World Cup 99 - RP Thread

by **Flavovespia** » Wed May 28, 2025 1:07 am

Misses Aplenty In Stuttering Start

A trip to Kaumann and Flavovespia were profligate in front of goal, costing them two points. Looking to bounce back after defeat to Xanneria, Flavovespia instead found themselves with more questions than answers after this performance.

It could’ve been so very different if in the 3rd minute, Anthony Lane’s long range shot had gone in, instead Mulyana Karisma tipped the ball away. Flavovespia flew out of the gates, keen to get goals before Kaumann could settle.

However for Flavovespia it went the other way. Midway through the first half, Putra Florian drove past Roger Burden down the wing. Cutting inside, a fierce shot beat Peter Marriott on his inside and went in. 1-0 Kaumann, the hosts thrilled.

Mere minutes later though, Flavovespia’s biggest chance. Jonathan Bagshaw was fouled in the box by Jiro Yonezu, no doubt a penalty there. Charles Shepherd stepped up, but put the ball over and wide, a shock for Flavovespia but delight for the hosts. Could it be there day?

Flavovespia made sure they’d get at least one in the 35th minute. Jonathan Bagshaw turned on the skill, sneaking through the defence before a composed finish past Karisma. Another chance went begging just before the break, leaving it 1-1.

Flavovespia had plenty of chances in the second half, but Kaumann were in inspired form, and the goalkeeper and defence proved too formidable. Of course, poor finishing was a key factor, and even with almost all of the attacking players switched in substitutions, forward output was lacking. 1-1 it was to be, Flavovespia having some questions to answer about their title defence.
Alexander Schmitt

One Man Down But Three Points Bagged

Flavovespia made it harder than it needed to be, but 3 points went their way against Unitarnia. A controversial decision to give the red card put nerves into Flavovespia, but ultimately it didn’t affect the outcome of the game.

Something of a more cautious start for Flavovespia this time, after early goals conceded twice now, they were in no mood to let Unitarnia get the initiative. That said Unitarnia were often pinned back, and were certainly not afraid to make some strong challenges. Charles Shepherd would prove to be the one to open the scoring. After a tough day out last time, he found the net here, tapping in Anthony Lane’s cross at the near post, after a defensive mix up.

10 minutes later though, and the 36th minute saw a red card produced. Fouled by a late sliding tackle that sent Anthony Lane sprawling into an advertising hoarding, the winger leapt up and kicked the ball full force into the face of the Unitarnia defender. The referee adjudged that to be violent conduct, and out came the dreaded card, despite protests by the Flavovespia players and fans, and anger about yet another rough challenge on their side. Compounding the misery, just before the break, a free kick routine saw Unitarnia get a header on goal to equalise, another game with no clean sheet for Peter Marriott.

Down to 10 and the game tied, it was make or break for Flavovespia in the second half. However they made it thanks to a double by Jonathan Bagshaw. He gave Flavovespia the lead in the 52nd minute, on the break with a good shot just outside the box. He scored again in the 63rd minute, and underhit pass out the back letting him in, and he made no mistake at close range. Unitarnia had attacks late on, unsurprisingly with a man advantage, but Peter Marriott was able to save anything his way. A win for Flavovespia in a slightly shaky campaign so far, now they hope to press on and find the Top 3.
Judd Stafford

by **Paradystopia** » Wed May 28, 2025 2:53 am

"Now then. What's this bloody load of drivel you're watchin'?"
"It's the football, Grandpa. I'm watching the qualifiers for the World Cup."
"Football?! Is this bollocks what you young-uns call sport these days?"
"Yes Grandpa. But it's exciting! You see, Paradystopia are currently playing Edsmontik, who are the top team in our group, and it's really good, and when I grow up, I want to play football for my job, and ..."
"Bah! Football's no sport lad, much less a damn job. Back in my day, t'only sport we had wuz rock-chuckin'. You'd take turns lobbin' rocks at one another, an' first one to bleed loses."
"That doesn't sound very fun, Grandpa."
"It wuzn't, I lost some of my best mates to that game, but that's not the point. It wuz proper sport, and we wuz grateful to play it. Anyway, I'm putting my TV on now."
"But Grandpa, it's really close. Iona Schlippe scored early but it got disallowed because there was a penguin offside, and then Sjiu had to save a penalty because one of the attackers, I think it was Marvic Svaardaen, tripped over Error Message's pet seagull in the box, and then ..."
"Ruddy nonsense it sounds like to me. Here, give me the remote, I'm puttin' somethin' else on."
"But Grandpa, I'm watching it. Pleeease?"
"Now look 'ere lad. You've had enough of this rubbish buggerin' up your mind. Football, indeed. Now let's see ..."

*click*

"Oh Hugo, kiss me once more. Kiss me for what must be the last time, for the world will never accept our love. Please know that forever you shall own a piece of my soul, and that the thought of a life without you shatters my heart into a million tiny shards with each one cutting me deeply to the fibre of my very being. Treasure the memories, Hugo, as I shall ever treasure the memory of you."

"*Quack*"

"No Hugo, don't try to change my mind. We cannot be. I'm already married."

"*Quack*?"

"Is she in love with that duck?"
"Yes Grandpa. It's that old film 'Guilty Feathers', you've seen it before. It's the one where she moves to the country farm with her new husband, falls in love with a duck, and drowns herself in the pond at the end when she discovers that her husband and Hugo were also having an affair."
"Oh yes. Well, it's already halfway through, so ..."

*click*

"... In other news, yet more refugees continue to arrive on Paradystopi shores after the government reached out to various Paradystopi ex-pat communities in other nations which may have survived the great apocalypse. We now go live to Theresa Moss in New Newetoun with more. Theresa?"

"Thank you Philbert. There's concerning scenes here by the coast in New Newetoun as what can only be described as a vast campsite has rapidly sprung up by the New Newetoun jetty over the past weeks with further watercraft arriving each day adding to what some believe to be an unsustainable influx of peoples. Whilst many individuals have already been processed by the Paradystopi Records and Archiving Team, and are helping in the great rebuild, there's many more still waiting as well as others continuing to arrive. Aside from just those of Paradystopi citizenship, we are also seeing individuals from nations of the wider Paradystopi Consanguinity also. We have seen Communadi, Lymrykers, and Arkans* amongst the refugees, all of whom are hoping to become part of this new Paradystopia. Earlier, I spoke with Squatty Wobblebottom, a pteronurian ex-Lymryker about his hopes for the future. He had this to say.
"When I heard everyone had turned to cheese
I thought 'What an awful disease'
Then came a chance to build anew
Come and help, I must do
But now can I have a fish please?"

"Some are voicing concern that the pteronurians could place too much strain upon local fish stocks thus upsetting the ecosystem and proving damaging to the local penguin species. However, some are ..."

"Bloody nonsense. All these bloody refugees comin' 'ere and messin' the place up. Should send all the buggers back where they came from in my view."
"But Grandpa, aren't we technically refugees too? We used to live in Apox until 2 weeks ago."
"Aye kid, but we're Paradystopi. It's different. You're too young to understand. Anyway, what else is on ..."

*click*

*cheery music plays*
Do your internal organs feel like they're under assault?
Has feeling flat and lifeless become your default?
Does your body ache like it's been struck by a thunderbolt?
Then you need Dr. Chonk's Patented Medicinal Salt!

That's right! Get some pep in your step with Dr. Chonk's Patented Medicinal Salt.
What gives it its medicinal properties I hear you ask?
Well ...
Dr. Chonk's Patented Medicinal Salt is made from the finest Paradystopi rock-salt which is known for its nutritiously high amounts of Ammonium Hydroxide.
Then it's painstakingly prepared following the secret recipe created by none other than Dr. Chonk himself.
And not only is it packed full of all the vitamins and minerals your body needs, it's also delicious!
So ask your pharmacist today for a big bag of Dr. Chonk's Patented Medicinal Salt!

*more cheery music plays*
If your life is out of whack, and you're feeling them wonks
Go and get yourself a big old bag of Dr. Chonk's

Warning: consumption of Dr. Chonk's Patented Medicinal Salt may cause itchiness, headaches, dehydration, depression, nausea, diarrhoea, insomnia, hair loss, tooth loss, autism, permanent loss of kidney function, spontaneous combustion, chronic ...

"Medicinal salt indeed. Bah! Kids these days, don't know how good they've got it."
"That company sponsors one of the Paradystopi players."
"Which one? The nutter with the seagull?"
"Well, yes, but ..."

*click*

"...a final score of Edsmontik 1, Paradystopia 0"

"Oh bummer ... I missed it."

"Yes? Hello, yes ma'am. Yes, we do have the new kit sponsor logo, although there does appear to be an error. No, no, good gracious, nothing to do with him, I meant a mistake. No, nothing major, just a slight translation hiccough it would seem. No, it still says 'Visit Paradystopia', yes, yes, that's all good. It's seems that the initially proposed tagline has, how to say, altered in meaning somewhat. Yes, well, I understand that Xat' syntax is very different from our own but it was hoped that the message would've remained as is you see? Well, initially, it was supposed to say 'Dive on in' beneath a 'Visit Paradystopia' logo but, well, it now says something different. Well, my feeling is that somewhere in the process it's been translated into Xat' and back again, possibly by auto-translate or such. Sorry? Are you sure? I mean, it does give a very different connotation to the previously proposed message. No, yes, I do understand that with the current refugee situation that funding is rather tight and we are hoping to increase the tourism sector to bolster the local job markets. Even so, I'd urge you to reconsider. Yes, I am aware that delays with the marketing did mean we missed our chance to unveil the new kits on Edsmontik soil and that you and the board are reluctant to miss the opportunity to do so at Z'ai'ai Field in Chromatika. 'Would I consider the tagline apt regardless?' Well, I guess it's not wrong, but I don't think it's the message we really want to be advertising. Very well, then I'll give the go ahead, ma'am. Well, no, I understand that it's not like anyone's going to be paying much attention to the football when we've got the squad half full of penguins and Error's running about with a seagull on a leash and advertising that blasted salt. Sorry? Oh, it was a one-all draw. Britonisea scored early on, a cross deflected off Karen I believe, and we got lucky with a penalty towards the end of the second half. No, it was Bortland I believe. I can't see anyone letting Error take a penalty. Yes, indeed, I'll give the logo the go ahead and we should have it on the kits before the Chromatika match. Our chances? Pah. We'd be lucky to only lose by one. Still can't believe the Edsmons can't score more than one against us. I know, I'd be embarrassed too.

WCQ MD4
.             Paradystopia 1-1 Britonisea
Bortland (p) 79'                            Karen o.g. 13'

*OOC: In my previous incarnation, The Paradystopi Consanguinity was the collective term for all my puppets and I. The Communadi were from The Glorious Commune, a warped pseudo-communist technologically advanced state, the Arkans, from Ark, an isolationist matriachal society existing solely upon a wreck of a huge ship somewhere in the ocean, and the Lymrykers, needlessly chirpy anthropomorphic otters (known as Pteronurians) with a penchant for poetry. There were others too. The Xat'i began as inhabitants of Mousebane Islet, and there was also an island of zombies called Jujoo that was presided over by a weird necromancer.

It was, to use the technical term, a clusterfuck.

by **Edsmontik** » Wed May 28, 2025 6:54 am

Edsmontik v. Paradystopia
World Cup 99 Qualifiers - Matchday 3
Warmup - 6:40PM, Wednesday, 9/17/2031, Touve Suberarenae, Touve, Austrankank, Edsmontik

"Paradystopia again, huh?"

"Yeah, but we're the home team this time."

Edsmontik v. Paradystopia was happening again for the second time in the year.
Everyone was a little disappointed by the first game, but now that everyone was on the Edsmon field, the Edsmons could push themselves.
All they had to do was gain control of the game like last time, but do a little more scoring.

Entering the field, Darion Verto got his first taste of being a starter.
It felt different, despite only being warmups.
He had to push more to get his muscles going faster.
Otherwise, he'd be unready for over forty-five minutes of possible chaos against Paradystopia.

Like any other player in the FDVL, Verto didn't expect to be chosen.
But he was anyway.
He had fought for a while in Srechatang Horsaalien's academy to be chosen.
From there, he delivered as much as he could for the team.
Now, it paid off.

There was only one other player on the team that he really knew.
That was Reus Dalsen.
Reus had been on the national team for longer than Verto had, so Darion looked for advice from him.
He wasn't too much help though.

Dalsen had only gone off the bench every few matchdays.
He didn't do much either.

Verto would have to learn the ways by himself, or hopefully with the help of someone much more experienced.
Ystermakt or Zeukalmen.

***

Edsmontik 0-0 Paradystopia
World Cup 99 Qualifiers - Matchday 3
First Half - 7:07PM, Wednesday, 9/17/2031, Touve Suberarenae, Touve, Austrankank, Edsmontik

Stuero was on the move.
Vlakish had sent him the ball from far, and now he had to convert the chance.
He drove in, gracefully rolling the ball away from defenders and dodging tackles.

It was like slow-motion.
He spun, turning with the ball, like he commanded it.
He carried the ball with every tap, every touch.
And then, the slowness shattered with one powerful kick.

Suddenly, everyone's hearts were racing as Rehcikt received Stuero's pass and fired a powerful shot at Siju, Paradystopia's goalkeeper.
The Paradystopi's reaction time was clearly her strength.
In an instant, Rehcikt's ball was in the air, going away from the goal.
Maven tried to claim it, but he suddenly tripped on a seagull, flipping over and hitting his head onto the grass.

"The Hell is this?"

Within seconds, the "disruption" was removed, and Edsmontik had a penalty.
Stuero, Edsmontik's strongest shooter, was up.
He had to secure something.
With one kick, he slammed the ball to the corner- but it was deflected by Siju.

But it dropped right back to the unstoppable force.
Edsmontik's Golden Suor Eagle, Stuero, fired a volley with all of his power, hoping to get the ball into the net while the keeper was distracted with the first save.
And it worked.
The ball found the back of the net and instantly tucked itself in.
Just like that, 1-0 in the first twelve minutes.
One objective remained.

Control the Opposition.

***

Edsmontik 1-0 Paradystopia
World Cup 99 Qualifiers - Matchday 3
Halftime - 7:48PM, Wednesday, 9/17/2031, Touve Suberarenae, Touve, Austrankank, Edsmontik

"How come we have not scored a single goal since that nine minute mark? We had plenty of shots, but none of them have hit the net!"

Dav der-Ghavyr was a little more calm compared to the other days.
Edsmontik's defense had not seen the ball at all.
The midfield did a good job on controlling the Paradystopian forces.
In his eyes, the Edsmons did good enough.

"This performance," he began in his more serious tone, "is enough to earn a passing grade. But what it doesn't earn, is a high score."

Many Edsmon players were disappointed in the way he attempted to "teach" them to be better.
He was once less strict towards the team, but now, he was all about proving the worthiness of rank 8th.
It happened every day at this point.

der-Ghavyr then walked over to the board, where he quickly explained the plans for the rest of the game.
He announced some substitutions that could occur, and showed replay footage.
He only showed the bad points though.

Stuero's shot that found the stands and not the net.
Bervaign's pass that gave the Paradystopi a goal kick.
Verto's shot that he missed completely.
Javarqa slipping on the grass during a corner kick.
Everything was clearly to either embarrass the players or get them to do better.
No one wanted to be shown up there in the moments of mistakes.

***

Edsmontik 1-0 Paradystopia
M. Stuero (12') | None
World Cup 99 Qualifiers - Matchday 3
Full Time - 8:49PM, Wednesday, 9/17/2031, Touve Suberarenae, Touve, Austrankank, Edsmontik

Edsmontik v. Chromatika
World Cup 99 Qualifiers - Matchday 4
Pre-Game - 10:00AM, Sunday, 9/21/2031, Touve Suberarenae, Touve, Austrankank, Edsmontik

Once again, the Edsmons were playing at home.
This time though, against the toughest opponent that will be in their group.
Chromatika.

Not too long ago, three Edsmon players transferred to Chromatik teams from the FDVL.
So you could say that these players are "somewhat" familiar with the Anomalies.
But "somewhat" familiar wouldn't be enough.
The Chromatiks could easily take advantage of they'd been studying Edsmon moves.

Just outside of the stadium, the Edsmon bus came to a halt.
Fans and news reporters flooded in to get a closer look.
Unlike the other days, this match was more important.
It was against a pretty strong foe.
And with that, more people were there.
For Matchday 4, the number of people in the stadium was nearly reaching maximum capacity, more than the halfway filled or three quarters filled norm.

With the stadium packed to nearly the brim, the Edsmons knew they had to perform.
If they didn't do well, they'd get bashed all over the internet.
And der-Ghavyr would make sure some players got booted from the team.

***

Edsmontik 0-1 Chromatika
World Cup 99 Qualifiers - Matchday 4
First Half - 10:39AM, Sunday, 9/21/2031, Touve Suberarenae, Touve, Austrankank, Edsmontik

It was NOT looking good for Edsmontik.
They were 1-0 down after Françine-Miklavivec of Chromatika scored from a through ball that just managed to pass the defense.
If they didn't counter now, they'd be stuck in a pit that would be harder to leave with time.

The Eagles pushed into overdrive, passing up to Stuero and over to Bervaign.
Rehcikt powered past the now distracted defense, opening up a lane for the Eagles.
Bervaign sent a lob over the defense, barely reaching Rehcikt.
And then, the whistle blew and the flag was raised.
Offside.

Despite the setback, they kept going.
The Edsmons controlled possession, dodging the attacking line of Chromatika and slipping through the midfield when possible.
Fans cheered from the sidelines, hoping for something to turn around.
Their wish was granted.
In a matter of minutes, Edsmontik went from possession-controlling to all out attacking.
Everyone was up.

Darion Verto basically built a cannon for receiving and sending the ball.
He was all over the midfield, left and right, collecting the ball when the Eagles fell back.
Then, he sent it back up.
Aespana and Ghreksbvy made quick advances as they were out wide, and were able to do some things.

