World Cup 100 | RP thread

[Aphrilia]

PART 5 / Five Aphrilian Colts You Probably Should Know About (Educational, Informal)
Written by Emma Rhodes

As horse racing is a very popular sport in Aphrilia, of course just like many other sports, some names have been etched down into history. The trainers that did everything they could for their racer to succeed, the jockey that guides one every race, the owner who established a forever lasting legacy, and obviously the horses who run in the races. And it's the horses that we should remember more, personally. Whether it be because of the records they were able to set, the victories they were able to accomplish, or maybe because of something not even elated to their careers. Maybe a horse is beloved for the fact that they continue to push forward and face adversity despite not being all that good, maybe they are known for the deep impact they had on those who watched them race when they were active, or maybe it's a cinderella story that enamored the hearts of many (Perhaps even those who don't follow horse racing actively). There's a bajillion other reasons why a horse could be remembered. Maybe they united a nation facing dark times through adoration, maybe they were so strong on the track to the point that owners withdrew their horses because they're scared of facing them, or perhaps the horse itself is such a lovely individual to the point that it's their personality that makes them popular. Plenty of reasons there, agreed?

Hi, I'm Emma Rhodes and this is part five of Racing For Rookies. While covering the races themselves took three parts to cover considering the fact that Aphrilia has a total of twenty six Grade I races (With a schedule that is admittedly very empty for three year olds in the latter half of the year), this part will not take that much... Well at least I hope so. Horse racing is a popular sport, as I have mentioned in the last paragraph. But some horses are able to distinguish themselves from the crowd for one reason or another. And it's not just victories or triumphs that is needed to be considered a popular horse, in Aphrilia, some race horses are popular even if they don't have a winning record. And today is about horses, well, five specifically that I think you should know. Colts, or stallions as we call them once in later age, that I believe you should know about. And yes, I know I just repeated myself there, but I'm serious. Before diving into the chaos of Aphrilian horse racing history considering the fact that there are so many names and horses throughout plenty of eras, these are five colts that you, especially if you're a first timer here, should at the very least know about. And this isn't going to include just horses that raced after the graded system was introduced, trust me! Two of these colts raced before the graded system had been implemented. Either way, here's the list of the five colts you should at least know about before going on your own.

FROZEN WINTERSEA (Purple Heart x Freezing Sea (Depths Below))
RECORD: 27:20-2-1, 13 Grade I Wins including the 1994 Triple Crown (Undefeated) and 1996 Four Season Crown

Frozen Wintersea is often regarded as the strongest racehorse Aphrilia has ever produced, and that's not even a joke. 13 Grade I wins is unprecedented post grade system, and to this day, Frozen Wintersea holds the record for most Grade I wins won by an Aphrilian thoroughbred racehorse. Frozen Wintersea is also the first ever Aphrilian racehorse to have won the Triple Crown undefeated, meaning that he suffered no losses before clinching the 24K Guirnseas, Indianapolis Derby, and St Arthur Stakes. And for context, he ran seven aces before the Guirnseas, including the GI Racing Hopefuls Stakes. He was unbeated throughout his classic year up until the Memorial due to bad weather. And to conquer the Four Season Crown is incredible in it's own right, as he's also the only Triple Crown and Four Season Crown champion. Frozen Wintersea is remembered for his strength on the track, but his personality is also memorable. Off the track, he was always a little goofy with a sense of intelligence at times, but on the track, he was always so serious. So composed and calculating, running textbook races no matter the condition. Thus, he's entrenched into horse racing history here.

MEDALLION STONE (Viewsarenew x Medallion Chalice (Medallion Cross))
RECORD: 61:10-15-12, 1 Grade I Win

Whilst I did briefly mention Medallion Stone when I talked about the Aphrilia Memorial, his career is that of a journey in and of itself. Coming from the ownership of the Medallion name, he was expected to do well. But by the end of his career, he won three Listed races, two Grade III races, four Grade II races, and one Grade I race that being the Aphrilia Memorial for his retirement. Many of these wins were spread out throughout his career, with him earning places and shows being more common. Regarded as one of the most unfortunate horses of his era, he flopped in his classic year and then proceeding to place second in the 2010 Aphrilia International. However, this would end up being one of nine second place finishes in Grade I races both domestically and internationally. Not only that, he has been disqualified twice when he supposedly won a Grade I race, with this occurring in the 2014 Aphrilia Memorial and the 2016 Algada International Duty Championship. Originally considered a sort of one-time wonder with his 2010 International podium, people grew to love him as he got older, persevering in search of that Grade I victory. Medallion Stables made absolute sure that he was always healthy when he raced and took care of him properly no matter the result. And his frontrunning style to take the lead and maintain the pace was seen akin to a knight charging for victory. By the last year of his career, everyone was rooting for him to take home a Grade I win and he didn't disappoint. He's forever remembered as a horse who was at every field, looking for the chance to achieve glory at long last.

SEASONS SONG (Old Season x Charming Romance (Charmed))
RECORD: 29:10-6-3, 4 Unofficial Grade I Wins

He's the oldest horse in this list, having raced in the 1960s. However, the greatest gift that Seasons Song left was his popularization of horse racing to the common man. Known as an "Idol Horse," Seasons Song came from a relatively modest pedigree as both of his parents were one time unofficial Grade I winners. However, when he was young, he suffered from multiple illnesses and this forced him to rest and recover. So much so that he had to make his debut at three years old late into the year. Yet despite that, he quickly garnered attention due to his story and the performances he proceeded to put up. Another thing that made him popular was the fact that he was one of the few horses to have a chevalune (A subspecies of ohia with similar features to that of a horse) be his caretaker, in a time when racism towards ohia was still rather commonplace. His genuine performance on the track, the combination of an unorthodox team taking care of him, as well as winning a head-to-head race against the first ever Four Season Crown champion in Sir Gordon and his victory in his retirement race of the Aphrilia Memorial after having suffered a slump makes him one of the most memorable horses that isn't known due to his achievements before the introduction of the grade system.

REVERENCE (Independence x Common Lady (Mister Ralph))
RECORD: 103:0-7-12

Reverence isn't really known for the fact that he wins. But rather, he's quite known for the opposite of it. He's lost about one hundred and three races straight, both on dirt and turf. He has the personality of what you can only describe to be an arrogant royal, in that he really loves to be pampered and tends to cause a ruckus for whoever has to deal with him. He bounced around before eventually settling down with his current owner, Chris Andrews, about thirty races deep into his career. Though a pain to take care of, he did comply with training and raced alright unless his jockey somehow ends up on the ground, with Reverence never really looking like it was his fault even if it was. His 70th race was when he really became popular, as a news outlet picked up on his losing streak with Andrews commenting, "He loves to race, bit of an ass though. I love him nonetheless and he's good company." This attitude of his also attracted quite the popularity, so much so to the point that Reverence ended up in an arranged mating with 2000 Double Tiara winner Miata and had a foal named Perluscuous, despite the difference in stature. Overall, he's still remembered as "The Losing Prince" who only cared about what he liked and what he wanted to do, and people love him still.

FORTUNE VEGA (Fortune Call x Star Empress (Throne Heir))
RECORD: 31: 14-9-5, 10 Unofficial Local Grade I Wins & 1 Grade I Win

The only fully local horse in this list, but his legacy is that big that I had to include it. Because you see, Fortune Vega is one of Aphrilia's best dirt horses. And personally I would make the argument that he's actually the best of them all. Racing in the late 70s and early 80s, Fortune Vega had a bit of a slow start. But then he started racking up wins. In local racing here, there's a Dirt Triple Crown and a Dirt Triple Tiara, but they are completely segregated for colts and fillies respectively, with a Dirt Triple Coronet available as the "mixed" triple race. Crazy, I know, that's why I chose not to cover local racing and warned you at your own risk if you decided to take a dive. Either way, in his classic year, Fortune Vega snagged the first and second leg of the Triple Crown and then took the third leg of the Triple Coronet, as the races are hosted a month each interchangeably for nine months. He shares a historic rivalry with Furia and Translucence, as they frequently raced against each other very often. In his four year old season, he became Aphrilia's first ever challenger for the Brunstadt Breeders Dirt Classic, the premier dirt racing event of the Brunstadt Breeders Challenge. Whilst this was one of his few finishes outside the top three, he'd rebound to win the race in his five year old season to become the first Aphrilian horse to win it and retire as an international Grade I winner. Though his progeny aren't successful, he's remembered more for what he accomplished, having helped popularize Aphrilian dirt racing as a whole thanks to his rivalry mentioned before as well as his Breeders Dirt Classic triumph.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Newman reflects on WC80, BPNT today
Scott McCrae
The Daily Mail Chief Soccer Writer

Shane Newman remains today one of Baker Park's least appreciated soccer exports, although his contribution to the National Team's success in the earliest years is without a doubt as important as any player that performed overseas or any of the hundreds of coaches that have gone forth from the FAC Charter Training Center in Birkenfeld to spread the gospel of the "BP Way".

Here in the midst of the centennial World Cup cycle, the history of national teams across the multiverse are being recounted although the Baker Park story was given much more focus domestically during the last cycle, which marked the 20th anniversary of the Bees debut campaign; the folks in Audioslavia who produce "The Idiot Project"--the ultimate study of all statistical analysis of the World Cup and its qualifying process--recently released a feature highlighting the very best debut cycles of all time, which included a breakdown of those nations that exceeded expectations and defied all odds.

Baker Park's World Cup 80 Qualifying (as well as Baptism of Fire 67) campaign received notice as one of the handful of successes that reached the Finals by way of a playoff appearance, and weighted by the metric of KPBa--a hypothetical measure that permits comparison across eras--the BP debut was determined to be the seventh most successful of all time.

Newman was instrumental in establishing that legacy as then NT manager Trevor Richmond's number two, the architect of the defensive element of the 3-5-2 system that is still in use today as Park's calling card tactical organization; when Richmond moved on to become Sporting Director of the FAC after World Cup 82, Newman set out upon his own journey towards leadership, which culminated in his hiring as boss of the national team of Indusse.

The Indussean Football Association's belief in his management style provided the patience that he was able to use to build a culture that resulted in the nation's victory in IAC 13, with a 3rd place finish in the subsequent championship for nations outside of the so-called "Big 4" regions, and ultimately a long awaited first ever berth in the World Cup Finals in cycle 96, where they advanced from the group stage to the Round of 16.

It probably doesn't need to be said that Newman is Indusse's all time winningest boss, but gave up the reins to move into the role of President of the IFA where he now looks to lead the nation towards a new generation that can sustain the national team as one of the top 50 sides in the sport. He was more than happy to travel to Belle Haven to speak with us on matchday 8 at the BBP National Stadium during the BP match against Electrum, during which his team were on a bye.

SM--Shane, welcome. Thanks for taking the time to come to Belle Haven on your way home.(Indusse had played to a 1-1 draw in HUElavia on matchday 7)

SN--It's my pleasure Scott. I've only ever been here to the stadium as a spectator one other time, so a chance to watch a match here is a treat.

SM--Do you feel a little bit of a connection to the building of this? Your tenure with Trevor (Richmond) that led to the success of the national team that resulted in the bidding for the World Cup that eventually led to this stadium being here?

SN--Hmmm. I don't know if I've thought about it like that. It sounds like trying to retrofit me into something that I might deserve...

SM--well no. People outside of Baker Park might think that the whole history of the National Team and of this venue begins with Pam Scott (who was manager for World Cup 84, when the BBP National Stadium was opened), but that's sort of what this interview is trying to establish. That you were here for the remarkable beginning of the team's rise...

SN--(laughs) I'm proud of my contributions to Baker Park's success from the beginning of our NSWC era, and believe me there are many people here, from those who were part of it then to the current FAC leadership who are more than appreciative of my work. We all understand what it is we've achieved, where the credit is due. I've never forgotten where I come from and I've never been forgotten.

SM--You're part of a special club--Baker Park nationals that led other countries to the World Cup Finals...

SN--The other two are a bit more special, aren't they? (laughs)

SM--You would admit that Zwangzug and Banija had just a few more resources that enabled them to win the title than Indusse has?

SN--Maybe, but as the head of the federation it's my remit now to look at how Indusse could progress to be a potential World Cup champion given the resources we have.

SM--Is there a magic formula that a nation like Indusse could replicate in order to be a contender?

SN--I agreed to take over as President of the IFA if I could be more than just a figurehead. I want to utilize my experience that I was part of here in BP to bring the organization to a point where we are more than the just sum of our parts. Our league, the development of young players, the national team setup...you have to have the right people in position to lead. That's what I've been focusing on here at the beginning. We're a lot farther along today than we were when I first took over as national team boss, but there's still a grassroots effort that needs nurturing although I don't think we're decades behind where we can be.

SM--Where do you see Baker Park heading, as an outsider looking in?

SN--I think that the FAC are still strong in the areas that have been their calling card over the last 10-15 cycles--youth development, coaching development, technical advancement--but maybe they just need a fresh perspective. I feel bad for Will (Barnard) that he's not been able to build upon what Jen (Prescott) left, because the system still looks viable with the players he's working with.

SM--Your team looks like they are responding to a fresh voice (Indusse currently are unbeaten through 9 matches and have a 4 point lead in Group 24) and a change in overall tactical philosophy.

SN--We're really pleased with how things have played out, but the second half of the schedule will be the true measure of how far we've come and where we have yet to go.

SM--Best of luck the rest of the way, maybe we'll see you in Rushmore!

SN--I'd love nothing better than for both nations to be there. Thank You.

[The Ko-orenite Constellation]

There were some notable exclusions from the twenty Constellation Championship invitees, that woke up to news about the sporting deadlock being broken but also finding no invitation in their inbox. One of these territories being Mercatoren, boasting the largest population, largest economy, and - according to themselves and no one else - the most soft power and most sporting prowess, this didn't go over well. Mercatoren was one of few territories without a (professional) football league, but they did have a few dozen professional players in other leagues across the Constellation. Enough to warrant them an invitation, they thought.

The conversation among our four hosts went something like this: "I feel like we forgot someone, but if it was important enough, I'm sure I'd remember."

The conversation in Mercatoren went something like this: "What in the - what do you mean, we're not in the twenty?"

"We could've been more active in the discussions. If it were us, the first Constellation Championship would've been in baseball, ice hockey, or basketball, so I guess it makes sense."

"No, it doesn't make sense. Get me the AFC on the phone."

"Of course."

The Mercatoran Soccer Organisation's office was small enough that the chairman - the angry man in the conversation - could've reached over and grabbed the phone himself from nearly anywhere in the room, but he was a man with authority (albeit over a grand total of nineteen amateur clubs) and that deserved at least some recognition. The MSO's secretary - the only other person in full time and/or part time employment at the organisation - was therefore the only one that could get the phone there. Or "Manage operations in logistics to empower international communication", as he'd include it on his resume.

"Hey, AFC?"

"Yes, this is the Associação de Futebol da Constelação. Thank you for your call. Who am I speaking to, if I may ask? I did not recognise the area code."

"Yeah, so this is the MSO."

"The?"

"MSO. Mercatoran Soccer Organisation."

"Soccer?"

"Association football."

"Ah, yes."

"I need to talk to whoever's organising the Constellation Championship."

"Right away, sir."

Tinny music started playing. The secretary asked for the call to be on speaker phone - nobody else would be listening in, after all, on the Mercatoran side - but the chairman denied his request.

"Hello, AFC Constellation Championship board?"

The MSO chairman didn't need to know that there was no 'putting through' of calls. There were multiple phones in the AFC office, sure, but the AFC was barely ten times the size of the MSO. Neither side needed to know that a 2-man operation was talking to a 20-man operation. The Constellation Championship board was simply located next to the reception desk.

"Hello, what can I do for you?"

"Yeah, can you tell me why we're not in the Constellation Championship?"

"This being Mercatoren?"

"Yes."

"Please wait."

The tinny music continued where it left off.

"Remember that we felt like we forgot someone? Mercatoren. We forgot freaking Mercatoren, man."

"They're terrible!"

"But they're rich."

"We'll, uh, have them play a play-in game! Against... what was our 20th inclusion? Vesturvindoren?"

"If we do that, other territories can also make their claim."

"Then they'll also do play-ins. Let's call the pot 5 teams and the territories we didn't invite. Those places will now go to the play-in winners."

The tinny music stopped.

"Hello, MSO? We're pleased to announce you've qualified for our play-in games. Win and you're in the tournament! Congratulations."

"Alright, I'll put you through to the secretary for the details."

Tinny music started, but now on the other side of the line. This lasted all of 4 seconds. Then the secretary pressed 'pause' on the waiting music. The chairman pressed the 'speaker phone' button.

[Recuecn]

Banija, Part 1: Intro to Abahamba
Banija, Part 2: A New Ambassador
Banija, Part 3: Robel Takes a Phone Call
Busoga, Part 4: Rumors Hit the Internet
Reçueçn, Part 5: A Reçuecian Wonders
Busoga, Part 6: Thuku Goes Public
Banija, Part 7: Ezera's Denial
Reçueçn, Part 8: Thorvex Takes Charge
Banija, Part 9: The Brothers Lawyer Up

Ottilie Thorvex kept reminding herself that Robel Ezera, WCC Vice-President, was innocent until proven guilty. But then, as Chief Investigator, it was her job to prove him guilty. Of course, she didn't want her presuppositions to cloud her judgment, but the way Ezera and his brother were behaving was so grating. To each request, they responded with wide smiles and overenthusiastic accommodation, nodding their heads and saying "Of course, Madame Thorvex," even before they'd heard what she was asking for. And all the while, they did everything they could to stall.

Ottilie had been confused, at first, when she received a letter from Ezera—and then realized that it wasn't from Robel Ezera, WCC VP, but his brother, Victor. Of course his brother's his lawyer, was Ottilie's first thought. We're only investigating him for corruption. Why wouldn't his nepo-baby younger brother act as his counsel? It was just like the Banijans not to see the conflict of interest. Ottilie caught herself. She had to stop stereotyping the Banijans. This idea she had that they were blinded by their own normalization of corruption would only lead to her underestimating them.

And yet sometimes the things they said or did were almost laughable. When Robel came in for the investigators to go through his phone, he seemed shocked to discover that his phone's message history could be downloaded to a computer, and yes, printed. Of course, reading through it all would take a long time—something the Ezeras seemed to be counting on—but thanks to Fiorella's help, Ottilie knew exactly what she was looking for. When she found it, she was so excited, that she forgot all about the awkwardness of having Robel and Victor in the room with her and the investigators while they worked.

In total, there were six of them in the conference room. On one side of the table, Robel and Victor, the two brothers, sat back in their chairs, their arms folded over their chests. On Ottilie's side of the table, Fiorella and two other members of her investigation team were transferring files and scanning through IM and SMS transcripts. Ottilie's posture was the exact opposite of the Ezera's; she was keen on her task, and bent over her laptop screen with eagerness as she pored over emails and documents.

Robel, a disarming smile on his face, kept trying to make small talk with the investigators. "And how is the weather in Zube compared to Reçueçn City, Mademoiselle?" he asked Fiorella, once he realized she was Reçuecian.

Fiorella looked up with a glare. "Please, sir, we are trying to get this done quickly so we can take up as little of your time as possible. You are being very distracting." So much so that I would think it was intentional, she thought.

Robel started as he looked into her face more deeply for the first time. "I'm sorry, I think I recognize you," he said. "What WCC division did you work for before you were brought onto this investigation?"

Ottilie wasn't listening. She had just found timestamps for a few phone calls made from Robel's phone to Fiorella's old director, head of the department that processed the applications of new WCC nations. She jotted down the dates and times to cross-reference later—she could question the Director about what Robel had said to him during those calls. She scrolled further up to see who else the Vice President had spoken to around that time, hoping it would add some context. From her research, she recognized one of the names as a Banijan politician: Isaac Lutombo, PPM Party Leader. Isaac's dad, Muteesa Lutombo, was High Commissioner to Quebec, and had also spoken with Ezera. And of course, several days later, there was the call to Thuku Katende, crown prince of Abahamba. Is this whole thing just about politics? Ottilie wondered. Or is it actually all just about soccer?

Her thoughts were interrupted by Fiorella's voice, shaky and on the verge of tears. "I'm not obliged to share that information with you, Monsieur Ezera," Fiorella was saying. Her lower lip quivered as she struggled through the sentence, but the resolve shone in her eyes as she stood up to the Vice President, a much older man in a much higher position of power. "May I remind you that you are the one currently under investigation by order of the World Cup Committee."

Ottilie's eyes flashed across the table from Fiorella's frightened face to that of Robel Ezera. The mask had dropped. The Vice President's carefully practiced smile was gone. He was staring daggers at Fiorella, fury written across his visage.

Victor spoke up first. "Madame, your comments are entirely inappropriate addressed toward the Vice President of this institution who has not been convicted of any wrongdoing. Holding this investigation over his head as a threat is deeply disrespectful." Victor, however, had not lost his smile. It widened now, as he offered a conciliatory olive branch: "My brother—my client—was just making small talk. If you don't want to talk about your past career, I'm sure he didn't mean to pry."

But lightning flashed in Robel's eyes. "You worked in the onboarding division, I know it! That explains where you've been getting your insider info from! Well let me remind you that this investigation won't last forever, and whether I still have my job or not, I've built a lot of connections in the WCC. I can see to it that you never get your old job back again once this whole thing is over."

Victor put a hand on his brother's arm, but Ottilie stood suddenly and slammed her laptop shut. "If you two are trying to do a good cop/bad cop routine, you're going about it in the wrong order. Ignore them, Fiorella. We have what we need." Ottilie brusquely handed Robel his phone back. "We're done, here, sir. You may go. Thank you for your time." Her voice was curt.

The Ezera brothers stood and Robel swept out of the room. Victor lingered to give a parting smile and bow, but seeing from the frowns on the investigators' faces that he was not going to win them over, he followed his client out.

Ottilie turned to Fiorella. "Don't let that man threaten you, Fiorella. His remarks will be included in my report to the WCC. And the Ministry will make sure you still have a career when this investigation concludes."

Fiorella let her hands fall to her sides. She was visibly shaken. One of the other investigators spoke up. "What did you find, ma'am? It sounded like you saw something quite conclusive."

