve the lead. Aryuna Pankratova and Lyubov Reznikova both worked tirelessly on the wings, keeping Gopnikea pinned back and running down the clock.

When the final whistle sounded, Pyazhnaya’s traveling fans erupted in celebration. The players embraced, knowing they had not only taken six points from their opening games but had also begun to rewrite the team’s narrative.

---

Off the Pitch: Pyazhnaya’s Adventures on the Road
The road trip to Gopnikea wasn’t just about football—it was about a team coming together, a squad transforming from colleagues to family.

It started on the long coach ride from Krasnograd to Tverinsk for their training camp. The players quickly made it a rolling festival. Raisa Safiullina—always ready with a sharp joke—kicked off an impromptu karaoke session, belting out a surprisingly heartfelt rendition of “Nezhnost” that had even the stoic Aleksandra Novoseltseva wiping away a tear. Meanwhile, Toktamish Shafigullin, the 18-year-old livewire, entertained everyone with his sleight-of-hand card tricks, somehow convincing half the team that he could make the ball vanish mid-game.

At the Tverinsk training ground, the mornings began with sunrise runs along the rugged coastline. Fyodor Solodnikov, forever the overachiever, would charge ahead while Serafima Vakhrusheva mock-complained from the back: “Why are we racing, it’s not the Olympics!” Maksimilian Kartashov, meanwhile, would sneak off to a nearby café to bribe the barista into delivering early-morning espresso shots to the squad, much to Agratova’s faux-disapproval.

Chess became a nightly ritual at the hotel. Misha Retyunskikh and Novoseltseva were locked in a week-long battle, drawing the attention of teammates who provided running commentary, often louder than the TV. When Novoseltseva pulled off a shocking checkmate with her bishop, the room erupted into cheers, with Gorokhov jokingly declaring her "The Grandmaster of Krasnograd."

In Gopnikea itself, after the match, the players ditched their usual recovery routines for a night at the bustling local market. Lyubov Reznikova and Vsevolod Bogolyubsky took on a legendary spicy dumpling challenge, leaving both red-faced and guzzling milk while the rest of the squad egged them on. Naira Akhatova, fluent in the local dialect thanks to a stint with a Gopnikean club, charmed street vendors and bartered for hand-stitched team scarves.

There was a moment of pure mischief when Danila Mukhametshin attempted a bicycle kick during a beach kickabout near the Tverinsk camp, only to send the ball crashing into a seafood stall. The stunned fishmonger’s face quickly turned into a grin as the players bought snacks to make amends, and soon Mukhametshin posed for photos with a particularly large fish.

Back at the hotel, Agratova—despite her reserved exterior—shared quiet one-on-one chats with younger players like Sonya Mordvinova, who admitted she’d been nervous about stepping onto the international stage. “You belong here,” Agratova assured her, “and you’ll show them why.”

It wasn’t just football. It was shared sunrises and fishmarket mishaps, fierce chess games, late-night market laughter, and moments where victory meant more than goals. This Pyazhnaya squad isn’t just playing to qualify—they want to build a legacy together and be the first squad since the legendary Baptism of Fire victory to get somewhere.

---

Diary of Maksimilian Kartashov – Post-Gopnikea Win
May 22nd, 2025 – Hotel Skynorv, Gopnikea
I’m sitting here by the window, watching the streetlights flicker like lazy fireflies, and it feels… different. Maybe it’s the adrenaline still thrumming in my veins, or maybe it’s the way tonight felt bigger than football. I keep replaying that first goal in my head—the weight of the ball on my boot, the roar of the crowd, and the way everything just clicked. It’s the kind of moment you dream about when you’re a kid playing on frozen fields back home.

But it’s not just the game that’s stuck with me. It’s the stuff that happened after, when we piled into the local market in our crumpled team jackets. Terentyev couldn’t stop laughing after Mukhametshin’s bicycle-kick fail earlier. He bought him a keychain shaped like a fish as a joke—called it the “Golden Boot of Gopnikea.” Even Agratova cracked a smile when she saw it.

And then there was Sonya Mordvinova. She’s usually so quiet—keeps her head down, does her job—but tonight she asked me how I stay calm when the crowd is chanting and the pressure’s on. I told her I just… focus on the sound of the ball. Not the crowd, not the clock. Just the ball. She nodded like it was a secret she’d just unlocked. Moments like that make me proud—not just of the win, but of this team. This family. She’s cute, too…

We’re all a bit sore and tired—Raisa’s jokingly threatening to retire if we have another sunrise run tomorrow (as if we’d let her)—but nobody’s really complaining. There’s something about these trips, the long bus rides, the terrible instant coffee at rest stops, the way Novoseltseva obsessively rearranges the water bottles before training. It’s the little things that make it feel like home.

Gopnikea has this raw charm, with its cobbled streets and that weirdly endearing statue of a dog in the town square. We even took a team photo with it. Lyubov tried to convince everyone it was a “lucky charm,” but I’m pretty sure it was just an excuse to make us all stand awkwardly next to a bronze mutt. Still, I’ll probably keep that photo. It’ll remind me of nights like this.

Tomorrow, we head back to Krasnograd, and I know the media will be waiting with questions about our chances, about my goals. But right now, sitting here with my legs stretched out and the hum of the team in the background, I’m not thinking about stats or headlines. I’m thinking about how we’re starting to believe. How we’re beginning to look at each other and know—we can do this.

And that’s something you can’t put into words for the cameras.

— Maksimilian

---

Diary of Raisa Safiullina – After the Gopnikea Win

May 22nd, 2025 – Hotel Skynorv, Gopnikea

It’s well past midnight, and the only reason I’m writing this is because I can’t sleep. The beds here in Gopnikea must have a granite slab instead of mattresses, but for some reason, my brain won’t switch off. Maybe it’s the post-game adrenaline, or maybe it’s just the sheer ridiculousness of the past few days.

First off, the match. I don’t care what anyone says—this team is starting to feel different. We fought like crazy today. Even when Gopnikea got that scrappy goal back, I could feel the stubbornness in everyone. No one dropped their heads. Aleksandra (Novoseltseva, of course) was barking orders like a general, and Fyodor (Solodnikov) was making sliding tackles like he was playing on a Slip 'N Slide. I swear at one point he yelled, “For Pyazhnaya!” mid-tackle. Who even says that in real life? I love it.

After the match, the real fun began. The team was buzzing. Terentyev bought this atrocious souvenir mug from a street vendor, and now he’s insisting it’s the new team mascot. He’s calling it “Mugsy.” Meanwhile, Mukhametshin and Kartashov were caught trying to sneak into the kitchen to make instant noodles because “the official post-match meal wasn’t enough.” I caught them red-handed and threatened to rat them out to Agratova—but only if they didn’t make me some too. (The noodles were terrible, but it’s the thought that counts.)