20 minutes in, and no goals in sight yet.
But one was definitely near.
Everyone could feel it.

Bervaign charged forward, dribbled past Coulibaly and fired a shot.
The curving ball threw Sourtois off a bit, but he still dived in the right direction.
However, it wasn't enough.
Vlakish's ball ended up in the back of the net to level the game once again.

***

Edsmontik 2-1 Chromatika
World Cup 99 Qualifiers - Matchday 4
Halftime - 11:21AM, Sunday, 9/21/2031, Touve Suberarenae, Touve, Austrankank, Edsmontik

The Edsmons had fought a lot.
Many were more exhausted than they'd ever been.
Fifteen minutes to rest, then they'd be out there again to finish off their opponents.

Javarqa was pretty lucky.
During a corner, he managed to score a nicely placed header.
He believed that the goal would be enough to keep him in the starter spot.
But he was tired.
Not starting, but rather being a super-substitute, was what he kind of wanted.

A lot of players were happy when der-Ghavyr was finally proud.
He was slightly disappointed by the conceding so early on, but he was glad that the Eagles had bounced back and controlled the entire game.
Dav der-Ghavyr then announced what substitutions would be made for the second half.
That was pretty good for the tired players.

***

Edsmontik 3-1 Chromatika
World Cup 99 Qualifiers - Matchday 4
Second Half - 12:11PM, Sunday, 9/21/2031, Touve Suberarenae, Touve, Austrankank, Edsmontik

"It's in!"

Edsmontik, with four minutes left until stoppage time, managed to slam a final lock onto the Edsmon lead with another goal.
Everyone was cheering and celebrating, like on any other goal.
But one player loved it more than anything.

Darion Verto, who had opted to stay on instead of being substituted, helped the Edsmon midfield strengthen against the Chromatiks.
He was the player that managed to score.
It wasn't from close though, it was a powerful blast from far that had luckily bounced over Sourtois when he dived.

His first goal of the World Cup.
It was already hard to score in qualifiers.
He wondered how hard it'd be to score in the actual tournament.

***

Edsmontik 3-1 Chromatika
V. Bervaign (22'), I. Javarqa (39'), D. Verto (86') | E. Françine-Miklavivec (7')
World Cup 99 Qualifiers - Matchday 4
Full Time - 12:18PM, Sunday, 9/21/2031, Touve Suberarenae, Touve, Austrankank, Edsmontik

Next Lineup (GK -- LB, CB, CB, RB -- LM, CM, RM -- LCF, RCF, ST)
S. Lankiv -- S. Kizani, L. Shouzvenkreden, J. Travdt, J. Vikral -- R. Aespana, D. Verto, O. Reuhans -- M. Rehcikt, M. Stuero [C], S. Utravak

by **Solgavden** » Wed May 28, 2025 8:58 am

Giese Park Dressing Rooms, Half-Time of Match 3 vs. Bostopia

...The team can't take any more of this. It's only half-time, yet half of the starters are limping, and the other half are begging Strömberg to sub them out. When the team learned that Bostopia was fielding a team full of active military personnel, most thought that they were surely bluffing. But as the reports were corroborated as true, a sense of dread permeated throughout the pre-match meetings before the game. Out of all the team and staff, only defensive and goalkeeping coach Paul Ravn was a veteran, but with his pot belly and jolly demeanor, he wasn't exactly a imposing figure. The Bostopians however, were that and then some. As the two teams lined up before the match, the Solgavs were left in awe as they saw a group of men who looked like were clearly trained to kill. Unfortunately for the Solgavish, this proposition would be proven correct on the pitch, as the Bostopians proved to be excellent at the aggressive, physical play that Solgavden prides itself on. The team soon found itself overwhelmed, locked in a grueling match against a superior foe. And with the match being held in Limmiera, the weather soon got worse (of course), as rain rolled in at the 30' mark, leaving the ground muddy by halftime.

It was these conditions that caused Marco Kurosawa to stay glued to his chair, wondering to himself how he even got in this mess. Solgavden manager Peter Strömberg, ever the man of his word, said that Marco would be subbed in at the half, replacing striker Kristian Tennefjord, who was currently being looked at by the team doctors for a potential injury after a hard tackle. And so, not wanting to mess up this chance to impress the coach, the 5' 7" 18 year old, who weighed 165 lbs. soaking wet, set out onto the pitch to face 11 grown men that are currently serving in the Ducal Republics' Armed Forces. It started off how you'd expect, with Kurosawa being manhandled at every opportunity. After being tackled hard to the ground, Marco could've sworn he heard one of the Bostopian's call him a "Mertagnian spy" under his breath... whatever that was supposed to mean. Thankfully, what Kurosawa lack in size, he made up for in speed, being able to slip past defenders multiple times, and even get a few shots in the direction of the net. No, the shots weren't particularly on target, but that's not important at the moment. After nearly an hour of deadlock, the scale was finally tipped when Bostopian captain (Not literally) Adam Waite ripped a shot past Kristoffersan, with bits of mud and grass being lifted into the air as he struck the ball. Even though it was a great goal for the Marine, it deflated whatever life was left in the Solgavish team, as they held on just long enough to finish 0-1 versus Bostopia.

Luckily for the Solgavish, their next match in Vdara proved to be much more pleasant. As the first international team to grace Stadio Fotellis in Malta, De Rega Röda were treated as guests of honor, and enjoyed the picturesque views while sipping drinks in their hotel room. The match itself was also smooth sailing for the Solgavs, as Soren Danielsan picked up a goal early in the game, and after a 66' equalizer, the team managed to hold on for almost the entire game against 29th ranked Vdara. The loss was only sealed after an 87' header by Ferrero Fotellis, but Solgavden was still in high spirits after a match that felt more like a vacation. Marco was as well, as he let off a few good shots during the game (and actually on target this time!). The stay in Malta may prove to be beneficial, as the teams faces two quality opponents in Vielfaltig and Drawkland. As the opening match at Nordstjärna Arena, the Drawkland is set to be particularly exciting, as the Orlisian fans are set to make their mark on the world stage.

Welcome to Orliss!
The Port that Links Solgavden to the World!

Orliss, Orlisia, The Crown Republic, O-by. Whatever you call it, the image of Solgavden's largest city will still fill your mind. To the international fans looking forwards watching their team play at Nordstjärna Arena, the Ministry of Culture & Recreation, as well as the Royal Solgavish Football Federation would like to welcome you to Orliss, one of Solgavden's most unique cities. Orliss was founded by non-Solgavish settlers who wanted to be free from oppressive rule. In doing so, the city they founded became an independent republic, one which became the oldest continuing states in Solgavden. (Yes, older than both the current kingdom, and the Kingdom of Melvenia that came before it!). Culturally, Orliss is known for it's diversity, as being one of the most ethnically diverse places not just in Solgavden, but the whole continent as well. This status came from Orliss historically serving as one of Solgavden's main ports, connecting the area to far off lands across the world, with some of their people choosing to settle in the area. Orliss is fiercely independent, remaining so for most of the Solgavish Wars of Unification, only joining Solgavden as a semi-autonomous republic. This is reflected in the Crown Republic's government structure, as it has two heads of state with equal rank, the monarch of Solgavden (Queen Sophia in the present day), and an elected Lord Chancellor, with the monarch's role being largely ceremonial today. This sense of independence is reflected in Orliss's motto: "Unitas, Veritas, Libertas". These three values are shown on Orliss's flag, which is three white mascles on a field of crimson. Enjoy some coffee and a pastry at one of Orliss's numerous coffeehouses, or stop by the historic tavern known as "The Turtle" for one of their world famous meat pies. Whatever you decide to do, Orliss is the place for you!

Nordstjärna Arena is the venue chosen to represent the city during World Cup qualifiers. The stadium is the relatively new home for Kongesliga side Walsbruck FK. Although Walsbruck is the district in Orliss known more for quiet suburban life, their fans can be just as loud as their rivals in Lunaris. During most games, the fans at Nordstjärna Arena can often drown out opponents in chants and music. Flares and other pyrotechnics are strictly banned in football games, but some fans are known to bring them in anyway, and will often set them off to try and annoy opposing players. Orlisians are known to love a party, and they don't need a reason to have one. Most Solgavs know that the team's chances at qualification are slim to none, but they will still come and chant anyway, because they are "here for a good time, not a long time".

by **Pyazhnaya** » Wed May 28, 2025 9:15 am

Match Report 1: Pyazhnaya 0-1 Baggieland

(Krasnograd National Stadium – Attendance: 34,500 – Weather: Windy and chilly)

It was heartbreak in Krasnograd as Pyazhnaya’s home faithful watched their team fall narrowly to Baggieland, with a solitary goal proving enough for the visitors to claim all three points.

Aleksandra Agratova, dressed impeccably as always in a tailored midnight-blue coat, stuck with her favored 4-4-2, deploying the usual front pairing of Kartashov and Mukhametshin. However, Baggieland’s compact 4-5-1 and resolute defensive line, marshaled by Jonas McAuley and John Moore, kept the Pyazhnayan attack largely at bay.

The match began with high intensity, with Pyazhnaya’s midfield duo of Novoseltseva and Retyunskikh trying to dictate the pace. Early chances came when Danila Terentyev sent in a teasing cross that Mukhametshin glanced narrowly wide, and later when Kartashov, ever the fox-in-the-box, forced a fingertip save from Ben Osborne in the 18th minute.

However, Baggieland’s clinical approach paid off. In the 34th minute, a swift counterattack down the right saw Laurie Bassett feed Jeff Richardson, who capitalized on a defensive mix-up between Solodnikov and Ilyushin. Richardson’s composed finish past Moroshkin silenced the Krasnograd crowd.

Pyazhnaya fought back gamely, with Timofey Aristarkhov’s curling free-kick grazing the post in the 52nd minute, but Baggieland’s defense held firm. Agratova brought on Alina Teplyashina and Toktamish Shafigullin in search of an equalizer, but to no avail. The final whistle left Pyazhnaya empty-handed, a sobering result in their World Cup qualifying journey.

---

Match Report 2: Yuezhou 3-3 Pyazhnaya

In a breathtaking encounter under the floodlights, Pyazhnaya clawed their way to a thrilling 3-3 draw against a Yuezhou side renowned for its attacking prowess. This was football at its most dramatic.

Agratova, clearly stung by the Baggieland loss, made subtle tactical tweaks. Mikhail Gorokhov replaced Retyunskikh to add steel in midfield, while Aryuna Pankratova started wide to exploit Yuezhou’s aggressive wingbacks.

The match exploded into life in the 10th minute when Leona Tsang, ever the danger, latched onto a clever through-ball from Kara Zhang and rifled past Moroshkin for 1-0. Pyazhnaya responded ten minutes later—Kartashov pounced on a rebound after Osborne parried a Terentyev shot, slotting home coolly.

Yuezhou’s slick interplay restored their lead before halftime. Songwei Milosevic’s cutback found Kara Zhang, who unleashed a thunderous strike from 25 yards that left Moroshkin rooted. 2-1 at the break.

The second half saw Pyazhnaya’s grit shine. In the 56th minute, Aristarkhov’s perfectly weighted free-kick found Solodnikov, who redeemed his earlier error with a bullet header to level. Moments later, Terentyev’s electric run and cross saw Mukhametshin bundle the ball over the line amid chaos in the box. 3-2 Pyazhnaya.

But Yuezhou weren’t done. With the home crowd in full voice, substitute Liljan Zhou’s pinpoint cross found Zhu Tianming, whose glancing header in the 79th minute made it 3-3. The final moments saw end-to-end drama, with Terentyev rattling the crossbar and Yuezhou’s Zhao Deliang denying a late winner.

As the whistle blew, both teams knew they’d been part of a classic—Pyazhnaya’s resilience and Yuezhou’s flair on full display.

---

Off the Pitch: Pyazhnaya’s Journey Continues

From Krasnograd’s Chill to Liranyi’s Heat: A Tale of Team Spirit

The days between the Baggieland loss and the Yuezhou thriller were filled with adventure, laughter, and a hint of blossoming romance for Pyazhnaya’s squad. The players found ways to shake off the disappointment and bond over shared experiences.

The team’s last night in Krasnograd before departing to Yuezhou was more of a slumber party than anything else. Raisa Safiullina declared a “pyjama karaoke” contest, belting out "Kolyanka" while Misha Retyunskikh accompanied her on a battered guitar. Even the usually stoic Agratova cracked a smile, sipping her tea as she watched her players unwind.

Kartashov and Mordvinova shared more than just tactical chats. Over late-night card games in the team lounge, they grew closer—sharing stories of their childhoods, hopes, and quiet dreams. Kartashov, shy but determined, finally found the courage to compliment Sonya on her composure during the Baggieland match. Her blushing response and shy smile didn’t go unnoticed by teammates, who teased them mercilessly.

In Yuezhou, the squad explored the bustling night markets. Terentyev and Pankratova sampled skewers from every stall, daring each other to try the spiciest sauces, with Pankratova winning hands down. Fyodor Solodnikov bought a handmade dragon figurine as a good-luck charm, while Naira Akhatova played translator, haggling with vendors and teaching teammates a few Yue phrases she picked on The Cunning Linguist.

A morning training session at a local school turned into a community event. Children gathered to watch the team, and when Mukhametshin scored a scissor-kick during a scrimmage, the kids erupted in cheers. Varvara Zavrazina, always the prankster, organized an impromptu penalty shootout with the kids, making them feel like part of the team.

That night, as the players sat around a bonfire at their hotel, the conversation turned reflective. “We’re more than a team now,” said Novoseltseva, toasting with a marshmallow. “We’re family.” Kartashov and Mordvinova sat shoulder to shoulder, sharing a quiet moment while the others sang folk songs into the night.

---

Diary of Maksimilian Kartashov – Post-Yuezhou Classic
May 27th, 2025 – Yuezhou Hotel

What a game. My heart’s still pounding from that second-half comeback. I can’t stop replaying Mukhametshin’s goal in my head—the way the whole team erupted, the roar of the crowd. Yuezhou pushed us hard, but we showed them we’re not just underdogs. We’re fighters.

After the match, Sonya asked if I wanted to grab some air. We walked through the hotel garden under the stars, talking about everything and nothing. She confessed she was terrified before the match, worried she’d let the team down. I told her she was brilliant—calm, sharp, dependable. She laughed and said I was too kind, but I meant every word. I think… I think this is something special.

Tomorrow, we head home. The journey’s been wild—train rides, market adventures, team pranks, and now a draw that feels like a win. But more than anything, I’m realizing how lucky I am. To be part of this team, to have these moments, to maybe be falling for someone as fierce and kind as Sonya.

This is football. This is life. And it’s just the beginning.

— Maksimilian

by **Vixette** » Wed May 28, 2025 9:21 am

same dream, same mind, same night - seventeen

“Don’t you think we’ll get caught?”

“Trust me, Féli.”

Blanchefleur held onto Félicien’s wrist as she led him out of their hotel and onto the Fleftic streets. In one paw was Félicien; in the other was a bag. The moon illuminated the night sky, but its presence wasn’t needed, what with the street lamps lighting up the avenue.

Félicien had been cooped up in his hotel room reading another one of his favourite detective novels when he received a knock on his door. He didn’t know who else he had expected to see than Blanchefleur when he opened the door.

“Let’s sneak out,” she plainly suggested.

A moment of silence. Then…

“Fleur, are you out of your mind?” Félicien asked in surprise, “Sneaking off in of itself is crazy enough, but in a foreign country? At night time?” His voice was more animated than usual, but Blanchefleur could tell that he wasn’t pissed at her but genuinely flabbergasted at what she’d said.

“Look, I have a tourist map,” Blanchefleur reassured, or tried to, “We’re not going too far away, I promise.” She looked at Felicien, anticipating a response, but all she got from him was a skeptical look. Blanchefleur sighed.

“Okay, it’s a garden,” she tried to convince, “A garden, okay? I know you love gardens, Féli. The receptionist recommended it to me. She said the night view’s exquisite, so… Please?” She conjured the most puppy-like expression her feline face could make, pouting whilst looking at Félicien pleadingly. Félicien looked conflicted. On one paw, he didn’t really want to let Blanchefleur down. On the other, his novel…

“...Alright. I’ll follow you,” Félicien conceded, “Don’t make it too late.” He decided dealing with a disappointed Blanchefleur was not worth the satisfaction from completing his novel. Besides, she looked way too cute for him to turn her down…

Once the two were far enough from the hotel, Blanchefleur stopped to look at her map.

“How long more?” Félicien asked. Blanchefleur cocked her head as she tried to analyse the map.

“Hmm… Cross the street, turn right, and go straight until you see some greenery… I think?” she replied rather unconvincingly.

“Let me have the map,” Félicien offered, and Blanchefleur gave him the map. He knew better than to trust her with a map. He then started walking, leading the way for Blanchefleur as she followed behind. It didn’t take them too long to find the park, and once they made it in, Blanchefleur took over, dragging Félicien’s paw along as she brought him deeper into the park. The further they walked, the harder his heart began to beat as he grew more anxious and apprehensive.

“Where exactly are you taking me to?” he inquired.

“It’s a secret~” Blanchefleur replied with a jovial lilt.

“You sure this isn’t a trap?” he asked once more, and he didn’t know if he was being farcical with his question anymore. To that, Blanchefleur wanted to reply that, yes, this was a trap. A trap to let her have him all to himself… but that sounded too creepy and weird.

“Why would it be a trap?” she asked rhetorically. Félicien didn’t speak from then on.

The two walked for a little longer and even climbed some small hill, and they eventually reached their destination: an open space with a small bench. Félicien felt slightly underwhelmed. The way Blanchefleur was playing it up he was expecting something a bit more grandiose, but then again, what did parks really have to offer? The solitude and calmness was enough for him, and this spot seemed to have all of that.