Ottilie pointed to the note she'd jotted down with the times and phone numbers of some calls Ezera had made. "This is our smoking gun. His conversations with Banijan diplomats are the key to his motives. And immediately afterward, he got in touch with your old division, Fiorella, to tell your director to obstruct the Abahamban application. We'll get your old director to testify, and I think our case will be solid enough the WCC will have to admit their Vice President is corrupt."

Ottilie was correct. When questioned, the head of the WCC's onboarding process for new nations confirmed that yes, Robel Ezera had called him at those times on those dates, and yes, he had specifically requested extra documentation for Abahamba's application. The later calls had been follow-ups from the Vice President to ensure that no exceptions were being made, and that Abahamba was being held to a rigorous financial standard. Yet that "standard" was not called for in any WCC policies, and the obstruction was entirely irregular. With this testimony in her arsenal, Ottilie was ready to present her report to the WCC.

She was happy with how the presentation went. The report was convincing, she thought, and the mood in the WCC chamber seemed serious, like the delegates were taking her claims even more seriously than before. Of course, the committee could never come to a decision instantly. It would be several days before they'd hold a vote. But with the report published and presented, Ottilie felt proud of her work, confident in its result, and also, to be honest, extremely relieved to have the whole thing behind her. She went out to a bar in Zube to celebrate with her team.

While she was there, her phone rang. She didn't recognize the number. "Keep celebrating, guys," Ottilie told her team. "I'll be right back."

She stepped out into the street and picked up the call. "Hello?"

"Bonsoir, Madame Thorvex, c'est Émile Rougemont."

"Désolée, I think you may have a wrong number."

Ottilie was about to hang up, when the man on the other end stopped her.

"There's no mistake, Madame Thorvex. I'm calling from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We were keenly following your investigation into WCC Vice President Robel Ezera, and after reading your report tonight, we believe that this may not be a mere sporting issue. Would you be willing to lend your expertise to our ministry? We fear this may be a concern of a geopolitical nature."

---

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Tensions High at Banija-Reçueçn Match

The last team the ÉNRF was due to face was Banija, and it was clear, weeks ahead of time, that this match would be the most essential one on the schedule. Ever since Banija had drawn against Libonesia on matchday eight, Reçueçn had held the lead in group fourteen, but other than that one game, both Les Licornes and the Kadongo Kamu had maintained a perfect record. Matchday nine would be Reçueçn, second seed and first in the group, facing off against Banija, first seed and second in the group, and whoever won would come out ahead.

It was going to be a difficult game no matter what, but playing in Banija made it even harder. Banijan fans were some of the multiverse's most dedicated, and Les Licornes had to play in front of a crowd of 100,000 of them. As the Kadongo Kamu came out onto the field, every supporter in the stadium was on their feet. The Stadium of the Restoration dwarfed every Reçuecian venue—in fact, it boasted over three times the capacity of the Stade National in Reçueçn City. The ÉNRF players had their game faces on, but it was hard not to be impressed by the sheer size and enthusiasm of the crowd. Granted, it was only a qualifying match, but with that many supporters squeezed into one venue, the atmosphere was guaranteed to be electric.

The game was a tense one. Reçueçn was back to its classic defensive stance, where the defenders built a wall in front of the goal while Theriault and Lapix hassled any opponents who tried to push into the midfield. Lapix in particular made a couple effective tackles in the first ten or twelve minutes of the game—clean and surgical—and each time he dispossessed the Banijans, the Reçuecians pulled the ball back, playing keep-away while Franky and Rébecca danced around up front, feeling out the Banijan defense without ever actually committing to an attack.

The Kadongo Kamu felt the pressure—they were behind in the group standings, and needed a win—not to mention they had a hundred thousand fans cheering them on. As the game progressed, they pushed harder and harder, finding better and better attack routes until by the end of the first half, they were starting to take shots on goal, although none were quite on target. The équipe nationale made it to the halftime break with a clean sheet, but it felt like something had to give. Would they be able to hang on another forty-five minutes, under increasing pressure from Banija?

Manager Hyron LeBouffe made some defensive changes at the half. Asselineau and Rébecca came off, while Blaise Gauthier and Nathalie Desjardins went on. This meant two extra defenders were on the field, making the formation essentially a 6-3-1. "I don't want you to play for a win," said LeBouffe. "We're winning this group. A draw is all we need. If you can keep them from scoring, we'll make it to the World Cup."

It was not to be. In the 67th minute, the Kadongo Kamu launched a full-pitch onslaught, rushing the box. The Reçuecians were overwhelmed, trying to play their zones but finding themselves flooded. Rushing into the box, Odongo Kagenda passed off the ball to Owole, and Desjardins, thinking that behind her, Brigitte Breault was marking Kagenda, turned away from him toward the ball. But Kagenda called for the ball right back, catching Desjardins—and Breault—off guard as he sprinted through the gap.

Gerauld Firaut felt the cold sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach before the ball ever left Kagenda's foot. It was as if time stopped, and he could take in everything about the moment. He could read the whole situation clearly; the position of each defender, Kagenda's angle, Gerauld's own stance, all frozen in three-dimensional space. This was one of those moments that decided games. The play had already been made, all that was left was the shot... and it was perfect, low and into the corner. Firaut changed momentum like an aikido fighter, throwing himself down toward the shot, but it was too late. Banija one; Reçueçn zero.

Gerauld fished the ball from the back of the net under the roar of the crowd. Off in the corner, Kagenda screamed his celebration, his voice hoarse. His teammates swarmed him. The Reçuecians stood where they were, as if frozen.

There were twenty minutes left. At the first stoppage after kicking off again, LeBouffe subbed off an exhausted Lapix to put on Degaré Béranger. He told the winger to play striker alongside Franky. "We need a goal," he said, patting Béranger on the shoulder as he ran onto the pitch. Béranger jogged away, but LeBouffe stood at the sideline, still muttering to himself. "We need a goal."

Les Licornes were down 1-0, and Béranger felt that deficit eating away inside him. He took the cheers of the Banijan fans—on their feet now, chanting and dancing in anticipation of their victory—as insults. Their excitement only served to further antagonize him as he wallowed in the anger of defeat. He and Franky played frantically, trying with everything they had to get far enough up the field for a shot on goal, but it was too late for the Reçuecian formation to change to support an offense. As the clock ticked closer toward ninety minutes, Béranger got more and more desperate.

It was the 84th minute when he tried yet again to dribble down the middle. Not that Franky wasn't open—he'd managed to ditch his mark this time and was waving for the ball. But for Béranger, tunnel vision had set in. Glancing up, he saw Musoke Owole approaching him to block his path, and he sent the ball foward, past him, hoping that even if it wasn't a pass, just a through ball into space, he'd be able to beat the midfielder to it.

There was no way it could have happened. Owole merely had to pivot and he was over the ball. He stretched out his leg to pass back to Jarju and safety, but as he did, Béranger careened into him from behind.

The Reçuecian shoved right into the star Banijan player, both hands in front of his waist to push him out of the way. Even worse, his cleat, aimed in theory for the ball just beyond Owole's foot, slammed into Owole's Achilles tendon and clawed down the back of his ankle. Owole collapsed, and Béranger hit the ground also, diving in hopes that the referee might not think the foul was entirely his fault.

Immediately, the whistle blew and the ref pulled a yellow card out of his pocket. The stadium erupted in outrage. Every fan in the arena wanted a red card, and as the replay showed the spikes of Béranger's cleat tearing down the back of Owole's ankle, it was incomprehensible why the ref didn't agree. After the game, the referee would admit he had made the wrong call, and had only seen Béranger's two-handed shove into the back of Owole which sent him to the ground, not even noticing that the attack with his foot. Blood ran down the back of Owole's sock and he limped off the field, assisted by two trainers, but inexplicably, the ref refused to change the call, telling the protesting Banijan players, "It's too late." There were

After the game, a journalist snagged Béranger as he came off the field, before the ÉNRF PR team could get to him. Béranger glanced over at Kagenda, the goalscorer, beaming and giving his victory speech.

"Of course he thinks this was 'a great' game," Béranger fumed. "You Banijans think you're so entitled to everything—every goal, every victory... a clear path to the World Cup. Well, the rest of the multiverse isn't going to stand for it—I'm not going to stand for it, Reçueçn isn't going to stand for it. The rest of the world knows all about your corruption, now. The news is out. You can't hide it any longer. You put your people in the top spots at the WCC, and you think that you get to say who qualifies for the World Cup and who doesn't. Well, I hope Owole isn't hurt, but honestly, he had it coming." Béranger pointed a finger at the camera. "Reçueçn is going to smash your qualification hopes, Banija, and it's going to be karma for that stunt you pulled with Abahamba. So when you come visit us at the Stade National on matchday 18, you can just think about the way you've treated smaller countries in the past. But Reçueçn isn't going to just roll over and let you take what you want."

At that point Lukas Kayserling saw what was going on, and running over, pulled Degaré away from the cameras, but it was too late, the damage had been done. The ÉNRF manager Hyron LeBouffe would go on the record later to say that Béranger's comments were not representative of the équipe nationale, and the federation would make Béranger retract his statement. But the clip that would go viral in Banija was the winger's vitriolic rant. Banija had won the game, but the second leg was going to be a grudge match.

[IA3]

A pause from the vague description of events that happened after the disaster that plagued the First Republic.

---

Another loss, and Atheara sits with a record of 3-0-6. Felinetopia proved to be the better team.

This new Blue Guard seemed to at least prefer home field, when they aren't anxious or unknowing of the new countries they're playing in.

This team was playing in remembrance, Mugel Krygorf knew that much. But as he was in the tunnel after the Felinetopia match, his phone rang.

It was the number belonging to the man who was essentially the ruler of the Second Republic.

Politics were not the former goalkeepers forte, the FFA having been resurrected under his order. Or was it theirs? Mugel knew it wasn't one man pulling the strings.

Yet he picked up the call anyways. "Greetings, Representative. What is it that you want?" Mugel asked, wary.

"Yes, Mr Krygorf. How's the team performing, I may ask?" The representative asked. No one is sure as to why that's the title of the Second Republics ruler.

Mugel looked around, no one seemed to be around, so he continued walking down. "We're doing fine. We're on par with some established names, alright?"

A laugh from the other side, yet the voiced was so dry. "No, no, Mugel," The voice paused before continuing. "You know well that's not what I mean."

So that's what they meant? Wow, so considerate. "This is our first cycle back, and the first in a long time, everyone is getting used to things." Mugel responded.

"Yes, yes, don't worry. Was merely asking." The voice proceeded to say. "Though we'd prefer that the team gets double digit points. And keep the final games... Tightly contested."

"I can't guarantee that, but we'll do our best." The manager responded. At least it wasn't a demand or anything worse than that.

"Glad to hear that, have a good evening. Well, if it's evening there. Good luck in the remaining matches." The voice spoke, before they ended the call themselves.

Mugel sighed. He was always wary of how the Second Republics new rulership did things. The floating city and the permanent settlements and all that.

They operated in secrecy, determined to keep a semblance of normalcy. Mugel is one of the few individuals who can talk to them directly... He thinks.

Whatever the case. This team needs to prepare. Every remaining game must be played with a fire never seen from this national team ever.

[Yangchenia]

Yangchenia Blazing Dragons
"In the flames of sport, our iron will is forged"

---

Yangchenia wins 4-1 to New Rotterdam City
The Taste of Glory.

---

Ghosted by Lady Luck
At: Belvedere Casino, Raijugang, Yangchenia

“FUCK!”, a wealthy looking, well-dressed middle-aged man screamed as the Blazing Dragons lost match after match. He was Oleksandr Ychyrov, a wealthy businessman who owned a large stake in Gazsol, a joint Youthenheimian and Yangini gas exploration firm whose mission was to explore and extract Msalka’s vast hydrocarbon resources. However recently, he had fallen into financial decline, losing a significant portion of his wealth from the price of oil plummeting. Today he was looking to gain back some money in Raijugang — the gambling center of Lacia aside from the city of Arcanova. More specifically, he and a group of other people were betting on the results of the World Cup, which was being broadcasted on many sports channels. Hundreds of bets were being made every minute, people both cheering and breaking down into tears as they either walked out rich men or deep in the red. He had bet on the Blazing Dragons several times before, during their first five matches, however all bore nothing but defeats. He lost almost 5 million dollars on the bets he had made, and he was both furious and humiliated, especially as next to him, sat on the betting table was Pavel Andropov—another businessman from his same oil and gas firm, his face marked with a smirk as he observed Ychyrov’s breakdown from afar. But unlike him, Andropov hadn’t bet on the Dragons—nor bet in any of their matches, choosing to instead bet on another team, in another bracket. He instead placed a 5 million dollar bet on the Kanzlian Prowlers, a powerhouse in their group bracket. And his bet really paid off, as with Kanzlia’s 5 wins as of Matchday 6, he had already earned himself over 25 million dollars. He was even wearing a new gold chain he bought with the money he earned.

A frown could be seen from Ychyrov as Andropov flaunted his new wealth. He was envious of Andropov’s success, and he felt like Andropov was rubbing his successes in his face. After a tense glaring showdown between the two, Ychyrov was first to break the silence.

“Enjoying your win?”, he said in an annoyed, disgruntled tone.

“Oh, most definitely yes”, Andropov replied boisterously. “How about you, old man?”, he teased Ychyrov.

“Shut up. You know I’ve already lost millions on my bets.”, he said disgruntling, his eyes darting to the scoreboard showing the Blazing Dragons’s defeats.
“Maybe you should have just made smarter ones.”, he teased. “Kanzlia’s earning me big bucks right now.Who'd you bet on today?”

"Jeruselem", he replied flatly. "Had enough of the Dragons' defeats. The Princesses can maybe earn me back some big bucks." The Dragons were pummeled, and so believing it was the end for the team, the next match he changed his bet, betting on the Jeruselem Princesses winning instead.

"And how much did you bet?", Andropov questioned.

"7 million."
"SEVEN MILLION? ON JERUSELEM? SEVEN MILLION ON YOUNG GIRLS?"

"Shut up, I already know it's a long shot. But I really need to earn something back. Besides, theyre doing pretty well right now. Might even drop another two mil on Lisander."

"Are you asking to be poor?", he teases, amused at his decision.

“What bets have you made then other than Kanzlia? Are you just piggybacking off of their team?”

“Far from it. Dropped 2 mil on Valentine Z before matchday 6. Also finally took a risk and dropped 5 mil on the Dragons.”

“They can barely win anything”, Ychyrov replied pessimistically. All of his losses had shattered his confidence in the national team that they could even win a single match in the world cup.

Then, a notification pops up on both of their phones. The results for the next two matchdays were released. Both men anxiously opened their phones, bracing themselves for the results of their best.

Andropov was first. He had held onto all his bets since the start of the World Cup.

Kanzlia (5 million): +2 wins [30 million — 40 million]
Valentine Z (5 million):+ 2 wins [35 million — 45 million]
Sernet (5 million)
Yangchenia(5 million): +2 wins [5 million — 15 million]


TOTAL: 100,000,000$
PROFIT MADE TODAY: + 30,000,000$

He was ecstatic, leaping out of his seat. 30 million in one day!

Then came Ychyrov.

Jeruselem (7 million) 2 losses [7 million to -7 million]
Lisander (2 million) 1 loss, 1 draw [7 million - 0]

TOTAL: - 7,000,000$
PROFIT MADE TODAY: 0

Andropov hadn’t seen Ychyrov’s results, however he could infer that it was probably not great as he violently threw his phone across the hall, decking a grandma in the face.

“AKH, BLYAT! WHY! The MOMENT I take the loss and remove my bet the Dragons SOMEHOW pull a victory and just so happen to defeat the people I BET ON !”

Suddenly from behind them they could hear the sound of footsteps. They were calm, collected, almost regal in nature. Looking back from the distance they could faintly make out the silhouette of a young woman making their way towards them, her hands planted against her waist. Then suddenly, she was already behind them.

“Sometimes”...she spoke suddenly. “Sometimes Lady Luck doesn’t bless us with the odds”. She is Diane Radarsavova/Rasavova, or Diane for short. She is infamous in Raijugang as the owner of major gambling institutions and has control over almost all of the city’s massive gambling industry.

Ychyrov glances at her periodically, but refusing to meet her gaze. “What do you mean Lady Luck doesnt bless us?.”
“The odds aren't in the favor of the desperate.", she replies.


“Very true. It takes brains to actually win money”, Andropov spoke, but for Ychyrov it felt like he was taunting him. Then Diane turned to Andropov.

“And being arrogant is a sure way to lose everything in the end.”, she said cryptically.

“And what do you have to be talking about luck?”, he says.

“Oh darling..Luck doesn't come when you want to. It comes when you least expect it.”

“But I do not rely on luck. I rely on skill. I rely on strategy. These teams are skilled, so they are the good choices.”

“And what if your skill fails you”?, she asks him.

“Then I will double down. Recoup what I have lost.”

“As what everyone says…before they sign their souls into mountains of debt.”

The Return Home
At: Lhamo, Yangchenia

As the three spoke, in another part of the country the Blazing Dragons had just arrived in Lhamo airport after being taken home by the Princess of Yangchenia herself for their next matches. They were both home matches, one against New Rotterdam City, and a rematch against Macbon, to which the Dragons had a goalless draw during their very first game in the World Cup. But the Dragons of yesterday aren't the Dragons of today. They were different now, their spirits high, their skills forged in the flame of sport.

Their next match is against New Rotterdam City, the sole remaining team they have yet to face. The New Rotterdamites were severely pounded during their first few matches, knocking them down to the bottom of the leaderboard. But just like the Dragons have proven before, last place at this point doesn't automatically mean defeat. Sometimes, through sheer will, one can claw their way back.

Hu Winwei, the Dragons’ coach stood on the balcony deck of the Dome of the Thunder Panda, watching as the night sky grew ever darker in the Msalkan November. New Rotterdam City should be easy, but he was not one to underestimate a team. Especially as the team is unranked and untested. He was always prepared for every outcome — whether victory or defeat he would lead the team back to the right path. Time and time again has he shown resolve even during the Dragons’ darkest moments, and his efforts seem to have paid off.


And as the night grew ever darker, the Dragons’ retreated into their accommodations, and Hu Winwei was left alone with nothing but his thoughts as he stared blankly into the distant horizon, where the Namalaya mountains provided a scenic backdrop to the bustling city.

Midnight in Msalka - a Past Unrecalled, a Legacy to Uphold
At: Lhamo, Yangchenia (9 hours before the match against New Rotterdam City)

The midnight breeze from atop the stadium was chilly, having come from the polar ice caps north of even the city of Raijugang. Hu Winwei stood alone up there in silence, his arms rested on the guardrails as he stared blankly into the distance, as if thinking about something. Then, he felt someone’s presence behind him. Looking back, he saw Zhen Hoezhi now stood beside him as well, staring off into the Namalayan Mountains.

For a moment, they both stood there awkwardly, no one speaking, a tense silence taking place. But just as suddenly it was broken by Zhen.

“You’re thinking again.”

“So what?”, Hu replied. “Should’nt you be sleeping right now?”

Zhen glances as the clock. “It’s only 12:31am. Besides, I dont sleep until 2am anyway. What the hell are you doing up here all alone? It’s so dark it took me 20 minutes to find a way up here.”

“Just wanted to be alone.”, Hu replied, his gaze distant. Even in this late hour the city of Lhamo was still bustling with life, the streets still filled with passing cars, pedestrians dotting the sidewalks. From a few blocks away he could see the old walled city of Lhamo, said to be the most densely populated settlement in the world. But it also reminds Hu of something else.

“Home”.

“Home?”, questioned Zhen Hoezhi. Hu realized he had accidentally said the last few words of his mind out loud.

“Yes…it’s been…I dont know. It’s been years since I last saw home.”

“Where are you even from again?”, asked Zhen.

“Xanadu.”

“Isn’t that in Kungaria? The Sky High City?”

“Yup. I was born a Kungar. My original name was Huq Oskry Yugdei Kugshan e Tyorgha-Xanadw. But I did live in Jalgyg for a few years. I left when I was only 12 years old for Raijugang. I returned here and again, but the last time I ever went back was around seven years ago now.”

“Can’t you just…visit when you’re off season? When the Dragons are not having a game?”

“Can’t. It’s one of the hardest places to visit in Yangchenia. It’s around 5 kilometers above sea level in the Pamir Shaq Plateau. Up there, there’s only like half the oxygen than on sea level. While natives are often used to that air pressure, I’ve been away for so long that my lungs are simply not adapted to that environment anymore.”

Hu paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts before continuing.

“And besides. Everyone I knew there is probably long dead at this point. My father remained a Tyorghazy (above the peasantry class but still below the middle caste) his entire life. Society there is extremely hierarchical. We traditionally build our settlements on tall peaks at high elevation, as we believe that by living at higher elevation, we live closer to God. So we build our cities vertically in high plateaus, with varying elevation. Wealthier noble families lived at higher elevation, while the poor lived at lower ones.

It just so happens that I wasn’t lucky enough to be born into a high social status. I lived in the lower levels of Xanadu for years, beneath the streets of the wealthy and even the middle class. We were called the “sewer rats”, shepherds of the underground. We thrived in the darkness.

“Damn”, Zhen remarked. “My youth wasn't as crazy. Was just a normal-ass kid in Jugangwei. But my family, I can trace my origins back to a slave during the days of the Ya Dynasty. My great-grandfather worked as a slave for his mistress, the then Empress of Ya, Liu Ya. He was there during the reunification with Yangchenia — the founding of the modern country, the fall of the Lao Dynasty in Kharadon, the First World War, the rise of Socialism, the Bajanese occupation, you name it. He lived a crazy life.”

“Sounds like you also have a legacy to carry on.”

“Well you could put it like that.”, Zhen replied, his gaze then meeting Hu’s. “And you will be the one to continue mine. The Dragons certainly have changed since the time I was a player. And now, I’m entrusting you—to continue what we’ve done.”

“You can count me on that.”, Hu responded. And for the rest of the night, they stood there.


The Dragon Roars On
At: Lhamo, Yangchenia


The day came for the 9th matchday, and the Blazing Dragons prepared to fight the team of New Rotterdam City. Wu Hsaing prepared for another day to fight for the team—as the player whose scored the most goals all expectations were on him. Behind him stood Yesui Erkhet, her expression neutral, but in her eyes a hidden beast could be seen that has yet to be unleashed. Tsamchoe Thaye was next, also preparing himself for another match.