I also got to chat with Serafima Vakhrusheva. She’s usually so composed on the field, but tonight she was giggling like we were back in high school. She confessed she’s terrified of heights, and tomorrow’s hotel is apparently built on a cliff overlooking the sea. She said she’s already planning to sleep with the curtains closed. I told her I’d stay in her room and keep her distracted with stories, but only if she shares her stash of chocolate. We sealed the deal with a pinky swear. Some things never change.

What struck me most, though, was how close we’re becoming. This isn’t just a team—it’s a weird, wonderful, chaotic family. We’ve got the loud ones (Ilya and Lyubov), the pranksters (Mukhametshin and Terentyev), the quiet thinkers (Sonya and Alia), and the glue that holds us all together—Agratova herself. She doesn’t say much, but when she does, everyone listens. I caught her smiling quietly after the game, and for a second, I could swear she looked…proud. Really proud.

Tomorrow, we travel back to Krasnograd. I’m already bracing myself for the early bus ride and the inevitable sing-along led by Lyubov, who’s convinced she’s auditioning for a girl group. But even though I’ll be half-asleep and missing my bed, I’ll be grinning like an idiot. Because this team—the wins, the losses, the terrible instant noodles—it’s all part of something bigger. Something we’re building together.

And for the first time in a long while, I believe we’re on to something special.

— Raisa

[Efnakia]

OOC: This is an RP for the nation Kwrpania, posted on this account in error. Apologies for the inconvenience.

SPORT

Bright League preview - Dynamo set for breakout season

Season 44 of the Bright League is almost upon us, and that means it's time for our annual preview - for the first time ever, covering 12 teams, with the addition of DTSclub Frjálshöfn to the league.

[Central]
Tydebwg Central Young Pioneers "Pioneers"

Getting their name from the precursor to the modern Kwrpan system of national service, Central are the old, stodgy boys of the North. With only two Bright League titles - the most recent, two and a half decades ago - the Pioneers have a reputation as the perennial bridesmaid of North Province football, starting with the infamous Season 11 where they finished a point behind Sunset Coast in the League and lost to them in extra time in the final of the Kwrpan Cup one week later. Recent success in the league has eluded them, having not finished in the top three since their Season 19 title, but two Cup titles in three seasons in 36 and 38 have eased the wait slightly.

Main Sponsor:
Main Rival: Ironworks (Central Tydebwg Derby)
Other Rivals: Dynamo
Stadium: National Stadium (cap. 40,000)
Prediction: 6th

[DTSclub]
Dragon Transport Solutions Club

The new kids on the block, DTSclub were previously dominant in the tiny league of the city-state of Frjálshöfn. Having won 9 out of the last 10 titles, but without any clear next upward step, they looked a mile to their north to the Sunset Coast Arena and seemed to find that step. Splitting their time between that stadium and their home park in Frjálshöfn, the new boys aren't expected to have a particularly good season, though there's no small chance of them springing some surprises on the big boys.

Main Sponsor: Dragon Transport Solutions
Stadium: Sunset Coast Arena (cap. 32,500)
Prediction: 10th

[Dynamo]
Kwrpan Power and Light Football Club "Dynamo"

In any conversation about which Kwrpan team is the biggest or the best, Dynamo are always there. The club of the state-owned Kwrpan Power and Light company, Dynamo have the second most Bright League titles with 8, and the joint-most Kwrpan Cup titles with 6. However, it's their performance in the last decade that has really cemented their place among the big boys. Winning 6 titles in a 7-season stretch between Seasons 32 and 38, and three Cup titles in 33, 39, and 40, the hiring of former Ironworks boss Sobeta-mwń after the retirement of their long-serving manager Domov-tyb led to a disastrous few years that saw them fail to make the top three in the last four years. The hiring of dynamic young, local manager Petobyr-zok has injected new life into this team, though, and the addition of brilliant Sunset Coast center back Petobdwb-dob has stabilized a defense that has been rocky in previous years.

Main Sponsor: Kwrpan Power and Light
Main Rival: National Fisheries (North Coast Derby)
Other Rivals: Central, Ironworks
Stadium: Dynamo Arena (cap. 11,000)
Prediction: 2nd

[Foresters]
South Province Athletic Association "Foresters"

The South absolutely loves their football. Unfortunately for Foresters fans, only one of the province's two teams performs as well as you would expect from somewhere with only 2.5% of the national population. Foresters have never won a Bright League title, and only two Kwrpan Cups. The past decade has been the best in their history, however, with three runner-up finishes in the League and a victory over League champion Sunset Coast in the Kwrpan Cup final last season.

Main Sponsor: Southern Forestry
Main Rival: Tranquility (Derby of the South)
Stadium: South Province Football Development Center (cap. 4,500)
Prediction: 8th

[Ironworks]
(iron houses) Ironworks Football Club

Dynamo might have an argument, but when you ask somewhere "who's the biggest team in Kwrpania", the first, and truly only, answer is Ironworks. Founded as a works club from the (iron houses) Ironworks in the southern manufacturing district of Tydebwg, Ironworks are the picture of consistency, having finished outside of the top three only 9 times in the 43 seasons of the Bright League. That consistency hasn't transferred to the Cup, however, as they remain the only team to have never won it, while simultaneously winning a record 13 League titles, including three in the last five years. Last year was a disappointment, however, as they finished 5th and never truly looked competitive. With new manager Venzemsw-dyń hired away from capital club Railways, and the emergence of star striker Magnws-rym on the international stage, the Tydebwg giants seem well-placed to return to their spot at the top of the Bright League, and thus become the first ever Kwrpan entrants to the IFCF Champions League.

Main Sponsor: (iron houses) Ironworks
Main Rival: Central (Central Tydebwg Derby)
Other Rivals: Dynamo
Stadium: National Stadium (cap. 40,000)
Prediction: 1st

[KNAF]
Kwrpan National Armed Forces Sporting Club "Vipers"

There is a long and complicated history of relations between the Kwrpan National Armed Forces and Kwrpan civil society, and one major facet of that is their sporting arm. Just as professional as the rest of the league, the club is one of the few to have true national support, as local servicepersons around the country will go to their local stadium when the Vipers come to play. Success has largely eluded in the club, with their only League title coming in the highly controversial Season 10, which ran concurrent to a political crisis that concluded with the National Armed Forces taking control of the government for over a year and a half until mass protests forced new elections and a return to civilian government. With the club appointing 36-year old manager Rekzbwba-pyt in the offseason, and noises from club officials about a new long-term development scheme, the Vipers may be a team to watch in the future - but probably not this season.

Main Sponsor: [none]
Main Rival: Railways (Capital Clash)
Stadium: Capital Park (24,000)
Prediction: 9th

[Mist Valley]
Mist Valley Region Sporting Association

The Mist Valley has a long and proud history of local football, with the region producing the vast majority of the famous River Province Amateur side that stunned two Bright League teams to become the first ever provincial side to win the Kwrpan Cup. That has not transferred in the slightest to the regional selection, and now professional side. Mist Valley are the only club in the Bright League to have never finished in the top three. The region's Cup sucess has transferred, at least, with two pairs of back-to-back victories in Seasons 8 and 9 and 30 and 31, as well as the first national Kwrpan Cup, filling out their trophy cabinet. Their last decade has been truly awful, however, with them finishing with single-digit points last season. The growth of young Western striker Denrefwp-bok has been a bright spot, and they'll have to contribute a lot in order for their side to get off the foot of the table.