As the two of them sat themselves down on the bench, its small size was made apparent when they found themselves having to squeeze themselves to fit into it. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but when Félicien realised the amount of contact his thigh was making with Blanchefleur’s, he suddenly felt slightly flustered. He looked to his left, and Blanchefleur didn’t seem fazed at all. That, or she was a good enough actor to hide her discomfort.

“Look at the stars,” Blanchefleur said in awe as she pointed at the numerous stars dotting the black night sky. They were far enough from the city for light pollution to be negligible, and the both of them appreciated just how dazzlingly the stars shone. It was a few moments of silence as they took in the scene: the bright night sky, the secluded forest, and the two of them squashed together on a bench that only fit one.

“So,” Blanchefleur began, “Like the view?” Félicien nodded. He had never been so awestruck by the stars in a long time. This was why he loved, loved visiting parks in the night: there was no one to disturb him (or them), it was calm and peaceful, just the right environment to delve into his literary universe, and the sky was just beautiful. Still, he had never seen anything like this in Vixette. If his astronomical knowledge was still right, he could identify some constellations in the sky – none of which he had ever seen in Vixette. He remained gaping at the sky with his mouth open. Seeing how dazed he looked, Blanchefleur couldn’t help but let out an enthused giggle.

“You should see how you look now,” she commented. Snapping back to his senses, Félicien quickly returned to his more nonchalant demeanour, albeit with a slightly bashful expression this time around. As he turned to Blanchefleur, he saw her fiddling with the bag she had brought along. It took a while for her to take its contents out, and once she did so, she revealed what she’d been bringing all along: a box of chocolates.

“You like chocolates, don’t you?” she asked, “I got these from a store nearby. I heard it’s one of the best here.” Félicien’s eyebrows perked up when he saw the chocolates. The box was opaque, but judging from its size, it didn’t look like too many chocolates. His curiosity piqued, he continued looking at the chocolates. He imagined having one right then as it melted into his mouth and its rich, sweet flavour dispersing all over his taste buds and his mouth…

“Chocolate…” he muttered. Seeing how much Félicien wanted to eat the chocolates, Blanchefleur took the opportunity to… play with him. Unfurling the box, she uncovered the collection of chocolates in it: milk, white, dark… it was the usual assortment of flavours, but an assortment Félicien enjoyed nonetheless. Taking a piece of milk chocolate, she dangled it in her right paw in front of his face. When he reached out his paw to grab it, she retracted her hand.

“Nuh-uh,” she teased, “If you want it, what must you tell me?”

“Uhh…” Félicien hesitated, “I… don’t know.”

“Did your parents not teach you manners, silly?” Blanchefleur jokingly asked. She then turned her body to face Felicien. As her soft chest squeezed on Felicien’s arm, she put her left paw on his thigh as she drew her face closer to his ear. She then whispered into his ear in a, well, sultry manner.

“Silly Féli,” she cooed, “All you have to say is ‘Merci, maman’. I want to hear you say it. Now.” The increased body contact coupled with her sudden shift in tone was overbearing for Félicien. His cheeks flushed a crimson shade as he tensed up in embarrassment.

“Do I really have to do… this?” he pleaded.

“Of course,” Blanchefleur said proudly as she drew her body back, “I mean, if you don’t wa–”

“Merci,” Félicien’s voice creaked as he spoke, “Maman.” He avoided any eye contact with Blanchefleur; it was too humiliating to even look at her. Blanchefleur, meanwhile, felt surprised he even did it. She thought that Félicien was the type to back out of something he didn’t want to do, but, well, he did just say what he said. She was fully prepared for the possibility that he wouldn’t follow through with her orders, but now that he did she suddenly felt perplexed. Concealing her surprise, a pleased expression washed over her face.

“Good boy,” Blanchefleur purred. She could see just how embarrassed Félicien was, and now that the reality of the situation was starting to dawn on her, she herself started to feel a bit weird. Just what was she doing then? She stretched her paw once more and offered the chocolate to Felicien. He looked at her for a while, then at the chocolate, and then at her again.

“Uhh, just take the chocolate, you don’t have to do anything silly anymore…” Blanchefleur’s voice petered out. She could feel the awkwardness of the situation. What did Félicien think about it? Did he think she was a freak? Did he think of her in a different lens now? As the questions rushed her mind, she was beginning to regret what she just did.

Félicien, meanwhile, was still reeling from the aftermath of whatever that was. It was humiliating to be babied by someone younger than him, but it wasn’t humiliating to the point of an outright loss of dignity. In fact, a part of him enjoyed it, but he didn’t really want to indulge in any more of that. Taking the chocolate from Blanchefleur, he plopped it into his mouth. It immediately melted, releasing all its sweet, aromatic tastes into his mouth. It was like he had been attacked by pure sucrose, but he didn’t really mind it at all. He could taste the milkiness of the chocolate, the strong flavour… whoever made this chocolate was a legend. Once he had downed that chocolate, he reached out into the box for more.

Félicien and Blanchefleur spent the next hour devouring the chocolates and taking in the gorgeous view of the sky. They had since forgotten about what Blanchefleur had done earlier, and as time passed and the moon shone bright, the both of them started to feel fatigued.

“Wanna go back?” Blanchefleur asked.

“Sure.”

The two spent the walk back to their hotel deep in their thoughts. The once busy streets had become quieter as the crowds had dissipated back to their homes. The juxtaposition of the dark, natural spot they had been sitting in and the bright, urban roads they were walking along was striking. When the both of them arrived back at the hotel, Félicien made sure to send Blanchefleur back to her room.

“Good night, Fleur,” he murmured, “Sweet dreams.”

“You too,” she replied.

As the two of them retreated back to their beds, they quickly fell into a quick slumber… or, at least Blanchefleur did. Félicien remained awake as his mind raced. His instincts told him to pick up that detective novel and finish it, but his mind said otherwise. It wasn’t really the chocolates or the night sky he was thinking about, but what Blanchefleur had done…

…and if he was being honest, he kind of liked it.

by **The Martian Independent Republic** » Wed May 28, 2025 9:26 am

Carpathia and Ruthenia 0 - 1 The Martian Independent Republic
| Overton 76'

The Martian Independent Republic 5 - 1 Legendenex
Astor 8', Garamond 26', 45+1', 65', Jowling 90+2'| #9 31'

Part I

On Houses, and Those Made Of Cards
Certain things are not meant to be. And yet they are. For example, the Spiders should have definitely lost a game by now. But they have not (although hosting Audioslavia, who are yet to concede a goal, will probably change that).

The Spiders' tactics, under new management, have proven to be effective for now. However, every strange, gimmicky attack has a counter, and it is not a question of if that will be developed, but when. Most Martians who know anything about football expected our opponents to have figured out an error in our strategy by now. But they have not (although we are still only four matches into an eighteen-match qualifying).

A late goal from Nils Overton, substituted on to press for a win in a game we had no business taking three points from, and a Luke Garamond hat trick gave us our first pair of consecutive wins in quite a while, if ever. The arrangement made with Potsiri Russell will only last as long as Russell is satisfied, and winning games does give him bonuses. If this campaign had started worse, the Spiders would have been investigated by now. But they have not (doing well tends to incentivize the authorities to spend their resources elsewhere).

Aggression works, to an extent. Playing Carpathia and Ruthenia, a higher-ranked team, away, no prior Martian manager would've fought for a win with nothing on the scoreboard and twenty minutes remaining, and those two extra points can be credited to aggression. After all, only three (out of ten) teams can qualify for the World Cup proper, and drawing every game certainly won't get you there. However, aggression has its downsides.

The “no matter what, fight for a goal” mindset has worked so far. Nevertheless, it creates a great amount of counterattacking opportunities. Against Crpostran, both of their goals came from botched attacks where the defense played up and was sorely punished for it. Playing Audioslavia - a team yet to concede a single goal so far - our style could give them a lot of chances while only generating a few for ourselves. All in all, unless managed exceedingly carefully, this could all come crashing down in a few weeks.

A house of cards can remain stable, as long as its foundations are stable. For the Spiders, that's Russell, the 3-3-4 and the aggression brought with it, and the team itself. Among those three, there's clearly a weak link. The team is committed, and the tactic is working (for now). But at the slightest perturbation, Russell will jump ship and blow the whistle. And things will all come tumbling down.

by **Auprussia** » Wed May 28, 2025 9:46 am

TAKE A WALK

Pierre's world cup qualifying had gone very well so far. While drawing a team of nobodies wasn't perfect it was surprisingly a lot better than what most higher seeded teams had done throughout qualifying. The next matches were a huge a clash against Abahnfleft with great implications for the group and another important match against Britonisea. Pierre had discussed with his team about the importance of being very aggressive against Abahnfleft, they love to score and they are aggressive but not as aggressive as Auprussia which could cause some indecision on their part. Not only this but seeing as Auprussia's defensive efforts have improved he expects to have a slight edge in that facet. Britonisea he doesn't have much on besides they have had some intense matches. Nothing in his scouting binder or team sheets binder about them but he still expects to get a result out of the match.

While studying Abanhfleft he had fell asleep again, this time the dream was a bit different. He was walking in a white void and the floor was moving in front of him to reveal a walkway. The walkway itself was glass but had an unrecognizable pattern on it. After a bit he saw a man on a metal platform and the walkway led to him. Pierre walked up to the man and the man said something unrecognizable, but Pierre somehow understood it so he moved on. Then another platform with another man and another, same unrecognizable speech, same understanding. He walked all the way to the top platform which was an elevator. The elevator opened and then he woke up.

Pierre could not for the life of him make out what any of this meant. The last dream at least seemed more connected to his feelings on his opponents but he had nothing about it. Rien and Vicard both were just as confused when he approached them. "That could mean he's on his way to success" Rien but Vicard shook his head "If that was the case who did he talk to? you heard the man it was just a bunch of unrecognizable men". Rien countered "Could be the team" "No way". Pierre ended up starting an argument and getting no closer to the answer of course. After training Pierre did what he always does, took a boat out on the lake and went fishing, this time a bit earlier than normal though and by the time night rolled around he was already inside talking to his wife Claudette. His wife had an explanation that made more sense:

"What if that's how you feel about coaching? Think about it"

Pierre responded "but I love coaching, I haven't really been unhappy about going to work"

"Right, but what if you don't want to coach the national team. It's possible that you are just going through the motions after last time"

"What you think coaching clubs again would make me feel better?"

"I didn't say that..." and she gave him a smirk. Pierre had a lot to think about.

by **Eshialand** » Wed May 28, 2025 10:57 am

Straighten Up, Fly... At All
Eshialand 2-3 Sudilia
Eshialand 3-1 Busoga Islands

If you were a 2nd-seeded team trying to get back to the World Cup, losing at home to the 4th seeds was absolutely not a way to go about it. Being 0-1-1 in their first two home games was, as Karsten Rhodes would put it, "absolutely unacceptable, even worse than the curry I bought in a back alley last week!"

There had to be something explaining Eshialand's sudden and insane bout of total and utter weakness, but nothing was adding up... at all. This was a situation they needed to get themselves out of, ideally before playing host to the Busoga Islands immediately after this Sudilia tilt. There were ways that Kenny Morgan could think of, but many of them would be somewhat controversial at best and at worst, could be seen as him giving up on making the WOrld Cup entirely. He wanted to emphasize, however, that he was not giving up, no matter how things may seem.

Regardless of what other people thought about his decision-making, at the end of the day he was still the ultimate authority on what should or shouldn't be done on the Eshian team, and while he was absolutely willing to take input from Melissa Carey, the opinions of sports journalists -- chiefly among them Josh Seametzle, who said, and I quote, "maybe what this team needs is for the fans to vote on who should start, because we seem to know a lot better than Kenny does these days" -- did not play any sort of factor. Sometimes, you just have to ignore the hecklers and focus on playing the game you came here to play. As such, it was time for some second-stringers to take the spotlight.

One of the bigger moves he made was benching Tommy Hopal, one of the few players who was on the team before the 2031 roster purge, in favor of Jackson Lavin, someone who showed a lot of promise domestically, forming a part of that Bellevale team that won the league in its latest running, but never really got his chance to shine internationally. Another move he made was benching Keiar Forsen, whose scoring production seemed a little down as of late, in favor of Zara Plarei, who really needed more minutes under her belt in order to break into that elite international level.

These changes received a lot of flak from the Eshian press, but somehow, some way, it actually ended up paying off. Plarei, to her credit, managed to score two goals, which ended up making all the difference as Eshialand won their match by a score of 3 to 1. Finally, their first win at home, and it couldn't have come at a more critical time. This team was still struggling in 4th in the group bracket, but things were close. They were 3 points off of first place, who just-so-happened to be their next opponents, Kwrpania.

On what has variously been described as a slap in the face to the Eshian program or a chance to visit a hidden gem, the Owls are being sent to the small Kwrpan town of Reńban to play this game in a positively tiny stadium, the South Province Football Development Center, which depending on whether you view the glass half-full or half-empty could be total and utter torture to get to or a much-needed opportunity to get away from the stress of the crowd. As for Kenny Morgan, he made it very clear how he viewed this matchup. "They're sending us to their most remote location to maximize their home-pitch advantage, and that's fair game to them, that's good ball. What they fail to realize is that this is no normal cycle. We don't have a home pitch advantage, but rather the other way around. Our home pitch advantage never existed. We do better away from home, and this is as far away as you can get. Bring it on. Let's make some magic in the forest."

"Thank you so much everyone for coming to Eshialand's newest green housing development... I know there were a lot of doubts about being able to make such a sustainable suburb, whether solar panels might actually be able to power homes by themselves and how we'd be able to construct such things at all without continuing to pollute the earth... but technology is a wonderful thing, and I'm glad we were able to see things through."

While PM Kevin Labbett had an entire speech prepared about the Green Earth development and what it meant for the future of housing in the country, he could tell that the throngs of reporters who showed up to the ribbon-cutting ceremony didn't much care to hear his opinions about the environment. They were here, like the little imps they were, to hear about the juicy drama that was unfolding, because drama is what gets clicks. They were all intently focused on the idea of a diplomatic dispute between Eshialand and Vielfaltig over the latter's... controversial security measures as of late. He had his canned responses fully prepared ahead of time because he knew, no matter how much he insisted that this photo op was about the environment, that the conversation would inevitably pivot back to this single talking point.

"Mr. Labbett! I assume you've heard Frank Niemann's comments about the Marigny crisis, and I was just wondering what your thoughts were on them and what next steps should be..."

sigh... there were the questions about Marigny. They had to come, they had to come...

"I mean, there really is nothing to respond with. He rejected my offer, and that's fully his decision. You can offer your assistance as much as is needed, but at the end of the day you can't push an elephant who wishes not to walk. Our government's commitment to the people of Marigny remains, if anyone wishes to escape the situation there, then well..." He gestured to the homes behind him as he finished his sentence, "you can see we have more than enough room for them."

"What are your thoughts on his statement that there shall be no government retaliation on innocent citizens?"

"If he is making that promise then I have no reason to not take him on his word unless I've seen evidence that such a thing is happening. If it were happening, then with the way our world is these days, we will surely hear about it sooner rather than later, you know? I am very doubtful that such increased surveillance measures are required and I definitely do not agree with them, but at the end of the day they're his government's decision and I'm not about to intervene with anything more than my words."

"What are your thoughts on the appeal of the PNM and MLG's textremist organization status?"

"Personally, I do not agree with the idea that these political parties are extremist organizations. Even if there is evidence that some members of these parties aided and abetted the terror incident, a few bad eggs don't spoil all the rest of them, unless the government's legal team is able to provide clear evidence they are spoiled. I believe in the people's right to choose, any functioning democracy should give the people that right, and if the people of Marigny do not have the political freedom to vote in their own interests in the next election, then I will have a lot of tough questions for the ULA government and may have no choice other than to declare the election illegal in front of the international community."

"Will the international community be willing to take your opinions seriously? After all, the Eshian government is not a member of the Esportivan Union, and they are under no obligation to listen to an outsider nation..."

"I have no comment on that at this time. Thank you all for your questions, but I really must be going."

"Wait Mr. Labbett, we have a few more things to ask!"
"Are they about green housing or Marigny?"
"Well..."
"No thank you. I'll talk more about this later."

He made it very clear that there was no more he was willing to say about an ongoing political incident in another nation. The Eshian government under him was one that was always willing to speak its mind, but when it came to incidents such as these, sometimes it was a good idea to say less and let the situation unfold as it may. The actions in Vielfaltig would speak louder than words in Eshialand.

by **Crpostran** » Wed May 28, 2025 11:35 am

by **Cobrio** » Wed May 28, 2025 11:57 am

Part I | II | III | IV |

What Odell knew as "late springtime" in Northwestern Osarius was somehow both familiar to him, yet very different now that he was in Odikolo. Back when he lived in Fourge, it would be near the end of the football season, with the weather teasing a warmth that was rare in the shadows of the Carbos Mountains. Rain was common, a frigid shower in contrast to the mild warmth of the timid summer waiting to raise her golden head and frolic through the skies. Here in Odikolo, it was significantly warmer, with the football season having drawn to a close already. Many footballers were back home helping on farms, in fact. Maintaining their in-season conditioning through manual labour in the sticky heat. A vast difference to his "ugwu" living.

What was familiar, though, was the rain. Though even that was vastly different. Unlike the frigid rains of his youth -- and most of his adulthood, in fact -- the rain in Odikolo was warm. Tepid at worst. While the Fourgian rain was like a shower you took in the morning to help you wake up, the rain in Odikolo was like a shower you took at night before bed. "If your nightly showers sometimes came with a rumble of thunder," Dami supposed, speaking to nobody in particular.

As a boy, Odell had never liked thunder. Until Uncle Amari told him the story of how thunder was just the beating of the drum of heaven (ilutiorun), as commanded by Olugun whenever he fought -- and inevitably defeated -- one of Ikpoa's creations, sent to harm mankind. "So you see Little Panther," Amari had said. "Tunda no you dey frighten. Tunda you dey mek safe, sabi?"