The Dragons were ahead now, and they couldn't afford to lose their advantage. All the sweat they poured during their prior wins against Jeruselem and Lisander depended on this, whether or not they would be significant. Princess Sirivani was there as always, her presence became constant after she fell in love with watching the Dragons’ games ever since she made her appearance before their match with Jeruselem.

As the clocked ticked ever closer to matchtime, both teams held their breath, bracing themselves for the fight to come. Then, matchtime arrived. Yesui Erkhet led the team out onto the field this time, her steely gaze and towering stance intimidating many in the crowd. She was certainly not the kind of person to go soft, being the descendant of one of the greatest warlords. As the team got into position, the New Rotterdamites were preparing themselves for their last game before they would rematch everyone.

As the whistle was blown, both teams immediately began clashing for the ball. The Dragons were efficient, wasting not a single second securing the ball, and by the 7th minute, it was already in the hands of Yesui Erkhet. She instantly went on offense, dashing across the field, closing in on the New Rotterdamite goal. It came by so fast, a blur for many including the Dragons. The New Rotterdamites were powerless to stop her advance, and by the 12th minute, she had scored the first goal for Yangchenia, bringing the score at 1-0.

The next goal didnt take long. A slip up from the New Rotterdamites on the 21st minute led the ball to fall into Wu Hsaing’s possession, who quickly scored Yangchenia’s second goal for the match, bringing the match to 2-0. But then, something seemed to change in the New Rotterdamites, their previous defensive and passive stance shifting to a more aggressive one as the tide was being turned against them. The ball was now with Hessel De Meyer, who slowly made his way across the field, through the Yangini midfield and defense with the aid of his teammates. By the 35th minute, he was now at the Yangini goal, taking his first shot. It was a miss, bouncing off the crossbar. But then another shot — straight onto Gyatso chest, and was blocked. And then finally, a third shot, into the goal at the 41st minute, bringing the score to 2-1.

The Dragons couldnt let their guard down just yet. Anything can still happen at this stage of the game, and as the match moved into halftime, the Dragons only had a one point lead against the visiting New Rotterdamites. But Hu Winwei was confident the Dragons would further their lead. He has seen first hand how they were powerless to stop Yesui’s initial goal, and even with Wu Hsaing who largely had an effortless shot at the goal.

And as halftime ended, the game was back on — the New Rotterdamites again going on the offensive to tie the score. Gregor de Graaf had the ball, charging at the Yangini backline. But before he could even make a shot, the ball was stolen back by Tubek Orlov, who passed it to Yesui Erkhet. Audiences could see the fear in the New Rotterdamites eyes as the ball fell into her possession, and just like before, her attack was like a blur, and after her first shot which bounced off the left goalpost, the Dragons scored another goal on the 67th minute. The score is now 3-1.

With 30 minutes remaining in the game, the Dragons had another opportunity to score another goal. With the ball in their hands after a brief clash with enemy players, it was now up to Li Wunming to score another goal. His advance was a lot slower than Yesui’s, but he was making progress through the New Rotterdamites, and by the 76th minute, he was now at the goal. His first shot however missed the goal entirely, the ball falling back into New Rotterdamite hands. But with quick thinking from Tsamchoe Thaye he took back the ball from them, allowing Li Wunming another chance.

A second shot — ITS IN, a FOURTH GOAL ON THE 82ND MINUTE!

For the rest of the game a stalemate took place, and the final whistle was blown the Dragons had done it. They had secured another victory — 3 in a row. Crowds applauded, flags waved, the audience cheering. ‘BRUG GI NGAR SGRA SGROG! (The Dragon Roars!).

Image is human-made using Canva.

---

Yangchenia wins rematch against Macbon 3-0

---

At: Dome of the Thunder Panda, Lhamo, Yangchenia

Remove the lens cap, we cannot see anything!

- YTV News

Snowfall
At: Lhamo, Yangchenia

With their win over New Rotterdam City the team prepared themselves for the next matchday, against the visiting team of Macbon. The memory of their first match against Macbon was still fresh in their memory — their first ever match in the world cup, a goalless draw which kicked off their losing streak during the start of the tournament. But they weren't the same players as before. They changed, they learned, and they grew stronger.

They had first won the war against themselves.


Princess Sirivani again accompanied the team as they exited the stadium yesterday. She was by far the team’s most influential supporter, having been turned into a fan when she first met them. She was generous enough to provide the team with most of their accommodations, both as home team and visiting team as well. Zhen Hoezhi had also stuck around, eager to see what would become of the Dragons under the helm of his former teammate.

That night was the same as any night, a short blizzard rolling into the city. Sirivani shivered as soon as she stepped outside, the temperature dropping to -28C, which is still pretty warm by Lhamo standards. As the snowfall intensified, she remarked. “Alright we need to get the hell inside before we die out here.”

Over the night, the city of Lhamo received several inches of snow, coating the streets in layer of frost. The Macbonite team was met with quite a surprise as the airport they landed in was filled with snow—an initial taste of Yangini weather that always shocks first timers in the country.

As the sun rose over Lhamo, the snowstorm seemed to have passed, the Dragons making their way to the Dome of the Thunder Panda for Matchday 10. It’s time for round two against Macbon.



The Taste of Glory

As the team dressed into their gear, their minds flashback to their first match against Macbon. An endless stalemate that lasted until the end of the game. This time—they were here to change that. With the victories they achieved over other more powerful teams, they were confident they had what it takes to wrestle a victory.

And so, as Wu Hsaing returned to his role of leading the team into the field, they once again came face to face with the Macbonite team, their jerseys very familiar to the Dragons. Their goal for this match was simple — to eclipse their initial performance before. For the greatest enemy they faced was not another team, but rather, themselves. The battle against the themselves of yesterday. A battle to exceed, to improve.

And as the whistle was blown, the Dragons certainly showed improvement compared to their first match against Macbon. Xi Tongpao was first to the ball, immediately going on offensive against the Macbonite team. However, their defense was stronger than anticipated, and they managed to steal the ball back as he failed to break through their back line.

The Macbonites then launched their own attack on the Dragons, breaking through the midfield, but being stopped by Alessia Xade, who managed to wrestle the ball out of Macbonite possession, bringing it back to Xi Tongpao for another strike.

As he approached the Macbonite goal, their goalkeeper was ready. Ready to intercept his strike. But then, he spotted an opening. Below his legs, he fired the ball, and into the goal it goes. At the 23rd minute, the score was now 1-0 in favor of Yangchenia.
The Dragons were keen on another goal before halftime. The ball was back in their hands after the Macbonites had failed another attempt at breaking the Yangini defense, and now, it was Yesui Erkhet’s turn to show them her fury. She was unable to advance at first, attempting to find an opening. But when it finally did show up, she quickly took her chance, breaking through their defense and scoring another goal for the Dragons on the 44th minute, and by halftime, the score was now at 2-0.

As halftime came to a close, the Dragons knew they could score another goal. But it all depends on whether or not they can stop this next Macbonite attack. This one was fierce, the Macbonites going fully on offensive, breaking through the Yangini defense for the first time and closing in on the goal. Damdul Gyatso had to put in a lot of work, blocking shot after shot from the Macbonite team, but it worked, the Macbonites failing to score any goals.

With the ball back in Yangini hands Wu Hsaing knew what he needed to do. Dashing past the Macbonites he routed their defense and after a single shot, sent the ball straight into the goal, turning the score 3-0 on the 74th minute. And for the rest of the game, neither team were able to make any advances on the other, ending the game with a 3-0 victory for Yangchenia.

As the whistle was blown, the stadium was once again filled with applause, fans erupting into celebration. The Dragons had fully turned around their situation, and with the victory over Macbon, they were now in 4th place, beating Jeruselem and the Free Republics, both of which with vastly higher ranks. Yangini flags waved across the bleachers, fans screaming in unison.

Hu Winwei was speechless.
This…This was the taste of glory.

Image is human-made using Canva.

[Auprussia]

LOCK IN

The match against Santira was one of the most brutal displays of attacking the Auprussian National Team ever displayed. In the cool hours of the afternoon in Coeur de Sassen Alexia each pass cut like a knife through butter, displacing Santiran defenders left and right. Coraine Du Peniveaux got a goal in the 17th minute off of a looping cross from Betellef Aelle. Then Huberdeau Audac poured it on at the 23rd minute running through the Santiran defense and scoring. Rodulf Siebault made an incisive pass at the 36th minute which found the foot of Fortunan Rodric for another goal. Then just before the half Coraine du Peniveaux crosses it to Rogeur Pagault who then heads it in making the score at the half 4-0. After the half it became quite clear the Santirans had quit. Rodulf Siebault found Huberdeau Audac for the 5th goal, this time on a long ball that made it to Audac's head. The sixth came from Samuel Lithobert after he was subbed in. Lithobert passed it to Rodric who then passed it back to Lithobert for the sixth and last goal of the game. It was an incredible display of Auprussia's attacking might.

The match against Natanians and Nosts was a bit more difficult but still a decisive victory for Eleo Vicard's outfit. The start of the match was a bit slow, the Natanian and Nosts defense were more stout than the Santirans. Right before the half Coraine Du Peniveaux passed it to Ingalcer Pardau and then Pardau finds Rodric for a clean finish in the bottom right corner of the net. After the half it was more of the same. Auprussia maintained possession with superior midfield play and broke down the defense once more when Ingalcer Pardau found Hubderdau Audac at the end of a run. Pardau squared it and Audac ripped it into the top left of the goal. Eleo Vicard celebrated and the Auprussians came away with another 3 points to help with their qualification campaign.

Eleo Vicard addressed the media after a successful stretch.

"Obviously there is more to do, we are not qualified yet and we have our toughest matches ahead of us, but it was great progress for our side" He started. A journalist named Marcel Fairon-Tulonquert started the questions.

"The decision to start Coraine Du Peniveaux has seemingly paid off well these past few games. Tell me, how did you manage to identify her during selection? Not to be rude or anything but the Campeonato Zenician isn't exactly the best league in the world"

"No, I understand" Vicard Responded "League reputation always plays a part in who we select but for Coraine and Rohel to stand out in a professional league as young as they are means a bit more to me. It means they are mature and very talented players for their age and they both bring great energy to our team as well"

"The defense has started to improve massively as they haven't allowed a goal these past few matches, was there any tactical adjustment or was it progression?"

"In all honesty it wasn't some grand tactical implementation, they have just been playing better. I knew they would and they did. Not to sound egotistical or anything but I always had faith in them"

For a press conference, there weren't many questions today. Maybe all of their questions were answered when we played Vicard thought. He managed to find a newspaper titled "New Auprussia Manager Is The One!". When he flipped through the pages he found some of the quotes were from AFF members. Quotes saying "I think we hit it out of the park!" and "He brings so much to this team it's incredible" while nice and flattering he also found a bit disrespectful to his former friend Pierre Camanin. Maybe it wasn't a player, but a member of the AFF who's been feeding the media these quotes about Pierre.

The next day he requested a meeting with AFF chairman Veraine deu Merla (Yes, the godfather of Auprussian Football) about the situation. Surprisingly, Veraine was available for the meeting. "Listen Mr. deu Merl-" Veraine interrupted saying "Hey, just call me Veraine ok?". Vicard nodded and started again: "Veraine, it's a pretty blunt question but do you know who's been running to the media about this?" Vicard showed him the headlines, the quotes about Camanin being a "Traitor", even the quotes about his performance so far.

Veraine looked at Eleo and said: "Most of these headlines are complimenting you...". "Yes but was the stuff about Pierre necessary?". Veraine looked at it again and sighed. "I thought there was something going on.."

Vicard perked up and Veraine continued: "I heard Pierre burned some of the staff here. He verbally confirmed he was continuing before taking the Indusse job supposedly". Vicard with daggers in his eyes asked "You know names?". Veraine told him sternly: "You know I cannot do that. Besides, I will take of this myself." Vicard left a bit unsatisfied but he was in a good place and decided not to rock the boat any further for now.

[Vixette]

in my dreams - red velvet || sorry i love you - stray kids || once upon a dream - lana del rey

---

It wasn’t always like this. Mia always thought she had a chance, but it always ended up slipping out of her paws. She didn’t know which god or deity she pissed off or which superstition she broke, but as she stood in front of the Strayaroos goal, she had to crouch down to catch her breath, having missed an easy one-on-one.

Why was she so breathless, and why couldn’t she shoot?

The clock ticked past sixty minutes. Given the lions’ superior physique to humans, at this point Mia would usually find herself still running circles around her increasingly lethargic opponents. However, this game was different: she was the prey, and her opponents the predator. She was too tired to make a run, to pass the ball properly, to shoot on target. All her attempts skied the bar, and as the throbbing pain in her chest began to grow, so did her frustration.

Ten minutes had passed, and the Vixettiennes still found themselves down by two goals to none. Mia simply wasn’t clinical, but it also didn’t help that she was being hounded down to exhaustion by the Strayaroo defense. She couldn’t even touch the ball once without being closed down by three humans. As the 73rd minute of the game came and went, Mia had just put in another awful attempt at goal that never really threatened the opposing goalie.

Mia squatted down and put her heart over her chest. It hurt to run, to shoot, to breathe even. Every inhale of air was accompanied by a pain that grew and grew as the minutes ticked past. Her mind was a flurry of pain, confusion and annoyance. She didn’t recall ever having a respiratory disease, so why were her lungs acting up now? It was affecting every aspect of her game, and she didn’t think she should – not that she really could – continue for much longer.

The coach read her mind, and only a minute after the ball had gone out for a goal kick, Mia was brought out of the pitch. As she sat on the substitute’s bench, a wave of calm and relief overtook her body. It still hurt to breathe, but at least she didn’t have to whilst running all over the Strayaroos backline.

Catching her breath, Mia turned to look at Félicien taking the goal kick. Choosing to keep it short – a puzzling decision considering they were two goals down – the ball went to Blanchefleur’s feet. Mia felt jealous that Félicien and Blanchefleur were positioned so closely together while she was all the way in front. It felt unfair, and she wondered if it contributed to the couple’s blooming love. Meanwhile, Blanchefleur was immediately swarmed by the Strayaroos attack and midfield who were piling on the pressure despite leading comfortably at home. For a moment, Mia saw Blanchefleur panic. Her tail was tucked in, and she seemed to be desperately looking around for a passing option. One moment led to the next, and she’d passed the ball back to Félicien. It was worth mentioning, however, that said pass was a weak one, and before Félicien could get to the ball Cruz Caiplo easily intercepted the pass, before effortlessly putting another goal past the hapless Vixette goalkeeper.

The entire stadium erupted in celebration. The third goal all but sealed the deal for Strayaroos; defeating Vixette, a threat for the auto qualifying spot, would make their top spot much more secure. Mia spotted Félicien floundering his arms while Blanchefleur had her head in her paws. That sight of them just screwing up each other’s game and Vixette’s chance of winning… It felt odd for Mia to feel vindicated when her team was down by three, but there was an intense schadenfreude that befell Mia because her runaway lover and his illegitimate girlfriend was directly responsible for the unflattering scoreline. She bit back a smile, however, and leant back on her seat, looking on at Vixette’s rather underwhelming display.

---

---

(several days timeskip)

Mia wanted to get this stupid novel done and over with. The deadline for her first draft was creeping ever so closely, and she sat in front of her laptop with only a freshly rewritten first and second chapter to show. It took little thought for Mia to scrap her original draft. She just didn’t like the way she was writing her main character: a girl who just couldn’t move on from her ex and was plotting to kill his new lover because of it? Sounded rather tasteless. Mia’s main characters were supposed to be realistic, logical, multi-dimensional, and someone looking to commit murder over a rejection didn’t really fit that bill, did it?

Mia flopped onto her bed, feeling proud of her much improved manuscript. Instead of a yandere for a main character, she had… another yandere for a main character. She’d have you know that this time, however, she had a much more valid reason for writing Miss Jane Doe like that! It was because of… ahem, unresolved daddy issues. The more she thought about it, the less impressive it sounded. Well, sunk cost fallacy. She put in the effort for a rewrite, and she didn’t waste it all to rewrite everything again. She was planning on submitting a mediocre draft so that her publisher could just can it and she could start anew.

Mia’s thoughts shifted from the novel to its main character. Another problem she found with her old draft was that her main character seemed too much like herself. This time, things were different! The main character was an obsessed girl who wanted to ruin her lover’s life (read: kill his lover) to have him for herself. Mia on the other hand definitely wasn’t head over heels for someone who was taken, and she definitely did not picture herself replacing her lover’s girlfriend…

Right?

---

The environment felt unfamiliar yet recognisable. It didn’t seem like anywhere Mia had been to, but there still was a sense of deja vu. She looked around; it was someone’s house. The decorations looked like ones she had seen before, but she couldn’t put a paw as to where she’d done so. The living room was rather cozy. Shelves upon shelves of books – this person was a book geek perhaps – lined the walls, and when there weren’t bookshelves there were instead paintings and portraits of lions. They weren’t Lyon she knew, but for some reason she felt like she knew them somehow. She walked around the living room, analysing every picture hung on its walls. They seemed to be arranged in chronological order, and she had started off with the oldest one. She went through all the pictures, and as she approached the newer ones, an alarm bell started to ring in her head.

Mia spotted someone familiar.

Mia ignored the rest of the pictures and went straight to the newest one. Surely enough, that picture contained that familiar person, albeit younger by a few years, and that person was–

“Looking at my pictures, love?”

Mia jumped back in shock.

“Félicien?”

“I look cute, don’t I?” Félicien walked over to Mia casually, put a paw on her shoulder and pointed to a childhood photo of his, as if he didn’t just call her “love”.

“I- I’m your love?” Mia asked the obvious question. There was a tinge of timid confusion in her voice, but with it also came a hopeful heart. Had Félicien finally come to his senses?

“Of course, I love you.”

Yes, he had.

Everything felt surreal. Mia turned to look at Félicien who was wearing the brightest smile he’d given her since their college days. She couldn’t help but reciprocate it; Félicien’s happiness was awfully contagious. The two continued to look at the pictures in silence, with Félicien pointing out his lineage and every single detail of each photo. Mia hadn’t heard him speak this much and this animatedly since… since that fated Valentine’s day.

“And in a few years’ time, our picture will be right…” Félicien walked over to an empty spot in his living room’s wall, “Here!” Mia could imagine just what kind of pictures would be hung there. There had to be a wedding picture, definitely. Wait, what about a combined family photo of his and hers? Then, once they have a kid, they definitely need to hang a picture of them as well. Even as she was dreaming about what photographs would be hung on Félicien’s living room wall, a thought, a question, came into her mind, and she couldn’t help but ask.

“What about Blanchefleur?”

Félicien froze. Mia tensed up. Did she say something wrong? Was he going to get angry? As soon as those words came out of her mouth, Mia started to regret it. Surely he wasn’t going to–

“Oh, her?” Félicien asked calmly, “Eh, who cares about her when I have you?” His face wore a mirthy yet genuine grin. As Mia felt the warmth of his smile, all the doubt in her heart melted away. She could get used to being Félicien’s lover. She could get used to living with him for the rest of the night. She could get used to–

---

–waking up in the middle of the night. Mia found herself back on her bed, with her laptop screen still shining brightly, instead of Félicien’s make-believe living room that her subconscious had conjured in her dream. How disappointing.

Mia then found herself wheezing as she breathed, and that’s when her chest tightened painfully.

Mia couldn’t breathe, again. On her bed, she started to gasp for air. She got on all fours as she panted, her lungs desperately grabbing for any air that it could hold onto. When it wasn’t getting better, she opened her window and started to breathe in the fresh Vixettienne air. After a minute or two, she found herself violently coughing. Mia buried her head in her pillow so that she wouldn’t disturb her neighbours, but the way her throat was just exploding, she might as well have just blasted her coughs on a loudspeaker. After her coughing bout, the pain in her chest miraculously subsided, and all that was left was an uncomfortable feeling in her windpipe.

Did she choke on something?

Mia laid on her bed. She wasn’t breathless, but her chest was still heaving up and down as she took in huge inhales. Mia didn’t recall having an allergy. She thought of that stupid Strayaroos game where she was breathless the entire time. Was she down with some random breathing illness that she wasn’t aware of? Did she have an unknown allergy the entire time that was only flaring up now? Many questions ran around her mind, but more than that, Mia was thinking about that dream she had.

The warmth of Félicien’s voice as he called her his “love”, and his soft but affirming touch were all Mia could remember. She so, so desperately wanted to have her wedding photo with Félicien framed on his – no, their – living room wall. She couldn’t wait for how life would turn out after marrying him. All she wanted was the happiness and bliss she felt when Félicien was with her, but then again, it was all a dream.

Mia felt sad, slightly broken, that she might not ever enjoy that life with Félicien. She might find someone else to be her everything, and he might have already found his in Blanchefleur, but for now, her world only knew him. It felt stupid and dumb the way she was holding onto him like a rope frayed until its last thread. However, she just wanted to feel the same warmth that satiated her body when she was with Félicien, and it seemed like no one else could give it to her.

Maybe, just maybe, Mia didn’t mind killing Blanchefleur so that she could take her place, happily living her life with Félicien. It felt so wrong, oh so wrong, that it even occurred to Mia as a possibility, but the idea was… strangely tempting. She felt guilty for wanting to be a homewrecker, but with the guilt came a taboo excitement and longing. Maybe that was the key for her to get the man she’d been chasing for.

“Sorry, Félicien, I love you too much,” Mia apologised to the winds, hoping that it would reach Félicien’s ears.

Mia could get used to this game of chase, and she was determined to win it, and win him.

[Qusmo]

The Mathletic
Informed analysis.

WC100Q at the halfway mark
Qusmo is outside the top two but not out of contention yet

Matchday nine has come to an end. Two hundred seventy teams have played over one thousand Qualifying matches all over the Multiverse — and we’re only halfway through. In each of thirty Qualifying groups, nine teams are in the midst of a double round robin process, whereby each group’s winner will qualify for World Cup 100, and each runner-up will contest a single-match playoff against one other second-placed team for one of the fifteen remaining spots in the tournament, alongside auto-qualified hosts Kwrpania, Tikariot, and the Kytler Pensinulae. Qusmo will be another co-host, but they do not have the luxury of skipping Qualifying, and they are currently third place in group five. If Qualifying ended today, they would not participate in their own tournament. Still, the Caldera Sun are only one point behind a potential playoff berth, with eight matches left to go. Let’s take a look at their group, their top threats, and their chances.