Main Sponsor: [none]
Main Rival: River Society (River Derby)
Stadium: Thundering Falls Stadium (cap. 19,400)
Prediction: 11th

[National Fisheries]
National Fisheries and Aquaculture Collective Football Club

Sazdobsed has a reputation as the Kwrpan city with the worst weather, given its northern coastal location and proximity to neighboring Graintfjall, but the local club has been a true spark in that rather gray town. With the city's economy largely focused around the state-owned fishing industry, it's only natural that the accompanying club would have a deep and passionate local support, with a several-year long waitlist for season tickets at the Sazdobsed City Stadium. League sucess has largely eluded the side, though, as their only top-three finish came in a heartbreaking Season 14 that saw them lose the League title on the final day in a head-to-head at home to Ironworks before losing the Cup final to Dynamo. Three cup wins in the last decade and a half, as well as two more appearances in the final in the last five years, have shown the potential that this side has, and the combination of a young and growing side, the experience of talismanic striker Magnws-fen, and the scintillating attacking style of experienced local manager Synydwb-nam promises real entertainment value.

Main Sponsor: National Fisheries and Aquaculture Collective
Main Rival: Dynamo (North Coast Derby)
Stadium: Sazdobsed City Stadium (cap. 9,200)
Prediction: 4th

[Railways]
Kwrpan National Rail Football Club

The club of the state-owned rail company, Railways are the big boys of the capital. Their trophy cabinet is mostly filled with older honors, including a remarkable four straight Kwrpan Cup titles between seasons 18 and 21, but a League title in Season 40 and a Cup win in 42 have established Railways as a real title contender, and national team striker Vabwpro-pyt aims to bring his form from the Electric Eels to the league in sparking IFCF qualification fortheir side.

Main Sponsor: Kwrpan National Rail
Main Rival: KNAF (Capital Clash)
Stadium: Capital Park (cap. 24,000)
Prediction: 3rd

[River Society]
Zońkwsed River Society Football Club

It's a tough time for football in the River Province, and River Society is the other half of that ongoing pain. Drawing their name from a the local branch of nationwide community organization for the protection of Mother River, two Cup titles are the only mark that the football club has made, with four third-placed finishes in five seasons, the most recent in Season 31, being their only League success. The current squad doesn't seem like changing that, either, thoroughly lacking quality, though quality minutes from 17-year-old right back Fryek-nam may provide a glimmer of hope for struggling fans in the future.

Main Sponsor:
Main Rival: Mist Valley (River Derby)
Stadium: River Society Arena (cap. 12,500)
Prediction: 12th

[Sunset Coast]
Sunset Coast Bezbenpam Club

No club screams "flash" like Sunset Coast. Sitting at the heart of the sunny, vibrant, glamorous Sunset Coast region on Kwrpania's western coastline, the Bezbenpam club has the flair to match. The second ever side to do a league-cup double (in Season 11), and the only to ever do it twice (in Season 27), last year's title has football fans in the West in high spirits, though an ominous offseason with several major departures has left the team rather light in certain positions. 20-year-old playmaker Magnws-rab remained, though, and his brilliant form with the national side is more than expected to continue out West as they fight to retain their crown.

Main Sponsor: Visit Sunset Coast
Stadium: Sunset Coast Arena (cap. 32,500)
Prediction: 6th

[Tranquility]
Mebfygme Football Club

Where Foresters struggle, Tranquility shine. The club with the second-most Bright League titles with 9, Tranquility dominated the early Bright League, winning three of the first seven titles. The professional era has hardly been poor to them, either, with several good league finishes including a Season 34 title, and a second-placed finish last season, keeping their fans satisfied. Several major departures in the offseaosn have weakened the club, but young goalkeeper Pykpyzwba-nam looks to have serious potential as the national team keeper of the future, and experienced striker Venzemtyr-map is expected to score more than his share of goals throughout the season.

Main Sponsor: Southern Forestry
Main Rival: Foresters (Derby of the South)
Stadium: Lake Park (cap. 7,400)
Prediction: 7th

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[Archalit]

Upcoming Match | In Today
National Team vs Sadame

Upcoming Match | In 5 days
National Team vs Ochre Islands

Upcoming Match | In 2 weeks
National Team vs United States of Nova Calania

Current Standings
#  Group 10                               Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 7 Archalit                                 2    1   0   1     5    6   −1     3

---

10 weeks until WC99

Alexander stared out the window, chin resting on his hand. In just a couple weeks, he had his graduation ceremony where he would leave his university and join society as a full-fledged adult. Perhaps this was just a natural process and he knew that, just like his peers, he should be accepting of this. No, he should be excited for this. He understood his privilege working in Archalit, but he still felt a pit in his stomach. No matter how he tried to distract himself with prospects of his future career, his focus still drifted back to his game the day prior. The quarterfinals of the AUIC (Archalit University/Intercollegiate) soccer match ended 2-1. Despite the team’s best efforts and expert play, University of Charkara had bested them. Even though he knew no one would blame him for their loss, he felt in his soul that he was singlehandedly responsible. Minute 91, the clock ticking away, Alex saw a straight line to his striker. In the last moment, however, he switched plans and sent a long flying ball towards the net. He was on target, it was so beautiful, but that damned Aboya caught it and ended the game. 2-1. 2-1.

“AAAAGH!” he shouted, alone in his room. He shook the head buried in his hands before glancing at his watch. 15:30. “Guess I should get the mail,” he muttered to himself. While he knew there wouldn’t be anything noteworthy, he needed a brief distraction. He stepped out of the room and walked down to the mailbox.

“Huh?” he gasped, looking into his mailbox. Normally he had only junk, or perhaps even an empty mailbox. What he saw instead was… unusual. A single letter, addressed to one ALEXANDER ARUAN, himself. The letter was sealed by a symbol he wasn’t familiar with. The word ARCHALIT above a soccer ball and below a cog. As though a lightbulb flicked on in his head, he gasped. “It couldn’t be…” he said to himself. He opened the letter,

Dear ALEXANDER ARUAN,

Archalit’s national soccer team has been registered to compete in the 99th cycle of the Association Football World Cup. In order to screen Archalit’s athletes for quality and effectiveness, Sport Archalit has asked former World Cup competitors Kanoa Faye and Lyndon Nightmare, among others, to find and train a suitable team for competition. In order to complete this, Kanoa Faye has constructed the Archalit National Trials for Soccer, a tryout and competition in which participants will be screened, graded, and selected for participation in the 99th World Cup.