Dami smiled as the thunder rolled overhead, outside the house he had inherited from Aunty Ezinne. The next flash he saw, he began counting, in his head. A trick his mother had taught him, to estimate how far away the storm -- and thus, Olugun's battle, he reasoned -- was from him. He had reached a count of nine, but before he could count ten, the thunder rumbled in his head.

Dᴀᴍɪsᴀᴋɪʀɪ. Tʜᴇ ʟᴏsᴛ ᴄᴜʙ ɴᴇᴇᴅs ʏᴏᴜʀ ɢᴜɪᴅᴀɴᴄᴇ.

It took him a moment to recover from the shock of it. Amari hadn't told him this could happen outside the Djalia. By the time Dami had composed himself, another peal of thunder shook his home's roof. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, rooting himself in the land of his ancestors, muttering a soft prayer to Oluwu, the protector spirit of the Irunashe. "Who is he?" He asked without words, directing the question inward, to his heart.

A Cʜɪʟᴅ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ Dᴇʟᴛᴀs. A ᴄᴏᴜsɪɴ. Replied the thunder.

Another deep breath, Dami steadied himself, drawing in manu from all around him. Remembering the techniques Amari and Ezinne taught him, he felt roots extend from his bare feet, through the hard soil floor of the kitchen, where he stood. "Where is he?" He asked his heart, as his roots sought the manu beneath him.

Fɪɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏʏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɢᴏʟᴅᴇɴ ʜᴀɪʀ, ʟᴏsᴛ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ғɪᴇʟᴅs ᴏғ ɢʀᴇᴇɴ. The thunder rumbled, softer now. Hᴇ ʟᴏɴɢs ғᴏʀ ʜᴏᴍᴇ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡs ɴᴏᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜᴇ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ʙᴜᴛ ᴀsᴋ. Hᴇ ᴅᴏᴇs ɴᴏᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ʜᴏᴡ.

Dami was struck by a feeling that the storm was further away. Ifuoké, the storm rider, messenger of the Irunashe, according to his family's records, had only ever spoken to him in the Djalia, the ancestral plane, before now. It must be serious to warrant this intervention, he surmised. Suppressing a shiver, Dami stood still for a moment, retracting his roots -- though they were not physical, and had no tangible presence for anyone else, he had learned the hard way that this step was necessary.

His first instinct was to enter the Djalia and ask for help, but something, some voice deep within himself, faint and barely audible, told him not to. It would be some hours before he realised he likely would not have heard the voice if he had not already been speaking to his heart.

* * * * *

Dieumerci had always felt calm in storms. There was something soothing about them. Most people, even his own family, often expressed surprise at his uncanny ability to sleep through even the most violent thunderstorms. Dieumerci, or Demé (pronounced døme) as he preferred to be called usually, felt himself falling asleep as the thunder gently rumbled in the distance. He'd be asleep by the time it was overhead, probably. The sound of the rain, to Demé, was like the crowd. They always felt so far away. So distant. Faint at times. He knew, intellectually, that they were right there. He knew that he was hearing a deafening roar when they cheered. And yet... this isn't what he felt.

Demé closed his eyes and drifted. Reliving his last game for Georgstead Albion, surrounded by so much green he could smell it. Taste it. That was one good thing about the Limey Isles, he supposed. He never felt far from nature. Not like in other countries. Osarius was horrible for that, actually. All steel and concrete. Machines and lights. Lots of countries were like this, but Osarius was particularly bad. Sharktail felt similar in some ways, but not so overtly ... industrial.

His father often spoke about the "old days" in Akach, when each man worked the land upon which he lived. When farmers traded and bartered freely, and everyone had enough. But those days were before Demé was born. Or at least before he could remember. He could only remember the times when his family had little food, even though in the next town over, they had plenty. Some had said this was because of the greed of the Osarians, but Demé had witnessed others in his village stealing from the grain house. So who were the greedy ones, really? He tried to speak to his father about it, but those conversations often turned ugly. So he stopped. Besides, Emmanuel had relocated his sons to Osarius, while repeatedly saying the Osarians were the reason for others starving. How did that make sense? Demé had seen no starving children in Trothwands. Yet back in Grizenza, people were dying. They weren't that far apart, so how could it be that the farmers in Akach were so much worse than the ones in Fourge? Despite all that, some part of Demé missed Akach. Things were simpler there, at least.

Cʜɪʟᴅ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ Dᴇʟᴛᴀs. Fʀᴏᴍ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ғʟᴇᴇ? The thunder roared. Demé sprang from his rest, eyes darting about. "Who's there?!" He shouted, hands out, ready to fight.

Yᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴɴᴏᴛ ʀᴜɴ ᴀᴡᴀʏ ғʀᴏᴍ ʏᴏᴜʀsᴇʟғ. The thunder growled, like an angry leopard.

"I'm not running from anything! Why run from things I don't fear?" He said. "And I am NOT afraid of you either!"

Demé almost believed himself. For the first time in his life, it was not his sanctuary. The rain hammered the windows of the hotel room he was staying in. The thunder shook him to his bones. For the first time in his life, Demé stayed awake throughout an entire storm.

* * * * *

Dami was taking a break from his soulsearching. He had been instructed to find "the boy with golden hair, lost in the fields of green" and... it was not going well. But it had only been one night, he reasoned. It had taken him decades to find himself after all. Though there was a sense of urgency that lingered. This was not a search he could afford to be leisurely about.

For all the pain it caused him at times, he still enjoyed watching football. He could usually ignore the pangs he felt, remembering who he used to be. That was a different life, he told himself. A life he left behind. The Cobrio national team was looking strong again, which was great to see. There was something distinctly Cobre about the way Marvelous Koleoso's side approached the game, and some part of Dami, the part once known as Odell, felt drawn to it. Compelled, almost, to document it. To understand it. To preserve it.

"...and in other news, Jraxville FC have again missed out on the opportunity to sign Akachese-Cobre wonderkid Dieumerci Pourrien." The image cut to a shot of the young footballer, looking disgruntled on a football pitch. His golden blond hair contrasting against his deep brown skin. "Pourrien is said to be close to agreeing a move to Tikariot instead, with Viathyn Park AFC having agreed a $3m fee with Trothwands Evolution. The teenage attacking midfielder has featured twice for Cobrio during the current World Cup qualifying campaign-" Dami stared, letting the sound of the television fade into the background. The camera panned around Dieumerci, revealing a sea of green jerseys around him. "Or a field," he said, to nobody in particular.

He grabbed his notebook computer and booted up a web browser, searching for tickets to Cobrio's next home game.

by **Aleirave** » Wed May 28, 2025 12:06 pm

Take Me Anywhere Other Than Home
Shep 3-5 Aleirave
Aleirave 2-4 Calgasia

An 0-1-2 start in their first three home games was a far from ideal situation to be in for the Seagulls of Aleirave, but try as they might business was just not getting down to business at the Old Grounds.

This could be attributed to a few potential factors, with various levels of fan cope embedded in each one of them. From the least to most copium-laden, the reasons cited on m.esh were...

1. It's a slow start. They happen.
Oh, the slow start. Something that was more associated with the mainlanders than it was the Islanders, but definitely not something of an alien concept by any stretch. It wasn't really the goalscorers' fault -- their production wasn't as far down as you would expect from a slump like this -- but the blame could squarely be pinned on Falena Rukipiato, who was taking a little while to acclimate to the environment of World Cup Qualifiers. Perhaps it was finally her age catching up to her, or maybe the wind was blowing the wrong way. In any event, Haulafo was going to be starting Tatyana Yusenika for the match against Pyazhnaya, to see if she can calm the bleed at all.

2. The home energy is gone.
This is the sort of self-fulfilling prophecy that a dejected fanbase starts spitting out after a few bad matches, and it's honestly an understandable take, even if a little bit of an unfortunate one. Home pitch advantage is not just about surroundings, or wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey time zones, (should they even exist in this multiverse, which can be somewhat questionable even on a logical day), but it's also about the energy of the crowd. A pitch such as the Old Grounds, with its extremely limited capacity, is never going to have that fan impact that a larger one is going to have... not that a larger stadium can even be housed, let alone sustained, on such a small island. However, there is a catch to this theory: it explains why there is no home advantage, sure, but it fails to explain why there would be an apparent negative home advantage. This lack of explaining that factor is what makes this more of a cope than anything else. It's almost there as a theory, but at the end of the day it comes off as an excuse to not support your team while simultaneously blaming everyone else for doing the same. Get better. Attend the damn match. There's one against Safiloa soon, fill those lawn chairs.

3. A bad rainy season.
This is where reasons really get into the complete bizarro-world of Aleiravan thought. The idea behind this excuse is that a bad rainy season in Aleirave rendered the Old Grounds unusually muddy, and Aleiravans, mostly playing on either sand or the usually-much-drier Old Grounds, have little experience with mud-ball, allowing other teams with more experience in those elements to get a leg up on them. Literally blaming the team's failures on the weather is such a bad cope, how is this thing even gaining any traction on m.esh... wait, it's m.esh, of course it's gaining traction. People will believe any slop they see on there. Do better.

All in all, yes there are a lot of reasons why people might be thinking Aleirave is doing badly at home, but at the end of the day, sometimes things just don't break your way. For a team such as Aleirave, this pain is well-known. All they can do is adapt to the changing conditions and do the best they possibly can in the upcoming matches against Pyazhnaya and Safiloa, and Haulafo felt like it was time for this team to shine. "Sometimes you have to make a lot of changes to jump-start progress, but I think I'm making some of the right changes... we'll just have to wait and see whether it's enough. I'm optimistic, though. I can't wait for what the future holds."

by **Anewkansas** » Wed May 28, 2025 12:13 pm

Swears flew through the dressing room, closely followed by a boot. You would think you would need to aim to hit the target but the deafening sound of metal studs against ironwork was all Guy Marchand had hoped for. Just as that sound died down, a new one erupted from the stands above his head. He did not need the confirmation, the home audience told him just right that the Emus had scored the equalizer. A perfect evening and incredible victory against a team that had played the knock-outs of World Cup 98… Gone, just like that. Down to ten men, all Guy could do now was pray for his side to cling on to that one point, that meagre result from an amazing remontada that could have made Anewkansas the talk of the town. Could have, would have, should have.

In Guy’s mind the same video looped over and over again. They had been held in a choke hold for the better part of the last twenty minutes but somehow, it seemed as if they could outlast the death knell. In a way, things went perfect: the referee at least had one blind eye and missed slide tackles as much as those cheeky moments where he stepped on the toes of Beralt and Vidya. The whole team knew that was the offer to make. Even Percy, whose almost natural chivalry had held him back at club level before, had swung an elbow when out of sight. It was a confirmation that something was brewing in this very dressing room. Still, Guy envisaged one man as he firmly held his second boot.

Puckett.

Of course, it had to be Prickett. No one doubted that he had made his contribution to the team: scoring the 2-1 just before half-time had energized them to come out all guns blazing after the break. And even Guy would have to admit that he was the one you wanted the ball to end up when under pressure as Puckett could force a moment of fresh air with just one touch. But near the end, having-the-ball had become an Emu thing. Their fans were going through the roof over the, ehm, professionalism in defence but the players themselves remained unphased. Most of all Ella Vidya, who kept asking for the ball and pushing more and more players up the field. With five minutes left, she got a simple pass from Majla near the halfline and dribbled forwards. And Puckett… He just looked. He jogged, yes, technically he jogged. Like a man behind an already departed train, as some sort of performance art. The glaring hole through the middle had to be plugged and Guy, well, Guy at least knew his job. Whether he hit Vidya’s ankle? Probably. Heck, if it would have stopped her faster, he would have gone for the knee or the elbow, for all he cared. Just that one time the referee was too close to miss it.

With his head back and his hand clamped around his left shoe, Guy Marchand counted down the seconds. It had to be already, how many more would… Three whistles. One point. And one shoe that would not need to be forcibly jammed into the frontal cortex of Marcus Puckett.

***

“Here with us, mister Archibald Price, manager of the Anewkansan team after quite the game against Hapilopper. Can you tell us how you feel?”

A thousand-yard stare.

“I think… Flabbergasted, that counts as a sentiment, right?”
“The Turtles kicked off and did well, how come?”
“We had the plan to pray on every loose ball at about thirty meters away from our goal and then just overwhelm them in numbers. And it worked, I guess.”
“One goal, again, from Pershing Major and the first one of the campaign from Juan José Sevilla.”
“That was something waiting to happen. Jay-Jay has been instrumental before for us, so it was a matter of time before he scored.”
“But the Haps were not taking it?”
“Well, as we expected, I think. It was just…”

Price was looking for the right word.

“I am not sure if everyone would still classify this as football.”
“But that includes the effort from our own team?”

A short silence, quite tellingly, said that Price had been caught like a school boy with a hand in the cookie jar.

“Look… When you are behind, your focus is on bringing it home. It is logical that you do not want to speed up the game, deliver more possessions to your opponent.”
“But was the team instructed to play dirty?”
“Play dirty, play dirty… I don’t think we played dirty. We used the rulebook to our advantage, you could say. There is nothing that says you must immediately kick a free kick or …”
“There is.”
“Sorry?”
“There is a rule about that.”

A hesitation from Price.

“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Ok, maybe somewhere in the back. But that’s not that strange, all the teams do it. But if you are a normal team, higher ranked than them, you should first focus on yourself.”
“Are you referring to the incident after the 2-1?”
“I think grabbing the ball out of the hands of the goalkeeper like that is just unsporting. To believe that they left that without a red card while poor Stu got sent off.”
“Stu Miller punched McLamb in the face.”
“I… I would have to watch the images again. I think ‘punch’ would be a big word for…”
“Nope, just a fist straight on the nose.”

Price felt as if this interview was a bar of soap, getting away from him the more he tried to clench it.

“Either way, even if we were, possibly unjustly, down to ten men, I can only say that our side played valiantly. Courageous.”
“And at times a bit lucky. The 3-1 came as a surprise to everyone.”
“Not to me. We knew that Perkins would keep sending guys to the frontline as time ticked on and that creates chances.”
“According to the statistics, that goal from Doucouré was the only touch inside the box from the second half. Compared to 79 for the blue and green.”

By now Price only nodded, as the ‘it is what you do with it that counts’ would feel too cocky for what had followed.

“Would you say that the Turtles imploded near the end?”
“No… No. I think we were worn out after playing with one man less - as I said, possibly unjustly…”
“He just suckerpunched him in the face.”
“... Possibly, I said. Either way, it took its toll.”
“Two splendid goals from the Haps and then…”
“Yeah, then…”

Both parties were playing back the video of the last ten seconds in their minds. The final corner kick from Jamie Hause, the scramble in front of the goalmouth with saves and shots interlaced with enough faults to hand out a baker's dozen of cards. One of those had hit Hapiloppian striker Pinto in the stomach. As he sank to the ground, Marcus Puckett tried to clear it but just smashed it straight in his face, with the rebounding ball hitting the net simultaneously with Pinto hitting the deck. Ridiculous. Clumsy. Lethal. The match winner did not regain consciousness until the final 3-4 score had been confirmed with a firm whistling from the referee.

“Could you agree that this was a deserved victory for Hapilopper?”

By now, Price looked a little punchdrunk.

“Deserved, deserved, … Maybe they had possession. And the chances. And the dominance. But is that really ‘deserving’ to win? After all it is about the goals and…”
“And they had more of that as well.”
“Yeah… Yeah.”
“And in different news, do you believe the fan theory that Marcus Puckett is cursed, considering his involvement in a lot of late turns of fortune?”

It was not a firm reply, but the muttered words from Price still reached the listeners.

“This interview is over.”

by **Archalit** » Wed May 28, 2025 12:35 pm

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

Upcoming Match | In 7 days
National Team vs HUElavia

Upcoming Match | In 13 days
National Team vs Valanora

Current Standings
#  Group 10                           	Pld	W   D   L	GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 3 Archalit                             	4	2   1   1	12   10   +2 	7

8 weeks until WC99

It had been a while since Alex felt this excited about anything. He thought back to those moments leading up to his high school national finals and the nerves that shot through his body on the car ride there. He remembered seeing the Charkara skyline in the passenger’s seat as his dad drove him to the team’s hotel. Back when he still dreamed of playing in the World Cup someday, and how he fought so desperately to take home the title and become the team MVP.

He took a deep breath as his hands tightly clutched the steering wheel. Trying to calm down, he glanced at the GPS to make sure they were headed the right direction, but his nerves wouldn’t budge. He clicked his tongue and gestured towards his passenger. “H- hey, not gonna lie, I’m f- feelin’ hella nervous right now,” he stammered, chuckling at himself. He loudly groaned, almost yelling at his brain for being so caught up in his thoughts.

“Hey man,” Nik said, turning away from his phone to face him, “don’t think too hard about it. It’s a six-week camp, so you’re gonna have your chance to calm down.” As with Alex, Nik was coming to compete in the Archalit National Trials, a six-week all-expenses-paid training camp at which the national soccer team would pick out their World Cup team for the next cycle. Seeing as the team hasn’t competed in years and their last appearance saw them missing out on even the Cup of Harmony, a competition the national team once medaled in, they were certainly looking for young blood. “Well, if you wanna distract yourself, who do you think’s gonna be there anyways?”

Alex snickered at the phrasing before coming a bit alive at the thought of it. “Hmm.” He took a minute to think over it, making audible interjections before starting his answer. “Leine’ll be there for sure.” Madeleine Olson, the 22 year-old phenom from Ironpeak, was an utterly dominant force through the university circuit. Alex once had to face her in his third year, and remembered that game very clearly. Certainly, it was no help that her team completely destroyed his own 5-0. “And, umm,” he took another brief pause, “Gunner Reynolds might be there too?”

“Oh right, he was a superstar soccer player,” Nik replied, nodding. Gunner Reynolds is a celebrity actor in Archalit, but got his start as a reasonably successful soccer player in high school and university. “Man, this is gonna be so fun.”