Beyond the playoff race

Qusmo’s group has nine teams, but only three or four are realistically in the playoff race. One team is quickly approaching a dead cert to qualify for the World Cup automatically, bypassing the playoffs entirely, while a gaggle of teams at the bottom of the table probably shouldn’t be thinking about booking tickets to West Pavola unless they’re in the mood for a vacation.

Above the playoffs

Ko-oren looks unbeatable — except, of course, for the one instance in which they were beaten. They’ve won by at least three goals in every match they’ve played but one, and they’ve won by exactly five goals in the majority of fixtures they’ve fulfilled, including against their two closest challengers in the rankings, who also happen to be their two closest challengers in the KPB+ rankings table. They lead next-closest challenger Carpathia and Ruthenia by five points, a five-goal margin in head-to-head goal difference pending the reverse fixture, and a twenty-two-goal margin in overall goal difference.

Looking at all two hundred seventy nations entering Qualifying, Ko-oren ranks joint-seventeenth in points, joint-fourteenth in goals allowed, joint-fifth in goals scored, and joint-third on a table sorted by goal difference. Only five other group leaders have a lead over their closest challengers greater than Ko-oren’s five-point margin, and only the Squornshelan Remnant States — which only has a two-point lead over Anewkansas — has a margin in overall goal difference over their group’s current second-placed team that exceeds twenty goals. If not for their loss to Oscioru, the odds that Ko-oren would qualify for World Cup 100 as the winners of group five would have already begun to resemble a certainty. Even as it is, though, it simply does not seem realistic that any team in group five could manage to overcome the Dragonfly Juggernaut by the end of Qualifying.

Below the playoffs

That leaves a group of teams challenging for the group’s lone spot in the Qualifying playoffs. The teams currently occupying second through fifth place are separated by just four points in the standings, with a four-point gap behind that group to sixth and a five-point gap ahead of them to first. All the teams in the bottom four are debutants this cycle, and none have any more than half of the point tally of the current playoff-spot occupants, marking it unlikely that they would manage to climb the gap and surpass four or more teams in the standings to clinch a playoff spot.

Shizuna Rem Misurugi, Coercia, Lebronsleftnut, and Indo-Athena could still alter the playoff race — Coercia has collected seven of their eight points thus far against the teams currently ranked second through fifth, and any more dropped points could cost those potential playoff teams dearly — but they will not emerge as the winners of that race.

Potential playoff teams

Now that we’ve eliminated the teams that won’t be in the playoff race, let’s take a closer look at each of the teams which will be. We’ll take them one at a time, in order of their current placements on the table, starting with our two frontrunners and ending with our two wild cards.

Carpathia and Ruthenia

The top contender to win group five’s playoff spot is Carpathia and Ruthenia. The Dragons only have a one-point lead over their nearest challengers, but they have already defeated each of the group’s other three serious playoff contenders, meaning they also lead the head-to-head tiebreaker against all of their closest rivals. A four-goal win over Oscioru and a three-goal win over Canamn will prove especially unlikely to be overcome in the reverse leg, and all the Dragons need against Qusmo is a draw or better to clinch that head-to-head tiebreaker.

There would be an irony in a Qusma manager like Brelk-Xeral Erv consigning their home nation to a spot on the sidelines as they host the grandest tournament in the Multiverse, but the truth is that their team knows exactly how to play and executes their roles extremely well. They have struggled somewhat against the weaker teams of the group, but if they manage to consistently win three points against debut-cycle teams, other playoff contenders would have to beat Carpathia and Ruthenia head to head in order to surpass them — and that’s something not one of them have accomplished thus far.

Qusmo

Qusmo is the other frontrunner in the playoff race. Only one point behind, Qusmo will host the reverse fixture with Carpathia and Ruthenia, and a win of any size would cancel out the Dragons’ edge in the head-to-head tiebreaker. A two-goal win to secure that tiebreaker outright isn’t out of the realm of possibility, and even a tie in head-to-head results would bring the tiebreakers down to overall goal difference, where Qusmo currently leads by a six-goal margin.

Manager Ilinx-Kepex Zev’s system has been a change from the team’s previous styles of play, and it certainly seemed to be difficult for players to acclimate to it, but they may have finally turned a corner in their understanding of Ilinxball. The Caldera Sun have bounced back from the team’s defeat in San Donato with four consecutive victories, going from down nine points to only behind by one, while Carpathia and Ruthenia have struggled since then, with only four points in three matches, all against bottom-four sides. There is a real possibility Qusmo could manage to sustain their momentum long enough to surpass one final team for a playoff spot.

Oscioru

Oscioru isn’t ranked as highly as either Carpathia and Ruthenia or Qusmo, nor do they have as many points as either nation, nor have they won a single point against one of the other teams currently occupying second through fifth. Still, they’re only three points out of contention, and whereas Ko-oren has beaten each of those other nations five-nil, Oscioru managed to defeat Ko-oren four-one. The team’s attacking performance has been magnificent, second to Ko-oren in goals scored, and having scored every possible value between one and seven in their eight matches this season, without ever being held scoreless. Still, they have also yet to record a clean sheet in Qualifying thus far.

La Nazionale has enormous potential if they can find a way to maintain their attacking prowess while developing defensive solidity. They’ll also benefit from hosting every remaining match against a second- through fifth-placed team in Poma, where their home supporters willed them on to a tremendous victory over an otherwise all-conquering Ko-oren side. If they can do to the other top teams in the group what they managed to do to the Dragonflies, there is still every reason to believe the Osci would win a spot in the playoffs.

Canamn

Finally, Canamn is perhaps the unlikeliest remaining contender, but they can’t be dismissed from the playoff race just yet. They are debutants this cycle, were unable to make it out of the Baptism of Fire group, and are consequently ranked outside the top three hundred, but they have won a solid half of their matches, and they currently own head-to-head tiebreakers over each of the other teams ranked third through sixth in the table. They’re only four points behind Carpathia and Ruthenia, and a second-half charge back up the table isn’t completely out of the question. They also do have home matches remaining against the teams ranked second and third in the group.

Still, Canamn has scored the fifth-most goals in the group while only boasting the joint-fifth-best defense. They’ve scored a full goal per match fewer than the next-lowest scoring team in the top five thus far, and they’ve conceded as many goals as Oscioru, for joint-worst among the top five, while having scored about half as many themselves. At negative-six, their goal difference is only one better than seventh-placed Coercia, thirteen away from the positive-seven that’s the minimum of any other team in the top four. Stranger things have happened, but all of the underlying statistics suggest it’s much likelier this team will have tailed off by matchday eighteen than still be in the playoff hunt.

Overall

Zooming back out to the big picture, it looks very unlikely that Qusmo, or any other team, could catch up to Ko-oren for the group’s lone automatic qualification spot. However, they are one of two frontrunners for a playoff spot, with one or two credible threats also trailing behind. It would take eight matches of consistent, sustained excellence against Qusmo’s groupmates to make it to the playoffs, plus a high-variable, neutral-site, single-match win over another, randomly-chosen group runner-up to qualify once there. Still, the path to World Cup 100 looks much more reasonable than it did when Qusmo had taken three points from its first four matches and was mired nine points behind the playoffs.

We could learn a lot quite early on in the second half about the playoff fight, as Oscioru hosts Carpathia and Ruthenia, while Canamn hosts Qusmo. The Dragons won the reverse fixture at home nine-five, while the Caldera Sun lost to Canamn two-one in Qanz. If the hosts of both those matches won, we would have four nations all locked within a single point of each other, vying for a single playoff spot, with Ko-oren at an even more distant lead in first, five points ahead of the pack with a match in hand. On the other hand, if both the visitors win, they will remain within one point of each other while opening up a five-point gap between third and fourth. By the end of our next matchday, the playoff race could be a two-team shootout, a four-team battle royale, or something in the middle. Either way, Qusma fans will surely hope that, when the dust settles, their team will come out on top and find a way to qualify for a home World Cup.

  Group 5 (Mid-WCQ)       Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts    KOR  CAR  QUS  OSC  CAN  SRM  COE  LLN  INA
1 Ko-oren                   8    7   0   1    35    6  +29    21         5-0  5-0  1-4  5-0  5-1  3-0  6-1  5-0
2 Carpathia and Ruthenia    8    5   1   2    23   16   +7    16    0-5       1-0  9-5  4-1  2-2  1-2  2-0  4-1
3 Qusmo                     8    5   0   3    26   13  +13    15    0-5  0-1       2-1  1-2  9-2  2-0  4-0  8-2
4 Oscioru                   8    4   1   3    29   21   +8    13    4-1  5-9  1-2       2-3  6-2  1-1  7-2  3-1
5 Canamn                    8    4   0   4    15   21   −6    12    0-5  1-4  2-1  3-2       2-0  3-5  1-4  3-0
6 Shizuna Rem Misurugi      8    2   2   4    14   27  −13     8    1-5  2-2  2-9  2-6  0-2       3-1  3-1  1-1
7 Coercia                   8    2   2   4    12   19   −7     8    0-3  2-1  0-2  1-1  5-3  1-3       2-5  1-1
8 Lebronsleftnut            8    2   0   6    14   27  −13     6    1-6  0-2  0-4  2-7  4-1  1-3  5-2       1-2
9 Indo-Athena               8    1   2   5     8   26  −18     5    0-5  1-4  2-8  1-3  0-3  1-1  1-1  2-1

Current H2H results:

CAR def QUS, OSC, CAN
CAN def QUS, OSC
QUS def OSC

Remaining fixtures between two playoff contenders:

QUS-CAR MD14
OSC-CAR MD10
OSC-QUS MD17
CAN-CAR MD12
CAN-QUS MD10
OSC-CAN MD15

Remaining fixtures between Ko-oren and a playoff contender:

CAR-KOR MD13
QUS-KOR MD11
KOR-OSC MD16
KOR-CAN MD18

All groups with at least a five-point lead or a twenty-two-goal margin in goal difference between first and second place:

QG Leader            Margin in:  Pts   H2H   GD   Second-Placed Team
 1 Valanora                        5   5-4   +5   Calgasia
 2 Aphrilia                        5   5-2  +18   Cardenao
 4 StrayaRoos                      8   3-1   +4   Vixette
 5 Ko-oren                         5   5-0  +22   Carpathia and Ruthenia
 6 Busoga Islands                  5   1-1   +7   Bostopia
 7 Crpostran                       7   2-1   +8   Mertagne
 9 ​​Chromatika                      5   4-3  +13   Dantopia
22 United States of Nova Calania   6   4-1  +11   Zenic
23 Flavovespia                     5   2-0  +16   Cobrio
26 Oberour Ar Moro                 8   6-4  +16   Drawkland
27 Kamijiro                       12   3-2  +13   The Holy Empire

12 Squornshelan Remnant States     2   4-1  +27   Anewkansas

All teams with at least 22 points, 21 points and at least a +29 goal difference, at least 35 goals scored, and/or at most 6 goals conceded:

R Team                               MP    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts
1 Ko-oren                             8    7   0   1    35    6  +29    21
1 Valanora                            8    8   0   0    33   11  +22    24
1 Aphrilia                            8    8   0   0    32    3  +29    24
3 Paradystopia                        8    5   2   1    14    3  +11    17
1 StrayaRoos                          8    8   0   0    29    7  +22    24
1 Busoga Islands                      8    7   1   0    24    5  +19    22
2 Bostopia                            8    5   2   1    17    5  +12    17
1 Crpostran                           8    8   0   0    25    5  +20    24
1 the Martian Independent Republic    8    6   1   1    14    6   +8    19
4 The Ko-orenite Constellation        8    3   4   1    11    6   +5    13
1 Kanzlia                             8    7   1   0    25    8  +17    22
1 Vdara                               8    7   1   0    23    7  +16    22
2 Milchama                            8    6   1   1    22    6  +16    19
1 Squornshelan Remnant States         8    7   0   1    38    6  +32    21
4 Sernet                              8    4   2   2    11    6   +5    14
1 Banija                              8    7   1   0    22    9  +13    22
2 Reçueçn                             8    7   0   1    22    2  +20    21
1 Edsmontik                           8    6   2   0    21    5  +16    20
3 West Vdara                          8    5   1   2    20    6  +14    16
1 Ethane                              8    6   2   0    15    4  +11    20
2 Audioslavia                         8    5   2   1    21    6  +15    17
1 Tanirinthia                         8    7   1   0    30    7  +23    22
2 Airannia                            8    6   0   2    15    6   +9    18
1 Valentine Z                         8    7   0   1    35   10  +25    21
1 Pasarga                             8    7   1   0    20    1  +19    22
4 Natkr                               8    4   2   2    10    6   +4    14
1 United States of Nova Calania       8    7   1   0    22    3  +19    22
3 Bonusia                             8    4   2   2    15    4  +11    14
1 Flavovespia                         8    8   0   0    29    5  +24    24
1 Indusse                             8    6   2   0    23    4  +19    20
1 Siovanija and Teusland              8    8   0   0    40    8  +32    24
1 Oberour Ar Moro                     8    8   0   0    37   10  +27    24
1 Kamijiro                            8    8   0   0    28    7  +21    24
1 HOT-DAMN                            8    8   0   0    36    9  +27    24
​​2 Xanneria                            8    5   2   1    13    6   +7    17

[Kelssek]

VET v KSK / Preview: Struggling Kelssek faces the unthinkable at halfway mark

Kelssek are in deep trouble halfway through their World Cup qualifying campaign, and has no margin for error as they enter the second half of the qualifiers third in their group, outside the places that would give them a chance at playing in the 100th World Cup. It would be the first time in 9 cycles that Kelssek would fail to make the competition.

“We have to face the fact that if we don’t pick things up we’re in danger of failing to qualify. I think some of us are in denial about scenario because it’s so unthinkable,” said captain Kaiden Pépin, comments that are unusually blunt for the veteran midfielder.

Pépin himself has struggled with match fitness and has missed several matches this season with recurring injuries, and that’s been a factor in the sub-par and inconsistent performances that fans have been seeing from this Kelssek side.

A shock defeat against 115th-ranked Sajnur in their last match has put Kelssek three points behind group leaders Martian Independent Republic as they travel to Vetrajahrt, a team they beat 7-1 at home but now could be a different proposition for a team that seems to be going through mood swings leaving fans unsure what Kelssek team they’ll see on the pitch.

Even a 6-1 win against Ranoria created questions and doubts as Lionel an Deoir squandered two early sitters and was substituted at half time with the score 1-0. Once Kelssek’s leading striker, he’s only scored one goal for the national team in the last six months, leaving his position in the squad increasingly under fire. It fell to Rolando Cutter to lead the line and the Olympia Borograd striker broke their opponents with two goals in five minutes before Titan Pogbacar, Chike Obident, and Ryan Hartzell joined in the feast as the defence simply gave way.

[Cobrio]

            Cobrio   3-1   Merulla        
       Gilmore 33'         Unknown Player 74'
      Ogunleye 49'
         Daley 88'

Best Player: Dieumerci Pourrien (CBR)

CBR: Moweta; Masuka, Andrews, Angula, Mokoena; Osundairo (Azuonye 45), Anichebe (Donacien 71), Pourrien; 
     Gilmore (c, Antetokounmpo 45), Ogunleye (Daley 82), Chilcott (T. Williams 71)
MER: [ Squad Information Not Available at Time of Publication ]

Ziotah & Riverside   3-5   Cobrio
 Unknown Player 3'         Pourrien 5'
Other Player 45+1'         Kasukuwere 38', 66'
Third Player 90+4'         Udeze 48'
                           Gwadabe 79'

Best Player: Camilla Kasukuwere (CBR)

ZIR: [ Squad Information Not Available at Time of Publication ]
CBR: Moweta; Masuka, Andrews, Adeboye (Angula 45), Eregbu (Mokoena 45); Osundairo (Oyekan 70), Pourrien, 
     Kasukuwere (c); Antetokounmpo (Udeze 45), Ogunleye (Gwadabe 70), Azuonye

            Cobrio   1-1   Baldorium
         Burke 19'         Unknown Player 47'

Best Player: Alafin Osundairo (CBR)

CBR: Moweta; Badawi (Masuka 45), Andrews, Harper, Eregbu (Mokoena 45); Osundairo, Tetteh (T. Williams 45), 
     Kasukuwere (c, Pourrien 81); Burke, Gwadabe (Gilmore 45), Chilcott
BLD: [ Squad Information Not Available at Time of Publication ]

           Mystris   0-2   Cobrio
                           Donacien 78'
                           Burke 89'

Best Player: Dylan Andrews (CBR)

MYS: [ Squad Information Not Available at Time of Publication ]
CBR: Moweta; Masuka, Andrews, Harper, Ntshona; Quraishi (c), Tetteh, T. Williams (Donacien 61); 
     Antetokounmpo (Gilmore 61), Ogunleye (Burke 61), Chilcott

            Cobrio   0-2   Flavovespia
                           Bagshaw 15'
                           Shepherd 49'

Best Player: Charles Shepherd (FVA)

CBR: Musona; Nicholls (Badawi 72), Iwuoma, Harper, D. Williams; Quraishi (c), Ekpo (T. Williams 72), 
     Osundairo; Gilmore (Gwadabe 58), Burke, Chilcott (Pourrien 58)
FVA: Marriott; Scott-Wilson, Amon, Jarvis, Burden; Hill, Adams; Lane, Langdon, Bagshaw (c); Shepherd

The Panthers' undefeated run had to end eventually, and despite the loss, Marvelous Koleoso will likely be content with his side's performance against one of the best teams in the world. Clarence Burke was unfortunate not to put Cobrio ahead in the early minutes, after breaking free on a counter, only to see his shot -- which had Peter Marriott well beaten -- thump against the outside of the post. Sadly, this seemed to serve as a sort of wake up call for the Hornets, who almost immediately responded with a well-worked attack. Charles Shepherd's clever run created space between Iwuoma and Harper for Jonathan Bagshaw to pop up and place a shot beyond Musona for the lead. Cobrio endeavoured to get back into the game but were largely restricted to long range efforts as the Flavovespian defence sat too deep to allow Gilmore and Burke any space in behind on the counter. Shortly after the break, Shepherd would score one of his own, a tap in at the back post after a poorly-cleared corner kick. Koleoso attempted to put pressure on the visitors with a few offensive changes, but outside of a late Quraishi free kick whizzing narrowly over the bar, the Panthers struggled to fashion a good opportunity against the well-organised Flavovespian defence.

         Savojarna   0-1   Cobrio
                           Gwadabe 83'

Best Player: Jonas Hilde (SVJ)

SVJ: Hilde; Riksdal, Röysveit (c), Kjaeresund; Odgeir, Vitol, Bö, Ivanov; Kornilov, Mäkelä, Falk
CBR: Musona; Nicholls, Iwuoma, Harper, Ntshona; Quraishi (c), Ekpo, Kasukuwere (Pourrien 45); 
     Gilmore (Udeze 68), Burke (Gwadabe 68), Chilcott (Emecheta 68)

Struggling to break down a resolute Savojarna defensive block, Marvelous Koleoso once again called upon Dieumerci Pourrien. Entering the game at half time, the young playmaker represented an immediate upgrade to Kasukuwere, given his physicality, which could return pressure on the opposition's physical midfield game. Despite their formation appearing to be a 3-4-3, Savojarna most frequently resembled a 5-4-1 out of possession, with players frequently dropping into defensive positions to halt the Cobre offensive down the flanks. This repeated frustration led to Koleoso making wholesale changes on 68 minutes, withdrawing his entire front line and replacing them with three physical presences. Monifa Gwadabe leading the line with Emecheta as support, while Udeze and Pourrien filled the space behind them in a sort of 4-2-2-2 "box" formation in the middle. Jonas Hilde, between the sticks for Savojarna, earned his man of the match award with a string of saves to deny Cobrio the lead, before Gwadabe made the breakthrough in the 83rd minute, finding just enough separation on a corner kick to thunder a header into the ground with enough force to bounce up and hit the inside of the roof of the net.

     Ochre Islands   3-2   Cobrio
      Dawnglow 22'         Pourrien 46'
   Jeweltowers 31'         Gwadabe 74'
       Ranning 83'

Best Player: Dieumerci Pourrien (CBR) * 
* awarded before his second yellow card after the full time whistle

OCH: O.T.Perrytribe; Verrs, Embersway, Rantonshire (c), Burrsview; Springbreeze, Gathered (Brimm 45), 
     Catburrs (Ranning 79); O.T.Finches (d'Aglio 45), Jeweltowers, Dawnglow
CBR: Musona; Badawi (Masuka 68), Iwuoma, Harper, Mokoena; Quraishi (c, Tetteh 78), Ekpo (Kasukuwere 78), 
     Pourrien; Gilmore (Emecheta 78), Burke (Gwadabe 68), Chilcott

Frustrations boiled over at full-time, when Dieumerci Pourrien's stoppage time equaliser was ruled out for a contentious offside decision in the Ochre Islands. Pourrien was shown a yellow card for dissent in the immediate aftermath, before being hit with a second yellow after the final whistle when he pursued the referee to continue his ministrations. Cobrio manager Marvelous Koleoso was loathe to condemn the youngster's behaviour, though, diplomatically stating that "Demé has passion" and insisting that he and his team had the task of finding a way to "channel it". The ugly scenes after the final whistle will dim some of the shine of Pourrien's impressive display, and an even more impressive Ochreite victory, something the playmaker acknowledged in post-match interviews. "We cannot take anything away from their victory today," he said. "Of course I think we deserved the draw, but sometimes this is how things go in football. If we are debating over a last minute goal perhaps they deserved the win overall."

Pourrien's goal and assist contribution had dragged the Panthers back into the game, after Dawnglow and Jeweltowers had fired the home side into a two-goal lead at the half. A clumsy challenge on the edge of the box gave Ranning -- a late substitute, on for Catburrs -- the chance to restore the home side's lead from a free kick, which she duly took, before the Ochreite side endured ten minutes of Cobre onslaught, leading up to Pourrien's goal-that-was-not.

Part VII | Part VIII

---

Seven Months Earlier

Demé flung his water bottle at the wall of the dressing room, then collapsed onto the bench in front of his things, and held his head in his hands. He was alone, of course. It would not do to let anyone else see this sort of outburst.