As a part of the selection process, hundreds of candidates have been selected from the AUIC and former club leagues to participate in this trial. Recognizing your skill and determination in the sport of soccer, you have been invited to participate in the Archalit National Trials. The trials will take place over a one-month training block within which your skills will be honed and assessed by a top-level coach. Further details of the venue and timing will be sent later. Congratulations, and we hope to see you competing.

Kindest regards,

Kanoa Faye, Head Coach of Archalit Soccer

[Vielfaltig]

SPORT: Defence wins championships says Hahn following uneventful start to Qualifying

VALLERANO: Hahn's stewardship over the Knights has been relatively successful although it could not really be called exciting. This was primarily due to his solid defensive setup often leading to cagey games with very few goals. The Knights going forward are not the most efficient either and often struggle to create chances and even when they create enough clinical finishing is in short supply. And with our qualifying campaign kicking off at the Stadio Olimpico di Vallerano it appeared that this approach was not to change. Our first qualifying encounter was against 89 ranked Grand Exultia. We kicked off our campaign at home in a sold out stadium with over 50 thousand fans cheering the side on. The game kicked off with Grand Exultia having the early momentum and chances coming for their attacking duo upfront in Vielner and Brambleberry. The Gyrinxes had set up in their traditional 4-2-4 which was considerably attacking looking to take advantage of any defensive errors. To complement such a formation, they undertook an incredibly high press and brought their defensive line up to squeeze space and make build up incredibly difficult for us. The Knights failed to cope with this high press leading to numerous occasion where we lost the ball to their press resulting in chances for the Gyrinxes. Hahn's possession style seemed inefficient under such a high press with players getting outnumbered in the build up by the opposition press. The Exultians however were also unable to take full advantage of the numerous chances they had to take the lead due to the great success of their press. The Knights were lucky to have made half time without having conceded any goals whatsoever however it was simply a matter of time before we conceded if we kept playing like this. To Hahn's credit, he made numerous tactical adjustments which set us up far better to counter the suffocating press of the Gyrinxes. Abrant adjusted into a more holding midfielder role setting up a double pivot of Abrant and Felix. The fullbacks, Rossi and Sameul, were also told to invert into the midfield to take complete advantage of their two man midfield setup. This opened up room for Faraldo to push further forward and act as a decoy for the forwards. These changes allowed us to gain control of the game in the second half as their press became far less efficient especially as their players tired. We were also getting numerous chances at goal however the game seemed destined to be a goalless draw. That is when Favager got through on the left wing after a long ball from Sameul and cut it back into the middle for a midfield runner. Felix had put in that run and reached the ball just on the edge of the box and striking it with great force and precision put it in the top left corner. This was the only goal of the game as we held on for the rest of the game to grind out a matchday one victory against a higher ranked opposition to kick off our campaign.

This was a solid start to our Qualifying campaign which could become even better as we headed to Olastor to face our 196 ranked groupmates. This was a game which could serve as a springboard for our upcoming games propelling us forward or the quicksand in which we drown if we failed to extract maximum points. For a side of our standing, it was not often that we went up against a team that is ranked lower than ourselves and thus it is crucial we take advantage of these situations. Playing away however is always tricky and it was going to be on this occasion too. With significant support for the home side, the Knights were always going to have some difficulty in sealing the game here. This was evident in our performance as we were far from convincing and seemed as unsure of our play as in our game against Grand Exultia. On this occasion however there was no screamer from Felix to give us the victory. The dull affair ended in a goalless draw with most fans departing the stadium bored but happy that their team had picked up a point. The Knights and their supporters were incredibly disappointed despite sitting in third place with equal number of points as the team in first after two games. We knew that harder games were approaching us and without the conviction needed to win games we could not be real contenders for any significant position. It was clear that Hahn needed to get his side firing before the next set of games with a home game against Gnejs and away to Bostopia. Every game is very important for us this campaign and a few wins would go a long way in granting us the early momentum needed to contest for qualification as outside contenders.

Vielfaltig 1-0 Grand Exultia

1 - M Ramos, 2 - V Sameul (24 - G Faulkner 72'), 3 - R DeGarmo, 4 - M R Lyon, 5 - R Rossi, 6 - L Felix, 7 - P Faraldo (26 - M Goretti 72'), 8 - E Abrant, 10 - J Roy (17 - M Wehnar 86'), 9 - I Profeta, 11 - N Favager

VFT Scorers: L Felix 63' (asst. N Favager)

Olastor 0-0 Vielfaltig

1 - M Ramos, 2 - V Sameul, 3 - R DeGarmo, 4 - M R Lyon, 5 - R Rossi (14 - R Farro 68'), 6 - L Felix (15 - N Alvarado 75'), 7 - P Faraldo, 8 - E Abrant (21 - E Gasper 68'), 10 - J Roy, 9 - I Profeta, 11 - N Favager (30 - M Perigord 81')

VFT Scorers: none

---

POLITICS: Neimann shuts down Eshian PM Labbett as Parliament passes the Public Safety Act

MONTEBELLO: The World Trophy incident at the Qaunta Stadium may go down as one of the most pivotal moments of Vielfaltigian history. It was the first time that separatists had carried out a violent attack outside their region since the War of Unification. The Government has reacted quickly with ULA parliamentarians introducing the Public Safety Act to ensure that our intelligence forces and counterinsurgency efforts are bolstered. We took measures against the political forces responsible for working with these separatist elements. These steps are part of a broader government initiative to ensure that such an embarassment on a global stage never occurs again.

These measures have also been met with a significant degree of scrutiny. Domestically, the Greens have come out in strong opposition to this supposed invasion of privacy with the Liberals also joining them in questioning the efficacy of such measures. We have also drawn international eyes with the Eshian Government being the latest to speak out against these measures. Eshian PM expressed his disappointment at the Vielfaltigian Government potentially targeting large groups of people due to the actions of a few extremists. Most interestingly, the Eshian PM spoke about a dialogue with the ULA-led Government to express their concerns and also welcomed refugees of any apparent persecution. Prime Minister Frank Neimann was quick to respond to this and he did so publicly. He made it sufficiently clear that we are perfectly capable of managing our internal affairs and needed no outside guidance. He also assured the Eshian PM and leaders of other nations that the measures adopted are merely to ensure the safety of citizens and there shall be no government retaliation on innocent civilians.

The Government's package of measures was adopted into law by means of the Public Safety Act which was passed by both Houses of Parliament yesterday as it was fast-tracked through. The ULA had the support of the CPJ and some sections of the Liberty Alliance which enabled the passage of this legislation. There have been some challenges in the Supreme Court regarding the constitutionality of the Act through numerous writ petitions. This campaign against the PSA has been spearheaded by the Greens and leader Masson has vowed to contest it legally to the best of his ability. However it appears that such challenges are most likely to be unsuccessful given the ambiguity regarding the right to privacy and whether it is applicable when identifying threats to national security.