“I think we’re here,” Alex said, turning into a massive parking lot. As he looked at the building they were coming into, his eyes widened. “That… wow.” He couldn’t say much else, but he didn’t need to. Before them, at least a kilometer away from the nearest building, a massive building which must’ve stretched at least a kilometer stood, with a big bold sign on the wall at the front reading TRIALS. He found a parking spot and the two got out and briefly gazed at the majestic building before them.

“No way they did all this for the trials, right?” Nik said half-jokingly. He stroked his chin as they began walking towards the building. “This is probably a factory they redesigned for this,” he thought aloud.

“And you’d be correct,” said a voice suddenly standing before them. It took a moment for the two of them to register who it was, but another moment immediately clarified it. “Nice to meet you,” the man said with a smile.

“Lyndon… Nightmare?” the two said, mouths agape. This was the most famous athlete in all of Archalit. You could hardly find a house in which no one knew his name. And yet, standing before them, that imposing and legendary figure greeted them.

Lyn smirked, but his conceit surely went over the heads of the two stunlocked invitees. “Follow me, the assembly is just ahead.” He led the two towards and inside the imposing building. Alex and Nik could see other people walking around and being brought inside, smiling at each other.

Inside, a massive assembly of a few hundred people, all soccer players, in a reasonably large gym, were gathered. The lights were dim, but it was still possible to easily make out people in the packed crowd. As people trickled in, Alex and Nik started pointing people out. Madeleine came in shortly after them, Gunner Reynolds had already been there and was making small talk with other participants, Nik pointed out one Ayesha Al-Maaki who he’d apparently been self-proclaimed rivals with in middle school, and they both recognized the massive Cash Diamond. If not for his imposing height, then at least for his massive build.

“Hey, is that…” Nik started, pointing out someone in the crowd.

“Kyler Cross?!” Alex said, keeping his voice down so as to not draw attention to himself. “I totally thought he fell off after 9th grade?” This Kyler was nothing like he remembered from his final high school years when he was no longer serious about going pro. “The guy looks like his 14 year-old self again,” Alex said. Perhaps he was half-amused, but Alex furrowed his brow and crossed his arms, unable to suppress his nerves. Kyler was a force to be reckoned with in 9th grade, and in that shape, he would not be a pleasant individual to compete against for a NT spot.

It almost looked like Kyler had noticed and began to approach us, but before anything happened, the lights dimmed further and a spotlight shone on the stage at the end of the room. On that stage stood a podium and one person, Kanoa Faye. Former footballer, tennis player, and apparently the new head coach. Everyone in the room quickly turned to face the stage as Kanoa began talking to the crowd.

“Welcome to the Archalit National Trials of Soccer. I am the head coach and the organizer of this selection camp. Before me, I see 300 of the brightest talents in Archalitian soccer.” She threw her hands out. “I have brought the fastest, the strongest, and the brightest football players from the whole nation into this assembly, and it is now up to you. Fight for your position, fight for your place, and you most passionate 24 will be selected to represent us in the 99th World Cup!”

As she paused her speech, murmuring in the crowd began. Nik counted his fingers. “300 into 24… I see.”

“Look to your left, and look to your right. Among the 25 people closest to you, only two will make it onto this team. Each week, your performance will be scored and the lowest scorers will be eliminated. You have the next six weeks to use these facilities to turn yourself into a world-class player.” As she spoke this, audible clunks could be heard as the doors around them unlocked and opened. “Go ahead, get prepared, the trials will begin first thing in the morning.”

by **Ko-oren** » Wed May 28, 2025 1:07 pm

Orentalini Newspaper, p. 12

Renewable homes - a form of defence spending
Eshialand PM Labbett welcomes refugees
By Saki Tseitsuden and Raneem Qaid (Dhidiyah Daily)

What started out as a visit to Eshialand and a small expo on renewable technologies going hand-in-hand with day-to-day life, turned into a lesson on what passes for defence and foreign aid spending.

Ko-orenite Constellation member Irithoren has been looking for stable Esportivan nations to trade with as the territory balances its role in the Constellation with its role in the region, and in both, it is attempting to punch above its weight. As such, reporter Raneem Qaid is working on a series of stories on exactly that - and a great starting point was prime minister Labbett's press conferences. The politician attempted to unveil a sustainable neighbourhood, but as expected, the moment was taken up by questions about Vielfaltig.

To illustrate why this is the perfect microcosm of events, Irithoren is looking to build sustainably by looking at examples in Ko-oren - as long time leaders in ecological building all the way from construction to the creation of communities and neighbourhoods - as well as more local examples to both get an idea what works in the area climate-wise and material-wise, and scout out potential companies and capital to help the rocky territory to realise their goals. At the same time, as noble as green goals are, there is the daily reality of old school zero sum international politics, with the Constellation wrestling control away from Ko-oren and towards the territories themselves, and in Esportiva as Marigny (and, slightly less relevantly but no less important to have heard of, the Tumbran Northalnds) are looking for self-determination of their own.

Prime Minister Labbett invited refugees to live in the newly constructed houses, tying both themes together better than any story we could have come up with.

Despite vigorous hand-raising of both Qaid and the author of this piece, there was no window for us to pose a question to Kevin Labbett, though it is safe to say that no questions adressed the housing project.

Bringing you the first look at the qualifiers for the 99th World Cup.

Pickers of Loyo (pot 7) and Kwrpania (pot 8) are straight up laughing as they take their dirt cheap choices all the way to the bank! The modest teams are second and first in their groups, respectively, though Loyo, at four wins from four, are second in their group, while Kwrpania (3-1-0) are first. And Oscioru - remember them? - come in from pot 9 and have shot up to second place on three victories as well. Add Al-Tamazgha to the mix and that's the four best cheap picks you could've had by a country mile.

On the flip side, Myrtle Beach (pot 3) sitting at a single draw so far, as well as Qusmo (1-0-3, with one defeat versus Oscioru) and pot one Crpostran (0-3-1) are the absolutely unluckiest sides so far. Crpostran's fall has been dramatic, painful, and strange, given their meteoric rise from pretty much nowhere. Margaret giveth, Margaret taketh away, but rarely doth Margaret so in such quick succession.

After just four games, everyone's cycle is still fixable.

Other teams with a positive factor so far: Audioslavia (picked by 52%) have picked up a pretty good amount of Fantasy Points. HOT-DAMN (picked by 70%!) are having an above-average cycle as well, at nearly the same price as Audioslavia, a few points less, but still in the top 25 of performers. One other team has been picked by more than 50% of our experts - Dhemixia - and despite one statement win (3-6 over Melbergia) two losses to open the campaign hasn't really provided the hype that was expected.

by **Kwrpania** » Wed May 28, 2025 1:14 pm

SPORT

OUR HEROES - Blistering start, controversial upset send Electric Eels top

KWRPANMAP, CAPITAL PROVINCE – Three wins and a draw from the first four games see the Kwrpan national team in first in Group 4 of World Cup 99 qualification.

The first ever international game on Kwrpan soil saw 269th-ranked Pakhomiya come before a 40,000-capacity sellout at the National Stadium in Tydebwg. Eager to spend time free of their seemingly rather oppressive government, the visitors started the brighter, with striker Vladislav Obamnikov getting his head on the end of a cross by defender Pakhomiy Ivanov to give them the lead. Two goals in quick succession, the first from striker Vabwpro-pyt after an incisive through ball from winger Pykpytyr-myf and the second from center back Fandwrsw-vyz during a goalmouth scramble following a corner, settled the crowd, only for Dvachevskiy to strike back almost immediately to level the tie again. At the end of first-half stoppage time, Magnws-rym, having assisted the second goal, returned to their natural instincts by lashing home a shot from the edge of the area. Central midfielder Vabwpetob-zok would relight the attack after the break, taking a layoff from winger Taftyr-mwń and curling a beautiful shot from 30 yards out into the side netting. Fandwrsw-vyz would later get their second, again assisted by Magnws-rym, as they were in the right place in the right time to deflect a ripping shot following a set piece. With less than ten minutes to go, Magnws-rym would get his brace after Vabwpetob-zok did the hard work, jinking through multiple defenders and then squaring the ball around the onrushing keeper for the talisman to lay into an empty net. Dvachevskiy would get his second late on, bundling home a ball that midfielder Solovyov had slid into the six-yard box, but it would only be a consolation as the Kwrpan side registered a statement in their first game of World Cup qualification.

The second game of the group stage would mark the most important moment in the history of Kwrpan sport, and perhaps a contender for the most important in national history altogether. Travelling to the Stade Colonial in Juvencus to take on the 10th-ranked side in the world, the defining feature of the game was an extremely unsettled performance by referee and former Aleiravean international Valentina Resneyeva. Witnessing what appeared to be a clear trip on Magnws-rym by Juven defender Carlo Callejon, Resneyeva pointed to the spot and sent Callejon for an early shower, sending the Kwrpan bench alight amidst a hostile reception from the passionate home crowd. Despite clear video evidence showing that Callejon made no contact with Magnws-rym, Resneyeva maintained the penalty and red card, and the striker converted from the spot with a thumping shot into the bottom left corner, running off to be mobbed by his teammates and most of the bench. With the Juven side reduced to ten men, the Electric Eels' undermatched talent suddenly had space to work, and flowing attack after attack battered the Juven goal. Keeper Bardhyl Imeri had an excellent performance, making double-digit saves throughout the game, but he would be beaten again by Taftyr-mwń making a late run into the box and coolly slotting the resulting shot into the bottom right corner, again prompting the Kwrpan bench to pour onto the field in celebration. Constant boos and whistles were the soundtrack of the match, as a furious home crowd protested the previous decisions by Resneyeva as well as numerous yellow cards given throughout to the home side, before entering the field itself to chase her out of the stadium following the full-time whistle. With the match drawing the highest ratings ever for a sporting event on Kwrpan television, news of the victory spread like wildfire, and thousands awaited the Kwrpan side at Tydebwg International Airport as they returned from the match.

Quakmybush were next for the Electric Eels, with another capacity crowd at Sunset Coast Arena welcoming the 163rd-ranked side. After all the drama and excitement of the first two matches, this one would be relatively straightforward, with Magnws-rym opening the scoring after just four minutes, heading home an excellent set piece delivery from Magnws-rab. Five minutes later, the striker would get his second, with KNAF winger Venzemzwb-pyt delivering a beautiful cross along the ground that Magnws-rym would slide and stretch to knock home. That would be the end of the scoring, with the Quakmybush side providing extremely little in front of goal, and a rotated Kwrpan side working on building cohesion rather than pushing forward for a third.

One of only a handful of teams to take three wins from their first three games, the Kwrpan side travelled to Jeruselem high on confidence. Per orders from the Office of Public Decency, this game was not aired on Kwrpan television, and most of the details have not been made available for domestic media consumption. We do know, however, that Railways striker Vabwpro-pyt scored a brace for the Electric Eels, while striker Loretta Haligtree did the same for the hosts.

Up next for the national side is another massive test as 24th ranked Eshialand travel to Reńban and the South Province Football Development Center, before travelling to Arrosia and the Busoga Islands to take on the 8th-placed team. Eshialand have struggled to begin their campaign, despite being the Pot 2 side in the group, with a disappointing loss to Sudilia and draw with Quakmybush having them looking to kick on with a victory against the Electric Eels. Both matches, as with all remaining World Cup qualification matches, will be broadcast live on KBN1, with pre-match coverage beginning two hours before kickoff. Tickets to Kwrpan home matches are available at www.kff.co.kwr/byva.

Kwrpania 6-3 Pakhomiya
National Stadium, Tydebwg, North Province, Kwrpania
Lineup: Fakswr-rof; Synydwb-pyt, Petobsw-nam, Fandwrsw-vyz, Mamzwb-bab; Pykpytyr-myf, Vabwpetob-zok, Magnws-rab, Taftyr-mwń; Magnws-rym, Vabwpro-pyt
Scorers: Obamnikov 12', Vabwpro-pyt 21', Fandwrsw-vyz 23', Dvachevskiy 26', Magnws-rym 45+2' (Magnws-rab), Vabwpetob-zok 48', Fandwrsw-vyz 68', Magnws-rym 83', Dvachevskiy 89'

Juvencus 0-2 Kwrpania
Stade Colonial, Pomena, Juvencus
Lineup: Fakswr-rof; Synydwb-pyt, Petobsw-nam, Fandwrsw-vyz, Mamzwb-bab; Pykpytyr-myf, Vabwpetob-zok, Magnws-rab, Taftyr-mwń; Magnws-rym, Vabwpro-pyt
Scorers: Magnws-rym 15', Taftyr-mwń 72'

Kwrpania 2-0 Quakmybush
Sunset Coast Arena, Bezbenpam, West Province, Kwrpania
Lineup: Pytwr-map; Petobzoz-tyb, Fandwrsw-vyz, Petobdwb-dob, Mamzwb-bab; Venzemzwb-pyt, Vabwpetob-zok, Magnws-rab, Taftyr-mwń; Magnws-rym, Magnws-fen
Scorers: Magnws-rym 4', Magnws-rym 9'

Jeruselem 2-2 Kwrpania
[INFORMATION CENSORED BY ORDER OF THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC DECENCY]
Lineup: Fakswr-rof; Synydwb-pyt, Petobsw-nam, Fandwrsw-vyz, Mamzwb-bab; Pykpytyr-myf, Vabwpetob-zok, Gofanws-vyn, Taftyr-mwń; Magnws-rym, Vabwpro-pyt
Scorers: Vabwpro-pyt 20', Haligtree 21', Haligtree 45+1',Vabwpro-pyt 75' (Synydwb-pyt)

Kwrpania vs. Eshialand
South Province Football Development Center, Reńban, South Province, Kwrpania
Projected Lineup: Fakswr-rof; Synydwb-pyt, Petobsw-nam, Fandwrsw-vyz, Mamzwb-bab; Pykpytyr-myf, Vabwpetob-zok, Magnws-rab, Taftyr-mwń; Magnws-rym, Vabwpro-pyt

Busoga Islands vs. Kwrpania
Orange Field, Dukuma, North Islands, Busoga Islands
Projected Lineup: Fakswr-rof; Rynropeka-mwń, Fandwrsw-vyz, Bezypman-bof, Petobzoz-tyb; Pykpytyr-myf, Magnws-rab, Gofanws-vyn, Taftyr-mwń; Magnws-rym, Magnws-fen

SPORT

Bright League matchdays one through six: Dynamo early leaders as DTSclub bring up rear

Central 4–3 Tranquility
    [CENT] Mwfpensw-gyv 7' (Segdwb-fen)
    [CENT] Venzemzwb-myf 34' (Pabofen-nam)
    [TRNQ] Petobwń-nor 55' (Fyrek-nam)
    [CENT] Mepezwba-nam 60'
    [TRNQ] Reńebme-bok 64' (Petobwń-nor)
    [TRNQ] Venzemtyr-map 88' (Vabwzyb-kes)
    [CENT] Mwfpensw-gyv 90+2'
DTSclub 3–1 Sunset Coast
    [DTS] F. Leifsdóttir 15' (G. Vilhjálmsson)
    [SNST] Magnws-rab 16' (Petobfen-bof)
    [DTS] G. Vilhjálmsson 33'
    [DTS] Á. Sigurdsson 90+1'
Dynamo 3–0 River Society
    [DYN] Foraf-naf 55'
    [DYN] Rynropeka-gyv 62'
    [DYN] Rynropeka-gyv 90' (Petobdwb-zok)
Foresters 1–2 Railways
    [FOR] Mepezwba-naf 31' 
    [RAIL] Tafzwba-vyn 34' (Fyrek-rof)
    [RAIL] Vabwpro-pyt 49' (Tafzwba-vyn)
Ironworks 1–1 National Fisheries
    [IRON] Magnws-rym 51'
    [NTFS] Pykpytyr-myf 66'
KNAF 4–2 Mist Valley
    [MIST] Rynropeka-pyt 11'
    [KNAF] Synysw-myf 19' (Tafzwba-tyb)
    [KNAF] Mepzab-mwń 22' (Gofanws-vym)
    [MIST] Denrefwp-bys 77'
    [KNAF] Venzemzwb-dot 77' (Mepzab-mwń)
    [KNAF] Tafzwba-tyb 88'

Central and Tranquility got the league off to an excellent start, with Central center-back Mwfpensw-gyv dramatically slotting home a penalty in added time to win the curtain-raiser for the big city side. The new boys got off to a perfect start, as goals from Leifsdóttir, Gunnar Vilhjálmsson, and Sigurdsson secured them a victory over neighbors Sunset Coast. Dynamo eased past River Society in a relatively dominant win, as goals from center back Foraf-naf and striker Rynropeka-gyv in the second half sent them top of the league. Foresters took the lead, and held it for only three minutes, as Railways striker took a break from scoring for the national side to finish off a cross from winger Tafzwba-vyn and secure three points for the capital side. Ironworks and National Fisheries started their seasons with a relatively boring draw, despite national team star Magnws-rym opening his account for the season, while left back Venzemzwb-dot scored one of the most bizarre goals in Bright League history to lift KNAF over Mist Valley after his long hit off his side's kickoff routine was caught by the stiff sea winds and floated over national team starter Fakswr-rof.