"Why me?" He asked, not expecting a reply. Not anymore. The storms had stopped speaking to him, it seemed. For reasons he could not ascertain. "You show me enough to let me know I don't know, but won't let me learn. Why?!"

His words scattered against the walls, leaving a faint ringing echo in his ears when he was done. But nothing more.

Demé took off his shirt and threw it in the basket in the middle of the room. He pulled off his boots without untying the laces and threw those into the other basket. Someone would clean them for him, he knew. His socks, into the first basket. His shinpads he let clatter to the floor under the bench. Carefully, he removed the necklace he wore, with a lion medallion. Gently, he ran his thumb over the embossed design, before placing it on the shelf and heading to the showers.

The shower temperature was set to maximum, just the way he liked it, and within seconds, he could see nothing through the thick steam engulfing the space around him. He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, dragging them down his face, clawing at it as he did. Almost as if he could remove his face. Become someone else. He glanced at his hands. Still the same.

A sigh.

He could feel his anger rising yet again. Like a ground swell of magma, building up, waiting to erupt.

A deep breath.

Demé reached out for the shower controls, and flipped the temperature to the coldest setting immediately. He swore he could hear the sizzle of water on a hot surface. Could feel the magma reverting to solid rock. Almost as if it were weighing him down. In the distance, a cheer. The match was over, at least. Intending to get out of here as soon as possible, Demé turned off the shower and trudged out into the dressing room again.

When the first of his teammates walked in about a minute later, Demé was already pulling on his jacket and reaching for a comb.

"Off so soon?" Someone asked. He didn't care to check who. He simply forced a laugh and joked "perhaps best not to stick around, I don't think the boss is happy with me."

Snorts of laughter and grunts of agreement rippled through the seven or eight players who'd made it back to the dressing room so far. Demé grabbed his car key and bag, before leaving the dressing room without a further word. Nobody tried to stop him.

As Demé drove back to his apartment from the stadium, he noticed dark clouds up ahead, to the east. His apartment was north of here.

"If the mountain will not come to you..." he muttered to himself, before turning east.

* * * * *

Damisakiri sat under a baobab tree, meditating. A red eagle gently, almost silently, fluttered down to land beside him. Without opening his eyes, Dami spoke.

"Uncle," he said, mouth quirking upward. "I know you are there. Wetin you dey tell I today?"

"Aht!" The eagle, who was now a man, said. "Adon tell you nothing. You don listen to Uncle Amari anymore, little panther."

Dami's eyes snapped open. He thought it remarkable how Amari, even now, could make him feel like a foolish boy. He wasn't even using sakhire. Amari had no need to weave, no need for the okun. He somehow knew how to reach into his nephew's very soul and play whatever tune he pleased on his heartstrings.

"Uncle," Dami began. "I am running out of ideas."

"Then you must be near the correct one, na?" Amari said, dismissively. He wasn't even looking at Dami. He was sat beside him, watching another bird circling in the distance. From here, Dami could not be certain, but it looked like a silver-blue shrike. He inhaled deeply, searching for... something. Ah. Yes. That was her.

"She seems anxious," Dami said to his uncle.

"Yes."

"It's my fault, isn't it?"

Amari paused.

"Yes."

"I'm... I'm failing. That's why you're both so w-"

"No." Amari cut him off. "There is no failure, little panther. Only what is, what was, and what will be. Sabi?"

"But Ifuoké gave me a task."

"Ifuoké likes to give tasks, nephew. Sometimes, you are not meant to complete them when you think you are meant to complete them."

Dami frowned.

"The ways of the gods are not for us to understand," Amari continued. "But... We must live anyway."

"As expected of Idìugo," said a lynx with silver-tipped ears and deep green eyes, stepping out from behind the tree.

Amari immediately bowed his head, though Dami was slower on the uptake.

"You did not teach him everything, I see." Said the lynx, noticing Dami's eventual bow.

"He was lost for many years, big brother." Amari said.

"I know. I am not here to chastise you, little brother."

"Whatever your will, Idìugo will see it done," Amari replied.

"No requests today, little brother. Rest. I am here for your nephew."

Amari's nostrils flared slightly, and he tensed a little. Dami only noticed because he was stood so close to his uncle.

"I... I don't know if I can be of any assistance..." Dami trailed off.

"You can. And you will. But not today." The lynx said. "I come to you today because I have advice."

Dami frowned at the lynx. He dared not voice any of the myriad thoughts racing through his mind at this moment. Instead he waited.

"Prepare your heir, Damisakiri." It said.

Out of the corner of his eye, Dami noticed Amari slump his shoulders a little, almost as if folding inward on himself. What wasn't he being told?

"Though secrets are my realm, this is an open truth," the lynx continued. "You are already on the path without light. I do not wish you distress, little brother. But you must be prepared. The lost cub will find his way to you. In the meantime, you must prepare your heir."

The lynx glanced up at the silver-blue shrike, whose circling had edged closer and closer during their conversation.

"She will know who to summon," it said. "Though she will not land until I am gone."

"Why?" Dami asked.

"Because Ezinne is far more cautious than I."

Dami frowned again. "You really are a lynx..."

The lynx roared with laughter. "Well done, little brother."

"I have... a lot of questions right now."

"I am sure you do."

"But something tells me you won't answer them."

"I will answer one question, little brother. Whatever secret you wish uncovered, I will grant you this. Think carefully."

Dami paused. He thought for a long moment, then smiled. "Okay. What I want to know is..."

[Choppyhausen]

Broadcasting Service Choppyhausen
World Cup 100 - Liveticker

---

World Cup 100 - Group 20 - Matchday 10

Valentine Z

Choppyhausen

3

2

⚽︎ D’Elia 2’, 80’

⚽︎ Corte 29’
⚽︎ Lauritz 71’

⚽︎ Holly 39’

---

That’s another milestone for Valentine Z, who win at home against Choppyhausen. The Kittens move one step closer to qualification, now five points clear of their closest challengers. For Choppyhausen, the battle continues — they’ll need to fight hard to hold onto their playoff spot. Still, the Team in Teal benefit from TJUN-ia’s simultaneous defeat in New Arbuckle.

But it is enough as the referee blows the final whistle — 3–2, and it’s over in Mandalay.

---

FINAL WHISTLE

---

90⁺¹ D’Elia narrowly misses sealing it! On the right, Lampe defends carelessly against Holly, who is able to square the ball into the middle unchecked — but D’Elia can’t quite reach it.

88' Lukeson goes down after a light push from Chiyumi inside the Valentine penalty area. The Choppyhausen players shout for a penalty, but the referee waves play on — and once again, the right decision.

84' Tyr unleashes a fierce strike just over the far top corner — but the whistle had already gone for a foul by a Choppyhausen player on Dániel in the buildup.

81' The Kittens are in front for the third time this game. Will the lead last?

80' Goal for Valentine Z (3 - 2)
Elisabetta Enzo Hannah Lodovica D’Elia
That’s a costly mistake from Cory. Just outside his own box, the defensive midfielder hesitates on the ball, taking a touch too many. D’Elia pounces, pokes it away, and suddenly she’s through on goal. One-on-one with Weiner-Kracht, she keeps her composure and slots low into the left corner. A brace for the Valentian striker!

75' Konstantinovich and Frederiksen tangle inside the Choppyhausen penalty area — the referee eventually whistles for a foul against the attacker.

73' Marshall denies a quick-fire double for Choppyhausen! Caligaris latches onto a through pass from Bender-McKay and fires from a tight angle on the left of the six-yard box. The keeper reacts sharply to block, and the rebound deflects off McMahon back into his arms.

70' Goal for Choppyhausen (2 - 2)
Nico Lauritz (Cory)
The substitutes make an instant impact! Cory spins cleverly in midfield to shake off Polańska, then threads a perfect through ball past the Valentian back line. Lauritz times his run to perfection, rounds Marshall, and slots home for 2–2.

66' Substitution | Choppyhausen
Julius Cory (#7) ↑↓ Andre Finch (#19)
Johnny Caligaris (#21) ↑↓ Dominik Keil (#8)
Nico Lauritz (#24) ↑↓ Jule Corte (#11)

63' That had to be the equalizer! After a clever Lukeson dribble inside the Valentine penalty area, Iduna receives the ball and, from a tight angle on the right, opts for a square pass instead of shooting. Lukeson stays in a perfect position to finish but leaves it for Keil, who can’t quite reach it.

60' Choppyhausen are camping around the Valentine box, but Harmon Merrit’s side currently lack ideas. A low pass from Finch into the six-yard area ends up safely in Marshall’s hands.

53' Valentian media had mistakenly reported Holly as goal scorer back on matchday one — now it is reality. Can the Team in Teal come back from this new setback?

50' There are strong similarities between this goal and the first — in both cases, Choppyhausen’s defence struggled badly against a long ball.

49' Goal for Valentine Z (2 - 1)
Holly Annemiek Gerrieke Van De Hoogte (Chiyumi)
Lightning start from the hosts once again! Choppyhausen are caught high up the pitch, and Chiyumi exploits it with a long ball over the top to Holly. The striker shrugs off Frederiksen and curls the ball past Weiner-Kracht into the far corner. 2–1 Valentine Z!

46' It remains level here in this Group 20 top clash. Both sides go into the second half unchanged.

---

HALFTIME

---

45' Keil wins the ball as Valentine try to break forward and crosses quickly toward Corte, but the striker can’t quite connect — his header flies several metres wide.

42' Choppyhausen are pushing hard for the lead now. Can the Team in Teal find another goal before the break?

40' Tyr goes for goal from distance — the shot deflects off McMahon’s shin and loops dangerously, but Marshall stretches to tip it over the bar.

37' Yellow Card | Choppyhausen
Andre Finch
At the halfway line, Finch mistimes his challenge, catching Andika’s shin instead of the ball.

33' Holly almost delivers an instant reply! A mix-up between Lampe and Weiner-Kracht gifts her the ball, but the striker’s finish lacks control and ends up straight in the keeper’s arms.

30' With this, Choppyhausen’s top scorer ends his goal drought — his first strike since matchday five!

29' Goal for Choppyhausen (1 - 1)
Elisabetta Enzo Hannah Lodovica D'Elia (Andika)
The equalizer! Iduna picks up the ball on the right flank and cuts inside. From the edge of the box, the 22-year-old shapes to shoot but instead lifts a clever chip over the defence to Corte, who volleys first-time with full power into the net.

25' After a cleared free-kick, Choppyhausen try to counter — but it’s stopped for offside. Corte had his knee just beyond the last defender when Lampe played the pass.

21' Choppyhausen are pressing high since conceding early, which leaves gaps at the back — but for the neutral spectator, it’s been a thrilling, open contest in the first twenty minutes with plenty of attacking moments.

20' Dániel capitalizes on an error by Lampe to launch an attack down the left, but his cross is poorly aimed and sails behind instead of finding D’Elia’s head.

15' Tyr finds space in Valentine territory and drives toward the box before laying off to Lukeson, whose shot glances off the outside of the post.

11' Konstantinovich tries his luck from distance, but Weiner-Kracht is well positioned and gathers safely.

8' Keil is released by Bender-McKay, but his touch at the edge of the box is too heavy, and the chance slips away.

4' An early goal in this top clash — how will the Team in Teal respond?

2' Goal for Valentine Z (1 - 0)
Elisabetta Enzo Hannah Lodovica D'Elia (Andika)
The Valentian “Kittens” strike early once again! Following a throw-in, Andika lofts a long ball forward, and D’Elia wins the aerial duel against Holdenbeck. Weiner-Kracht rushes out, but the tall striker stays composed and lifts the ball neatly over the keeper.

1' Choppyhausen start with a rehearsed move — Finch chips the ball from the centre circle to the right wing, where Iduna sprints onto it. But the winger miscontrols, and the ball rolls out of play.

---

KICKOFF

---

Welcome to the BSC World Cup 100 Live Ticker!
We’ve reached the halfway point of the qualifiers, and here at the Kyarpan Stadium in Mandalay, Burma, the top two teams of Group 20 meet: Valentine Z vs. Choppyhausen. The hosts currently sit atop the table with seven wins from eight matches and an impressive 35 goals scored. Their only defeat so far? Fittingly, against today’s visitors — the Team in Teal from Choppyhausen — who currently occupy second place thanks to a surprisingly strong series of disciplined performances.

---

---

Damit gewinnt Valentine Z zuhause gegen Choppyhausen. Für die Kittens rückt die Qualifizierung damit immer näher, fünf Punkte stehen nun zwischen den beiden Teams. Choppyhausen muss dahingegen weiter kämpfen, um zumindest den Playoff-Platz zu verteidigen. Das Team in Teal profitiert hierbei aber von der gleichzeitigen Niederlage von TJUN-ia in New Arbuckle.

Doch das 3:2 reicht. Der Schiedsrichter pfeift und das Spiel ist aus.

D’Elia rutscht an der Entscheidung vorbei. Lampe verteidigt rechts leichtsinnig gegen Holly, sodass diese ungestört in die Mitte spielen kann. Da verpasst D’Elia jedoch den Ball.

Lukeson fällt nach einem leichten Schubser von Chiyumi im Valentine Strafraum. Die Choppyhausener fordern Elfmeter, doch der Schiedsrichter lässt weiterspielen. Richtige Entscheidung.

Tyr setzt einen wuchtigen Abschluss knapp über das lange Eck. Zuvor war jedoch abgepfiffen worden. Ein Foul des Choppyhausener gegen Dániel ist die Ursache.

Tor für Valentine Z – 3:2 - Elisabetta Enzo Hannah Lodovica D'Elia
Das darf Cory auf keinen Fall passieren. Zentral vor dem eigenen Strafraum hat der defensive Mittelfeldmann kurz Zeit, geht die Sache aber zu lässig an und lässt sich von D’Elia die Kugel vom Fuß spitzeln. Die Stürmerin steht sofort alleine vor Weiner-Kracht und trifft ins linke Eck – Doppelpack!

Konstantinovich und Frederiksen behaken sich im Sechzehner der Choppyhausener. Am Ende entscheidet der Unparteiische auf Offensivfoul.

Marshall verhindert den Choppyhausener Doppelschlag! Caligaris kommt nach einem Bender-McKay-Steilpass halblinks vor dem Fünfmeterraum zum Abschluss, wo Marshall den Versuch pariert. Von McMahon springt die Kugel dann sicher zum Torwart.

Tor für Choppyhausen – 2:2 – Nico Lauritz (Cory)
Die Joker stechen sofort! Cory befreit sich im Mittelfeld mit einer geschickten Drehung von Polańska und überspielt dann mit einem perfekten Pass die Valentine Defensivkette. Der Ball landet beim im richtigen Moment losgesprinteten Lauritz, der dann Marshall umrundet und zum 2:2 abschließt.

[box][size=120]75' Substitution | Choppyhausen
Julius Cory (#7) ↑↓ Andre Finch (#19)
Johnny Caligaris (#21) ↑↓ Dominik Keil (#8)
Nico Lauritz (#24) ↑↓ Jule Corte (#11)

Sedláčková kommt bis zur Grundlinie durch, doch ihre Flanke findet im Strafraum keinen Abnehmer.

Das muss der Ausgleich sein! Iduna bekommt nach einem Lukeson-Dribbling im Valentine Strafraum den Ball und entscheidet sich aus halbrechter Position anstelle des Schusses für den Querpass. Dort bleibt Lukeson in bester Abschlussposition zurück und überlässt für Keil, der wiederum nicht an die Kugel kommt.

Choppyhausen belagert den gegnerischen Strafraum, es fehlt Harmon Merrits Team aber an Ideen. Ein Pass von Finch in den Fünfmeterraum landet in Marshalls Armen.

Am ersten Spieltag berichteten Valentine Medien noch fälschlicherweise von einem Treffer von Holly nun ist er Realität. Kann das Team in Teal erneut zurückkommen?

Es gibt starke Parallelen zwischen dem 2:1 und dem 1:0, beide Male sah Choppyhausens Defensive nach einem langen Ball nicht gut aus.

Tor für Valentine Z – 2:1 - Holly Annemiek Gerrieke Van De Hoogte (Chiyumi)
Erneuter Blitzstart der Gastgeber. Choppyhausen steht hoch, was Chiyumi mit einem langen Ball auf Holly ausnutzt. Die Stürmerin setzt sich stark gegen Frederiksen durch und schlenzt den Ball dann an Weiner-Kracht vorbei ins Tor. 2:1.

Noch steht es Unentschieden hier im Topspiel der Gruppe 20. Beide Teams gehen zunächst unverändert in die zweite Hälfte.

HALBZEIT

Keil gewinnt in der Valentine Vorwärtsbewegung den Ball und flankt direkt zu Corte. Der kommt aber nicht mehr richtig ran, sein Kopfball geht mehrere Meter neben dem Tor ins Aus.

Choppyhausen drückt jetzt auf die Führung. Schafft das Team in Teal noch einen Treffer vor der Pause?

Tyr versucht es aus der zweiten Reihe. Sein Schuss wird von McMahons Unterschenkel abgefälscht, sodass der Ball einen gefährlichen Bogen macht, doch Marshall macht sich lang und kann den Ball über die Latte lenken.

Gelbe Karte für Choppyhausen – Andre Finch
Finch trifft in einem Zweikampf am Mittelkreis nur das Schienbein von Andika und nicht den Ball.

Holly verpasst die direkte Antwort! Ein Missverständnis zwischen Lampe und Weiner-Kracht führt zum Ballgewinn durch die Stürmerin, die aber etwas zu schnell abschließt. Ihr Schuss landet in den Armen des Choppyhausener Kapitäns.

Choppyhausens Top-Torjäger beendet damit auch seine Torflaute, die seit dem 5. Spieltag angehalten hatte.

Tor für Choppyhausen – 1:1 – Jule Corte (Iduna)
Der Ausgleich! Iduna kommt im rechten Halbfeld an den Ball und zieht von dort nach innen. Am Strafraumrand kommt der 22jährige in eine gute Schussposition, entscheidet sich aber lieber für einen Heber auf den im richtigen Moment lossprintenden Corte, der direkt volley abschließt. Sein Schuss trifft mit voller Wucht ins Tor.

Nach einem abgewehrten Freistoß versucht Choppyhausen einen Konter, der aber wegen Abseits zurückgepfiffen wird. Corte stand beim Zuspiel von Lampe mit dem Knie zu weit vorne.

Dániel nutzt einen Fehler Lampes und leitet links einen Angriff ein. Seine Flanke ist aber schlecht gezielt und landet im Aus statt auf D'Elias Kopf.

Choppyhausen presst seit dem frühen Rückstand recht hoch, wodurch sich aber auch Lücken in der Defensive auftun. Für den neutralen Zuschauer auf jeden Fall ein unterhaltsames Spiel bisher – viele Offensivszenen.

Tyr ist in der Valentine Hälfte relativ ungestört und kommt somit bis kurz vor den gegnerischen Strafraum wo er zu Lukeson spielt. Dessen Schuss streift den Außenpfosten.

Konstantinovich versucht sein Glück aus der Distanz, doch Weiner-Kracht passt auf und kann den Ball fangen.

Keil wird von Bender-McKay freigespielt, legt sich den Ball am Strafraumrand aber etwas zu optimistisch vor und verliert den Ball.

Frühes Tor in diesem Topspiel. Wie reagiert das Team in Teal?

Tor für Valentine Z – 1:0 - Elisabetta Enzo Hannah Lodovica D'Elia (Andika)
Die Offensivmaschinerie der Kittens schlägt erneut zu und diesmal geht es schon früh los! Nach einem Einwurf schlägt Andika den Ball weit nach vorne, wo D'Elia das Luftduell gegen Holdenbeck gewinnt. Weiner-Kracht kommt aus dem Tor, doch die hochgewachsene Stürmerin bleibt cool und lüpft den Ball über den Torwart.

Choppyhausen beginnt mit dem Anstoß und hatte hier wohl eine Variante einstudiert. Finch chippt dem Ball vom Mittelpunkt auf die rechte Seite wo Iduna durchstartet. Dem Flügelstürmer verspringt der Ball aber bei der Annahme und er landet im Aus.

Herzlich Willkommen beim BSC World Cup 100 Liveticker! Die Hälfte des Qualifying ist vorbei und hier im Kyarpan Stadium in Mandalay, Burma treffen heute die Top 2 der 20. Gruppe gegeneinander an: Valentine Z gegen Choppyhausen. Die Gastgeber belegen aktuell den ersten Platz der Gruppe mit 7 Siegen aus 8 Spielen und beeindruckenden 35 Toren. Die einzige Niederlage der Valentian Kittens? Ausgerechnet gegen die heutigen Gäste aus Choppyhausen, die es mit einer überraschend starken Leistung bis auf den zweiten Platz ihrer Gruppe geschafft haben.[/size][/box]

[Ko-oren]

##################

The Ministry of Tourism announces a pivot to their Canon plan: it's no secret that tourism is a respectable pillar of the Ko-orenite economy, relying on both domestic and international travellers. The current Canons have apparently worked so well that both types of tourist flock to the destinations listed, creating multiple problems that the ministry attempts to solve. Problem one: overtourism in the usual spots. Cities like Amahne are world-renowned and therefore a must-see place on everyone's list, from those staying here for only a few days (Amahne is a very easy destination from Ilohbonu International Airport for multiple reasons) to those who live in the area. But cities are among the best-prepared places for crowds: many people already live there, the place is designed to manage crowds - and yet, locals are starting to see their patience wear thin. Ko-oren is full of places that are not designed to handle crowds, but many are still going there: the national parks on the Canon list pull in so many visitors that campsites, roads, and trains are full, and the logistic network to keep every visitor centre topped up on water and food is stretched enough as is. Let alone the flora and fauna that suffer from so many visitors, from trash on the ground to year-round noise near breeding grounds. Problem two: places that can handle larger crowds are sitting too empty from not being listed - the Canon, as with everything Ko-orenite, is based around twelves, so museum #13, city #13, or national park #13 automatically pulls in far fewer visitors that they're capable. Problem three: places that aren't even #13, but well out of sight - mind that the canons are managed by, effectively, a government agency that decides where visitors should go to - such as counterculture expressions or destinations tied to less glamorous parts of our history, are completely out of any spotlight. In response, seeing the popularity of the canons and the fact that they're even used by travel agencies abroad to plan journeys, an enormous amount of 'other canons' have popped up, from the tourist trappy to the outright scammy.