The first hearing of the appeal against the NID's classification of the PNM and MLG as extremist organisations has been heard at the Walbourg High Court. We could expect some developments on that front soon as the case develops further. The fallout of the events will be primarily felt in the upcoming Marigny State Elections scheduled for January of 2002. The Election Commission recently announced the schedule for the elections with the day of the election being 28th January. The final day for the submission of candidates is 1st January and thus the case in the High Court must be concluded by then to decide the fate of a significant political movement in Marigny. The election will be the perfect opportunity for the people of Marigny to make their voices heard and show their dissatisfaction for the extremism plaguing their cause.

[HOT-DAMN]

(SCHEDULED STARTING XI, vs. NATANIANS AND NOSTS AND BAKER PARK:
GK: #30 - Dash; DEF: #2 - Russell, #22 - Sudbury, #4 - Tatum, #05 - Hicks; MID: #36 - Fayette, #7 - Donis, #8 - Grove, #31 - Belwood; FWD: #48 - Butterball, #10 - Mallett
SCHEDULED BENCH PLAYERS: #1 - Willard (GK); #3 - Davis, #25 - Duggan, #27 - Barbom (DEF); #6 - Webster, #32 - Hughes, #34 - Shammes (MID); #11 - Cherry, #42 - Simmons (FWD))

Brewery Stadium, New Hap City, HOT-DAMN
Leading up to Match 3 of World Cup 99 Qualifying: HOT-DAMN v. Natanians and Nosts

The beer leaguers were pissed off. Good and pissed off. Here they were, a team with a very decent, and very good chance at qualifying for the World Cup Proper, and yet there were questions about this team’s fitness and capability just two matches into the World Cup qualifiers. It came as the result of an exciting 4-4 draw to Vaishnavaria, a match where it seemed that the Vaishnavarians had something for the beer leaguers, no matter what. And while it produced something that was a lot of fun to watch, it produced questions about the team, and about Ernie Stevenson’s abilities as manager.

Ernie heard some of those questions in the post-match press conference, and he didn’t react well to them. He called the questions “a little reachy, if you ask me” and gave short answers to others. The players heard the critics as well and figured they needed to find a way to shut them up. They needed to play well and take down their next opponent, otherwise those critics would howl a little louder, a little bolder. That morning, in the Brewery Stadium clubhouse, the entire team held a player’s only meeting, wanting to figure out a plan for the upcoming match against Natanians and Nosts.

While the player’s only meeting was going on in the clubhouse, Ernie Stevenson and Tyler Swanson were discussing tactics in Ernie’s office, overlooking the field. The office had a nice view of the stadium and an equally-nice view of the outside, where the many bars and restaurants across the street from Brewery Stadium were doing some great business.

“I think we should go physical,” Ernie said. “I want the biggest collection of shitdicks we can find for this one.”

“Why’s that?” Tyler asked.

“After a disappointing result, you need to make a statement,” Ernie explained. “That statement is: We’re not going to be defined by a Vaishnavaria result. We’re going to be defined by our own results. We’re going to be defined by our successes. And we need to make a statement. So we need to get physical.”

Tyler nodded his head.

“That said, we need something like that for Baker Park, too,” Ernie said. “That’s going to be the worst thing we deal with - them and Saint Eleanor, so we need to be ready for them. We need to be ready for a fight. An all-out fight with them.”

What Ernie and Tyler didn’t know was that the players were saying the same thing down in the clubhouse. They, too, subscribed to the idea of a physical showdown to erase the bad memories of a bad result. That meeting in the clubhouse, though, was much different from the sedate, relaxed but important meeting going on in the Stevenson office. The screaming and shouting going on in the clubhouse was such that people could hear it outside. And it was drawing a crowd. It was drawing an uncomfortable crowd outside - a crowd of reporters, authorities and some fans.

Nah, Ernie and Tyler were blissfully unaware of the chaos going on in the HOT-DAMN clubhouse. Their meeting was quiet, professional and businesslike. Eventually, Ernie became aware when a Brewery Stadium security guard barged into his office.

“Mr. Stevenson?” the guard asked.

“Next time, knock!” Ernie said disapprovingly.

“Yes sir, but there’s a lot of screaming and shouting, and I think some throwing of furniture in the locker room, I need your assistance.”

“Good,” Ernie said as a smile emerged about his face. “Come with me, Swanson, I want to show you something.”

Ernie and Tyler made the short trip down an elevator to the field level, where a huge crowd had developed around the HOT-DAMN clubhouse. Ernie said nothing as he and Tyler emerged from the elevator. They just walked toward the clubhouse. One person saw Ernie, the long-haired man with the stubbled face, aviator sunglasses and black leather jacket walk toward the clubhouse and decided to get out of the way. Others got the hint and before long, it almost resembled Moses parting the Red Sea as a crowd of people moved to either side, allowing a path for Ernie and Tyler to walk into the clubhouse.

Ernie opened the door and immediately realized the whooping and hollering, the throwing of chairs, the shouting, wasn’t at each other. They were getting pumped up. They were getting ready to beat the hell out of Natanians and Nosts.

A few players saw their head coach, dripping with coolness, nodding his head as he stared at the chaos. They stopped immediately, almost in awe of this God of Hapiloppian football.

“Well, don’t stop on my behalf,” Ernie said. “This is what I like to see. This is what me and Tyler was talking about. I said I wanted shitdicks and I got shitdicks. I see a bunch of shitdicks gonna get themselves into card trouble because they’re gonna beat the living fuck out of whatever a Natanian and a Nost is. When you get a bad result, you make people forget about that bad result. You go out there and you punch them in the god damn mouth. I see a bunch of smashmouth footballers. Go out there and take people out. Make them know who you are. Baker Park’s next after these guys. I want Baker Park to see us as a bunch of violent mother fuckers who’ll take your heads off. They’re a side to be scared of, but so are we. I want to make people scared of us. Show it tonight.”

[Gyaromia]

The last few days weren't too kind to the Gyaromian national team.
Two losses in two games, sure, they were hard opponents, but a bad start to the campagin can spell disaster for the team's momentum. It was these thoughts that were running through the head of head coach Tamás Hegedüs, before calling over all the players after their 1-0 loss to Ko-oren, as the players and coaches huddled around the whiteboard and Tamás, it was clear the message they were about to get wasn't friendly.
Hegedüs pointed to Levente Dancs, the teams captian and star centreback, and asked him:
"Levente, how do you feel about our results?"
Levente paused for a moment, before answering:
"I think it's acceptable."
Hegedüs continued his speech.
"Alright, acceptable, decent... If we go into every game with this kind of mentality we won't go far. We aren't complete newcomers anymore, we reached 4th place in our first international competition. I think this team can do way better, and I think you all know it too.
We need to start playing with more soul, more passion! Three goals conceded is decent, but not great. What I expect from you all is to prove yourself not just to me, but to the entire nation. Think of all the people back home, that's who you're playing for, not the name on the back!"
"So now I want you to go out against Sanjur, or whoever we're facing next, and give it your all, AM I UNDERSTOOD?!"
The entire squad sheepishly ageeed, before Hegedüs continued.
"What I want you all to remember is to not play for the name on the back, but for the name on the front, the flag on the kit, the flag YOU represent. For Gyaromia!"
The dressing room roared in chants and applause, and a few minutes later everyone was returning to the team bus, and on the drive back home, András Nemeth was scrolling on his phone, looking at the next fixtures they'll be playing, and how the other groups and nations are doing. But whatever he was doing, Hegedüs' speech back at the dressing room stuck with him for the rest of the night. Even in the next day during training. A thousand thoughts cluttered him mind before going to bed, but one thing was clear. He needed to give it his absolute 110% if he wanted to prove something.
He will make sure the next few matches will be a game to remember, and he will guarantee Gyaromia will play in the World Cup. It's impossible to predict, though, and it won't be exactly known until the games were played.