Tranquility 3–0 Mist Valley
    [TRNQ] Fyrek-nam 13' (Bwgdwb-fen)
    [TRNQ] Venzemtyr-map 69' (Vabwzyb-kes)
    [TRNQ] Bwgdwb-fen 70' (Petobsw-nam)
National Fisheries 4–2 KNAF
    [NTFS] Magnws-fen 7' (Pykpyzwba-nam)
    [NTFS] Magnws-fen 47'
    [KNAF] Mepzab-mwń 72' (Gofanws-vym)
    [NTFS] Mepzab-bof 73' (Petobdwb-fen)
    [KNAF] Venzemzwb-pyt 78'
    [NTFS] Petobdwb-fen 82' (Gagwpwt-zok)
Railways 1–1 Ironworks
    [IRON] Rynropeka-fen 60'
    [RAIL] Foraf-bab 76' (Tafzwba-vyn)
River Society 3–2 Foresters
    [RVS] Sobeta-zok 25' (Vepybwń-nam)
    [RVS] Konoztyr-rym 39'
    [FOR] Mepzab-rab 47' (Mamzwb-bab)
    [FOR] Mwfpentyr-bof 86' (Pabofen-nor)
    [RVS] Vepybwń-nam 90+5' (Pytwr-zok)
Sunset Coast 1–0 Dynamo
    [SNST] Mepesw-mwń 40' (Pykpyzwba-pyt)
Central 1–0 DTSclub
    [CENT] Bwgdwb-bab 23' (Pabofen-nam)

Tranquility bounced back from their opening-day defeated with a dominant victory over Mist Valley, featuring a blistering two-goal-in-two-minute run to take a game in the balance and put it well past their River Province opponents. National Fisheries overcame capital rivals KNAF in a back-and-forth game, starting with a brace from recent national team debutant Magnws-fen. Ironworks yet again failed to win in a very slow start for their title hopes, while River Society got an important early victory with a dramatic late winner from striker Vepybwń-nam. Sunset Coast got their first points on the board with a narrow victory over Dynamo, while Central made it six points from six by doing the same in DTSclub's first road game in the Bright League.

DTSclub 1–1 Tranquility
    [TRNQ] Petobwń-nor 45+3' (Petobzoz-kes)
    [DTS] G. Vilhjálmsson 46'
Dynamo 1–0 Central
    [DYN] Petobdwb-zok 6' (Mykar-pyt)
    [CENT] RED Mwfpensw-gyv 32'
Foresters 2–1 Sunset Coast
    [FOR] Mepzab-rab 6'
    [FOR] Mepezwba-naf 10'
    [SNST] Mwfpensw-nam 12' (Mepzab-pyt)
Ironworks 1–1 River Society
    [RVS] Konosw-rab 45+1'
    [IRON] Rynropeka-fen 50'
KNAF 3–4 Railways (Capital Clash)
    [RAIL] Foraf-bab 11'
    [KNAF] Tafzwba-tyb 12'
    [RAIL] Fyrek-rof 25' (Robentyr-map)
    [RAIL] Vabwpro-pyt 41'
    [KNAF] Gofanws-vym 44'
    [RAIL] Rynropeka-pyt 50' (Foraf-bab)
    [KNAF] Mepzab-mwń 86' (Gofanws-vym)
Mist Valley 2–1 National Fisheries
    [MIST] Denrefwp-bok 36' (Mepezwba-myf)
    [MIST] Denrefwp-bok 61' (Mepezwba-myf)
    [NTFS] Pykpytyr-myf 64'

DTSclub and Tranquility found a rather strange way to play out a 1-1 draw, scoring within sixty seconds of each other on either side of the halftime break, while Dynamo returned to winning ways in a testy game over city rivals Central that saw the first red card of the season, with Mwfpensw-gyv putting in a high and hard tackle on Dynamo winger Mykar-pyt that saw him receive an immediate dismissal. Foresters finally got on the board with a win over Sunset Coast that saw all three goals scored within the first dozen minutes, while Ironworks recorded their third straight draw in a very lax performance against River Society. KNAF continued their run of high-scoring matches, this time losing the first Capital Clash of the season in a game that was never truly close, despite the scoreline. A brace from Denrefwp-bok was enough to get Mist Valley on the board as well, as Mepezwba-myf turned provider either side of halftime to lift them over National Fisheries.

Tranquility 2–4 National Fisheries
    [TRNQ] Petobwń-nor 20' 
    [NTFS] Venzemsw-bym 28' (Nenzabyv-nor)
    [NTFS] Venzemsw-bym 32' (Nenzabyv-nor)
    [NTFS] Pykpysw-fem 39' (Magnws-fen)
    [NTFS] Magnws-fen 50' (Bwgsw-pes)
    [TRNQ] Vabwzyb-kes 88'
Railways 0–2 Mist Valley
    [MIST] Petobzoz-pyt 29' 
    [MIST] Petobzoz-pyt 38'
River Society 5–3 KNAF
    [RVS] Mykar-tyb 14'
    [RVS] Fyrek-nam 22' (Mykar-tyb)
    [RVS] Mykar-tyb 42' (Sobeta-zok)
    [KNAF] Tafzwba-tyb 45' (Synysw-myf)
    [RVS] Vepybwń-nam 78'
    [KNAF] Tafzwba-tyb 81'
    [RVS] Konosw-rab 85' (Mykar-tyb)
    [KNAF] Mepzab-mwń 87'
Sunset Coast 3–0 Ironworks
    [SNST] Mepzab-pyt 45+3'
    [SNST] Pykpyzwba-pyt 68' (Mepzab-pyt)
    [SNST] Mepesw-mwń 83' (Petobsw-nam)
Central 5–2 Foresters
    [CENT] Pabofen-nam 2' (Venzemzwb-myf)
    [CENT] Vabwpetob-zok 18' (Pabofen-nam)
    [FOR] RED Mybwbzoz-mwń 27'
    [FOR] Mepezwba-naf 31' (Robensw-map)
    [CENT] Mepezwba-nam 46' (Vabwpetob-zok)
    [CENT] Segdwb-fen 50' (Bwgdwb-bab)
    [CENT] Mepezwba-nam 59' (Vabwpetob-zok)
    [FOR] Mepzab-rab 90+5' (Mwdgas-zok)
DTSclub 2–4 Dynamo
    [DYN] Mykar-pyt 8' (Gofanws-sob)
    [DTS] H. Vilhjálmsson 28'
    [DTS] Gagwsob-nam 48' (G. Vilhjálmsson)
    [DYN] Rynropeka-gyv 50'
    [DYN] Gofanws-sob 70' (Mykar-pyt)
    [DYN] Petobdwb-zok 79'

National Fisheries continued their warm start to the season with a win on one of their two trips south, as a first-half flurry put them in a comfortable position to cruise to the finish. Mist Valley striker Petobzoz-pyt scored a brace of first-half penalties to lift them over Railways, while River Society won an eight-goal thriller against KNAF. Ironworks continued to struggle as Sunset Coast delivered a thumping on a trip out west, while an early red to Foresters keeper Mybwbzoz-mwń for cynically saving a shot outside his penalty area set the stage for a comprehensive victory for Central. Dynamo went behind away in Frjálshöfn, but three second-half goals were enough to lift them to yet another win in their strong start.

Dynamo 4–2 Tranquility
    [DYN] Segdwb-nam 14' (Petobdwb-zok)
    [DYN] Segdwb-nam 25' (Taftyr-map)
    [TRNQ] Petobwń-nor 47' (Petobzoz-kes)
    [TRNQ] Petobzoz-kes 58' (Venzemtyr-map)
    [DYN] Petobdwb-dob 87' (Segdwb-nam)
    [DYN] Synydwb-pyt 90+5' (Rynropeka-gyv)
Foresters 1–0 DTSclub
    [FOR] Robensw-map 35' (Pabofen-nor)
Ironworks 4–0 Central (Tydebwg Derby)
    [IRON] Taftyr-mwń 4' (Gofanws-zok)
    [IRON] Magnws-rym 13' (Gofanws-zok)
    [IRON] Magnws-rym 30' (Petobyr-pyt)
    [IRON] Rynropeka-fen 67'
KNAF 3–2 Sunset Coast
    [KNAF] Gofanws-vym 18' (Venzemzwb-pyt)
    [KNAF] Tafzwba-tyb 44' (Venzemzwb-dot)
    [SNST] Mepzab-pyt 79'
    [KNAF] Tafzwba-tyb 90' (Pykpyzwba-zok)
    [SNST] Mepzab-pyt 90+1'
Mist Valley 1–2 River Society (River Derby)
    [RVS] Konoztyr-rym 40'
    [RVS] Konoztyr-bof 52' (Mykar-tyb)
    [MIST] Denrefwp-bok 64'
National Fisheries 1–1 Railways
    [NTFS] Petobdwb-fen 9'
    [RAIL] Fyrek-rof 30' (Robentyr-map)

Dynamo made it four wins in a row thanks to two goals and an assist from striker Segdwb-nam, while a single goal made the difference as Foresters overcame DTSclub on the new side's first trip to the South. The first Tydebwg Derby of the season saw the debut of the Ironworks team that was expected to appear in preseason, as they thumped rivals Central with a brace from Magnws-rym. There was late drama in the capital as braces from Tafzwba-tyb and Mepzab-pyt dueled in a narrow KNAF win over Sunset Coast, while the first River Derby of the season saw controversy as River Society defender Konoztyr-bof appeared to handle the ball before slotting home the eventual winner just after halftime. Stormy weather kept chances at a minimum as National Fisheries drew with Railways.

Tranquility 3–1 Railways
    [TRNQ] Venzemtyr-map 30'
    [RAIL] Foraf-bab 48'
    [TRNQ] Petobwń-nor 57'
    [TRNQ] Reńebme-bok 90+5' (Petobwń-nor)
River Society 1–1 National Fisheries
    [NTFS] Venzemsw-bym 43'
    [RVS] Konoztyr-bof 60'
Sunset Coast 3–3 Mist Valley
    [SNST] Petobfen-bof 8' (Petobsw-keb)
    [MIST] Denrefwp-bok 10' 
    [MIST] Bezypman-fem 21' (Denrefwp-bys)
    [SNST] Mepesw-mwń 28' (Petobsw-nam)
    [SNST] RED Petobfen-bof 30'
    [MIST] Denrefwp-bok 45' (Pykpytyr-byz)
    [SNST] Mepesw-mwń 81' (Mwfpensw-nam)
Central 3–1 KNAF
    [CEN] Mepezwba-nam 28'
    [CEN] Mamzwb-myf 64'
    [CEN] Segdwb-fen 82' (Bwgdwb-bab)
    [KNAF] Rynropeka-mwń 90+2' (Tafzwba-tyb)
DTSclub 1–3 Ironworks
    [IRON] Synydwb-byń 10' (Rynropeka-fen)
    [IRON] Robenzwba-pes 42' (Magnws-rym)
    [DTS] Taklik 45'
    [IRON] Magnws-rym 79' (Gofanws-zok)
Dynamo 2–0 Foresters
    [DYN] Rynropeka-gyv 56' (Petobdwb-zok)
    [DYN] Gofanws-sob 75'

Tranquility got their second win of the season as defender Reńebme-bok used his pace to get on the end of a clearance and slot the ball into an empty net following a desperate Railways corner, while National Fisheries again kept their defense rock-solid but not solid enough to leave Zońkwsed with a victory. Sunset Coast and Mist Valley saw the game of the matchday as an early flurry of goals was stopped by a controversial straight red card to winger Petobfen-bof for an alleged elbow to the face of Mist Valley fullback Pykpytyr-byz, as a late strike by Mepesw-mwń leveled things in the West. Central cruised to a victory over KNAF, as did Ironworks over DTSclub, though leaders Dynamo took the better part of an hour to make the breakthrough against a clearly outmatched Foresters.

Dynamo lead the league with a quarter of the season in the books, with city rivals Central close behind and ahead of early surprise River Society, up in 3rd from their pre-season prediction of 11th. Ironworks sit outside IFCF competitions after their uncharacteristically slow start, while Tranquility and Sunset Coast will look to improve after their successes last season. DTSclub prop up the table in their first Bright League season, despite conceding only half as many goals as 10th-placed KNAF. KNAF striker Tafzwba-tyb takes the clear lead in the race for the Golden Sword, while Dynamo keeper Petobwń-map has sparked the best defense in the league with the lead in the Golden Shield for leaders Dynamo.

   League Table          Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Dynamo                  6    5   0   1    14    5   +9    15 
-----------------------------------------------------------------
 2 Central                 6    4   0   2    13   11   +2    12
 3 River Society           6    3   2   1    12   11   +1    11
 4 National Fisheries      6    2   3   1    12    9   +3     9
-----------------------------------------------------------------
 5 Ironworks               6    2   3   1    10    7   +3     9
 6 Railways                6    2   2   2     9   11   −2     8
 7 Tranquility             6    2   1   3    14   14    0     7
 8 Sunset Coast            6    2   1   3    11   11    0     7
 9 Mist Valley             6    2   1   3    10   13   −3     7
10 KNAF                    6    2   0   4    16   20   −4     6
11 Foresters               6    2   0   4     8   13   −5     6
12 DTSclub                 6    1   1   4     7   11   −4     4
IFCF Champions League
IFCF Challengers Cup
Golden Sword (Most Goals)
        Tafzwba-tyb     KNAF            6
        Denrefwp-bok    Mist Valley     5
        Petobwń-nor     Tranquility     5
        Rynropeka-gyv   Dynamo          4
        Magnws-rym      Ironworks       4
Golden Spear (Most Assists)
        Petobdwb-zok    Dynamo          3
        Gofanws-zok     Ironworks       3
        Gofanws-vym     KNAF            3
        Mykar-tyb       River Society   3
        Mykar-pyt       Dynamo          2
Golden Shield (Most Clean Sheets)
        Petobwń-map     Dynamo          3
        Gofanws-bof     Sunset Coast    2
        Vepybwń-zok     Foresters       1
        Pytwr-map       Ironworks       1
        Fakswr-rof      Mist Valley     1

POLITICS

Meet the Parties: Homeland set for worst result in decades

A national election is coming up, and with it, comes the chances to introduce the Kwrpan political system, and parties, to the wider world.

When it comes to political institutions in Kwrpania, Homeland is up there with the Constitution itself as a bedrock of the nation. With the party having formed the government, either by itself or in coalition, in all but three of the last twenty Kwrpan governments (with one of those being the interim military government twenty years ago), the party has deep roots in a way that no other party does.

Homeland professes itself to be a party for all Kwrpan, explicitly adopting a "big-tent" philosophy that can lead it to have differing, and sometimes contradictory, stances in different areas of the country. Throughout the country, Homeland professes extremely communal economics, with the party strongly backing the state ownership of utilities and even control of certain industries, such as fishing. Within cities, especially in the national heartland of the North, Homeland politics is largely socially liberal, with moderate support for the communal societies that dominate Kwrpan social life, alongside a tacit acceptance of, if not an outright encouragement of, immigration, especially from neighboring Pavolan nations seen as "more developed", and thus able to provide institutional knowledge towards the growth of the Kwrpan economy. In rural areas, however, this dynamic is flipped entirely. Rural Homeland deputies are noted for their support of specific communal societies, specifically those that espouse conservative and otherwise traditional Kwrpan values, as well as their opposition to immigration. A particular issue within rural areas is the perceived assault on the traditional Kwrpan faith by "modern values" and religions such as the Catholicism of neighboring Graintfjall. Homeland have attempted to run strongly on these issues - however, in recent times, the growth of Kwrpan Union and (in the South) the Southern Movement have eroded support for the party on these aspects. Given the concentration of single-member constituencies in rural areas, even a slight drop in support for the party may lead to a significant shift in seat totals, especially in the South.

However, this government has seemingly failed to live up to the governing history of their predecessors. With the growth of the left in Kwrpan politics, especially among young people, has come a growing concern about democratic institutions and general personal freedoms. While Kwrpania is, at the core, a fundamentally free nation - freedom of speech, religion, the press, and assembly have been guaranteed to one degree or antoher for decades - Homeland has spent much of the last several years attempting to chip away at these rights, with the Law on State Security (3965-18), which would have, among other things, allowed police to investigate media organizations that published inaccurate information, allowed national authorities (which otherwise have little power in police matters, as policing is a provincial issue) jurisdiction over any crimes relating to multiple provinces, and allowed the State Ministry for Public Information additional powers over censorship of the domestic and especially international press. The "multiple-province crime" clause has been especially controversial, as the broad scope for interpretation left open the possibility for relations as simple as the suspect having a Kwrpan National Bank account (which naturally operates in all five provinces) to give national authorities jurisdiction, thus de facto completely eroding local police powers.

While the security bill itself could have passed, the stabbing of Our Democracy leader Robensw-maspetobdwb-bof during a rally in the West Province capital of Bezbenpam marked a decisive turning point that set the path to the current election campaign. Allegations were immediately made that connected Homeland youth activists to the stabbing, while apparent inaction from national authorities lent credence, regardless of their veracity, to claims that the party itself was behind the attack. With the opposition coalition of Our Democracy, Progress, and United Workers drawing thousands, and then tens of thousands, in protest on the streets of major Kwrpan cities, it was a group of rural deputies that broke the back of the government, with their fears of potential election defeat coming alongside a continuation of this course sparking their push away from the current government.

It doesn't seem like it will matter, though. The Southern Movement has grown rapidly over the course of the last several years, and now significantly outstrips the support they had at the last national election. Uniquely, and in a potentially fatal blow to Homeland regardless of results elsewhere, the small size of rural constituencies in the South and the existing political structure means that with as few as 30,000 votes - an increase on the 19,315 that they received in the last election - the Southern Movement could take most, if not all of the ten seats in the South, which at current party balance may allow them to play kingmaker between coalitions on the right and left. It does seem certain, however, that Homeland will no longer face a simple path to government - and may end up in the truly unfamiliar territory of opposition.

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by **Valanora** » Wed May 28, 2025 1:26 pm

The start of the qualification campaign had done gone the way that Ellzidan had hoped it would, nor the way that she and the rest of her staff had prepared the team for. While the coaching staff acknowledged that this was going to be a far more difficult group to try and navigate than one might have thought, that the team had already dropped points in a pair of games and had looked very unconvincing in their trip to HUElavia was ringing alarm bells back in the Empire. That was the standard here in Valanora, failure to capture full points in every game was seen as a failure, though it was a bit harsh it was hard to not understand why when you looked to the Marauders illustrious history and the standards the team has kept itself to as well as what the fans expected of it. The team had not earned those five championships through the power of hope alone, they had been well earned through hard work on the training pitch to get better and to holding one another to the highest of standards, such as lead by the example of the captain Laborious Hawk. The team had never settled for less than attempting to be the very best that had ever played the sport and that was not about to change under her watch.