Change 1: Canons will allow more (or less) than 12 entries. If more entries are deserving of mention, they will make it in. If twelve is a stretch for that category, there is no need to call attention to places that cannot handle the influx.

Change 2: Canons will ditch numbering their entries. Right now, the numbers imply a rank, which means that some tourists might see '3. Shemurdar' and '6. Monrama' thinking that the former will be a better city to visit. With 'ranks' out of the window, it will free up some of the FOMO and 'must-sees' that only the top of each list is worth watching when pressed for time.

Change 3: In online resources, the order of entries will be randomised per visitor. That way, those that plan their journeys solely on what appears near the top of the list to hit all the highlights, will still get a quality visit but probably to a 'hidden gem'.

Change 4: Canons will include only destinations that can be reached sustainably and meet accessibility standards. Both the actual trip to the location must be able to be completed via public transport, as well as the logistics behind it must be done without harming the surrounding area. Most destinations must offer some accessibility options.

Change 5: New entries will first enter a 'honourable mention' status before full inclusion into the list. That way, destinations that otherwise would've been invisible to the average tourist will pop up on their list of choices, and destinations that turn out to be more popular than expected can fast track their way onto the list. Simultaneously, underperforming destinations, or destinations that fail to meet other criteria, can be more easily erased from the list without limiting options too much, still trying to keep about 12 places per Canon.

Change 6: Municipalities and communities can nominate destinations for consideration. A shortcoming of the current system is that only polished places appear on the list, while Ko-oren has a lot more to offer that's outside of the regular path. It may open up a new form of tourism, with the current dominant form either city trips or ecotourism.

Change 7: Visitor caps. This might be the single most important change: each location is to accept only a certain number of visitors, with tickets sold centrally - many tickets to cost zero Koronas, but registration is still necessary - to maintain a level of liveability for locals.

[Kandorith]

Hikari Kyoyu

---

Illuminating Today

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2075

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TIE ▲ 0.92 % • BIOTECHNICA ▲ 1.34 % Ƶ359.47 • NEO GEN ▼ 0.76 % Ƶ304.88 • HIYASHI ▲ 2.45 % Ƶ330.22 • SHOGUN ▼ 0.58 % Ƶ354.39 • KOSEN OPTITECH ▲ 1.02 % Ƶ162.48 • KAITO INTL ▼ 0.89 % Ƶ102.56 • GASCORP ▲ 3.12 % Ƶ466.18 • KURODA ▼ 2.98 % Ƶ465.12 • RDD ▲ 2.14 % Ƶ396.81 • RONIN ASSEMBLIES ▼ 0.67 % Ƶ50.87 • AEGIS MEDCORP ▲ 1.23 % Ƶ245.67

World Cup 100 Qualifiers

Halfway To The Final Mark - Mekahi Looks Towards The Horizon
by Natsumi Miyasaki | Sports - Football |

^{SHARE THIS:}

With picking up four points from the last two World Cup 100 qualifiers, Kandorith is trying to solidify their number 3 spot on the table while still looking towards a possible number two spot and drawing 1-1 against Soviet Kem in a disappointing fashion and fighting tooth and nail against Minoptra to win at the Empress Masumi stadium with a goal-filled 4-3. Kandorith now stands in third place with 17 points from 9 games, and is looking towards a very successful qualification campaign for the second time under Reina Kuroda.

The draw away against Soviet Kem was definitely something Kuroda deemed Kandorese unworthy, as the team could not find a way to take control of the match despite dominating possession. "We didn't play well, we didn't connect well and did not convert important chances," Kuroda said after the game. "It's a point, though, and that is what I am happy about, but again, we should have done better. I think the most important part is that we kept ourselves in the game and did not fold to the pressure."

Adaptability and dynamics on the flanks

The game against Minoptra was a goal-rich 3-4 away win for the Kandorese. It was a contest of constant chances and goals throughout the game, where Kandorith eventually emerged as the winner of the crucial three points. While Kandorith had to come back from behind again, this was unprecedented. The Kandorese team went into halftime trailing 3-1 before Kuroda made a complete switch with three substitutes as soon as the second half started (Fujimoto for Saito, Nakamura for Suzuki, and Nishimura for Hashimoto). With a drastic switch in play, two goals from Saito and one from Sora Ito, Kuroda's side could let out a sigh of relief before returning home.

"The Minoptra game was tougher than expected, but this was a true test of the mind," Kuroda stated. "We were not focused and completely outplayed at the start of the match, but after half time the Kandorese way of play came back as everything seemed to click again. I think this is the kind of play we need to bring to the pitch every match. Three points and still third place, I am still happy about the results so far." The captain, Sora Ito, echoed this statement, calling the match a "tough learning moment". "When you first draw against another team. You then have to face a 3-1 scoreline against you in the first 45 minutes, yes, things get tough and a lot goes on in your head. This moment was when I had to be the captain the team needed, and luckily, I was able to get everyone back on their feet and get their heads back in the game again. We have shown that we can score when we need to and that we are a competitive side." When asked if Ito had anything to add, they chuckled and, with a large smile, said, "Who knows, we might just get to the playoffs."

Kandorith is performing well - what lies ahead?

Kandorith now stands in third place, with 3 points ahead of Soviet Kem, who has a solid 17 points out of 9 games. Meanwhile, Banija and Reçueçn still dominate the top spots, with 25 and 24 points, respectively. Kuroda paints an optimistic picture, however. "Third is minimum," they stated. "Look, anything can happen on the pitch, and however you approach it, any game is winnable. We'll approach each upcoming game with this mindset and to try to qualify for the first time in a long while."

In the next game, Kandorith will face off against Banija in the Empress Masumi Stadium, hoping to build on their earlier meeting during the qualifiers, which ended in a narrow loss for Kandorith (3-4). The question is whether Kandorith can utilise the home advantage here. This game followed by the away match against Kita-Hinode, who are currently in 5th place and who are looking to recover from their 1-4 defeat against Reçueçn in their previous game. "Both these games are winable," Kuroda said. "We'll get out there and we'll not go easy on either team, an upset against Banija would be legendary, a win against Kita-Hinode is basically a must."

Group 14
                          Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
1 Banija                    9    8   1   0    27   10  +17    25
2 Reçueçn                   9    8   0   1    26    3  +23    24
3 Kandorith                 9    5   2   2    19   13   +6    17
4 Soviet Kem                9    4   2   3     7    8   −1    14
5 Kita-Hinode               9    4   1   4     8   11   −3    13
6 Libonesia                 8    2   1   5    10   15   −5     7
7 The North Polish Union    9    2   1   6     4   14  −10     7
8 Minoptra                  9    1   2   6    11   21  −10     5
9 Shiverian Republics       9    0   2   7    12   29  −17     2

---

[Calgasia]

Stöckl Motor Werke

Chapter 5: O' Mio Babbino Caro - The Stöckl Veloce

The Stöckl story so far...
Introduction & Context
Chapter 1 - The Stöckl Nabucco
Chapter 2 - The Stöckl Otello
Chapter 3 - The Stöckl Aria
Chapter 4 - The Stöckl Tosca

War!!

The year is 2004 in Calgasia.

The rise of Stöckl Motor Werke has been meteoric, mirroring the profound social and cultural transformation of the country.

But every success has its price, and you cannot be provocative without upsetting someone.

Welcome dear friends once again to The Sound of Calgasia! Let's review the songs that are moving the nation!
Mira tops the charts again with If by Phoning
The Overdrives burst onto the charts with their You Really Got Me

Specifically, Austro-Daimler, the nation's oldest and most prestigious car manufacturer, has seen its position as the most desirable brand decline in just a few years and has suffered sharp drops in sales, especially in the saloon/executive segment, where the Tosca has established itself as the best-selling vehicle in that sector. Traditionally, this was A-D's strong point, with its latest model, the Admiral, a large, luxurious and spacious saloon car, but one that pales in comparison to the Tosca, especially in terms of mechanics.

Its CEO, Alexander Huber, has unofficially declared war on his young rival. Desperate due to declining sales and revenues, and under pressure from the board, Huber has resorted to attacks, attempting to influence the media to portray Stöckl vehicles as unreliable and unsafe, and their representative, Wolfgang Jr, as a debauched individual more concerned with parties, women and excesses than with the performance of his company.

But Wolfgang Jr.'s taste for parties, the good life and high society has paid off. Last year, he was spotted skiing at the exclusive Hallein resort in the Upper Calgas region with Fraulein Margarete Lang, heiress to the Lang Group, a major investment conglomerate.

So far, nothing new, just another woman on this modern Casanova's list. But it turns out that one of the Lang Group's investments is in Welser Maschinefabrik, or WMF, which manufactures, among many other things, the best gearboxes in Calgasia. And WMF has entered into a cooperation agreement with Stöckl, resulting in the new S5, the gearbox used in the Veloce GT.
Pleasure and business.

This has meant that Stöckl now has priority when it comes to orders and developments, a position previously held by Austro-Daimler. This does not mean that WMF does not manufacture for them, but they are second on the list when it comes to new and better models. From now on, Stöckl will receive first-stage development prototypes, while Austro-Daimler must wait for production models. In practice, that means Stöckl’s engineers will always be six months ahead of their oldest rival. And that? That has made Herr Huber explode.

His attacks have become even more personal, with opinion columns in the conservative press (sometimes his own, sometimes paid for) criticising the scandals and the exchange of favours - needless to say, the fact that Huber spent his summers with important executives from A-D's suppliers or notable businesspeople in the past was a mere coincidence…

But it has backfired. Huber has not yet fully understood the deep changes that Calgasia has just taken, and this relaxed lifestyle is precisely what the society wants. Attacking the behaviour of Wolfgang Jr. has only made him and Austro-Daimler look even more old-fashioned, a “car for boring grandpas”. Employees at A-D often cite off the record that Huber is having tantrums almost every day, and rumours insist that the board of directors are seriously considering firing and replacing him with a younger CEO who is more aware of the changing times.

What Austro-Daimler needs is what Stöckl has been using for the last three to four years: a defined strategy with a clear roadmap. And the Veloce was the fundamental part of the broader strategy that Wolfgang Jr. had set for the company

- The Aria would give the company the attention it needed, as well as a first injection of funds to the company, to help develop the new models.

- The Tosca would become the workhorse of the company, establishing the income “engine” that Stöckl needed.

- A sports coupé, the real objective that Wolfgang Jr. had in mind when he joined the company. A modern, flashy coupé that would become the emblem of the company, and why not, the whole Calgasian auto industry.

- A supercar with a V8, an engine architecture that had never been done by Stöckl and with very few prior exponents in Calgasia.

O Mio Babbino Caro (Oh My Dear Papa)

And speaking of older people, what happened with Wolfgang Sr? These intense three years since the launch of the Stöckl Aria have been bittersweet for him. On the one hand, he has seen his company become not only a much larger organisation than he had ever dreamed of, but also something he could never have imagined: an icon. His old dream of building fast cars with Italian styling had come true thanks to his son.

But his son was also the source of his regrets. His son's wild lifestyle often clashed with his father's more austere and conservative vision. Wolfgang Sr. suffered from his son's constant appearances in the tabloids, for the sake of the company's image, but above all for the reputation of his family and his son. The press focused only on parties and women, portraying him as a Casanova, but Wolfgang Sr. lamented that this was the only image they wanted to show of his son, rather than that of a hard-working, generous and visionary young man who was building a brand with the potential to become historic.

Father and son had many conversations like this over the last few years. It was during one of these conversations that the idea for the next model was born, which was to be a coupé according to the roadmap.
A fast and agile vehicle that would utilise the full potential of the new STCE engine.

Wolfgang Jr. used this as an way to pay tribute to his father. For most of autumn and winter 2002, he reduced his social engagements and attendance at parties, and set about leading the project, heading up the Futura team. Once again, the long nights of work returned, and finally, in the spring of 2003, the model was ready.

The son called his father to show it to him. The vehicle was covered with a tarp.

Set the tone for the coming scene with this masterpieceO Mio Babbino Caro by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa

And Wolfgang Sr, upon seeing it, cried. He cried as he had not cried in a long time, since the death of his wife so many years ago. Father and son embraced each other.

"O Mio Babbino Caro. All this is thanks to you."

This was what Wolfgang Sr. had in mind when he started the company 40 years ago. At last, his tired eyes saw his dream come true.

The name? Fast. Veloce.

The Veloce GT

The Veloce GT (“fast” in Italian), is a sport coupé, designed for performance as well as long voyages, hence the gran turismo letters. Although it can have four passengers, the back seats are not very spacious, it is better enjoyed in two.

All models feature the four-cylinder, Stöckl Twin Cam engine (STCE) with twin spark in various cubic capacities from 1.6 to 2 litres, all with two valves per cylinder. All versions of this engine fitted to the Veloce coupés feature twin carburetors.
The transmission is done through a 5-speed manual transmission from WMF or a 4-speed automatic from RoteWerk. There are ventilated disc brakes on all four wheels with ABS, a novelty. The suspension uses independent coil springs with hydraulic dampers to ensure a smooth and stable ride. A limited-slip rear differential is optional.

The structure and chassis are based on the Tosca, albeit shorter, ensuring a stable platform. It features the reinforced safety cell as well as the airbags for safety reasons. The interior is also luxurious, although contrary to what happened during the Tosca’s design, it is not the most important aspect of the car. Performance and driving are paramount to this vehicle.

Model	Engine	Max Power	Torque	Top Speed	Transmission	Price (NSD)
Veloce GT 1600	1,570 cc DOHC I4 (STCE Twin Spark)	100 hp (82 kW) @ 6,200 rpm	145 Nm @ 3,800 rpm	200 km/h (124 mph)	5-speed manual	55,000
Veloce GT 2000	1,962 cc DOHC I4 (STCE Twin Spark)	130 hp (107 kW) @ 6,000 rpm	172 Nm @ 4,000 rpm	220 km/h (136 mph)	5-speed manual (close-ratio)	58,000
Veloce GT Sportiva	1,962 cc DOHC I4 (STCE Twin Spark)	155 hp (125 kW) @ 6,300 rpm	190 Nm @ 4,200 rpm	235 km/h (146 mph)	5-speed manual + limited slip differential	71,000

The true heart of the beast, the STCE, displayed here in the 1600 version.

EXTERIOR & DESIGN DETAILS

15” alloy wheels with polished spokes (GT 1600)
15” light-alloy “Veloce” wheels in titanium finish (GT 2000)
16” forged aluminium sport rims (GT Sportiva)
Dual exhaust outlets with chrome finish
Electric side mirrors
Chrome front grille and window surrounds
Optional dual-tone finishes

Colours: Rosso Corsa, Alpine White, Goldstadt Blue, Melperk Green, Obsidian Black, Lemon Yellow, Light Blue, Tangerine Orange, Light Green

EQUIPMENT BY VERSION
Veloce GT 1600
Wood dashboard & steering wheel (standard)
Air conditioning
15” alloy wheels
6-speaker audio & radio AM/FM
Power windows (front)
Dual front airbags
Ventilated front disc brakes
Fabric/leather mixed upholstery

Veloce GT 2000
Full leather interior
Air conditioning
15” titanium alloy wheels
6-speaker Glanz&Sohn audio system
Power mirrors and central locking
Chrome side detailing and grille inserts
Optional sunroof
Rear fog lamps
Reinforced chassis with sport suspension

Veloce GT Sportiva
16” forged aluminium wheels
Dual-tone leather sport seats with embossed Stöckl crest
Limited-slip differential
High-performance ventilated brakes
Short-ratio 5-speed gearbox
Leather-and-wood steering wheel with red stitching
Dual exhaust system with polished outlets
Sport suspension (adjustable)
Air conditioning
Optional rear roll bar (factory-installed)

Contact your nearest Stöckl dealer for more details

Context:
- Calgasia is a constitutional monarchy founded by Austro-Hungarian settlers in 1917 after the accidental discovery of an interdimensional portal between the Earth and a very similar planet, evolving from an isolated imperial colony into a modern, democratic, and industrial nation.
- The technological level is comparable to real Earth 1960s. There can be some advanced features to fit with the rest of the NSS nations, but generally consider this level.

- The current year in Calgasia is 2004. Connexions and trade with the rest of the multiverse started only in the year 2000 after more than 80 years isolated. That explains the current backwards tech level.

- Due to the reopening of the nation to the multiverse, Calgasia is experiencing a social and cultural revolution, comparable to the Swinging Sixties in the Western world back on Earth, especially the UK. Arts, music, fashion, multimedia, popular consciousness, feminism, … almost all aspects of the traditional Calgasian society are being challenged and modified by the youth. Mass consumption and the economic boom that the country is having because of the renewed trade are fuelling this movement. This revolution is being felt across the country, but especially in the capital, with the movement Groovy Goldstadt. More real-life info here, if you’re curious: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swinging_Sixties

- Almost all models are based on real Alfa Romeo cars, modified through Gemini AI. Thus all images, unless stated, are AI-generated.

OOC: Images are AI generated
The Veloce GT is based on the 1966 Alfa Romeo Giulia GT, especially the GTA version. Wikipedia article

[HUElavia]

HUElavia 3–0 Bruinswik
(Xirau 18', Chalco 50', 82' (P))
Nuevo Estadio del Rio, Rio de HUEska, HUElavia

HUElavia 5–3 Knights of LUSITANIA
(Serra 10', Pinto 17', Cancha 37', 90', Ninahuamán 69' | REDACTED 31', REDACTED 49', 75')  
Estadio Hueti, Jinaqa, HUElavia

Previously on...

Blur

3.1 Ghost of the Past

Dr. Santiago Feijoo sat in his office going over patients notes at Sao Paulo General Hospital in a district of Sao Salvador. He was a man in his late 40s, a very talented Cardiologist that people would travel to throughout HUElavia and sometimes abroad to see him. He had some graying hair on the side of his head, and some signs of wrinkles forming up. Such was the nature of working with the hearts of so many patients on a day-to-day basis. He typed away notes on the different patients he'd have seen today. The child growing with Tetralogy of Fallot. The elderly man living with AFib, having a pacemaker to treat it. The teenager with double beats. The woman with Pulmonary Stenosis. It was a lot of hard, tiring work mending the hearts of many HUElavians. He saw the clock strike 6 PM and decided to save his work for the day.

Santiago Feijoo gave his farewells to other doctors he'd pass by the halls, as well as the nurses. He silently takes the elevator down to the first floor, where he eventually reaches the parking garage for the doctors. He clicks the unlock button of his car: A black 2XXX Kamata Fiera. He unlocked it, put his briefcase into the passenger's side and checked his phone. He decided to give a call to his wife before he started his drive.

"Hey Hon'."
"Hey Sweetie! Did you finish work already?"
"Yeah, I'm in the car already. I'm beat."
"That's good to hear! I'm making some Sopa de Rabo for tonight, is that okay?"
"Yes! I'd love that."
"How long will it be until you get home?"
"Ehhh... Probably an hour. I plan to take northbound on the highway to get home pretty quick then."
"Okay, I'll see you soon! Love you!"
"Love you too hon'! I'll see you soon."

Normally a cold and stoic man, his wife and kids were the only ones he could show some good warmth to them. They were his life and he felt some more energy knowing he was getting Oxtail Soup, a favorite dish of his. He started up the car and began to drive out of the hospital. There was some traffic in the area, but he began taking some backroads to get past them and get closer to the highway.

Eventually, he got on the highway and began driving along, just passing by cars, going usually on the faster lane. After some time, he noticed a car fast approaching on some lanes over. He looked to his right and noticed the type of car: A blue Sannis Z. It was a shade of blue that surprised him for a moment. A darker shade that he knew was very rare, if not specific. It bought back memories of an old friend, someone who he'd race with. Someone who he respected as a competitor on the roads. And the car looked so much like the one he'd drive.

Santiago felt an old impulse take over him. He hadn't driven fast since the accident that took the life of his friend. He began to hit the pedal down. He began to speed up, wanting to catch up to get a closer look at the Z. Before he knew it, he was getting a good look at the car. And it truly was that old Z. That wretched, cursed Z...

To Be Continued...

[Chromatika]

World Cup 100 Qualifying Matchday 10: Abanhfleft 0-4 Chromatika
Goals: Xuen-Zhukov 15', Howard-Dawes 39', Fillar, B. 55', Fillar, G. 72'
Starting XI: Sourtois; Coulibaly - Jackson-Jones - Saburo; Fillar, G. - Mesic-Mizayaki - Fillar, B. - Fillar, E.; Françine-Miklavivec; Xuen-Zhukov (C) - Howard-Dawes.
Substitutes: Prenn -> Fillar, B. (62'), Nodis -> Saburo (62'), Bittencourt -> Howard-Dawes (70'), Jannisen op Colmans -> Fillar, E. (70'), Han Cunningham -> Jackson-Jones (84')
Summary: The first string Chromatiks showed their true potential in this matchup, scoring early and often and utterly dominating the match despite it being on the road. Both starting strikers scored, two Fillars added on in the second half, and that was that. The result gives them a five-point lead on both The Ko-orenite Constellation and Dantopia, which they'll try to maintain.

---

World Cup 100 Qualifying - Matchdays 11 & 12 vs. (211) Atymnius @ Hawks' Nest, Lanar, Rainbow District (Cap. 112,000, 38,000 Seats) & @ (300) United States Of Alpha
Starting XI: Swanson (C); Paterson - Lethbridge-Antonio, C. - Saburo; Hauptmeijer - Lethbridge-Antonio, J. - Prenn - Mátyás; Lee; Jean-Baptiste - Baïe-Verte.
Reserves: GK Jessika Aniston, GK Hera Courtois, DCR Jaxon Lehmann, DC Samantha Han Cunningham, DCL Cylie Nodis, DCR Ami Coulibaly, MR Kandice Oriol, WBL Róża Panaś, WBL Willemieke Janissen op Colmans, CDM Cassandra Van Der Borght, CDM Eden Gunsdorf, BWM Erica Holgersson, AM Þyrill Bjarnhéðinsson, AF Adélaïde Bittencourt, CF Jack Heimdell, AF Elaine Howard-Dawes.
Preview: The team continues to rotate - this lineup has gone 12 points out of 12, and shows no sign of slowing down. Atymnius is the squad that took down the Chromatiks on Matchday 2 - so they'll be looking for revenge there.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Epsilon Omicron Delta

Part 6

Following the events of Part 2...