[Squornshelan Remnant States]

RP Cutoff for Matchday 3 & 4 for Groups 1-5

Ponder some Igorrr while you wait

[Anewkansas]

Maybe it was the beer slowly tricking his nerve system, but as Archibald Price looked through the strobe lights flickering in the low basement, an unknown sense of relief came over him. For the past weeks he had been on edge without end and seeing his troops gang out in a slightly disorderly fashion somehow felt as the best moment since being named national manager. It was not his kind of music and the continuous thumping of the bass would come back to bite him tomorrow morning. But for now, Price had found his happy place in a refurbished corner of the industrial heart of the capital.

In the middle of the dance floor, defenders Stu Miller and Baylon Rivers were doing something which held the middle between pogoing and trying to headbutt one another straight on the nose. There had been doubts about the selection of two players whose club dwelled the lower sections of the Premier League but they had held themselves well. The treatment from Miller of Aphrilia’s Nate Rosberg had bordered the edges of the rulebook but was effective: keeping their main striker out of the game had forced the Anchors to handle the build up. It took them till the last ten minutes to get to a winning goal. Yes, it was strange that Price took that as a success, but with nothing to go on in advance, this had been as respectable a loss as could be.

At the bar, Harvey McIntyre was telling a tale of a certain length to a small group of listeners. ‘Mac’ was a policeman in every single of his veins: if you observed him long enough, you noticed that he could at the same time ánd rant about ‘that one time with the blond chick, the hand gun and the small rabbit’ ánd keep track how many cold ones everyone had had ánd down them himself at double speed. It was not just fellow officers that were his audience. Pitt van Dam also seemed drawn to the, at first glance, scrappy midfielder. In normal life, McIntyre and van Dam, a man who always squinted as if he either just committed a crime or was thinking about the next one, would never talk, let alone meet. But here they were, getting sloshed together.

Everyone in the bar seemed to be having a good time. ‘Percy’ Major had needed a bit of time to ease into it but by now all had discovered that the majestic forward was not the best in holding his liquor. Seeing him waving his shirt around off the beat was well, something peculiar, but it was charming to see him loosen up. Even after his goal, a one-for-the-history-books strike that earned three surprising points, Major appeared to be a persiflage of an overzealous soldier. It was a clever kick between the legs of Denisovich to pick the win of Alanis Star, one that erupted the stadium, but Major just shook a few hands before jogging back to his position with the timing of someone who eternally hears the metronomic military drum in his head. After that shocker, the Anewkansan had been pinned down for twenty minutes but with a tad of luck, they survived. Three out of six, by all accounts a splendid start. With StrayaRoos and Hapilopper, two tough fixtures lay ahead but Price had not thought about those all night.

Everyone seemed just content to be a part of the adventure. Nearly everyone.

In a corner, Marcus Puckett was sulking and Price noticed he had… Really? How on earth did he find an electrolyte sports drink in a bar like this, which ranked the beers as ‘closest to soda on the list’? The thing with Puckett was that it was hard to know why he was sulking, because he felt there were so many ways through which people slighted on his brilliance. He had been annoyed about the late tactical sub, when Price brought in another center back to drag the victory over the line. Or just about the fact that despite his vocal disagreement, it had been a no-WAG party: unfortunate for his partner who happened to be a photo model. Because of course she was. And of course he said so every other day. Or maybe it was just because every one of the nineteen other Turtles did their best to ignore him. As the alcohol lowered the social boundaries, they felt less obliged to hide their efforts. Hell, even Archibald himself had cut short a conversation starter. He would…

“You will have to solve that.”
“For fucks sake, Conor.”

Archibald nearly jumped to the ceiling. How could a two meter guy with limbs like utility poles be this stealthy?

“You will have to solve that.”

Conor insisted and with just his eyes, the ‘that’ was translated to ‘Puckett’. Would he know already that behind his back, the guys were calling him ‘Prickett’?

“What… What do you mean?”

Now Conor even didn’t need to stare anymore, Archibald knew the answer. Technically Doucouré played in the same position but for all his merits, he was no Puckett. Why on earth did his best attacking defender have to have the social skills of a mountain gorilla?

So, yes, as thoroughly annoying as O’Reilly was, the lanky goalkeeper had a point. What had started as a bit of banter was starting to rot in his dressing room. It was just a matter of time before that would creep up on the pitch. Heck, at the last tactical training Price himself had almost said ‘Prickett’ out of habit. But against Alanis Star, Puckett had been impeccable, setting up numerous chances and the decisive goal. This team would need him to improve.

“It’s not that simple.”

Price scratched his head and while trying to coherently voice his thoughts, a different realisation trickled down in his brain.

“But well, thanks for the advice, Conor, but as you are a fellow player, I think I better handle this myself.”

A short silence, as O’Reilly’s head rotated towards Price.

“This was not advice. Coach.”

That last word could have meant solve it or I’ll slit your throat in your sleep for a non-English speaker, just based on the blood freezing timbre in his voice. After that, O’Reilly swiftly paced to the bar. By the time Price could control the shivers down his spine, the national manager realised that Puckett had left the bar on his own. And the only thing he could see was Miller trying to karate kick a vinyl which Major held in front of his face.

That sense of relief had been a fleeting one.
And why on earth did he have to have a Pine Street goalkeeper?

[The Kytler Peninsulae]

This RP is part of the Mystery Of Flight 134 story arc.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

I can't say I ever expected to quote a Lucy Spraggan song in an RP, but nor did I expect to hear a song this good or fitting.

About two hours ahead of kickoff in the first competitive match of the new Kytlerian era, a joint press conference of AIRB and STSB officials announced the findings of an intermediate report into Flight 134 covering what was known at this time based on the first rescued components of the crashed Avro A350. "While there is much we do not know, and cannot know at least until we have CVDR (cockpit voice and data recorder) recovery, we do have certain aspects we can infer. From our understanding, there is no evidence of in-flight breakup, nor of fire or explosion, and at this point we are assuming that this is not an act of terrorism. There were thunderstorm clusters on the flight path typical of the area, which other flights on the Blood Sea route had successfully flown either through or around; it is not clear at this time whether the weather was a contributory cause to the accident. There were no indications that the airplane, which was less than two years old and scheduled to receive its first C check the following week, was not airworthy."