Ellzidan was not sure where the issue was though as the defense was failing to live up to its standards and the offense was failing to click at their usual rate despite having Hawk leading the attack along with Imre Haaland, one of if not the best striker in all of the sport right now. Perhaps it was in the midfield where both Winkel and Strömberg were on the wrong side of thirty, but their performances at the club level had not yet seemingly fallen off, both of them having stellar domestic seasons. Those great domestic showings was why they had managed to retain their starting spots even as the elf has given the roster a thorough examination before the qualification campaign began and evaluated each position. That she failed to find a different starting eleven to the one that had been the usual starting eleven during the last World Cup cycle was good and bad, as the side had retained their quality but that there had been no one that came up through the national pool to challenge those comfortable in their spots in the national team perhaps was a bit concerning with the next few World Cups in mind.

That was a problem for another time though, right now she had to find a way to get her team playing the fluid, attacking football that was her calling card and why she had been hired and Millet let go. Millet had done well with the Marauders, she had taken them to the World Cup Final, though she lost in perhaps one of the most lopsided Finals on paper in recent history, but her biggest detriment was she played in a way that did not gel with the Vanorian footballing culture. It had been that culture and how she fit it in that stead was why she had been hired ahead of other candidates, though her first cycle in charge had not lived up to her expectations either. It was the same sort of issue then as it was now but now it seemed amplified, there was an inconsistency among the squad even with some of the best players in the sport in the team, perhaps it was something of complacency. She did not want to think that complacency was an issue but it was hard not to consider after the team had made two Finals in the previous cycle, with both the World Cup and the ARC, but then struggled through qualifying and was eliminated early in the World Cup.

The team had struggled at the start of the ARC as well but had managed to find their groove after a handful of games under their belt, before eventually falling short at the Final for a second straight edition. It was still a bitter end to the tournament, another penalty loss to the Red and Blacks, but it also showed that the team could get their act together. She would give them team a good talking to the day before the match, get them to buck up their ideas and try to shake loose any ideas that anything was to be assumed, that there was any reason not to take every match and make it the most important match in your career. Vanorians had quite the sense of pride once you got underneath the politeness and stoicism that they liked to employ to hide their true feelings about whatever was happening. If she could question their pride and make them fight for it with every fiber in their being, then she believed the team would easily turn their fortunes around. Brusseldorf in Capri would provide a good place to get the team's morale back up before a trip to Archalit really tested if they took her words to heart, as their hosts currently were sitting in third with them. It was a pivotal window for the team and the manager, she knew that, and anything less than four points and she expected her seat would start to get a bit warm.

by **Recuecn** » Wed May 28, 2025 1:32 pm

A Kinder World
Chapter 3

Prologue I | Prologue II | Prologue III | Prologue IV | Prologue V

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

Gerauld Firaut, who'd been captain of the ÉNRF just a few months ago, still wasn't used to not having to be at the games anymore. The strike was such a huge disruption to his regular schedule, especially now that the strike had expanded to affect the league matches as well.

There had been a meeting of the old ÉNRF squad—the twenty-three players who'd been on the team for the IAC—where they'd collectively decided that simply refusing to play for the Reçuecian flag wasn't enough. To really stand up for what they believed, they'd have to stop playing for any organization that was under the FNRF, and that included Le Championnat as well. The choice proved immediately rewarding, as the hundreds of professional players playing in Le Championnat soon flocked to join the strike.

At that meeting, the players had worried whether or not that would happen. "Maybe we'll be the only ones who care," Cutrona had said, "and with just twenty of us, the whole thing will be pointless."

"It's still worth doing the right thing," replied Franky."

Gerauld, however, had had other concerns. He mentally scolded himself as his thoughts wandered during the meeting—surely his priorities were out of order. But all he could think about would be what it would be like for his personal schedule. There would be no practices for Reçueçn FC, where he'd been goalie for fifteen years now; no games on the weekend; no training sessions with the ÉNRF; no international travel for the qualifying games... what was he going to do with all his free time?

It turned out that the protests kept him plenty busy. Rébecca and Samantha, Gerauld's daughter and wife were leading the fight for women's inclusion, organizing protests and coordinating efforts with supporters across Reçueçn. Gerauld threw in his efforts behind them and soon the Firaut household became the headquarters of the movement.

Gerauld put his efforts into organizing support for the striking players, creating a mutual assistance program among the athletes to provide for those who were struggling as the strike cut into their income. Many of the players, particularly in the Deuxième Championnat, were not huge celebrities and didn't have millions of guilders in their bank account to fall back on in a pinch. With no money coming in from the league, some worried about paying the rent. Gerauld coordinated among the bigger stars who had become quite wealthy to help anonymously cover housing and food costs. Happily, many of the wealthy soccer stars in the country were among the old ÉNRF squad, since in theory those were the nation's twenty-three best players. And since that squad was the one where the movement had started, with the most dedication to the cause, many of the richest athletes gave generously to their colleagues in need.

In addition to coordinating mutual assistance, Gerauld found himself rapidly thrust into a leadership position in the player's union. The union had existed prior to the strike, but it had never played a large role, and even the strike itself began as a grassroots movement, not a union decision. But the union endorsed the protestors and called for a general strike when the ÉNRF squad indicated a desire to strike against domestic matches as well. Then it asked Gerauld to take an advisory role during the strike and even to negotiate with the FNRF when the time came. Gerauld had accepted, and suddenly now he was busier than he ever had been even when he had a job.

Unfortunately, there was no negotiation to be done yet. The FNRF, led by the hardliner Michèle Simon and her assistant Yves Sabatier, refused to negotiate over the strike. Instead it had blacklisted striking players, canceled the season, and instructed clubs to assemble new squads for next year.

So, in the meantime, the protests continued. Samantha invited leaders such as Eveline Martel, Jeanne Chartray, and notable athletes who had signed up to support the cause like Abelie Fontana. Much of the more detail-oriented planning was done by Samantha, Jeanne, and Eveline, but it was always Rébecca who provided the energy and inspiration whenever the frustrating situation threatened to discourage everyone else.

Gerauld had already been popular on social media. Now Rébecca was becoming the family's second star. When she wasn't encouraging the protest organizers working in their home, Rébecca would get on her phone to make posts and videos championing the cause. Even the strike's most staunch opponents found themselves forced to admit they could see the other side of things when faced with a video of the fifteen-year-old girl pleading with them to let her realize her life's dream.

Samantha, Eveline, and Jeanne soon came up with a few ideas for things the protesters could do.

"Let's play an exhibition match in execution square. Everyone's hungry for soccer games with the league season canceled. Let's have some of the strikers give them what we want, but we can use the match as an excuse to hold a rally."

"The scab squad is still playing qualifying games in the Stade National. The FNRF will have the police disperse protesters if we assemble on the stadium grounds, but let's hold a march in the street there during a match."

"We should see if we can get some more big names to back our cause. Maybe Jacques Tremblay, or Minister Lassalle."

It was decided the first plan of action would be to hold protests during home matches. There had been a few protesters holding signs outside the Stade National when Wentzville came to play, but the next home match was against West Barack and East Obama, and the protesters planned to be there in force.

Matchday arrived and a crowd of thousands had assembled in the street in front of the stadium. Attendance was down, with fans less excited about watching the scab squad (or boycotting matches entirely in support of the protests), and Gerauld wondered how the size of the crowd in the street compared to the number of fans actually in the stadium that day.

The protesters carried signs and chanted slogans. "Honte à la fédération! Égalité dans la nation!" they repeated. Rébecca (and many other women in the crowd) held signs in French, German, and English, that read "Laissez-moi jouer!" "Let me play!" Eveline Martel had a banner that said "Accés au sport pour tous!" Franky Adams was there, with a sign that said "Let Girls Play!" Many of his teammates were there, holding placards reading "Licornes en grève". But Gerauld was most proud of his own sign, which he lofted above his head so all could see its big block letters: "SON PAPA LA SOUTIENT."

Noise flooded the streets. You could hear fans in the stadium cheering in the pauses between the protesters' chants. Police cars approached to disperse the march, sirens blaring. Jeanne Chartray had given Gerauld and Rébecca a megaphone and made them climb up on top of a car to address the crowd before things were shut down.

"Thank you all for being here today," Rébecca said. "It means the world to me that you are all here to support the rights of women and girls like me to share my dreams of playing professional soccer in Reçueçn. They may be on their way to shut us down right now, but we are on the right side of history, and sooner or later the federation will see that. I beg you, for my sake, please stay strong and stay standing. With your support, the day is coming soon that I'll be able to lace up my cleats alongside my father."

Gerauld went up next. He could see the police vans turning onto the end of the street, and officers pouring out of them wearing riot gear. "As that scab squad continues to play in the stadium behind you," he yelled into the megaphone, "they are saying that equal rights for women don't matter to them. As the federation blacklists players who stand up for their principles, it is telling us that it cares more about its pockets than the sport it was created to serve."

"Shame!" yelled the crowd.

"But as you stand here in front of me, you are making the statement that access to sport is a universal right! That it is a crime to bar an athlete from competition on the basis of prejudice, whether gender or anything else!" The crowd cheered.

The riot police were at the edges of the crowd now, pushing their way in with their shields. They yelled at the protesters. "Dégagez!"

Gerauld yelled one last line into the megaphone. "And I—I am here because I believe in a kinder world! I believe in a world where women are free to do what they want! A world where no one will tell my daughter what she cannot do! A world where she and I can be teammates! And I am willing to fight to bring that kinder world into existence for her."

The police fired tear gas canisters into the crowd, and Gerauld was drowned out in the screams and coughing as the protesters dispersed, leaving behind only their dreams and an empty street.

by **Gyaromia** » Wed May 28, 2025 1:50 pm

The Partisan Lászvár Stadium, it's a ground that has witnessed history, but nothing was quite like the fixture that was about to unfold.

It didn't really seem like an all that entertaining matchup. Oberour Ar Moro vs. Gyaromia. Even as Gyaromia had home advantage, they were clear underdogs against the 41st ranked in the world, with them at exactly 200th.
The Gyaromians were coming off a 3-2 win away from home against Sajnur, but the first two matchdays weren't too kind to them. Still, they had some momentum heading into this fixture.
The Oberour Ar Morians on the other hand, were 3 points above Gyaromia after the third matchday. Their attacking football has earned them high scoring matches, and it directly contradicts Gyaromia's pragmatic and defensive style of play.
Tickets were surprisingly sold out, although international football at this time is a pretty big deal in the country.

As the referee blew for kickoff, the energy was already felt, even before the match began. The players, coaches and everyone else on the pitch saw trails of smoke coming from the home end, as the Gyaromians had brought in pyrotechnics, although some were prohibited by groundsmen, ultras always find a way to sneak them in.

16' DEMISSERRICHE GOAL (A)
Oberour Ar Moro started strong, and the Gyaromian back line was already feeling the pressure. Relentless pressing by the away side resulted in an early goal, in the 16th minute, after a corner, striker Daniel Demisserriche headed the ball into the bottom corner, past a stunned Bálint Kósza in goal.
37' [P] VINCZE GOAL (H)
Gyaromia was down, but not out. As a Mármarosi cross hit a hand in the away penalty box, and after a VAR check, the referee pointed to the spot. The entire stadium erupted into cheers, but des Aloz could still save it.
Norbert Vincze stepped up, and slotted it into the bottom left corner. Calm composed, and now it's even at 1-1.
45' DE GOUNESSE GOAL (A)
The guests hit back right before the break, as winged de Gounesse cut inside, dribbling past Mark Szollár and blasting it off the far post, into the goal, right outside the penalty area.
HT GYAROMIA 1 - 2 OBEROUR AR MORO
The Gyaromians could say they would've, and could've done better, and to concede like that right before half time was a shame. Still, they shouldn't get their hopes down, as there is a whole other half to score. Tamás Hegedüs, Gyaromia's head coach, pretty much yelled at his team for 15 minutes, and it would safe to say that they got the message, and they needed to give 110% this match, just like every match.
49' MÁRMAROSI GOAL (H)
Gyaromia's Mármarosi made it level, three minutes after the half time break. After Norbert Vincze made a run in behind the Ar Moro defense, and after an inch perfect through ball by István Fekető, Vincze passed the ball to Mármarosi who was wide open, and he had an open goal which he slotted the ball in. The score is level again at 2-2.
56' DEMISSERRICHE GOAL (A)
Demisserriche scores again for Oberour! As a result of a sloppy pass by Mihály Vlada, Balise Lebouf quickly got on the ball and cut it back to Demisserriche, who blasted it past Bálint Kósza.
61' LEBOUF GOAL (A)
Oberour Ar Moro make it two in the span of five minutes! Balise Lebouf made a quick run in behind Gyaromia's defense, and after a cross from Piere de Baingneus, slotted it home into the bottom corner.
73' NEMETH GOAL (H)
Youngster András Nemeth, substituted on in the 64th minute, got the ball in midfield by Levente Dancs playing out of defense, who then proceeded to dribble past midfielder Grant-Pont, and putting in a supern curling effort. The stadium was shaking, now that Gyaromia had a chance to comeback, and the 17 year old has kept hopes alive.
90 +3' BALOGH GOAL (H)
After the referee allocated five minutes to be added on as stoppages, the Gyaromians continued to throw everything they could at the Ar Moro defense. Until Mármarosi won a corner, and stepped up to take it. As calm as he could, but trying not to waste time, he put in the cross, right onto defender and captain Levente Dancs, who had an open goal to head into after goalkeeper des Aloz misjudged the ball. The entire stadium was shaking, and one side was covered in green and white smoke.

FT GYAROMIA 4 - 4 OBEROUR AR MORO
Gyaromia and Oberour Ar Moro put in a masterful attacking display at Lászvár, and for Gyaromia, it keeps the qualification hopes alive as next up they face Al-Tamazgha, recently on a legendary run, currently in a top 3 spot.

Still, it was a weaker side than Oberour Ar Moro on paper, but Gyaromia, if they could continue this good run of form they could ease past them.

Hegedüs, on the other hand, saw an issue. Mihály Vlada and Mark Szollár were lacking in defense. He needed to make some changes. Lukács Ráduly hasn't really shown himself yet, and Tamás thought the best option was to start him instead of Szollár. Instead of Mihaly, on the other hand, Patrik Bodoni will start. With fresh legs on the team sheet, the defensive line is looking more solid at the moment, and Hegedüs and his coaching staff will look to prepare them to start for the first team. Even though last time he made changes like that against Kwrpania in the BoF, the match ended in a 3-2 loss, Tamás has faith in his players. Because Al Tamazgha doesn't really have any specific information tied to them, the Gyaromians were going into this game blind as bats. Still, every Gyaromian had faith for the next few fixtures, as they are must win, and decide the fate of this qualifying campaign.

by **Dhemixia** » Wed May 28, 2025 2:03 pm

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The Columbus Dominion(Est.1873)
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Regressing to the mean any% WR

4 games? Really? FOUR? The Dhemixians did a funny and released an eldritch being beyond our comprehension in the span of FOUR MATCHES? Forget Doug McMahon, this is peak Craig Kelly behavior (the most incompetent college handegg coach of all time). By no means is 6th place "good" in a WCQ group that takes the top 3, but at this stage you're gonna take it considering you survived most of the hard matchups on their first run through. There definitely is a world where we see the Dhemixians get through, regardless of how many Drawkians say otherwise while doomscrolling at work, but that's going to require the Serpents upsetting a higher ranked team, something they've consistently done anything but in WCQ competition. Let's take a look at how they got to this point, and how they can come back, shall we?

As mentioned at the start of the qualification cycle, Ko-oren is a team that plays "post-football". Essentially, that means minimal offensive action, and probably an average of 1.5 goals scored per match for both teams. As they themselves put it, "If they don't score, they don't win!". Coming into this matchup, you'd expect a 1-0 Dhemixian defeat, considering practically every Ko-orenite final score ends in some variation of 1-0. In reality, this match would end up unleashing a hypothetical eldritch beast beyond our comprehension. There's good news and bad news to this. Good news: Dhemixia scored! That goes against everything post-football's philosophy on winning stands for! Bad news: Ko-oren scored three. With the most defensive squad maybe ever. Without a manager.

After opening a Pandora's Box of sorts by allowing Ko-oren to score more than 2 goals in a match, here, ladies and gentlemen, the Dhemixian side enters a graceful yet painful free fall. Of course, it only makes sense to go from playing a maximum defensive squad to a maximum offensive squad, because this is World Cup Qualifying, and Maggie does what she wants. Trying to start some momentum, since that's apparently the only thing that allows a Serpents team with plenty to prove like this one to win, Doug McMahon and company fumble the bag for a second MD in a row. Against Oberour Ar Moro, Dhemixia entirely forgets that they're no longer playing "tower defense: the football team", and immediately lets in two first half scores. Despite the efforts of an exhausted Marvin Bolton, an individual born in being left out to dry on the pitch, the Dhemixians just can't find the equalizer, and end up letting that one goal deficit snowball into a three goal deficit. Grant Clarke finds one late, burying a coast to coast beauty into the bottom left corner, but it's a day late and a denarius short. For what appears to be the Nth time, the Serpents fall to 0-0-2, and eventually just fizzle out mid-table.

The latter half of that pattern begins in MD3, against Thaeloria. In an effort to gradually climb back up the group, McMahon puts a steak dinner on the line for the whole team. I think the 3-1 scorelines says it all. The better part? The Dhemixians scored all 4 goals. Drew Sanford was the unfortunate soul who just so happened to head a corner into his own goal, but aside from that, the Serpents were flawless. The same goes for Melbergia, as well. McMahon puts another steak dinner on the line, and the Dhemixians score 9 goals. Granted, 3 were own goals by WIlliamson, but the inflated scoreline on both sides is explainable by the torrential downpour during the game. No surface was safe, as the entire field was plunged into a state with negative friction, forcing a couple balls off the keeper.