AMÉLIE

Where was she?

All she remembered was the bright flash, and then the feeling of weightlessness. Then, she could tell that she was somewhere warm. Not too hot, not cold, but comfortably warm. Her body felt very lax, as if there was no care in the world. For a while, nothing else mattered - not the whereabouts of her sister Gabrielle, not the fact that her father, Major Tyler Rachette, would be looking for them. It was as if nothing else mattered than the comfort that the warm space provided.

That comfort was cut by a sharp discomfort. She couldn't open her eyes for some reason! Or, were her eyes open, but there was no light?

A blinding light suddenly took over the periphery of her vision to the point that she had to shut her eyes, but the light was still present. When that finally went away, she was in a very different place altogether.

She was clad in a plain white robe, in a white padded room. Across the room from her was a rather nondescript being. The being looked to be about six feet tall, though there was no face nor any features that betrayed their gender.

"Take a seat, Ms. Rachette," came the words from the being, though it was as if the room was speaking.

She saw no reason not to, and took a seat on the floor.

"You're probably wondering why you've been summoned here, or what's happened to your country in the last day or so," commented the being.

"You could say that again," deadpanned Amélie, "Do you know what's been going on?"

"You've been victimized by a vicious experiment that has reached into your dimension," explained the being, "You and six hundred thirty-eight thousand, three hundred and fifteen others. Thankfully, your government was able to start to counteract the waves with the help of your allies, but the rest of you were taken."

"By whom? Why am I with you instead, then?" Amélie questioned further.

"We were able to intercept five hundred thousand of you in route, including your sister, Gabrielle. For the other one hundred thirty-eight thousand, three hundred and sixteen souls, that's proving to be more difficult. We need your help to continue our efforts," the being answered.

Amélie's face brightened slightly at the fact that her sister was fine, but her brow furrowed at the news of the others still being lost.

"Can you describe your home dimension to us? We will try to translate you back home. Then, we need you and your people's help to make a better effort on recaching the others," the being explained.

"Sure, I'll help you in getting home. But why are you helping us?" Amélie couldn't help but be a bit distrustful.

"Only by gathering everyone will we be able to collect all the essence around the translation. Then, we can figure out who was responsible for it all," the being stated.

"And why does that matter?" pressed Amélie.

"There is a chance that it is a force that we've been looking for for a long, long time," the being let out, "And if it's that specific force, any and all of our efforts will be worthwhile."

Amélie started to explain things about where Chromatika had come from, the thousands of others doing the same.

[Montagne Noire]

Mid-qualifications Report

Good morning Ladydoggies and Gentledoggies, World Cup qualifications have reached it's halfway point. Here is a recap of Montagne Noire's matches.

MD1: 2-1 loss vs Krytenia - On matchday 1, Montagnards travelled to Krytenia and also went 200 years back in time. Krytenia scored the first two goals and Gribouille scored for us in the 2nd half.

MD3: 5-2 win vs Britonisea - After a bye week on matchday 2, doggies are back home for a match against Britonisea and the grand opening of two restaurants for humans who cook food instead of serving raw meat. The opening of the two restaurants - one in Saine-Sauveur and one in Lac-Ouareau - was a success and human customers all wanted to come back. On the fiald, it was a goal fest and Soleil, Croquette, Millie, Maggie and Captain Jack Sparrow all scored for Montagne Noire.

MD4: 2-0 win vs Nargtul - A football match between two newcomers and we're on the victorious side. Gribouille scored in the 1st half and Whisky, in the 2nd half.

MD5: 1-0 win vs AJTON - Our 2nd home match. Our doggies controlled the ball most of the time but they could capitalise only once and the lucky dog who scored the lone goal is Vadrouille.

MD6: 6-3 loss vs Eshialand - Following three wins in a row, Montagne Noire hit a wall against Eshialand, one of the best team in our group. Alan Belmore and Soleil scored early to give Montagnards a 2-0 lead but then, Eshialand adjusted their play and scored 4 unanswered goals before Gribouille scored his 3rd goal of the qualifications at the 66th minute. Eshialand followed with goals at the 70th and 87th minutes and won 6-3.

MD7: 1-1 draw vs Shell Shock Troop Clan - A fun match played in the snow but neither teams won it. SSTC scored first and Montagne Noire tied the game when Colonel Moutarde scored in the 2nd half.

MD8: 1-1 draw vs Putrasia - The same score as the previous match. This time, Max scored in the first half but Putrasia tied the game, also in the first half and neither teams scored in the 2nd half.

MD9: 3-2 win vs Captina Island - Montagne Noire welcomed their fellow South Rushmorans who travelled to our nation. Doggies scored early when Gandalf headed the ball past Giovanni Rizzolini but Natalia Zucchi tied the game. Loki scored just before the end of the 1st half and Croquette scored in the 2nd half to give Montagne Noire a 3-1 lead but Captina Island scored one more goal and the final score was 3-2 Montagne Noire.

MD10: 2-1 loss vs Krytenia - For the first match of the 2nd half, we welcomed Krytenia. Krytenia scored first and took a 1-0 lead at halftime. Citrouille tied the game at the 68th minute but Ricky Smeaton gave Krytenia the lead a few minutes later. The final score was 2-1 Krytenia.

After 9 matches, Montagne Noire is in 4th place behind Eshialand, Captina Island and Krytenia, and tied with Putrasia. Doggies have a bye on the next matchday and then, we will travel to Britonisea before receiving Nargtul at home and travelling to AJTON on matchday 14.

A real football stadium

It's not a secret, nations in our group are laughing at our small enclosed dog park when visiting Montagne Noire and our nation needs a real football specific stadium with thousands of seats for both humans and doggies. Words on the street says that Montagne Noire could start building a real FIFA approved football stadium this summer, with big gender specific locker rooms with a gym (yes dogs go to the gym). The stadium will also have two training fields, lights to play in the dark and two giant screens. It could be ready for World Cup 101.

[Gyaromia]

It could've been worse, atleast...

But the last two fixtures weren't anything to look back fondly upon, or, the last three for that matter, draws against Shin Zetsubo and Calgasia which could've just as easily been won, and a loss to Valanora. Albeit, the loss was expected. What wasn't expected, was the Falcons dropping back down to 5th place, being overtaken by Shin Zetsubo, and Golfo Central.

All the commotion surrounding football, football, football... But, for Ernő Buday, it was the least of his concerns right now.
Exiting the dressing room, with his team, they weren't facing a grass covered pitch, nor were they wearing the iconic green shirts of the Falcons.
Instead, it was an Olympic swimming pool, and 7 players, not 11, stood neatly in a line, adorned in black and white swimming attire.

It was indeed, the other sport Gyaromia was known for, which is waterpolo. Which is, seemingly similar to the sport where you kick the ball into the net. Except it's in a two metre deep swimming pool, and you're fighting for your life to even get a hold of the ball.
The tradition of waterpolo goes back into the 60's, as Gyaromia was a coastal country, fell in love with the new sport overseas, and who wouldn't? With almost a century, popularity and the amount of unfeasible infrastructure infrastructure projects have only increased. WK Partizan Lászvár, had their team set up in 74', with a group of volunteers from other sports and people who otherwise had zero experience making up the initial 13, with their first game being played a year later.

The floodlights shined down on the players, black and white flags adorned the building, along with the national cloth here and there. For Ernő, it was an especially important game. Partizan, were playing against their sworn rivals, Rapid Lászvár. As he was a rising wing within the ranks of the team, it'd be important to prove himself to not just the coaches, but to an entire city, possibly even a nation.

As the game kicked... Actually, threw off? Yeah, threw off... The atmosphere was tense from the beginning. Rapid took the lead in the first quarter. It was already 1-0, in the first minute or so.
Deservedly so, Ernő remarked, it was a neat passing play to make the goal possible. However, Partizan had other plans. As their right flat shot it home with a strong arm to make it 1-1 quickly after the break.

Fast forward a bit, and after a tense back and forth, and multiple people almost drowning, it stood at 5-7 to Rapid by the end of the second quarter. Safe to say, it wasn't looking good.

What was even worse, was what the coach had to say. Ernő, sat on the bench, tired out of his mind after only about 20 or so minutes, was hearing slurs which was safe to say he hadn't even conceived in his 25 years on this earth.
To the surprise of pretty much no one, this greatly terrified the team... Into actually playing well. By the third quarter, about a minute to go, it was 10-8 to Partizan. Ernő wasn't playing,as he'd been subbed off, much to his disappointment.
Although, he would get his minute, a quick Rapid comeback in the fourth quarter had the scoreline at 10-10. Ernő was signalled by Partizan's coach to prepare to get subbed on. A couple moments later, he was back in the water, a goal or two was needed to secure victory.
A few minutes passed... Nothing.
Both teams were in a tug of war to get the game winner, fouls, misses, tense counterattacks and substitutions were being thrown around like candy. Not to mention the crowd, yelling chants and songs that deeply echoed through the otherwise smaller than usual swimming hall.

One minute and thirty seconds to go.

Buday, contributing to the slow passing outside the goalbox. Partizan needed a goal, desperately. Deciding to break up the momentum, he made his way forward a bit, making a quick one two with the one-two with the left, flat, he was through, and GOAL! Partizan had some good chances of walking away with the win, and Partizan holding up play for the next minute sealed the deal. The final whistle echoed through the swimming hall. 11-10, Partizan win on home grounds, or, water.

A big match for the otherwise rookie player, as he made his mark on the team. People all across the country will be talking about this for maybe... A week or so, before the football eventually overshadows it. We might aswell hope and pray that they play for the same kind of win.


Partizan's squad gather around their coach at the end of the second quarter.

[Drawkland]

Our last episode ended with Drawkland's first World Cup qualification, coming in their first-ever World Cup cycle. This was essentially the end of the Kick Corps "debut" in multiversal soccer. They gained a single measly point in World Cup 77 (a nil-all draw against Eura on MD1) and didn't advance from the group stages. From then on, Drawkland became a surprising staple of the World Cup, qualifying for 4 out of their first 4 World Cups. This was the longest "perfect" qualifying streak to begin a nation's tenure in living memory. Unfortunately, some Commonwealth named Baker Park debuted during Drawkland's initial streak and blew it out of the water. Baker Park also qualified on their first go and proceeded to make the next 14 World Cups as well. So much for the Corps being special!

Anyhow, with the debut taken care of, the "story" of Drawkian soccer didn't change much for the next few cycles. The Kick Corps would play reasonably well in the Independents Cup before losing in an early playoff round, then they'd make a surprisingly good run (with a bit of luck on their side) in qualifiers to make it to the World Cup, then they'd maybe top out at three points before missing the knockouts. Even on home soil in World Cup 79, the Corps fell short of the knockouts. Going into the final matchday of the proper group stage, they needed to simply Not Lose to Cosumar by more than 2 goals, and they were virtually guaranteed a playoff spot. They lost 1-3 and were eliminated.

The IAC Chokes

Around World Cup 80, things turned in an interesting direction for the Kick Corps. IAC-4 was Drawkland's big breakthrough in the Independents Cup. The first-day 3-4 loss to Mareibat made it seem like it was the same old Corps in play, but Drawkland proceeded to rattle off 5 consecutive wins to finally break into the late rounds of the Independents Cup. It was more luck than anything. The first two IACs pitted Drawkland against Flardania, who were floating in the 20-30 range by KPB rankings, in the early playoffs. Then IAC-3 saw Drawkland taking on the hosting Kel Assuk team, and they couldn't overcome home pitch advantage. IAC-4 was the first time the Corps got to play a bunch of nobodies in the early rounds, and the Corps took full advantage. Alpine Union was the first real resistance Drawkland faced in the IAC-4 playoffs, and the Corps managed to take home that semifinal match 2-1 in extra time. That set up a final match against heavyweight Free Republics ... which Drawkland lost 1-3.

IAC-5 was a similar feeling. Drawkland took care of business in the group stage (defeating such teams as HUElavia 1-0 and Space 4-1), floated past some nobodies in the early rounds (with the exception of Adab, who were admittedly just starting out and took Drawkland to a penalty shootout), and cruised into the IAC final still technically undefeated. This time the Kick Corps was set to face Mercedini, which was quite a similar nation to Drawkland at the time. They were the founder-delegates of their home region Novapax, similar to how Drawkland was seen with the planet Sonnel. Both were big names in the independent scene looking for their first IAC title. The Kick Corps had at least been there before, and even though they lost 1-3, they learned valuable lessons which they could bring forward to keep history from repeating itself. Drawkland proceeded to lose to Mercedini 1-3.

The Streak Dies

Though Drawkland had failed in heartbreaking fashion in back-to-back regional finals, the Kick Corps could at least hang their hats on their perfect qualifying record. Corps manager Michael Starre had been there since the multiversal era began, but his failure to deliver in the IAC final or World Cup proper despite ample chances were beginning to aggravate fans and DISC alike. It hadn't been decided going into the World Cup 81 qualifiers, but it would turn out to be the most critical cycle of Starre's managerial tenure with the Corps.

Drawkland entered the World Cup 81 cycle ranked #20 and barely snuck into Pot 1 for qualifiers. Their Pot 2 team was 33-ranked Barunia, and maybe this should've been a sign of danger lurking. Recall World Cup 77's qualifiers, where Barunia entered as the pot one team for the group only to be swept by Drawkland en route to the Corps stealing the last qualifying spot from the Suns on the final matchday. When Barunia shut out Drawkland (a rather difficult task) in the home opener in Drawk City, the alarm bells should've rung.

The true shame of the WC81 qualifiers was that the Kick Corps didn't perform terribly. They were smashing their opposition, earning several 5+ goal margin victories against the lower-ranked teams. It simply wasn't enough. Barunia also nicked Drawkland in the second leg, this time a 1-2 game in Sun Stadium that had a striking resemblance to the game where Drawkland knocked off Barunia in World Cup 77. That negative momentum carried into the next matchday, where the Corps inexplicably drew a nation called Santa Regada 1-1 at home. The Corps defeated that same team 6-2 on the road. With how many games Drawkland was winning, though, you'd think it'd all even out in the end.

Despite the dropped points, the Corps was still sitting pretty going into the final matchday. Their final match was a road game against 10-1-6 Natanians and Nosts, a team which has never qualified. Drawkland sat one point behind Barunia, but the chances of hurdling the Suns on the final matchday were slim as Barunia hosted 4-1-13 Egyptosian to complete their campaign. Still, the top three second-place teams would automatically qualify, and Drawkland sat two points ahead of that cutoff. A win would secure qualification, and even a draw would more than likely see Drawkland through. Only two teams were two points behind Drawkland: Eshan and Qasden. If Drawkland drew Natanians and Nosts, Eshan would need to win by a 5+ goal margin to hurdle Drawkland for the final autoqual spot. Qasden would need to win by 15+, which was plainly impossible.

All the Kick Corps had to do was not lose to Natanians and Nosts, and they were through. The Nosts were a little more powerful than usual, but there was no reason to believe that Drawkland couldn't pull out that game ... yet they couldn't. The Kick Corps defense was horrible. The Corps gave up an incomprehensible 5 goals, the most allowed by the team since their two 1-6 drubbings by Farfadillis and Eura in the World Cup 78 group stage. The offense was almost good enough to hold on, scoring 4 themselves, but a late goal made the score 4-5 in the favor of Natanians and Nosts. The Corps even had the help of Eshan losing, but Qasden's 3-1 home win over Squornshelan Remnant States allowed the Cats to hurdle over Drawkland into the final auto qualification spot.

However, this was just for automatic qualification. Drawkland now had the chance to save their season in the qualification playoff. The silver lining? By being the first team out of the autoqual, this meant they were the top seed for the playoff draw. This is where things got even more bizarre. Under normal circumstances, the Corps should've been playing against Acronius, who were the worst team to qualify for the playoffs (behind penultimate qualifier Abanhfleft by 4 points and had the worst goal differential at +11). However, the seeding table was gummed up. Garifunya nabbed the #2 spot with 41 points in Group 10 and should've been one of the higher seeds. The problem was that Garifunya's governing body seemingly ceased to exist partway through qualifying. As they hadn't returned by campaign's end, their qualifying playoff spot was vacated and given to third-placed Saltstead.

Saltstead being in the qualifying playoff wasn't a total farce. At 37 points and a +19 differential, they could've been seeded third-to-last. However, because they were third in their group and only in the field due to the second-place team being AWOL, they were automatically placed at the bottom of the playoff seeding. This turned out to be a huge disadvantage for Drawkland. Instead of playing the team with the worst record, they were playing someone else. The away tie to begin the playoff ended 0-1 in Saltstead's favor, and that's when the end of Drawkland's qualifying streak seemed imminent. The Corps needed to win by 2 goals, or win by 1-0 to prevent an away goal tiebreaker, then win in extra time. You'd think at home in front of a rabid Drawk City crowd this would be no problem ... but alas. Drawkland could only manage a 1-1 draw, and Saltstead won on aggregate to qualify for their first World Cup and kill Drawkland's streak.

In case you were wondering, Cassadaigua beat Acronius (the team Drawkland SHOULD'VE been playing) 4-2 on aggregate and were virtually guaranteed qualification going into the second leg since the Fillies won 2-0 on the road in the first leg. Of course, these are all excuses. How unlucky it was that a single additional point could've seen Drawkland through without a playoff! What misfortune that a team ceased to exist allowing Saltstead to enter the playoff they shouldn't have been in! How unfair that Drawkland had to face an objectively better team in the playoff just because they finished 3rd in their group! Excuses, excuses, excuses. Due to some awful behavior by the Corps team at the end of their home playoff tie against Saltstead, Drawkland did not receive an invite to the Cup of Harmony, either.

The Carol Haywood Era

World Cup 81's playoff would be the last Drawkland game managed by Michael Starre (who would go on to manage Newmanistan's national team for a bit in the mid 80s). DISC had seen enough. The IAC chokes, the WCQ choke, the inability to even make it to the Cup of Harmony, it all came together as a perfect storm. Starre, despite 2 IAC final appearances and a 4/5 qualification record, was shown the door. His replacement was Carol Haywood, manager of the Raikennax Charge from DLK.

The Haywood Era had more of an auspicious start, but one could argue she started that inning as a pinch runner on third base. IAC-6 saw Drawkland once again go undefeated through the group stage and playoffs, though penalty kicks were needed on more than one occasion. Once again, the Alpine Union forced Drawkland to extra time, making it their most difficult game of the campaign before the final. Still, the Corps persevered, making it to a third consecutive IAC final. This time their opponent was Omerica, a team they'd beaten in the IAC before.

Surely the Corps wouldn't choke a third consecutive IAC final 1-3? Drawkian fans literally rejoiced when the Corps scored their second goal of the contest, even though the score was deadlocked 2-2 at the end of regular time. Maybe they'd lose in crushing fashion again, but at least the scoreline meme was dead. Ask the Base Corps how iconic scorelines can be painful year after year. A testy extra time led to no goals, so once against Drawkland would have to resort to a shootout. This time it was for the IAC title itself. Could they really pull it off this time?

The answer was, somehow, yes. Corrie Archer, the final penalty taker for Drawkland, broke the 3-3 shootout tie and won Drawkland their first soccer championship of any kind. The IAC choking meme was dead ... at least for now.

Unfortunately for Carol Haywood, the World Cup Qualifying grind was a little more difficult than running over nobody nations in a short group stage and surviving a couple tough matches in a playoff. World Cup 82's qualifying was objectively worse than World Cup 81. Drawkland dropped points in 10 out of their 18 games. It's no surprise that they fell 10 points short of a qualifying spot. It was the worst qualifying performance for Drawkland at the time, and has only barely been beaten since. The Corps did reasonably well in their first Cup of Harmony, scoring a total of 14 goals in the group stage en route to a knockout appearance. After taking care of Lisander 2-1 in the first round, they proceeded to get Ko-oren'd in the quarterfinal. Similar to the Grid Corps being stymied by the Ko-orenite defense in the World Bowl playoffs, the Kick Corps were held to a 0-0 draw through 120 minutes and lost 1-3 in the ensuing shootout.

Now, Haywood might have won an IAC title already, but her leash was much shorter than Starre's was at the beginning of his tenure. The World Cup 82 qualifying campaign was truly awful to behold, and it seemed like the writing was on the wall already. What the Kick Corps didn't know, though, is that it was more than Carol Haywood's job on the line: it was all their jobs. IAC-7 was Drawkland's first time hosting the Independents Cup, and despite the fact that they were coming off their worst World Cup cycle yet, expectations were high for the Corps.

Five consecutive wins to begin the tournament (including a bye in the knockouts) was enough to put Drawkland through to their fourth consecutive IAC final. This one was held in the venerated venue of Seven Stars Stadium, marking the first time a Drawkian side played in the stadium Drawkland constructed ahead of World Cup 79. Once again, their opponent was Omerica. They even played to a 2-2 draw for most of the match ... until Omerica fired in a go-ahead goal with little time left in the match. Drawkland couldn't respond in time, and the Kick Corps fell at home for their third IAC final loss in four cycles. Unbeknownst to them at the time, this was the last match played by this incarnation of the Kick Corps.

[Valanora]

Faeron sat at the edge of the ethereal boundary and watched down over the world of Silverymoon, in particulair his old homeland of Valanora. There he ruled for years as Tobias Raynor, before his ascension as the protector of the world, one of the many guardians of the material plane that the Elder Gods had in place not just in the galaxy but all of the known universe. His ascension arrived because of the disappearance of Elune, the goddess who was so revered back in the Empire and that the entire religion had been founded in her name to follow her principals and examples. Like most Vanorians, Faeron had been a devout follower of Elunism during his time as Tobias, and had been stunned to learn that the legends of the founding of the Empire had been true with Elune having been an elf like any of his kin. Like himself, she had ascended into godhood with the Lady Gladerial having risen her up to that power as she then did he after the False Calling that in turn became a true Calling for so many of his kin. The elven population of Valanora had gone from tens of millions to tens of thousands with the event, a toll that was still being felt in his old homeland.