More questions than answers, then. But some things had been effectively ruled out, and focus was now on the pitot tubes and the way the pilots reacted to what were understood to have been confusing and misleading data on their instruments. "This may have been caused by technical failure, pilot error, or a combination of both. Until the CVDR is found, it will remain impossible to truly draw accurate conclusions."

Another set of questions would be answered more quickly. Questions that are far more trivial than those faced in this investigation, but which stem directly from the events in question - and the very fact people wanted to know the answers to these questions, the little questions of tactics and team selections, was an echo of why the big questions loomed so large in this instance.

Zube Olympic Stadium, Zube, The Kytler Peninsulae
The Kytler Peninsulae 2-1 Hapilopper (Vicente 24, 86; Waterloo pen 49)

A memorial black armband is the conventional response to tragedy within soccer circles. Most tragedies are... more distant... than this one to this team. So it was hardly excessive that an all-black kit was what they wore for this landmark match, although this may have been a potential third kit anyway with the Hapilopper main kit and their lesser-used "Esportiva Special" change kit both featuring shocks of green (and the former being primarily white). Perhaps a sense of destiny in this - that the scheduling worked for that to be the case, for the "mourning kit" to also be the appropriate one purely on the normal logistics of player visibility and distinguishability. (The officials - from Ko-oren - were clad in safety orange. Were it only the case that the similarly-coloured CVDR could be so readily found...)

A two-part tifo covered the upper and lower tiers behind one goal, separated by this famous old stadium's pillars and the view across Donaldson Olympic Park through them, with quotes from a song that has become an anthem for national mourning: on the upper tier, "BUT THE ONLY THING THAT YOU FORGOT TO DO"; below, "IS TEACH ME HOW TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU".

In the opening minutes, it almost felt like both teams were overcome by the emotion. Hapilopper may be renowned for their hyper-attacking "Funball" style, Thomas Hooker's 4-1-4-1 was seen as potentially more adventurous than Andrew Patterson's 4-2-3-1 even if the themes were still possession and pressing, but all 22 players seemed cowed on some level by the gravity of everything around this match. Attacks lacked conviction, as if all concerned had this feeling deep down in their bones that, ultimately, none of this matters. Not compared to, well, why it's these Kytlerians on the field in this kit, Yvie Grant-Estill a first choice for her country just months after not even being first choice for what had now become a midtable NSL team again (and will do well to be even that in future, their entire front three lost to the disaster).

For the game to be remembered as a game, rather than the catalyst for a memorial wake, it needed a goal. When it came, it was in perhaps truly fitting style, as the only two players in the side who played in the last Kytlerian World Cup match combined to score it. Zachary Edwards-Hillier picked the ball off the chaotic Hapilopper midfielder Trevor Jericho - a highly talented player in almost every regard except the whole "kicking" thing, which makes the neutral wonder if he's in the wrong sport every time they see him - and quickly spotted an opening over the top of the charging visitors. It was Vicente who collected the ball in the left channel, and after a one-two with Dino Azar, he was free to chip over the onrushing Lou Hyde and in.

With no further goals before the break, the visitors sacrificed Stan McLamb - who uncharacteristically missed two chances late in the first half and less-uncharacteristically was on a yellow for arguing with the referee - for the chaos energy of Frank Pinto. Within two minutes of his half-time arrival, he had won a penalty almost by accident - zipping past the giant Yrko and with Grant-Estill charging from left-back to chase him down, he lost control of not so much the ball as his entire lower body. But this took one of his legs into one of hers, she clearly didn't win the ball (nor was it exactly there to be won), penalty given. Grant-Estill didn't so much complain to the referee as look at him in bewilderment at just what she was supposed to have done here. Dennis Waterloo smashed the penalty out of the reach of Vanessa Andrews - the first woman ever to be in goal for a competitive Kytlerian match at any level outside of the women's Olympic tournament - and we were level.

This is often the point where Hapilopper players go brrr and there are goals at both ends. But saves from Hyde at one end - notably to deny a trademark Dino Azar long-range blast - and Andrews at the other meant it remained 1-1 almost in spite of itself. Something had to give, and on this night of destiny perhaps it was inevitable that this something was the movable object of Hapilopper's back line. Teenage substitute Jonathan Ruiz - who replaced Grant-Estill on 72 minutes for his competitive debut and was arguably only in the squad because Park Si-Woo was still recovering from the injury that paradoxically saved his life - dashed into vacated space down the left touchline, aimed a cross to the far post which Arnold March only half-cleared, and when the bouncing ball fell to Vicente on the edge of the D, sickly-sweet storytelling demanded that he'd murdertwat the ball top bins.

And because this is Vicente we're talking about, this was a theory that could actually survive contact with reality. And so that's exactly what he actually did.

Just as he did in the memorial match with Baker Park in Alaer, Vicente had won it for the Kytlerians with a brilliant late winner.

"I believe the non-believers call it 'godmodding' or something," an emotional Hooker told the post-match press conference. "I prefer to call it destiny."

Shyhold, Natkr
Natkr 1-2 The Kytler Peninsulae (Henderson pen 83; Packard 38, Sylvia Villa 88)

The talk in local media in Natkr was that this Kytlerian side, assembled as hastily and tragically as it was, would be attackable by a side still ranked outside the top 100 but with an arrow clearly pointing up. If there was less depth in the Kytlerian player pool, this logic would even have been right.

But there are just too many talented, well-drilled players even in this country of less than 25 million people for that to be the case. And while Hooker's 4-1-4-1 was unfamiliar to play in for most of them, they'd typically played against it before when facing either Hooker's Aardswood United or his former boss (and now assistant) Aaron Wilson-Cooper at Ranford & Willsbrook, and - as mentioned - a lot of the themes were familiar from the 4-2-3-1 of the Patterson era. (And, by definition, most of these players weren't heavily involved in that team. Or they'd have been on the plane.)

And of course they had the sprinkling of players who were involved in that era and whose international club commitments kept them away from the fateful trip to Arrosia, and on this evidence Edwards-Hillier was the most meaningful of any of them. He quite simply controlled the entire match from the defensive midfield position, liberated by the disciplined tracking back of the four in front of him to chase down seemingly anything that moved, whilst picking out open players. Charles Packard - preferred to Dino Azar up front this time in the one change from the Hapilopper starting XI - was the frequent beneficiary of these openings, able to operate as a classic hold-up centre-forward when Edwards-Hillier played straight over the Natkr press. He missed a couple of early chances himself, but seven minutes from the break he would indeed open the scoring; this time it was Grant-Estill who played the ball over the top, and with goalkeeper Ethan Carter seemingly caught between staying back or playing sweeper-keeper - and defender Elmer Webb apparently expecting the latter - Packard was free to chase the bouncing ball and chip over the stranded Carter for a thoroughly deserved lead.