Regardless, the harder leg of the Dhemixian climb back up comes with a price. Sajnur away in MD6, and Evil Swole Santa with his similarly evil and swole elves from The Holy Empire on MD5 are in the way of this attempted ascendancy. Despite the fact that the Dhemixians have found a combined 9 goals (for their own team) out of nowhere the last two matches, McMahon's gonna have to offer a LOT more than a steak dinner if he wants to pull some massive upsets here. We'll just see how far into debt he has to go to convince his side enough to go the distance.

Schedule

~~MD1: vs. Ko-oren~~ L 1-3 (T-9)
~~MD2: @ Oberour Ar Moro~~ L 2-4 (T-7)
~~MD3: vs. Thaeloria~~ W 3-1 (7th)
~~MD4: @ Melbergia~~ W 6-3 (6th)
MD5: vs. The Holy Empire
MD6: @ Sajnur
MD7: vs. Al-Tamazgha
MD8: @ Doubeia
MD9: vs. Gyaromia
MD10: @ Ko-oren
MD11: vs. Oberour Ar Moro
MD12: @ Thaeloria
MD13: vs. Melbergia
MD14: @ The Holy Empire
MD15: vs. Sajnur
MD16: @ Al-Tamazgha
MD17: vs. Doubeia
MD18: @ Gyaromia

by **Squornshelan Remnant States** » Wed May 28, 2025 2:03 pm

RP Cutoff for Matchday 5 & 6 for Groups 1-5

Since this is all made up anyway, why not visit a land of Pure Imagination (albeit a bit of a weird one) while you wait.

by **Vielfaltig** » Wed May 28, 2025 2:07 pm

SPORT: Excitement fails to bring results as Knights remain unbeaten

MONTEBELLO: The Knights entered this cycle of Qualifying as relative newcomers, and a tricky group draw meant really limited prospects for the team. This did not deter hopeful fans, though, as they wanted to see the same fire from this team as they saw in their bronze finish in the preceding Campionato. Hahn's stewardship so far had ensured a solid start to the campaign, maintaining two clean sheets and securing a win. It was expected that the performances would keep getting better as the team was getting in their groove and soon would be firing on all cylinders. The Knights were soon presented with this opportunity as they took on the side from Gnejs at the Luminova Park in Montebello. The 55k capacity stadium was practically filled to the brim for what was a much anticipated encounter. We were up against the 38th-ranked team in the world, and this was one of the tougher matchups we would have to face. Hahn remained true to his tactical setup as he looked to absorb as much pressure from the Dandelions as possible. This worked in the opening half an hour as the Knights were set up solidly and looked quite threatening on the counter when they got the ball. The tricky bit with such an approach is naturally that any mistake would be punished heavily, and absorbing so much pressure made the Knights susceptible to mistakes. With half time quickly approaching, the defence switched off for a few seconds, which gave Andersson just enough space to make a run down the wing. Experienced teammate Cornelius Ceder was arriving in the box, and a low cross from Andersson found Ceder almost perfectly as he gently guided the ball in the far corner. The goal occurred so quickly that Ramos could hardly react to the move and was stuck on his feet as the ball crashed into the net. This was an unfortunate goal to concede with the half-time whistle going moments later, and now the Knights had a deficit to undo if they were to take anything away from this game. Hahn was confident in his players, though and rallied them to go out there and play for the thousands of fans who had turned up to watch them in action. The second half began with a completely rejuvenated Vielfaltigian side who were on the front foot and took the game to their opponents. This attacking initiative from the Knights worked as the Dandelions were slow coming out of the halftime break and failed to neutralise the threats posed. We ended up equalising in the 52nd minute through Profeta, who scored from outside the box after finding himself in space. This, however, was the last goal of the game as the energy fizzled out from both teams. The rest of the game was relatively dull as the game ended with one goal apiece and one point apiece for both sides.

A draw at home against Gnejs, while not the most impressive result, was still a good result given their prominent standing in the world of football. This was a solid point to carry into an important away encounter against Bostopia. Hahn entered this game with a reworked tactical setup, having observed certain aspects of improvement and also to take advantage of the Bostopian setup. It was a 4-2-3-1 setup with Felix and Alvarado occupying the double pivot while Gasper played almost like a second striker lurking behind Profeta, who led the forward line. The team for this game was uncharacteristically positive from the very start and pressed their opponents high up the pitch. Despite taking the initiative from the very beginning, it was the Bostopians who got off the mark first by means of a Private Logan Grindle header. The pressure was now firmly on the Knights, who were already a goal down with only twenty or so minutes played. The response came rapidly as Gasper got on the scoresheet just five minutes after conceding. She scored a comfortable goal after rushing into the box to meet a cut-back by Favager from the byline. We quickly doubled down on our lead with a goal in the 38th minute as Roy put in a curved left-footed effort in the top corner. The Knights were on cloud 9 following this quick turnaround, and it was yet again slacking before the halftime whistle that cost us. The Bostopians were as disciplined as military men in their effort and eagerly took advantage of our complacency. In the 44th minute, a loose back pass by Lindsey found its way to Grindle's feet instead of Ramos, the intended target. This allowed Grindle to have an open chance on goal, which he took eagerly, scoring his second goal of the game. The game so far exemplified why perhaps Hahn opted for defensive soundness over attacking prowess, as we seemed no better off than usual. It also appeared that the Knights were simply running out of gas due to the demanding press and slowly started losing control of the game. The Bostopians, with their military fitness, were more than equipped to handle a ninety-minute football game. The tiredness of the Knights came back to bite them as the Bostopians went ahead in the 76th minute, as Grindle got his hat-trick this time finishing off a beautiful team move with his left foot. It seemed like the three points were all but certain for Bostopia. The Knights, however, were not ready to give up just yet, and with just two minutes of regular time remaining, Lindsey equalised with a powerful header off a Wehnar corner. The game ended 3-3 and was the most entertaining game of the Knights' campaign so far. The result, however, was quite disappointing, as the Knights failed to secure a win yet again. The Knights sat presently in fifth place with six points and games against Vdara and Solgavden to come. Vdara at home will be a marquee matchup as the 29th-ranked side looks to build on its good start to the campaign with its fourth win. Solgavden, on the other hand, will be a game we should be looking to come away with all three points and a win there will be crucial to our campaign.

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by **Katzeburg** » Wed May 28, 2025 3:19 pm

Wentzville 1-3 Katzeburg
M.Ret 36’ // Wruck 50’, 57’, Plank 86’

Possession - 34% // 66%
Shots on Target - 4 // 16
Shots - 10 // 24
Fouls - 19 // 14

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

Player of the Match - Wruck (KAT)

Katzeburg 1-3 Kelssek
Field 14’ // Pogbacar 21’, Niemi 72’, Moore 90+2’

Possession - 45% // 55%
Shots on Target - 7 // 10
Shots - 13 // 16
Fouls - 15 // 10

1 Whinery, 2 Herman, 3 Clarkson, 4 Morton (Knepp 65’), 5 Colbert, 6 Plank, 7 Horsfall, 8 Spears (Lynton 65’), 9 Arkwright, 10 Wruck (Hobbs 65’), 11 Field

Player of the Match - Pogbacar (KEL)

Take A Chance On Me - The Forgotten Parties Vying For Your Vote

By Antony Rotweiss, KBC Election Correspondent

When the millions of Katzeburgians eligible to cast their voice on voting day, many will no doubt be doing so to select the person or party they think is best to lead not only their local constituency, but the nation as a whole.

However, as with any election since the Revolution, there are those who wish to make this great occasion a tad sillier or focus their voice so harshly onto a single topic that their need to run for parliament becomes something of a hindrance rather than a pathway for change. We here at KBC love a good candidate, and that's why we're highlighting a number of candidates and parties across the country who are running in this general election to bring the full power of unbiased journalism to your living rooms. Here are just three of the parties voting for your votes come polling day, along with some of their policies and a chance at being voted in come the end of counting.

Mark Anderson, The Parking Party - Running in Katzestadt Central

Anderson, a former city councillor and avid cyclist, is trying to unseat the incumbent leader of the Katzeburgian Greens in the intercity seat of the nations capital, running on what on the surface appears to be a one issue ballot - parking in the city centre. Anderson has a simple proposal, but one which if it could somehow be enacted would send shockwaves through the infrastructure setup of the nation - ban all car parking on city streets.

After suffering one too many close calls with motorists, Anderson formed the Parking Party to push for the removal of cars from the roads in cities, with his logic being if cars cannot park on roads, then they will either be forced into limited car parks and therefore increase safety or be forced to be removed from the roads altogether. When asked by KBC how to address other matters on the national agenda, Anderson simply replied “remove parking.” He currently polls at less than 2%.

Jeffrey Marchland, The “We Hate Doug Adams” Party - Running in Hangpifel and Surrounds

Every good village has it's fair share of petty drama, but it's a rare case that this drama boils to the level of national politics. Marchland and the titular Doug Adams of his party are next door neighbours in the northern stretch of Hangpifel, and over the years have been embroiled In a bitter feud which has escalated from leaving passive aggressive notes on each others doors to spending serious amounts on political advertising.

Marchlands platform is simple and could be easily summed up by his interview with KBC, where he started by saying “My platform is simply one high enough to push Adams off to an early grave.” Marchland indicates that should he somehow be elected, his priority would be to pass legislation banning anyone from being called Doug Adams as well as prosecute the current Doug Adams for a littanty of offences including trespassing, grand larceny, and running a quiz night while unregistered. In worrying news for Adams, Marchland is polling at 25%, which may keep him in the running past initial preferences.

Lord Bristol the 34th, The Katzeburgian Silly Party - Running in Konigpool South

Lord Bristol, or Avie Morris as he prefers to be called on legal documents, is the token Silly Party candidate for this year's election, with the historical party running on a platform echoing life prior to the Revolution to highlight to prospective voters how ridiculous it would be to go back out of democracy. Lord Bristol has been lovingly designed by Morris to be a pastiche of former Katzeburgian lords, with some standout silly policies being the reimplementation of serfdom across the country, the reinvigoration of the country's slave trade (long since banned prior to the Revolution) and a declaration of war on the international waters surrounding Katzeburg.

There are some truly ridiculous policies in there as well, such as the removal of free education, and the lowering of tax for the highest earners - moves Lord Bristol told us “were only in there for a bit of a laugh”. Rather worryingly, Lord Bristol has done too well of a job carrying voting favours, with the Silly Party on track to be a bit of a kingmaker for the seat, with their 10% voting tally likely to swing the battle between the Katzeburgian Greens and the Katzeburgian Alliance.

What candidates have your vote? Is there an interesting candidate running in your seat? Let us know by contacting the KBC News Team.

by **Drawkland** » Wed May 28, 2025 3:22 pm

Drawkland's Amusement Parks

HERRIO FAIRE COMPANY

FOUNDING

Despite being a rival to Seven Pennants Parks nowadays, the Herrio Faire Company had rather different beginnings. The company was named after its first location, the humble Herrio Faire located in the western territory of Callagardet. These western reaches are filled with wide-open grasslands, with few settlements in between. Herrio is a smaller, lesser-known town. Most people heard the name from the amusement park company before ever learning there's an actual city with that name, unless they live in the area. Herrio is sometimes dubbed "the most interesting place between Owabrok and Esmereldane," though some people will specify it's the only thing between those two more relevant cities.

When Drawkland experienced its agricultural and rail transportation boom, many of its districts started holding "District Fairs." Other nations may know these as state fairs or agricultural fairs. They typically featured farmer's markets, then quickly added carnivals and even some types of racing in the early years. Some farmers and entrepreneurs in Herrio decided they wanted to compete with the Hizia District Fair, which was located a few hours away. Herrio's climate was more temperate, not getting rain as often, and it was closer to the large population center of Esmereldane. They called it the Herrio Faire, mostly to set itself apart. It was similar to the other fairs of the time, though the early years of Herrio Faire included a special emphasis on horse racing, equestrian events, and equine petting zoos.

With the nicer weather, Herrio Faire was able to stay open longer, becoming more of a seasonal attraction rather than just an annual event. The real breakthrough came about 10 years into the Faire's existence. The early rail companies expanded aggressively into the Callagardet territory; relatively flat terrain and plentiful natural resources made it an obvious choice for a company to expand quickly and maximize revenue. However, the railways weren't entirely popular among locals, who felt that the rails fractured the land and stepped on ancient tradition. The bubble popped, and many lines were forced to be abandoned. Herrio Faire's operators had a genius idea. They'd heard of new-fangled "mine cart rides" at other attractions, and figured the scrapped-but-still-functional rails from bankrupt companies would be an excellent inexpensive way to build their own train rides.

Those train rides turned Herrio Faire from a regional draw competing against bigger fairs to its own class of attraction. Thanks to its longer operating season and dedicated parcel of land, the Faire pulled in enough customers to stay afloat for all the warm months. The agricultural elements of the Faire began to diminish, but that was okay considering that Herrio didn't have a lot of interesting vendors to begin with. The Faire owners leaned heavily into the carnival and ride experience, eventually turning Herrio Faire into a bona fide amusement park right as that sort of attraction was becoming wildly popular.

EXPANSION

Herrio Faire was lucrative, but it still had the problem of Herrio itself: it was sort of in the middle of nowhere. Even with rail and automobile travel becoming more and more common for the average Drawkian, it was still a bit of a drive from Esmereldane or the coast. No matter what new roller coasters or rides they built at Herrio Faire, it wasn't enough to draw huge crowds all season. Herro Faire ownership decided that opening a sister location was the only way they'd be able to make REAL money. They holed away their profits from Herrio Faire, keeping the fair itself in the black but saving up to purchase land and building materials in a new area.

The newly-incorporated Herrio Faire Company decided to go for the home run with their new location. Remaining in Callagard's western territory, HFC bought a large plot of land on the banks of Lake Torral. This was a big move. Lake Torral is one of the larger inland lakes in the nation, and its extended area is the densest region in the west. This is mostly thanks to Bellator, the most populous city in the territory and its capital, resting on the banks of the lake. It would be more difficult to establish the new park in such a large market with many things to do, but if it stuck, it would be a reliable moneymaker.

The name Lakeview Fair was chosen for the new location. It was perhaps a little basic, but the name Torral Fair was taken by the local agricultural fair. Ownership originally wanted a different name to try and differentiate from the agricultural fair idea, as the new park was going to focus on the rides and carnival aspect which made Herrio Faire a unique attraction. It struggled for the first few years after the grand opening, until opening two new rides that brought a lot of new visitors to the park. Firework was the first "drop tower" style ride to eclipse the 100 foot mark, and it opened alongside Coastal Cruiser, a wooden roller coaster with a then-record 89 foot drop.

Lakeview Fair became a staple among families and thrillseekers in the Lake Torral area, and the dream of Herrio Faire Company was complete. The consistent income provided opportunities for further expansion. Fire Mountain Fair opened on the north end of Raikennax and quickly took hold, drawing a lot of interest from visitors north of the border in Iarocav's territory. HFC ran with that momentum, building Fun Capital! on the outskirts of Drawk City. This inspired a dozen copycat parks in the Maldhar River Valley, most of which Herrio Faire Company bought or ran out of business years later.

IDENTITY

The more agricultural origins of the original Herrio Faire were mostly forgotten by the time HFC began expanding across the country (though the modern logo does make a nod towards the horse racing days of the original location). After all, the rides are what made Herrio Faire into the juggernaut it eventually became. That said, their new parks were always designed with the natural environment in mind. Trees and terrain were kept in their original condition as much as possible, resulting in parks that seemed to grow out of the ground rather than being dropped on top of it.

While Seven Pennants ran hard on the thrilling side of attractions, Herro Faire stayed true to their roots of prioritizing families. Parks are designed more with kids and families in mind, and while they're not short on fun and exciting rides, it's more about the overall experience than the individual ride dynamics. As mentioned in an earlier article, the "favorite park" for most roller coaster and amusement park enthusiasts in Drawkland are usually Herrio Faire Company locations.

Nowadays the Lakeview Fair (and corresponding water park Lakeview Splash) are the flagship location for HFC, though the original Herrio Faire still receives plenty of traffic throughout the year.

by **Tanirinthia** » Wed May 28, 2025 3:24 pm

THE LAST DIPLOMAT
Chapter Four - The New Era

Several months had now passed since the grand announcement, with neither the grand anarchy or complete nihilism feared by some coming to pass. With the reassurement that Tanirinth was in complete control of access to and from the multiverse, the mood was one of mild excitement and a curiosity about the fact that unbeknownst to the general population a football team representing Tanirinth had not only been travelling the multiverse but had finished third in the last edition of a multiversal football competition. This curiosity had single handedly caused Sebastian to have to hire more staff with thousands applying for multiversal visas simply for go see the team play their upcoming away qualifying matches, with the first ever opened up away game against being against Sea Peoples League, a seeming conglomeration of city states competing under a single banner, which is not only the first public away game but will be the one hundredth qualifying match played by the team so is seeing a surge in applications which Sebastian was desperately hoping would be cleared in time.

That was simply one of the many headaches he was having to deal with at the moment, the one pressing of which was the upcoming first match of qualifying versus Darmen. Darmen thankfully is a nation long established in this competition having first entered in the fifty-sixth edition and therefore is well used to the intricacies of competing across the multiverse. However given the public nature most other departments have all thrown their various demands into the ring and this will be a stress test of our ability to handle all of the competing requests, while still maintaining our obligations to the WCC and the Darmen authorities. He was about to head in the final, heavens he hoped it was the final, meeting where this bloody pamphlet for foreign visitors would be settled along with the visitor identification chips and who knows what other agenda items will be slipped in at the last minute.

A knock at the door jolted him from his thoughts as his assistant informed that everyone had arrived, he breathed deeply, put his face on and headed out to get this bloody pamphlet sorted even if he needed to lock the doors until it was done.

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four

World Cup 99 - RP Thread

MD3/MD4

A Kinder World, Chapter 3

Herrio Faire Intro

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