While the elven population crisis was something worth note and concern, it was not the most troubling thing for Faeron at the moment. Valanora, and Silverymoon as a whole, was doing rather well for the time being or well enough that it did not need divine interference from himself or the Hall of Heroes to protect it from some otherworldly or supernatural threat. It still startled him that there was a hall here in the space between the material plane and the gray havens that the souls of the heroes who pledged their service to Elune or Valanora were kept. He knew that the legend Jas Hatire had appeared at many times throughout history after the time of his passing, at a time of great need for the elven people and showed up to help defend them from whatever threat was closing in around them. He had seen the warrior himself twice during his reign as the monarch of the elven lands, yet he had thought that the warrior had simply been an exception, a noble sole dedicated to the protection of Valanora and her people, sent at their darkest hours to stem the tide. To find an entire feasting hall of others like him in this places between planes that was his domain now had been quite the surprise.

That aside, what was bothering Faeron was that it had been decades of time upon the material plane since anyone had seen or heard from Elune, even the Elder Gods were not entirely sure where she was. If neither Lady Gladerial nor her father Yanwë, the literal Guardian of the Cosmos, did not know where Elune was then it was truly troubling. He had already started observing some cults springing up in Valanora that were dedicated to him, Gladerial, Yanwë, or just the Elder Gods in general. Decades before that would have seemed impossible, the faith in Elune had been unshakeable for nearly all those in the Empire, be they elven or otherwise. While the practicing of these cult worshiping was not exceedingly troubling, the power that he had been bestowed upon and the Elder Gods themselves was divine might and not derived from the sheer power of belief in them, there was a certain unnerving feeling to see that people were losing faith in Elune, as if there was a smudge upon an otherwise perfect portrait of what the Eternal Empire was meant to be.

Halfway across the universe, Elune traveled slowly through a corner of space that appeared nearly empty as far as her own divine eyes could make out. Only the residual light of far away stars illuminated this part of space and yet their distance was beyond measure, completely naked even to her enhance vision. While it had been some time since she had escaped the edges of space where an unrelenting, insatiable entity of darkness had been enclosing in upon this version of reality, she still felt like she was no closer to returning back to the corner of the universe where Silverymoon was located. It had been at least a year drifting through space at whatever speed she had managed to sustain herself at since she had last seen an inhabited planet, several more since one of those planets had sentient life. Even though she had for thousands of years known her place in the Cosmos, knew of how small her own role and her planet were, to experience the vastness of space first hand and to feel your insignificance in comparison was not something she had been truly braced for. Was fighting the good fight for those dozens of years against an evil so unknowable it had been merely described as the darkness worth it, had she been an unknowing sacrifice to protect those who might never know her existence? Would she be forgotten back at Silverymoon? With nothing but her thoughts as her companion on the voyage, she wondered if she would still be the same person or even sane if and when she managed to make it back to where she had started.

[Alasdair I Frosticus]

THE IMPERIAL JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY

The Significance of Bostopian Tea-Drinking Rituals in World Cup history

By Alejandro Brookses and Maximiliano Mallowanes



ABSTRACT

Extensive studies of artefacts related to the Ordinary Reality ritual of tea consumption have revealed that no nation in World Cup history has been quite so associated with the consumption of tea as Bostopia, with the Emperor Boston being particularly known for his astonishing ability to consume tea. The fact that said individual was demonstrably a hominid of limited intellect has done nothing to diminish his tea-drinking reputation. This paper investigates the broader implications of the Emperor Boston's tea drinking, with a specific focus on tea consumption as an important pre-match ritual in World Cup qualification


<excerpts from the text>

...World Cup 7, when Errinundera defeated Spaam on penalties. The tea-growing districts of Errinundera were particularly fertile, leading to Special Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Errinundera Orange Pekoe tea leaves being particularly favoured by the elite tea-drinking nations of the World Cup. This tea set (Fig 1) from fourth-placed Word Cup 7 team Bedistan - subsequently to become one of the powerhouse nations of the '20s era of the tournament - shows the extent to which Errinunderan tea was highly valued in this time period...

...Bostopia's golden World Cup era in World Cups 42-44, when the team twice finished fourth, led to a massive increase in tea drinking across the multiverse. This has often been ascribed to the Emperor Boston's predilection for tea. On many occasion other nations would comment on the elegance and verve with which His Imperial Majesty would down a cuppa, as shown on this ancient frieze from World Cup 43 runners up Demot. See how the carving manages to exemplify the very moment when cup reached the imperial lip, inspiring so many to follow in the imperial footsteps and drink a nice cup of tea for themselves...

...the fact that the Emperor Boston was demonstrably a high-functioning moron that no sane sentient entity would seek to emulate was - in this particular interpretation of the impact of tea consumption on World Cup history - broadly speaking irrelevant. The mere fact that Boston inspired so many to try tea was considered far more important than his limited intellect, total lack of athletic prowess, or his inability to father children on his imperial concubines. Tea, and only tea, was where it was at....

...the people of Cafundéu, on the other hand, detested tea, much preferring coffee. This was not, it would seem, an intentional slight on Bostopian tea-drinking rituals, but rather reflected the complex socio-political and ecological situation in the World Cup 44 runners up, where coffee grew more easily than tea....


CONCLUSION

Let's be honest, only an idiot would seek to emulate the Emperor Boston, or his vicious tea habit. Nonetheless, there seem to have been a significant number of idiots affiliated with the World Cup in the 40s, which led to an explosion of tea drinking across the multiverse. Whether this was in direct emulation of the Emperor Boston, or was a totally unrelated passing fad, remains a subject of debate with World Cup archaeologists. What we can say is that the mid-40s explosion in tea drinking, and the associated material culture, has never been repeated in World Cup history. There remains only the infamous Bostopian Medallion, with its mysterious inscription reading "In the stillness of a teacup, I find solace". Whether this reflects the Emperor Boston's own feelings on the consumption of tea, or is merely of ritual significance on the part of a follower of the Emperor Boston, is a matter that we believe necessitates further research.

[Busoga Islands]

OOC Note to hosts and other readers: The following is a Map of Banija, Abahamba, and the Busoga Islands. Most of the credit goes to Tumbra. All three are ICly firmly independent countries, with historic ties to Banija- OOCly, all three of them are ran by the same user. Abahamba will be a large focus of this tournament for me, but as they are not in this tournament(for IC reasons that'll come out in due time), the RPing will be done mostly via Busoga and Banija. Abahamban perspectives will come from both nations.

Part 1: Intro to Abahamba
Part 2: A new Ambassador
Part 3: Robel takes a phone call
Part 4: Rumors Hit the Internet
Part 5: A Reçecian wonders (written by Recuecn)
Part 6: Thuku goes public
Banija, Part 7: Ezera's Denial
Reçueçn, Part 8: Thorvex takes charge
Part 9: The Brothers Lawyer Up
Part 10: The WCC hears the charges

Abahaman Crown Prince Thuku, speaking with his cousin, Prince Iwe

The two Princes were seated at their table, drinking some wine together. Together the two of them, joined by the King, had dinner together- the three of them having dinner ever so decently often. They were the three primary members of the Royal Family, of course- the King and his two successors. Fourth in line, of course, was the boy King in Banija- but both Thuku and Iwe were in their 20s. They had plenty of time to have a whole boatful of kids, and really dramatically expand the size of the Royal Family. This cadet branch of the House of Katende was a violent one- Kings regularly settling scores against their own siblings and cousins, pretty violently, to secure their own rule. That's why the King had no living siblings, despite being the oldest of 7.

The King liked to keep those two close- both to teach them about ruling, and, of course, his own paranoia- who wanted to be overthrown by their own son, or nephew? But to be fair, the country had been more stable than really at any point than it had been during the King's reign- especially with the beginning signs of the large Busogan foreign aid package starting to roll in. The three did have a quality dinner together however- even with all of them sharing a singular glass(quite literally the same glass) of wine. Today, his father was going to oversee some military drills in the center of the country, so it was the two princes that would be hanging out in the capitol.

"What's on the schedule today?" Iwe asked.

"Eh, not much for me." The Crown Prince said. "I plan on turning on Bostopia v. Busoga on TV. That'll be fun."

"Forget TV." Iwe said. "You see what's been going down in Zube? With Robel Ezera? I gotta say cousin... You might have been right. They might actually throw that Banijan out."

"THANK You." The Crown Prince replied. Thuku was, rightfully, vindicated in his belief that the Banijans had actually conspired to keep Abahamba out. Shockingly enough- who would've known? He didn't know what kind of compensation they could get, if any- but he had every reason to be suspicious of the Banijans. As for what the street felt... A number of people were pretty pissed off about events. It had gathered momentum- The Crown Prince said that the country would 'stop at nothing' to ensure that the team was competing at ARC VI. He'd be at the heart of it- President of the FA, coach of the national team, the striker- surprisingly, he could actually ball.

"Do we have anyone in Zube there?" The Crown Prince asked.

"How am I supposed to know?" Iwe said, shrugging his shoulders. "I mean, we're not in the WCC and have never participated... So probably not? I don't even know if we have an Ambassador there."

"The question is, why are they trying to keep us out?" The Crown Prince said. "Honestly, we gotta invite this investigator for a visit ourselves. Maybe she can get to the bottom of this. This seems so strange, so... Sudden."

"Those mother-freaking imperialists." Prince Iwe responded. "They think that just because Lugave decided that nationhood meant nothing, that they are a country that should stretch from sea to sea. When in reality..."

"Yeah, but why trying to suppress any sort of symbol of nationhood?" The Crown Prince said, frowning. "They, frankly, have better things to do. They aren't taking over this country..." And after they continued that discussion, the Crown Prince decided to leave the Palace, and take a ride to the Royal Family Gardens. Nothing that a stroll in picture-perfect pristine nature, one of the largest privately owned gardens in all of Arrosia, couldn't fix.

But when his driver started to take him, they went along a different route than usual. "Hey driver, why are you taking the long way? Wouldn't be much faster if we went through Downtown?"

"Can't, sorry." The driver said to the Crown Prince. "Roads are closed. Some sort of parade today."

"Parade?" They happened every so often in the country, but only around holidays. There weren't any holidays today- so the Crown Prince decided to press further. "What's the parade for?"

"No freaking clue." The driver said. So in the backseat of the car, the Crown Prince decided to call the Mayor. After they exchanged pleasantries, the Mayor asked him why he was calling. The Crown Prince asked his question- what parade was going on?

"Well, Your Highness." The Mayor said. "There's a fair going on downtown today. The streets are closed.

"A... What??"

"Yeah, not a parade- more of a fair. But still, gotta close the streets." The Mayor shrugged. "Banijan public television has just gotten themselves antenna access in Abahamba- so they're throwing a party to welcome themselves into our media landscape." The Crown Prince was stunned- he hadn't heard of any of this. "Yeah. The Banijan Embassy is covering most of the stuff here- Assefa Yitebarke, the new Ambassador, has been the point person for this. You haven't heard about this?"

The Crown Prince said no. He hadn't heard about it. "You've gotta cancel this. You can't have Banija throwing a parade here!"

"Sorry your Highness, but it's a bit too late for that." The Mayor stammered. "You see... It's already started." The Crown Prince was furious- the Banijan Embassy was out here throwing fairs in the Abahamban capitol? What the hell? Nobody at the city level was smart enough to say no to this out of hands? "I mean... The Embassy has also promised to spend funds renovating a couple of the parks and playgrounds in the city. I couldn't say no to that! Plus, I told the Minister of Justice! He gave me permission- he didn't kick it up the chain to you guys?"

"No." The Crown Prince said to the Mayor. Well, he had a dilemma on his hands- the King was out of town, and he was sure that the King would be pissed something like this was going on as well. He could order it shut down- but that might be exactly what he wanted to do. He asked the driver to take him as close as he could to the downtown fair- and what he saw shocked him. So much Banijanness everywhere- you had a World Cup Qualifier on a massive screen, Banijan food everywhere, signs in Olusanke, etc... stuff you never saw in Abahamba- even among the ethnic Banijan group. And stuff given out for free, as well- everyone liked free stuff. What kind of cultural takeover was Banija trying to do here?

He eventually, after about an hour and a half, made it back to the Palace. He went immediately to call his cousin, Prince Iwe. "Iwe!" He said, barging into his cousin's room. The young Prince was playing the Jack Hoy gridiron video game.

"What's up cuz?" Prince Iwe said to him. "Hey, by the way- did you hear about Caroline? You know, the new chef here?"

"The- what?" The Crown Prince asked. Caroline was a chef in the kitchens, 30 years old. Pretty young, but an excellent chef- that's why she was in the royal palace. And, of course, unknown to basically everyone, a side chick of the Crown Prince. The last time they had seen each other was just 48 hours ago- a wonderful sleepover. But that was neither here nor there. Was he about to get called out by his cousin? "Yeah, I know her. What's up?"

"She died." The Prince said, without taking his eyes off the game.

"What??" The Crown Prince was shocked. "What happened?"

"Oh, she got really sick out of nowhere. She was bleeding, got chest pains, a huge rash- it was ugly." The Prince said. "I haven't heard how she died. But it was rough." The Crown Prince was stunned- she had gotten sick so recently? They had hooked up less than 48 hours ago? He needed to go and figure some things out.

"Do you know what doctor checked her out?" The Crown Prince asked.

"Ozzie." The Crown Prince nodded. He was about to turn out of the room, when the Prince spoke again. "Oh Thuku, what was it that you wanted, exactly?"

"Uhhh- oh." The Crown Prince said. "Did you know that there is a fair being put on by Banijan Public Television today? Did you know that they operate in this country now?"

"What the hell??" The Prince responded. "Who the hell let this happen? Too many dumbass Generals in government who couldn't tell their ear from their knee. Your Dad's gonna be pissed. I'll call him- we've gotta have a meeting about this. Did you shut it down?"

"Too late." The Crown Prince said, frowning. "It's happening as we speak. You call Dad and fire whatever dumbass General let this happen. And then the Mayor, for having been dropped on his head as a child." The Crown Prince paused, as the Prince exited and saved his game. Suddenly, he had gotten a headache. "Call Dad- tell him to come home. We've got shit to deal with, and we're doing that today. If we're gonna shut that shit down, we need to get his personal approval- the Banijans might be pissed."

"I could tell that whole damn country to take a short walk off of a long-"

"I know cousin." The Crown Prince said. The headache was coming on more powerfully- he needed to find that doctor. "Tomorrow, we're meeting with the King. We'll figure out a plan of action."

---

The Lakiska Daily

Islanders earn critical draw in Bostopia as they firmly establish themselves as the team to beat in Group 6

LAKISKA, SOUTH ISLAND, BUSOGA ISLANDS- The Busoga Islands had their toughest window yet- both games away from home, and came out strong, taking 4 points from a possible 6. First, was the big game- 1v2 in the group, as the Busoga Islands traveled to Anaia to take on the Bostopians. It was a highly anticipated match- the top two teams in the group, and despite the 5 point gap between them, Bostopia have been looking more threatening by the day. "They've got a good team there, and they have more footballing history than we do." Said Abu Sesay, Busoga's leading winger. "But- we're not talking about all-time anything. It is this Qualifying campaign, at this time- and we're shooting for the moon."

Now for the Busogans, being up 5 points, and away from home, a draw was a good result- but for Bostopia, if they wanted to have a shot at qualifying directly, they needed to win- anything less would be a disaster. And the first half of play, was one of their best of the entire campaign- an absolutely dominating first half of play. Frankly, the Islanders were fortunate to only be down 1-0 after the opening 45 minutes. The finishing was off for Bostopia, as Francis DiFort and NIgel Roarn both missed free headers around the penalty spot. Fortunately, they had something to show for it, as Logan Grindle was able to find an open space in the box, and bury him towards the corner to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

"They had us pretty good in the first half- but we stayed resilient." Said the right back, Zaki al-Hassan. "They weren't able to finish us off- and we fought our way back into the game." Millet, being aggressive, wanted to turn things around- so she made two halftime changes. Unlem Olmez came in at right wing to replace Kujabi Jr, while Unlem Kurt, who was all of 16 years old, came into the game for Omar Jallow. A lot of pressure for the young teenager, right? And yet... It was a change that worked. The Islanders had the initiative for the entire second half- as Bostopia tried to defend forever. But they could not- and it was Kurt, the teenager, who assisted on the game-tying goal. Coming up the side, a great cutback pass towards Abu Sesay.. Who buried home first time. 72nd minute, it was 1-1.

THe Islanders actually had a chance to win it, when Kurt was brought down in the 89th minute, in the box- for a penalty kick. But with their usual taker withdrawn at halftime, some confusion over who would take it- and Ayben Uzun ended up stepping up. But the moment was too big- he shot it over the crossbar, missing their best chance to win it. Still, the eventual 1-1 draw was a quality result. "We had a chance to win it- so it's frustrating that we didn't." Millet told reporters. "That said, it is an excellent result- this is not an easy place to play, so to get a point, and keep our pace atop this group, is critical. We're halfway through this thing, and we haven't lost yet. But past performance guarantees nothing."

"We're getting everybody's best shot in the second half, since we're on top of the group. And we welcome that." Those were the words of the captain, Coro Dibahari. "It means we've got a strong team, a team that belongs at the World Cup. We want to get there, we are capable of getting there- and that means we've really gotta take it game by game." First game of the second half was against Moon Deing, away from home- and it was a dominant performance by the Busogans. Uzun had a brace in the opening 20 minutes, as the Busogans rolled to a 3-0 away win.

The next window, they've got Phoenicia at home as their only match- an interesting one, as Phoenicia have been a middle of the pack team so far. Still, the Islanders should be heavy favorites- and they'll need it, with this being the only opportunity to earn points next window, before the bye.

[Carpathia and Ruthenia]

The bottle factory has begun to open

Coercia – 2 (1)
Blackhardt (22'), Jensen (52')

Carpathia and Ruthenia – 1 (0)
Antonini, Verona, Naldi, Alinari, Kövér, Lecce, Brunetti, Vinci, Bassi, Crocetti (58'), Pék

Our last match of the first half of qualifying, going into the match four points clear of Canamn and Qusmo finding oursevles against the second bottom placed team in the group (only not bottom by merit of goal difference) Coercia, a team that up until that point had only managed a single win. Murmurs starting to spread, but maybe just maybe we'll get a shot at our first World Cup qualification in 75 years. But the dreams met reality in the twenty second minute with Coercia putting themselves in the lead and holding the balance of power throughout the first half. Unlike our match against Shizuna Rem Misurugi, where we came back onto the field a team possesed, and clawed our way back to a draw, Coercia remained unbowed and added a second goal in the fifty-second minute, and for once so far this camapign it was Carpathia and Ruthenia who ended with simply a consulation goal from Crocetti, after we had pulled the deficit down to one Coercia locked down the vault. Our attackers weren't able to find their way into scoring opportunities, and we were left to taking pot shots from distance however Park was more than up to the challenge.

Our comfort buffer is now stripped away, Qusmo are now breathing down our necks only one point behind and clearly on fire form-wise with five wins from five. With Qusmo to face an out of form Canamn and us facing and Oscioru side who managed to put 4 goals past a Ko-oren side who've only conceeded two other goals so far this whole qualifying campaign. The bottle factory may be about to open.

By Margita Ongaro
CBC Ruthenia

[Pasarga]

Iskander had been pleasantly surprised by how good of a time he had on his trip to Banija, especially considering her was not really much of a sports person and had attended not one but two matches by his hosts over the course of a few days. Perhaps it had been the merriment and good cheer with Banija having won both of those games, something that he had seen first hand with his trip to the Stade de Torgos that simply seemed to raise the spirits. Though perhaps there had been something a bit more, the company had been more than welcoming, it had been quite enjoyable. He was surprised at well he and Princess Ujamaa had seemingly hit it off, having long and quite interesting conversations. She was an astute young woman who seemed to have the world spinning on its axis around her, being a former Olympian as well as the aunt to the current monarch, whom Iskander was surprised to find out was a young boy. The events that had lead to a boy being named as the monarch had been one of the many topics that the two had shared, with Isaknder in turn explaining the succession crisis that had transpired nearly a decade before with the death of his own father, Jakub.

The Lady Lullaba had also been an interesting person to get to know, yet there seemed to be something somber about her that the crown prince could not seem to put a finger on. Ujamaa had mentioned how Lullaba was further from the line of succession than she was, a grand niece of the previous king, yet she had carried herself like a person who had been groomed to rule but never got there chance by his measure. She had reminded him quite of bit of Azra during their teenage years, as their father had been grooming her to eventually take the throne upon his death as she was the oldest of his two children. While polite and courteous, Lullaba did not seem to have the same enthusiasm for life that Ujamaa seemed to have in ample supply, perhaps because she was a few years younger and still more of a young adult in truth. Regardless, if it had been Azra's as well as her counterpart on the Banija side of the arrangement to attempt to have the prince and one of the two royal ladies engage in a bit of courtship, he was to his chagrin afraid to admit that it seemed to be working.

That thought made him grumble a little bit to himself as the airplane bringing him back to Torgos began to make its final approach to the dual islands from his time in Arrosia. Azra was going to want to hear everything about the trip, you would think that the Queen would be more required for other duties than to shake down her brother about his social life. It was not talking to her that Iskander really dreaded though, it was going to be the giggles and looks from her ladies in waiting who seemed to want to fuss over him like he was a doll or something every time that Azra wanted him to look "princely". He feared for what the young prince Mahdi was going to have to deal with once he came of age and Azra was going to want him to look the part, hopefully he would take to being fussed over and listened in on better than Iskander had. That had been one of the benefits to being the younger sibling and not expected to inherit the crown, there had been less scrutiny as well as pomp and circumstance for him to have had to deal with as a child compared to Azra.

"Well played sister, as well as whoever else whom you had get involved in this, your little matchmaking session might have just worked." He said with a bit of a bemused look as he pulled up his phone and could not help but smile as he saw that he had a new message from the new contact in his phone. The Banijan Princess was asking when the next time the two would be able to meet would be, which was an excellent question indeed with the duties that both seemed to have to their respective houses. The Banijans had invited him over for one of these international sports games, perhaps he could do so in kind to help keep the press from sussing out the real intention behind such an obligation. Pulling up the schedule for the national football team, he saw that they would be playing at home in about a month against someone called the Manuelian Empire, a place he had never heard of. With a smile he could not contain, he sent back his reply and braced himself for playing twenty-one questions with the Queen once he had made it back to the royal palace, he just knew she was going to be so very pleased with herself.