Natkr improved in the second half, gaining a little control in midfield and regularly catching Packard offside - causing Dino Azar to be summoned in his place midway through a second half that turned viciously less than ten minutes from the end of the 90. Substitute left-back Vaulto - who replaced Ruiz in the squad after the latter sprained his ankle in the aftermath of the Hapilopper match - tripped Henry Smith needlessly on the edge of the box, a penalty was awarded, and Henry Henderson dinked it into the space vacated by Andrews' preemptive dive to her right. 1-1, less than ten minutes left, and Natkr now believed.

But it turns out that Vicente - who had a quiet game for the most part - wasn't even the only Real Santa Mordana academy product to have a sense of destiny. Enter Sylvia Villa. Having dropped back into her own half as the hosts pressed for a winner, she skipped past Jonty Hatfield and Brayden Rodriguez with dizzying close control, evaded Webb's sliding challenge by simply juking the other way, and then sent a perfectly-placed shot curling into the top left from 20 yards. It was a goal even the home crowd couldn't hide their appreciation for.

Three games in the new era, three 2-1 wins, three late winners from outside the penalty area.

The non-believers call it 'godmodding' or something. But maybe we should call it destiny.

[Valanora]

Valanora Times
A Night To Remember

The Champions League, it is the premier domestic football competition and the chance to proclaim yourself as the best club in the sport for that year, it is a chance that does not come all that often as the competition is as stiff as it is varied. The event allows teams from all standards of league to submit an entry and the different playing styles and the varied environments can often lead to some of the surprising of results. Yet at the end, there is usually two of the best teams in any given season battling it out for the right to be crowned the best in the sport. For this season, the Final of the competition was selected to be at the Battleground in Raynor City, the capital of the Empire and of course also the home ground of Raynor City United, the proverbial favorites and best club in Valanora and perhaps in Arrosia or even the world at any given moment. Having won the Premiership last season and due to the Premiership's high standings in the coefficient table, United would enter into the competition at the group stage, being allowed to bypass the trecharious waters that are the Qualifying and Playoff rounds.

Drawn into a difficult group with Algolia AC of Squornshelous, one of the better clubs from one of the best leagues in the region and world, not to mention just how well we have gotten to know how good Squornshelan football is over the last decade, as well as Eterna Stars of Valladares and Bavingtor FC, the path out of the group did not look easy at all for the Rockers. Yet in the face of stiff competition, the Navymen rose to the occasion and posted an unblemished group stage effort, with only a home draw against Eterna Stars and an away drawn in Squornshelous keeping the team from going six wins from six in the group stage. It was domination via the most unexpected form from a Vanorian outfit, it was a stern defense that only conceded goals in three of the games, two a piece in each of the draws and then once away in Valladares, not allowing Bavingtor a sniff of the net at all in either encounter in Arrosia nor Anaia. That allowed the team to soar through the group as group winners and be seeded for the knockout round, hopefully facilitating a less difficult first set of matches to begin the knockout stages.

Getting Liria of Mytanija would be the case as the Rockers rolled over their Mytanar opposition five to nil in the first leg in Rushmore, before coasting to a three to one victory back in the Empire for an easy progression into the Quarterfinals. There the fates would intervene and have the Rockers once more deal with Algolia AC and it looked bleak after a one all draw in Raynor City, yet the side would pull through with perhaps their best effort of the competition with a two to nil win in Squornshelous to secure passage into the penultimate round. It was there the side would be drawn against a fellow giant of the game in the form of CA Paulinthal of Pasarga, yet the Rushmori club would not stand in the way of a team that was seemingly intent on etching their name in history. A four to two victory in Rushmore meant that the team could ease their way through the home leg, once more their stern defense being the facilitators of the success in a nil nil draw, one of the most celebrated draws in United's long and storied history. That win sent them into the Final and a chance to add to their own quite long and celebrated history.

Now the team had a chance that few times have had in the history of the Champions League or the Champions Cup of the UICA era before it, they had a chance to win the most prestigious title in all of domestic football in the home stadium in front of their own crowd. Standing between them and history was Chromatik from Chromatika. There was a slight breeze in the nation's capital on the warm, spring evening as the countdown to the kickoff began. Being designated as the visitors, the Rockers were set to use their rarely seen third kit, a purple kit that is only brought out on occasion to avoid a kit clash with Chromatik's silver and white checkerboard kit. Seventy eighty thousand people were in the stadium, filling it up to capacity, and more than half of them were wearing the colors of the home crowd, though there were a few sections in the stands where there were patches of people sporting the Chromatik kits. It was to be an epic clash as far as everyone inside the stadium was concerned and at the end of the ninety there was going to be a new best of the best when it came to club football.

Chromatik was lining up in a 4-3-3, while United was taking the field with what had been their 4-2-3-1 that Burton had implemented at the start of the previous season when the Tikariot manager took over. On the right side of the midfield for the visitors was Eric Forsberg, having made the switch from Mar Sara to Chromatik over the summer window to bolster his national team opportunities. The midfield battle between the two sides was fierce and it was a chess match between Burton with United and the Quebecois Jannick Kontiola who was in charge of Chromatik. Neither side was seemingly able press forward the advantage and the first half ended goalless with only a single shot on net by both sides, which both keepers had stopped with ease. The second half started much of the same but the home crowd was singing the songs of United lore and urging the home team forward, to find a bit of magic to seperate the two sides. That magic would happened as both teams were getting ready for extra time as Weiss intcerpted an attempted through ball and sprung Lotte, the midfielder ran up the middle of the park slashing through attempts of tackles before squaring the ball to the Siovanija and Tuesland giant of a striker Wolf Wind and the striker made no mistake in blasting it far post out of the reach of Pharlan in net. Though Chromatik would push to equalize, there would be no break through as United's veteran defense held firm and like many rounds before saw them through to victory.

There are not enough words in common nor elven that could describe the special feeling of the team lifting the trophy in front of their finds, of having the stadium roar when the goal was score and who would not go quiet again until well past the final whistle. New songs were being drafted up of this miraculous team that had done what had seemed impossible to do in the Champions League, first in getting their stadium selected as the Final location, then earning their way to the championship match, and finally finishing it off against a fellow powerhouse of a team. Chromatik is the best club in Chromatika, who for many has the best domestic league in all the world right now and yet United was able to best them in this match, perhaps because they were in fact playing at home in a once in a lifetime opportunity. This triumph will not be long forgotten not just in the lore of Raynor City United but in all of Vanorian football and it is a good reason why the national team pool has been stuffed with many representatives from the club as they search for their own way to elaborate on their own magnificent history.

Raynor City United: Bodeker; Freitag, Lindström, Weiss, Foerster; Azerhendhen, Vallaki; Bjerk, Lotte, Hovland; Wind
Scorers: Wind (78')
Chromatik: Pharlan; Coulibaly, Amos, Nodis, Jesenko; Fletcher; Þorgríma Vigdis, Wawanolett; Forsberg, Robineau, Bevilacqua
Scorers: N/A